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popculturebuffet · 4 years ago

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Simpsons Review: Simpsons Comics #102 “Uncle Burn$” or Homercore Nudity!

Whelp out of all the commissions Kev has thrown me this one’s kind of a curveball. I mean it makes sense why cover it: It’s a pastiche of Donald Duck Comics done in the pages of the Simpsons long running comics. I cover duck stuff on here, and not only do I love the Simpsons but I tend to reference it for jokes a LOT. I just genuinely never thought of reviewing it till now, likely because earlier on in my new career of reviewing animated shows, I wasn’t really convinced I could do pure comedies. With my regular reviews of Darkwing Duck and as it comes out coverage of the Loud House (I still need to get around to Band Together), that’s no longer a real issue and I should consider doing the show in the future, especially since I have an unabashed love for the first 10 seasons and a few episodes beyond that.

As you can tell, I love the Simpsons. While I do genuinely wish it would end and have no real intrest in the current seasons, though if you’d like me to take a look i’d be willing to. The show in it’s prime was funny, witty and each episode was crammed with jokes. And refreshingly for an adult cartoon show of it’s time, the show genuinely wasn’t afraid to mix things up: Milhouse’s parents divorced and stayed that way for so long that them apparently getting back together decades later is itself a huge status quo shake up. Lisa went Vegetarian which stuck thanks to sir paul mcartney, and then went Buddhist, both of which have never wavered since and both fit her well. Skinner and Krabbable started dating. Barney went sober for a few seasons. Apu got married. These are minor changes but the show does have things happen occasionally and doesn’t just snap everything back and it adds genuine tension to plots knowing they might stay the status quo They usually don’t but the occasional change gives things stakes. I could go on for days, but I couldn’t go on for 8 weeks, point is the Simpsons are awesome, and deserve the praise they get early on I just wish they’d stop as by this point people really have stopped carring and it’s time to pass the torch and Let Bob’s burgers be the wholesome family comedy that runs forever.. and even then that one should stop at 10 seasons. Or if not at least let the kids age dammit. But that aside, while many of you simpsons fans looking at this probably have at least seen the comics, or a collection of them over the decades, many of you like me are wondering what the hell Bongo Comics is and how they managed to last so long. Bongo was founded by Simpsons Creator Matt Groening in 1993. Matt Groening had noticed that at the time there just weren’t any funny books on the shelves, funny books being comedy based comics primarily targeted for kids, with Archie and Disney being really the only ones left at the time. So he founded Bongo to rectify that, and given Fox naturally liked the sound of more merchandising dollars, the publisher was primarily used to produce simpsons comics, though looking at wikipedia there were one or two that weren’t including, of all things, a Coldplay comic tying into their album. Why did Coldplay publish a comic book at a primarily simpsons comic book company?

Though most series seem to be either short lived or one shots, there were a few exceptions: Naturally the company put out an annual Treehouse of Horror issue, there was a Bart Simpson ongoing focusing on him and the other kids of Springfield, I had a trade for that one once, and once Futurama premiered it too got a comic book that held through both cancelations. But standing above them all was Simpsons Comics, a 245 issue long runner that ran all the way up to the company’s closing, likely due to a combination of a lack of profits and the then upcoming Disney-Fox merger depriving them of the very heart and soul of the company.

Naturally being a Simpsons fan I have a connection to these comics having gotten the trades out of the library multiple times as well as the collection of Bartman’s solo series, which was my favorite and I might cover some day. In addition to the Free Comic Book Day issues i also picked up scattered issues over my life since, much like Archie, Simpsons comics were a mainstay of bookstores and super markets and the decline of both comic markets is likely why the Simpsons comics started to peter out in the first place. The quality and memorability of the stories varied but they were a fun thing to have around and it’s sad to see them go, as well as see Disney not even make a remote attempt to bring them back or at the very least republish the vast library they now have access to. Also finally if your wondering yes, there indeed was a Simpsons/Futurama crossover. And no I have not read it. So with that history, most of which I just learned some of which I already knew, in mind, it is very fitting the comic’s did a tribute to the Uncle Scrooge comics. Though it does feel very weird that I have yet to cover any Donald Duck or Scrooge comics.. yet i’ve already covered one of the Ducktales tie in comics and a Simpsons homage to it. I’m going to have to correct that but until then, join me under the cut as I dive into adventure with the Simpsons.

This issue was written by Ian Boothby and drawn by John Delaney, I feel mentiong the writers and artists should be important in comic reviews and I kick myself for not having done that or gone into them as much before. Boothby was apparently the Ian Flynn of these comics, writing more simpsons comics than any other writer according to wikipedia and winning an Eisner for his work on the comic if sadly not this issue. He was nominated for an outstanding Canadian Writer award for it though so that’s good. Point is the guy is a decorated vetran of this series and it shows in how good this issue is and I felt he deserved some recognition as most Comic Book Readers, myself included up till now, likely weren’t aware he even existed nor took over the comic in the 2000′s.

We open with Burns getting attacked by a mummy! Gotta say wasn’t expecting this as where we started out but the simpsons have started with wonkier premises to end up somewhere. I mean there was the time a bag boy strike ended up with them in Africa. Also i’d say Burns should call the police, being the kind of privileged white guy they actually care about protecting and all, but frankly the Springfield Cops don’t have the best track records with Mummies:

But no it’s just Smithers, who dove in heroically to save the company 15 dollars after Homer took a bet to see how many fire crackers he could jam in his computer’s disk drive. Lenny said 20 but he proved him wrong. And yes those are all actual jokes from the comic, this issue is very funny and feels very much like a Golden Age Simpsons episode. They also all gather to sign Smither’s cast.. which naturally is a legally binding contract. Burns takes his loyal minion to get some quality medical care only to find an arcade because he traded the Medical Bay in for one during an outbreak of Pac Man Fever... again I really can’t top that and there may be a good reason why I haven’t covered the Simpsons till now. But yeah as Buns gives Smithers a roll of Pennies, he wonders who to have replace Smither’s on their annual summer treasure hunt.. which would come out of nowhere but we genuinely don’t know what they do most summers. I assumed Burns just road Smithers like a horse to play cricket while Smithers enjoyed it way too much. But a stray comment from Homer getting a Krusty Doll from a crane machine about being king of the treasure hunters leads to this.

I mean it’s an easy joke but damn if it didn’t get a laugh out of me. So later at the old Simpsons place, because this comic is fantastic, Marge and Homer talk things over, but Homer insists Burns said he’d split the treasure, and Lisa wishes she could come along. And Marge says he should, especially for his own saftey.. and when Bart complains, says all the kids should go, she already packed their bags, she’s heading to Rancho Relaxo byyyyeeeeeee. Once again, this comic is amazing, and I would say this is out of character for Marge, but frankly that’s the whole point. Plus it really isn’t when she has to deal with 4 children on a regular basis, and her sisters, and a town gone mad.. yeah can’t blame her here.

The next day at Burns Office, Homer is wearing his navy outfit.. or rather Donald’s Navy outfit. But given I did a quick google and found him having at least 4 different outfits during his time in the Naval Reserves, it’s not a stretch to assume the Simpsons Version of the Navy gave these out too. Seriously Ian Boothby has put more thought into continuity than most writers on the show proper. Also Simpsons Tide, season 9 episode, still very memorable and hilarious and not due to childhood nostalgia. Just looking up this bit had me laughing hard.

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I now want to watch that episode sometime soon so thanks Kev. Anyway Homer seems to have misplaced his plants. Now I could spare you the image since I don’t do things panel by panel anymore and only use panels from a comic when relevant. Buttttt

This traumatizing of my audience brings me to a point about this issue and why it works. While there are tons of nods to the Donald Duck comics and what their homaging is very clear, the issue doesn’t REQUIRE you know them to enjoy it. Knowing them I obviously enjoy it more, but most of the jokes aren’t reliant on you knowing anything about the barks comics and even someone with a passing knowledge of the Original Ducktales can still get the reference if not why Donald is here. It helps this is less of a parody, with the exception of some jokes, and more of an homage, using stylistic elements of those comics while telling i’ts own story as a loving tribute to it’s predecessors. Speaking of one of those jokes poking fun at the source material, Burns is delighted Homer brought child labor, which kept me laughing for a good minute, and when the kids introduce themselves we get this bit.

Not only am I 100% sure every version of Donald or Della did this to make sure they could tell them apart, very much including the reboot with Donald, but it’s a genuine hilarious bit. Donald’s response as they head off is “there’s somehting hooey Dewey and screwy about this. “ Also I will criticize the fact Bart isn’t the one wearing a blue outfit. For those wondering why, after all Maggie wears blue shouldn’t she get it, who haven’t seen this a LOT of merchandise early on had Bart in a blue shirt, due to early Merch being rushed out pre-show and since he wore one in some earlier concept art, he got to wear blue. He also wore it late into the 90′s.

Sidebar: I just found this and while it isn’t a bad joke given his character it is questionable to have a fourth grade boy tell you to buy him. Just saying. But the reason I bring it up is partly because the show itself referenced it at one point.

As well as it’s sister show Futurama

And you remeber that Bart Simpson solo I mentioned? That one frequently, both in and out of story, had Blue Shirt bart show up for some variety.

Also why yes each issue does have it’s own fun “Superman’s Pal Jimmy Oleson” Esque subtitle. And I love it so. Point is Blue Bart is part of the series legacy and this very comic company, so it’s VERY weird to not have that here. That being said there were a few Green Shirt barts apparently as a printing error, so he could just as easily be 80 steps ahead of me. I just don’t know.

Back at the plot Burns and the Simpsons show up at Frink’s lab, Frink rather obviously filling in for Gyro, with his own version of little bulb named F.L.O. who gladly shakes Lisa’s hand.. and releases a Pterodactyl but hey you can’t win em all. It’s a nice nod, though one only fans of the source matieral will really get, but the pterodactyl bit right after helps distract from it. Frink slotts into the roll well, as Frink has no reall affiliation with anyone and is basically, much like Gyro, there for various characters to go too when the story or joke needs him. Frink has two gadgets for them: Some Scuba suits that can go to any depth and a grappling claw that accidently gets him gripped to the pterodactyl. Also homer accidently switches suits with maggie, so we get an adorable shot of her serenely sleeping in a diving helmet while her daddy chokes to death.

So the next day it’s out to the open seas where The Simpsons are doing all the work while Burns lounges.. which yeah this is a typical uncle scrooge adventure all right. While the man unlike Burns does work hard and do things for himself, he spent most voyages talking about the destination while putting all the hard work on Donald, in case you thought there was at least one universe where Donald isn’t miserable most of the time. Lisa wonders what he’s doing and we get this lovely bit.

I just.. can’t stop finding that hilarious or a nice way to get the Uncle Scrooge bit in there while still fitting the Simpsons, and it at least explains what happened to Herb, whose been mentioned all of once in the 30 seasons since he last showed up. I checked. And yes for those unaware, which is fair, or who just now remembered Homer does indeed have a brother, one his dad had out of an affair who showed up twice, once with Homer unintentionally, and largely due to Herb’s own foolishness, ruining his life, the other time with Maggie helping him get back on top and him and Homer reconciling. He’s also voiced by comedic legend and your friend and mine, Danny Devito, whose still making us all laugh to this day and is a wonderful person from all accounts. Rock on Danny, here’s the only way I can think to honor you.

But yeah it’s a good gag. Burns claims to be watching for a Giant Squid.. and turns out to be right. So it’s up to the simpsons to fight the giant squid, a sentence I genuinely didn’t expect.. I thought like the Griffins they’d just ignore it.

I miss that show.. oh i’m aware Family Guy is still running but much like the Simpsons the show it USED to be is long gone. Anyways Bart tells a worried homer octopus suck out the innards and drink it first quipping “It’s not like you haven’t been drunk in the morning before homer. Homer chokes bart only for the squid to choke him which is easily the second best “Homer getting choked after Choking bart” gag i’ve seen.. the best being this one I found on youtube.

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Though personally my faviorite part of that whole bit is Bart’s proud “THAT’S BECAUSE I SOAKED HIM IN SLIME!” Anyways Lisa figures out a way to beat the squid, painting the likeness of each of them on it’s tentacles and letting the thing devour itself. Lisa lampshades it making no sense PHysics wise but with that she reluctantly accepts calling Mr. Burns, Uncle Burns and we’re off to our next location. Next up is Mt. Donrosa, a very clear nod to Uncle Scrooge maestro Keno “Don” Rosa, an avid fan of Barks work who expanded on it and turned it into a solid continuity, most famously, and what got me into the ducks in the first place, with the epic “Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck” which I proudly own and.. well I did say watch this space didn’t I? Enough hinting at the future as the Simpsons scale the mountain with Homer carrying burns up on a rickshaw. Burns however looses his lucky #1 penny, SUBTLE, and cuts Bart down to get it. We then get the best line of the issue:

Bart thankfully survives and we find out the Penny, much like Scrooge’s Dime is how Burns started his fortune.. for this issue and nowhere else but that’s standard for the Simpsons. Specifically loading it into a gun and threatning to kill Jasper’s grandfather with it during the gold rush, a nice twist. At the top of the mountain they find the fabled key of Strobl, which comes from the Taliaferro tribe.. more refrenes this time though I didn’t know them and had to google. Tony Strobl was an artist on the Duck Comics at one ponit and Al Taliforino id forgotten about. He did the Donald Duck comic strip which I had heard of and weirdly hasn’t been collected yet despite Fantagraphics covering mickey, as well as reprinting barks and rosa’s respective works.

The key is suspended in the air by what Lisa suspects to be magnetics, and while Burns plan is naturally “Have Bart swim in it and see if he surivives”, Bart, still pissed from the penny and not wanting to die today, grabs the Penny and uses his slingshot to fire it at the Key. The bad luck from the penny casues an erruption, but Bart once again saves the day and has them surf down, with naturally tons more great jokes. The family enjoys some steamed Seafood, except Lisa whose eating Seaweed, while Homer enjoys a sting ray “It tastes as good as it stings, Ow, Ow.” ON to Goddfrodson Trench, an odd choice given Floyd Goddfrodson was barks equivalent for the Mickey Mouse Comics and not really a duck writer, but he still deserves the honor regardless. Under the Sea, no accusations just friendly crustaceans here.. our heroes are close to the treasure but loose the map to the Jailbird Boys, aka Snake and his cousins, who found out due to Lisa’s blog. She didn’t want to loose any more readers to Sheri and Teri’s Olson Twin’s Fan Page.. which.. it’s 2004.. weren’t they dead by this point? Nope still alive? Still are today in fact? Alrighty then. Also this bit, and some of the other references are a bit heavy handed, I will admit that, but the jokes are high quality enough otherwise that it just comes off as a bit of an adorable wink more than laziness.

Snake and co cut their air with Starfish used as throwing stars.

The gang tie their air suplies to avoid dying, and Maggie, in a clever bit, talks with the starfish, since they communicate via sucking, to attack the Jailbird Boys. Again..

I genuinely don’t know, but our heroes find the fabled vault of Barks Billion.. named after Bark Barks, that polar bear from the sonic games.. no of course it’s named after Disney Duck God Carl Barks, who created the Duck’s share of Donald and Scrooge’s supporting cast: Uncle Scrooge himself, Daisy Duck, a fact I just learned but given he created her first short “Mr Duck Steps Out, shouldn’t of surprised me, The Beagle Boys, Magica DeSpell, Goldie O Gilt, Flintheart Glomgold, Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, The Junior Woodchucks as a whole, Neighbor Jones, John D. Rockerduck, The Number One Dime, Gus Goose, April, May, June and Whitewater Duck. Just the sheer impact he’s had on the comics on all continents cannot be overstated. He is also the one who refined Huey Dewey and Louie from hellraising little shits to the good little boys they are today.. well okay they were, thankfully the reboot has created much better versions. Point is what a man, what a man what a mighty good man, he is truly missed. We get two great homer gags in the same page, one where somehow he’s put the giant key on a key ring and still can’t find it.. with Bart helpfully taking it from him, and then we get this, which I missed on my first read through.

Naturally Burns betrays them, using a Gold Magnet, kay, to suck up all the gold and naturally planning to leave the Simpsons for dead to no one’s surprise. But thanks to Bart teaching Maggie how to use the spittoons, Homer gets one stuck on his head.. and starts getting sucked up with the Simpsons using them to escape. Naturally Lisa’s first instinct is obvious.

But Burns weasels his way out by promising them free gold after their free lunch. Naturally the next day this turns out ot be a trick as their lunch came from frinks and thus, for now, their weightless.. but Karma gets Burns when he tries swimming in his new gold vault... only for the natural result of what happens when am an who never exercises and who doctors once described as having so many diseases packed into his body at once they tripped each other off and that a strong wind could kill him, trying to do with a similarly aged but still physically fit and well trained at swimming in money man does on a daily basis.

We then close on a quick gag of weightless homer getting caught on fire and we’re out.

Final Thoughts: This was a really excellent comic. It captured the tone of the Simpsons at their best and while stiff in a place here or there, it’s mostly just really funny, entertaining and a nice and warm tribute to Donald and Scrooge’s long comics history, not really mocking it but instead just homaging it, while still throughly feeling like the Simpsons. It honestly feels like the Treehouse of Horor Segement on the shining, a bit that parodies something, but for the most part the jokes still feel firmly rooted in the simpsons and their cast. This was a treat to review and i’m glad Kev comissoned it and I may take a look at more Simpsons in the future. If you guys like this review, you can follow me on patreon at patreon.com/popculturebuffet, or if there’s a specific simpsons or ducktales episode or a specific comic you want me to review, you can comission your own review for just five bucks. Just send me a direct message on here through Tumblr, or take a look at my ask box or submit. However you want to do it. I take payments through paypal and until next time: Happy Days are Here Again.

#scrooge mcduck #the simpsons #carl barks #simpsons comics #montgomery burns #homer simpson #bart simpson #lisa simpson #maggie simpson #don rosa #professor frink #bongo comics #waylond smithers #reviews #ducktales

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grimmbrookhq · 5 years ago

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GRIMMBROOK SEASON 1 EPISODE 2 “CATACLYSM”

Grimmbrook tries to return to normal after receiving a disturbing video of Madison and learning that no one is able to leave town. What better way to find distractions than with the annual Spring Festival? Festivities come to an abrupt end with an earthquake and those trapped inside the mines see something they can’t explain.

ABIGAIL MYERS

After seeing a few apartments, Abigail finds a nice little loft that’ll be perfect for her to start over in. [x] Flashback of Caleb telling Abigail he has just gotten engaged. She’s not a huge fan of the idea. [x] Abigail goes back to Caleb’s to apologize to him about the things she said at the wake. He seems a little off, but generally supportive of her decision to get herself a place. [x] Guy, a former client of Abigail’s from her hooker days, approaches Abigail in the street. She is quick to tell him she doesn’t do that shit anymore, but he is actually trying to apologize for his behavior. She doesn’t get why. [x] Flashback of Abigail going to Danielle’s house after Caleb throws her out of the house. Danielle offers her a drink and somewhere to stay in for however long she needs it. [x] Abigail goes to the Rose Petal boutique during a fashion crisis: she wants a new wardrobe to fit her new life. There she buys a gorgeous pair of boots for Danielle and a cool leather jacket for herself. [x] A stranger breaks into Abigail’s home and attacks her. She fights hard but ultimately fails to get away from him. [x] Caleb picks up Abigail when she calls him for help after the break-in. She makes him promise he will kill the guy who hurt her, and he does. [x] Abigail is home during the earthquake and other than feeling the shake, doesn’t go through any major stress. A few days after her attack, Abigail goes to the Red Apple restaurant where she meets Rosie, a cute, cheerful waitress. She is pretty proud of herself for getting her number. [x]

AURORA MYERS

Aurora received a text message signed little red. [ x ] Caleb taught her a lesson after he found a gift from one of her clients hidden in her drawer. [ x ] He made her breakfast the next morning. [ x ] She met Ella at the coffee shop. [ x ] She received another gift and gave it to Abigail while the two talked and shared a drink. [ x ] She gave the necklace that got her in trouble to sirene when she caught her going through her jewelry box. [ x ] At the spring festival, Brandon tried to get her to talk about her marriage. [ x ] She was with her childhood friend robin when the earthquake hit. [ x ] Speaking of the past, her twin sister Quinn showed up at the candy house unexpectedly. [ x ]

ARCHIBALD CROCK

Archie has had some trouble lately connecting with his ‘boss’ Brandon, and is doing whatever he can to be involved with the Madison case (x). He enjoys meeting the people of Grimmbrook, but he still has trouble connecting to them, but it’s easier when they’re as nice as Winifred (x). He only got so far before being put on security detail for the Spring Festival, when tragedy struck. Chad (x) and Raya (x) helped him set up a triage center until the emergency services could arrive, wherein Jack (x) jumped into the fray to help out. While searching for people in need of help, he ran into Tyler (x) whom he helped out of a large group of fallen trees.

BRANDON WOLFE

Brandon sends Ella a gift to placate her wrath after he revealed he had a sexual relationship with Madison at her wake. [x] Feeling uncomfortable, Danielle joins Brandon at his table while he eats. He asks her out on a whim, then claims it was a joke to begin with, making the blonde leave the diner fuming. [x] Brandon’s lunch is interrupted by the one and only Winifred Snow, who sets up a meeting with him to talk about their unlawful private matters. [x] Brandon has a day off and it’s the spring festival. After running into Aurora, Brandon tries to get something out of the girl about her enigmatic husband. He ends up talking too much about himself, and not getting a lot to go off in return. [x] Brandon knows Lena will have a stall at the festival and stops by to check up on her. She decides to make him a flower crown and explain the relevance of pastel colors. He still doesn’t understand it. [x] Luke is keeping Brandon company as he looks around the many stalls at the flea market area. They find a game-changing item for the breakfast table. [x] Catching a glimpse of Isabel at the festival, Brandon decides to end their two weeks of radio silence and approaches the woman, but nothing has changed between them. She has made it very clear that she can’t forgive or forget that he tried to kiss her in a vulnerable moment, and he respects her decision. [x] Brandon didn’t plan on running into Danielle at the festival, but once he does, he decides to question her hostility towards him. After talking things out, he asks her out on a real date and she says yes. [x] Brandon is feeling better about himself when he runs into Harriet, who decides to confront him about the investigation into her niece’s gruesome murder yet again. Insults are thrown around yet again, and the redhead only leaves upon the revelation that he did have a sexual relationship with her niece. [x] The last person Brandon expects to meet in the drink station’s line is Ella, but there she is, ready to start another argument with him. They bring up jealousy issues and their failed marriage, but their first honest conversation in years is interrupted by an earthquake. After making sure Ella is safe, Brandon leaves to try and see if anyone needs help. [x]

CALEB MYERS

Ten years ago Caleb met a girl named Kate Lawson and their date ended badly. [x] Knowing that his sister is currently staying with Danielle, he visits her at work and has a nice chat with her instead of getting a lapdance. [x] Abigail comes to visit one morning and apologizes for her behavior and to pick up the last of her things. [x] After finding a necklace in Aurora’s room Caleb decides to punish her for her disobedience, [x] and buttered her up the next morning. [x] At his weekly dinner at The Red Apple, Winifred hits at Caleb’s allegiances. [x] In a flashback Caleb meets with Carrie who offered him a business deal. [x] While driving home from work he sees someone who catches his eye. A ghost from his past. [x] Fed up with this situation with Abigail Caleb decides to take matters into his own hands. [x] Abigail calls him after her attack and he picks her up, brings her home, and nurses her back to health. [x] Caleb asks Liam to seduce Aurora out of pure boredom but he doesn’t seem too happy with this particular job. [x]

CARRIE POPE

A simple stroll on the market turns into an unfortunate mess when she meets Winnifred (x). Just when she believes she has an upper hand, the young girl drags her on a stage to tell a crowd of pathetic children that her mansion is being turned into some form of charity case. Tough luck. Thankfully, her pet is around to curb her attention onto more enjoyable pass times in the form of Declan's head between her thighs (x). While not normally the sort to join the festivities amongst the town peasants, she decides that a change of scenery is in order. It all begins badly in the form of Hunter, whom leaves her with a well deserved black eye (x). Just as she’s about to leave, she stumbles upon a familiar blond-haired male who ends their meeting by saving her from nearby crates (x). The next morning, she decides to check in with Rosie and begrudgingly decides to host a night for them to get together (x). Lord, give her the patience. But not before she plots hunter’s death with her right-hand man, Kai. (x)

DANIELLE MASON

Danielle had a run-in with an old friend, bringing the past back into the present as Winifred offered her a job at The Red Apple. [ x ] Then she took on a baking adventure with Ella, where they both learned a valuable lesson that neither one of them was meant to be bakers. [ x ] It was the local festival where Danielle had several encounters over the course of the day from a conversation that turned into an invitation to dinner with the local Sheriff, [ x ] was on a tour where she inevitably took a swing and hit Joseph for his part in her going to jail [ x ], and ended up making plenty of cash through pickpocketing [ x ] and ambulance-chasing. [ x ]

ELLA GERTRUDE

After Ella Gertrude spent time with Ida getting paint swatches to make home feel more like home [x], she enlisted Dani’s help to bake for Ida for a change – however, she’d forgotten how terrible she was at baking and almost burned the house down [x]. Later in the week as she was out and about, Ella meets Isabel in the bookstore and spoke with her about favorite tales [x]. After an accidental drink swap at the cafe, Ella met Aurora Myers and spent time chatting with her [x]. At the spring festival, an attempt to do something nice for a stranger went awry when the next person in line was her ex-husband, although their conversation was cut short by an earthquake [x]. Ella also felt the impact of the earthquake later, while working with Madelaine to ensure an injured woman got necessary medical attention [x]. After the festival, determined to turn over a new leaf, Ella went to the Rose Petal for a wardrobe makeover – and who better to get advice from than Wendy Miu [x]?

GIO PANICUCCI

After being coerced into attending the Spring Festival, Gio and Luke got trapped underground. Sadly they were not the only beings there it seemed. [x]

HARRIET REDDING

A few days before the festival, Harriet stumbled upon Madison’s old friend, Danielle (x) in a cafe. The sudden appearance of the blonde brought back a lot of good memories which was the reason why she’d taken it upon herself to sit. After their chat, they decided that Danielle could potentially come help Harriet clean up Madison’s room. Despite not being in the mood for a festival, she ended up going anyways. The presence of Brandon Wolfe with a beer in his hand was a reminder of exactly why she shouldn’t have went (x). They shared a few words and Harriet left in an angry frenzy as always. Just when she contemplated leaving, she was lucky enough to stumble upon Archie (x) who was kind enough to buy her a funnel cake. A dessert she’s sure to never consume again. Their meeting was rather quick as he returned to work and she decided to make good on her decision to leave. Luckily enough for her, she avoided the earthquake and the traumatic events that followed. After a few days of not seeing Chad, or receiving any follow-up texts from him, she decided to make her way to his apartment with a pizza (x).

IDA LAWSON

In a flashback, Ida’s arrival in Grimmbrook is detailed. ( x ) Back in the present, Ida meets a mysterious stranger at work. ( x ) She and Ella also go shopping for paint to make the house feel more like a space Ella can call home. ( x ) At Grimmbrook’s annual Spring festival, Ida chooses to solo the beer tent - an especially poor choice when she’s the only one to serve Declan Vasquez. ( x ) A flasback recalls the fateful evening she and Declan crossed paths. ( discord ) Later at the festival, Ida serves a familiar face, and the two band together in the wake of the freak earthquake that hits the town of Grimmbrook. ( x )

ISABEL DUMAS

Isabel visits her father Maurice in the hospital following his scuffle with Casper du Pont. (x) At the shop, she finds herself determined to help a customer, not knowing who she is. (x) Later, getting lost in the comfort of the bookstore, she runs into the girl from the shop, and the two formally introduce themselves. (x) Isabel attends the annual Spring festival alone, where she runs into Brandon, and the two leave things on shaky ground (no pun intended, considering what’s to come). (x)

JOSEPH MADDOX

Joseph went to the Spring Festival to get some fresh air. He saw Winnie and she helped him find flowers to decorate the White Stallion (x). He ran into Luke and decided to apologize and try to make amends (x). Later, Carrie texted him. While he wanted to stay strong because she had been ignoring him, he caved in and promised to meet her later (x). Joseph went on a tour of the woods and saw Danielle. He tried to apologize to her too but it didn’t go as well as he hoped and she hit him (x).

LIAM PHOENIX

Another bit of dirty business on behalf of Caleb leads to even dirtier business on the horizon for Liam [ x ] Caleb also sends him on a ‘find and retrieve’ task for aurora [ x ] Meanwhile luke is still making himself comfortable as a somewhat intermittent houseguest [ x ] The festival is interrupted by a chance encounter with Carrie, though the earthquake put paid to much in the way of festivities and Liam offers to take her home [ x ] A slight but persistent injury acquired during the earthquake sees Liam visiting the local ER and his wound is patched up by Cordelia [ x ]

LUKE MASON

Luke stayed under the radar after his run-in with Casper, and subsequent tentative reconciliation with his siblings, but it wasn’t until the Spring Festival that things kicked off. He ran into Joseph, and hashed out his feelings with the man’s betrayal, coming to a tenuous truce for the time being (x). He had a somewhat awkward conversation with his sister (x) and his brother (x) but things seem to be heading in a positive direction. Afterward, he went on the mine tours and met a few different people, but the main event was with Gio, his reclusive friend who he’d only wanted a fun night out with. Instead they were in the mines when an earthquake hit, cutting them off from the rest of the tour group. That should’ve been it, but instead, there were things in the mine with them that chased them till they barely managed to escape (x).

MADELAINE SLOAN

Madelaine decided to break out of her comfort zone by going to the Spring Festival, her first pit stop being the place making her the most uncomfortable: the mines. She met Luke Mason there and they chatted about childhood weirdness and Madison Redding’s murder. ( x ) She then ran into Winifred Snow and a casual conversation ended with Madelaine handing over her business card, making a first attempt at securing her own alliances. ( x ) Later on, when a woman suddenly got sick and fainted, she and Danielle Mason decided to go to the hospital and return the woman her lost purse. She rewarded them with 100 dollars each. ( x ) Back at the festival after some shopping, the earthquake struck after she and Ella Gertrude tried to help another woman with an allergic reaction. Verging a panic attack, Madelaine fled. ( x )

PAUL TRUJILLO

Paul Trujillo’s time was spent at the spring festival. He struck up a conversation with Dani when he noticed her pickpocketing and tried to warn her to be more careful, but their conversation veered more towards yoga and pilates [x]. During his wanderings, he also spent time with Archie Crock [x] . During a mine tour, he got lost with Luke, who helped him out of the mine before an earthquake hit, a favor that Paul feels he needs to return [x]. And when getting drinks from Ida at the Midnight Pub’s booth, he led her to a safe spot to ride out the earthquake together – a pretty interesting conversation topic for their first time speaking [x].

ROBIN LOCKSLEY

Robin returned to Grimmbrook after some time spent traveling abroad and his first pit stop was at the Spring Fair, where he caused quite the ruckus. He walked up to his brother, Guy, and taunted him until he lost his temper and made a fool of himself. He then put his Gucci sunglasses on and went to enjoy the fair. ( x ) At the Cove, he ran into childhood friend Alex Falwell ( now Aurora Myers ) and an amicable chat was interrupted by the earthquake. He helped Aurora get home and then stayed behind to help the victims. ( x )

ROSIE FLANAGAN

Rosie and Danielle continue their accidental friends with benefits relationship. Will this be the last time? [x] Carrie invites Rosie over for some wine. Rosie is still completely oblivious to her ill intension. [x] Rosie and Winnie have a conversation at the stand which Rosie is working at. [x] Bored out of her mind, she calls Archibald over to offer him gelato and way too much of her company. [x] Rosie comes home from the festival and speaks with Marigold. During which the Earthquake event takes place. [x] Abigail and Rosie meet at the Red Apple, where Rosie awkwardly attempts to remember how to be a waitress. [x]

WINIFRED SNOW

Winifred fixes a mess at work and runs into Caleb ( x ), getting a read on his loyalties. This is a few days before she goes to the local farmers market and runs into her friend’s sister, Danielle ( x ) who she used to be childhood friends with. After running into Danielle, she has the misfortune of encountering her step-mother monster, Carrie ( x ) and over some verbal sparring, she ends up telling a large crowd that Carrie’s agreed to add space to Snow Manor to accommodate some local charities/kids groups. A few days later she seeks out Brandon ( x ) to plan to meet and discuss his ongoing investigation and her suspicions as to who is behind it. At the Spring Festival, she runs into Danielle ( x ) again and spontaneously offers her a job at the red apple. Then she encounters Madelaine ( x ) for the first time, despite knowing her father, and later, she runs into Joseph ( x ) and they have a light conversation despite usually only talking business.

#horror rp #lsrp #town rp #grimm.previously #grimm.extras

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douxreviews · 6 years ago

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - ‘Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Kitson’ Review

"The mission is ladies' night."

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. leaves its usual heavy storytelling aside and delivers one of its most unique episodes. Very Whedonesque and definitely the funniest one they have ever done. What's not to love?

"Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Kitson" is a well crafted episode: written with confidence, produced with style and very well acted. There is one detail I'd like to address first, because it's the only flaw in an otherwise terrific episode: Simmons' behavior and how it doesn't fracture her friendship with Daisy.

See, last season Simmons tried to stop Fitz from ripping the inhibitor from Daisy's brain, but afterwards she sided with Fitz, didn't show one ounce of sympathy towards her friend and acted against her direct orders. We never saw their friendship recover from that. This season Simmons again acted against what everybody had decided, and in this very episode she challenged (!) Daisy of all people. Yes, she is not emotionally well and her unstoppable drive to find Fitz is clouding her judgement, but her inability to understand Davis' and Piper's perspectives, for instance, is jarring, especially when it leads her to call them cowards. How dare she? She is not confronted nearly enough, though, and the episode proceeds to give her validation, for Fitz is right around the corner. It's not that her jump of faith could not have brought her what she was looking for, but more that her selfishness was not addressed as it should have been. So when Daisy and Simmons are high and professing their love for one another, I can only conclude that Daisy is the best, most patient friend ever, and one that Simmons, at this point, does not deserve.

But enough with that issue, because this was such a great episode that it deserves more happy words than I'm giving it so far, and stoned Simmons was a big part of that greatness.

It's boys' night for Fitz and Enoch when they arrive on the planet of Kitson and must gamble for their tickets back to the orbit of Jupiter. Fitz and Enoch are a great duo, and it makes so much sense that a sentient android (or whatever Enoch is) would end up being Fitz's mate. But is he really? When Enoch professes that Fitz has become his best friend, Fitz doesn't return the sentiment immediately. Only later, when Enoch is depressed and in need of a pep talk, does Fitz say Enoch is his best friend also. Was he being honest or just trying to cheer Enoch up? I'm going with the second option, for Fitz wasn't paying attention to their growing bond at all. He is so focused on the mission (it's all about Simmons) that Enoch's attachment to him flew over his head. Or maybe Fitz didn't expect that someone with such a robotic demeanor would have real feelings.

In any case, it's nice that Enoch is being fleshed out as a character. He is genuine and faithful (let's not forget that his previous version sacrificed himself for the team), which makes him someone easy to root for. I mean, how unbelievably cute was he in this episode? Even his brief existential crisis was cute, and it opens new possibilities for the character. Now that his mission as a chronicon is cancelled, he can just become part of the gang. :)

While Enoch and Fitz were the emotional center of the episode, Daisy and Simmons were the comedic one. And OH MY GOD I LOVED IT SO MUCH. Why, oh why, didn't this show try stuff like this before? I know the one-off stories of season one were more miss than hit, and the show became extremely serialized from season two onward, but episodes like this are gold. Gold, I tell you. Okay, I have a weak spot for episodes where characters are high or under a spell and act all goofy. Still, it's nice to see these characters you've grown fond of just having some fun together. And after the doom and gloom of last season, this was a welcomed change of tone.

It's ladies' night for Daisy and Simmons when they arrive on the planet of Kitson and completely lose focus of their mission after they inadvertently get stoned. Chloe Bennet and Elizabeth Henstridge play off each other really well and dive head first into the silliness of the script. You can tell they had lots of fun shooting this episode. I loved several moments, but my absolute favorite one was Simmons directing Daisy's blast and yelling "Fire." That was totally Whedon-y, wasn't it? Daisy narrating the night to herself was another hoot. Daisy, in general, was awesome, and her fight against the hunters was one of the coolest the show has ever done. I mean, she was high and still got the moves. And what about that music score? All hit, no miss.

Skimmons or Death!

Even though this was not the typical arc heavy episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., it was no filler either, as we got some significant arc progression. See, it's completely possible to design an episode as a standalone that anyone can randomly watch whenever they want too just for the fun of it and still make it relevant to the arc story (not that I have anything against purely one-off stories, they have their value too!). We learned that there are several types of chronicons, one of these types are hunters, who are after Fitz for... reasons. The hunter we met said that Daisy and the others are "out of time," as in out of their original timeline. But Fitz isn't, right? The Fitz who was out of time died, and this Fitz actually belongs to this timeline. So why did the hunter take him?

I know many fans were frustrated that Simmons and Fitz were separated yet again, but I loved that they only saw each other for like five seconds and Fitz was taken. At first, the search for Fitz looked like an unnecessary side plot this season, but now it matters and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. And it's not only Jemma who wants to find Fitz. His best friend Enoch will want to get him back too.

Intel and Assets

- After saying "Expecto Patronum," Simmons hallucinated a tiny monkey Fitz. Of course the image of Fitz would appear as her patron.

- I loved that Simmons, even stoned, was able to tell that the sound they were listening to wasn't part of the hallucination. Girl is smart.

- So, is Daisy cool with the use of torture now? I wonder if this will be explored in depth later or if we are just supposed to accept that a year in space has led her to this point.

- The planet of Kitson has only one city, apparently, also called Kitson, and it's ruled by a man named... Kitson. Boy, is he self-centered or what?

- The title of this episode is a reference to "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."

- Did the hunters really need to kill the hostess? She seemed so nice.

Quotes

Enoch: "I'm well-versed in over 10,000 intergalactic games of chance, several of which are being played in this casino." Fitz: "And you're only just telling me that now? Which games are you good at?" Enoch: "Approximately none."

Inspector: "The planet Kitson is a nasty place, absent any basic scrap of decency." Piper: "Somebody just described Florida."

Inspector: "'What happens on the planet of Kitson...'" Daisy: "Stays on Kitson?" Inspector: "No. 'Is contagious and burns.'"

Enoch: "There are other ways to earn money." Fitz: "How?" Enoch: "The brothels of Kitson. We are both healthy and not unattractive specimens, and I am well-versed in over one hundred and thirt-" Fitz: "Stop."

Daisy: "Are you feeling okay?" Simmons: "Are you?" Daisy: "I asked you first." Simmons: "I asked you second." Daisy: "On three. One, two, three..." Simmons: "I'm not okay at all." Daisy: "I'm tripping balls."

Daisy: "I don't think it's the atmosphere." Simmons: "No, that was silly. It's clearly psychopharmacological expiali-" Skimmons: "-docious."

Simmons: "You had big hair." Daisy: "You had big... nerd face. What house are you in? Gryffindor?" Simmons: "Ravenclaw, girl, please."

Simmons: "I think my parents are mice." Daisy: "That makes sense."

Enoch: "What are you doing?" Fitz: "I'm rebooting you." Enoch: "I'm not comfortable with this level of intimacy."

Daisy: "If I can't quake it, I'll break it."

Simmons: "I have reason to believe that my future husband is behind that door." Guard: "And what reason is that?" Simmons: "The dolphin told me in a secret signal only I can hear that was meant just for me."

I loved it and I'm grading it according to the amount of fun I had. Four out of four bad little puffies.

Lamounier

Note: I'm so, so very sorry for the lateness of this review.

#Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.#Agents of SHIELD #Daisy Johnson #Jemma Simmons #Leo Fitz #Marvel #MCU #Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Reviews #Doux Reviews #TV Reviews

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resonanteye · 4 years ago

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via http://resonanteye.net/horror-movie-list-2020-edition/

Horror Movie list: 2020 edition

We’ve seen so much real-world horror this year that it’s hard to top it. But in the spirit of all previous Halloween lists, I’m going to go ahead with this anyway.

TOP THIRTEEN!

In no particular order, the 13 movies you should be watching this week.

attack the block: a classic, 10/10

snowpiercer: uprising of the underclass. 9/10

people under the stairs: BELONGS IN 2020. 9/10

society: a better documentary than They Live. 9/10

contagion: it drags a little, but have you gotten your hydroxychloroquine forsythia yet? 9/10

us: class uprising, metaphorically. 9/10

green room: racism, cults, punk rock culture, innawoods. 10/10

the crazies: the kind of year it’s been. we didn’t realize our neighbors were this fucked up. 10/10

the thing (even the sequel is good) every year, all the time, we’re gonna find out who’s the thing. 10/10

children of men: how we’ve reacted isn’t much better. 10/10

invasion of the body snatchers: you can’t tell if people are assholes or not, until now. now you can tell. 9/10

the dead zone: we need this. we needed this a while ago. 8/10 (points deducted for effects)

dead snow: We all wish we had snowmobiles and axes these days. 10/10

The rest of the movies aren’t listed in order of best/worst, just as I remember them. Themes listed and my short thoughts, and a 1-10 scale for my personal enjoyment. There’s been a lot of shitty horror made since my previous lists (see here, here and here) (and a list of horror passing various analytical tests, HERE)

click through for the big list.

movies since the last list

Don’t be Afraid of the Dark: it’s about a little kid. Monster movie. Haunted house horror. 5/10 creepy little guys

Resolution/the Endless: endless is the perfect sequel. Existential horror. Time travels. Cults. 10/10

Autopsy of Jane Doe: medical, family issues, witches, existential dread about death, reminiscent of return of the living dead, slow burn, revenge, a new favorite. 10/10

Kingdom: yes it’s a series. It’s the only horror series I’ve been able to sit through. Zombie/plague, politics, battle scenes. Science. 9/10 perfectly done

Spectral: Army guys. Dimensional horror. Fight scenes. Folklore. 6/10 not bad, fighting gets tired after a while.

Await Further Instructions: Racism. Family gatherings. Holidays. Just how people would behave. 9/10

The Boy: Dolls. Ghoooooooosts. Creepy family relationships. House horror. no kids! 8/10

Demonic: ghost hunters, paranormal, twist ending, police presence. well acted! 7/10

Sinister 2: like most sequels, not good. about kids of course. Bad folklore references. 2/10

The Stranger (2014): about a kid. mom was a vampire apparently… viral plagues, body horror. small town living. 9/10

Bliss: Artists and art culture. Great characters. Party. 8/10

He Never Dies: not a bad role for Rollins. immortality, violence, paranoia, revenge of a sort. 7/10

Monster Party: serial killers, family dynamics, surprising facts about rehab. 6/10

We Go On: some plot holes here… existential horror. afterlife, ghosts, stalking. 7/10

House of the Devil: slow burn. predictable ending. rape, demons, cult. filmed beautifully but so what? 4/10

Spring: folklore, relationships, body horror. INCREDIBLE. 9/10

Terrified: plot holes. ghosts/existential horror, dimensions. effects are great. 8/10

Cruising: serial killer, homophobia, cop content, sexual violence. a classic, acted perfectly, directed perfectly. 9/10

The Silence: plot holes SO MANY PLOT HOLES. great creatures. monster movie/apocalyptic. 5/10

Starfish: indie music vinyl collection part-anime monster movie. I know that SOUNDS good but… every instance of “it was all a dream” removed one point. confusing plot, nice monster. SO SLOW. 3/10

We are Still Here: vintage feeling. haunted house/rotten small town. family problems. cold weather. 7/10

Malevolent: pretty decent for a “ghost hunters” movie. 6/10

Beyond the Black Rainbow: cults, mad science. If you liked “the invitation” you might like this. 5/10

Spiral: this one scared me. With the way the world is now I felt real fear watching this. Building dread. homophobia, xenophobia, cults. 8/10

Color out of Space: Nicholas Cage falls in love with a meteor and it’s nothing like the Lovecraft story. Just watch Lovecraft Country instead (unless you want to watch a comedy, it IS Cage, after all. and it got 3 extra points for casting Chong) 3/10

The Fields: about a kid. but also about how creepy the rural areas of PA can be. great setting, great plot. 9/10

Southbound: an anthology, which isn’t as coherent as I wished it was. some sections are worth the watch. 6/10

Void: cults, medical and body horror, and interdimensional mad science. 8/10

Under the Skin: strange aliens, with strange goals. rape, of course, because the main character’s a “woman”. 6/10

Get Out: Holy shit rich white people scare me. 9/10

Antiviral: medical and body horror, doppelgangers, and paranoia. 8/10

Mayhem: Every workplace should be unionized. infection, medical horror, violence with office supplies. 10/10

digging up the marrow

Eli: you’ve seen this movie before, but you won’t know it until the end of the movie. I’m not sure I like that. it’s also about a kid. medical horror, demons, ghosts. 4/10

in the tall grass: Time travel/elder gods and of course the King fear of Native sacred ground. well made. 8/10

it comes at night: paranoia, disease and isolation all wrapped up neatly in a good mystery story. 7/10

they look like people: Paranoia, so much paranoia. 9/10

Baskin: demons and deals. 6/10

Ma: just an incredible revenge story. teenagers, but not about teenagers. Great cast and slow build of dread throughout. 9/10

Midsommar: revenge movie with a cult to help it along. slow, and pretty. overrated. 6/10

XX: anthology that’s a 50/50 hit. rated slightly higher because the hits are really, really worth it. 6/10

Train to Busan: zombies aren’t as tired out as a genre as you’d think. yeah, it’s about a kid. ugh. 7/10

The Golem: antisemitism, colonial times, women fixing shit. yes, it’s about a kid. fuck sake 7/10

Thirst: Catholic vampire romance horror. What more is there? medical horror too. 7/10

Into the Forest: I understand that there’s two women as main characters during a power outage apocalypse so there’s got to be rape, but still. 4/10

Tales of Halloween: gives trick r treat a run for its money. ADRIENNE BARBEAU. 7/10

Platform: seems more relevant now than last year. Very violent; plot holes or three. Great acting. 6/10

The Vampire’s Assistant: I’m not usually a horror-comedy fan, but this movie had it all. spiders too. 8/10

Don’t Kill It: fresh premise, good plot. demons, possession, and paranoia. 8/10

Cold Skin: everything the Lighthouse SHOULD have been. Colonizer/Native metaphors. monster movie, with a twist. Antarctic isolation horror. 9/10

Hereditary: overrated, but not bad. family issues, cults, motherhood. yes it’s about a kid/teenager. 6/10

Demon: addresses the leftover horror of genocide, family issues, weddings, and being a stranger in a strange land. 8/10

Patchwork: technically a horror comedy which I usually dislike. Still, it was done well- callbacks to reanimator! no rape scenes, which is amazing for a film with 3 women leads. 8/10

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night: unsatisfying ending, but excellent throughout. classic, straightforward vampire story, in a fresh setting. 8/10

older movies I strongly suggest

rare exports: Santa? not a good thing. 9/10

the stuff: addiction, consumer culture. 7/10

return of the living dead parts 1,2 and 3: 10/10, 8/10, 9/10

the relic: science gone wrong due to egos. 8/10

pioughkeepsie tapes: serial killer culture done as a fake true-crime documentary. 10/10 if you watch a lot of those, 7/10 if you don’t get those references

the diabolical: ghosts or time travel or some kind of dimension warps? 9/10

the ruins: when the locals tell you to fuck off, fuck off. this is a killer plant movie. 9/10

the girl next door: pure American sociopathy. rape, torture, and the “good old days” 9/10

splice: mad science and monsters. rape and rape-adjacent scenes, of course, since women are lead characters. 7/10

grave encounters: 10/10 of you watch ghost bro shows. 6/10 if you don’t

dog soldiers: possibly the perfect werewolf movie. 10/10

dead birds: possibly the perfect Civil War movie. 10/10

body bags: anthology. hits and misses. 6/10

dead alive: the perfect zombie romance movie. Nothing has ever come close. 10/10

vamp: it has Grace Jones. 9/10

altered: the best alien movie ever made. 10/10

final destination: the grim reaper is rube goldberg. 7/10

Pan’s labrynth: the horrors of fascism. but about a kid. 9/10

freaks: the original, the classic unity revenge story. 10/10

candyman: city horror, a rarity. real bees. 10/10

freaked: horror comedy. 6/10

the mist: the best ending. 10/10

the taking of Deborah Logan: medical horror plus some supernatural stuff. 9/10

it follows: disease is on everyone’s mind right now. pretentious, but excellent concept and plot. 8/10

Ganja and Hess: classic vampires. 10/10

the girl with all the gifts: how to make a zombie movie worth watching after all these decades. no humor at all. perfect. except it’s about a kid. 9/10

the horde: what it might actually be like if there were zombies. no information, no help. 9/10

mama: finally, a stepmom/adopted mom that’s GOOD. but it’s about kids. 6/10

the fly: sexy body horror and mad science. 8/10

flatliners: mad science, death, ghosts. 7/10

slither: I take it back. THIS is the best alien movie ever made. 11/10

dark skies: a decent alien movie, but it’s about a kid. 7/10

critters: we’ve come for the crites. 6/10

trick r treat: still an 8/10

fright night: the original. 9/10

troll hunter: government agencies have to handle monsters somehow. 10/10

the host: a better monster movie than so, so many. 9/10

pighunt: we’re all in it together 10/10

Willard: rats, cats, and a weirdo’s revenge 9/10

cold fish: serial killer culture 8/10

night watch/day watch fantasy horror with every creature you can imagine and the cops that watch them. good vs evil without any gods in the way. 10/10

Ravenous (NOT 2017): the original, not the recent one. colonizers gonna pay. amazing soundtrack. 9/10

the shrine: final girl gets what she deserves. 8/10

American werewolf in London: damn good effects for the time, jumps right into the action. 9/10

the pact: ghosts, serial killers, family issues, haunted houses. 9/10

the woman: revenge, sociopaths, the horror behind the mask of the upper class. rape, but… 10/10

reanimator: Jeffrey Combs is the only mad scientist. Rape-y stuff, but no rape. body horror and zombies, a classic. 10/10

blade: the first Blade movie changed the vampire genre. 9/10

the descent: claustrophobic, women in battle, monster movie. paranoia and perception. 10/10

the strain (series): this and kingdom are the only series I’ll recommend in horror right now. 9/10 until the last season. that’s a 6/10

pighunt: we’re all in it together. 10/10

the burrowers: colonizers and monsters, and who can tell the difference. 10/10

Additional list may come during the year, I’ll try to keep adding more.

#best horror movies #horror #horror art #horror coloring book #horror movie list #horror movies #horror reviews #morbid art #reviews #halloween #holidays #macabre #true stories #video

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digtwogravesfilm · 8 years ago

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The Craft of Hunter Adams

Behind every great film is a dedicated director, and Hunter Adams is no different with his feature film Dig Two Graves. We caught up with Adams to dig into his filmmaking process and unearth details of how this film came to life.

Tell us how the Dig Two Grave’s script came to be and where the Confucius quote fits in?

The initial conceit of the film was of a young person, someone innocent and pure, who is forced to wrestle with an impossible choice. Choice is one of the foundations of drama, the more difficult a choice, the greater the dramatic potential. Exchanging one life for another had a fairytale, almost biblical quality and I was interested in seeing that internal conflict play out from the perspective of a child. At the time, I had just lost my Mom to cancer and so I was deeply affected by regret and despair and working through some of the same emotions that Jake experiences. The idea of being able to bring someone back from the dead was very appealing.

As the script progressed, the theme of vengeance began to emerge and so the Confucian aphorism warning against it became relevant. I also felt that the words ‘dig two graves’ had an evocative quality and would look cool on a poster.

How did you find Samantha Isler?

We found Samantha Isler in Tulsa, OK. She sent in an audition tape, and I immediately knew she was a special talent with a keen intelligence. I sensed an old soul, even though she was only 13. You felt her really thinking about the words and not just saying them because they were written on the page. The words had intention. This was her first movie, but from day one she felt like a veteran actress. Her first day on set she had to gut a dead deer, fire a hunting rifle and hold her own against an intimidating Ted Levine.

youtube

When you were casting for Sheriff Woodhouse was Ted Levine your first pick?

Ted Levine was always on our short list for the role of Sheriff Waterhouse. The actor had to be within a certain age range; he plays both older and younger in the film. He also had to be able to play a gruff, surly lawman but also demonstrate warmth and affection toward his granddaughter. Ted embodied those opposing qualities better than anyone else we looked at.

He’s known as one of the great character actors, most famously for his performance as Buffalo Bill in Silence of The Lambs. But I was excited to utilize him in a leading role portraying a character of moral complexity.

Tell us about Troy Ruptash as your antagonist.

Troy Ruptash sent in an audition tape and I was immediately taken by his striking look. I’m a big Mad Men fan and he was the original Don Draper. There was something alluring about Troy but also dangerous. I wanted Wyeth to be magnetic, not just scary because he has to convince this young girl to do this very bad thing. Troy understood this dynamic. A lot of the other actors who auditioned played Wyeth as a boogeyman. They played up the creepiness, but Troy had a more seductive take on the material and in the end, made the character even more unsettling.

Why did you pick Southern Illinois aka “Little Egypt” as your location?

I fell in love with Southern Illinois the moment I arrived. It’s at the very bottom of the state, nicknamed “Little Egypt” and in stark contrast to the flatness of the rest of Illinois. Southern Illinois has a wild, timeless, mythic feel, the geography is stunning, and the region oozes with colorful history. The production was done on a very low budget, but the locations we found gave the film a much grander feel. I think the story would have felt much less epic had we shot it somewhere else.

We also had incredible support from the locals, who bent over backward to help us. We never would have achieved the period authenticity without their generous help.

How did local experts, historian Jon Musgrave and biologist Tony Gerard, enrich the film?

We certainly would not have found all the incredible locations without the help of locals like Jon Musgrave and Tony Gerard. I spent weeks driving around with those guys trying to find the perfect locations for each scene. They were also very good at finding unusual props and costumes. For example, we needed a lot of dead animals to hang inside the moonshiner’s cabin. So Tony would drive around collecting road kill, which he stored in his freezer until the scene was ready to be shot. I can’t imagine his wife was too happy about that. Several scenes were filmed in State parks and Musgrave was able to get us permits.

How long did you spend filming Dig Two Graves?

The storyline takes place during winter and summer, so we initially shot for four weeks in January, then we went back over the summer and shot for another week. The underwater sequences were shot in Los Angeles. We finished on time, although we did cut some scenes from the script because we couldn’t afford to go over schedule.

We hear you guys braved the area’s coldest winter.

The bitter cold and blizzards made shooting, at times, a grueling experience, especially considering many scenes were shot outdoors, at night, and in the middle of nowhere. All of the houses that we shot in were abandoned and so did not have heat. We had propane heaters blasting outside and everyone would huddle around them between shots.

The crew was staying at a summer camp on Lake of Egypt which was only open during the summer months. This meant the cabins weren’t supposed to be inhabited during the winter. Consequently, the heat would go out at least a couple times a week. So you’d go to bed and it would be warm and cozy, then you’d wake up in the morning and see your breath and have no feeling in your toes.

What was the hardest scene to shoot?

Almost all of the scenes were difficult to shoot. Several veteran producers advised me to avoid shooting period, not to cast children, not to shoot with animals, avoid fire and underwater scenes as well as extensive stunt work. We broke all of those rules. The most difficult scenes were probably ones that required the most technical expertise like burning down a house or filming underwater. Both fire and water scenes are a very slow and tedious process. As the director, you have to give control over to the technicians and that can be a little frustrating.

What are your favorite scenes in the film?

My favorite moments in the film are the ones involving Jake (the young girl) and her grandfather, Sheriff Waterhouse. Samantha and Ted had such a lovely chemistry and I think their scenes together are very moving. Some of the stories that Waterhouse tells Jake were actual stories my grandfather had told me when I was a kid so I feel nostalgic hearing them in the movie.

Any advice for up and coming directors?

My advice to first-time filmmakers is to understand that indie filmmaking is a process. I spent five years getting Dig Two Graves made. It’s not going to happen overnight and it’s not going to be easy, so tenacity and perseverance are important qualities to hone if you intend to survive an independent film shoot.

Intrigued? Dig Two Graves is set to release on March 24, 2017. Until then, check back here for more juicy details.

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