#pop art movie review

[invisiblekatanaartwork]

Artist’s Blog #144 - Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear (1988)

Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear and the Jolly Chimp Toy

Several years ago, I wandered into my favorite thrifting spot for a break from painting. As I was leaving, I went by the glass case to gander at the items they considered treasure. I noticed a retro toy that I had seen on a movie poster. It was an authentic Jolly Chimp toy – the monkey with striped pants and banging cymbals. I had the attendant let me look at it. The creepy toy’s condition was poor but, the box and the toy were there. I paid the $10 and took the piece home for my shelf. Had it not been for the Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear poster, I wouldn’t have even cared about the creepy toy. Get in your wheelchair and read my thoughts on this George Romero oddity but goodity from 1988.

Discover Jason Beghe’s Early Role in Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear

Unfortunately, I don’t live off investments which means like most Americans I have to work a full-time job in addition to having hobbies. This takes time away but, I make sure to invest my most precious resource, time, into my family. One way I do this is by watching at least 2 television shows with my wife while eating frozen grapes. One of these shows is Chicago PD which features Jason Beghe in the lead role of Sgt. Hank Voight. I had no idea until several minutes into Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear that Jason was also the lead role in it. He was much younger in 1984, and his raspy voice is missing. Sometime after Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear, Jason had an accident that affected his voice. This single fact is what I enjoyed most about this movie.

George Romero’s Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear—A Hidden Horror Gem

In addition to having my mind blown when I realized who was playing Allan Mann, the quadriplegic with a trained monkey assistant, learning that George Romero directed Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear was another surprise. Romero, to me, is like John Carpenter. If their name is on a movie, you can bet it’s going to be great. I’ve blogged on Romero’s Night of the Living Dead and Day of the Dead. As for Carpenter, I’ve blogged on The Fog, Escape from New York, They Live, and Big Trouble in Little China. Each title is linked to the respective blog. I said all that to say that I am a fan of both fellows’ work. With Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear added to my list, I have another Romero film under my belt. I was also pleased to know that Tom Savini did the special effects, wow.

Exploring the Unique Horror Elements in Monkey Shines

Ok, folks, I get it. Fan service sells tickets. I have to say though that it isn’t always necessary. A problem I had with Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear was the hook-up scene with his girlfriend. I have no idea what purpose this served. It had nothing to do with the plot, story, terror – nothing. This scene could have easily been omitted. To me, a better way to have presented this would have been at the very end. Maybe a here’s what you’ve been waiting on scene or something. Let me get this out there too. I’m in no way picking on quadriplegic folks or making fun of the challenges they face. I hope that everyone can live the fullest best life that they can. I just didn’t see a purpose for this scene.

Dive into Psychological Tension

Let’s talk about pets. About a year ago, my daughter and I ran into a lady outside a restaurant that had a pet monkey. My daughter wanted to pet it but, the lady wouldn’t let her for fear of the animal getting sick. An uncle of mine owned a pet monkey for a while and I don’t recall hearing good stories. Monkeys are well known for throwing poop and biting too. So, I don’t see how having a monkey as a quadriplegic is a good idea. This is not a typical service animal. Think about it. I own a Rottweiler, and he can get on the counter, all the furniture, and open doors. A monkey can do this and more. Were you to get that one primate that was a hellraiser, you would be in a world of trouble which leads me to my next point.

The Role of Disability and Dependence in Monkey Shines

Thankfully, I don’t face the challenges associated with being quadriplegic. This takes dependency to a whole new level. My Rottweiler is going to become a service animal for me one day. It will be on a very small level compared to the black lab I saw guiding a blind fellow at the polls recently though. Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear’s main character is dependent on this primate for telephone calls, food, etc. Here’s the scary thing. When the animal goes haywire, what could he do to stop it? He can’t fight with it. Shooting it is not an option. There’s no way to call for help. Think about that level of dependency and then put that into the context of a horror movie. This is the leading point that makes Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear great. On to my next point.

Hollywood - Oh Where, Oh Where Has Creativity Gone?

Hollywood – a question for you – where has your creativity gone? Stream a movie because the days of renting VHS tapes are behind us now and see if I’m wrong. Today, Hollywood offers one of three options. Your choice of a remake of something old and actually creative that they typically ruin or completely destroy. Option two is demon this which caused demon that to attack group of people. Third, you got captured and we’re going to torture you in the most realistic on-film ways possible until one of your friends escapes somehow. Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear is none of these. Instead, it is 100% creative and completely unique to the best of my knowledge – a quadriplegic gets an enhanced monkey trained as a service animal that becomes too attached to him. Year 2024’s Hollywood would never produce something like this – it’s way too creative.

Monkey Shines' Movie Poster - Why The Jolly Chimp Toy?

Back to the poster that I mentioned in the introduction – does anyone know how the movie is tied to the chimp toy? I never noticed a Jolly Chimp anywhere on screen. This is one of my personal favorite posters. The poster for The Attack of the 50ft Woman is my favorite. Yes, I have blogged on this 1950’s Sci-fi gem and you can read it here. Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear has another iconic poster though. Once you see it, you never forget it. This poster grabs me and causes my mind to wonder what is this movie about. You would never guess the plot based on the poster and although it certainly has something to do with monkeys, it has nothing to do with the toy it displays. The Jolly Chimp toy is a creepy creation – especially in real life.

Conclusion - Never Watch Chicago PD the Same Again

All in all, Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear is a great movie. The acting is great, the directing is great, the effects are great, the costumes and color are spot on as well as the writing. The realization that the main character is Sgt. Voigt is great and changes how I view Chicago PD – for the good because it’s a great show. I know very little about wheelchairs except that I will occasionally borrow the one at the makeup store when my wife and daughter drag me in there for two reasons. One, I’m lazy, and two because I like to irritate them. My point – the chair that the character uses (it’s vintage now) is amazing. He’s able to steer it with his mouth. I’m sure that chairs now are even more advanced but, this was impressive technology to see.  

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this artist’s thoughts on Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear. I invite you to follow my art journey on social media, visit my website, and consider supporting and buying my work here. If you liked this blog or the movie, please share. Also, feel free to comment, especially if you are a fan of this one. I doubt I’ll watch Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear again anytime soon but, it is certainly enjoyable if you dig 80s horror or just unique stories. Also, Chicago PD fans should watch this to see some old-school Voight. Peace. 

[azuxmisposts]

I'm very glad I found it in the store ^.^

[sauljudgeman]

Me after watching the Mugen Train movie, for the first time

[utterlyvapid]

To Die For (1995), a Letterboxd review

[pennystudio66]

Game of thrones movie tribute

[thatgeekwiththeclipons]

Happy 62nd Birthday to Academy Award Winning actress Michelle Yeoh! ^__^

[ftnerdy]

Taylor Swift and Movie Etiquette

As a forty-seven year old man, I can confidently say that Taylor Swift is not making music for me or my age group. Granted, Shake It Off is a pretty bad ass song, I’ll give her that, but when you’ve grown up listening to bands like Judas Priest, Motorhead, and The Monkees for most of your life, Taylor Swift’s offerings don’t match up. Yet, if there is any current musical artist that I respect,…

[thoreauthrow]

Musings on 'Shotgun Wedding'

So they're still making rom-coms like this huh ? I guess that Sandra Bullock Channing Tatum one from earlier was also marketed similarly to this one. Saw some social media marketing posts about this one and didn't even know if it had already been released or was yet to (I don't care). Then saw a poster while idle scrolling IMDb (with a spliff) when the desire to vent/comment came over body and soul.

It's most probably going to play with slight cringe but I guess it's also kinda oddly comforting to see in your face, straight up rom-coms like this still being made and released with pomp. Gotta give it to JLo for that one. Also surprised seeing Josh Duhamel after what seems like ages (that ostensibly coincided with an obscurity or fall-off idk). Good for you, man.

But, yeah, the predictability that follows the genre remains. There's something to be said about how, assuredly from a position of privilege, the easy accessibility of the movie (releases on Prime next week) furthers the disinterest in watching and knowing what's coming.

In typical major rom-com fashion, it rides the wave of a culturally in-the-moment popular actress in the seemingly irrepressible Jennifer Coolidge (she's always gonna be Stifler's mom idc). I must watch The White Lotus and see what all the hype's about. Anyway, I guess that's the end of the unsolicited, yet necessary rant, as it were. I don't even understand how these straight to streaming movies make their money. Not going to break my head over that anytime soon, I'm afraid. Ciao.

[fight-nights-at-freddys]

MASTER POST OF PROSHIP RESOURCES!!! <3<3

this is just for links (bc i just have No Way of formatting this properly), so for more in-depth stuffs and credits, head to the google doc, or the carrd !! :3c

Fiction ≠ Reality

Violent media -

Does Media Violence Predict Societal Violence? It Depends on What You Look at and When

Video Game Violence Use Among “Vulnerable” Populations: The Impact of Violent Games on Delinquency and Bullying Among Children with Clinically Elevated Depression or Attention Deficit Symptoms

Extreme metal music and anger processing

On the Morality of Immoral Fiction: Reading Newgate Novels, 1830–1848

How gamers manage aggression: Situating skills in collaborative computer games

Examining desensitization using facial electromyography:Violent videogames, gender, and affective responding

'Bad' video game behavior increases players' moral sensitivity

Fiction and Morality: Investigating the Associations Between Reading Exposure, Empathy, Morality, and Moral Judgment

Comfortably Numb or Just Yet Another Movie? Media Violence Exposure Does Not Reduce Viewer Empathy for Victims of Real Violence Among Primarily Hispanic Viewers

Fantasy Crime: The Criminalisation of Fantasy Material Under Australia's Child Abuse Material Legislation

Being able to distinguish fiction from reality -

Effects of context on judgments concerning the reality status of novel entities

Children’s Causal Learning from Fiction: Assessing the Proximity Between Real and Fictional Worlds

Reality/Fiction Distinction and Fiction/Fiction Distinction during Sentence Comprehension

Reality = Relevance? Insights from Spontaneous Modulations of the Brain’s Default Network when Telling Apart Reality from Fiction

How does the brain tell the real from imagined?

Meeting George Bush versus Meeting Cinderella: The Neural Response When Telling Apart What is Real from What is Fictional in the Context of Our Reality

loli/shota/kodocon -

If I like lolicon, does it mean I’m a pedophile? A therapist’s view

Virtual Child Pornography, Human Trafficking and Japanese Law: Pop Culture, Harm and Legal Restrains

Lolicon: The Reality of ‘Virtual Child Pornography’ in Japan

Report: cartoon paedophilia harmless

‘The Lolicon Guy:’ Some Observations on Researching Unpopular Topics in Japan

Robot Ghosts And Wired Dreams Japanese Science Fiction From Origins To Anime [pg 227-228]

Australia's "child abuse material' legislation, internet regulation and the juridification of the imaginationjuridification of the imagination [pg 14-15]

Multiple Orientations as Animating Misdelivery: Theoretical Considerations on Sexuality Attracted to Nijigen (Two-Dimensional) Objects

Positive Impact on Mental Health

Art therapy -

The effectiveness of art therapy for anxiety in adults: A systematic review of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials

Efficacy of Art Therapy in Individuals With Personality Disorders Cluster B/C: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Effectiveness of Art Therapy With Adult Clients in 2018 - What Progress Has Been Made?

Benefits of Art Therapy in People Diagnosed With Personality Disorders: A Quantitative Survey

The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in the Treatment of Traumatized Adults: A Systematic Review on Art Therapy and Trauma

The clinical effectiveness and current practice of art therapy for trauma

Writing therapy -

Optimizing the perceived benefits and health outcomes of writing about traumatic life events

Expressive writing and post-traumatic stress disorder: Effects on trauma symptoms, mood states, and cortisol reactivity

Focused expressive writing as self-help for stress and trauma

Putting Stress into Words: The Impact of Writing on Physiological, Absentee, and Self-Reported Emotional Well-Being Measures

The writing cure: How expressive writing promotes health and emotional well-being

Effects of Writing About Traumatic Experiences: The Necessity for Narrative Structuring

Scriptotherapy: The effects of writing about traumatic events

Emotional and physical benefits of expressive writing

Emotional and Cognitive Processing in Sexual Assault Survivors' Narratives

Finding happiness in negative emotions: An experimental test of a novel expressive writing paradigm

An everyday activity as treatment for depression: The benefits of expressive writing for people diagnosed with major depressive disorder

Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process

Effects of expressive writing on sexual dysfunction, depression, and PTSD in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse: Results from a randomized clinical trial

Written Emotional Disclosure: Testing Whether Social Disclosure Matters

Written emotional disclosure: A controlled study of the benefits of expressive writing homework in outpatient psychotherapy

Misc -

Emotional disclosure about traumas and its relation to health: Effects of previous disclosure and trauma severity

Treating complex trauma in adolescents: A phase-based integrative approach for play therapists

Emotional expression and physical health: Revising traumatic memories or fostering self-regulation?

Disclosure of Sexual Victimization: The Effects of Pennebaker's Emotional Disclosure Paradigm on Physical and Psychological Distress

Kink/Porn/Fantasies

Sexual fantasies -

A Critical Microethnographic Examination of Power Exchange, Role Idenity and Agency with Black BDSM Practitioners

Women's Rape Fantasies: An Empirical Evaluation of the Major Explanations

History, culture and practice of puppy play

What Exactly Is an Unusual Sexual Fantasy?

The Psychology of Kink: a Survey Study into the Relationships of Trauma and Attachment Style with BDSM Interests

Punishing Sexual Fantasy

Women's Erotic Rape Fantasies

Sexual Fantasy and Adult Attunement: Differentiating Preying from Playing

What Is So Appealing About Being Spanked, Flogged, Dominated, or Restrained? Answers from Practitioners of Sexual Masochism/Submission

Dark Fantasies, Part 1 - With Dr. Ian Kerner

Why Do Women Have Rape Fantasies

The 7 Most Common Sexual Fantasies and What to Do About Them

Sexual Fantasies

Pornography -

The Effects of Exposure to Virtual Child Pornography on Viewer Cognitions and Attitudes Toward Deviant Sexual Behavior

American Identities and Consumption of Japanese Homoerotica

The differentiation between consumers of hentai pornography and human pornography

Pornography Use and Holistic Sexual Functioning: A Systematic Review of Recent Research

Claiming Public Health Crisis to Regulate Sexual Outlets: A Critique of the State of Utah's Declaration on Pornography

Pornography and Sexual Dysfunction: Is There Any Relationship?

Reading and Living Yaoi: Male-Male Fantasy Narratives as Women's Sexual Subculture in Japan

Women's Consumption of Pornograpy: Pleasure, Contestation, and Empowerment

Pornography and Sexual Violence

The Sunny Side of Smut

Other -

Fantasy Sexual Material Use by People with Attractions to Children

Fictosexuality, Fictoromance, and Fictophilia: A Qualitative Study of Love and Desire for Fictional Characters

Exploring the Ownership of Child-Like Sex Dolls

Are Sex and Pornograpy Addiction Valid Disorders? Adding a Leisure Science Perspecive to the Sexological Critique

Littles: Affects and Aesthetics in Sexual Age-Play

An Exploratory Study of a New Kink Activity: "Pup Play"

Jaws Effect

The Jaws Effect: How movie narratives are used to influence policy responses to shark bites in Western Australia

The Shark Attacks That Were the Inspiration for Jaws

The Great White Hope (written by Peter Benchley, writer of Jaws)

The Jaws Myth [not a study BUT is an interesting read and provides some links to articles and studies]

Slenderman Stabbings

Out Came the Girls: Adolescent Girlhood, the Occult, and the Slender Man Phenomenon

Jury in Slender Man case finds Anissa Weier was mentally ill, will not go to prison

2nd teen in 'Slender Man' stabbing case to remain in institutional care for 40 years

Negative effects of online harassment

How stressful is online victimization? Effects of victim's personality and properties of the incident

Prevalence, Psychological Impact, and Coping of Cyberbully Victims Among College Students

Offline Consequences of Online Victimization

The Relative Importance of Online Victimization in Understanding Depression, Delinquency, and Substance Use

Internet trolling and everyday sadism: Parallel effects on pain perception and moral judgement

The MAD Model of Moral Contagion: The Role of Motivation, Attention, and Design in the Spread of Moralized Content Online

Morally Motivated Networked Harassment as Normative Reinforcement

When Online Harassment is Perceived as Justified

Violence on Reddit Support Forums Unique to r/NoFap

"It Makes Me, A Minor, Uncomfortable" Media and Morality in Anti-Shippers' Policing of Online Fandom

[dailyadventureprompts]

Homebrew Mechanic: Meaningful Research

Being careful about when you deliver information to your party is one of the most difficult challenges a dungeonmaster may face, a balancing act that we constantly have to tweak as it affects the pacing of our campaigns.

That said, unlike a novel or movie or videogame where the writers can carefully mete out exposition at just the right time, we dungeonmasters have to deal with the fact that at any time (though usually not without prompting) our players are going to want answers about what's ACTUALLY going on, and they're going to take steps to find out.

To that end I'm going to offer up a few solutions to a problem I've seen pop up time and time again, where the heroes have gone to all the trouble to get themselves into a great repository of knowledge and end up rolling what seems like endless knowledge checks to find out what they probably already know. This has been largely inspired by my own experience but may have been influenced by watching what felt like several episodes worth of the critical role gang hitting the books and getting nothing in return.

I've got a whole write up on loredumps, and the best way to dripfeed information to the party, but this post is specifically for the point where a party has gained access to a supposed repository of lore and are then left twiddling their thumbs while the dm decides how much of the metaplot they're going to parcel out.

When the party gets to the library you need to ask yourself: Is the information there to be found?

No, I don't want them to know yet: Welcome them into the library and then save everyone some time by saying that after a few days of searching it’s become obvious the answers they seek aren’t here. Most vitally, you then either need to give them a new lead on where the information might be found, or present the development of another plot thread (new or old) so they can jump on something else without losing momentum.

No, I want them to have to work for it:  your players have suddenly given you a free “insert plothook here” opportunity. Send them in whichever direction you like, so long as they have to overcome great challenge to get there. This is technically just kicking the can down the road, but you can use that time to have important plot/character beats happen.

Yes, but I don’t want to give away the whole picture just yet:  The great thing about libraries is that they’re full of books, which are written by people,  who are famously bad at keeping their facts straight. Today we live in a world of objective or at least peer reviewed information but the facts in any texts your party are going to stumble across are going to be distorted by bias. This gives you the chance to give them the awnsers they want mixed in with a bunch of red herrings and misdirections. ( See the section below for ideas)

Yes, they just need to dig for it:  This is the option to pick if you're willing to give your party information upfront while at the same time making it SEEM like they're overcoming the odds . Consider having an encounter, or using my minigame system to represent their efforts at looking for needles in the lithographic haystack. Failure at this system results in one of the previous two options ( mixed information, or the need to go elsewhere), where as success gets them the info dump they so clearly crave.

The Art of obscuring knowledge AKA Plato’s allegory of the cave, but in reverse

One of the handiest tools in learning to deliver the right information at the right time is a sort of “slow release exposition” where you wrap a fragment lore the party vitally needs to know in a coating of irrelevant information,  which forces them to conjecture on possibilities and draw their own conclusions.  Once they have two or more pieces on the same subject they can begin to compare and contrast, forming an understanding that is merely the shadow of the truth but strong enough to operate off of. 

As someone who majored in history let me share some of my favourite ways I’ve had to dig for information, in the hopes that you’ll be able to use it to function your players.

A highly personal record in the relevant information is interpreted through a personal lens to the point where they can only see the information in question 

Important information cameos in the background of an unrelated historical account

The information can only be inferred from dry as hell accounts or census information. Cross reference with accounts of major historical events to get a better picture, but everything we need to know has been flattened into datapoints useful to the bureaucracy and needs to be re-extrapolated.

The original work was lost, and we only have this work alluding to it. Bonus points if the existent work is notably parodying the original, or is an attempt to discredit it.

Part of a larger chain of correspondence, referring to something the writers both experienced first hand and so had no reason to describe in detail. 

The storage medium (scroll, tablet, arcane data crystal) is damaged in some way, leading to only bits of information being known. 

Original witnesses Didn’t have the words to describe the thing or events in question and so used references from their own environment and culture. Alternatively, they had specific words but those have been bastardized by rough translations. 

Tremendously based towards a historical figure/ideology/religion to the point that all facts in the piece are questionable.  Bonus points if its part of a treatise on an observably untrue fact IE the flatness of earth

[invisiblekatanaartwork]

Artist’s Blog #138 - The Beach Girls and The Monster (1965)

A Groovy Introduction to The Beach Girls and The Monster 

Stereotypes often feel subjective. For me, the 1960s are perfectly captured in The Beach Girls and The Monster. It’s one of my favorite films, and the intro is exactly how I imagine that incredible decade. It sets the tone for the entire movie. Don’t expect a deep storyline, stunning effects, or a cinematic masterpiece—just sit back and enjoy a vintage adventure. If you’re around my age, this might be how you picture 1965 too. For those who actually remember 1965, your experience might be different. If so, share your thoughts in the comments. Now, grab your surfboard—let's go surfing!

1960s Fashion in The Beach Girls and The Monster  

I may have mentioned this before, but I have a confession to make. I often regret certain decisions, especially missed purchases. My wife and I, both antique junkies, were on vacation in Florida when I found a handmade pink and white 1960s bikini. It was priced at $65, and I passed on it. In hindsight, I should have bought it. The Beach Girls and The Monster opens with similar bikinis and classic ‘60s shimmy dancing on a beach to surf rock. At this point, I’m half-expecting the monster to join in the dance. After all, it’s 1965—monsters weren’t exactly terrifying back then, right?

A Retro House Tour in The Beach Girls and The Monster  

Let’s talk about some of the "1960s stuff" in The Beach Girls and The Monster. The house in the movie really caught my attention. According to IMDB, it belonged to the film’s art director, Shirley Rose, and her husband, Henry. Located at 816 Glenmere Way in West Los Angeles, the house is now blurred on Google Maps. You can, however, watch a YouTube video of it today here. I think it was far more impressive in 1965. The view over the city lights of LA from the poolside is breathtaking, even in an old film like this. Inside, the house features a bar with steps leading down to it, allowing a character to serve drinks at the proper level, casually grabbing a Coke from the fridge. The photo below is of the house today.

The house also boasts various 1960s furnishings. Highlights include the eclectic wall textures, unique light fixtures, a pottery kiln, and an unusual doorbell. The rooms feature multiple wall textures—one might be brick, while another has period-patterned wallpaper. The living room fireplace is quite impressive. There’s a wooden wall with a patterned cutout leading into the bar, providing partial visibility into the next room. And there’s what looks like an indoor wind chime, which is actually a doorbell. You can see a similar one here. I’ve never seen one before. It’s clear from these glimpses that the Roses were quite affluent in 1965. Look at the lights I'm referring to in the screenshot below.

Scooby-Doo Vibes in The Beach Girls and The Monster  

Though Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? didn’t premiere until 1969, The Beach Girls and The Monster shares a similar vibe. The monster is obviously someone in a costume—this is clear from the start, especially considering the film was made in 1965. As the plot unfolds, this becomes even more obvious. In the final scenes, a second mask is found, and during a confrontation, the monster’s mask is removed, revealing a man. The "meddling kids" are then in a car chase with the police, ending in one of the most hilariously fake crashes I’ve ever seen. This scene could be from a bad special effects reel. When the son tries to approach the crashed car to check on his father, who was the monster, the cop says, “You can’t get within 50 feet of that vehicle.” And just like that, the film abruptly ends.

Speaking of cheesy effects, the driving scenes deserve a mention. Have you ever seen those old movies where a stationary car is surrounded by projected footage to create the illusion of movement? That’s exactly what The Beach Girls and The Monster does. The film features some standout vehicles, like a '63 Corvette Stingray, a '63 Cadillac Eldorado, and a '59 MG A 1600—all of which look great on screen. I never thought I’d say this, but I actually liked the Stingray more than the Caddy—Wow! Check out all the classic cars in the movie here. The photo below is of a model car but, this is very similar to the Stingray you get to see in The Beach Girls and The Monster.

Surf Culture Highlights in The Beach Girls and The Monster  

Night surfing just doesn’t sound like a good idea—though, to be fair, I’d need to learn how to surf during the day first. If you’re into surf culture, this movie is a must-watch. Here’s why: The Beach Girls and The Monster includes a fair amount of filler. Normally, I’m not a fan of filler, but it works here. The movie features authentic vintage surf footage, projected within a 1960s high-end home, giving viewers a genuine taste of surf culture and ‘60s tech. This pairs perfectly with the movie’s score. The opening song, “Dance Baby Dance,” written by Frank Sinatra Jr., is a catchy surf rock tune. The soundtrack seamlessly transitions between surf rock and music reminiscent of The Pink Panther skulking around.

Naturally, surf rock means beaches, girls, and bikinis—and The Beach Girls and The Monster has them all. This brings us to the film’s most comedic moment: a nighttime beach party. I haven’t laughed this hard in a while at something so poorly executed. Did kids really have beach parties with dancing and bonfires in 1965? If you know, please let me know in the comments. This scene features ventriloquist puppets, annoying voices, spontaneous singing, make-out sessions, and silly glasses with springy eyeballs. Thankfully, this filler segment doesn’t last too long.

Unexplained Twists in The Beach Girls and The Monster    

Like many films, The Beach Girls and The Monster has several unexplained elements that don’t quite add up. For instance, one character is hobbling from an unspecified accident, unable to save a friend from the monster, make out, or even go to work. Yet, he somehow disappears from conversations like a ninja, scales cliffs, and steals cars. When the police arrive, their sudden appearance is unexplained—no one called them, there were no gunshots or screams. Someone, please explain—who called 911?

1960s Beach Party Fun in The Beach Girls and The Monster  

Despite its flaws, The Beach Girls and The Monster has enough 1960s beach party fun to make it a memorable movie from that era. If you watch it expecting a fun, nostalgic trip filled with shimmy dancing and a goofy monster, you’re in for a great movie night. But if you’re hoping for scares or suspense, you’ll be disappointed. Retro fans, antique collectors, sci-fi enthusiasts, horror history buffs, and vintage surf lovers will likely enjoy this film. You can even watch it for free on YouTube here. If you have answers to any questions I’ve asked in this blog, please share them in the comments.

In conclusion, if you know of other movies like The Beach Girls and The Monster, please share your recommendations. I genuinely enjoyed this one. On an art-related note, the poster for this movie is fantastic—I’d love to frame a copy and display it if I could find one at the right price. Follow my art journey on social media, visit my website, and consider buying my art here. If you liked this blog or the movie, please share it. Peace.

[fandomshatepeopleofcolor]

FHPOC recommended Youtubers

[fandom]

Leave those poor Koroks alone!!!!

Players have only just begun to scratch the surface of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom but are already being quite inventive with their builds. The teaser trailer and release date for the Five Nights at Freddy's movie adaptation dropped, and it'll arrive in theaters just in time for Halloween. A new eye-popping episode of Helluva Boss is here, and, well, can someone give Stolas a hug? There's only one episode of Succession left, and fans can't wait to see where the Roys end up. @wearewatcher launched a new show, Mystery Files! Welcome back, Ryan and Shane. Finally, there was a delightful celebration on 9-1-1: Lone Star. This is Tumblr's Week in Review.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Five Nights at Freddy's

Succession

Ted Lasso

Käärijä

Helluva Boss

Critical Role

The QSMP Minecraft Server

The Eurovision Song Contest

AI Art

Artists on Tumblr

Link | The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Watcher

Avatar: The Last Airbender

9-1-1: Lone Star

The Owl House

Star Wars

Yellowjackets

Shadow and Bone

9-1-1

Fandometrics will be taking a bit of a vacation next week. Lists will return on Monday, June 5.

[utterlyvapid]

The Delinquents (1989), a Letterboxd review

[tinytennisskirt]

i really really really need more mark rebellato patrick and art head canons like i haven’t been able to stop thinking about the ears scenario pls!!! something about their rooms, how they became friends, the whole shebang please and thank you

(sorry it just makes me SOB)

Mark Rebellato Era Headcanons: Misc and Out of Order

First off, the hc that started this-

little Art worried about the boys at school making fun of his ears, his mom walking him into his room at Mark Rebellato tennis academy, her hand on his back, pointing at Patrick saying, “look at that boy’s ears. just like yours. you have nothing to worry about.”

Art's mom packs him a ton of candy every year and Art swears to her he eats it over the course of a month or two, but the truth is he and Patrick usually sit down and eat it all in one go, the first night back to school. It's ritual.

Patrick has gotten into a fight three times over Art-related incidents. Someone makes fun of his swing more than once? Someone says some shit about the shape of his head or his ears? Anyone decides to say anything negative about his best friend?He's not just going to let them talk like that about him in any shape or form. He's used his racket, his fist, his elbows, he has gotten detention over it, but it's always been worth it.

They are partners for every project. Every single project. And if they aren't? Best believe they go behind the teacher's back and switch out partners to be each other's. they're called on to present and they get up together every time without fail, to every teacher's dismay.

They also are every teacher's dismay. When the boys aren't in a class together or in the same tennis group, they do all they can in their power to fix that. Forget their dorm room, they had their parents pay to secure the fact they'd stay bunkmates. The poor teacher in the staffroom conversing with the other teachers being consoled by other teachers of the boy's past, saying, "Hopefully they've matured over the summer." But they're always a little rowdy. A little too talkative.

Art is fairly studious. He gets things done in time, he gets good grades. Patrick too, but Patrick swore off studying when he first got there. He'll review his notes, but he relies a lot on his memories and note-taking, which is why his grades are mediocre. But not bad.

The day after the Kat Zimmerman thing, Patrick holds it over him to get Art to do stupid things like call him 'sir'. It lasts only a day because Art reminds Patrick that he caught HIM doing the same thing first and soon Patrick is calling Art 'sir'.

When Patrick gets a little homesick, he never outwardly displays it. It happens, it's normal. Art can tell, but never says anything about it. When he knows Patrick is getting that way- he puts on some 80s rock CD that Patrick really likes- it reminds him of the stuff he heard growing up.

They are each other's ultimate wingman. School dance? Needing to ask someone to it? The other is setting things up like a mastermind. They pull strings, they do what they need to do behind the scenes and almost always, they end up with the date to the dance they wanted.

They fight over who can have what celebrity crush. They're watching a movie and an insanely hot woman pops up on screen, they both shout 'mine' over the other. It's happened a few times in movie theatres, nearly getting kicked out for both the yelling and the slight shoving that goes on afterward.

Little itty bitty Patrick Zweig who has a poster he wants to put up. He's not a super shy kid but he doesn't know Art yet. Itty bitty Art Donaldson with the very same poster, putting it up on the wall and it's their first real conversation. It's when they know they're going to be best friends. The poster gets moved from Art's side of the room to the middle after that. And the poster gets put in the same spot in the room every year until they graduate. The colour is faded, but it's still there. Technically it's Art's, but when they graduate Patrick is the one to take it. After everything that went down later in their life, Patrick still has it. It's in the glovebox of his car.

The boys put on trashy white girl music when they're hanging out alone in their room. Late 90s, early 2000s pop. Patrick will be playing some stupid video game and Art in his bed reading over some tennis book. They know all the words and it's completely of their own volition. They won't tell anyone about it and they keep it low enough that other rooms can't hear. It surprises Tashi later in life when Art is humming along to the songs she listened to when she was younger.

Their moms make them take back-to-school pictures every year. The first photo was taken at Christmas break when the boy's parents came to pick them up to find they'd become best friends and the tradition picks up from there. Their parents each have their own copies of the boys every year standing in the same position. Patrick with double thumbs up and a big grin and Art with one hand up like he's waving, a small smile on his face. The copies that the boys possess are drawn all over with devil horns and mustaches.

And speaking of that, Patrick for sure is the guy who doodles over almost everyone in the yearbook he dislikes. Pictures of jerks, he's got their faces all ugly and marked up and hot girls get a few hearts and some words written on it. When he wants to remember how a person actually looked, he just looks at Art's yearbook.

Art knowing Patrick likes boys too, but they never talk about it. Patrick is never into Art and Art never has it in his head that Patrick likes him- you know that awful thing that happens when you find out someone is a little gay and you start worrying they like you? They never have that. It's written off so easily, they both hardly ever think about it, but it's known.

They are so serious about board games never play monopoly with them in the time between class and lunch because they will get really loud about it.

Thinking maybe Patrick's parents divorce sometime around grade ten and yeah, he's a teenager and he's not really wanting to show emotion, but it's really hard. And Art, without centering Patrick out too much about it, really helps him through it. Listens to him without any judgment and they know that they are the only people in the world who can be vulnerable with each other and be completely understood. Without having to worry about their masculinities. They can tease each other all they want over petty little things of the sort, but in times like this they just listen and talk.

April Fool's day is a biggg day for them. Everyone at school is worried about what they might have in store when Patrick and Art are around. They first go all-out on each other. Shaving cream while the other is sleeping, air horn wake-ups. Rigged sinks that spray water. And on the outside, plastic wrap on the doors, party snaps under toilet seats, fake mice, fake snakes, fake money planted. It's a little bit of chaos, but it all gets done early enough to all be done by noon.

The boys talk like girls about their crushes. When Art has his first kiss, Patrick demands details. The taste of the girl's lip gloss, when, where, did they make out? Did he get to touch her boobs? Immature little questions.

[callahanisms]

burnt out passions

because i watched the red shoes and this idea just popped into my head.

tashi duncan they can never make me hate you. i am a tashi duncan defender until i die. (sorry art)

character: tashi duncan

context: stanford. 2007 - 2008.

you and tashi understood one thing: passion was everything.

your lives revolved around your passions. for her, it was the sport of tennis. and for you, it was the dance of ballet.

your step-father was quite rich, bringing you and your parental figure out of poverty. it was through him that you started going to tennis matches. and you were a fan of tashi duncan.

she was meant to be a star. she was meant to go far. she was meant to have that grand slam career title that most, if not all, tennis players envied.

you always admired her from afar. but when you walked into class on your first day of class in your freshman year, you were not expecting to see tashi duncan.

the class was your typical writing 101 class, the kind that was meant to prepare students on research and how to write. within the class were workshops. after all, part of making a good essay was to proofread and have everything peer reviewed.

"you have a great voice."

your paper was dumped in front of you. there were barely any corrections on it. just a lot of underlining and side notes. looking up, you saw the woman that was tashi duncan.

"thanks." you hand her paper over to her.

tashi flips through it. she sees a lot of doodles on her paper that express your annotations through speech and thought bubbles.

"i also thought your voice was great. your passion for tennis really comes through. although i think having seen you play enhanced the reading experience."

"so...you've seen me play?" she crosses her arms over her chest.

"my step-father loves tennis."

"fun. i learned some new things in your paper. you really like ballet?"

"ideally i'd like to be professional. but who knows how stable that is." in comparison to being a famous tennis player. "which is why i'm here. to get a degree in...something."

tashi glances down. you're wearing red shoes. "so...do you wear red because of the movie you mentioned?"

"maybe. it's been a thing since i was a kid."

a small smile begins to curl on her face. "you wanna get lunch?"

"so you do ballet? do your feet ever hurt?"

"all the time." your feet hurt just thinking about dancing again. "i can't imagine my life without ballet."

"i can relate to that." she lifts her cup up and you gently tap your own against hers.

"you should come to the show. we're having one near the end of the semester."

"so soon? we just got here."

"i need to train. keep my muscles flexible and ready."

"you should try tennis. you might actually be really good at it." ballet took a ton of control and coordination. tennis would be a perfect sport for you. or, at least, a decent fit.

"i tried. i'm terrible at hitting balls with a racket."

"who said you had to be good?"

"i would like to think that if i'm playing with tashi duncan...at least i should be mediocre."

you became one of tashi's favorite people to hang out with. and you were also her favorite gym partner. your schedules just lined up perfectly.

every time you guys went to work out, you would lead the stretches beforehand.

sometimes, you guys would visit the dance studio and you would teach her some basic moves. when your finger tips grazed her arm, she would shudder. you were careful when touching her and asked her all the time if you could hold her waist.

"you don't need to ask (y/n)! we're friends." tashi has that soft look in her eyes. she always looked at you with those eyes.

"still!" you say. "don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"you won't! you could never."

you took a deep breath when she said that, trying to ignore the heat beginning to swirl in your body. your body so close to hers. her smile. her smooth skin. her voice. and her smelled.

she always smelled divine.

tashi never knew ballet could be so intense.

she came with art to the show, holding a bouquet of flowers. you had been working hard and she wanted to make sure your efforts were acknowledged and received by her.

you moved with such precision and fluidity. she swore you turned into a blur.

your body was nimble. and that outfit...well, she could see your body. she had a boyfriend. but you were right there and a lot more present than patrick, who was currently on tour.

she has to push the thoughts aside, not noticing the fact that art sees the way she looks at you.

"you were fucking amazing!"

you were surprised when you feel just how hard she hugs you. she squeezes almost a little too tight.

and yet, you accept it. you lean into it and savor her touch.

"thanks for coming tashi. i saw you in the crowd."

finally, tashi lets you go. she takes the flowers from art. you could feel your face heat up. "t-tashi...you didn't have to."

"nonsense!" she playfully hits your arm. "you worked hard. remember that breakdown you had?" a small laugh leaves you when thinking about it.

it happened at the dance studio in the gym. you guys were stretching and all the emotions from midterms, finals projects, and your upcoming lead role came crashing down.

"you deserve it. you were amazing. if you're not hired when you get out of college..." she shakes her head. but she cannot stop grinning.

you bought flowers for tashi. it was the first game of the season. her and art have been training for this. and you were excited to see her play not as a spectator, but as her friend!

earlier during the week, you had convened with art to try to pick out which bought to get her and exactly how big.

when you got there though, it was just art. you were expecting to see another white boy. and you sit on art's right. "so...what happened to patrick?"

you wanted to see for yourself who tashi duncan's boyfriend was. who exactly managed to bag tashi duncan? you wanted to meet him. not that you were jealous...

but you were.

art leans back in the seat. "he's not coming. him and tashi had a fight."

you frown and continue holding the flowers. "...he sounds like an ass."

"tell me about it."

when tashi tore her acl on the court, you swore you could feel the pain in your own leg. a sort of phantom feeling.

you were frozen, trying to determine if what you saw truly happened.

art was quicker than you, rushing down and even jumping over the net.

you're walking to the infirmary room when you can hear the argument.

"out! out!"

"listen-" says the guy with messy dark hair. he looks disheveled. and like shit.

"patrick get the fuck out of here!"

you've never heard art yell. ever. he never even raised his voice.

patrick seems defeated and he abides by them, leaving. his eyes meet yours. "nice flowers." he notices the card attached to a string.

For the best tennis player I know: TASHI ♡

"have fun. now's your chance too. but you should know. art's restless."

you clench your jaw and walk past him. art was right. he was an ass.

tashi glances at the door when your head pops in. she doesn't say anything, but her shoulders slouch a little bit. you take it as a sign to come in and walk over to her side.

she looks at the flowers and at the card attached to the string. "i don't deserve those."

"if anyone deserves flowers...it's you." you could feel your eyes tearing up. you feel her pain. you understand her frustration. and most importantly, you feel her devastation.

tashi takes the flowers from your hands, her fingers touching your own. she takes a deep breath and inhales their scent. it was nice. you chose a good bouquet.

little did you know that it was the death of her career. and you had brought flowers to her funeral.

your next role was a challenging one. it had you straining your legs every day while you trained, trying to get your tempo right. nothing seemed to work though.

the stress of midterms also didn't help. you had a lot of work on your plate. many papers, almost too many exams. you didn't sleep much. you couldn't sleep.

tashi felt some guilt towards you helping her. you were taking time out of your own day to get her back into shape.

you were her cheerleader. you believed that she could heal and return to the court. you helped her with her exercises, woke up early to go to her room and help her stretch.

her frustration continued to boil over when she couldn't do the things she wanted to do.

not only was she a failure, but she was also letting you down.

"are you disappointed in me?"

you look at her as you stretch her leg for her. it was bent beneath you and you're careful when adding the pressure. she's staring up at the ceiling.

it was still dark outside.

"i could never be disappointed in you."

"don't bullshit me (y/n)."

"i mean it tashi. i could never be disappointed in you." she looks at you. there are tears threatening to spill.

"...i'm afraid my only skill is hitting a ball with a racket." and that without it, she was nothing. you didn't need her to voice it. you could see it in her eyes, in her posture, in her demeanor.

"no. it is not. you're tashi motherfucking duncan. you're smart, you're gorgeous, and you're ambitious. you can write! you're great at organizing! you give awesome advice! and most importantly, you get shit done. if anything tries to stop you, you find a way around it. and you see to it that you have a way to participate."

her heart skips a beat.

"you're kissing my ass." a smile cracks on her face.

you wanted to tell her that you loved her. it threatened to spill from your tongue.

"i would love to."

tashi laughs, covering her face with her hands. she takes the opportunity to wipe away her tears as you pull her leg back into a resting position.

"today's dress rehearsal, right?" she sits up as you stand and grab some of the bottles of gatorade you put in her fridge to keep cold.

"yeah. you don't have to come if you're not up for it."

tashi gently rubs her knee before looking up at you. "i could use the time to rest."

"is art coming?"

tashi purses her lips. "art and i...aren't really talking anymore..."

you frown. "i'm sorry to hear that." you decide not to ask or push it. but part of you felt elated that he was gone. it always felt like a crowd with you and tashi. and art.

while working out and practicing earlier, you decided to ignore the throbbing pain in your hip. when tashi asks if you want to come with her for a break, you tell her that you wanted to keep training. you were close to nailing it.

you were perhaps overconfident when it came time to dress rehearsal.

at the climax of the shower, the music surging, your heart beating, your costume flaring out, you hear a loud pop. and when you land, you hear another pop.

it seemed that fate decided to fuck with you that night.

the pain in your right side was nearly unbearable.

tashi recognized that cry of pain. she heard it when she went to bed, when she reflected upon her life at night. she rises out of her seat, getting over to the stage as fast as possible.

you overexerted yourself, tearing your achilles and your labrum. at the very least, it would take you out of your role currently. at the worst, it would inhibit your movements for the rest of your life.

tashi was with you the whole time. you could only stare blankly at the x-rays.

without knowing, you're leaning towards her. until your head is against her body. she puts an arm around you, keeping you close in silent understanding.

you heard a knock at your door. ever since your injury, you had barely come out of your room, only for class and to eat to spend your dining dollars.

you groan, sitting up and carefully getting off the bed. you use your crutches and open the door. "tashi...it's late..."

tashi holds a bag of snacks and drinks. "you look like shit."

"that's because i feel like shit."

you guys were kind of matching. her in her brace and you in your splint.

you move aside to let her in and she closes the door for you. "i bought all your favorites." she says, putting the drinks into the fridge to keep them cold. she sets the bag of snacks down on your desk.

tashi watches you go back to your bed and set your crutches aside. you try your best to get onto the bed using your upper body strength, but your arms were failing you.

she walks over and gently lifts you up at your thighs while you push yourself up with your arms. it works, and you're able to sit on the mattress topped by a mattress topper.

"can't even...get on my fucking bed!" you grit your teeth. and you didn't have the strength to adjust the height of your bed either.

tashi frowns. "there's no shame in needing help." you showed her that.

"i know. i just..." you lick your lips, looking at her. "i wish i took that break. i wouldn't be in this position if i did." you sniffle.

tashi's eyes glance down at your lips before going back up. "i spend too much time worrying about the what ifs."

"i shouldn't. it's...stupid."

there's a comfortable silence between the two of you. you look at tashi. the way her hair frames her face. her big brown eyes. her lips that you desperately wanted to taste. she was still gorgeous even dressed down in her stanford sweater and athletic shorts.

she leans forward, her kiss soft and gentle.

your hand goes to rest on her neck, kissing her back.

tashi kisses you harder, her mouth moving in hungry motions. you match her pace, kissing her with just as much hunger.

you let her push you down onto the mattress so she could be on top. her hands begin to trail down your body, finding the end of your sweater. she slides her hand beneath, feeling your cool skin.

you pull away, your breathing heavy. "are you sure?" you didn't understand why tashi duncan would want to kiss you of all people. even if you wanted to kiss her.

"i'm sure." she kisses you again and you moan against her lips, letting her tongue slide past your lips and dance with your tongue.