Dr. Zhivago - A Raving Classic

It's almost Winter and Winter reminds us of one one thing - Zhivago. No place is more famous for their terrible Winters than Russia. Time and again the Russian Winter as played a role in history defeating conquering armies lead by Napoleon and Hitler. The Russian Winters seem to define what it is to be Russian (although we don't really have a clue because we're not Russian so what we really mean is that they define our perception of what Russia is). The Russian Gulag is a Winter place too. David Lean's epic adaptation of the Boris Pasternak novel Dr. Zhivago captures the Russian Winter in all its glory and infamy. It's a historical treatise, a love story and a defiant tale written about how real people struggled to survive in the newly formed Soviet state.

Energy-efficient, but a bit chilly in the Wintertime

Perhaps the two most memorable aspects of the film are the soundtrack and the cinematography. While Mr. Lean wasn't permitted to film in the Soviet Union at the time (they were still somewhat ticked off at Boris for writing Zhivago) a number of similar striking locations were used. Lara's Theme  may be the single most recognized film score in history and certainly qualifies as the most haunting. If ever an instrumental song could capture longing, love and heartbreak - this is it. The story and the score together make this movie perhaps the greatest romance ever filmed.

It's all about Lara...

Romance, true romance is not idyllic, but it is real. The power of Zhivago's tale is not that it makes any sense, but that it seems as though this really happened - not to just a few people but to an entire people. When the world was toppling around them - the revolution, world wars - the one thing that mattered were those handful of people closest to you. Zhivago's crime and the reason Pasternak was always one step away from being sent to a Gulag was "living" and thinking in terms of those who they loved rather than the state. This is perhaps the ultimate story of tyranny of the state versus the freedom to be oneself. Amidst all this history the movie is peppered with several standout performances namely from Sir Alec Guinness (as Zhivago's half-brother) and Rod Steiger as one of the great jerky characters in film history. 

The original Zhivago trailer

The character of Zhivago himself is curious - he is an observer mostly. He is surrounded both by fascinating characters and remarkable events. He reacts to them all but seems helpless to control even his own destiny - he swept along the path of history only to be discarded in the end - forgotten to all but those who read banned poets. This movie is as much about Lara as anything and in Julie Christie's capable hands she becomes a fascinating anti-heroine. Lara is Christie's most memorable performance by far. She reminds us of that song by Alanis Morissette - she's got it all going on; bad girl, good mom, nurse, home-wrecker. Lara is awesome - no wonder Zhivago wrote all that poetry for her.

we wouldn't want it any other way

Get her drunk and she like to party

Nations rise and nations fall, but people go on - they go on loving, living and making a reality with each other and all those little stories fill the gaps behind the big picture that is our history. Zhivago gives us a glimpse into both personal side and the epic backdrop of the Russian drama - and it may have been the first movie during the Cold War that helped break the ice between ordinary Americans and their then Soviet counterparts. We're not so different after all, are we?

This song seems to have been inspired by Zhivago - we miss you Robert Palmer

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews - All Rights Reserved

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Life of PI - The Tiger Within

We sometimes decry that we want movies that make us think, that make us feel something - then we're met with that movie which does both and it can be an unsettling experience. But then again, so is life. Life of Pi is just such a movie and we cannot go into why it unsettled us without giving away too much of the plot. What we can tell you is that Life of Pi while an imperfect story in some ways is an undeniably powerful one. The main character - Pi Patel - is really three people (as we follow him at different points in his life) and each of his incarnations are different. Of the three versions of the one man, it is the stranded Pi in the boat who we come to know best - or so we think.

A strange journey with stranger companions

Director Ang Lee is known for creating films with sweeping visual splendor (including our personal favorites Ride with the Devil and the 2003 version of the Hulk). In Life of Pi he doesn't disappoint, first taking us (in 3D) from a quaint Indian town to the middle of the Pacific. The scenes of the ocean at night with its myriad of creatures bathed in luminescence are a wonder to behold. As you might have gathered, most of the film centers around the tale of Pi lost at sea - and lost in other ways as well. It is a long, perilous journey not just across an ocean but the human soul as well. 

Life of Pi was based on a novel by Yann Martel; the following clip is an audio excerpt of that novel:

One of the most visually stunning films in years

Life of Pi is a story we won't likely ever forget, even if we didn't expect or like the ending. Perhaps it's because of that ending, we'll never forget it. This movie has premiered as a classic; while it may not be the best movie of the year, it is in the top 3. We went to see Spielberg's Lincoln last week hoping to experience a profound movie epic - we finally got to see an epic today - it was a story about a boy and tiger lost at sea.

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Predator - A Raving Classic

People have had an odd fascination with Arnold Schwarzenegger ever since he showed up in Hollywood more than thirty years ago. We also have an obsession with Aliens - on top of that, most people love Reggae music. Add these three ingredients together and you'll get today's Raving Classic film - Predator. In 1987, we were treated to what is likely Arnold's best movie ever - a movie that asked the question - what if Aliens hunted humans the way hillbillies stalk deer? Well, maybe this Alien wasn't a hick on his world but then again maybe he was - he had a strange sense of humor and liked to collect trophies.

The main theme from Predator

Predator is one of those movies you can watch again and again and it still grips you. The storyline is fairly thin because this is a macho-action type plot. Everybody in the movie is macho, including the Alien. Even the one female lead, Elpidia Carrillo (as the sexy Sandinista), is pretty tough. The special effects were unique and memorable and the "creature design" - well, it was out of this world.

Kiss me baby !

Now if you want to watch this movie expecting some great acting - forget it. When Arnold does talk he's barely intelligible (perhaps a bit clearer than Stallone though) but then again he's there for the muscle-power and not a lot of introspective monologues. Arnold is always good in movies where you can reasonably affirm that he looks the part - like in Conan (not the talk show) and the Terminator and in this film. Arnold is a walking comic book character leading man - and he was doing that way before the comic book craze took over Hollywood. But he does it so well...

The original trailer for Predator, circa 1987

Here's a list of the rest of the things we like about the movie:

1. The premise was pretty cool.
2. The Dredlock Rastaman monster alien was exceptionally cool.
3. The jungle setting made it seem more plausible (in contrast to some of the silly sequels) 
4. The  Predator versus mercenary battle scenes were great as was the attack on the rebel camp. The personal battle between Arnold and the Predator good ole boy was awesome.
5. The humans won - at least until the next movie. 
6. The movie score was excellent - it added a lot of tension to an already suspenseful, well-paced plot. 
7. Oh, and we liked the shoulder-mounted laser. 

Believe it or not, this was state of the art in 1987

Here's some of our favorite quotes from the movie:

1. Bunch of slack-jawed faggots around here. This stuff will make you a god damned sexual Tyrannosaurus, just like me. (from Jesse Ventura early in the film)
2. This place makes Cambodia look like Kansas... you lose it out here and you're in a world of hurt. (another Jesse quote - all the more interesting given he was a real Navy Seal during the Vietnam war).
3. There's something out there waiting for us, and it ain't no man. We're all gonna die. (Billy / Sonny Landham)
4. If it bleeds, we can kill it. (Arnold)
5. We find them sometimes without their skin. Sometimes...much, much worse. Cazador de trofoes...means the demon who makes trophies of men. (Elpidia Carrillo)

The (entire) Making of Predator

Predator is not a profound movie-going experience but it is a visceral one. It isn't exactly scary but it does get your adrenaline pumping and pulls you inside the story. It's a movie-going experience that translates well to the TV screen as well (big screens are better of course).

Movie Reference	Ratings & Reviews	How to Watch
Predator on Wikipedia	Rotten Tomatoes	From Netflix
Predator on IMDB	Roger Ebert's Review	From Amazon.com

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews - All Rights Reserved

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10 Reasons Man Should Never Fly - Raving Time Capsule

Dayton, Ohio is the birthplace of aviation. Over the past few years though Dayton was especially hard hit by the Great Recession and thousands of homes were foreclosed on and demolished. Many of the homes being torn down were historic and some were even located not too far from where the Wright Brothers lived and worked in West Dayton. We came across a time capsule in the ruins of one of those homes and discovered some very interesting things - among them were several top ten lists. Keep in mind that the folks who wrote the lists seemed to have been somewhat disgruntled former neighbors of the Wright's Bicycle Shop who simply didn't understand what the Wright Brothers were up to.

This is where the airplane was invented

Why Mankind Should Never Fly:

Reason # 1 - There are too many birds and they will likely fly into you or want to mate with you.

Does this mean that everyone working for this airline is a Virgin?

Reason # 2 - It will anger the angels, who more or less have a monopoly on flying.

This is a rare photo of Lance Armstrong's great-grandfather - who pioneered bike race cheating

Reason # 3 - Once lifting off of the earth what's to stop you from floating to the moon?

This is Lance Armstrong's grandfather following in the family tradition

Reason # 4 - Because feathers are really itchy and probably none too sanitary.

Don't touch that, it might have diseases !

Reason # 5 - Because we'd look too much like vampires and no one will ever think they're cool or sexy.

Dracula was an avid hang-glider hobbyist

Reason # 6 - Because steam engines are just too damn heavy and would make too many clouds.


Reason # 7 - Look what happened to Icarus, duh...

 Proof that men (and women too of course) weren't meant to fly

 

Reason # 8 - Because someday people will invent the TSA and they will want to touch your junk and look at you naked with their x-ray machines.

Reason # 9 - Because the occupation of Stewardess may set back women's rights for decades as airlines might force them to where sexy uniforms and bend over a lot.

Come fly with us as we wear these silly outfits

Reason #10 - Because someone might make a movie called Flight with Denzel Washington as a stoned, drunken airline pilot who flips his plane and drinks Bud while driving.



It's amazing how insightful these folks were back in 1902...

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The 10 Dumbest Movies of All Time

We were inspired after going to watch "Flight" the other night to compile a list of the worst or dumbest movies of all time; at least the dumbest ones we've ever seen. In order to get on this particular list, the films had to be major releases with real budgets and real stars in them; this eliminates the scores of B movies that might otherwise appear.

How did we make our determinations? It was based upon identifying the following characteristics of painfully dumb cinema in the selected movies:

• They are really, really hard to watch.
• They make you want to walk out of the theater and ask for a refund (something we've done for several of these).
• They make you wonder constantly throughout the movie, "if I wait just a minute longer, it might get better" but never does.
• They suck you into an event horizon where time slows down to a crawl and you begin to think you'll be stuck there forever in a kind of purgatory. 
• They take beloved movie icons and turn them into objects of derision.
• They make you say over and over again that anyone, even you or brain-dead coma victims could do better.
• It's hard to remember much about the movie itself - all you tend to recall is your own sense utter revulsion at being subjected to it.

The Dumbest Movies Ever

#1 Dumbest Movie Ever - The Happening: This movie came close to ending Mark Wahlberg's career; it made his remake of Planet of the Apes look like Citizen Cane in comparison. We didn't walk out of this one - this more like the event horizon experience - a true cinema Limbo or Purgatory. Did something actually happen in the movie? We wrote a review though at the time. One dead giveaway of a truly awful movie is an appearance by John Leguizamo doing his Bugs Bunny impression.

We won't subject you to any clips from this dog of a movie - so here's the Pixies...

#2 Dumbest Movie Ever - Showgirls: This movie redefined the term "Bimbo" and ensured that Las Vegas would forever be associated with family entertainment - or not. The following adjectives come to mind when trying to describe this show; vacuous, offensive, Fellini-esqe, boring, unsanitary. Many have tried viewing this as cult film to mock it but the problem with that is you still have to watch it - which we cannot in all good conscious recommend that anyone ever does under any circumstances.

Licking poles was never this boring before

#3 Dumbest Movie Ever - Gigli: Before Brangelina, there was J-lo and Ben. They made a movie together and it was so bad it wrecked their marriage or relationship or whatever it is was they were doing. J-Lo made a movie with Marc Antony as well (where all they did was fight) and then they got divorced too. Come to think of it that's what happened to Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman - rule of thumb - don't make bad movies with your spouse if you want to stay married. Was there a story behind the movie - not really - and we couldn't finish watching it anyway.

They were so happy before they made this stupid movie - makes us want to cry - so did the movie

#4 Dumbest Movie Ever - Howard the Duck: This movie should have forewarned George Lucas never again to experiment with seemingly cute, highly marketable characters. Instead, a decade later he saddled us with Jar Jar Binx and cinema may never recover from that decision. 

Little known fact - this actor had auditioned for Yoda 27 times over a 25 year period

#5 Dumbest Movie Ever - Flight:  Denzel, you're grounded - no more movies where you're piloting, conducting or otherwise driving anything, please. We just reviewed this if you'd like to see the gory details.

#6 Dumbest Movie Ever - The Animal: This was one of those movies we walked out of and requested a refund for. It helped end what had been a half-way successful career for Rob Schneider. Calling it offensive would of course be offensive to the word offensive.

You never see full-service any more, what a pity

#7 Dumbest Movie Ever - Land of the Dead: This movie answers the question; what would happen if the Mentalist, Bugs Bunny and Easy Rider had to fight super-intelligent tool wielding zombies?  The only problem was - we weren't asking that question.
 

#8 Dumbest Movie Ever - The Campaign: Remarkably, three of the dumbest films of all time on this list come from 2012 and the year isn't even over yet. This film, which we both walked out of and requested a refund for, tried its best to steal the title of most offensive film ever from such classics as The Animal and Freddy Got Fingered. We're fairly certain that the script was written by 13 year olds while attending a Summer camp for troubled youth. We thought nothing could be worse than the real election, but we were wrong.

This movie is the single greatest threat to Democracy since the Soviet Union invaded Eastern Europe

# 9 Dumbest Movie Ever - Burlesque: This movie was eerily like Showgirls yet featured a lot more singing and makeup in general. Christina Aguilera has an unusual talent, she can break both eardrums and various types of glassware with her raunchy ballads and booming voice. This movie shows us that most girls actually go to Hollywood in hopes of becoming strippers or singers in dive clubs owned by freaky Cher look-alikes, who knew.

Singing in a dumpy, dark lit strip club is every girl's dream come true

# 10 Dumbest Movie Ever - Catwoman: We like Halle Berry but this bizarre action flick came close to ending her career. It has taken her about a decade to recover from it. All we seem to recall from this movie was a cameo attack from Basic Instinct and lot's of meowing.

Catwoman advanced women's rights movements everywhere

Honorable Mentions:

1. Battlefield Earth - We had a hard time deciding this one. It was so bad that it crossed over into B movie territory. It came in at 11 anyway though.
2. Every Transformer Movie - With the exception of Megan Fox, there was never any reason to watch. This is the only movie franchise that needs to include a warning to take aspirin before viewing.
3. Dune - Despite the face we really like the book or perhaps because of it, this movie pained us a great deal. "Arrakis, Desert Planet, really dry with no beaches ('cause there's no water - get it), lot's of inane narrative and silly costumes - and Jean Luc Picard, what are you doing here."

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews™ - All Rights Reserved

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A Raving Pitch - Attack of the Right Brain

Today we're going to introduce the Raving Pitch. What is a Raving Pitch you ask; it is our attempt to sell a really great film or television idea to Hollywood, Bollywood or Vancouver (we're not picky). Every Raving Pitch consists of the following elements:

• A catchy movie title
• Dramatic synopsis
• Genre designation/s
• Recommended cast
• A catchy slogan or line that can be used on the poster art
• One liners for the script
• A mash-up description (e.g. how the idea relates to other better known ideas that someone did approve and produce).  
• 5 really good reasons why someone has to make this movie
• Completely unrelated thoughts that demonstrate our creative volatility and hipness

Today's Raving Pitch is "Attack of the Right Brain."

Genre - Horror/ Sci-Fi

"I'm totally in touch with my feelings"

Dramatic Synopsis - Dr. Roger Bork was just an ordinary guy working in a college bio-weapons lab when he met Lola, the yoga instructor at the local YMCA. Their fiery passion was threatened though by the tension between her Right Brained alternative lifestyle and his Left Brained logic. Fearing he might lose her forever, Roger tracks down Timothy Leary's little known research on how to be hip without really trying and uses his weapons lab to create a super-Right brain. But it all goes horribly wrong as his transcendental harmonic convergence goes on a killing rampage at the campus.

The Peter Lorre of our Generation

Possible Theme Song - "Brains"

Cast - Steve Buscemi as Dr. Bork; J-Lo as Lola; John Goodman as General Drones

Slogan  - "Two Hearts living in one mind, gone mad"

One Liners - "Meditate on this!" , "Take two hundred aspirin and never call me again..."

Mash-Up Description:  It's like "Prometheus" meets "The Women" or "Mac versus PC"

Reasons why the movie should be made:

1. Everyone has brains and most people have both Left and Right brains.
2. Steve Buscemi is an irresistible box office draw and this movie was made for him.
3. Brains are icky, scary and make excellent monsters.
4. Kids love thinking with and about their brains - so it will appeal to the youth market.
5. Our Right brain says we should trust our instincts and share our love with the whole world and our Left Brain has lots of good ideas for product placement.
   

Completely random thought - check this out - it will blow your mind, which part we can't say though.

Hold me closer tiny dancer, and stop switching directions I'm getting really confused !

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews - All Rights Reserved

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Top 10 Ways to get the Plague - The Tudors

In the Showtime series, The Tudors, one of the things we learn early on is that the plague is an ever present part of Medieval Life. In fact King Henry VIII's son and a close friend both die from what is known as the Sweating Sickness (see the picture below).

A victim in the advance stages of sweating sickness

While doing diligent research on The Tudors for our reviews we came across some little known but potentially valuable medical advice from the mid-1500's that was no doubt employed to keep the plague at bay. This find consists of two top 10 lists; one to avoid the plague in the first place and the second concerns itself with how to cure yourself of plague.

Diagnosing Plague involved rigorous scientific discipline

Top 10 Ways to Avoid the Plague:

1. Never French-kiss a witch (you can try the floating in the bathtub test to determine if she is a witch).
2. Never get too familiar with your familiars - if you have black cats or other demons in familiar form around the house, don't let them in your bed. 
3. Never start, buy or otherwise own a Flea Circus. 
4. Don't listen to Ben when he asks you to let all of his buddies move in with you.
5. Don't lick reptiles even if they taste really, really good.
6. Don't listen to heresy like the Earth is Round - it'll only lead to trouble.
7. Don't eat cooked bacon - it's much better raw.
8. Bleed yourself regularly and for God's sake don't wash the knife. 
9. Bathing, except for witches, is generally frowned upon.
10. Don't have picnics next to mass burial sites.

Contrary to popular belief - Plague was well understood in Medieval Times (not the restaurant show attraction - but the time period)

If those tips didn't prevent the onset of Plague or Sweating Sickness, there was still hope. Here are the Top 10 Medieval Cures for Plague:

1. Burn a witch for good luck.
2. Burn a neighbor good luck (you must accuse them of heresy first).
3. Cover yourself in a poultice of warm cow dung and dance in a circle for 3 hours.
4. If you must take a bath (due to high fever let's say), fill the water with fresh cow urine and dung.
5. Never ever pop the plague postules - let them get as big as possible.
6. Bleed yourself, a lot.
7. Hide under a table or bed - eventually the plague will become confused and leave.
8. Remove your eyes, that way you can't see the plague anymore and it won't be able to see you either.
9. Flog yourself and others nearby.
10. Drink massive amounts of ale and grog if available, and let your milk ferment before drinking.

We love the BBC - and Horrible Histories

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews™ - All Rights Reserved

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Why We Don't Believe in Ratings

You may have noticed that we don't have ratings associated with any of our reviews and were probably wondering - why is it we don't have any stars, smiley faces, points or grades assessed to these movies and things we're critiquing? Well, we have an answer to your burning question - at least this one anyway. We here at Raving Reviews do not believe in ratings. Why, you ask? You sure do ask a lot of questions, ok, here's our list as to why we don't believe in ratings:

• Ratings are subjective, art is subjective, subjectivity is subjective. (we're very objective in making these claims)

"That's 1 star out of 4 you miserable little punk "- oh the memories we can never erase...

• Because we were rated in playgrounds as children and are emotionally scarred now.

• Because we don't believe in IQs and ratings are a lot like IQs.

Our IQ is none of your business, not that they're small - 'cause they're not - really

• Because it's all political and we hate politics. (well, sometimes)

• Because we don't know more than you do and you don't more than us and this is a Democracy damn it ! (guess we do like politics after all).

• Because low ratings might cause otherwise nice people to starve or high ratings might allow jerky people to get rich just because they're good directors or actors, etc. (we're sure that some of Hollywood's worst films were created by its nicest residents).

• What if we had ratings in the Louvre? Would you give the Mona Lisa a 2.3 out 5 - or worse?

This is what would happen if the Louvre had ratings.

• We believe in the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle of Motion Pictures; "When you measure a movie, you become part of that movie's marketing campaign."

If you're not sure about this, join the club

•  Because not everything is about logic you green-blooded, pointy-eared bastard!

I need a stress pill

• Because we don't believe in standardized assessments and making everyone think the same way. We're not robots, we're human beings dammit! (refer to photo above). 

• Because we reserve the right to change our minds and those pesky ratings might pin us down.

• Because it's hard to rate geniuses and even harder to rate morons. 

We hope that answers all of your questions, we've got a survey for you to fill out now.

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews™ - All Rights Reserved

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The Thing - A Raving Classic

What makes a movie a classic film? Is it the age of the picture, its relative popularity; does it have to be one particular genre or is it a genre unto itself? Do critics determine what is or isn't classic or is it the movie lovers? Do you have to take film appreciation courses to be able to identify whether or not a movie is classic? We will try to answer those questions for you as we introduce the first review in a new series we're calling, Raving Classics.

Answers:

1. You don't have to take any film classes to be able to identify a classic. We took some of those classes and can assure you they were a giant waste of time.
2. Classics don't belong to any one genre or any one time - they cross all of them. Films released this year could be classics and virtually any type of film might be considered classic - even some documentaries (Capra's "Why we Fight" is a good example).
3. You don't need critics to tell what is a classic, but they can help you find them if you haven't already discovered them on your own.

Classic Criteria: Here are some guidelines that might be used to help assess whether a film is worthy of being called "Classic."

• It's fun to watch.
• It never gets old - you watch it over and over again and still appreciate it.
• It makes you feel something, or think something new, interesting or otherwise thrilling.
• A classic often gets remade, but the remakes to a real classic never measure up to the original (which is perhaps why no one has tried a remake of Gone with the Wind).
• A classic has memorable moments that stay with you and often these become cultural guideposts or pillars that help to define an age.

So there you have it; our criteria for a classic film. With that we will now review our first Raving Classic - just in time for the onset of cold weather but not too long after Halloween. We're reviewing one of our favorite movies ever - John Carpenter's, The Thing.

Things heat up in the coldest place in the world... Poster art for The Thing

John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) is all about atmosphere - it takes us to the end of the world and strands us there with a handful of bearded and ultimately desperate men (this is definitely not a chick flick). The film's understated soundtrack evokes Jaws but at a much deeper level - helping to establish a sense of foreboding that builds steadily as we drive deeper into the mystery and paranoia that ensues. As you may know this film is itself a remake of a 1951 film and has been remade again recently (2011), which makes it a bit unusual as classics go in that the second one hit the jackpot while the first and third tries missed badly.

CPR was never the same after this scene from "The Thing"

 John Carpenter's The Thing succeeded where the others failed for a number of reasons:

1. An excellent ensemble cast with a very strong performances by the lead Kurt Russell and his sort of nemesis, Keith David (who can now be seen in Cloud Atlas).
2. A very neatly wrapped storyline - it wasn't complicated by any means - but seemed perfectly believable. We're dropped right into the situation and accept it instantly.
3. The tension of this film is palpable. Even after watching it more than 10 times it's still there - and the question of whether or not you can trust the folks around you allows us to drop into a temporary paranoid fantasy without having to stay too long (unlike the X-Files).
4. No One Gets Out Alive - How cool is that? No obvious sequels with the same cast anyway.
5. The Big Question - This film doesn't answer the big question -  what happens next and that makes the movie even more menacing. The 2011 remake actually represents a sort of prequel with a focus on the Norwegian team that dug up the monster so we've still never found out what happened when the rescue team returns to the American Research station.
6. The Battle between McCready and the Monsters was Epic - This guy was cool, the hat, the Whiskey and the wits to take on the toughest bastards in the galaxy.
7. Groundbreaking Special Effects - This movie came well before the advent of computer animation. These monsters were handcrafted with lots of love and still look convincing today. Who can ever forget the slime dogs and spider-head guy?  Unlike many monster, alien or horror flicks, these effects truly advance the plot and ensure the believability of the premise. They are among us and they are not nice...

McCready encounters a dead Norwegian (segue to 2011 remake)

The characters in The Thing seem like a very ordinary bunch of men placed in an extraordinary situation which unfolds before their eyes very rapidly. The situation makes them question who exactly their co-workers are in a more profound way than most of us will ever do. And keep in mind, the first two versions of the Thing were still very much Cold War metaphors - placing them both in cold locales was like having your cake and eating it too.  Being paranoid and scared can be a lot of fun, so next time it starts snowing out, turn the lights down low and watch the 1982 version of The Thing.

A really great trailer, but that's to be expected. 

 

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews™ - All Rights Reserved

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Alternative Reality - The Ultimate Playlist

At least we think it is. We haven't talked much about music on Raving Reviews yet but we'll start today by opening up a dialog about Alternative Music. The first question that pops into our minds is "alternative to what, exactly?" Interesting question - we'll assume it means alternative to whatever the popular music of the day might be but then that could encompass a lot more than what we consider to be Alternative - it could include for example Polka Disco or Electronic Didgeridoos. It seems as though a definition may be in order before we share our most awesome playlist with you.

The B-52's were an early Alt band (before it was called alternative)

Alternative Music - (our own personal definition): A form of rock music that highlights nontraditional harmonies, stylistic approaches or instrumental innovations. It is often place where popular trends are born and later become mainstream. Alternative music often appeals to younger audiences but is not limited to them. Many "Alt" bands have a club band feel to them, others create a persona wholly unique to themselves.

Album art from Muse - Supermassive Black Hole, 2008 - Physics has a beat

One thing we're sure of after scouring many lists of favorite alternative songs or bands is that no two people define it the same way. With that in mind here is our list (you can find it on Spotify if you'd like to listen):

 

Alternative Reality

• Muse – Supermassive Black Hole
• Live – Lightning Crashes
• The B-52's – 52 Girls - Party Mix Version
• Nirvana – All Apologies
• Screaming Trees – Nearly Lost You
• Dinosaur Jr. – Feel The Pain - 2007 Remastered LP Version
• Florence + The Machine – Dog Days Are Over
• 22-20s – Devil In Me
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps
• Alice In Chains – No Excuses
• Soundgarden – My Wave
• Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses
• The Hives – 1000 Answers
• Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus
• The Cult – Fire Woman
• Pearl Jam – Given To Fly
• Jimmy Eat World – My Best Theory
• My Chemical Romance – SING
• Live – Selling The Drama
• Muse – Uprising
• Nirvana – The Man Who Sold The World
• Paramore – Decode - Twilight Soundtrack Version
• R.E.M. – Shiny Happy People
• Shinedown – The Crow & The Butterfly
• The Raveonettes – Recharge & Revolt
• Violent Femmes – Blister In The Sun
• Vampire Weekend – A-Punk
• Lifehouse – Halfway Gone
• The Wallflowers – 6th Avenue Heartache
• Third Eye Blind – Never Let You Go
• The Black Keys – Lonely Boy
• Counting Crows – Untitled (Love Song)
• The English Beat – Mirror In The Bathroom
• The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary
• Death Cab for Cutie – Meet Me On The Equinox - Soundtrack Album Version
• The Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way
• Beck – The New Pollution
• 30 Seconds To Mars – Closer To The Edge
• Toad The Wet Sprocket – Fall Down
• The Fixx – Red Skies - Original Version
• Placebo – For What It's Worth
• Alice In Chains – Nutshell
• The Cult – Love Removal Machine
• Kings Of Leon – Radioactive
• My Chemical Romance – Na Na Na [Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na]
• Elvis Costello – (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, & Understanding
• The Decemberists – Down By The Water
• The Raveonettes – Lust
• Days Of The New – Touch, Peel And Stand
• Counting Crows – Hanginaround
• Weezer – Pork And Beans
• The Cranberries – Animal Instinct
• The B-52's – Junebug
• The Goo Goo Dolls – Broadway
• Pixies – The Holiday Song
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Gold Lion
• Simple Minds – Sanctify Yourself
• New Politics – Yeah Yeah Yeah
• The Cult – Rain
• Lifehouse – Hanging By A Moment
• Depeche Mode – Strangelove
• Pearl Jam – Elderly Woman Behind The Counter in a Small Town
• Radiohead – Let Down
• The Hives – Come On!
• The Fixx – Beautiful Friction
• Beck – Black Tambourine
• Gin Blossoms – Hey Jealousy
• Kings Of Leon – Knocked Up
• The Cranberries – Dreams
• Tonic – If You Could Only See
• The Smashing Pumpkins – Cherub Rock
• Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing
• Depeche Mode – Policy Of Truth - 2006 Digital Remaster
• The Killers – All These Things That I've Done
• The B-52's – Topaz
• The Cult – Lil’ Devil
• Chevelle – The Red
• The Lonely Island – Attracted To Us
• Echo And The Bunnymen – Lips Like Sugar
• Pixies – Where Is My Mind?
• Toad The Wet Sprocket – All I Want
• The Hives – Two-Timing Touch and Broken Bones
• The Killers – Somebody Told Me
• The Smashing Pumpkins – Zero
• The Cranberries – Linger
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Dani California
• Dishwalla – Angels Or Devils
• The Raveonettes – Love In A Trashcan
• The Alan Parsons Project – Breakdown
• Live – All Over You
• Depeche Mode – Enjoy The Silence - Remastered Version Original
• Three Days Grace – The Good Life
• blink-182 – The Rock Show
• The Fixx – Just Before Dawn
• The Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight, Tonight
• The Raconteurs – Steady, As She Goes
• R.E.M. – The One I Love
• The B-52's – Cosmic Thing
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Otherside
• Muse – Unnatural Selection
• Pearl Jam – Black
• Violent Femmes – Gone Daddy Gone
• The Hives – Walk Idiot Walk
• Lifehouse – You And Me
• Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
• Three Days Grace – Animal I Have Become
• Paramore – Misery Business
• Sonic Youth – Incinerate
• Breaking Benjamin – The Diary of Jane
• The Alan Parsons Project – I Robot
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under The Bridge
• Dinosaur Jr. – See It On Your Side
• Arctic Monkeys – Fluorescent Adolescent
• Jane's Addiction – Just Because
• The Fixx – One Thing Leads To Another
• 22-20s – Such A Fool
• Good Charlotte – Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous
• Arctic Monkeys – Teddy Picker
• Anberlin – The Feel Good Drag
• The B-52's – Deadbeat Club
• Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Parallel Universe
• The Cult – Sun King
• Lifehouse – First Time
• The Alan Parsons Project – Games People Play
• Dinosaur Jr. – Don't Pretend You Didn't Know
• Pearl Jam – Alive
• Dinosaur Jr. – Watch the Corners
• Paramore – I Caught Myself - Twilight Soundtrack Version
• Smashing Pumpkins – Hummer
• Muse – Starlight
• Lifehouse – From Where You Are
• The Heavy – How You Like Me Now
• The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings
• The Killers – Smile Like You Mean It
• Muse – Hysteria
• The Go-Betweens – Love Goes On!
• The Smithereens – Only A Memory
• Pearl Jam – Corduroy - 2011 Remaster
• The Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight, Tonight
• The Killers – When You Were Young
• Beck – Sexx Laws
• The Cranberries – Analyse
• The Hives – Go Right Ahead
• Depeche Mode – Everything Counts
• The Fixx – Stand Or Fall
• Shinedown – Second Chance
• Three Days Grace – Break
• blink-182 – All The Small Things
• Breaking Benjamin – Without You
• Staind – It's Been Awhile
• The Fixx – Saved By Zero
• The Hives – Hate To Say I Told You So
• 3 Doors Down – When You're Young
• R.E.M. – Pop Song 89
• The English Beat – Hands Off... She's Mine
• The Cranberries – Yeats' Grave
• Pixies – Cecilia Ann
• Toadies – I Come From The Water
• 3 Doors Down – Here Without You
• Jane's Addiction – Superhero
• Screaming Trees – Ash Gray Sunday
• Pearl Jam – Jeremy
• Green Day – Oh Love
• Pearl Jam – Once
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Around The World
• Gin Blossoms – Until I Fall Away
• The Cure – Lovesong
• Prodigy – Firestarter
• Jimmy Eat World – If You Don't, Don't
• 3 Doors Down – When I'm Gone
• Jane's Addiction – Had A Dad
• Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees
• The Smashing Pumpkins – Today
• The Hives – Tick, Tick, Boom
• Nirvana – Heart Shaped Box
• Pearl Jam – Just Breathe
• The English Beat – Save It For Later
• My Chemical Romance – Helena - So Long & Goodnight   Album Version
• Evanescence – Made Of Stone
• The B-52's – Private Idaho - Party Mix-Album Version
• Muse – Plug In Baby
• The Offspring – Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)
• Death Cab for Cutie – You Are A Tourist
• Plain White T's – Hey There Delilah
• Breaking Benjamin – Breath
• The Hives – Patrolling Days
• 3 Doors Down – Your Arms Feel Like home
• Muse – Map Of The Problematique
• The Hives – Abra Cadaver
• Staind – So Far Away
• blink-182 – After Midnight
• Radiohead – Paranoid Android
• Live – I Alone
• 3 Doors Down – Away From The Sun
• Pearl Jam – Yellow Ledbetter
• Nirvana – Dumb
• The Offspring – The Future Is Now
• Good Charlotte – I Don't Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem)
• Neon Trees – Teenage Sounds
• PORNO FOR PYROS – Pets
• The English Beat – The Tears Of A Clown
• Green Day – Brain Stew
• Jimmy Eat World – Hear You Me
• 3 Doors Down – Be Like That
• Oasis – Wonderwall
• The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979
• Evanescence – What You Want
• Radiohead – High And Dry
• The Smithereens – Blood And Roses
• blink-182 – Going Away To College
• Muse – Undisclosed Desires
• The Killers – Change Your Mind
• Nirvana – Love Buzz
• Counting Crows – Round Here
• The Smashing Pumpkins – Disarm
• Gin Blossoms – Follow You Down
• 3 Doors Down – Time Of My Life
• Nirvana – Pennyroyal Tea - Single Mix
• Jimmy Eat World – The Authority Song
• Placebo – Ashtray Heart
• Green Day – Jesus Of Suburbia
• Radiohead – Karma Police
• The Black Keys – Howlin' For You
• Jimmy Eat World – Your House
• The Bravery – Believe
• R.E.M. – Man On The Moon
• Kings Of Leon – Pyro
• Oasis – Live Forever
• Fall Out Boy – Dance, Dance
• Staind – Eyes Wide Open
• Sonic Youth – Kool Thing
• Jimmy Eat World – The Middle
• The Smithereens – A Girl Like You
• 3 Doors Down – Citizen/Soldier
• blink-182 – First Date
• The Goo Goo Dolls – Iris
• Black Taxi – Tightrope
• The Smiths – This Charming Man
• Green Day – When I Come Around
• R.E.M. – Imitation Of Life
• A Flock Of Seagulls – Telecommunication
• Jimmy Eat World – A Praise Chorus
• The B-52's – Love Shack
• Fireflight – Unbreakable
• A Flock Of Seagulls – Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)
• The Black Keys – Everlasting Light
• Radiohead – Creep
• Evanescence – My Last Breath
• Plain White T's – Rhythm Of Love
• Dinosaur Jr. – I Know It Oh So Well
• Nine Inch Nails – Closer
• Temple Of The Dog – Say Hello 2 Heaven
• Neon Trees – 1983
• Alice In Chains – Check My Brain
• The Go-Betweens – Streets Of Your Town
• Gin Blossoms – Til I Hear It From You
• The Raconteurs – Salute Your Solution
• Nirvana – Aneurysm
• Neon Trees – Everybody Talks
• Sublime – Doin' Time
• The Goo Goo Dolls – Here Is Gone
• Fall Out Boy – Sugar, We're Goin Down
• Black Taxi – Friend
• Counting Crows – Hanginaround
• Fall Out Boy – I Don't Care - Single Version
• Green Day – Good Riddance [Time Of Your Life]
• Neon Trees – Animal
• Anberlin – The Unwinding Cable Car
• Concrete Blonde – Everybody Knows
• Fireflight – For Those Who Wait
• The Bravery – An Honest Mistake - CD Album Version
• Nirvana – About A Girl
• The Blackout – Higher & Higher
• Neon Trees – Your Surrender
• Chris Cornell – Sunshower - Great Expectations Soundtrack
• The B-52's – Bushfire
• Nirvana – Big Cheese
• Gin Blossoms – Found Out About You
• The Psychedelic Furs – Heaven
• Dishwalla – Counting Blue Cars (Tell Me Your Thoughts On God)
• The Posies – The Glitter Prize - Feat. Kay Hanley
• Fiona Apple – Criminal
• The Goo Goo Dolls – Slide
• Kings Of Leon – Closer
• Counting Crows – Accidentally In Love
• Chevelle – I Get It
• Meat Puppets – Backwater
• The Cure – Just Like Heaven
• Elvis Costello – Veronica
• New Politics – Dignity
• Echo And The Bunnymen – The Killing Moon
• The Wallflowers – The Difference
• Vampire Weekend – Oxford Comma
• Oingo Boingo – Dead Man's Party
• The Offspring – The Kids Aren't Alright
• Fastball – The Way
• Weezer – Island In The Sun
• Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
• Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy
• Morrissey – Suedehead
• Third Eye Blind – How's It Going To Be
• Toadies – Possum Kingdom
• Toad The Wet Sprocket – Something's Always Wrong
• Death Cab for Cutie – Soul Meets Body
• The Decemberists – This Is Why We Fight
• Deftones – Digital Bath
• The Black Keys – Tighten Up
• The Flaming Lips – She Don't Use Jelly
• Prodigy – Breathe
• The Heavy – Big Bad Wolf
• Florence + The Machine – Spectrum (Say My Name) - Calvin Harris Remix
• 22-20s – Why Don't You Do It For Me?
• Tonic – Open Up Your Eyes
• Shinedown – Sound Of Madness
• Temple Of The Dog – Say Hello 2 Heaven
• Fall Out Boy – Hum Hallelujah
• Hum – Stars
• Dinosaur Jr. – Rude
• Live – The Dolphin's Cry
• Vampire Weekend – A-Punk

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews™ - All Rights Reserved

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The Ten Best TV Horror Shows of All time

As promised we're back with another one of our Top Ten Lists for Halloween - this one is the Top 10 Best Horror shows on TV. While television isn't know for creating a lot of Horror-focused programming, it has over the years produced some truly memorable shows that compete fairly well with the best Cinema has to offer (which is saying a lot considering the sheer number of Horror films created since the dawn of Cinema). Anyway, here's the list...


# 1 Best Horror Show of All Time on Television - American Horror Story:  Some may argue whether this program belongs on the top of the list considering it only just aired last year - but then again, have you all watched it? The first season boasted a tremendous all-star cast headed by Jessica Lange in what might be the single best role of her career. American Horror story treads across a variety of boundaries for television horror with its many inter-linked and somewhat depraved stories. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the show is its decision to pick a new location and cast every year. Season one is gone forever although we're left to believe that the entire cast of ghosts will remain in that house for enternity as the show shifts directions starting this November 30 (too bad it wasn't in time for Halloween).

This house collects,  families...

# 2 Best Horror Show of All Time on Television - Kolchak: The Night Stalker : This show doesn't seem as scary as it did back in the 1970's, yet it was a groundbreaking television event in that it was dedicated solely to the horror genre and brought that genre mainstream. House of Dark Shadows had been on TV a few years before but that was more like a Soap Opera - Night Stalker was pure prime time horror and Darren McGavin's hard-nosed Chicago reporter was perhaps the proto-type for (yet much funnier than) Fox Mulder.

Kolchak was definitely NOT part of the mainstream media

# 3 Best Horror Show of All Time on Television - Rod Serling's Night Gallery: This was a short-lived (mainly because Rod Serling passed away - well, actually the show was cancelled before he died but it was close) attempt to shift the Twilight Zone format to pure horror. So, it did somewhat preview what Night Stalker would do a few years later - but through the use of an unconnected anthology of horror tales. Just a note, we haven't included Twilight Zone or Outer Limits (either version of the two) because those shows weren't 100% focused on the horror genre, otherwise they would certainly merit inclusion here.

# 4 Best Horror Show of All Time on Television - Tales from the Crypt: This HBO series was in some ways like a resurrection of Night Gallery, just without Rod Serling. It marked the first time that the new cable channels began developing original horror content. We might as well throw in Tales from the Darkside here as well given the similarity in format (and the one interesting thing Darkside had was a connection to Zombie tycoon, George Romero). These shows made sure that there was horror to watch on TV across many periods when no horror shows appeared on prime time.

# 5 Best Horror Show of All Time on Television - Buffy, The Vampire Slayer: We have somewhat mixed feelings about Buffy, but without a doubt it helped to created a new interest in the horror genre on television and may very well be responsible for the current vampire trend that has paralyzed popular culture. The other thing we like about Buffy was the fact that it gave Joss Whedon his real start in Hollywood (Waterworld doesn't count, enough said).

# 6 Best Horror Show of All Time on Television -  The X-Files: Ok, so there were lot's of aliens, but Aliens are scary too right? It's impossible to have this list without having the X-files on it. This was the show that made a shrine to paranoia of all sorts - both the paranormal type and extraterrestrial. The truth is that we loved to be pulled into its twisted world and heck they even wrote songs about watching this show with the lights turned off during the 1990's. What more could you ask for?

We want to believe - that David D. didn't chase every girl on the X-Files set...

# 7 Best Horror Show of All Time on Television - House of Dark Shadows: This show was the one attempt ever of mixing horror with soap operas. Although, there are many people who think those two genres may be linked by default anyway. Despite that, this black and white show was compelling enough to warrant a film remake this year from director Tim Burton - no doubt this was one of his early influences.

The original Barney was neither purple nor lovable.

# 8 Best Horror Show of All Time on Television - The Walking Dead: Zombies of course represent a fairly narrow sliver of the overall Horror genre, yet the Walking Dead has been so superb that it requires a place on this list. It's a real testament to the makers of this show that they took a topic that seemed to have been done to death (pun alert) and breathed new life into it. We like it, we love it we want some more of it. Let's all go to the Waffle Hell - ooops... got carried away.

# 9 Best Horror Show of All Time on Television - Millennium: For the folks who couldn't get enough of X-files paranoia - the show spun off two series, The Lone Gunman and Millennium. Millennium took Y2K and added the X-Files with a bit of the Omen for good measure. It all came together to provide us with a profound sense of foreboding for the new millennium. Of course, by the time 2001 rolled around we had other things to worry about and pretty much forgot about this show. No matter how spooky Lance Henriksen looked, he just couldn't compete.

#10 Best Horror Show of All Time on Television - Scooby Doo: So, there may be some of you who find this choice surprising being a cartoon and all. But why? Think about it. Nearly every kid in America over a thirty period grew up watching Shaggy and Scooby chasing and being chased by spooks and monsters and solving mysteries - and more often than not - debunking the scary stuff and making us feel better. No other horror show on TV covered this much ground - it all starts with Scooby. Heck they even had they own soundtracks with such memorable hits as "Zoinks!" and "Those Meddlin' Kids" - we've still got old cassette tapes laying around. Time for a Scooby snack - gotta run 

Scooby taught us all how to cope with terror...

  

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews - All Rights Reserved

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