Epic Movie, Crank, and soon.... sleep. ZZZzzzzzz....

Hey gang, just wanted to to a bit o' blogging before bed. Today was not a fruitful day at all, though I did get to see the critically maligned parody known as "Epic Movie." Needless to say, it was better than "Date Movie" and had some pretty good gags here and there. For a more detailed report, read my post in the IT CAME FROM THE VAULT FORUMS!

Once I got home, I managed to keep Tara awake for an additional hour-and-a-half by popping "Crank" into the DVD player. (And I'm pretty sure she enjoyed the flick, especially the infamous Chinatown sex scene). This movie is insane and (I think) quite fun to watch. It's ultraviolent, has some pretty groovy tunes ("Why don't you TURN me loose, turn me loose, turn me loose? I gotta do it my way, or no way at all!"), and has the look and feel of a live action ("Grand Theft Auto") video game! Turn off your brain and enjoy this one folks!

Well that's all for now. I'm going to be rushing to finish my Rogue Cinema stuff tonight (into Tuesday morning) so I best get some rest!

Blog ya later!

Before I rush off to work....

CURSES! Last night my girlfriend came up here so I have been unable to continue work on my stuff for Rogue Cinema! Luckily I have all day Monday to get things done so I suppose I can spend some quality time with Tara.... ;-)

I received another screener in the mail just yesterday for a short film called, "My Big Fat Homeless Berkeley Movie" in which the director wandered the streets of Berkeley (California?) and interviewed "street people." (Including homeless folks, street performers, etc.) Looks pretty interesting to tell you the truth. I also have to finish up 3 other reviews and my Genre Watch article (which will be chock full of cult movie release dates for you to drool over!).

Well the clock's tickin'! Gotta run!
Catch ya later b-movie fans!

Personal Development Wednesday Night Classes

Wednesday Night Classes
Late Winter/Spring 2007
7 to 8 p.m., $5.00
Please arrive ten minutes before class starts.

Held at Beads N Botanicals, 227 S. Market St., Hoopeston, IL 60942
217-283-6380


January 10, 2007…… The Seven Chakras
What the “wheels of light” represent

January 17, 2007…… Meditation for Relaxation

January 24, 2007…… Herbal Incenses and how to make them

January 31, 2007……..Healing Circle

February 7………Crystals Used For Healing

February 14….Valentine’s Day Meditation on Love

February 21………Meditation for Relaxation

March 7……… Tapping into Your Intuition

March 14……..…Healing Circle

March 21..…Spring Equinox

March 28…. Intro to Traditional Tarot
The 22 major arcana cards and their meanings Part 1

April 4…. Intro to Traditional Tarot
The 22 major arcana cards and their meanings Part 2

April 11………Meditation for Relaxation

Quick update before I get some sleep.

Hola b-movie lovers! Before I hit the hay, I just wanted to give you an update on my progress on my Rogue Cinema and B-Movie Film Vault updates:

Tonight I updated my B-Movie Collection with all the DVDs I've gotten this week (thus far) and I did a little work (and a ton of posting) in the forums. I'm really trying to get my forums going, but they are useless unless the general public (and fellow b-movie fans) start using them!

In RC news, I fully completed my interview with Chris and Jim McLennan and it came out great! They shared quite a few interesting tidbits of info about their recent Phoenix Fear Film Festival, and they were extremely friendly! Look for that interview on February 1st at Rogue Cinema!

Well I just have three reviews and an article to go. My goal is to have them done by Friday so that I can relax and spend a little quality time with Tara.

Sometime next week, I'll begin work on my next three reviews at the Vault (again) and hopefully get them done during the first week of February!

That's it folks! Blog ya later!

Back to the grindstone.

Well it was a pretty uneventful weekend (my weekend consists of Sunday and Monday because of my work schedule) . I spent some quality time with my girlfriend Tara: watched her bowl in her latest league game, went with her to TGI Fridays for dinner (and tried a new concoction called FRIED MAC AND CHEESE. Doesn't sound too appetizing but it is!), then went back to her house and watched BEERFEST (after I watched the Colts pull off a big win on Sunday's final NFL playoff game! COLTS ALL THE WAY!) which was freakin' hilarious. I spent nearly all of following day at my buddy Chris' house because my truck was getting a new windshield. We didn't really do much: we talked, surfed the web, played some "Zelda: Twilight Princess" (the bastard is now way ahead of me), went for a stroll with our coworker Mike for a half hour, then capped off the night with a trip to Coconuts (where I got the Karate Kid Boxed Set, brand new, for 18 bucks), Wal-Mart (got some dollar DVDS foo!), and finally a visit to the Loew's movie theater to see "Rocky Balboa" which is a damned good movie! The first half depresses you and the second half uplifts you. Check it out in theaters before its gone!

So now it's Wednesday, I'm running a bit late for work (hahahaha.... some things will never change), and I decided that I should give a quick update about things. I've completed another review for Rogue Cinema for "Spacemen & Go Go Girls Double Feature" (which will also be reviewed at the Vault in coming weeks.) and my interview is complete. Now I just have to copy and paste a few things, edit it, and send it in to Duane (the editor of Rogue Cinema for those of you that are scratching your head). That leaves 2 or 3 more reviews and my Genre Watch article, and it should ALL be done by Friday (I'm hoping).

After my RC stuff is taken care of, its back to work on my next three reviews at the Vault. So keep your eyes peeled over the next two weeks for new reviews. After this batch of reviews is completed, I plan on updating and uploading as many older reviews as I can over the month of February (plus I plan on giving South Korea's hit, "THE HOST" some loving before February eneds). That should really give my site a much needed jolt because the archives are SO EMPTY! (And I really apologize for this, I can imagine how many people are cursing my name right now, or avoiding my site because of the lack of reviews and updates.)

Well it's off to work for me! I'll be back late tonight to do some writing! Peace out blog readers!

New at the Shop

Just in at Beads N Botanicals...

New blank journals for writing down your innermost thoughts, dreams, recipes and garden plans. Some pretty, some practical, all special.

Books, Books, Books...

While we are not a "Book Store" with a capital "B", we offer a nice selection of beading, jewelry making, aromatherapy, medicinal herbalism, self development inspirational, spiritual and recovery books. With some odds and ends thrown in for good measure.

Just in...Divining the Future, a guide to deciphering dreams, symbols and signs to deepen self-knowledge and help you make the most of opportunities in your life.

The sweetest boxed set for Valentine's Day, or any day....Passages from The Perfumed Garden, Erotic Instructions in Love and Desire, which offers humorous and good advice on relationships. The boxed set includes a bottle of oil perfumed with an oriental fragrance.

And, of course, Beads N Botanicals offers custom made jewelry. If you want something special for a Valentine's Day gift, you still have time to place your order.

How organic are Wal-Mart 'organics'?

How organic are Wal-Mart 'organics'?

This article discusses a concern that the mega-marketer, Wal-Mart, may be misleading consumers about the so-called organic products they are now offering.

If I am reading this correctly, the biggest concern is NOT with the products themselves, but with signage about these products which could mislead consumers into thinking products that are NOT organic are.

I am no fan of Wal-Mart, although I shop there a lot simply because of economies of scale and the simple fact that, in Central Illinois where I live, there just are NOT a lot of choices, UNLESS I want to drive more than an hour away.

However, it seems to me that if you are a consumer interested in organic products, you should also be a LABEL READER. I always check the ingredient labels on "organic" foods to see if they are claiming organic and only the main ingredient is, or if ALL the ingredients are organic.

But I guess we have to "protect" less savvy consumers from being "fooled" into thinking that a non-organic product on a shelf NEXT to an organic product, is an organic product.

READ LABELS PEOPLE!!!


How Organic are Wal-Mart 'organics'

Actual Progress Made! News at 11.....

I just completed a review of "The Host" for February's issue of Rogue Cinema! It's a glowing review and I shower all sorts of compliments on Korea's most profitable film to date. You can read that review and more on February 1st at Rogue Cinema!

In other news, I actually had another person join the IT CAME FROM THE VAULT FORUMS! WOOHOO! I hope more people join and sincerely hope that my forums take off and become as popular as Andrew Borntreger's Badmovies.Org Forums!

Time for bed! G'night b-movie fans!

Trying to redouble my efforts.....

I've really been failing to accomplish much at all these past few days. I've really gotta develop more willpower and really follow through with my plans. I'm already tanking on my New Year Resolutions (losing weight, saving up some cash, completing the Vault and getting some actual work done on G-Fan Central) and now I find myself getting a bit rusty at the writing gig. I'm planning on redoubling my efforts at EVERYTHING so we'll see how that goes after a few weeks.

But before I venture off to get some writing done (I plan on doing at least an hour's worth every night, just to get into the habit.) I'd like to announce that the remake of "The Hitcher" has just hit theaters. Taking Rutger Hauer's place is Sean Bean (best known as Boromir from the "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring"). The flick looks pretty decent thus far and I hope to see it on Monday while I wait for my new windsheild to be installed. If I see it, I'll write up a mini-review and post it here.

Also, in "Primeval" news: The film has thus far garnered 6.9 million after making its debut at number 8 in last week's box office. I'm sure it has made a bit more since then, but this one is tanking fast folks, so see it before it vanishes... that's if you're even interested. It's currently getting a 3.7 rank from IMDB voters, which is yet another step up for the film which was at 3.4 earlier this week. (As a further ego booster, "Primeval" has outperformed Luc Besson's "Arthur and the Invisibles" which has apparently been the worst received film so far this year.) Personally, I think the entire "Serial Killer" promotional material for "Primeval" is hurting the film. I wonder how they'll promote this flick once it hits DVD?

Well that's it guys and gals, time for this lazy bitch to get his lazy ass in gear. ;-)
Blog ya later!

Newsletter for January/February/March

Beads N Botanicals Newsletter
January/February/March/April 2007


Offering a first-rate selection of new and used books on Beading, Jewelry Making, Natural Healing, Herbalism, Aromatherapy, Origami, Inspiration, Spirituality, Self Help, Recovery & other topics.


Time to Plan That Garden
By Catherine Novak

Planning a garden? In January? Why, of course!
There’s almost nothing more cozy than curling up on the couch with a stack of seed catalogs and a cup of tea in the middle of winter.
Whether it is a flower garden, fruit orchard, vegetable patch or herb planting (or a mix of all four, my favorite), early planning can make for successful planting.
Part of planning your garden means remembering what plants went where last year, including the locations of perennial herbs, flowers and fruits. If you are starting a garden from scratch, you still must take into account available gardening space, soil conditions, and the amount of sunlight that reaches the planned location of the garden. There’s no sense in putting tomatoes in the shade or impatiens in the hot blazing sun. Matching plants to planting conditions is important.
A lot of people make the mistake of thinking herbs have the same requirements as vegetable gardens. In many instances, herbs will actually thrive in soil and conditions that would stunt flowers or vegetables.
Come to our class on Planning an Herb Garden on Tuesday evening, March 27, to find out more. —C.N.

Catherine Novak has served as an adjunct faculty member for Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, Pa., been a featured speaker at Barnes & Noble; and spoken about medicinal herbs on the Health Nuts NJ radio show She is available for individual consultations and classes at her office at Beads N Botanicals, and can be reached at at 217-283-6380 or beadsnbotanicals@gmail.com


Winter/Spring Classes 2007

More Classes May Be Added to the Schedule.
Check at the Shop for Updates.

Jewelry Making & Decorative Beadwork
Herbal & Aromatherapy Classes
Gardening &Origami Classes

Pre-registration is required. Reservations will only be held with payment in full. We will reserve a class over the phone with a credit card. Coupons do not apply to class fees. Classes start promptly. To be fair to your fellow students and teachers, if you are more than 15 minutes late, you may not be admitted to class and will forfeit your deposit. Please allow enough time for traffic and parking (we have plenty of parking in the lot across the street from the store.) Please do not bring guests or children to class.

Beading & Jewelry Making Workshops

Tools for Wire Working classes are available for purchase at the shop. A limited amount of tools will be available for use at the classes. Bring round-nose pliers and flat nose pliers if you have them.

Basic Wire Working: How to Make Earrings:
This is a great starter class! You’ll learn the basic techniques involved in creating earrings with head pins, eye pins and ear wires. You’ll make two pairs of earrings, one with a dangle. A few other earring styles will be demonstrated as well. $20, 1 hour, materials included.
January 18, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday
February 15, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday
March 15, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday

Basic Stringing: Bracelet Design:
Want to learn how to put together a bracelet, but not sure how to begin? Or, how to end it? In this class you’ll learn how to work with specialty beading threads, what a crimp bead is, and how to use it, jump rings, and clasps to finish off your bracelet. $15, 1 hour, materials included.
January 25, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday
March 22, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday

Intermediate Wire Working: Rings & Things:
A fun way to create both elegant and funky jewelry to match any outfit! You’ll learn two techniques involved in creating decorative rings with wire, beads and semi-precious stones. You’ll make two rings, one with beads and stones, another with shaped wire. Learn tips on hammer-finishing wire. $22, 1 ½ hours, materials included. ( Basic Wire Working: Earrings is a prerequisite.)
March 1: 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday

Intro to Bead Netting Techniques:
If you’ve ever wanted to make beaded bottles or ornaments, but didn’t know how, this class is the perfect opportunity to learn how. Once learned, bead netting can be used to cover just about anything, from lighters to bottles, to shirt overlays, or anything you can imagine! In this class, you will learn to net a decorative rounded jar. Materials included: jar, beads and thread. $22, 1½ to 2 hours
February 24, 2 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Saturday

Basic Stringing: Necklace Design:
Want to learn how to put together a necklace, but not sure how to begin? Or, how to end it? In this class you’ll learn how to work with specialty beading threads, what a crimp bead is, and how to use it, jump rings, and clasps to finish off your necklace. Learn about the differences between choker and other-sized necklaces. $18, 1 ½ hours, materials included.
February 8, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday
April 12, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday

Advanced Wire Working: Making Your Own Clasps:
Learn how to shape wire by twisting and hammering to make beautiful, unique clasps for bracelets and necklaces. Hands-on. Wire will be provided. $20, 1 ½ hours, materials included. (Taking Basic Wire Working: How to Make Earring and/or Intermediate Wire Working is suggested as a prerequisite.) (Six person limit)
April 5, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday

Advanced Wire Working: Wire Wrapping Pendants:
Do you have a stone that would make a wonderful pendant? Techniques for caging tumbled and rough rocks in cages of wire will be taught. Hands-on. Wire and stones will be provided. Bring a special piece if, you want. $22, 1 ½ hours, materials included. (Taking Basic Wire Working: How to Make Earrings and/or Intermediate Wire Working is suggested as a prerequisite.)
January 11: 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday
March 29, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday

NEW!!! Prayer Is Universal
Prayer Beads From Around the World:
From Buddhist Bead Malas and Catholic Rosaries, to Hindu Japa Mala, Muslim prayer beads, called tasbih or dhikr beads, Greek worry beads, pocket worry beads and more secular prayer beads, join us in seeing how universal prayer can be and how you can design your very own prayer beads, to suit your needs. $25, 2 hours, materials included.
April 14, 3 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Saturday

Herbal & Aromatherapy Workshops

Lifting Out of Depression Herbally:
Alternative approaches to lifting out of depression. Differences in types of depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder, the Blues," Post-partum, Pre-menstrual, menopausal. Lifestyle considerations. Dietary considerations.$12, 1 ½ hours
February 24, 4:30 p.m.- 6 p.m. Saturday

Meditation For Relaxation:
Take a break for yourself. Learn how to quiet your mind, relax and release stress from your life. No prior experience necessary. $5, 1 hour, Wednesday
January 17,
February 21,
or April 11: 7 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Secrets of Herbal Teas & Tinctures:
Tasty and healthy brews. The differences between a cup of tea, medicinal teas and herbal tinctures. How to prepare a medicinal herb tea. $10, 1 hour
January 30 , 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday

Overcoming Stress Herbally:
Find out about alternative approaches to overcoming stress.
Distinguish types of stress: resulting from overwork, physical injury or emotional upset. Includes information not only about appropriate herbs but also essential oils and other natural aids.
$12, 1 ½ hours (Ten person limit)
March 6: 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday

Introduction to Aromatherapy:
Learn about aromatherapy--its historical and modern development. Discover the therapeutic uses of essential oils for healing, and why they work. Gain confidence in your own abilities to evaluate, purchase and blend essential oils.
$10, 1 hour
February 6, 7 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday

Keeping Healthy With Kitchen Herbs:
Learn about common kitchen herbs and spices that can contribute to your health and that of your family. Staying healthy can taste great!
$10, 1 hour
February 20 , 7 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday

Making Solid Perfumes:
Solid perfumes are spill proof and make great gifts, especially when they are made in nifty little containers. Learn how easy basic solid perfumes can be made, for personal use and for gift giving..
$20, 1 ½ hours, materials included.
March 10, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday

Planning an Herb Garden:
What kind of landscape do you have? Best times to plant certain herbs. Soil requirements. Seasonal aspects of herbs. Best times to harvest certain herbs. $10, 1 ½ hours
March 27: 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday

Origami --Paper Folding Workshops
Introduction to Origami
Learn how to make the traditional Japanese crane, peace dove and frog using colorful papers and the simple but fun paperfolding techniques developed by the Japanese. According to their traditions, anyone who folds a thousand cranes will have their wish granted. Great for kids of all ages, but especially for kids 8 years of age and older. $5.00, 1 hour, including all materials.
February 10: 12 noon.-1 p.m Saturday

I have not been idle!

Over the last 36 hours, I have made potential gains toward completing my Rogue Cinema material as well as three NEW reviews at the Vault. I've shipped out my interview questions to Jim and Chris McLennan concerning the Phoenix Fear Film Festival and I've sat down, watched, and taken notes on three films that will be reviewed very soon at the Vault. Here's the lowdown on those:

THE BEAST OF HOLLOW MOUNTAIN - The first of my "Dino-Western Double Feature" that was promised months ago! An American cowboy in Mexico discovers why a good number of his cattle have disappeared: They were eaten by a prehistoric dinosaur! Though the first two-thirds of the film are a struggle to get through, the payoff is worth it once the "Beast" arrives on the scene to terrorize the main characters. Though it's not the best stop-motion animated dinosaur you'll ever see, the "Beast" is nothing to smirk at! I plan on giving this oldie (but goodie) 3 out of 5 rads!

THE VALLY OF GWANGI - The second part of my "Dino-Western Double Feature" is much better known than "Beast" and featured the talents of Ray Harryhausen. Cowboys venture into a "Forbidden Valley" and discover all sorts of prehistoric beasts. They end of capturing a voracious Tyrannosaurus (or is it an Allosaurus?) and bringing it back with them to a Mexican circus. Naturally the mighty flesh-eater escapes and soon goes on a rampage. This bad boy easily gets 4 out of 5 rads!

And lastly....
SPACEMEN & GO GO GIRLS DOUBLE FEATURE - A fun indie sci-fi/comedy double feature from the fine folks at Tempe Entertainment. The first short involves aliens looking for fuel on Earth. Their search forces them to butt heads with the beautiful trio of detective/go go dancers. The second short film has the aliens and girls team up to stop an evil flesh-eating Space Bunny! (Great work by Brett Kelly and friends!) This one is teetering between 3 and 4 rads...

So that's what I'll be doing all this week, every night when I get home. I'll be pouring over my notes, writing up these three reviews, and then I'll dive into the rest of my Rogue Cinema stuff! By the end of the month, who knows, you may see yet another new review at the Vault for "The Host!" Keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best!

Blog ya later!

Continued Primeval coverage, new updates coming to the Vault, and other stuff!

Primeval is getting SLAMMED by the critics and has earned (so far) a 3.4 out of 10 over at the Internet Movie Database. (This is actually a step up because it was at 2.8 yesterday.) To read some reviews on the film visit MetaCritic.com and see what the high and mighty critics have to say. A handful of them found it to be a watchable time-waster of a movie, but not all were as kind to this modern nature run amok flick. Personally it's sounding like a fun little killer croc movie, so I may just check it out.

Currently I'm working on THREE reviews for the Vault. I have everything set up and I've taken notes on one of the films thus far (namely "The Beast of Hollow Mountain"). Now I just have to sit down tonight and watch "Valley of Gwangi" and "Spacemen & Go Go Girls Double Feature" and I'll be set to go! Expect all three reviews to be popping up within the next few days.

In RC news, I'm going to begin my stuff tonight. My main goal is to get interview questions sent out to Mr. and Mrs. McKlennen tonight (for those that haven't been following, these two are the minds behind the First Annual Phoenix Fear Film Festival). Once that is out of the way, it'll be smooth sailing for me.

Finally in personal news, I'm feeling much better, though I'm going on week 3 of not seeing or spending time with my girlfriend. Life is full of challenges so I guess I'll just take mine on head first and quit bellyaching. Perhaps with extra doses of hard work, a little more discipline, and a healthier lifestyle, I'll be able to pull myself out of the rut I'm in.

So that's it folks! I'll blog ya'll again later to keep you updated on things! Cya later!

Primeval (2007)

Not much buzz has been generated by the year's first (and apparently only) killer crocodile film. Though it's being touted as a serial killer flick (bad idea), the film's alleged serial murderer is actually a 25 foot man-eating croc in Africa. A newsteam is dispatched to track down and capture the critter but things quickly get out of control and soon the team ends up between a croc and a hard place. (Ha! I kill me!) The film came out yesterday and so far there have been hardly any reviews, and next to no talk about it on the web, which is curious to say the least. (IMDB doesn't even have much information regarding this film. No reader reviews, no votes, and nothing from the world's film critics! Very strange!) "Primeval" was set to come out later this year in late Spring but was moved to January 12th because a second (and probably better) killer crocodile film called "Rogue" was hitting screens around the same time. However, "Rogue" has just been pulled from 2007's theatrical release list for reasons unknown, so the whole move was a complete waste. It looks like "Primeval" is going to die off in theaters very quickly and end up on DVD within a month or two. Oh well, guess that serves 'em right for being wusses about going head to head with a similarly themed film. I plan on seeing this flick either tomorrow night or Monday (cash flow and weather permitting) so I'll let ya'll know if it's worth seeing!

And for those that care... I feel much better than I did last night. Sorry about the super-serious and completely depressing blog post last night. But hey, it happens to the best of us, right?
Blog ya later!

Dyeing with Cochineal Workshop Lancaster, PA

Dyeing with Cochineal
A workshop with Linda Kluge-Mansfield of Avalonblue
Sponsored by Herbs from the Labyrinth, LLC
Saturday, January 20, 2007 11 am until 3 pm

Join us as Linda shares techniques for traditional dyes, a skill going back
at least 6000 years. From the realms of magic and tradition, she'll fascinate
us with lore about the dyers, who were considered skilled alchemists and
keepers of secret knowledge. In the hands-on portion of the workshop, each
person will dye a silk scarf in a dye-pot we will set up together using
Cochineal, which gives a range of beautiful pink & mauve colors. Additional scarves, silk camisoles and other goodies will be available for purchase.

Cost for the workshop is $45, & includes one silk scarf. Register at
Radiance, or send your check & registration information to Herbs from the
Labyrinth, LLC, 9 W Grant St, Lancaster, PA 17603, or go to
_www.herbsfromthelabyrinth.com_ (http://www.herbsfromthelabyrinth.com) to
register online.

Space is limited to 8 people, so register early! You may choose to come at 1 pm just to use the dye pot if you prefer, cost is $20.

The workshop will be held at Radiance, 9 W Grant St, across from the Central
Market in downtown Lancaster. Phone is 314-3246.
Wear clothes that can get messy, and plan to have fun!
Green blessings

2007..... not off to a good start.... :-(

As midnight struck on New Years Eve, I was excited. 2007 would provide a clean slate and nothing but good things were on the horizon. Boy was I wrong. Two weeks in and I'm in super depression mode and I can't really put my finger on just one reason why. (Oh great, my Blog has just become like all the others where people vent their frustrations at the world at large. Oh well, it had to happen sooner or later right?)

One of the major reasons is that no one leaves me the hell alone! (Including my parents. They don't approve of my lifestyle, as if they need to, and my mother, God bless her, is on some sort of quest to see that I attain some form of physical healthiness. I help pay bills when I can, bring home groceries when I can, and I help them out with just about anything that they ask me to. And yet they always use the "You never do anything around here" line when they get mad at me... simply the most hate-inducing tactic ever devised by parents.)

I need "alone time" (i.e. time to myself to relax, read, write, watch movies, play video games, and have some peace and quiet) and have since I was very young. Though I have a lot of siblings, I was generally the only kid in the house (and still am :-P) . Not surprisingly, that made me sort of a loner and pretty anti-social in my younger days (then again, I was a frequent target for bullies in my grade school, middle school, and high school years, so that sort of fed the need to be alone). Nowadays, I'm not such a loner and I do have a pretty active social life outside of work. I have some really great friends, and a loving girlfriend that may eventually become my wife... when the urge hits me of course. ;-)

But getting back to the whole depression thing, the straw that broke the camel's back and put me in a sour mood these past two weeks is the fact that my best friend from my high school years is about to tie the knot and has basically told me that I'm in his wedding. He didn't ASK me to be in it. Nope, he just assumes that I'm going to take time off from work, drive to New Jersey, rent a tux, and officially see him off to his new and prosperous life. (Note: Even if he pays for the tux, I'm still losing out on a good chunk of change that I can't afford. And I'm very proud when it comes to cash and refuse to accept financial help unless I'm pretty desperate. In this case, I'm only desperate to be elsewhere on the first weekend of June. Plus I have to go to JERSEY. Sure it's slightly better than Connecticut but still.... it's f*cking Jersey!!!!) Financial reasons aside, I no longer feel that we're close friends. We don't keep in touch too often and when he calls me (mainly because I'm terrible at keeping in touch with anyone), half the time he's drunk and obviously pining for the good ole days. As I see it, he's got his own life, I have mine, and he doesn't really figure into my life at the present. I just don't want to be involved with this wedding.

And once he's married, I doubt I'll ever see or hear from him again. In my experience, every friend I've ever had that's gotten married, has pretty much completely disappeared and (inadvertently) severed ties with myself and others. I guess that when you get married, you become part of a special "clique" and only spend time with other couples and leave everyone else in the dust. This isn't true for EVERY married couple (there are some cool ones out there) but I have seen it multiple times and it saddens me. I guess that's also why I'm depressed... that a once very good friend is moving on; that his life is sort of evolving into what people would expect for a young man with an excellent career and beautiful wife, while I'm just sort of stagnating here in the middle of nowhere and hating myself for it.

And this leads into a whole other chapter of depressing thoughts. I'm going to be 24 this year and while most of my former classmates have finished up college, gotten good jobs, new cars, hot wives.... here I am, in my parents' basement, paying debts for a "new" (used) truck and college loans for my one year of higher education at Marywood University (probably the best time of my life, next to the summer before my freshman year of high school). Even worse, I've been working in various jobs since I was 16, and all I have to show for it is a big ass DVD collection. I have no "nest egg" to fall back on if I lose my job for whatever reason, I have no savings, no plans for my future.... ::sigh::

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. I'm in a shitty mood and just want most of the world to forget that I'm here. And I'm sure that those of you that know me well are sort of shocked to read this little prelude to a midlife crisis. (LOL!) I'm generally a really positive and upbeat guy (about 95% of the time), but lately .... I dunno.... I just kind of feel lost. All I've really got to keep me going are my writing and movie collecting hobbies... the two main things that bring the most joy to my life. Sad but true. (Luckily Tara, my long-term girlfriend doesn't read my Blog. If she read that last line, she'd kick my ass. Hahaha!)

Well I just needed to get all that off my chest, I feel a bit better, but I don't know what I'm going to do with this whole wedding thing. Some of you are probably thinking that I'm being an asshole about it, but hey, that's your opinion. I have a lot of things to figure out before I can sleep easy and be myself again.... if you have any suggestions let me know.....

Oh and rest in peace Yvonne de Carlo and James Brown... you two will be sorely missed.... (two more reasons why 2007 has been sucking dick thus far...)

The Ape (1940) makes its triumphant return to the Vault archives.

After a day and a half of changing up HTML, spellchecking, and some researching and extra writing, my old review for The Ape (1940 - Starring Boris Karloff) is now uploaded at the Vault for your reading pleasure. I plan on getting three to four NEW reviews up on the site this month and perhaps one or two old ones will be put back in their rightful spots as well. Thankfully, my workload at Rogue Cinema is relatively small this month (one article, 3 movie reviews, and an interview with Chris and Jim McLennen, the folks behind the 1st Annual Phoenix Fear Film Festival!) So cross your fingers, wish me luck, and toss up a few prayers to the Almighty if you're the religious sort. Any tiny bit of help would be appreciated. ;-)

Well time for bed! Blog ya later!

Minor updates at the Vault.

Just updated the main pages of the site with some news concerning future DVD releases, put up a new poll (found at the bottom left of the main pages), changed the movie of the month, and tweaked a few things here and there on the site. The biggest chore I had was clearing out spammers from my forums. Seems like they're more interested in posting than most visitors... sigh....

Anyway, I have a trio of reviews planned for the middle of January and after that I plan on busting my hump on getting older reviews fixed up and uploaded. But I've done enough for the night, I'm going to go chill out for a few hours and play some "Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess," or watch a movie. I haven't decided yet.
Blog ya later!

December's Traffic at the Vault.

Here's just some interesting info about the traffic I received in my first month with a domain name. Despite the fact that my review archive is largely unavailable STILL (sorry about that), I had a good deal of traffic. Here's some interesting stats for you to digest:

From December 1st - December 31st I had 877 Unique Visitors; they visited 1,173 times, viewed 5,533 pages, and racked up a total of 33,617 hits to my entire site altogether.

I had visitors from other 40 countries, (most from the U.S.) including: Canada, most (if not all) of Europe, China, Hong Kong, Australia, Mexico, Malta... the list goes on! Too cool!

The most popular review on my site at the moment is for The Monster Squad. My reviews for Arena and Alien Predators are tied for second place, followed by the Johnsons, which is in third. The least popular review as of my writing this blog post is for The Dungeonmaster, so give it some loving if you could please.

Well as you can see, things are going great at the Vault thus far. I plan on getting a handful of new reviews done this month, while bringing a few of the older ones back from the dead. My goal is to have my entire archive up and running before this year is over (sooner if possible) so please, drop me a line and crack the whip on me. I know it's annoying to click on a link to a review and find an error message, so get on my case and things will get done faster! ;-)

Well I'm gonna head offline for the night. Need some sleep because I have to help my dad fix a huge dent in his front fender in the AM (mostly because said dent is my handiwork. Sorry dad!). Tomorrow night, expect things to change up on the main pages of the Vault and perhaps even expect and older review to creep up from the depths and take it's rightful place in the review archives! Check back late tomorrow night to see!

That's all for now, so I'll blog ya later b-movie fans! G'night!

The January 2007 issue of Rogue Cinema is online!

After dragging ass most of last month, then doing the bulk of my writing two nights before the deadline, I'm happy to say that all my stuff is now safely uploaded onto Rogue Cinema. Here's what I wrote up for this latest issue:

An Interview with S. Michael Phillips

Rogue Cinema Genre Watch - January 2007

Review: Dark Remains

Review: Glacier Bay

Review: The Red Skulls

Be sure to read all that, PLUS the rest of the material that my Rogue Reviewer brethren have written. Trust me, it's ALL worth a look!
Here's to a fruitful New Year full of cult and indie film goodness!