Horror Review 2: The Burning (1981)

The Burning (1981) - 3.5/5

Of all the Friday the 13th ripoff movies that came out in the early 80s, this one seems to get a lot of recognition, being a similar camp story with boobs, blood and gore all around, and a deadly killer who you don't see until the end. The acting is pretty shitty, but some of the characters are enjoyable to watch while they're on screen. The movie starts off a bit shakily, with an extremely sloppy and amateurish scene where a prostitute is murdered, but after that it gets better. Also notable is the strange soundtrack, featuring a wide variety of different types of music that don't always work perfectly with the story, but they are pretty cool anyway.

The real star here is Tom Savini and his special effects and makeup work. Seriously, some of the gore here, on this uncut version, is just awesome, with the standout being the raft scene, in which the killer bloodily dismembers and disfigures about seven people in a span of a few seconds - and then the scene later on in which the others find the raft and are subsequently grossed out. Gross? Yes. Cool? Definitely yes.

Another interesting thing about The Burning is how Friday the 13th IV, a much more popular film, got so much influence from it. Just look at the ending, and you'll see what I mean. The Burning is a pretty bad movie, but I liked it, and so will you, if you're looking for B-grade slasher glory.

Next: The Wizard of Gore (1970)

Horror Review 1: Phantasm (1979)

Phantasm (1979) - 4/5

This is a much-revered horror classic, and it's easy to see why. It's supernatural, it's edgy and it's also very dark and grainy, both in picture quality and mood! What they don't tell you is how this movie basically comes off as a long, elaborate crack fantasy, filled with bright lights, magic and...well, yellow mustard blood. But it is pretty creepy at times, with decent performances from all the actors for their respective genre and some very good atmospheric moments, like pretty much every time you see the Tall Man.

And speaking of Angus Scrimm, he is damned creepy here. Seriously, you would be running and screaming too if you saw this guy running after you. That's right, running. He puts the typical laughable horror stereotype of walking serial killers catching their sprinting victims down with ease. Great performance.

Phantasm doesn't make much sense, and it is pretty thin at times in terms of plot, but it is a fun watch, and essential if you're a B-horror fan. Get this one this Halloween, and make sure to keep the lights on...

Next: The Burning (1981)

The metal circus is coming to town!

This is my review for A New Dimension of Might by Trail of Tears, which I originally made for Encyclopaedia Metallum, AKA the Metal Archives. The original page can be found here

I don’t know why there isn’t a review for this album yet. Seriously, it blows my mind that such a small amount of people would get a chance to enjoy it yet. Metal purists may not have the taste for such a piece of work, since it is a black/gothic metal album with electrogothic elements. However, said elements work together to an advantage along with the traditional Beauty and the Beast vocal style (though Ronny, the growler, does quite a bit of clean singing himself, and he is a stronger presence than the clean female vocalist Catherine throughout the album).

The opener is the track “Ecstatic.” It basically is the start of a wonderful showcase of talents between the choir that is used throughout the entire album, and the female and male vocalists. The emotionlessness of the choir and their use of the same notes, strangely, fits nicely with the more emotive side of this album like a piece of the puzzle that adds a bit more colour to an already colourful image. And by “colourful image,” I mean something that is different than what you’d hear with a lot of extreme gothic metal combo bands, though it is not rare: the electrogothic and odd circus-like elements added to the music, which is put together in perfect harmony with the metal elements. Seriously, if there was a metal circus, A New Dimension of Might would probably be the soundtrack. Look out, Cirque de Soleil! (Could you imagine metalheads headbanging at a circus? Anyway, back to the music).

We’ll skip over to the tracks “Denial and Pride,” “The Call of Lust,” and, “Splendid Coma Visions,” because they show the strongest relation between the music and the vocals used. Devious, full of a lustful energy that gothic music is known to have (which the second title fits with well), and memorable, there’s not much left to be desired here. I couldn’t help but accidentally shout “die!” along to the constant electronically modified growls of “die!” several times that were placed in one section, to my mother’s horror (let’s just say she started thinking I was crazy for a moment there). However, let it be known that much of all of the growls aren’t modified, and only modified in very sparse amounts and in tasteful places, where it would belong.

Next, the Faith No More cover at the end, “Caffeine,” or as I have it, “Pista 10” (don’t know why there was that name change). If you’re a Mike Patton fan and even the experimentation above wouldn’t satisfy you, you might at least want to check out this cover. It shows that even a serious band like Trail of Tears can have a bit of fun with their music and still make it feel like a perfect fit even when they didn’t write the song themselves. Ronny does a great job with clean vocals in this track, and Catherine supports him well with backup vocals. It felt like a Faith No More song, but at the same time, and I know this is really fucking cliché, they “made it their own,” and it ended the album so perfectly. Patton would be proud.

Lastly, the tracks in between “Ecstatic” and “Denial and Pride” were quite exceptionally good, but they didn’t stand out to me as much as the ones listed. It’s a worthy album to purchase. 87% is a really high rating, coming from me, and I wouldn’t mind if anyone else reviewed this album with a higher rating, so long as they do it with good reason.

Here, kitty kitty... (Dark Knight review plus inside scoop)

The Dark Knight was a very hyped movie, however, it deserved all the hype it got. Every part of it was wonderfully executed, especially the "Flora-shat-her-pants" part near the beginning where a fake Batman is smashed through a window. That absolutely scared the living shit out of me, and not because of my high level of lactose intolerance and usual gassiness.

However, let's get to the stars of the night: Christian Bale and Heath Ledger (RIP).

Christian Bale did an absolutely wonderful job, even though I felt he could've done a bit better. His new struggle in this movie was finding out where he was in justice. He asks himself, is he a hero, or, is he more than just a hero. This is the ongoing theme in the movie, and at the end, when the commissioner is narrating, you see that it ties in with the title quite nicely. He finds that his place is that of a silent protector... that, no matter what happens to anybody, he must remain hidden in the dark, for the sake of Gotham.

However, let's move on to my actual favourite character of the movie, Heath Ledger as the Joker. He wasn't dancing to a Prince album, this time at least (see: Jack Nicholson as the Joker). He was sinister, caniving, evil, fucked up yet at times, humorous in a dark way. He was so scary, that a kid in the theater started crying and had to leave. The story of his mother being beat down by his father all the while his father telling him to take it as a joke was sad, as well as when the joker's wife left him because he cut his face with razorblades to make it look as if she was smiling, since she'd always tell him how he never smiled. He's not just some crazy criminal in this movie; he's a crazy criminal because of his terrible past.

All in all, I enjoyed this movie very much. I can understand why some people are going to the theaters to see it for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th times. And now, a little inside scoop from superherohype.com:

I spotted a reference to a "Cat" in the movie when Lucious Fox provided Bruce with the new suit. Bruce specifically asked about whether or not it could withstand a dog bite and is told it could take a Cat. So with Rachel Dawes, his only love interest, out of the picture, I think it's a perfect set up for Cat Woman. Just a hunch though.

Free speech doesn't come free, especially at ChristianForums.Com

... in many places. However, a prime example on the web which you have complete access to is http://www.christianforums.com/. We'll explore their sillyness through my chronicles there.

Recently, I was supposedly very offensive in my introduction at ChristianForums.com, according to one kindly user who sent me this PM:

Hi! We wish to inform you that your report of a post in the forum New Member Intros - KnightOfArabia 16-2-2008 has been reviewed and acted upon by Staff.
Please reply to this PM if you have any questions.

I wonder what was so offensive about this:

Lol I checked my PM's and someone actually reported THIS thread.

Anyway, thanks for the welcoming.

Because this didn't seem very offensive to me. You decide:

The Knight has arrived!


Well, as you can see, my username is KnightOfArabia. I got the idea from the Kamelot song Nights of Arabia, which is a really awesome song.

My name is Flora Korkis, and I am a 17-year-old Armenian/Turkish/Arabic citizen of Canada. I was born in Batnayah, Mosul, Iraq on December 27th, 1990.

I'm an Atheist. I came here mainly to read more on you, but I guess I'll add more just so I can make this post a little more worthwhile.

I am the Founder and President of Aftermath, a nation-to-nation and local violence awareness group here in humble little Ontario (okay, maybe not little since it carries over a third of the Canadian population).

I love music. I think it has an amazing power to move us in so many directions. I love art. I feel the last dignified job in this world is being an artist.

I want people to think of me as an artist... as someone who was always creative and well-spirited about what I do. I want people to remember me for my ideas, and for all the hard work I put into Aftermath. I want people to remember that I ran this one woman show of a life of mine ON MY OWN. I did everything of value in my life up to this point on my own.

That's all.

Tell me about yourselves, too. I'd love it.

What the fuck was so offensive about that? Did I not kiss enough ass there?

I was also very offensive with my words, according to yet another kindly user.

Hello KnightOfArabia:

I'm , and I'm a "New member intro" mod, and I'm coming to you to let you know that I have edited a post of yours
Quote:
How the hell could you refuse a beard? :lol:

- removing the word hell because it violates the rule Words which are not censored but are considered violations. as explained here:

Usage of the following, in other than Biblical context:

damn
hell
bastard
ass

will result in staff edits and infractions.

Please take this time and read our CF rules.

The way this works is, we extend grace the first time, we then hand out warnings, after you have had a warning, we issue infractions, after 4 infracations in a 6 month period, you recieve a 30 day ban, after 8 infractions in a 6 month period, you recieve a permienent ban.

Welcome to the forum, and if you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.

Any communication about this report, will be added to the report found here.

Thank you...

The rest of that e-mail was deleted for user privacy.

So, I took the time to read the full-length CF rules on word infractions. Here it is, and please don't take them too seriously. They're so professional, it makes me jealous. In fact, I've taken the time to bold the parts which I deem most professional.

Words which are not censored, but are considered violations

Usage of the following, in other than Biblical context:

damn
hell
bastard
ass

will result in staff edits and infractions.

The improper usage of God, Jesus, or Christ is already covered in an existing rule, but such usage will result in a staff edit, and an infraction.

************************************************************************

If should be noted that staff still have some level of discretion, and infractions may not be automatic, especially in the case of new members, or possibly for the first violation.

The above is not considered a rule change, but more so a clarification of the existing rules, specifically in the case of words which are not censored, and how violations will be handled.

******************** Clarification ********************

Originally posted by Constance on December 3, 2007
Added to this
post by Tangeloper - Dec. 3, 2007
OK, cussing has been addressed under several different categories (blasphemy, triggering the filter, and non-filtered cussing). I'm readdressing it now to get rid of the inconsistencies between categories.

ALL instances of "cussing" will be moderated in a like manner. If reported, at minimum, a staff or member edit is required.

If someone posts "R-O-F-L-M-A-O" or "Hell!", moderators have the discretion to edit to "R-O-F-L" or "Heck!", or send an RFE, or warn, or infract, but at minimum it should be edited.

For the sake of discussion, let's assume that "poop" is a horridly vile word. If a member posts p00p or p**p or poo-hoop or calls a member a [washmymouth][washmymouth][washmymouth][washmymouth]ybutthead,
mods will send an RFE, or warn, or infract, but at minimum it should be edited.

Heck, darn, shoot, etc, are OK. In regard to abbreviations like SNAFU or LMAO, first, care should be taken because sometimes people use these abbreviations without knowing what they mean. Enough research should be done to make sure that we don't give someone an infraction for using the word asinine, an innocent acronym, etc.
If a mod contacts you about an ambiguous acronym or word, please educate them and provide them with information about the word or phrase.

In Summary:
1) All word violations are to be treated
similarly.
2) Mods have discretion as to how they are treated.
3) All instances that are reported will at minimum be member or staff edited.

Professionalism is clearly at the heart of CF! Kudos to you for keeping that dirty third-grade-level demonism out of our hearts and minds!

I was very rude to CatholicSue at one point, and I shall thank the kind folks at CF for challenging my behaviour. I can't just copy and paste the entire message for you to feel wholly fulfilled, so here is the thread that they made on me (seriously, they love me that much. Ewww creepers). http://christianforums.com/t6881817-new-member-intros-knightofarabia-16-2-2008.html After all, CatholicSue was right - Atheists are the only ones persecuting Christians, and the other way around never happens! Look, there's an Atheist trying to destroy the 10 Commandments! Kill the heathen!

Here's the general ChristianForums.Com Rules. Again, the most professional parts have been bolded:

The names or titles of God, including Jesus Christ and the Persons of the
Trinity (Father, Son, or Holy Spirit), in any language, are not to be used as
expletives or interjections or in an abusive, mocking, or insulting way.
Sharing of information about one's beliefs, for instance by quoting Bible
verses or witnessing, is encouraged. Honest debate and discussion regarding the
existence and nature of God is allowed and welcome. Mockery of Christians, Christians beliefs, and the Christian God are not.
You will not promote any faith, belief, or religion other than Nicene Christianity. Promotion of Satanism and occultism is strictly prohibited. Promotion is defined as encouragement of the progress, growth, or acceptance of something including advertising and publicity.
Flaming, baiting, trolling, or feeding trolls is not allowed. This also applies to groups. In other words, play nice, don't hurt others, nor call them names.
If you think you are being flamed, choose *not* to be offended, but instead take a break, and communicate, rather than escalating or accusing others.
Defamation is not allowed.
Harassment of another member is not allowed.
Threads which are off topic for the individual forums are not allowed, and substantial derails of threads are not looked upon in a favorable fashion.
Congregational Forums wishing to remain safe havens may choose to limit debate to members of their own denomination, insist that all posts conform to their creed etc.
Age and or gender restrictions are to be respected.
Reasonable confidentiality will be respected by Staff and Members, alike. Issues with staff decisions should be taken to the staff member, then the reconciliation team, period. Don't post them, don't PM them to others, don't take them to Lee.
Do not say racist or sexist things. If the swear filter is activated, edit your post, don't try to bypass it. Don't post graphics or text you would not be comfortable sharing with someone's grandmother.
Don't break the law, don't violate copyright, threaten others, or do or promote anything illegal.
Don't spam in threads or sigs, don't promote get rich quick schemes anywhere on the
site.
Use the brain God gave you. Think before you post. Think about how your post may affect someone else.

I honestly don't even know where to start with this wonderful information. Free speech clearly entitles restricted speech! Also, telling me how to feel saves me plenty of time. I've got no need to feel anymore! Also, I'm going to be some big giant douche on the net and take everything that's said to me from a stranger 100% seriously, and maybe cry, and hopefully, kill myself.

In other words, you can go fuck yourselves, you fascist bastards!

The Dark Knight

Alright, so Heath Ledger's death was tragic. I loved him! He was such a great actor.

He was in:

10 Things I Hate About You
The Patriot
Monster's Ball
Brokeback Mountain
Casanova
That one Bob Dylan movie....I have temporarily forgotten the title of it.

....and several more. Man, he had such promise.

Well, as some of you may know, he last filmed The Dark Knight. It is part of the Batman series and he was cast as the Joker. I watched the trailer and.....he was amazingly scary. The movie is coming out this summer with Christian Bale, which is a disappointment because I do not like him as Batman. I heard that to prepare for this role he lived for one month in a hotel room in isolation. It is known that he was busy and sleep deprived. He threw so much of himself into these challenging characters. I would like to think that his death was not suicide. He had a daughter and a potentially great career ahead of him. If you look at his recent interviews, he was acting completely strange, which can be attributed perhaps to sleep deprivation, stress, and the use of pills to help him with his sleep and stress. I think he miscalcuated his intake of those pills and probably did overdose. It was pretty shocking.

Anyways, enough with the gossip.

Here is a link to The Dark Knight Quicktime Apple Movie Trailers. If it does not work for you, I am sure it is on youtube.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/thedarkknight/

Exchange links with us!

At ATWKS, we plan on finding the best blogs to add to "Flora's Favourite Blogs" to the right. Remember, we'll only add your blog if I truly like it. If you have some other kind of website that isn't a blog, we're okay with that too. We'll add it to a links section on the right as well!

An advantage to listing a blog: there is a strong guarantee that, even if I don't add your blog to "Flora's Favourite Blogs," I'll still subscribe to your blog. The reason why is because that way, I can get more direct with my readers without having to look all over the place, thanks to the magics of Google Reader. No hassle, and all of the posts from all of my readers are just a few clicks within reach! C'est tres fab.

In addition, listing our Official Message Board would be really nice of you.

Thanks, post your links here, and...
Ciao!

TeenVogue Girl of the Week: Katie Nguyen - A balancing act

Katie Nguyen is a Washington teen with a solid style that she describes with 2 words: Classy and simple.

Personally, I like the balance and old time contrasts in her outfit. Her white bubble skirted babydoll dress reminds me of the Victorian age, which has inspired some of the best and most innovative fashions to date. It's also very doll-like, in the sense that you can see many dolls with undergarments that resemble it. The sequin detailing and black undershirt are too typical for my taste, so we'll skip them.

Here's the Victorian-esque concept, minus the lace:



Over the dress comes the mysterious short trench. It's long enough and has the right collar to give an edge, but short enough so that you can still see the Victorian-esque, bubbly dress bottom. It has nice black button details, and the material seems practical and comfy.

The black leggings and ballet flats give a really fitting but contrasting feel as well. For example, though the flats and leggings both have their origins in ballet, the leggings have moved on (pun intended). In the 80's, they came to be more part of the punk and rock culture. Flats are a symbol of elegance and class.

Punk: Rock:

In short, Katie has a nice style that I'd like to see more of. Some parts are too dull, but the concept is there, and she obviously sees that. She's classy and simple, just like she said.

Articles on Atheism and why to denounce religion by Ethical Atheist

Look at the menu to the right. On the links section, you'll see Ethical Atheist as one of them. I go on this site every day (I'm obsessed) and, using logic and reason, rather than religion, a lot of the people on that site are able to answer my questions. For anyone considering becoming an Atheist or Agnostic, this site is definitely for you. However, here's some material from EA to get you started off. I'm sure these basics will lead you elsewhere.

• What's an Atheist? A Theist? An Agnostic?
• What's an Ethical Atheist?
• Ethical Atheist's Ten Commandments
• Biblical Basis for a Young Earth
• Women and the Bible - this should enrage just about any and every woman to denouncing her Christianity.
• Questions for God

I Will Not Go Away
By the Ethical Atheist

I walk among you. I live next door.
My office is right down the hall from yours.
My child sits next to yours in school.

I live my life by the Golden Rule...
that most basic principle of ethical behavior
that people have followed through the ages.
I treat others as I would like to be treated.
So simple, yet rarely followed...

I practice tolerance.
I do not discriminate by race or gender.
I strive to make the world a better place.
I seek answers to the unknown and
attempt to educate all with answers to the known.

I view the universe in a different way than you
for I am a scientist, an educator,
a free thinker, an atheist.

While you attribute the great unknown mysteries to your God,
I use reason, logic and scientific methods in search
of answers to the as yet unexplained.

This should not be reason that we cannot
live together... practicing tolerance.
Yet, if your opinion differs, so be it!

For I will continue on my path...
I will find answers.
I will educate, and
I will not go away.

These are all the articles I'm listing. Be sure to read the articles that these pages link to. Also, please feel free to use this post as an open forum for commenting on Atheism, Agnosticism, the ethics of Atheism and Agnosticism, and about Ethical Atheist.

Google Reader

You've all probably known about Google Reader for a while, but I'm a new customer, so I'm going to have my say.

I started using GR just today, and I am absolutely in love with it. It's really cool because you can really have the internet "in an inbox." It makes your 'net time more efficient, fun, and personal. Here's a breakdown of some of the things I love about GR:

1. Feeds: You can make feeds of the articles you choose to share and put it on any website.


2. Your own shared articles page: Your family and friends can know what matters to you within a click of a button.


3. The "net in an inbox": You can subscribe to many sites, and you'll end up only looking at those sites when they're updated, thus cutting down the time you spend looking for new posts. The posts come to you (well, in a way). You can mark off what you've already read so you don't end up re-reading later; another time-cutter. Your favourite sites are also all organized on 1 page. Here's a screenshot of GR in action:


See the menu at the left of the screenshot here (click on the image to enlarge it)? Look at the headings that say Blogs or News. Those are folders into which you can organize your sites (subscriptions), and the numbers beside them are how many new updates the site has made. Each time you mark off an update as read, the update number for the site goes down by one. Also, you can make your own folders for a more personal experience.

4. Friends: Make buddies with people who share your common interests. It's always more fun that way.

That's all I'm going to say about GR right now since I'm a new customer, but I'm in love with it already. If you haven't yet, please join GR. You don't even need a Google e-mail; you just an email address, period.

Octavia Sperati

Octavia Sperati is definitely one of my top 5 favourite bands, and not solely for the fact that they are a successful female-dominant metal band, but for the fact that they have not fallen into the "happy-times" (Ex. After Forever) metal trap. They've remained true to themselves from the beginning to the present, they're honest, they stick to traditional doom-goth music without denying who they are, and they're unique. When you hear them on the radio (which you'd probably rarely hear), you don't confuse them for any other band. And it's not just 1 person that you focus on when you watch one of their videos (Ex. Within Temptation and After Forever).... Every member is equally important.

Here's the latest from OS: Moonlit

Moonlit

Add to My Profile More Videos

I suggest you guys go out and buy their album Grace Submerged. A great gift for yourself. Who says we can't be a little selfish at times? I plan on buying it within the next few days!

Support the ladies of metal, and as the saying in doom goes.... STAY SLOW!

http://www.octavia-sperati.com/
www.myspace.com/octaviasperati