Forums » The Lounge

List of newest posts

    • February 11, 2013 10:12 PM CST
    • Since the 60s!  Of course! Way, way to many to list.  Besides, the 60s, while my favorite decade for music, might be my least favorite decade for film.

    • February 11, 2013 11:29 AM CST
    • Speaking of a Spiderman/Avengers cross-over, John, there has been fan interest in seeing a film where it does happen. Avi Arad hasn't shot the idea down completely, but has said that they have a pretty clear path on the Avengers franchise and how it will fit in with other Marvel projects, and Spiderman has plenty of his own stories and will more than likely be isoloted from any crossovers.
       
      John Battles said:

      There was a comic book in which Spiderman was approached to possibly join The Avengers. Spidey was new on the scene , but the more seasoned pros were understandably impressed. He told them to get bent.  But with all the changes and collaborations you see , now , who knows? I was disappointed when Willem Dafoe played Green Goblin , and they put SO MANY APPLIANCES on his face , when all he needed was a false nose and some green greasepaint ,and his ol' reptile face would have been more than ready.
       
      Joey Fuckup said:

      Exactly, Rod, Sony took a gamble while they still had the license on Spiderman. With Sam Raimi (then Toby McGuire) aborting a fourth film, someone at Sony/Columbia figured they could re-boot the character since Marvel was doing that anyway. Their dice-rolling has paid off, though, because Marvel has been very impressed with what they've seen on "The Amazing Spiderman", and like I mentioned earlier, a sequel and a Venom film is already being planned. And Avi Arad hasn't ruled out a possibility of having Spiderman crossing over somehow into the Avengers franchise...

      Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

      Then there's the "why bother when it hasn't been that long ago" argument such as the newest Spider-Man.  They are changing so much that I get the feeling that it's not the same at all, which is kind of what the creators are going for but why so soon?  Because Sony(?) will lose their license on the character in a few more years and not get to renew if they don't jump on it now.

    • February 11, 2013 11:26 AM CST
    • Ugh, yeah, I saw that Captain America flick, and if I remember correctly, it only received distribution to movie theaters overseas. I never did get to see that Fantastic Four mess you speak of, although I have seen some stills, and I think the only way you can see the film itself is by picking up a bootleg copy at comic-cons. This was all shortly after that ultra-sucky Punisher film starring Dolph Lundgren was hitting the cable networks...
       
      John Battles said:

      Before the maegabucks blockbuster movies , there was a for shit Captain America pic made in '93 , no distribution. Roger Corman is credited with the similarly crappy Fantastic Four feature made around the same time.....Both are actually pretty funny , if slow - moving. The Red Skull in the '93 pic is a lot scarier.....They should have cast , whatshisname , "Red" from "The 70's Show". He would've been perfect.

    • February 10, 2013 11:58 PM CST
    • There was a comic book in which Spiderman was approached to possibly join The Avengers. Spidey was new on the scene , but the more seasoned pros were understandably impressed. He told them to get bent.  But with all the changes and collaborations you see , now , who knows? I was disappointed when Willem Dafoe played Green Goblin , and they put SO MANY APPLIANCES on his face , when all he needed was a false nose and some green greasepaint ,and his ol' reptile face would have been more than ready.
       
      Joey Fuckup said:

      Exactly, Rod, Sony took a gamble while they still had the license on Spiderman. With Sam Raimi (then Toby McGuire) aborting a fourth film, someone at Sony/Columbia figured they could re-boot the character since Marvel was doing that anyway. Their dice-rolling has paid off, though, because Marvel has been very impressed with what they've seen on "The Amazing Spiderman", and like I mentioned earlier, a sequel and a Venom film is already being planned. And Avi Arad hasn't ruled out a possibility of having Spiderman crossing over somehow into the Avengers franchise...

      Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

      Then there's the "why bother when it hasn't been that long ago" argument such as the newest Spider-Man.  They are changing so much that I get the feeling that it's not the same at all, which is kind of what the creators are going for but why so soon?  Because Sony(?) will lose their license on the character in a few more years and not get to renew if they don't jump on it now.

    • February 10, 2013 11:51 PM CST
    • Before the maegabucks blockbuster movies , there was a for shit Captain America pic made in '93 , no distribution. Roger Corman is credited with the similarly crappy Fantastic Four feature made around the same time.....Both are actually pretty funny , if slow - moving. The Red Skull in the '93 pic is a lot scarier.....They should have cast , whatshisname , "Red" from "The 70's Show". He would've been perfect.

    • February 10, 2013 11:45 PM CST
    • Watching Lance Link , Secret Chimp , and suggest you do the same. 

    • February 10, 2013 6:20 PM CST
    • Oh, yeah. "Bucket of Blood" is great.The artist is so untalented , he has to kill people amdcover them in clay. I like anything with Dick Miller in it.

      "The Wild Angels": WE USEDTA KILL GUYS THAT WORE THAT KINDA GAHBAGE !!!!!"

      "Rock'n'Roll High School" - "They're ugly...ugly ...ugly people.".
       
      Mike Humsgreen said:

      Four Lions flips from the silly stuff you see in the trailer to the downright fucked up side of terrorists in the UK.

      Trainspotting has loads of dark humour but the dead baby on the ceiling scene is the creepiest.

      Go super mainstream and it's Sweeny Todd with Johnny Depp.

      May, had me in hysterics although it's such a sad story about a girl with no social skills.

      And Evil Dead 2, scary but lots of laughs.

      There was a short film, stop motion animation from Britain that I really want to track down. It was made about 10 years ago and I have no recollection of the name. But it's about a boy who lives at home with his father and their dog. And the dog is ill and the dad wants to put it down himself. So in the night he takes it to a river and throws it in and in the morning he tells the boy that the dog "went peacefully in the night". But it shows up on the doorstep. So the man uses other ways of killing the dog and every time he reassures the son who knows better that it went peacefully in the night but every time it shows up again.

      Until one night the dad bashes the dog to death with a club while the boy is awake in his bedroom. And once again the dad reassures the boy that it went peacefully in the night. And this time the boy replies "like mummy?". If anyone knows the name of that film I'd love them because it really bugs me!

    • February 10, 2013 6:15 PM CST
    • That's an interesting perspective , though , it made me a bit uncomfortable , too , first time I saw it.But , then again , I went to Art School. A lot of stuff you see in the film , and the short comic story Dan Clowes wrote and based the film on , did happen.  OK , NOT THAT SHAVED GUY , THANK CHRIST , BUT , WE DID HAVE SOME SCARY - ASS MODELS.

      I was in a painting class where barely anyone was painting , just like in the comic.
       One guy I knew would take a piece of wallpaper panelling , put a frame on it , and that was his solution to the painting assignment. I found him , a few years back , on My Space , and he was still doing the same thing , some 20 years later ! For all I know , he gets $5000 a pop. I had another friend who had a suit tailor - made for him out of some of that hideous 70's fake wood panelling wallpaper material. Yeah. People thought I was a kook.
       . IGrazianohmygod said:

      I hope Art School Confidential gets better with time. When I saw it, it made me incredibly anxious. That entire culture of trying to make brilliance look effortless, which I recall was a big part of the movie, made me uncomfortable.

      Sometimes it's fine to be made uncomfortable, if you trust the filmmaker to take you somewhere interesting and provocative. Unfortunately, I did not feel that like Art School Confidential said anything new or interesting. I dunno, maybe Zwigoff succeeded in making me have the same anxiety  as the main character.

      Has anyone seen Bucket of Blood? It's a Roger Corman movie from 1959 that I think manages to address those themes of pretentiousness in the art world much more successfully.

      John Battles said:

      Good picks , all. Art Schol Confidential , Clowes and Zwigoff's follow up to "Ghost World" was far less successful , but , also , a lot darker , so , the viewer has to decide which movies that they'd watch twice or more... i do not consider it as good a film as it's predecessor , but, I think it's going to improve , in people's minds , with age. 

    • February 10, 2013 4:52 PM CST
    • Zentropa! Takes place in Germany after WW2. First 1/2  is serious, 2nd half is black comedy. Also known as Europa. Good special effects, too.

    • February 10, 2013 4:49 PM CST

    • Super picks! I love all of the Evil Dead flicks.
      Mike Humsgreen said:

      Four Lions flips from the silly stuff you see in the trailer to the downright fucked up side of terrorists in the UK.

      Trainspotting has loads of dark humour but the dead baby on the ceiling scene is the creepiest.

      Go super mainstream and it's Sweeny Todd with Johnny Depp.

      May, had me in hysterics although it's such a sad story about a girl with no social skills.

      And Evil Dead 2, scary but lots of laughs.

      There was a short film, stop motion animation from Britain that I really want to track down. It was made about 10 years ago and I have no recollection of the name. But it's about a boy who lives at home with his father and their dog. And the dog is ill and the dad wants to put it down himself. So in the night he takes it to a river and throws it in and in the morning he tells the boy that the dog "went peacefully in the night". But it shows up on the doorstep. So the man uses other ways of killing the dog and every time he reassures the son who knows better that it went peacefully in the night but every time it shows up again.

      Until one night the dad bashes the dog to death with a club while the boy is awake in his bedroom. And once again the dad reassures the boy that it went peacefully in the night. And this time the boy replies "like mummy?". If anyone knows the name of that film I'd love them because it really bugs me!

    • February 10, 2013 4:38 PM CST
    • Four Lions flips from the silly stuff you see in the trailer to the downright fucked up side of terrorists in the UK.

      Trainspotting has loads of dark humour but the dead baby on the ceiling scene is the creepiest.

      Go super mainstream and it's Sweeny Todd with Johnny Depp.

      May, had me in hysterics although it's such a sad story about a girl with no social skills.

      And Evil Dead 2, scary but lots of laughs.

      There was a short film, stop motion animation from Britain that I really want to track down. It was made about 10 years ago and I have no recollection of the name. But it's about a boy who lives at home with his father and their dog. And the dog is ill and the dad wants to put it down himself. So in the night he takes it to a river and throws it in and in the morning he tells the boy that the dog "went peacefully in the night". But it shows up on the doorstep. So the man uses other ways of killing the dog and every time he reassures the son who knows better that it went peacefully in the night but every time it shows up again.

      Until one night the dad bashes the dog to death with a club while the boy is awake in his bedroom. And once again the dad reassures the boy that it went peacefully in the night. And this time the boy replies "like mummy?". If anyone knows the name of that film I'd love them because it really bugs me!

    • February 10, 2013 2:33 PM CST
    • Oh, yeah, the Belgian film Man Bites Dog. Whew, intense.

    • February 10, 2013 6:19 PM CST
    • Avocado-Arugula Soup

      You need:

      1/2 haas avocado
      About 8-10 decent sized broccoli clusters = to almost 1 full head (stems kept at least an inch long)
      1/3 onion of choice
      2 hand fulls arugula
      1 Tablespoon olive oil
      Salt (about 1 teaspoon) or to taste

      1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
      Red pepper flakes (about 1/4 teaspoon) or to taste
      Drizzle of honey or agave
      Juice from half a lemon
      1 inch minced ginger root
      1 cup water

      Harissa to taste

      3 cups chicken stock

      Directions

      Lightly steam the broccoli. Remove from heat when bright green. Saute onions in olive oil until just soft.
      Place cooked broc and onions and all the other ingredients in a blender, food processor or use hand emersion blender. Add 1/2 cup water and blend. Keep adding more water until reachers desired consistency. Add any additional salt to taste.

    • February 10, 2013 6:12 PM CST
    • French Garbure, Kitchen Sink Soup

      Ingredients:

      4 tablespoons butter
      3 leeks, white only, thinly sliced
      1 medium turnip, peeled and finely chopped
      3 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins

      1 onion, sliced
      1 stalk celery, thinly sliced, greens reserved
      4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
      3 cups chopped green cabbage
      1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained (white kidney beans)
      3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
      2 bay leaves
      2 teaspoons dried parsley
      1 teaspoon salt
      3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
      1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
      1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
      8 ounces ham, chopped
      2 quarts chicken stock

      Preparation:

      In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté the leeks, turnips, carrots, celery, and garlic in the butter until tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Allow the soup to gently simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the potatoes and cabbage are tender. Remove the bay leaves and serve the soup hot.

    • February 10, 2013 6:06 PM CST
    • Penny Soup - Cheap ta make!

      Ingredients

      4 potatoes
      4 large carrots
      1 medium sweet potato
      1 leek, white and pale green parts only
      1 tbsp butter
      1 tbsp olive oil
      2½ cups vegetable stock
      Salt and freshly ground black pepper

      Directions

      1. Slice the potatoes, carrots, sweet potato, and leek crosswise into rounds about 1/8 in (2–3cm) thick. The potatoes can be peeled or unpeeled. Rinse the leeks well.

      2. Melt the butter with the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the potatoes, carrots, and sweet potato, and stir for 1 minute.

      3. Pour in the stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender but not falling apart.

      4. Transfer about one-third of the vegetables to a blender or food processor with the cooking liquid. Purèe then return to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

    • February 10, 2013 5:47 PM CST
    • Cilantro & Potato Soup

      1 pound bacon, chopped

      2 stalks celery, diced

      1 onion, chopped

      3 cloves garlic, minced

      8 potatoes, peeled and cubed

      4 cups chicken stock, or enough to cover potatoes

      3 tablespoons butter

      1/4 cup all-purpose flour

      1 cup heavy cream

      1 teaspoon dried tarragon

      1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro

      salt and pepper to taste


      Directions

      Cook the bacon over medium heat until done. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside. Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease.

      In the bacon grease remaining in the pan, saute the celery and onion until onion begins to turn clear. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cubed potatoes, and toss to coat. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan, and add enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.

      In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream, tarragon and cilantro. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture. Puree about 1/2 the soup, and return to the pan. Adjust seasonings to taste.

    • February 10, 2013 5:42 PM CST
    • Mushroom Soup

      1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms

      1 1/2 cups broth

      1 chopped onion

      1 garlic clove

      2 celery ribs, chopped

      1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

      2 tablespoons butter

      7 oz. potatoes, peeled and chopped

      1/4 teaspoon salt

      1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

      1 tablespoon sherry or horseradish cream


      Directions

      In a large heavy saucepan, cook mushrooms in the broth with onion and thyme until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

      In blender or food processor, puree the mixture , leaving some chunks of vegetable in it. Set aside.

      In the saucepan, melt the butter. Add the salt, pepper, and vegetable puree. Stirring constantly, bring soup to a boil and cook until thickened. Adjust seasonings to taste, and add sherry or horseradish.

    • February 10, 2013 5:35 PM CST
    • Kichidi

      1 butternut squash

      1/2 tsp. garam masala

      salt & p

      2 Tbsp olive oil

      3 1/2 oz. rice

      3 1/2 red lentils

      2 inches ginger, peeled & grated

      2 Tbsp ghee

      2 tsp. cumin

      1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

      juice of 1 lime

      3 Tbsp chopped cilantro

      2 Tbsp unsalted butter

      Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees, halve squash and scoop out seeds. Put in roasting pan, cut side up, sprinkle w/ spices, drizzle w/ oil. Cover w/ foil and roast for 45 minutes. Let cool, scoop out flesh, mash w/ fork and set aside.

      Combine rice and lentils in pan, cover w/ 2 quarts water, Add ginger, bring to boil, turn to low and cook for 30 min. Stir in squash.

      Heat ghee, add cumin and red pepper, cook for 30 seconds. Pour into rice, stir, add s & p.

      Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Garnish w/ butter.

    • February 10, 2013 3:25 PM CST
    • I was'nt there....But , this girl was really a prude . I'm sure she was horrified when she found out what "Erotic" meant.
       
      dave said:

      "Lie some more, Pinocchio!" Did she come back with a smile on her fizz?

      John Battles said:

      My so - called friends in High School sometimes went to The Drive - In without me. Once , this extremely naive girl we knew could'nt pick a picture to watch....Then she saw "The Erotic Adventures of Pinocchio" was playing on one screen. She decided to see that. She liked Pinocchio.
       
      John Battles said:

      Oh , and that was my only direct exposure to Drive - In culture , in the early 70's. I know my Brothers and I saw some other great movies , there , too , but , I forget which . My Babysitter and her Boyfriend , sometimes , would take us to the Drive - In. He was a Saint to put up with our shit. I remember the classic trailer to "Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde", which is also on "Wavy Gravy".
       
      John Battles said:

      THAT'S FUNNY. WAVY GRAVY WAS THE PEAK OF TRASH COMPS.....I , inadvertently , drove this very annoying woman who was giving my friend at the record store all kinds of Hell , as we were listening to one of those records , and when the immortal  strains of "I ****an old gal in the graveyard..." came on , she bolted right out the door. My friend thanked me.
       
      dave said:

      That's some baby-sitter! I had to wait on the radio ad 'til I heard it on Four Hairy Policemen...

      John Battles said:

      VERY nice.  I had a really cool babysitter who took my Brothers and I to see "Frogs" at the Drive-in when it came out.

      dave said:

    • February 10, 2013 2:23 PM CST
    • "Lie some more, Pinocchio!" Did she come back with a smile on her fizz?

      John Battles said:

      My so - called friends in High School sometimes went to The Drive - In without me. Once , this extremely naive girl we knew could'nt pick a picture to watch....Then she saw "The Erotic Adventures of Pinocchio" was playing on one screen. She decided to see that. She liked Pinocchio.
       
      John Battles said:

      Oh , and that was my only direct exposure to Drive - In culture , in the early 70's. I know my Brothers and I saw some other great movies , there , too , but , I forget which . My Babysitter and her Boyfriend , sometimes , would take us to the Drive - In. He was a Saint to put up with our shit. I remember the classic trailer to "Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde", which is also on "Wavy Gravy".
       
      John Battles said:

      THAT'S FUNNY. WAVY GRAVY WAS THE PEAK OF TRASH COMPS.....I , inadvertently , drove this very annoying woman who was giving my friend at the record store all kinds of Hell , as we were listening to one of those records , and when the immortal  strains of "I ****an old gal in the graveyard..." came on , she bolted right out the door. My friend thanked me.
       
      dave said:

      That's some baby-sitter! I had to wait on the radio ad 'til I heard it on Four Hairy Policemen...

      John Battles said:

      VERY nice.  I had a really cool babysitter who took my Brothers and I to see "Frogs" at the Drive-in when it came out.

      dave said:

    • February 10, 2013 1:24 AM CST
    • My so - called friends in High School sometimes went to The Drive - In without me. Once , this extremely naive girl we knew could'nt pick a picture to watch....Then she saw "The Erotic Adventures of Pinocchio" was playing on one screen. She decided to see that. She liked Pinocchio.
       
      John Battles said:

      Oh , and that was my only direct exposure to Drive - In culture , in the early 70's. I know my Brothers and I saw some other great movies , there , too , but , I forget which . My Babysitter and her Boyfriend , sometimes , would take us to the Drive - In. He was a Saint to put up with our shit. I remember the classic trailer to "Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde", which is also on "Wavy Gravy".
       
      John Battles said:

      THAT'S FUNNY. WAVY GRAVY WAS THE PEAK OF TRASH COMPS.....I , inadvertently , drove this very annoying woman who was giving my friend at the record store all kinds of Hell , as we were listening to one of those records , and when the immortal  strains of "I ****an old gal in the graveyard..." came on , she bolted right out the door. My friend thanked me.
       
      dave said:

      That's some baby-sitter! I had to wait on the radio ad 'til I heard it on Four Hairy Policemen...

      John Battles said:

      VERY nice.  I had a really cool babysitter who took my Brothers and I to see "Frogs" at the Drive-in when it came out.

      dave said:

    • February 10, 2013 1:21 AM CST
    • .....Ummmm, I just watched PAUL MORRISSEY'S "TRASH" , WITH JOE DALLESANDRO. IT'S NOT BIG ON STORYLINE , MUCH OF THE DIALOGUE SEEMS IMPROVISED (NOT A BAD THING.). I'M CONVINCED RICHARD KERN WAS INFLUENCED BY THIS. IT MAKES "BLOOD FOR DRACULA" AND "FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN" SEEM LIKE MAGNUM OPUSES BY CECIL B. DEMILLE. IN OTHER WORDS , I DUG IT. THERE'S SOMETHING FOR ALMOST EVERYONE AND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR THE REST. HOW MANY MOVIES ABOUT NEW YORK ARE SHOT ALMOST ENTIRELY INDOORS?

      But , if you question my depravity , I watched "16 Candles" right before it. Come on ! That movie is hilarious ! More Old Style cans than a Polkaholics show.

    • February 9, 2013 8:02 PM CST
    • I meant to say , I ,or the rural folklore , drove her OUT THE DOOR.

      John Battles said:

      THAT'S FUNNY. WAVY GRAVY WAS THE PEAK OF TRASH COMPS.....I , inadvertently , drove this very annoying woman who was giving my friend at the record store all kinds of Hell , as we were listening to one of those records , and when the immortal  strains of "I ****an old gal in the graveyard..." came on , she bolted right out the door. My friend thanked me.
       
      dave said:

      That's some baby-sitter! I had to wait on the radio ad 'til I heard it on Four Hairy Policemen...

      John Battles said:

      VERY nice.  I had a really cool babysitter who took my Brothers and I to see "Frogs" at the Drive-in when it came out.

      dave said:

    • February 10, 2013 2:57 PM CST
    • DC Comics Turns the Occupy Movement Into a Superhero Title

      Eighteen months after the phrase first entered the collective public consciousness, the plight of the 99 percent is coming to mainstream superhero comics — via a new series from the second biggest publisher in the American comic industry, which just happens to be a subsidiary of a multi-national corporation that makes around $12 billion a year. Irony, anybody?