Recent posts

#21

Good Movies / Re: Recent Viewings, Part 2

Last post by Rev. Powell - March 03, 2026, 01:21:35 PM

A USEFUL GHOST (2025): A man falls for a vacuum cleaner possessed by the ghost of his dead wife. The beginning of this absurdist-realism feature presents itself as a whimsical romantic comedy, but the script reveals darker purposes when the 2010 Thai military crackdown that killed almost 200 people becomes a plot point. 3.5/5.

#22

Good Movies / Re: London After Midnight

Last post by Trevor - March 03, 2026, 01:19:11 PM

^ I hate to tell you this, but LONDON AFTER MIDINGHT's last known surving print was destroyed in a nitrate fire at MGM in 1965. No known print has seen the light of day since. It has NEVER- even before 1965- been available in 8mm and most certainly not VHS or BETA. Perhaps you are thinking of another "London" or Chaney film. but I can state  on my mother's grave it was not LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT. It hasn't even been publicly shown since 1927! Being silent films went out of favor a few years after it's release.

Reminds me of all the early silent films in South Africa which were destroyed through complete ignorance and stupidity 🙄😳

#23

Off Topic Discussion / I spoke with my archivist coll...

Last post by Trevor - March 03, 2026, 01:16:11 PM

I paid a visit to the film archives this morning.

Everyone is still hurting over the loss our legendary colleague, friend, mentor and in my case, older sister Brenda.

I was informed that plans are in the works to make a memorial garden in her name with a rose garden and bench.

There is a huge lawn there with a lot of trees which would be perfect.

Her name, memory and positive influence will remain.

Love you, Sister Brenda: I miss you

❤️❤️🌹🌹😢😥😢😭😭😭😭

#24

Good Movies / Re: London After Midnight

Last post by RCMerchant - March 03, 2026, 01:10:17 PM

^ I hate to tell you this, but LONDON AFTER MIDINGHT's last known surving print was destroyed in a nitrate fire at MGM in 1965. No known print has seen the light of day since. It has NEVER- even before 1965- been available in 8mm and most certainly not VHS or BETA. Perhaps you are thinking of another "London" or Chaney film. but I can state  on my mother's grave it was not LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT. It hasn't even been publicly shown since 1927! Being silent films went out of favor a few years after it's release.

#25

Games / Re: Movie Title Chains

Last post by Rev. Powell - March 03, 2026, 11:25:05 AM

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

#26

Games / Re: Answer the question with a...

Last post by Rev. Powell - March 03, 2026, 11:22:34 AM

Where did I leave my phone?

#27

Entertainment / Re: What have you been listeni...

Last post by Rev. Powell - March 03, 2026, 10:03:06 AM

"Highway To Heavenly" by Heavenly

#28

Entertainment / Re: What Video Game are You Pl...

Last post by Rev. Powell - March 03, 2026, 10:00:05 AM

Started Half Life: Opposing Force. An expansion to the original that plays much the same, though you play a different character. Not bad so far.

Try to make it to HALF-LIFE 2 someday. It's terrific overall but its best level/chapter is horror-centric... titled "We Don't Go To Ravenholm". It's pretty famous and lives up to its reputation. There are also a ton of HALF-LIFE mods - some good, some less good, and a lot of them horror-themed.

That's the plan, to do the whole series in order. Playing about a half-hour per month, though, it will likely be a while.

#29

Entertainment / Re: What Video Game are You Pl...

Last post by M.10rda - March 03, 2026, 09:39:37 AM

Started Half Life: Opposing Force. An expansion to the original that plays much the same, though you play a different character. Not bad so far.

Try to make it to HALF-LIFE 2 someday. It's terrific overall but its best level/chapter is horror-centric... titled "We Don't Go To Ravenholm". It's pretty famous and lives up to its reputation. There are also a ton of HALF-LIFE mods - some good, some less good, and a lot of them horror-themed.

#30

Television / Re: What TV Shows Are you Watc...

Last post by M.10rda - March 03, 2026, 09:34:35 AM

I've now seen enough MAD MEN to agree that it is of quality while remaining confident that it belongs to a more traditional era of nominally "serialized" drama that I just find less compelling than, say, TWIN PEAKS or GAME OF THRONES. Each episode is relatively self-contained/could stand on its own or be any viewer's first episode and they would catch up quickly/not be particularly lost - which was a necessity in network/prime time TV (and it was ultimately considered to the detriment of TWIN PEAKS S1/S2 that viewers couldn't catch up in media res). On MAD MEN, conflicts begin during the episode and are generally/reasonably resolved by the end of the same episode. This makes it easy to pick up but also easy to put down. Of course, character arcs and larger conflicts develop over many episodes and seasons and do end up paying off big - I thought the season finale to Season 3 was extremely satisfying.

It occurred to me that MAD MEN was maybe a highly sophisticated embellishment on the traditional soap opera - most of the conflicts are relationship-driven. But "Dallas" and "Dynasty" and "Falcon Crest" always had shock-twists and cliffhangers and suspense/thriller subplots - to say nothing of the daytime dramas of the 80s that were rife w/ espionage, serial killers, and demonic possession - and "Mad Men" is just a lot of office drama and romantic dysfunction. It's more insightful and sensitive than all those other shows - but for me it's less compelling. 

David Lynch, however, was a huge fan. All the early 60s fashion and hairstyles and decor really tickled him, and reportedly he talked about Don and Betty Draper as if they were real people he knew. There's a running gag through the show about a John Deere riding lawn mower that feels close to the Lynch ethos.