Film review: Rob Zombie's Halloween II

OK, let's get something straight here, right off the bat: I am a horror film supernerd. I watch, collect, read and write about them. I know who directed what and, sometimes, who was supposed to direct what and why they didn't. I guess this can be applied to film in general, but horror flicks hold a special place in my blackened heart.

That being said, most of my fellow scary movie junkies hate remakes, loathe them, and for the most part I agree. They tend to be generic, boring, predictable and, perhaps worst of all, PG-13. Now quite a few people have argued that even the original versions of these movies fall into those categories, which also holds some weight. Granted, those 70s and 80s midnight movies we grew up with tended to have low production values, shoddy acting and little in the way of plot. But the defining factor that made them so endearing to us, compared to today's slick Hollywood remakes, was heart. There were no focus groups, no Myspace pages, these were people with nothing but some hard-earned cash and a dream. They also tended to be fans themselves; find any old interview with John Carpenter or Wes Craven, these guys were big kids who loved scary movies.


Which brings us to the new Halloween II, written and directed by Rob Zombie. He's somewhat of a polarizing figure thus far into his career as a genre filmmaker; House Of 1000 Corpses and its companion film The Devil's Rejects invited plenty of criticism and critiques. It wasn't until Zombie decided to try his hand at re-envisioning John Carpenter's Halloween, arguably the best horror film of the last forty years, that genre fans really kicked into high gear with equal amounts of praise and derision.

Halloween II has little in common, aesthetically, with its predecessor. This is clearly an original vision and other than the film's title and characters, really has nothing to do with the Halloween franchise at all. I think that's a good thing, and it definitely works towards the film's favor. Zombie has created a darker, much more sinister world than previously seen in the of Haddonfield, IL universe. Whereas previous incarnations of Michael Meyers showed him to be somewhat detached and almost child-like in his pursuit of victims, the monster on display here takes his business extremely personally. There is genuine vitriol and hatred behind every thrust of the knife.



This film is tough to review without giving too much away (for those of you that care). A quick look at the credits or trailers, however, reveals that both Deborah Meyers and young Michael make appearances. Indeed, their roles in this film are open to multiple interpretations by the time the end credits roll. I could tell some people in the theater didn't get it; then again, they were the same kind of people that don't shut up during a movie, so take that with a grain of salt.

My one biggest complaint was the underdevelopment of certain characters. Malcolm McDowell was an excellent Dr. Loomis in the first film, but here his scenes were almost unnecessary and seemed tacked on as an afterthought. He is supposed to be the character we most sympathize with after Laurie Strode, yet here he comes across as an obnoxious prick. His redemption is in no way satisfying. To a lesser extent, Laurie's new friends had only a few scenes and were completely one-dimensional. I know, this is a slasher movie and people are just lined up for a slaughter, but I think it would have helped the plot development out a bit if these girls had some more going on.

All in all, this is a good film. Rob Zombie has a knack for dialogue, and definitely knows his way around a horror movie. I also think he should get away from established horror movies and strike out on his own. He has the talent and the potential to do great things. Unfortunately there are recent reports of Zombie in talks to do a remake of The Blob. Whether or not that comes to fruition, I think his best is yet to come.

GRIND YOUR FACE OFF

People throw around the term "once in a lifetime" quite a bit. Sometimes it's accurate, but more often than not it applies to something completely meaningless or arbitrary, like a late-night TV infomercial or a car sale. This was not one of those times.

Hmm, put the three (arguably) best grindcore bands of all time on one stage on one night? Yes, please. Everybody wins. Granted, as cool as it looks outside, the Brooklyn Masonic Temple isn't the best venue for this kind of sound. But if you're at this show, you know all the words already, right? The only real complaint was the odd "get drink tickets at one counter, then walk over to the bar table and get drinks" system. And how the hell do you run out of beer at a show like this?? This isn't some straight-edge hardcore show at the American Legion. Still, I must give praise to the cute bartender girl, because she gave me mixed drinks for beer ticket value.

I was going to do a standard show review and talk about which songs got played and how great the show was (and it was). But that's been done to death, and there's something I noticed around the web regarding this show that I wanted to address. Namely, all the hate. Whether it was people whining about the ticket price ($25) or how the Repulsion guys are dicks or actually saying this show was put together by a bunch of hipsters(!!!), I was amazed at the amount of snarky bitchiness. Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth; I know we're in a recession and all, but claiming the admission price for this show was too high and the bands were selling out is the epitome of scenester bullshit. Hell, I've been more or less unemployed since November and I still managed to scrape together some cash to go. It was one of the coolest shows I've ever seen, no doubt. I'm amazed at how concerned people are at who else is listening to the music they listen to. For the record, and from what I could tell, this gig was relatively hipster-free, and even if it wasn't...who cares? Pig Destroyer blasting through Piss Angel and Loathsome destroys all that is false.

Decibel magazine and the people behind it continue to impress me, and I can only hope this is the beginning of more mind-grinding events. Keep it up, folks.

Just a thought...

Wrote this back in January, decided I'd put it here. Enjoy.


Like everything else in our culture, music moves in cycles. What was once the height of popularity becomes passé, until the inevitable retro-kitsch revival comes along and breathes ironic life back into it. Heavy metal is not immune to these phases, but it does suffer from a bit of identity crisis. Here in America, the general populace thinks of metal in terms of its Eighties heyday; most think metal self-destructed with Guns ‘n Roses and was delivered a death blow by Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Watch any VH-1 special, and you’ll hear the lamentation of washed-up glam-rock imbeciles, crying over the decline of the good old days. Fuck that.

Below this façade of musical ignorance lies two groups; music people that know metal never went away (and don’t care), and die-hard metal fans. Fans of actual metal. People that know Venom and Celtic Frost and Possessed led to Slayer and Death and Mayhem, which led to Pantera and Sepultura and…well, you get my drift. But now, whispers of the end-times drift through even these inner metal circles. Some point to the rash of classic bands reuniting over the last five years (At The Gates, Carcass, Heaven & Hell, etc.) and see it as a cash grab before this decade’s metal “boom” subsides. Others observe the dozens of sub-sub-genres splintering under the heavy metal banner as some kind of musical apocalypse, akin to fundamentalists bemoaning the EU as the first sign of the end of the world. Still others cry foul (or in some cases “untrue”) at the popularity of so-called “hipster metal” bands: The Sword, Saviours, even Mastodon.

What’s confusing to me is that these people should know better. Actually, they should go one step further and shut the fuck up already. Haven’t we seen and heard this before? If heavy metal has one defining characteristic, it’s survival. The bands and fans have been dragged through the mud, accused of everything from sexual deviancy to first-degree murder. Unfortunately, some of those accusations have proven true, especially in Norway. But think about that; there is a metal genre that is best known to the world as a group of musicians who kill each other and burn down churches…and it’s still going, stronger than ever.

Are there changes on the horizon? Of course. The cyclical nature of music and culture still applies here. The real question is, will it be for better or for worse? 2008 produced a large amount of incredible albums and exciting new bands in extreme music. 2009 has an even sunnier outlook. Well, as sunny as heavy metal can be. The Debbie Downers that have sprung up recently would do well to check out the recent releases from Nachtmystium, Withered, Javelina, Wetnurse and Soilent Green (among many others), and see that not only is metal doing just fine, but some of its best bands are coming from our own soil. So get out your extra-black vintage Dissection long-sleeve and throw some horns; this shit is here to stay.

Film review: Adventureland

I really enjoy going to the movies by myself. I know it's weird according to most people, but then again, I hate most people, so they can get bent.

I heard about Adventureland a few months back, and when I saw some of the talent involved I was definitely interested in seeing it. Greg Mottola, the director, was at the helm for Superbad, and the cast included some great SNL members (Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig) as well as Ryan Reynolds, who I just can't help but like. His acting chops might seem slightly pedestrian, but his comic timing is really impeccable. If you don't believe me, go see Just Friends again.

I won't retread the entire movie, but basically the main character James (played perfectly awkward by Jesse Eisenberg) gets his post-college trip to Europe shot down when his parents can't spare the money, and he's forced into a job at nearby amusement hellhole Adventureland. Like a lot of these movies, the supporting players are predictable: dorky guy, hot chick, know-it-all older guy, crazy owners, etc. What sets this film apart are the nuances and acting chops everyone brings to the table. This isn't the slapstick/pseudo-improv comedy that's become all the rage lately (though a punch to the crotch will always bring the LOL) but it doesn't need to be. Everyone knows who their characters are and really become them, which is what true acting talent is.

The film takes places in 1987, and it's obvious Mottola (who also wrote the screenplay based on his own experiences) has an affinity for that time; the soundtrack, wardrobe, it all comes together quite well. Not only is the film set in the 80s, it genuinely feels like an "80s movie"; John Cusack would be the lead for this twenty years ago, no question. Kristen Stewart as the love interest would have been far from my first choice; I don't see her becoming a good actress any time soon, if ever. But that played to the advantage of the story arc a little bit, because her character is pretty moody and emotionless for the majority of her screen time. Still, my seventeen-year-old self would have been in love with her because she listens to Husker Du and calls people on their bullshit. But I digress.

This has definitely moved towards the top of my Favorite Films of '09, which might be a bit premature, but as far as good comedies go, it's a winner. Go see it.

R.I.P. John Updike

One of America's greatest writers, and one who tends to be overlooked quite a bit. His Rabbit novels, collectively, were some of the best literary works about suburban American life and struggles for over three decades. He had more popular titles, like The Witches Of Eastwick and Couples, as well as his short fiction. The Rabbit Angstrom novels, however, were a reflection of the times that most Americans lived through and experienced.

You can find lots of information about him here.

His frank and upfront prose about living in America has inspired many writers since, and the influence of the Rabbit novels can be seen in films like American Beauty and Revolutionary Road.








Here's a long interview with Updike from The Charlie Rose show in 2000.

Home stretch.

We're almost done with this tour. I'm glad, and I'm kinda not. I won't miss shit going wrong with the RV, like the battery dying in the middle of nowhere this morning. It will always be fun to travel and party in a different city every night, though.

I'm 26 tomorrow. I haven't been a "birthday" person in a long time, so other than getting some free drinks out of everyone, it's not that big a deal.

The best part about tomorrow is being in Asheville. We were there in April, and despite all the hippies it's cool. The venue has amazing food, and the show's promoter runs a great record shop in town. We have a day off the next day too, so there's some nice recovery/downtime before the final run of shows.

Looking forward to sleeping for 2 days straight and watching all the shows I DVR'd.

Happy Halloween.

Muskogee: way too exciting.

We're staying in a Motel 6 down the street from here. Pray for the sanctity of our cornholes.

It's been a fun week.

It's a long story. Here are some highlights:

- L.A., like I've said before, is fun to visit...but I would never, ever live here. People are on an other planet.

- Got to hang out with the dudes in Spindrift for a few days, which was cool. Check those dudes out.

- Went to get tires in the Valley, where our RV promptly stopped going into gear. This was fixed later, but wait, it's gets better.

- APTBS played some great shows in LA.

- Somewhere in the middle of the Arizona desert our engine caught fire, we waited 3 hours for a $550 tow to Phoenix, and the show in Tucson got canceled.

Rock and roll.

We're now holed up in a hotel room in Glendale, the Grand Ol' Traveling Party Palace a few miles away, awaiting repair. I think it's the transmission. But at this point...I'm ready to blow the bitch up.

Stay tuned! I'm sure it gets better. More whiskey, anyone?

MONTANA: F'IN BIG.

DO NOT drive across this state the long way all at once. It is way too big and way too unnerving. And it all looks like that. All 800-whatever miles of it.

The only thing worse than driving across Montana during the day was crossing Idaho at night. Holy shit, it was like driving a turd through the septic system. Pitch black, up, down, curve this way, curve that way...it also didn't help matters that I was wired on ginseng pills and ludicrously-named energy drinks. (Amp? NoS? COCAINE!? Marketing genius.)

But we made it. Rather, I made it and the band managed to take some very good naps. Sleep is a precious commodity on these tours; I don't get much of it.

We're in Seattle right now, and the turnout for the show was pretty minimal. It seems the music scene in this depressing-ass, whiny-liberal town isn't what it used to be. Portland, Oregon is tomorrow, and while it's still as "blue" as it is here, at least it's a nicer town and a better scene. California is coming up very soon too, which will be lots of fun. I don't recommend staying there for more than a few days, though. It'll rub off on you, and pretty soon you'll think that shitty movie you were in gives your political opinions more importance than other people. You'll also decide Botox is a great idea and vote for Obama. Don't do it.

Bettter late than never

Yes, I'm late to the party. We've been on the road a week and I've had very little in the way of downtime. I'm driving, doing merchandise AND tour managing on this tour, so it's a lot of stress for little reward.

Right now we're in Chicago at The Empty Bottle, which is a welcome change from the bottomless pit of despair that is Detroit. We were there yesterday, and holy shit is it the most depressing place I've ever been. There are several brand-new casinos, but the streets downtown on a sunny Saturday afternoon were empty. I mean empty; no people, no cars, nada. Actually, scratch that. I did see a bunch of crackheads and hobos camped out on a burn-out patch of grass, having some kind of camp-out. That wasn't disheartening or anything.

We spent a few days in Canada, with shows in Montreal and Toronto. APTBS really pulls the crowd up in the Great White North, people come out in droves to see them live and buy up all their swag. In between those shows the guys recorded 2 new songs at a studio in rural Ontario with Graham from Holy Fuck, which came out pretty great. They've been playing them live at the last few shows and the crowd response has been positive. Then again. at least half of the band's set is songs that haven't been officially recorded yet, so it's a good fit.

Tomorrow is a long drive to Minneapolis to do a radio session and a show that night, then comes the long haul: Minneapolis to Vancouver in two and a half days. Yeah, think you've driven some long hours? Try 26 in 48. Good times.

Still don't have a functional camera, otherwise I'd be taking pictures of dumb shit like last time.

One more thing: check out the band that's opening most of the APTBS shows, the Sian Alice Group. They're...nice.

See you on the road, suckas.