Ebay is still...great! (or stuff found on ebay)

Ebay changed a lot. Since 1999, start of my membership, it morphed from an online yard sale / your typical pawnshop into something resembling a big chain store. I used to find a bunch of obscure stuff of so-so quality, bootlegs CDs and completely illegal but great DVDs, fan made compilation of movie trailers etc. Nowadays, it is the biggest online auction site, safe, reliable but somehow…boring. Auctions by particulars are becoming scarce. More and more “stores” are popping everywhere on the website, offering the buy it now option instead of good old auctions. The thrill of bidding and waiting anxiously to see if some sucker out bided us or if the seller shilled his auction or after winning an item the “will-I-received-the-item –or-have-I-been-shafted-by-some-15-years-old-jackass” is now replaced by the “thrill” of clicking and paying right away. Still, sometimes there are hidden gems underneath the monstrous pile of items / trash found on Ebay.

Such items are the recently bought from an American seller, five back issues from the early 80’s of the French fanzine – magazine Mad Movies Ciné Fantastique. This mag, first published in the 70’s and still going strong, deals with “le cinéma fantastique” (horror, sci fi, exploitation, thriller etc.) and was back in my teen years– with Fangoria – the ultimate reference regarding this genre.


On a Friday night, a few weeks ago while browsing Ebay, I came across a seller auctioning a bunch of Mad Movies from the early to mid eighties in mint condition. After a nerve wrecking bidding war to the last minute with some dude, I finally won five of my original eight Mad Movies bids. F**k yeah! Finishing my beer, it’s now time to pay the seller – I’m ashamed to tell you the total price…let’s say … it’s salty. A couple of weeks go by and the dumb ass mailman – I have a bunch of stories about this a-hole – delivers my package. I open the box and take the Mad Movies in my hands. Weird and amazing, they are in pristine condition, almost fresh from the printer and never read or handled. Some nostalgic tears are running down my face…Ebay is again making me very happy pleasing my inner child.


ok...must go and bid on Monsters Attack! # 3...

Newspaper movie ads part 2

More movie ads from my 80's scrapbook. Enjoy!









more to come...

M.I.A DVDs

DVDs have been around since 1995. After countless releases, enough to fill entire warehouses from top to bottom, some films have still never seen the light of day, forgotten in the vault of distributors around the world. Some movies are stuck in legal limbo hell: lost copyrights, feuds between video distributing companies, soundtrack rights changing hands etc.; others are simply left aside, disregarded like trash. No wonder that some websites proudly sale DVD-R of some unreleased titles. If major shit-heads distributors spit on the prospect of releasing such lost gems then why not Jim Bob Doe through his website? Pressing DVD-R from VHS transfer in his basement, selling them to prospect buyers like myself ? At least we’re able to watch our favorite gory cult sci fi movie on DVD. Even though most of time the quality “laisse à desirer”.

Oh well, here’s a list of DVDs still missing in action, still officially unreleased.

CURTAINS (1983, Richard Ciupka, Vestron Video)
This Canadian semi-slasher holds a special place in my memories: the ice skating scene with the psycho-girl wearing an old hag mask carrying an axe…memorable. The rights of this creepy movie are probably buried in the video catalog acquired by a major distributor or laying under the arse of some sleaze ball Canadian producer. Probably will never get a decent release on DVD.

THE DEADLY INTRUDER (1985, John McCauley, Thorn Emi Video)
Obscure slasher, amateurish and not very memorable. However, I had the poster in my room back in the 80’s and nowadays, the movie is for me very nostalgic. Like Curtains , probably will never get release on DVD.

THE VIDEO DEAD (1987, Robert Scott, Embassy Home Entertainment)
By far, not a great zombie flick and probably not a great flick. I mean the acting is horrible but the story is engaging and the SFX are well made for such a low budget. In fact, this zombie-fest was very entertaining when I rented it a couple of years ago. Unfortunately like many Embassy Home titles presently own, I think, by MGM ( Humongous for example), Video Dead might never rise from the VHS cemetery.

THE KEEP (1983, Michael Mann, Paramout Pictures Home Video)
Ok, we’ve all seen it. You might not remember it or even not like it but I’m a fan of it and to this day don’t understand why The Keep isn’t yet released??? Either Paramount doesn’t give a flying f**k about it, completely disregards fans of this movie or Michael Mann doesn’t want to see it release for some obscure reasons – now that he is a big shot Hollywood director. This film would be very nice on a two discs special edition loaded with extras…Shame Paramount, shame.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot...

RITUALS (1977, Peter Carter) another great canadian flick (what is the @$#! problem with the releases of canadian horror films???) reminiscent of Deliverance is finally suppose to see the light of day very soon thanks to Code Red. But after pushing back - twice! - the release date maybe they'll give us this little classic in 2010... or 2011 or 2012?!

That’s it for now but lots more to come…gotta go eat something and watch The Keep on DVD-R….

Newspaper movie ads part 1

I don't believe it...I thought that I was the only one...so specand original...oh well...In 1984 and until 88, one of my hobbies was to keep in a cheap scrapbook clippings from french newspapers (La Presse, Le Journal De Montréal) of horror and sci fi movies playing in town. For me this was a kind of a wish list of films that I wanted to see. Some were for rated for adults only (18 ans et plus, equivalent of a R rating) meaning that I could only rent them.

Anyway, after a couple of searches on the "wonderful" world of web, I've discovered that some blogs we're completely dedicated to such hobbies... to my surprise. Held Over! ( see link at your right..no, the other right...!) is one of them. A very interesting and well made blog.

So for now, I'll give you an "aperçu" of my little collection.

Enjoy!

Do you remember Paperboy?

Back in 1983 and between some Atari games, me and my little posse would go downtown Montreal on St-Catherine street and tour some of our favorite arcades. Although a bit scared of the older bums hanging in those game rooms, we were only in grade 6 after all, the feeling of slipping your token into the brand new Star Wars arcade and being at the helm of a X-Wing Tie fighter was unbelievably gratifying and rewarding if you had the chops. For a few moments, I was a jedi… until my X-Wing had no more respond from R2 D2, usually followed by the dreaded “game over”…Or until a a-hole older teen put his quarters on top of the marquee leaving me with no choice of letting him play.

In a different arcade, we would try our hands at M.A.C.H. 3, a laserdisc game – the new thing. You would drop your two tokens – very expensive for us at the time - and the game started and ended as quick as your fist time in bed with a girl…but what a game! Later, it was back at one of the guy’s place for an evening session of Super Pitfall II on the Atari or Spy Hunter on the Colecovision.

Near my house and a few years later, a “depanneur” ProviSoir – was the meeting place of our gang each Saturday afternoon. Spending my weekly allowance was very common as all of it went into games like Commando – which top score was mine – or Paperboy with its unique handlebars for joystick. After sweating profusely and with a little cramp in my hand - and after being kicked out by the owner of the depanneur for disturbing the peace - , we would run to the nearest Italian café and play Juno First – which, once more, my chosen three letters were atop the list of high scorers. Good times, good times indeed.

Anyway…While surfing on the “wonderful” world of web, I’ve recently cam across M.A.M.E. or Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator and thought - not being very technologically savvy - that it was brand new and that I stumbled on a well-kept secret, etc. As my younger brother, a true gamer, reminded me after I’ve told him proudly of my finding: “Man, it’s been around since 97 or so”. Nevertheless, with MAME and a flight simulator joystick (not the best for arcade games mind you) I have rediscovered with great nostalgia lost gems from my arcade days. For more info on M.A.M.E. and arcade games:

mamedev.org

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAME

http://www.klov.com/


10 FAVORITES ARCADES of the 80’S (rediscovered with M.A.M.E.)

Star Wars (Atari, 1983)
Commando (Nihon Bussan/AV Japan, 1985)
Paperboy (Atari Games, 1984)
Juno First (Konami, 1983)
Robotron 2084 (Williams Electronics, 1982)
Indiana Jones And the Temple of Doom (Atari , 1985)
Tempest (Atari, 1980)
Empire Strikes Back (Atari Games, 1985)
Shao-Lin’s Road (Konami, 1985)
M.A.C.H. 3 (Mylstar, 1983)

2010, the year we make contact ?!?

Well, another decade is over. It‘s seems like yesterday I was still panicking about the millennium bug or sad watching on the news the collapse of the twin towers. Time flies when you’re old, I’m telling you. It’s scary. Anyway, here is my 2 cents – a list in chronological order - of the best films from the last decade, the 2000’s. Of course, like many filmgoers, my tastes are very eclectics!

Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000)

Frailty (Bill Paxton, 2001)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Chris Columbus, 2001)

Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)

The Bourne Identity (Doug Liman, 2002)

Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)

Cigarette Burns - from Masters Of Horror TV serie (John Carpenter, 2005)
John Carpenter, probably my favorite director – even though his last film Ghosts of Mars was…hmmm…disappointing, has directed the best episode from the weak Masters of Horror series and one of the best “thing” for television.

The Devil’s Rejects (Rob Zombie, 2005)
I’m not a great fan of Mr. Zombie but let me tell you that this film is probably the best from the last decade. Not since viewing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – the original not the god-awful reimagination - on video at the tender age of 12, was I so shocked and absorbed by a movie and its ending.



Wolf Creek (Greg McLean, 2005)

No Country For Old Men (Coen Bros., 2007)
Thank goodness for the Coen brothers (and Cormac McCarthy - can’t wait to see The Road), cinema in general has regain momentum with this dark, dirty, and cynical tale of greed. Completely deserved the Oscar for best picture.

While we’re at it, why don’t I give you another 2 cents: my favorite films from the 90’s, again in chronological order. Notice that the more we are going back in time, the bigger the list. Wait till you see my list of fav movies from the 80’s...


BEST MOVIES OF THE 1990’S

JFK (Oliver Stone, 1991)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (James Cameron, 1991)

Braindead aka Dead Alive - UNCUT (Peter Jackson, 1992)
A splatter-gore fest in the style of Evil Dead and Re Animator with dark humour. A must see uncut if possible. (The vhs copy from a French-canadian distributor was totally uncut, a “feast for the eyes” and one of the perks of being bilingual)

The Fugitive (Andrew Davis, 1993)

Ed Wood (Tim Burton, 1994)

In The Mouth of Madness (John Carpenter, 1995)
Man, this movie creeped me out. The old man riding a bicyle…exquisite! One of Carpenter’s best.



Se7en (David Fincher, 1995)

Fargo (Coen Bros. 1996)

The Frighteners (Peter Jackson, 1996)

Event Horizon (Paul W.S. Anderson, 1997)
I know, many fans dismiss this space-ghost-demoniac “epic” as rehash of other movies but when it first came out , I saw it in the theater a couple of times and was completely hooked from then on. A great horror scifi flick.

The Big Lebowski (Coen Bros. 1998)

Ringu (Hideo Nakata, 1998)
Still one of the creepiest film ever made. Goddamn ghost coming out of the tv screen…just writing about it gives me the chills!

The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick, Edouardo Sanchez, 1999)

Huh?!!!

So this is how a blog looks like...huh...cool. I've finally kicked my arse - quite a task if I may say so - and created a blog. For who? I dunno really. Maybe for myself. Maybe for my unborn child, the little creature is due in spring.

What will be the content you ask? Probably some nostalgic thoughts about horror films from the 80's, some rants about life in 2010, list (and lists) of best horror films to watch a warm friday night in august, wish list of obscure horror vhs, missing films on dvd - where are you Curtains ?- , interesting website, interesting people, quotes from movies etc.

Some goodies will be available for all, such as newspapers movie ads from my personal collection, pics of stuff found on the internet,etc. etc.

to be continued...!