Phil attends the Midnites For Maniacs "TWIRP: TRIBUTE TO SADIE HAWKINS" at the Castro Theatre-April 19, 2013

You know, since I'm always going to San Francisco to see all the cool movies events and festivals, I should just move up here! Yup, I'm back in the City by the Bay to attend the latest Midnites for Maniacs show! The theme for Friday's show was "TWIRP: TRIBUTE TO SADIE HAWKINS." Host Jesse Hawthorne Ficks once again screened three great films, all on 35mm film prints! And as always, Jesse screened some excellent trailers before each movie. Joining me on all this fun was my fellow bloggers Jason Wiener (Jason Watches Movies) and Ms. Marya E. Gates (Cinema Fanatic) as well as my good friend Laura, making her Castro Theatre debut! So sit back and relax everybody, and away we go!

Theatrical Movie Poster (1997)

The first movie screened was the hilarious 90's comedy ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION. Best friends Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) are living the good life in Venice, California. Romy works as a cashier and Romy's unemployed, but hey, they're having fun going out to cool clubs and dancing...with themselves. But when Romy runs into her old classmate Heather Mooney (Janeane Garofalo) and tells her about their 10 year high school reunion, the girls pack up their car head back to Arizona. But along the drive there, the girls realize that they haven't really done much with their lives since high school. So they come up with a very clever lie, one that nearly destroys their friendship before they even arrive at the reunion!

I saw the film when it first came out and I laughed so hard in the theater. The film predates the blonde trend in movies (the LEGALLY BLONDE films and BLONDE AND BLONDER come to mind). Both Mira and Lisa have great on-screen chemistry and they play off one another with such ease and believability. They look and sound like the bestest friends in the whole wide world. Janeane Garofalo is great at playing spiteful, bitter, angry bitches that I found myself wondering if she typecast herself with this role? Could very well be. The film was directed by David Mirkin, who also made the 2001 film HEARTBREAKERS. Mirkin is more well known for directing several episodes of The Simpsons as well as writing the screenplay for THE SIMPSONS MOVIE. The film was originally released by Touchstone Pictures on April 25, 1997. Before the film, Ficks screened two vintage trailers: 1976's BAD NEWS BEARS and 1980's TIMES SQUARE.

Click here to watch the film's original trailer.

Theatrical Movie Poster (198

Film number two of the night was the John Hughes teen classic PRETTY IN PINK. Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald) is a high school senior working-class girl who lives on the wrong side of the tracks, wears old lady clothes and jewerly, has a unemployed drunk dad, and has a major crush on her pretty rich preppie classmate Blane McDonough (Andrew McCarthy). This causes much pain for her best friend Phil "Duckie" Dale (Jon Cryer), who is secretly and hopelessly in love with her. With their love for each other hanging in the balance, can Andie and Blane make their relationship work or will the social circles and circumstances keep them apart?

Even though he was an adult, John Hughes had the uncanny ability to tap into the teenage world and display all their angst, hang ups, and . Molly's Andie is a strong character: she knows who she is, she takes care of her father, makes her clothes, works at a hip record store, and still finds time to do her homework. On wonders what she sees in Blane; rich, spoiled, lives a lavish lifestyle, and doesn't really have to work at anything.  Even his name is freaking boring! Here is a classic example to that old adage "Opposites attract." But the screen stealer is John Cryer's Duckie all the way. Here is someone we can all relate to: he's weird, doesn't fit in with the other high school cliques, gets picked on, doesn't get the girl, but still comes out in the end. Another great attribute to the film is the kick ass soundtrack, boasting songs by the Psychedelic Furs, New Order, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, and The Smiths just to name a few. This 27th anniversary 35mm film print came courtesy from Paramount Pictures, which distributed the film on February 28, 1986. Three vintage trailers were screened before the film: 1987's THE PICK-UP ARTIST, 1985's THE BREAKFAST CLUB, and 1984's SIXTEEN CANDLES.

Click here to watch the film's original trailer.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1976)

The third and final film of the night was a true horror classic! Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, CARRIE tells the story of a young girl named Carrie White (Sissy Spacek). She's shy, unpopular, and all the other girls pick on her, especially popular mean girl Chris Hargensen (Nancy Allen). Also, she discovers that she has telekinesis, which freaks her out for a bit. It also doesn't help that her mother Margaret White (Piper Laurie) is a scary, mentally unstable, brainwashed  Christian fundamentalist wacko! Feeling pity for poor Carrie, other popular girl Sue Snell (Amy Irving) has her boyfriend Tommy Ross (William Katt) take her to the prom. Carrie has the time of her life, even becoming the prom queen. But when Chris and her boyfriend Billy Nolan (John Travolta) pull a prank on poor Carrie, she takes bloody revenge on the entire senior class and the faculty.

The film was directed by Brian De Palma, and he has the perfect blend of horror, suspense, and exploitation with the T&A in the beginning of the film. De Palma has never hid the fact that he was a huge Alfred Hitchcock fan and has referenced the Master of Suspense in most of his films. In here, the name of the school is Bates High School, a reference to Norman Bates from PSYCHO. Sissy Spacek was fantastic in the film, but Piper Laurie' performance was just unnerving and just freaking creepy! This newly struck 35mm film print came courtesy of MGM. The film was origianlly released by United Artists on November 3, 1976. Once again, Ficks screened several trailers: 1980's PROM NIGHT, 1981's BLOW OUT, 1980's DRESSED TO KILL, and 1982's CREEPSHOW.

Click here to view the film's original trailer.

Well folks, there you have it! Another M4M show has come and gone! If you missed out, no worries my friend! There's another show next month at the Castro Theatre on Friday, May 17th. The title for that show is called "Dirty Little Munchkins" so mark that date on your calendar! To learn more about Midnites for Maniacs, visit their website at www.midnitesformaniacs.com. To view upcoming shows at the Castro Theatre, visit their website at www.castrotheatre.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show! 

Phil sees AMERICAN MARY at Monsterpalooza-April 13, 2013

For Screamfest's third and final film of the night, they screened one of the most talked about films of the past year! A film that has won critical and numerous awards from several respected film festivals from all around the world. The film won five awards at last year's Screamfest alone! In 2009, filmmakers and twin sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska (aka the Twisted Twins) unleashed upon the world their debut film DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK, a beautiful and gore-soaked homage to exploitation films. Now the Soska Sisters return with their latest cinematic endeavour entitled AMERICAN MARY.

Mary Mason (Katharine Isabelle) is a medical student, who dreams of becoming a surgeon once she's done with school. However things are not going well for Mary; she's in severe debt, has bill collectors calling her, and one of her professors keeps demeaning her in front of the class. All this pressure and stress thrusts Mary into applying for work at a strip club just to pay the bills. However club owner Billy Barker (Antonio Cupo) has another job in mind for her: save the life of a bloodied and tortured man and receive $5000 cash. This one event sets off a chain reaction that engulfs Mary into the underground world of surgeries that she dubs "Body Modifications," which proves to be very lucrative trade for the former starving med student.

Miss Isabelle's acting is simply captivating; one has to see her in the film to believe just how incredible she is! Riveting, stunning, and outstanding; she just radiates up on the big screen! Her ability to convey a wide array of emotions is marvelous. One moment we are sympathetic for her, the next we are shocked to see her go completely insane. Now if you think that Katharine Isabelle looks familiar, there's a very good reason for that. She is most famous for starring as Ginger in the beloved GINGER SNAPS Trilogy. In 2003, she broke into the American mainstream portraying Gibb in the major Hollywood horror blockbuster FREDDY VS. JASON. With this film, Katharine proves without a shadow of a doubt that she belongs in the world of the Hollywood elite! She's that goddamn talented and that goddamn good!

The film also shows off the maturity of the Soska Sisters, which is far and away a major step forward in their evolution as writers and directors. While their first film utilized the standard hand-held style of directing (which is very common in the low budget indie film world), AMERICAN MARY enjoys of having a bigger budget, which enabled the Twisted Twins to really stretch out as directors and prove what they are capable of doing. From a technical standpoint, the film is just marvelous: beautiful sets, smooth and precise directing, top notch production values, exquisite lighting, and awesome editing. Sylvia and Jen have time to really hone their skills on the film, proving that they are more than just a one trick pony and the end results are a just incredible! Writers, actresses, directors; these ladies prove that they are a force to be reckoned with!

As I previously mentioned, the film won five Screamfest awards last year, including best Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture. It's played at prestigious film festivals all across the globe such as Toronto After Dark, Shudderfest, and Fantastic Fest. It has also received critical acclaim from numerous media outlets, including Fangoria, FEARnet, and Ain't-It-Cool News. The film was distributed by Universal UK overseas and it will be hitting American shelves on both Blu-Ray and DVD on June 18th.

AMERICAN MARY ranks as one of the best modern horror films of the past 20 years! In an age where Hollywood is cranking out endless remakes that lack integrity and intelligence, Jen, Sylvia, and Katharine have contributed to the horror genre a cinematic feminist fright film that has it all! It's beautiful and yet tragic, funny and subversive, insightful and bloody, this is a film that we need now more than ever! Let this be a wake up call to all other aspiring female filmmakers; get out there and make your movies because I can't wait to see them! And I can't wait to see what the Soska Sisters do next! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

AMERICAN MARY will be available on Blu-Ray and DVD on June 18, 2013. To pre-order a copy, visit the Amazon website at www.amazon.com or visit your local retailer once it's released. Also follow the film on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees INCIDENT ON HIGHWAY 73 at Monsterpalooza-April 13, 2013

After the screening of THALE, I was more than ready to see the next film. The Screamfest folks then screened a short film entitled INCIDENT ON HIGHWAY 73. Right away I fell in love the film, mainly because it had the number 73 in the title and I was born in 1973. So I had a good feeling about the film already.

The film's official plotline is as follows: Five years ago, newly engaged couple, Jeff Bedict (Ian Alda) and Kelly Moga (Elizabeth Schmidt), took a trip through the desert from San Diego to New Mexico and mysteriously disappeared never to been seen or heard from again.

At a mere running time of just 27 minutes, director Brian Thompson packs on helluva punch with this short! First off, we have great characters to feel for. Both Elizabeth Schmidt and Ian Alda are perfect as couple Kelly and Jeff. They look, feel, and sound like a real couple, so right there I'm hooked. Next is the film's location, which was shot at scenic Desert Hot Springs, California! If you have never been there yet, don't! It looks like a place where cannibalistic hillbillies from THE HILLS HAVE EYES would live! It's just looks creepy! And speaking of creepy, the creepy meter goes haywire, especially towards the end of the film!
Needless to say, I felt sorry for Kelly and Jeff, but that's what I liked about the film. By the end, we are sympathetic for them. We don't want to see them come to any harm. But remember, this is a horror film after all!

And now for some fun facts about the film, the cast and its crew: It was shot in eight days under extreme weather conditions. Ian Alda is the nephew of legendary actor Alan Alda (TV's M*A*S*H and various films). This film was written by first time screenwriter Michael Kirkm, who is well known for producing big budget horror films like THE GRUDGE, THE GRUDGE 2 and BOOGEYMAN. Brian Thompson has directed videos for bands like As I Lay Dying and Killswitch Engage. Elizabeth Schmidt has acted in a number of short films, but she maybe recognized for her role as Carol on the day time soap opera As The World Turns.

INCIDENT ON HIGHWAY 73 is a creepy, nail biting, nerve racking little slice of cinema that really delivers the goods in such a short time. This is a perfect example of what a short horror film should be and what it can accomplish. 4 out of 5 stars!! Recommended!!

INCIDENT ON HIGHWAY 73 is still playing at film festivals across America. To learn more about the film, visit their official Facebook page and follow the film on Twitter as well!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees THALE at Monsterpalooza-April 13, 2013

So during my trip to Monsterpalooza, the fine folks at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival were on hand to screen a couple of really outstanding and eclectic films. I had heard of both films and I was very excited to see them. The first movie of the night was THALE, an interesting Norwegian horror/fantasy film written and directed by Aleksander L. Nordaas.

Meet Leo and Elvis (Jon Sigve Skard and Erlend Nervold repectively). They run a crime scene cleaning business. When they are sent out to clean a crime scene where only half a body was found (which in itself is a bad sign), they discover in the basement a Thale, a mythical character in Nordic folklore called the "huldra." Leo and Elvis soon discover that the Thale has been captive there for a number of years and now someone (or something) wants her back.

The movie is an interesting hybrid, channeling both the fantasy aspect (the mythical Thale) and the horror (the mysterious creatures that want the Thale). Nordaas does an excellent job of creating beauty, mood, and tension within the film. The cinematography was excellent, capturing the beauty of the Norwegian countryside. As the movie progresses, we the audience become sympathetic to both Leo and Elvis, who were just doing their job and as well as with the mute Thale, who can only remember bits and pieces of her life before becoming a captive.

The budget of the film was so small that not only Nordass directed the picture, he was also the writer, producer, cinematographer, and editor! In fact, the basement where the film takes place is actually his father's basement! Now that is low budget filmmaking at its finest!

Both Jon Sigve Skard and Erlend Nervold are great and have perfect on-screen chemistry. However, hats off to the stunning Silje Reinåmo, who as Thale didn't have any lines, but was able to convey a wide array of emotions using just her eyes, hands, and body movement. And yes, she is naked throughout the film, but her acting is so mesmerizing I forgot that she was naked. Now that should tell you just how talented she is!

In the end THALE is an astounding, intriguing, and original film that captures the imagination and wonder of what the possibilities of what movies can be! The film appeals to both horror and fantasy fans who want something different. Truly an unique and visually captivating film! 4 out of 5 stars!! Recommended!!

THALE is currently available on Video On Demand as well as on both Blue-Ray and DVD. To purchase a copy, visit your local retailer or visit the Amazon website at www.amazon.com. To learn more about the Screamfest Film Festival, visit their website at www.screamfestla.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends MONSTERPALOOZA 2013 at the Marriot Hotel and Convention Center in Burbank-April 12-14, 2013

Greetings and salutations from Burbank!! Over the weekend I headed on down to sunny Southern California to attend my very first MONSTERPALOOZA, which was held at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. For almost three days, yours truly (along with my friends Michelle and her boyfriend Bobby) had one of the most amazing times I have ever had! I got to meet cool horror celebrities, saw some amazing make up effects and designs, got a ton of autographs, bought a bunch of cool stuff, hung out with my LA friends (Dave Reda, Jessica Cameron, Joe Flynn, and Pat Jankiewicz)as well as with all my other friends that came down from NorCal (Miss Misery, Lord Blood-Rah, John Gillette, Adam Richardson, and Ken Constantine), and made some great memories.

There was so much to see and so much to do and so many people to meet I was in overload mode the entire time! I met so many of my idols (and got a TON of autographs), it's best that I list them:

1) Tom Savini: One of THE most influential make-up artists of all time! This legendary SFX wizard was responsible for the cool make-up and special effects on George Romero's 1978 film DAWN OF THE DEAD, Sean Cunningham's 1980 FRIDAY THE 13TH as well as MANIAC, THE BURNING, THE PROWLER, CREEPSHOW, and DAY OF THE DEAD. He also directed the 1990 remake NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and has acted in such films as TWO EVIL EYES, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN and GRINDHOUSE: PLANET TERROR.

2) Camille Keaton: You can't tell by looking at this breathtaking actress, but Keaton stared in one of the most controversial exploitation films of all time; 1978's I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. A beautiful woman, inside and out.

Kenneth J. Hall, Ginger Lynn, me, and Linnea Quigley.

3) Linnea Quigley: Here is an actress that I grew up with. Having watching Linnea's films on USA Up All Night, I have been a fan for over 20 years. Meeting her was such a thrill! She has appeared in so many classic B-movies such as CREEPOZOIDS, VIRGIN HIGH, NIGHTMARE SISTERS, VICE ACADEMY, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, HOLLYWOOD CHAINSAW HOOKERS, and SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA.

4) Ginger Lynn: Another actress I've been watching for the past 20 years, Ginger started off in the adult film world, appearing in such classics like TABOO IV, NEW WAVE HOOKERS and BLAME IT ON GINGER. She crossed over into the mainstream in the late 1980s and that's when I first saw her in films like VICE ACADEMY 1-3, YOUNG GUNS 2, and BOUND AND GAGGED: A LOVE STORY. She made her triumphant return to adult films in 1999 with TORN, and soon starred in WHITE LIGHTENING, NEW WAVE HOOKERS 6, and SUNSET STRIPPED. She now has a radio show and acts in both mainstream movies (THE DEVIL'S REJECTS) and adult films (SEASONED PLAYERS 4).

5) Kenneth J. Hall: Screenwriter extraordinaire! Kenneth has written such classic genre films like NIGHTMARE SISTERS, DR. ALIEN, and PUPPERTMASTER. He's also written and directed his own films like EVIL SPAWN, LINNEA QUIGLEY'S HORROR WORKOUT, and THE HALFWAY HOUSE.

6) Donna Wilkes: This lovely lady starred in one of my favorite films from the 1980's: ANGEL! The tag line for the film was, "High School Honor Student by Day, Hollywood Hooker by Night." How can you not love a movie with that tagline? Donna also appeared in JAWS 2, ALMOST SUMMER and GROTESQUE (with Linda Blair). She also appeared in numerous television shows like Father Murphy, T.J. Hooker, and Days of Our Lives.

Yours truly with genre icon Danielle Harris.

7) Danielle Harris: This very beautiful and talented actress has been in numerous horror films like HALLOWEEN PART 4 and PART 5 as well as in Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN and HALLOWEEN II. She's also been in HATCHET II, STAKE LAND, THE VICTIM, and the upcoming HATCHET III. She's also just released her directorial debut with the feature film AMONG FRIENDS!

OK this list is taking waaaayyyyyy too long. Let me just say that I meet a TON of celebrities in the horror genre: Linda Blair (SAVAGE STREETS, THE EXORCIST, and my favorite film ROLLER BOOGIE), Barbara Steele (BLACK SUNDAY), the Ladies of the NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD Judith O'Dea, Kyra Schon, and Judith Ridley, Eric Roberts (THE DARK KNIGHT, CHILLERAMA), Eugene Clark (LAND OF THE DEAD), McKee Anderson (from Tom Savini's 1990 remake NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD), Virginia Madison (CANDYMAN), just to name a few. Also there were rock legends Lita Ford from The Runaways and Ace Freely from KISS!!

But the really cool part of my trip was meeting several of the living legends there. I met Sara Karloff, the daughter of Boris Karloff (FRANKENSTEIN, THE MUMMY), Ron Chaney, the grandson of Lon Chaney Jr. (THE WOLFMAN) and great grandson of Lon Chaney Sr. (THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA), and Julie Adams (Kay Lawrence from THE CREATURE OF THE BLACK LAGOON)! However the biggest thrill for me was meeting the legendary Carla Laemmle!! For those of you who may not know her, Carla is the niece of Carl Laemmle, the founder of Universal Pictures! She has appeared in the 1925 silent film THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (with Lon Chaney Sr.) and she spoke the first lines in Universal's very first all talking supernatural thriller: DRACULA!! What made meeting her so special was that not only is she the link between  silent films and talking pictures, but the woman is 103 years old! And she's still making public appearances!! Plus she was one o the nicest person I have ever met! She even recited her opening line from DRACULA for me!! Meeting her was the highlight of my weekend!!

The "FX of the HATCHET Series" panel.

There were many cool panels to attend as well. Michelle, Bobby, and myself sat in on a couple. On Staurday we did was the "FX of the HATCHET Series" and it was amazing! Creator and filmmaker Adam Green was there along with Kane Hodder, makeup artist Robert Pendergraft, Danielle Harris, Derek Mears, and HATCHET III director BJ McDonnell. Then right after that was the HOLLISTON panel. Just in case you have been living under a rock or in a cave, HOLLISTON is the Adam Green's hilarious sitcom that you can see on Fear.net! Once again Adam Green, Robert Pendergraft and Kane Hodder along with Joe Lynch,
Laura Ortiz, and Oderus Urungus from the freaking awesome rock group Gwar!! After both panels, the entire gang signed HATCHET III and HOLLISTON Season Two posters for everybody! On Sunday we did THE MONSTER SQUAD Reunion! I first saw this film when it first came out way back in 1987, and it was so cool to hear all their stories and the hilarious anecdotes! A good time was had by all who attended these panels!!

Also worth noting was that the ultra cool Screamfest Horror Film Festival was there to screen two incredible and diverse films THALE and AMERICAN MARY along with the short film INCIDENT ON HIGHWAY 73. I'll be reviewing each of those films separately so keep your eyes peeled for those!

The purpose of Monsterpalooza is to celebrate the art of monster makeup and special effects. In the main convention building, fans were treated to some of the most astonishing and awe-inspiring creature and makeup effects that must be seen to believe! There were live demonstrations throughout the convention from well respected schools like Cinema Makeup School, Gnomon School of Visual Effects, The FX Lab and such. There were suppliers there that were selling makeup paints and other cool products like Premiere Products, Inc., Silpak Inc., and Reynolds Advanced Materials. There were many sweet dealers there selling T-Shirts, movies, and such. My good friends from Time Tunnel Toys were on hand there, as well as Rotten Cotton, who have awesome T-shirts and posters to sell! They also have made a truly remarkable exploitation film called BLACK DEVIL DOLL!! So make sure you check these guys out! Remember kids, if it ain''t Rotten Cotton, it ain't shit!

THIS WAS THE BEST WEEKEND I HAVE EVER HAD!! I saw so many of my friends from LA as well as all my friends from NorCal that came down! I meet so may icons in the horror genre, saw some great movies, party hard with all my friends, stayed up way too late, got up way too early, drank, ate, everyday was party!! This was such a blast! No you're all probably wondering when's the next convention? Glad you asked! There's gonna be a show in October called Son of Monsterpalooza! As soon as more details are released. I'll let you all know! In the meantime, to see who else was there, and to learn more about the event, check out their website at www.monsterpalooza.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-April 6, 2013

So for the fifth and final movie on Saturday, I participated in a midnight tradition that has been going on since 1975. Over at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose, I once again attended the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. And as always, my friends from Barely Legal Productions were there to bring the film to life! Plus, this was the special Easter Show! Joining me on my trip were my good friends Krista and her boyfriend Joe. The show is presented by The Camera 3 Cinemas and by Psycho Donuts and it features the cast of Barely Legal Productions!!

The Camera 3 lobby was packed full of people, mostly young teenagers and college students, and some of them have never been to a midnight ROCKY screening before! Mmmmm.......I smell virgins! To my surprise, Krista and Joe were also a virgins! OK I knew that tonight was going to be a lot fun!

After the theater was filled, the show began! As always, our host Nate McHavoc was our emcee (and Riff Raff) for this special Easter show. He had all the virgins come up and do the butt dance (there were A LOT of virgins), and then sent everyone under 18 years old back to their seats. Those who remained had to answer a his traditional contest which involves taking a basket, "And putting it between your legs." Now remember, this was the special Easter show, so the games involved Easter eggs and baskets. And of course, Krista was part of it all! I was so proud of her!

Since this was Easter show, some of the cast members wore Easter costumes during the show. But the best costume was Nate's GIGANTIC EASTER BUNNY costume that he wore during the grand finale of the film! It was hilarious! OK here's a little SPOILER. So for those who haven't seen the film yet (and shame on you if you haven't!), skip this part and go to the end. So in the final scene of the film were Riff Raff and Magenta confront Dr. Frank-N-Furter, there dressed in their alien garb. So naturally, the shadowcast does the same thing. But when Nate instead came out in the bunny costume, I almost died laughing! And what made it even funnier was that Nate just popped his head up and down to make it look like he was talking along with the movie! The whole audience was just laughing and cheering! Yes folks, fun was had by all!

After the screening, my friends and I kept the party going by heading over to IHOP down on N. First Street. Both Krista and Joe had a blast at the show, and both wanted to attend the next month's show. I gotta say, tonight was an awesome night!

So another great midnight screening has come and gone. The next Barely Legal will be Saturday, May 4th so come on out and join in on all the fun! To learn more about future shows, and how you can become a cast member, visit their website at barelylegal.rhps.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show! 

Phil sees EVIL DEAD (again) at the Camera 12 Downtown San Jose-April 6, 2013

OK, I know what you're thinking. "Phil, you already saw this film last night, and you didn't like it." Yes, that may be true, but I wanted to see it again. Reason being was that when I saw it the first time, all I thought about was the original. In all fairness, I believed that I didn't give the movie a fair shot. Also my good friend Laura wanted to see it as well. So for film number four, I headed back over to the Camera 12 to rewatch EVIL DEAD.

So Laura and I entered the theater and found some sweet seats. The lights dimmed and the movie begin. I cleared my mind of the original and I proceeded to watch the film with an open mind. As I was watching the movie, I could hear the audience scream in fear, laugh at the gross out blood shed, whimpered at the ghastly sights that the characters had to endure. Then the lights came on, and the people left the theater. I turned to Laura ans asked her what she thought of it. She replied, "It wasn't scary."

Holy crap!! So I wasn't the only one?!? There was someone else who thought the very same thing!! As I said, I wanted to watch the film again and judge it on its own merits. And unfortunately, I came to the same conclusion that I had from last night. It wasn't scary. There was no build ups, no real character development, no nothing. Sorry to say this folks, but EVIL DEAD is a horror movie that didn't scare me. Wow, am I that desensitized?!? No, I still get scared when I get my taxes done. OK I'm fine folks.

EVIL DEAD is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!