The Hot Club

First off Mr. D. wants me to remind my readership that his band Almond Joy is playing a Groundhog Day gig Friday night at Cher's (86 Waterman Ave. North Prov. - 231-6209). Blastoff is 9 PM. As Phillipe and Jorge would say, "Be there or be square."

And the Wise Man supplied info on 'Bubba Ball', the tribute to Mr. D.'s dad Tony, one of whose nicknames was 'Bubba'. Wise said Dave Anderson who used to do deliveries for the family pharmacy has had an AAU basketball team called 'Bubba Ball' in honor of Mr. D's dad.

Brock was at the HC with his companion Karen. She told me that his name is actually Broc. No 'k'. He told Karen that with her hairstyle she looked like Valerie Bertinelli. Karen was very pleased but asserted she was no Bertinelli. Broc said, "Well you're old." She isn't. I told Broc, "Give with one hand, take away with the other."

So I asked Broc if his brother's name is spelled B-e-a-u? Broc said, "No, it's spelled, B-e-A-u." I fell for it. And I had had only one beer.

Broc is a big Yankees' fan. Karen is a Red Sox fan. When he was asleep, she put a small 'sucks' on his NY Yankees cap. Brendan pointed it out to Broc and so Broc blamed Brendan for it.

Overheard at the HC: "She's warm for your form."

Dave said that Suave Stephane met a gorgeous girl who called him at home but never left her number. Dave said Stephane would have walked across cut glass and hot embers to lick off her sweat. Alas Suave Stephane never had the chance.

We were talking about the difference between being committed and being involved. Dave said that it's like ham and eggs. "The chicken is involved. The pig is committed."

One woman walked in last Wednesday. There were 50 guys and the recent arrival. FootJoy said of her, "The odds are good." I replied, "But the goods are odd."

Obasie visited and said he wants to make a horror movie called The Bartender with Clint Howard in the lead role. I told him to catch the excellent Feast, a horror movie about patrons trapped in a bar.

Britt says Augie stole his music selections, Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse, from her.

MOVIE REVIEW - FEAST (2006)

This movie was picked up by the Bravo show Project Greenlight and Executive Producers Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Wes Craven and Chris Moore. They have good taste and there hasn't been as much gore seen since Bad Taste and DeadAlive by Peter Jackson. It rocks and rolls right from the start with jolts almost immediately (13 minutes in). The shocks keep coming for almost the entire running time of 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Patrons in a bar are beset upon by something bad, very bad. And there may be more than one. The attempts to survive in an ever more claustrophobic setting adds to the horror. The bar community consists of a sick mix of ill-fated, maladjusted individuals having their weaknesses exposed while looking for some strength under stress.

When things get tough, the tough get going. So who's tough and who isn't? We see the breakdown of not just the individuals but the little world that they share.

The movie is a first time effort by director John Gulager, who is Clu Gulager's son. And Clu is in the movie as the bartender. Clu is one of the great B movie stars (Return of the Living Dead, and Don Siegel's The Killers) and adds his characteristic panache.

The scriptwriting is by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunston and they deserve credit for their use of comedy (dialogue and situation) to add just the right leaven to the horror.

While the cast is unknown to me except for Jason Mewes (Clerks II) and Henry Rollins (the ex-lead singer for Black Flag who has his own IFC show), they all do a good job. Rollins is hysterical as an against the type nervous talker who will avoid confrontation if he can.

The movie gets off to a great start as the characters are introduced with each's Name, Occupation and Life Expectancy. Very funny stuff. In fact this is a hugely entertaining movie. There are more fantastic lines in this film than anything I've seen since The Godfather. The humor derives from the desperation of these poor souls who have been tossed together like some people salad awaiting munching by God knows what.

This movie is a Keeper! I'll buy a copy of this comic gorefest soon. It's an action packed attack that doesn’t stop until its 95 minutes are up. It reminds me of Alien and Shaun of the Dead.

From IMDb.com: the movie tagline is "They're hungry. You're dinner." It's rated R for pervasive strong creature violence and gore, language, some sexuality and drug content.

The Weinsteins (Bob and Harvey) who split from Miramax in 2005, took this film to their own production company. Good choice. Diane Goldner (Harley Mama) is John Gulager's wife.Only one character has a real name - Cody the kid. But Bozo calls Grandma 'Flo'.

MOVIE REVIEW - LUCKY # SLEVIN (2006)

There had been good word of mouth on this crime thriller so I was interested in seeing it. It's very good. It stars Josh Hartnett, Lucy Liu, Sir Ben Kingsley, Morgan Freeman and Bruce Willis. The director Paul McGuigan (Wicker Park) is Scottish. Stanley Tucci has a small but memorable role.

The movie keeps you guessing and holds your interest. Victoria actually liked it better than I did. I had problems with the Hartnett - Liu relationship. Victoria just had problems with Hartnett's acting. I thought maybe he had been a model.

Anyway it's a pretty good film with some great dialogue. The story is by Jason Smilovic. Bruce Willis' character Mr. Smith (or Mr. Goodkat) has some of the best lines. You won't soon forget his description of the 'Kansas City Shuffle'.

The movie, like Feast, is from the Weinstein Company (Harvey and Bob). It is 109 minutes long and is rated R for strong violence, sexuality and language.

According to IMDb.com (link) the tagline is Wrong Time. Wrong Place. Wrong Number.

FLIX PICKS

According to the Inside Track (Herald - 1/29), a Vegas bookmaker has made Martin Scorsese's The Departed best bet for Best Picture. The British bookmaker Ladbrokes has also installed The Departed as the favorite to win. And maybe Martin Scorsese finally wins an Oscar for Best Director.

Rolling Stone (2/8/07) did an obituary on 'Sneaky' Pete Kleinow, the great pedal steel guitarist, who was in the Flying Burrito Brothers with Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman. After the band's demise, 'Sneaky' Pete worked on John Lennon's Mind Games and Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life. Kleinow was also an excellent stop-motion effects expert and worked on Gumby, Gremlins, Terminator 2 and The Empire Strikes Back.

Clint Eastwood was on David Letterman and said that Sergio Leone sold him on doing Fistful of Dollars when Leone told him it was a remake of Kurosawa's Yojimbo (Leonard Maltin says both are based on Dash Hammett's Red Harvest). Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima was the first film to be shot on the island since the end of WW II. The mayor of Iwo Jima is a movie director.

The Hot Club

My sincere condolences to Chris DeSessa whose dad Tony passed away last Friday. Chris was wondering if anyone knows the details on what 'Bubba Ball' was. One of Mr. DeSessa's nicknames was 'Bubba'.

Marcus Augustus told me that his friend doesn't like all the gadgets and gizmos on cell phones. The guy just wants a cell so he can make calls. Marcus told him "Oh the new ones are doing away with that option."

Louisiana Steve said (seriously I think) that Steam Alley is going to become a strip club. Marcus asked "Male or female?"

Frequent Flyer, Mike Module and I were discussing how language changes. I mentioned how the word 'disinterest' originally meant impartial, not uninterested. And then I added that the military popularized the word 'impact' as a verb. FF told me, "Now that you're retired, you have way too much time on your hands."

Fleet Feet Pete says he knows someone with a cockatiel. When you ask the parrot what happens to a naughty bird it says, "Chicken soup."

Pete also mentioned a trip to China with Steverino. Their host gave them a dish to eat and Steverino dug in with gusto. He told the host "Good chicken!' The man giggled and said "This chicken no fly". When pressed for what it was, the man added, "Water chicken.' Turns out it was frog. Steverino got as green as a frog and went to the bathroom to barf.

The Warden told me that was not a towel under his cap. It was a scarf.

Joe Paquette, a fellow fraternity brother (Kappa Delta Phi), and history teacher at Ponagansett High School, told us he recently visited Switzerland. He encountered a group of statues with figures from history known for furthering the cause of religious freedom. The most prominent of the statues was Rhode Island's own Roger Williams.

Grant and I were talking about director Peter Jackson. I told him that I've seen almost everything Jackson has done including the weird Meet the Feebles that includes actors as life-size animals. There is a syphilitic rabbit. Grant called it "Muppets gone bad."

Augie was talking about 2 singers I hadn't heard: Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. The Silencer said she likes Eva Cassidy.

DAWSON'S DOUBLE CREATURE FEATURE DRIVE-IN
MOVIE REVIEW - ABOMINABLE (2006)

This is "the best serious fright film ever made about Bigfoot!" according to Fangoria. That isn't saying much because most of the films about Bigfoot, the Yeti and the Abominable Snowman have been abominable.

This is not a bad little movie. It won't scare any seasoned sick cinema-philes but that's only part of why we watch. There is a nude shower scene (Tiffany Shepis as Tracy). Thank God women have gotten over Psycho and have now returned to the showers.

Horror veterans Paul Gleason (Sheriff Halderman), Lance Henriksen (Ziegler Dane) and Jeffrey Combs (the 'clerk) have cameos and are here for comic relief. Since this film was made both Gleason and Henriksen have passed on to Horror Heaven.

The real star is Matt McCoy as Preston Rogers, a paraplegic after a rock climbing accident that killed his wife. He's in a wheelchair so the whole Rear Window thing is used. You will recognize McCoy who has been in a host of movies, including LA Confidential and was Lloyd Braun on Seinfeld.

The movie is written and directed by Ryan Schifrin. If that name sounds familiar, be aware that Lalo Schifrin did the music for the movie. So that would make Ryan Lalo's son. The music is fun itself with Schifrin resorting to screaming violins when violence is imminent.

Christien Tinsley plays Otis Wilhelm, an obnoxious oaf who is Preston's 'caregiver'. Otis is the doubting Thomas and also supplies some laughs. Tinsley is also important as the main man for Special Makeup Effects and Creature Design. I've seen better monsters (a big sheepdog with an ugly kisser and huge teeth), but I'm sure that Ryan Schifrin had a limited budget.

There are 5 women in the house next door as Bigfoot bait. They seem to have been chosen for their ability to scream rather than their acting acumen.
It's 94 minutes long and rated R for monster violence and gore, language and some nudity.

MOVIE REVIEW - SNAKES ON A PLANE (2006)

Decided to check this out and see whether it was decent. It is especially if you are squeamish about snakes (never my favorite critters). The idea of snakes on an airliner seems silly, but the screenplay by John Heffernan and Sebastian Gutierrez (from a story by Heffernan and David Dallesandro) actually suggests a semi-plausible reason: a mobster wants to wipe out a plane passenger who witnessed him murder a DA.

However the idea that the snakes have been sprayed with pheromones to make them aggressive is questionable. But where I lost credulity with the movie was when a snake expert admits that snakes are not indigenous to Hawaii. The plane is flying from Honolulu to LA. How did the mobster get the venomous snakes into Hawaii first so he could have them put on board?

Samuel L. Jackson does his usual turn as a smart-ass and smart-talking guy who this time is a FBI man. The witness, Nathan Phillips (Wolf Creek) as Sean Jones, is so poor that you want the snakes to bite him. Juliana Margulies is a flight attendant who is supposed to be a love interest for Samuel L. but the relationship is barely believable.

There is some nudity - a couple in the john joining the mile high club. The fornicators are the first victims naturally.

The music includes a song called Snakes On A Plane (Bring It) and another entitled Snakes On The Brain. There is a good song by Cee Lo Green (Gnarls Barkley) called Ophidophobia.

The director is David Ellis who was not the original director (not usually a good sign). Ellis is a child actor who got started in Disney films, but who has also acted as an adult. Ellis has done movie stunts and directed Final Destination 2.

The movie goes into a nosedive at the end when Kenan Thompson (Troy) has to pilot the plane. His flight experience consists of 2000 hours on a flight simulator - a video game.

There is some decent humor (not all of it unintentional) and a chihuahua that has a bad ending. A nasty passenger gets his comeuppance by a boa or anaconda (or Burmese python) that sucks on his head like a hard-boiled egg.

According to IMDb.com, 450 snakes were used in the film including a 22-ft Burmese python.
It's 105 minutes and is rated R for language, a scene of sexuality and drug use, and intense sequences of terror and violence.

The Hot Club

My sincere condolences to Chris DeSessa whose dad Tony passed away last Friday. Chris was wondering if anyone knows the details on what 'Bubba Ball' was. One of Mr. DeSessa's nicknames was 'Bubba'.

Marcus Augustus told me that his friend doesn't like all the gadgets and gizmos on cell phones. The guy just wants a cell so he can make calls. Marcus told him "Oh the new ones are doing away with that option."

Louisiana Steve said (seriously I think) that Steam Alley is going to become a strip club. Marcus asked "Male or female?"

Frequent Flyer, Mike Module and I were discussing how language changes. I mentioned how the word 'disinterest' originally meant impartial, not uninterested. And then I added that the military popularized the word 'impact' as a verb. FF told me, "Now that you're retired, you have way too much time on your hands."

Fleet Feet Pete says he knows someone with a cockatiel. When you ask the parrot what happens to a naughty bird it says, "Chicken soup."

Pete also mentioned a trip to China with Steverino. Their host gave them a dish to eat and Steverino dug in with gusto. He told the host "Good chicken!' The man giggled and said "This chicken no fly". When pressed for what it was, the man added, "Water chicken.' Turns out it was frog. Steverino got as green as a frog and went to the bathroom to barf.

The Warden told me that was not a towel under his cap. It was a scarf.

Joe Paquette, a fellow fraternity brother (Kappa Delta Phi), and history teacher at Ponagansett High School, told us he recently visited Switzerland. He encountered a group of statues with figures from history known for furthering the cause of religious freedom. The most prominent of the statues was Rhode Island's own Roger Williams.

Grant and I were talking about director Peter Jackson. I told him that I've seen almost everything Jackson has done including the weird Meet the Feebles that includes actors as life-size animals. There is a syphilitic rabbit. Grant called it "Muppets gone bad."

Augie was talking about 2 singers I hadn't heard: Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. The Silencer said she likes Eva Cassidy.

DAWSON'S DOUBLE CREATURE FEATURE DRIVE-IN
MOVIE REVIEW - ABOMINABLE (2006)

This is "the best serious fright film ever made about Bigfoot!" according to Fangoria. That isn't saying much because most of the films about Bigfoot, the Yeti and the Abominable Snowman have been abominable.

This is not a bad little movie. It won't scare any seasoned sick cinema-philes but that's only part of why we watch. There is a nude shower scene (Tiffany Shepis as Tracy). Thank God women have gotten over Psycho and have now returned to the showers.

Horror veterans Paul Gleason (Sheriff Halderman), Lance Henriksen (Ziegler Dane) and Jeffrey Combs (the 'clerk) have cameos and are here for comic relief. Since this film was made both Gleason and Henriksen have passed on to Horror Heaven.

The real star is Matt McCoy as Preston Rogers, a paraplegic after a rock climbing accident that killed his wife. He's in a wheelchair so the whole Rear Window thing is used. You will recognize McCoy who has been in a host of movies, including LA Confidential and was Lloyd Braun on Seinfeld.

The movie is written and directed by Ryan Schifrin. If that name sounds familiar, be aware that Lalo Schifrin did the music for the movie. So that would make Ryan Lalo's son. The music is fun itself with Schifrin resorting to screaming violins when violence is imminent.

Christien Tinsley plays Otis Wilhelm, an obnoxious oaf who is Preston's 'caregiver'. Otis is the doubting Thomas and also supplies some laughs. Tinsley is also important as the main man for Special Makeup Effects and Creature Design. I've seen better monsters (a big sheepdog with an ugly kisser and huge teeth), but I'm sure that Ryan Schifrin had a limited budget.

There are 5 women in the house next door as Bigfoot bait. They seem to have been chosen for their ability to scream rather than their acting acumen.

It's 94 minutes long and rated R for monster violence and gore, language and some nudity.

MOVIE REVIEW - SNAKES ON A PLANE (2006)

Decided to check this out and see whether it was decent. It is especially if you are squeamish about snakes (never my favorite critters). The idea of snakes on an airliner seems silly, but the screenplay by John Heffernan and Sebastian Gutierrez (from a story by Heffernan and David Dallesandro) actually suggests a semi-plausible reason: a mobster wants to wipe out a plane passenger who witnessed him murder a DA.

However the idea that the snakes have been sprayed with pheromones to make them aggressive is questionable. But where I lost credulity with the movie was when a snake expert admits that snakes are not indigenous to Hawaii. The plane is flying from Honolulu to LA. How did the mobster get the venomous snakes into Hawaii first so he could have them put on board?

Samuel L. Jackson does his usual turn as a smart-ass and smart-talking guy who this time is a FBI man. The witness, Nathan Phillips (Wolf Creek) as Sean Jones, is so poor that you want the snakes to bite him. Juliana Margulies is a flight attendant who is supposed to be a love interest for Samuel L. but the relationship is barely believable.

There is some nudity - a couple in the john joining the mile high club. The fornicators are the first victims naturally.

The music includes a song called Snakes On A Plane (Bring It) and another entitled Snakes On The Brain. There is a good song by Cee Lo Green (Gnarls Barkley) called Ophidophobia.

The director is David Ellis who was not the original director (not usually a good sign). Ellis is a child actor who got started in Disney films, but who has also acted as an adult. Ellis has done movie stunts and directed Final Destination 2.

The movie goes into a nosedive at the end when Kenan Thompson (Troy) has to pilot the plane. His flight experience consists of 2000 hours on a flight simulator - a video game.

There is some decent humor (not all of it unintentional) and a chihuahua that has a bad ending. A nasty passenger gets his comeuppance by a boa or anaconda (or Burmese python) that sucks on his head like a hard-boiled egg.

According to IMDb.com, 450 snakes were used in the film including a 22-ft Burmese python.

It's 105 minutes and is rated R for language, a scene of sexuality and drug use, and intense sequences of terror and violence.

The Hot Club

My sincere condolences to Chris DeSessa whose dad Tony passed away last Friday. Chris was wondering if anyone knows the details on what 'Bubba Ball' was. One of Mr. DeSessa's nicknames was 'Bubba'.

Marcus Augustus told me that his friend doesn't like all the gadgets and gizmos on cell phones. The guy just wants a cell so he can make calls. Marcus told him "Oh the new ones are doing away with that option."

Louisiana Steve said (seriously I think) that Steam Alley is going to become a strip club. Marcus asked "Male or female?"

Frequent Flyer, Mike Module and I were discussing how language changes. I mentioned how the word 'disinterest' originally meant impartial, not uninterested. And then I added that the military popularized the word 'impact' as a verb. FF told me, "Now that you're retired, you have way too much time on your hands."

Fleet Feet Pete says he knows someone with a cockatiel. When you ask the parrot what happens to a naughty bird it says, "Chicken soup."

Pete also mentioned a trip to China with Steverino. Their host gave them a dish to eat and Steverino dug in with gusto. He told the host "Good chicken!' The man giggled and said "This chicken no fly". When pressed for what it was, the man added, "Water chicken.' Turns out it was frog. Steverino got as green as a frog and went to the bathroom to barf.

The Warden told me that was not a towel under his cap. It was a scarf.

Joe Paquette, a fellow fraternity brother (Kappa Delta Phi), and history teacher at Ponagansett High School, told us he recently visited Switzerland. He encountered a group of statues with figures from history known for furthering the cause of religious freedom. The most prominent of the statues was Rhode Island's own Roger Williams.

Grant and I were talking about director Peter Jackson. I told him that I've seen almost everything Jackson has done including the weird Meet the Feebles that includes actors as life-size animals. There is a syphilitic rabbit. Grant called it "Muppets gone bad."

Augie was talking about 2 singers I hadn't heard: Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. The Silencer said she likes Eva Cassidy.

DAWSON'S DOUBLE CREATURE FEATURE DRIVE-IN

MOVIE REVIEW - ABOMINABLE (2006)

This is "the best serious fright film ever made about Bigfoot!" according to Fangoria. That isn't saying much because most of the films about Bigfoot, the Yeti and the Abominable Snowman have been abominable.

This is not a bad little movie. It won't scare any seasoned sick cinema-philes but that's only part of why we watch. There is a nude shower scene (Tiffany Shepis as Tracy). Thank God women have gotten over Psycho and have now returned to the showers.

Horror veterans Paul Gleason (Sheriff Halderman), Lance Henriksen (Ziegler Dane) and Jeffrey Combs (the 'clerk) have cameos and are here for comic relief. Since this film was made both Gleason and Henriksen have passed on to Horror Heaven.

The real star is Matt McCoy as Preston Rogers, a paraplegic after a rock climbing accident that killed his wife. He's in a wheelchair so the whole Rear Window thing is used. You will recognize McCoy who has been in a host of movies, including LA Confidential and was Lloyd Braun on Seinfeld.

The movie is written and directed by Ryan Schifrin. If that name sounds familiar, be aware that Lalo Schifrin did the music for the movie. So that would make Ryan Lalo's son. The music is fun itself with Schifrin resorting to screaming violins when violence is imminent.

Christien Tinsley plays Otis Wilhelm, an obnoxious oaf who is Preston's 'caregiver'. Otis is the doubting Thomas and also supplies some laughs. Tinsley is also important as the main man for Special Makeup Effects and Creature Design. I've seen better monsters (a big sheepdog with an ugly kisser and huge teeth), but I'm sure that Ryan Schifrin had a limited budget.

There are 5 women in the house next door as Bigfoot bait. They seem to have been chosen for their ability to scream rather than their acting acumen.

It's 94 minutes long and rated R for monster violence and gore, language and some nudity.

MOVIE REVIEW - SNAKES ON A PLANE (2006)

Decided to check this out and see whether it was decent. It is especially if you are squeamish about snakes (never my favorite critters). The idea of snakes on an airliner seems silly, but the screenplay by John Heffernan and Sebastian Gutierrez (from a story by Heffernan and David Dallesandro) actually suggests a semi-plausible reason: a mobster wants to wipe out a plane passenger who witnessed him murder a DA.

However the idea that the snakes have been sprayed with pheromones to make them aggressive is questionable. But where I lost credulity with the movie was when a snake expert admits that snakes are not indigenous to Hawaii. The plane is flying from Honolulu to LA. How did the mobster get the venomous snakes into Hawaii first so he could have them put on board?

Samuel L. Jackson does his usual turn as a smart-ass and smart-talking guy who this time is a FBI man. The witness, Nathan Phillips (Wolf Creek) as Sean Jones, is so poor that you want the snakes to bite him. Juliana Margulies is a flight attendant who is supposed to be a love interest for Samuel L. but the relationship is barely believable.

There is some nudity - a couple in the john joining the mile high club. The fornicators are the first victims naturally.

The music includes a song called Snakes On A Plane (Bring It) and another entitled Snakes On The Brain. There is a good song by Cee Lo Green (Gnarls Barkley) called Ophidophobia.

The director is David Ellis who was not the original director (not usually a good sign). Ellis is a child actor who got started in Disney films, but who has also acted as an adult. Ellis has done movie stunts and directed Final Destination 2.

The movie goes into a nosedive at the end when Kenan Thompson (Troy) has to pilot the plane. His flight experience consists of 2000 hours on a flight simulator - a video game.

There is some decent humor (not all of it unintentional) and a chihuahua that has a bad ending. A nasty passenger gets his comeuppance by a boa or anaconda (or Burmese python) that sucks on his head like a hard-boiled egg.

According to IMDb.com, 450 snakes were used in the film including a 22-ft Burmese python.
It's 105 minutes and is rated R for language, a scene of sexuality and drug use, and intense sequences of terror and violence.

The Hot Club

Bags is usually at the Hot Club Wednesdays but was nowhere in sight last week. I asked the Wise Man if Bags didn't come out because Bags' car would get cold.

Oh and Bags bagged me. He made sure to e-mail the Caustic Cutie to tell her of last week's inclusion in the 'Zine. She showed up at the Hot Club. Fortunately CC Rider has a sense of humor. And that coat was Beaver not Fitch.

The Warden was wearing a towel over his head and a ball cap over the towel. The Warden told me "It's the South Lebanon look".

Citizen Caroline, Patriot Pat and I were talking about New England's game versus San Diego The Chargers decided to sell tickets only to people from Southern California. I said that was 'bad karma, bad juju' and it would come back to bite them in the butt. It did.

Britt wanted to know why I hadn't mentioned David Beckham signing with the LA Galaxy. I told her it occurred after Sportzine was finished. Britt referred to 'Becks' as "my next husband". I told her that first she had to get rid of Posh Spice. Britt said no problem, "I'll fit her through the slats."

Wise said Hooks had an Internet date, but was staying home. Hooks cancelled the date when he had a chance with a younger woman. But the young'un backed out on Hooks. The Consigliere observed, "Pigs eat. Hogs get slaughtered."

Josh, HC's Grillmeister, wore a great T-shirt. It said 'Peasant'.

Someone asked where Mr. D. was. I said that he went to PPAC to see the play Wicked. I said that Wicked is a 'hot ticket'. Grant told me he used to go out with a Japanese woman. He called her a 'hot shit'. She didn't like it at all. She took it literally. He couldn't explain.

The Warden had a new watch and proudly showed it to the Geek who asked him to take it off so he could check it out up close. The Geek said, "Now that I have it in my hands, $30 for the sucker."

Grant said he didn't like Tuesdays. Wednesday is hump day. Thursday is payday. Friday starts the weekend. I told him that I hate Mondays and mentioned Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats song I Don't Like Mondays. It's a song based on the true story of a girl who shot up her school. When asked why she did it, she said, "I don't like Mondays."

Friend Ken Forestal called the HC after the Pats game but no one knew Jim Dawson. Kenny said, "A great writer like you will go to an unmarked grave much like Mozart."

IFC

The Independent Film Channel is a favorite of mine and my brother Brad's. No commercials during movies. Movies shown uncut. Films not just movies. Mr. D. once asked me the difference between a film and a movie. I said that a film is a movie that you don't understand.

It's tough to find TV listings for IFC (the Globe has it but not the ProJo). However IFC is a beacon in the night. Let's hope they don't sell out to some corporate pig. That happened to the once promising AMC and Bravo. Now AMC shows movies that run 1:30 in 3-hour slots so they can maximize their commercials. Bravo no longer shows movies uncut. I love sci-fi and horror but I won't watch the Sci-Fi Channel because they censor their showings.

You shouldn't have to pay for a premium channel like HBO just to see uncut movies. TCM (once Turner Classic Movies) still shows films without commercials but they tend to be of older vintage so there's little need for censoring/cutting.So let's hear it for IFC, a pearl amongst swine.

MOVIE QUOTES

"...the reason horror films are being made is that distributors and financiers see a way of making easy money. The genre is riding a wave of popularity that it hasn't enjoyed in a long time. It has broken out of the hardcore audience section and is reaching a much more broad-based audience." (Neil Marshall, director of The Descent as quoted by IMDb.com)

MOVIE REVIEW - THE DESCENT (2005)

When I rented this movie from Blockbuster, the clerk told me "You'll have a hard time breathing." She was right. The scares come as fast and furious as the descent into Hell. My daughter Cara wouldn't even see it due to its reputation.

Neil Marshall, director of Dog Soldiers (2002) one of my favorite 'unknown' horror movies, has crafted a creepy piece of cinema about 6 women descending into a cave in the Appalachian Mountains.

Marshall has called it a movie about '6 chicks with picks'. It's much more than that. There are more than monsters lurking in the shadows. The women must confront their own demons as well as the Eloi-like beings that roam the underworld.

The creatures are reminiscent of Gollum and some of the other beasties in Lord of the Rings. The 'crawlers' emit a noise that recalls the sound emitted by the invisible alien in Predator.

The women are a little hard to tell apart until you pick up on the color of helmets and hair. Plus the setting is dark with eerie lighting supplied by a number of sources including flares, helmet lights, and glow sticks. The greenish-yellow pallor contributes to an unearthly, ghastly and ghostly hell.

Who will survive? Who will be reduced to the rubble of bones? Who will see the light? Who will fall prey to the dark? Come along for the ride. Come along if you dare. Come along for some scares.

Reel Deals: According to IMDb, the tagline of this movie is "Scream your last breath." The creatures are called 'crawlers'. The working title in the UK for the movie was Crawlspace. Klaus Kinski was in a film of the same name (1986) which had it moments.

The cast members were taken to a rock-climbing center in Derbyshire, England to help prepare them for filming.

Neil Marshall (5/25/70) is English and part of the 'Splat Pack' (per Alan Jones in Total Film magazine). Other 'Splat Pack' directors, according to Jones, are Alexandre Aja (Haute Tension, the remake of The Hills Have Eyes), Darren Lynn Bousman of the Saw movies, Greg McLean (Wolf Creek), Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever), James Wan (Saw) Rob Zombie (House of a 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects) and Leigh Whannell (who wrote all the Saw movies).

And per Alex Ballard of the website Bloody-disgusting.com, Neil Marshall calls this movie 'Deliverance goes underground". The Descent is rated R for strong violence/gore and language. Sorry, no nudity.

Victoria swore this movie was based on the book The Descent (1999) by Jeff Long, which is also about a descent into a cave (in the Himalayas). However Marshall did not list the book as a source and in fact has the writing credit for the movie. Victoria maintains that there are a lot of similarities.

The Hot Club

The Hot Club finally put in two 42" plasma Sony TVs. A 3rd TV (an original) is set up so patrons on the far side of the outer bar can watch. There is no HDTV (you have to pay extra for that) and Mike Module thinks that is why the picture is not perfect rather than it being a bad cable connection. The Module said you can even get HDTV with rabbit ears.

Chuck D Computer was talking about Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace. I immediately thought of 'Super Dave' Osborne. Chuck knew that Super Dave's real last name is Einstein. But Alex knew that Albert Brooks' real last name is Einstein and Super Dave is Brooks' brother. At least that's what Alex says. Grant wouldn't give it his papal imprimatur. Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia confirms what Alex said. Albert (Brooks) Einstein's brother Bob is Super Dave and was Officer Judy on the Smothers' Bros. Alexander the Great rules!

We were talking about the time that CC Rider wore a beaver coat (a Bush in a Beav). Now you can't say 'beav'. PhotoGenic said she calls it her 'hoo hah' or coochie. Chuck D remembered a pal asking of a woman he knew, "Did she give up the cooter?"

Best wishes to the Honorable Constipated Constable with hopes that he shall be released.

There was talk of proctologists. The Geek said to the Warden, "The difference with your proctologist is that he has both hands on your shoulders while he's probing."

The Warden's house is 72% in Providence with the rest in North Providence. But he has to vote in North Providence. Wild Bill asked the Warden, "What 72%?" Said the Warden, "That's a C on a test."

Bags gives it up freely and frequently bags himself. Once Bags was on a jury. He couldn't comment on the details. Bags said, "Wild horses couldn't drag it out of me. My lips are sealed." Before the end of the night, the regulars knew every detail and Bags' verdict.

On his recent travels, Chuck D said he visited a convenience store that he called Infidel's Market. When Chuck was leaving, the proprietor said, "Have a good day, Great Satan."

Grant told me that he saw the Dead Kennedys at the Living Room (R.I.P. Randy Hein). I mentioned seeing Social Distortion at Club Babyhead. A lot of punk music was on Stiff Records. They had a T-shirt 'If it ain't Stiff, it ain't worth a f**k'. I didn't know where I'd wear it. Grant had one that said, 'F**k Art, Let's Dance'. He wore his to Al Forno's.

And my thanks to Sandy for the gift of her toffee. Candy from Sandy! Delicious!