Peanut Butter and Awesome: October 2013

Thursday, October 31, 2013

HMM '13: Army of Darkness

It's October! The doorway to not only the start of the greatest food season (early October to Christmas), but also to sexy nurses, zombies, and grown men dressing up like ponies. That also means it is time once again for Halloween Movie Madness! This year, I'll be taking a look back at the movies of my youth. Every movie this year was released before I turned eighteen. These are the Halloween movies that shaped me into the man I am today. Some of them are scary. Some are funny. Some are fantastical. Some are just weird. And not all of them are good. But to me, they are all Halloween movies. Now, stand back, for your own safety!

Army of Darkness
1992

Today is Halloween, and that means this will be the last entry in this year's Halloween Movie Madness. And since you always hear people talking about saving the best for last, that is exactly what I did.

The Bottom Shelf: Beam's Eight Star Whiskey

Welcome back to the Bottom Shelf with Russ! Today, we are looking as Beam's Eight Star.

Halloween movies, tricks and treats, and cheap bottom shelf whiskey, it doesn't get any better. The whiskey this time is Beam's Eight Star whiskey and it fits perfectly with all horror flicks. It works especially with older monster flicks. You know, the ones where the car won't start and the creepy guy is coming, even though the car is brand new and has never failed to start before. They always forget to finish him off when they have their chance, too.

HMM '13: Beetlejuice

A Halloween-themed trip down movie memory lane wouldn't be complete without this movie. Beetlejuice was yet another movie I saw when I probably shouldn't have. This time, we saw it during the day with all of the kids from the day care I had to stay at. We were off from school, and my mother was working, so I didn't have much of a choice. I really thought the day care workers were going to crap their pants when Beetlejuice dropped his F-bomb. It was great.

HMM '13 Special: RiffTrax Live Night of the Living Dead

This was the zombie movie that started it all. With this movie, George Romero set the rules in place about what a zombie should be: slow, shambling creatures who want nothing more to feast on your flesh.

Last night, I had the pleasure of watching this movie being torn apart by the crew from RiffTrax. For those of you who are not familiar with RiffTrax, what the hell man? RiffTrax is what three of the guys from MST3K(and if you don't know what that is, there might not be hope for you) are doing now. Mike, Kevin, and Bill do a mixture of newer blockbuster movies(Twilight, Harry Potter, The Avengers, etc.), old feature length films (like they did on MST3K), and the most amazing shorts I have ever seen. A handful of times throughout the year, they do special live broadcasts of movie riffing. A few months ago, they did Starship Troopers, and on December 5 they will be doing a live riff of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

HMM '13: Troll

Yes, you read that title correctly. Today's movie is Troll. Not Troll 2 (a.k.a. One of the worst movies ever put to film). The first one. The movie that actually has a troll in it. And Sonny Bono. And Elaine. And the original Harry Potter(but we will get to that in a bit).

Troll is about Torok, a wizard who got himself turned into a troll. He wants to take over the human realm, and turn people into mythical creatures. Harry Potter has to stop him.

HMM '13: Fright Night

Let me start out by saying sorry for not having a HMM yesterday. I've been dealing with a sinus infection for a few days, and it got the better of me Sunday night/Monday and I just wasn't up to watching and writing about a scary movie. Last night, however, I toughed it out and watched Fright Night. I'm very glad I did.

It's been way too long since the last time I had watched Fright Night. I wanted to watch it around the time the remake came out a few years back, but I just never got around to it. This movie is easily one of my favorites, and it's one of the best vampire movies out there.

HMM '13: The Gate

This movie is about some kids who are on their own in their house while the parents are out of town for a few days. The big sister is put in charge, there is some partying, and some demons are accidentally raised from a portal in the back yard. The kids then fight the demons, yadda yadda yadda.

HMM '13: Friday the 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan

Much like A Nightmare on Elm Street 3, the reason I am doing this movie in the series is because it is the first one that I saw. It didn't quite get me as hooked into the series like NoES did, but it still made me want to watch the previous movies. And of course, I have since watched them all (like with the NoES series, I have ignored the recent remake), and it is another series that I greatly enjoy. And while Part 8 here is far from the best movie in the series, it will always hold a special place in my heart. Or maybe it will find a special place to keep my heart after dismembering me.

HMM '13: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Right now, some of you are trying to figure out why I watched A Nightmare on Elm Street 3, and not the original. That's because this was the first movie in the series that I saw. In the theater on opening weekend, no less. This movie scared me. A lot. I also loved it. A lot. So much so that I had my step-mom buy me the novelization of the first three movies and rent me the first two on VHS. This movie didn't just hook me into the series, it grabbed me, lifted me up, and impaled me on a meat hook in cold storage.

HMM '13: Killer Klowns From Outer Space

Much like Critters before it, Killer Klowns From Outer Space is a movie that freaked me out big time when I was little, but have since come to see the movie for the cheese fest that it is.

In a day I never thought would come, Nintendo has announced that Hulu Plus is finally available on the 3DS. It only took them two years. After the announcement, they hadn't really mentioned it. I thought it would never come to be, but it looks like I was wrong. Now I can watch Hulu Plus on my smart TV, Wii U, Wii, PC, tablet, phone, and 3DS. Why I would ever need that many devices, I have no idea, but I am excited nonetheless.

You can read the press release after the jump.

HMM '13: The Golden Child

When you are a little kid, you probably shouldn't watch Eddie Murphy movies/comedy specials. Naturally, I watched Coming to America, The Golden Child, Trading Places, the Beverly Hills Cop series, and Raw all the time. Of those, my favorites were Coming to America and The Golden Child. Since I can't do Coming to America for Halloween, today we are taking a look at The Golden Child.

HMM '13: It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Poster

So, I decided that I would do kind of a list minute change in the line-up for today’s movie. I decided to switch to the all-time greatest Halloween special: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Patrice Wilson is a Panda for Halloween in New Video - Chinese Food

This morning, I woke up to something that totally makes me want to crawl right back in bed. Maybe even pull the covers up over my face and weep for the future of humanity. That something is the latest "music video" released by Patrice Wilson, the man behind such abominations as Friday and Thanksgiving. This time, it's a little girl singing about how much she loves Chinese Food. And yes, it might be a little racist.

If you didn't bother watching that(and I totally don't blame you for that), here are some "highlights" that you missed.

HMM '13: The Neverending Story

The Nothing. Rock Biters. Luck Dragons. Anyone in their mid thirties should know exactly what those are. Maybe younger (especially if it is a kid with awesome parents). The subject of this movie resonated with kids, because it dealt directly with imagination.

HMM '13: Hocus Pocus

With this movie, I kind of cheated. While I have good memories of this movie, nothing about it really shaped who I am. I just really enjoy it. It's one of those movies I can watch any time of the year. Plus, my son had been bugging me to watch it.

HMM '13: Tremors

When I was in seventh grade, my friends told me about this cool new movie. It took place in a really small town in the desert, and it had these giant worm things that were eating people. From the way they were talking, I knew I had to go see it as soon as possible. I will never regret that decision.

I ended up going to see this with my step-mom, the same person who took me to go see Friday the 13th Part VIII, Nightmare on Elm Street 3, and Silence of the Lambs. Like I said yesterday, they just didn't care.

I remember when we first got a glimpse of the creatures that I was disappointed. My friends told me how massive the beasts were, but these barely looked larger than a python or something. Then, a bit longer into the movie, they had the big reveal, and I was giddy. These things were so cool! I was still really excited about the movie after we left, so the next day I went to go see it again, this time with my Critters and Puppet Master watching buddy. He loved it too.

This is one of those movies that I really like, but rarely watch. I'm not really sure why that is. Watching it again reminded me just how much I do enjoy it. It's the same way with me and Metallica. I forget how much I like them until one of their songs comes up on shuffle. Then, I'll go on a Metallica binge for a week or so, and then something else will get my attention again, and I don't even think about listening to them until the next time I get them on shuffle.

I must be tired, because that is one of the strangest comparisons I have made recently. I seem to be doing that a lot these days though. When asked if the Pumpkin Spice K-Cups I got tasted like pumpkin pie, I replied, "No, they taste more like the memory of a good pumpkin pie." Seriously, what the hell?

This is another one of those movies that if you haven't seen it yet, you need to do yourself a favor and change that. If you have seen it before, what are you waiting for? Watch it again!

Now, to help the urge to watch this movie well up inside you, watch these Gifs Without Context!

See you tomorrow for Hocus Pocus!

Friday, October 11, 2013

HMM '13: Once Bitten

If you haven't been able to tell yet, my parents didn't care what I watched when I was a kid. It didn't matter if it was scary, gory, or sexy, they didn't care. If they did, I probably wouldn't have seen Once Bitten when I did. I mean, let's face it, you don't normally let a kid who is eight watch a movie where the main plot is about a virgin trying to get into his girlfriend's pants.

HMM '13: Critters 4

Grab your leather jackets, strap on some skis, and practice your best “EEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYY”, because we are going to jump the shark. Get ready for CRIIIIITEEEEESSSSSS IIIIIIIINNNNNNN SSSSSSPPPAAAAAAACCEEEEEEEEE.

HMM '13: Critters 3

It’s my third straight day of watching Critters, and as much as I love these movies, I should have watched them all in one night as opposed to stretching them out across four. Of course, if I did that now, I wouldn’t have enough movies for all 31 days of October, so it would kind of defeat the whole idea here.

This film brings about a few changes to the series. Instead of a small rural town, this time the movie takes place in an apartment building in L.A. This movie is also the feature film debut of one Leonardo DiCaprio.

HMM '13: Critters 2

Following up to yesterday's post, our movie for today is Critters 2, otherwise known as Critters Babies. After the way the first one scared me, I didn’t want to have anything to do with this movie for a while. In fact, I didn’t watch it until 1992, after Critters 4 had been released. The same friend I used to watch the first few Puppet Master movies with is the same guy that watched the Critters movies with. And we watched all four of them. In one day. Then again the following day. That was the weekend that began my lifelong love affair with the Critters series. I know they get worse as the series progresses, but that is part of the reason I love them so much.

HMM '13: Critters

This movie is about one of the single most evil, hate-filled creatures in the galaxy.

No, not that one.

I’m talking about the Crite.

HMM '13: Flash Gordon

Flash (AAAAaaaaah) Gordon is a movie that I have a special place in my heart for. It's not a good movie by any means, but it is a lot of fun to watch. I've always been a fan of campy movies, and Flash Gordon fits perfectly into that wheelhouse. My viewing last night was extra special, because it was the first time my son watched it. I love having these times with my son, because I get to see him experience the movies for the first time.

HMM Special: The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein

Today, I am interrupting the regular Halloween Movie Madness schedule for a special Halloween Musical Madness. Sorry about that. Things will resume normally tomorrow.

Last night, Pit & Balcony, our local theatre, opened it's 82nd season. They did so in a spectacular fashion with The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, and I was lucky enough to have been graced with a pair of tickets to the opening performance last night.

Now, aside from the school plays I was in or had gone to see my little brother in, my experience in going to the theatre was nill. That, in and of itself, was enough to make me excited about going. Just the idea of having this kind of a night out with my wife was wonderful. The fact that it was to see a musical version of Young Frankenstein, one of the best comedies ever put to film, was just the icing on the cake.

HMM '13: Spaced Invaders

Spaced Invaders is a goofball comedy from the guy who unleashed Baby's Day Out upon the masses. Seeing that while looking up information on the movie doesn't instill within me much hope, but I remember enjoying this movie when I was twelve, and that's enough for me.

Going from what I remember about this movie, it is a lot like Invader Zim, where hapless aliens are sent to conquer Earth. As it turns out, they aren't very good at it. And, much like Zim, they are not very big.

I also remember a particular scene where they are talking about getting the aliens off of Earth, and comparing the launch to a cherry bomb under a trash can. Of course, being the stupid, impressionable mind that I was at the time, I thought it would be fun to try that myself. It didn't do anything really cool, and I got grounded.

The other memory I have of this movie is where I was when I first saw it. I was spending the night over at a family friend's house, and along with this movie, we rented Super Dodge Ball for the NES. Lots of fun was had, mostly because I repeatedly whopped him in the game. It was great, because the kid was kind of a jerk, and I was only there because I had to be. Years later, when I met my future wife, I found out that she went to school with him. She thought he was a jerk too.

Enough about the jerk, let's start the movie.

Okay, things are starting right out with the Imperial Atomic Space Navy flying around in the Martian Territorial Frontier, and aside from some fairly decent visual effects, we get a crappy knock-off of Mars, the Bringer of War. Why they used a sound-alike version and not the real thing is beyond me. Was Gustav asking for too much money? Oy. Okay, this is starting to grate on my nerves worse than Adele.

We find out that the Admiral was releived of duty, and that the new Admiral is outfitting each ship with Enforcer Drones, so no one deviates from the battle plan. One of the aliens disagreed. He shouldn't have.

We then are transported to Big Bean, Illinois. Seriously. I couldn't make that up.

Here, we are introduced to the town's sheriff, who immediately has a confrontation with the town's crazy old coot. And we meet the sleazy business man. On top of that, we find out it's Halloween.

The alien attack squad lands on Earth, and attempts to begin their mission of total human annihilation. Things don't go well, and plenty of hijinks ensue.

This movie is not the best, but it is far from the worst. Plus, it's appropriate for kids. And, they also intertwine The War of the Worlds, which leads to a fun scene with the aliens freaking out over a guy sneezing. So, if you are looking for a alien invasion movie you can watch with the whole family, check out Spaced Invaders.

And now, a couple gifs without context.

Join me tomorrow for Castle Freak, and possibly a special treat.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

The Bottom Shelf: Windsor Canadian Whiskey

Welcome back to The Bottom Shelf! This time, we have another Canadian whiskey: Windsor Canadian.

Ever notice how the word Canadian or Canada always pops up on the label of all Canadian whiskeys? Not a criticism, just an observation. Canadians are proud of their booze and they should be. After all, during the prohibition era in the states, Canada was a huge supplier of illegal hootch to the dry USA.

Halloween Movie Madness '13: Innocent Blood

One of my favorite things about Halloween Movie Madness is introducing people to movies they have never heard of. Heck, it's one of my favorite things in general. Yesterday, I introduced a lot of people to Q: The Winged Serpent for the first time, and I know a few people who are going to hunt it down so they can watch it. Today's movie isn't going to be any different.

Halloween Movie Madness '13: Q: The Winged Serpent

A giant monster movie based on the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, starring Kwai Chang Caine, Shaft, and Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Stone. The movie tagline is "It's name is Quetzalcoatl... just call it Q, that's all you'll have time to say before it tears you apart!" Sounds awesome, doesn't it?

Halloween Movie Madness '13: Puppet Master

Making the list for this year's HMM proved to be more difficult than I anticipated. The fact that I was looking for movies that I remember from growing up didn't help, because I kept thinking about more movies that I could add to the list. Some of them were very easy choices for my list, and Puppet Master is one of them.

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Thursday, October 31, 2013

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