Shocking Dark (also known as Terminator II, Terminator 2, Aliens 2, Aliennators, and Contaminator) is a 1989 Italian science-fiction film. Although the film was promoted as a rip-off of James Cameron’s The Terminator, it is primarily a rip-off of James Cameron’s Aliens. It was released in some countries as Terminator II, as it had been made two years before Terminator 2: Judgment Day.Wikipedia In a polluted future Venice researchers work to improve the situation. One day, unknown forces start killing them. A team of soldiers and a couple of civilians is sent to investigate. Soon, they encounter strange murderous creatures. IMDB
What else do you need to know? Italian trash of the highest order. An intensely B-grade rip-off of Aliens so overt yet so trash it has to be seen to be believed. Fucking Bellissimo! 2 stars.
Molly Rose – Skyline IPA, 5.7% 375ml can. This seems like a completely straight up West Coast IPA, smells like sweet fruity hops. Taste is a very straight up classic IPA hops as far as bitterness, very nice and crisp. I don’t really notice any specific malt character even on warming. Like a NEIPA but straight classic hops? Refreshing both as something that’s not too common and also as a pretty great very drinkable beer.
Molly Rose – Shoulders IPA, 7.2% 375ml can. This is one step up in every way from the Skylight IPA. Stronger more pine resinous smell, a slightly darker colour. The taste is a deeper bitterness (Chinook, Cascade, Centennial, Galaxy). Its not cloying or sweet, beers of this style traditionally go large on the malt to try and “balance” the hop bitterness, and again there’s no real malt character, even when it warms up. A bit more of a sipper at 7.2% but very enjoyable.
Doctor Sleep is a 2019 film based on a Stephen King novel of the same name, also the sequel to The Shining.
Years after the traumatizing events of The Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance is now an alcoholic struggling to find a job. He moves to a small town in New Hampshire and becomes “Doctor Sleep”. He then meets Abra Stone, a teenager with the brightest shine he’s ever seen. When he learns that a cult of evil beings called The True Knot are chasing her with the intent to eat her shine, he does everything in his power to protect her…including returning to The Overlook.IMDB
This was good. Extending on the Shining and its mythology and I assume containing elements I have no idea bout from the greater Stephen King universe mythos. All of which I am not very knowledgeable of, and it didn’t really matter. It was a very enjoyable watch, though like many other King book adaptions, a bit long. Creepy, weird, strange, engaging. 3 stars.
★★★
#12 – Tourist Trap (1979)
Tourist Trap is a 1979 American supernatural slasher film.
Four people go in search of their missing friend. What they find is Slausen’s Lost Oasis, a mannequin museum and seemingly abadoned mansion owned by gentle old Mr. Slausen. He agrees to help with their car trouble, but some of the girls decide to look for a working phone inside the house even though Mr. Slausen warned them not too. Hidden within the home is Mr. Slausen’s misunderstood mask hidden younger brother. What they learn is that the mannequins seem very much alive, or is there something much more terrifying behind the mask? IMDB
The music over the credits really sets the mood. The mannequins and mask are creepy as hell. They look heaps like Shaye Saint John. And that’s about it, creepy masks and mannequins and creepy people scare other people. There’s a story, but its rather inconsequential (and often long winded). In many ways this is highly influenced by Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in parts of the plot and style, and also as a “horror” film stripped to its bare bones. A better score/soundtrack, or literally no soundtrack, would have done wonders. I’m giving it 2.5 stars. It doesn’t deserve it, but it really is an interesting almost-rip-off of Texas… but with enough original elements to almost be a good enough film on its own. Its strange and enjoyable.
A biker comes upon a girl with a flat tire and offers her a ride home. He winds up at a drug party with the girl’s sister, then follows her to a turkey farm owned by her father, a mad scientist. The father turns the biker into a giant turkey monster who goes after drug dealers.IMDB
This was pretty slow at moments, bad sound, bad editing, but enjoyably silly with some real odd moments. The limited gore is actually pretty gross. The makers were obviously knowledgeable of drugs and drug use, making any anti drug message more of a parody. A ridiculous idea with a strange and confusing twist ending. I liked it 2.5 stars.
(And the draft rant I made late last night rant accompanying the find…)
HOLY SHIT what an amazing album for some reason released some time this year on vinyl for once (and never before), and I nearly missed it, I went on discogs to maybe finally just give up and buy it on CD and theres a vinyl release 2020 listed, only 250 copies, FUCK! So I’m googling furiously for any mention or for re-sellers or second hands and i find the band have a fucking website and are selling it and only have 2 left…FUCK. They dont ship to AU…Hang on thats shopmate shit…fuck…Instant Purchase. UNFUCKINGBELEIVEABLE. A panicked screaming internally few minutes I have not had in a while of such intensity.
Green Beacon – Apricot & Peach Sour. 5% 375ml can. Nice peach smell and a little sour funk. Its pretty hazy as well, nice head. The taste is mild, there is a hint of apricot, some fermented fruity flavours and a fruity sourness. Nothing crazy. A refreshing sipper. Nice.
Molly Rose Brewing Co – Nitro Persian Coffee, Vegan Desert Stout. 5.2% 375ml can Awesome coffee smell, like a cup of coffee but also of crushed coffee beans, some dark roasty malts. The coffee smells is fantastic and very fresh smelling, just awesome. The taste and mouthfeel is smooth, theres oats in here giving it a viscocity as well. A really nice big initial hit of coffee, dark and black malt with some bitterness from the malt and also I assume hops. After a few sips theres all kinds of things going on in here, it says cardamon is in there and yeah I guess, I also taste anise/licorice? There’s other stuff I just cant put a thumb on. Cant taste the rosewater or coconut listed, though they drop off pretty fast and this is nearly 2 months old. A great interesting stout even if the additions didn’t shine. This also seems like a rather interesting brewery and brewer, I have one more beer from them now but will def check out more from them.
Molly Rose Brewing Co – When Life Gives you Lemons , Farmhouse Ale. 4.2% 375ml can. This is, obviously, the other Molly Rose can I have. Straight off the bat its insane lemon into the nose. Its like sherbert, this is crazy. Interesting as hell. NOT a standard farmhouse ale at all. Very fine carbonation, great smooth sourness and mouthfeel. That first crazy lemon scent blast doesn’t follow through into anything overpowering at all. Its crisp, its soft but sharp. This is nice as hell. Not what I was expecting at all.
When the bass drum comes in on the second song you really “get it”, hes right. Not every instrument as an individual and all as one. Not really a fan of this band or this album, though.
“This is what Celtic Frost wrestling Cryptic Slaughter in a graveyard sounds like.” – some guy on Youtube. LOL very true.
The Dark Half is a film adaption of a Steven King book, which are usually very hit or miss (usually miss), directed by George A Romero which is hopefully a positive. IMDB says…
When Thad Beaumont was a child, he had an operation to remove a tumour from his brain. during the operation, it was discovered that far from being a tumor, the growth was a twin brother of Thad’s that never developed. Years later, Thad is a successful author, writing his serious books under his own name, and his pulp money-makers under the pseudonum “George Stark”. When blackmailed by someone who has discovered his secret, Thad publically “buries” George Stark. From that point on, Thad increasingly becomes the prime suspect in a series of gruesome murders.
Always a joy to see Michael Rooker. This film is 2 hours long though? Steven King film adaptions are, as mentioned above, not always great, this though was pretty good. For the length it didn’t feel oppressively long or slow paced for the most, maybe that’s Romero directing, who knows (Langoliers is 180mins, feels like 3 days). Its a thriller, a cop drama, and kind of a horror. There’s weird scenes and circumstances throughout that keep this film strange and creepy to the end. The “twist”, the killer, is just nonsense. 2.5 STARS. Its enjoyable enough.
Haze is a 2005 Japanese horror film by Shinya Tsukamoto (of Tetsuo Iron Man film fame). Wikipedia says… A man wakes up in a small concrete space bleeding from the abdomen. He can barely move and has no recollection of why or how he came to be there. Crawling forward he eventually meets a woman and they try to piece together their past lives.
I tried typing this out, explaining it, but it became too hard. Its a real weird one. I enjoyed it. Its confusing and has a crazy, and surprisingly deep ending! 2.5 stars.
