Films

Horrortober #3

Strange Behavior (1981)

Strange Behavior (also known as Dead Kids) is a 1981 slasher film. “The film is considered a seminal work of New Zealand cinema, being the first horror film produced in the country”. This is also a Section 3 Video Nasty (under the name Dead Kids). Soundtrack is by Tangerine Dream but the song Shivers by The Birthday Party (still The Boys Next Door at the time) appears at 26:23min.
Its “small, original and offbeat” like many Aus and NZ films from around that period, it has an interesting, suspenseful story line that builds in strangeness and is deeper than you initially expect, what slasher moments there are are decent, and the mad science is creepy.
It is essentially a Sci Fi/mad scientist and suspense film with some slasher elements. I give it 2.5/5 because yes it is good, it is worth watching, though it is unfortunately a bit sparse and slow at times.
Wikipedia

★★★
Films

Horrortober #1 & #2

1) Werewolves on Wheels (1971)

This is pretty much a road trip biker movie of its time with a supernatural and werewolf twist. Bikers come across a satanic cult who turn one of the bikers girlfriends into a werewolf, she turns her boyfriend into a werewolf, and as the group continue to travel the werewolf couple slowly pick off the other bikers. Eventually they transform in front of the remaining bikers who kill them. And then there is a very strange ending. Great film.
Wikipedia

★★★★
  • This cover is awesome

2) The Hidden (1987)

The Hidden is a 1987 SciFi/Horror film staring Kyle MacLachlan.
“A cop and an FBI agent race for answers after law abiding people suddenly become violent criminals.” IT WAS ALIENS!
This was OK, it didn’t suck, but it wasn’t a 2.5/5 or a 3.
Wikipedia

★★

Food

Daifuku

Daifukumochi or daifuku is a wagashi (Japanese confection) consisting of a small round mochi stuffed with sweet filling, most commonly anko, sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans.

Mame Daifuku is a verion where azuki beans (or soybeans) are mixed into the actual mochi and a azuki filling.

This one had lightly sweetened red beans mixed into the mochi and a lightly sweetened red bean filling. It was really nice.

Art, Music

Awesome album


Dead Can Dance – Within the Realm of a Dying Sun (1987)

A classic album by itself but also one of the best from Dead Can Dance.

Their first four albums are their important albums to me, with (in order of my liking) Within The Realm..being the best, then their second album Spleen and Ideal, then their forth album The Serpents Egg, and then their self titled debut.

    Drinks

    An IPA… an IIPA..?

    NowhereMan Brewing Co – Dumb Enough, West Coast IPA. 6.8% 375ml can. A Limited Release. This is a very old school IPA, like Sierra Nevada Torpedo style. It does have some new school feeling, like the hops are big but also more soft or, the big malt cloying sweetness they used to do to combat the bitterness is gone, but the balance is still there. Its a old style IPA with new ideas. Its still big, and its good.

    Akasha Project – Lupulin Fog, New England IIPA. 8.5%ABV, 375ml can. Just jumping on the spot red faced screaming Serenity Now! again and again after the first sip. Its not actually that bad, but there is a bit of viscosity to it that I just despise and harkens back to the big malt heavy IPA’s of old, but none of the cloying sweetness so maybe theres oats in there? It really does have the New England thing goin on that smooths out the hops a bit, but they are still big as hell. Its a sipper as you recover your taste buds and also not be smashed by the 8.5%ABV, yet you really need to finish it before it gets too warm…hmm.

    Drinks

    2 more beers

    Homestead Brewery – Midnight Blossom, Dark Cherry Sour. 5.5%ABV, 375ml can. This was really nice. Not as sour as most sours are these days, and I am going to assume it was kettle soured, which isn’t a problem. Its nice and fermented-fruit/wine characteristics with none of the weird almost fake taste that cherries can throw off some times. Mild dark cherry/dark fruit flavour, a slight cherry sweetness, and a nice mild sourness.

    Lucky Bay Brewing – The Homestead, Farmhouse Ale. 6%ABV, 375ml can. Now this has the “wild” unrestrained fermentation stuff. Very Belgian, very farmhouse with lots going on flavour-wise with the yeast/bugs (some brett?). Nice malts leaning to a stronger Saison and almost a more straight Belgian Ale, but also some lager-like tastes and smells, both yeast and hops – there is definitely hops in here that become more noticeable as it warms, they seem really Pilsner-like adding to the afore mentioned lager-accents. Its good to see a more unrestrained ferment farmhouse ale like this. Definitely something we are seeing less of unfortunately.