Films

The Vast of Night (2019)

What a great film.

The Vast of Night is a 2019 American science fiction mystery film directed by Andrew Patterson. The film is co-produced and written by Patterson (under the pseudonym James Montague) and Craig W. Sanger. Loosely based on the Kecksburg UFO incident and Foss Lake disappearances, the film is set in 1950s New Mexico, where Fay Crocker (Sierra McCormick), a young switchboard operator and Everett Sloan (Jake Horowitz), a radio disc jockey discover a mysterious audio frequency that could be extraterrestrial in origin. – Wikipedia

I honestly nearly turned it off 20 minutes in, it can be very very slow at times, but the film picks up some speed, the mystery starts to develop and holy heck the ending. I loved it. A fantastic film.

Films

Halloween Horror #31

#31 – He Never Died

He Never Died is a 2015 Canadian/American horror comedy film… stars Henry Rollins as an immortal, cannibalistic loner who has withdrawn from society to protect both himself and others. Wikipedia

Jack’s in a rut. Depression and severe anti-social behavior has whittled down his existence to sleeping and watching television. He spends his days in a diner, playing church bingo and sleeping. When some hired thugs show up Jack’s life is stirred up and the question of his existence comes to light. IMDB

Strange film. Oddly funny, oddly dark. 3 stars.

★★★

Bonus – She Never Died (2019)

This 2019 “sequel” is basically a riff on the original story wise.

The movie is intended as a follow up sister sequel to Krawczyk’s 2015 movie He Never Died, which starred Henry Rollins, and is set within the same universe. Krawczyk had initially intended the 2015 film to be expanded into a miniseries and follow-up film, but repurposed the script into She Never Died after the endeavor was cancelled. Wikipedia

This, like the original, was also good, it did feel a bit more like an extended episode 1 of a TV series, and ends in a way that is open for a sequel at least. 3 stars again.

★★★

Films

Halloween Horror #11 & #12

#11 – Doctor Sleep (2019)

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.

★★★

Drinks

Pet Nat & Margaret River wines


UPDATED 13/9/19

I’ve been reading about wine and its complex, ridiculous and too much of a “hobby” to get into. I figured instead of the bigger picture I’d just get into very local stuff, and repeatedly the same wineries, and particularly less common styles if possible.

The wines I got are local, a less common style, but it seems top be a style that is “blowing up” right now.
Pet Nat, short for Pétillant-Naturel, and also known as Méthode Ancestrale. An old way of making a natural sparkling wine, a precursor to Champagne/Méthode Champenoise aka The Traditional Method.

Basically, its wine fermented in the bottle (like beer), so theres haze and sediment, the fizz is lighter, and the taste is more “wild” and funky.

The two three wines I got (from the Re Store) are ones I had been reading about and was really excited to find on sale somewhere local.

La Violetta – Patio Nat: ” Hand harvested Muscat …skin contact overnight in the press, before sending to tank and barrels to ferment slow and wild over nearly 7 weeks, then to bottle without fining or filtration” Some Riesling was added before bottling for balance.

La Violetta – Zibbo Nat: Zibibbo and Riesling grapes. Zibibbo grapes are also called Muscat of Alexandria explained here This seems to have been a limited release and I can find no info about it online, just that it exists and was released in late June or July 2019. One of the hashtags on the only advert I can find for it (on their official instagram) is #breakfastjuice, so who knows.

Dormilona – House Pet: Made from organic dry-grown grenache, hand harvested and whole bunch pressed (no sulphur)

How does it taste…

La Violetta – Patio Nat: As far as wine, I can only compare this to an Aussie Chardonnay? Riesling and some rando kind of Champagne. This is more like a farmhouse/wild fruit beer, but then boom its a wine. Aroma is very Champagne, white wine, theres not much else but thats my lack of experience. Obviously the colour is abnormal, like pink grapefruit juice. Taste? Its very Champagne, Chardonnay/Riesling character, I assume Muscat as it is the base? (I have no experience with Muscat./Moscato). Its not a fizzy as Champagne, its lighter like a farmhouse beers, this actually foamed up quite a bit on opening. Not as boring as an Australian Riesling, its rougher. Theres a lot of citrus, pink grapefruit, cider, a minerallness, it still keeps a certain sweetness. Obviously that big “white wine” character, white wine skin, big oak dryness. Its very dry but I cant say its crisp, it has a long dry finish. Its weird and Its so much more enjoyable than any straight wines or styles mentioned above. Oh there was a lot of sediment in this bottle, too.

La Violetta – Zibbo Nat: Massive white wine grape aroma, champagne yeast, slightly sweet, pear? Visually it looks like cloudy ginger beer or scrumpy cider. The taste is big white wine grapes, theres a big dry finish but that fades. There is quite a bit of sweetness which is supposedly characteristic of Zibibbo grapes. Hints of pear cider. Hints of, yes, #breakfast juice, so fruity. Yeasty, tart, wild, rough, complex in a natural kinda way. This is nice, sweeter, not as crisp and sharp as the Patio Nat. Not as carbonated either, certainly didn’t foam up like the Pet Nat.

Dormilona – House Pet: The colour is as per the bottle, its a ochre red, cloudy but very nice, The aroma is more red wine grape obviously, less champagne, still yeasty, theres a white wine, possibly skins aroma, still dry, not as sweet as the Zibbo. The carbonation is quite high similar to the Pet Nat. The taste is bracing, tart, dry, kinda all at once then a red wine oak dryness. This is very much more intense white wine and say Riesling initially, but it then moves into a red wine taste and mouthfeel. Confusing as heck but Another lovely wine. Mouthfeel white, swallow red.