Welcome!

Welcome to my first blog. Yeah...I said blog.

I needed a spot to share with you my writing and damned if this aint the perfect medium. In my limited spare time, I enjoy writing and playing guitar (two things which I've done for many years) and why not jump on the bandwagon and be a blogger? I plan to keep it lite. Don't expect my thoughts poured out across cyberspace. This isn't a magnum opus (I said opus), or the start of some sort of bildungsroman (look it up). I plan to talk about books, music and movies I like, sports teams I hate (love), etc. Enjoy! Or don't...its free.



Because I love movies - and because I take all genres seriously - I thought it'd be appropriate for my first entry to be a top 5 list of horror movies, suitable for Halloween viewing. I'm going for movies I find scary, because to me, scary equals entertaining. Unless we're talking an 0-6, soon to be 0-7 Miami Dolphins record. There is no entertainment in that sort of horror. Well...maybe some.

5 Movies to make your Halloween a tad bit Spookier...Yeah, I said "spooky."

5. The Descent
I love this movie. There haven't been too many recent horror movies that actually scare you. This movie has frightening, make you jump moments to be sure, but - like all good horror films in my opinion - the subject matter makes you uncomfortable. Its very uncomfortable to watch the characters battle the confined environment of a deep, unmapped cave system. The cinematography is brilliant and certain shots are bound to make you squirm and turn even the worlds biggest hard ass (me...just kidding) into a claustrophobe.

4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original)
Its hard to shock American audiences nowadays, regardless of how over-the-top the violence is. This movie is campy, and it has cheesy (by today's standards) special effects, but come on! Its a classic! And who doesn't fear running afoul of maniacal, cannibalistic, chainsaw-brandishing freaks while on a road trip? If you don't, you should, goddammit.

3. Silent Hill
I know, I know. Its a movie based on a video game. HOWEVER, if you haven't checked this one out, you need to. Like The Descent, it has its definite make-you-jump moments. But the real gem here is the brilliant sets. The town, reminiscent of Centralia, PA (look it up) is gorgeously eerie. The story gets a little bit convoluted, but the path to the truth will literally make your skin crawl. Watch this movie and you'll fear air sirens for the rest of your days. If you don't already.

2. 28 Days Later
What can I say? I love the zombie genre. However, what makes a special zombie film, are zombie films with political messages. See: Dawn of the Dead (the original) and Romero's Land of the Dead. This one is a giant, scary, political metaphor. The movie is brilliant and contains probably the creepiest scene in zombie-movie history: Cillian Murphy walking the abandoned streets of London, passing by "Missing Person" posters with no one left to read them.

1. The Exorcist (remastered version)
Still, for my money, (which aint too much these days) it doesn't get any scarier. Again, you have two very (til this day!) taboo subjects: the defilement of Christianity and brutality towards a child. The subject matter is very uncomfortable and the scares and creeps are limitless in this classic. I suggest the remastered version for the simple fact that there are a few add-ons that "horror-it-up" a little bit more. Ex. You can see the famous "spider-walk" scene and a few head shots of that nasty demon that won't let poor Linda Blair enjoy obscurity in peace.

I hope you'll take me up on at least one or two of these suggestions...and moreover, I hope you read entry #2.