The Post of the Living Dead

George A. Romeo has died.

Turns out, not a lot of great images when you search 'zombie crying'.

Many fans and collaborators have posted tributes online.

There's even a petition to get his likeness on a stamp. And yes, of course I signed it.

Romero not only made an amazing movie, he created the zombie genera. Without him, no Return of the Living Dead, no Shaun of the Dead, no Zombie Survival Guide.

Alternatively, no shitty in-name-only World War Z movie.

I do love the original movie, but I was never a mega fan. I've always been a bigger fan of what he inspired: things like The Walking Dead, Warm Bodies, and reviews of the shitty Resident Evil films.

A lot of the great creators of the horror movies I (and the generations before me) grew on are getting old and dying off. We lost Wes Craven not that long ago.

Someone check on John Carpenter, quick!

It's not like I have no hope for the genera without these icons: Wan and Peele and the Duffer brothers will keep us all screaming for years to come, God willing. And maybe they will breath life into some long forgotten, half conceptualized monster, brining terror to millions.

But nobody will ever make another zombie for the first time. That honor died with George. For now.

RIP George A. Romero. May your zombies keep eating flesh long after yours has become dust.

The IT Spot: Rereading part 24

Now that Mike has completed the Losers Club, things get going pretty quickly. There are a lot of old hits from the mini-series here, as well as things that got left by the wayside for brevity's sake.

SPOILERS

The scene begins as the adult losers regroup in the library after hours, for drinks and chat. It's very little like the mini-series scene.

Though I do enjoy the "How's your sex life? What's your sex life?" line.

Balloons come from the fridge, but only Mike is there to see them. The head is Stan's, but it is his 11 year old self, and the mouth is stuffed with bird feathers. He taunts Mike that as adults they can no longer handle the ritual of the Chud, and rolls out of the fridge, to vanish in a cloud of blood droplets. All of this happens before the other loser can even enter the back room.

This section is all about Mike finding his place amongst the club, and reflecting on those early meetings as an adult.

After the Apocolyptic Rock Fight we seague into Mike's memories of his early meetings with the loser's club. Digging a clubhouse in the barrens, discussing what they've seen of IT, and their plans to make a sliver bullet to kill IT.

A lot of this section is establishing Mike's new friendship as the kids discuss Rock and Roll, and it's refreshing. We need to remember that while we know these characters (at least, the survivors) as adults, they also had to fight as kids. They weren't endowed with grown-up sense, reasoning, or personality (beyond a few well-chosen moments). These are, for all intents and purposes, normal kids.

There section ends with Mike showing the others a photo album, and everyone expects IT to show up. IT obliges.

Again, we're missing the best bits. IT shapeshifts into other forms, past monsters that have frightened the losers. Stan's denial is recognized as more serious by Bill. Bill sees the same denial and panic present in the others, and knows he has to quell it, lest they break apart. He's bitter about the responsibility, as any child would be. But he accepts it.

That's the main thing about Bill that the others see: the vestiges of the man he will, or could, become. Bill is their leader, whether by nature or by the Turtle's design. He knows this, but isn't happy about it.

SAFE

Next time, we watch the losers find out more about IT, and delve into their clubhouse. Stay tuned.

Fun Stuff for Fun Times

FINALLY! A trailer for The Disaster Artist. I own this book, and it is insane. I can't wait to see the story behind The Room, and Greg Sestero's life while living with  Tommy Wiseau, brought to the big screen.

The IT Spot: Rereading part 23

We've finally reached the point where Mike meets the rest of the loser's club: The Apocolyptic Rock Fight.

SPOILERS

The fight is superficially similar to the mini-series footage, but as with everything, it lacks a lot of the finesse. The segment ping-pongs between the established 6 losers talking about killing IT, then transitioning to normal kid stuff: going to the dump to blow up bottles, etc. The other half of the story is Mike Hanlon going to a band rehearsal and nearly getting caught by Henry Bowers and his gang: now expanded to include a preppy kid from the right side of the tracks and a guy named Moose.

As seen here.

After Henry tries to kill Mike with an M-80, and tells Mike that he killed the proto-loser's dog, Mike finds the other losers, who fight off the boys with rocks. Neither side gets away unbloodied, but Henry actually is the worst off: broken nose, rock bruises, cuts, and the back of his shirt blown off by another M-80. Not that you can feel bad: he was literally going to kill Mike.

That's something that's not paid enough/any attention in the adaptation: the horror that comes from having truly murderous children in the mix. Kids that can, and do kill. Granted, IT's evil enhances that, but even without IT, they'd still be crazy and evil. Just maybe not killers. Maybe. And we haven't even gotten to Patrick Hockstetter, the literal psychopath.

But we will.

In any case, the bond between the losers, the Ka-Tet is sealed as they invite Mike to join them in setting off some firecrackers. Even then, they know there's completion: it 'clicks' that they have all arrived.

SAFE

Next time we investigate some more goings on of both the adult and kid losers, trying to come to terms with what they did, and what needs to be done.

Whelp, I guess we've moved on

So, CBS has made an animated Michael Jackson Halloween Special that will air this year.

"Jackson's music will soundtrack [sic] the story of a young duo named Vincent and Victoria who "accidentally" meet on Halloween night. Alongside a dog named Ichabod, Vincent and Victoria wind up at 777 Jackson Street at the mysterious – and aptly named – This Place Hotel (a reference to the Jackson's 1980 song of the same name). Inside the This Place Hotel, Victoria, Vincent and Ichabod embark on a journey that ends with a dance finale featuring an animated Michael Jackson."

There are some real stars in this: Jim Parsons, Lucy Liu , Alan Cumming, and Brad Garrett specifically.

This isn't appropriate. Anything new thingshowing MJ with kids needs to not be a thing.

 We can't help the past, however.

And also, he had one Halloween themed song. Granted, it's probably the best horror song that is widely known, but that's not enough to build a special around.

Long and short of it: I don't approve, and I don't think the people who made this thought about anything very thoroughly. Good luck CBS.

It's not like you already own the most recognized halloween special...

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On a side note, just before this blog was to go up I found out George Romero died. Farewell to a true architect of Halloween, horror, and film. He will be missed.

TV shows I like

Just a list. I'm trying to spot similarities. I may be looking for a new thing to watch...or trying to figure out which old thing to finish. Not all-encompassing, as my memory isn't that good.

Stuff I've seen in it's totality will be bolded. Italics is things I own, possibly incomplete, or just not fully watched. Because reasons.

Animated Shows:

• The Simpsons
• King of the Hill
• Futurama
• The Critic
• Family Guy
• American Dad 
• Steven Universe
• Bojack Horseman
• Adventure Time
• The Venture Brothers
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)
• The Real Ghostbusters
• Beetlejuice
• Ahh! Real Monsters!
• Thundercats (2011)
• Gargoyles
• Batman: The Animated Series
• Batman Beyond
• Static Shock
  
• Animaniacs
• Pinky and the Brain
• Freakazoid
• Earthworm Jim
• The Tick
• Invader Zim (Why don't own own this?)
• Avatar: The Last Airbender
• Dilbert
• Rick and Morty
• The Legend of Korra
• Courage the Cowardly Dog
• Scooby Doo: Where are You?
• Archer
• 
  

Anime

• Sailor Moon Crystal
• Soul Eater
• Fullmetal Alchemist/Brotherhood
• Seven Deadly Sins
•  My Bride is a Mermaid!
• Death Note
• One Punch Man
• The Devil is a Part-Timer! 
• Puella Magi Madoka Magica / Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Rebellion

Live Action Scripted Comedy

• The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
• Home Improvement
• Spin City
• Friends
• Fraiser 
•  Parks and Rec
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
•  MST3K/The Revival
•  Saturday Night Live (Season 1, Christmas Past, and several 'Best Of' DVDs) 
• Jack of All Trades
• Greg the Bunny
•  Last Man Standing
• Boy Meets World/Girl Meets World
• 30 Rock
• Dinosaurs
• The Muppet Show
•  Brooklyn 99

Live Action...Everything Else

• Stranger Things 
• The Walking Dead
• American Horror Story
• LOST
• The X-Files
• The Lone Gunmen
• Star Trek
• Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Law and Order: SVU
• Forensic Files
• Killer Kids
• Tales from the Crypt
• Kitchen Nightmares/Hotel Hell/Hell's Kitchen
• Breaking Bad
• Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
• Bill Nye the Science Guy

So, my plans to continue with Black Mirror, Black Butler, and Gravity Falls seem in line with my previous choices...But what to do about a new, scripted comedy? Preferably one on Netflix...

Also, I really have to finish some of these.

The IT Spot: Movie news! And Rereading part 22

So, our new Pennywise will be in the new Stephen King multi-work spanning TV show, but not as Pennywise. That's...hm.

 Hey, news has been thin for a while. Give me a break.

Okay, back to the gang shooting.

SPOILERS

Another bloody chapter in Derry's history is recounted to Mike. The events that began with the explosion that killed a bunch of kids on Easter ended with the shooting of the Bradly Gang. The gang was wanted by the FBI for murder and robbery in the 30's. So, when they came to Derry to hide, they made the mistake of going into town for ammo. The townsfolk, cops included, set it up for them to come back for the ammo, and shot them all to death. Including the wife of the George Bradly, the Al Capon of the the group, who was trying to surrender.

It's recounted far better on the novel by Mr. Keene, the druggest, now very old. You may recall Mr. Keene as the man indulging Eddie's mom with fraudulent asthma meds. Mike notes that even as a very old man, he still is proud of the murder, and hasn't gotten nicer with age.

That seems to be a thing with older folks in Derry: they've been with the evil of IT so long, they've begun to enjoy it, not just ignore it. Some of the older folks are fine, admitting something is wrong with Derry. Most feign ignorance. But those who were already assholes dive right in. We'll see more of this later with Bev's dad.

One final fun note: Pennywise was spotted shooting along with everyone else, holding different guns, floating above the chaos.

SAFE

 Anywhere else, that would have been national news. But as Mr. Keen says "It happened in Derry." And IT protects the grounds where IT haunts and feeds.
 

[redacted]

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Just don't scew it up!

So, Spider-Man: Homecoming is really good, and everyone should go see it.

This isn't a review (too early for that, too many people haven't seen it) but more advice to Sony: DON'T SCREW THIS UP.

You've managed to ruin TWO Spider-Man universes with executive meddling. You finally got smart about this one and gave Marvel creative control. Now, for the love of The Watcher, DON'T SCREW THIS UP.

It's already hard to make a good movie. You don't need to make it harder by assuming you know how to do it, WHICH YOU DO NOT.

Remember this? Sam Raimi didn't want to do this. You meddled and this is what happened. And then you DIDN'T LEARN YOUR LESSON with the next sequel!

Sony. Bubalah. I am begging you. DON'T SCREW THIS UP. Let Marvel keep in the driver's seat. You'll make money. You'll win fans back. But most importantly, money. Money. Money. El dinero.

Marvel = Money. That's all you care about, right? So just sit back and let them handle this.

Please?

The IT Spot: Rereading, part 21

So, after a happy holiday hiatus, we come back to a woman being mercilessly beaten, the beater trying to find his wife, and a totally innocent woman getting into the mix.

So...yeah.

SPOILERS

This section is a mixed bag, not in the sense of quality, but in the sense of highs and lows. We have a terrifying and depressing segment where Tom goes to a friend of Bev's, and beats her until she confesses Bev's location. We then have her self-loathing as she tries to get the word to Bev. Its brutal, and painful. I'm lucky enough to have never been the victim of a physically abusive relationship with a significant other. It seems like King has rang true to what a victim would think and feel: it echoes sentiments present in The Gift of Fear, a book about avoiding trauma. It goes in-depth with trauma survivors, and it seems King was able to successfully capture the emotions involved.

I also recommend that book to everyone, btw.

Next, we watch Tom as he gets a car, thinks about killing Bev, and realizes Bill's wife looks a lot like Bev. This is especially horrifying, as we transition to Audra, Bill's wife, who follows Bill to Derry. And is staying very near Tom.

Extra spoilery spoilers: Tom catches Audra. It goes badly.

Lastly, we have a throw away line about Henry Bowers getting a ride into town, after a fool picks him up.

SAFE

This segment is were the adult section is picking up steam. Now the adult losers are in danger from several mortal sources, all of which they can't even begin to suspect are coming. And boy, do they cause trouble before it's done.

Next time, we get another aside into the colorful history of Derry murders and cover ups.