SCARE-A-THON 2016 FINAL RESULTS

Scare-A-Thon 2016 has officially come to an end. I successfully achieved the goal of 31 films in October! It was a fun month, but it sure got tricky towards the end. I had a lot to juggle this month and piling 31 movies on the top of it all probably wasn't the best idea. Regardless, it's for a fantastic reason and all worked out! I sincerely thank everyone out there for your support, encouragement and feedback throughout the past 31 days of blood, babes, and beasts.

Below is a brief summary of the month, with links to the full breakdown of each week to satisfy your curiosity. That is, if you are curious. 

Thanks to everyone who pledged and supported this wild endeavor, and to both The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Reach Counseling Services for their incredible and continued work! 

Total Films Watched: 31 (of 31)

First Time Views: 24

Total Amount Raised: $1,313.64 
($656.64 for each organization)

Decades of Horror Watched: 7
1930s, 50s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s

Countries Represented: 10
Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Jordan, Romania, Spain, Turkey, UK, and US

Most Movies in a Day: 3 (10/15)
Psycho II, Psycho III, Undocumented

Sequels Watched: 7

Favorite First Timers:
Baskin, The Nameless, Psycho II, Sauna, Southbound, Undocumented

Most Enjoyable Revisit:
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

Least Favorite First Timer: Rob Zombie's 31

Why Did I Watch This Again?:
Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, and Halloween: Resurrection

Week One Recap

Week Two Recap

Week Three Recap

Week Four Recap

SCARE-A-THON 2016: WEEK FOUR

End of the month also means end of the Scare-A-Thon. And how'd I do?! The goal of 31 movies has successfully been achieved! Full recap of the entire month - with total amount raised for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Reach Counseling Services coming very soon.

But first, let's dive into the last round of viewings for the month.

25. UNDER THE SHADOW (2016) - First Time Viewing
Set in the late 1980s, war-torn Iran, a family's life gets shaken as Iraj is called to war, leaving his wife Shideh and their daughter Dorsa at home, while the terrors of the war gets closer to home. However, that's not the only terror they must face, as something possibly more evil begins to creep in.

Working within the one-location setting (although we do get a few other locations briefly), Under The Shadow focuses heavily on atmosphere and tension through isolation. For the most part, it achieves this reasonably well by hitting familiar beats of the haunted house genre, even though this is not a haunted film. Writer/director Babak Anvari utilizes the empty apartment and parental-paranoia to not just craft suspense, but to draw you to Shideh played by Narges Rashidi, who turns in a solid performance.

I greatly enjoyed that this is heavily-rooted in Iranian culture. At the same time, I do believe there was a slight disconnect, or more so that I didn't fully grasp certain moments/aspects. This never felt like an issue, though. I wouldn't say I enjoyed myself any less because I'm not familiar with the culture. Certain elements, including the antagonist, didn't connect as fully as I think they would with an Iranian audience. That said, the film is still effective as being a creepy, self-contained tale regardless of where you live.

Even clocking in at a sleek 84 minutes, things did get slightly stale and redundant. We get glimpses of the neighbors in the apartment building, before they all leave due to a missile threat, which offer a welcomed deviation from the rest of the film. Much of the story revolves around Shideh and Dorsa questioning each other and their home, which is fine, but did become stagnant after a while.

Nonetheless, Under The Shadow is a finely tuned and crafted character-driven piece full of mood. It's simple and effective, and sometimes, that's all you really need.

SCARE-A-THON 2016: WEEK THREE

Three weeks in and I've thankfully been on track! It's consisted of many late nights and sacrifice of sleep, but it's all worth it. Why am I watching a bunch of horror movies this month? Well, if you didn't know, I'm accepting pledges per movie watched, raising money for both The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Reach Counseling Services in Neenah, WI. If you'd like to pledge or know more about the Scare-A-Thon, shoot me an email at john.marcus.pata(at)gmail.com.

Need to catch up? No problem, check out the recaps of week one and week two.

17. KILLER PARTY (1986)

Because sometimes, you just need to watch some pure '80s cheese on VHS.

The quick pitch is three coeds pledge to a sorority, frat dudes are bursting at the seams with testosterone, and there's some sort of weird spirit/possession going on at an abandoned frat house where, of course, there's going to be an April Fool's Day party. It's super tongue-in-cheeky, very campy, and awfully generic at times. But then again, things do turn unexpected throughout.

For example, we start with a funeral scene in a church. When the service is over, the daughter-in-law who seems to be grieving asks to have a few moments with her deceased mother-in-law's casket. Sounds touching, right? Well, not so much, as she begins hurling all kinds of insults and celebrating that her in-law is dead. The casket opens, the woman gets bragged in, the lid shuts. Then it's sent to the crematorium (which is under the church???) and she's burned alive. But wait! This is actually a movie two characters are watching at a drive-in. Whew, that's comforting. Now, our female is tired of her dude trying to get busy, so she goes to get some popcorn. But the concession stand is empty, no one seems to be around. Confused and concerned, she returns to the car. However, now her boy-toy is missing, and suddenly zombies swarm her! But wait! Now there's a sweet as fuck hair metal band playing in the concession stand. This is actually now a music video for a song called "April" (which also happens to be this starlet's name). The video ends just like you would see on MTV (you know, when they played music videos), with the name of the band, song, and album. Cue the opening credits.

If you didn't guess by now, Killer Party is pretty all over the place. At times, you actually forget you're watching a horror film because the horror elements hide for a bit. They do return, though. And I will say, this sets itself up to be a typical slasher/college fright flick, and goes in a pretty interesting direction. The third act sneaks up unannounced and works pretty well for what it does. Now, don't me wrong, it's not fantastic. Nothing about Killer Party is. Nothing screams "You need to see this!" because, quite frankly, you don't. That said, if you're in the mood for a familiar '80s movie with a twist of something different, you could do worse.

You should probably at least watch the opening, though. It's real ridiculous.

SCARE-A-THON 2016: WEEK TWO

Two weeks down, booyah! Why am I watching a bunch of horror movies this month? Well, if you didn't know, I'm accepting pledges per movie watched, raising money for both The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Reach Counseling Services in Neenah, WI. If you'd like to pledge or know more about the Scare-A-Thon, shoot me an email at john.marcus.pata(at)gmail.com.

Want to read about week one? Get click happy here!

9. ACOLYTES (2008) - First Time Viewing
When you're a teenager, and you've been molested and beaten by a bully, what's the best way to go about handling the situation? To blackmail a serial killer to get rid of the shithead plaguing you, that's how! At least, that's the way our three teenagers go about it in the Australian-helmed Acolytes.

Oh, and said serial killer just happens to be played by Joel Edgerton, who I've recently become quite a fan of.

On paper, Acolytes is for me. It's a dark, tragic tale about misfits and teen angst. Finding out Edgerton stars as the murderous Ian Wright was all I needed to give this a watch. Something about the execution and direction the script went just left me so underwhelmed. While I wasn't blown away from the get-go, I was onboard for the first 20 minutes and wanted to see how things would progress. However, as the film played out, I just lost interest. James, the best friend of our lead, grew more and more obnoxious as every minute passed by. I hate to say it, but this character damn near made the film unbearable. I'm most curious to know how the film would have played with a toned-down James.

What's unfortunate is there certain aspects that work really well. The soundtrack is appropriate, the song selection is solid and used in very fun ways. Director Jon Hewitt and DP Mark Pugh worked quite well with the Queensland backdrop, creating all kinds of nice looking shots, many of which were nice, wide angles. The film hits the coming-of-age beats pretty well (accented by the soundtrack), but it just didn't know how to weave in the grim narrative. The two just didn't mix well, and the end wasn't satisfying enough to make the mediocrity worthwhile.

When all is said and done, Acolytes just didn't seem to translate on screen the way it should have.

SCARE-A-THON 2016: WEEK ONE

Week one is in the books! Just to recap, I'm accepting pledges per movie watched, raising money for both The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Reach Counseling Services in Neenah, WI. If you'd like to pledge or know more about the Scare-A-Thon, shoot me an email at john.marcus.pata(at)gmail.com.

1. FROM WITHIN (2008) - First Time Viewing
First film of the month is a pretty big deal, right? In theory, it could set the tone for the next 30 days. Since mainstream studio has been a massive let down in recent years, I figured I'd go for a smaller, independent fare in the form of From Within.

In a small Maryland tiny town where religion and the word of God are as prevalent as oxygen, a misfit teenager kills himself, setting off a domino-like effect of more suicides throughout the town. Something suspicious surfaces, causing our lead, Lindsay, to figure out who, or what, is behind what seems to be a suicide curse.

From Within is successful in many ways. The setup is intriguing and the opening scene grabs you with its boldness. The cinematography is solid as hell; lots of great camera movement with the lighting accenting scenes wonderfully. That should come at no surprise, as director Phedon Papamichael has a plethora of cinematography credits under his belt, such as 3:10 to Yuma, Identity, The Ides of March, Nebraska, and many more. The small-town paranoia, desperation, and sense of dread that occurs as a result of the suicides is handled quite well, which tightens the tension and provides the creeps throughout the film. The mystery of what might be causing this string of events is interesting enough to keep you trying to figure it out. Surprisingly enough, Adam Goldberg delivers a most enjoyable performance as momma's not-so-good boyfriend Roy, and unlike other roles, it doesn't seem like he's just Adam Goldberg playing Adam Goldberg.

That's not to say From Within doesn't have its shortcomings, as well. There are plenty. The script is bland and lackluster at times, as are a handful of the performances. The third act falls apart in comparison to the other two, leaving us with a conclusion that's fine, but not as strong as it should be. And some of the set-pieces are close to being successful. but ultimately come up a little short.

While watching, it was hard not to think of It Follows, My Soul To Take, and Final Destination, which isn't exactly a bad thing. In some ways, I found From Within to deliver more than It Follows and My Soul To Take (let's be honest, Soul is not one of Wes Craven's best offerings). Even by bringing up those titles and comparisons, it should point out that From Within offers a different tale than your run-of-the-mill horror. Plus, it's worthwhile! When all is said and done, this was a solid way to kick off the month. I'll take it!

SCARE-A-THON 2016 ANNOUNCEMENT

The end of September is fast upon us, and you know what that means. October is just around the corner, and it's time for the Scare-A-Thon 2016!

What is a Scare-A-Thon? Well, it's caring through scaring. Think of it like a walk-a-thon, but instead of walking a whole bunch, I'm going to watch a ton of horror movies with the purpose of raising money for certain organizations. Once again, I have selected the Fox Valley's Reach Counseling Services, who strives to end sexual violence and promote healing in our community. New to this year is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This is a bit of a personal selection, as in 2004, I lost my father to a 9-year battle with Chronic Malignant Leukemia. This is a way to honor my dad, considering he was the one who first introduced me to the world of horror.

For many years now, October for me has turned into 31 Days of Horror. The goal being to watch 31 horror flicks during the month, at least 16 of those being first-time views. In the spirit of a walk-a-thon or read-a-thon, I am asking for your assistance on a per-movie pledge basis with a prospective goal of 31 titles that I plan to watch. (For example, a ten-cent pledge would result in an approximate $3.10 donation.) Of course, you are welcome to make a lower – or higher – per-movie pledge, or make a straightforward donation of whatever amount you deem viable. Any and every pledge, no matter the amount, will be greatly appreciated.

If you are interested in participating, please contact me at john.marcus.pata(at)gmail.com with your desired pledge amount. To document my progress, I will be posting weekly right here. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

If you can't pledge this year, that's completely understandable. You can still support the Scare-A-Thon by sharing this. The more, the merrier!

Thanks for your time! Here’s wishing everyone a happy and safe Halloween season!

20 YEARS OF DESTRUCTION

Little did I know, coming across a random CD 20 years ago today would be a life-changing and defining moment.

May 21, 1996. It’s just another Tuesday toward the end of sixth grade, and I partake in an all-too-common after-school activity for 11-year-old me: going record shopping. (Until recently, new records were released on Tuesdays. Now Fridays are when new tunes hit the shelves.) Whenever I can, I pop into America's oldest independently owned record shop, the Exclusive Company in downtown Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

(Not just on Tuesdays, mind you. Since I was 9 or 10, I've spent far too much time—or perhaps not enough, depending on you look at it—at Exclusive. However, Tuesdays were kind of a big deal.)

I push past the old, heavy wooden door (of the previous Exclusive location) into the dark, catacomb-like musical haven and my feet are greeted with the warped, uneven hard wood floors, while my nose takes in the smell. It wasn't a bad smell—quite fantastic, actually. If you spent time in the old Exclusive, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I don't know how to describe it other than saying it smelled like a record shop. Fuck, I miss that scent.

FEATURED ARTIST

My friend Caitlin Kiley is one bad-ass photographer who also blogs about creative individuals. She recently asked me to be her featured artist, to which I am most grateful for.

There's a plethora of me looking stupid in photos. Consider yourselves warned. Click here or on the photo for the blog entry!

SCARE-A-THON 2015 FINAL RESULTS

Since it's now November 1st, that means not only is Halloween past us (boo, sad face), but my 31 Days of Horror Scare-A-Thon has also come to a close. For my first year accepting pledges, I am most proud of what we were able to accomplish together! Thanks to the support of some truly amazing folks and my foolish idea of watching 40 movies this month, we were able to raise over $1,200 for Planned Parenthood and Reach Counseling Services! To that, I say BOOYAH! 

Below is a brief summary of the month, with links to the full breakdown of each week to satisfy your curiosity. That is, if you are curious. 

Thanks to everyone who pledged and supported this wild endeavor, and to both Planned Parenthood and Reach Counseling Services for their incredible and continued work! 

Total Films Watched: 40 (of 40)

First Time Views: 24

Decades of Horror Watched: 6 (1960s - 2010s)

Countries Represented: 10

Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, UK, and USA

Most Movies in a Day: 5 (10/3)

Tattoo, Clown, Oculus, The Awakening, The Keep

Twin Peaks Cameos: 3Mädchen Amick (Sleepwalkers), Jack Nance (The Blob), and Sheryl Lee (Vampires)

Favorite First Timers:

Atrocious, The Awakening, Clown, Sleepwalkers, Tattoo, The Ugly, When Animals Dream

Most Enjoyable Revisits:

City of the Living Dead, The Cottage, Detention, Frontier(s), Vampires

Least Favorite First Timer: Mama

Why Did I Watch This Again?: Night of the Demons (2009)

Week One recap

Week Two recap

Week Three recap

Week Four recap

SCARE-A-THON: WEEK FOUR

End of the month also means end of the Scare-A-Thon. And how'd I do?! The goal of 40 movies has successfully been achieved! Full recap of the entire month - with total amount raised for Planned Parenthood and Reach Counseling Services coming very soon.

But first, let's dive into the last round of viewings for the month.


29. ROMAN (2006) - First Time Viewing
Describing Roman as a morbid drama might be a little more accurate that labeling it a straight up horror movie. Actually, calling it a lo-fi, wannabe pretentious and art morbid drama would be better.

Roman is a loner who doesn't own a TV, works at a shit job, and likes to watch the girl who lives across the way (Kristen Bell). They have exhilarating conversations about how cans of pork and beans are assembled while Bell drinks her beer in a less than stellar fashion during her two scenes. Things start to get hot and heavy, and Roman kills her. He panics, hides the body, and now a different woman starts obsessing over him, but is he too haunted from the first girl to pursue a new one?

For those who enjoyed May (like myself), this is the film where May director Lucky McKee and actress Angela Bettis swap roles, McKee starting as the titular Roman and Bettis calling the shots. Roman could have made a decent short, however, it makes a lousy feature. At least with the script and execution we're given. It felt like a late '90s student film, at times trying to be somewhat experimental and abstract and more minimal than it should be. There were some nice music moments, though. I will give it that. Ultimately, the story isn't very fresh or stimulating, making for a dull, lack-luster experience.

SCARE-A-THON: WEEK THREE

Three weeks in, one more to go! Just to recap, the goal is to watch 40 horror movies this month and I'm accepting pledges per movie watched, raising money for both Planned Parenthood and Reach Counseling Services in Neenah, WI. If you'd like to pledge or know more about the Scare-A-Thon, shoot me an email at john.marcus.pata (at) gmail.com.

Check out week one's viewings and what I put my eyes on for week two.

21. LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONSTERS (2014) - First Time Viewing
Seems fitting to pop in Love after Sleepwalkers, as this one is quite bizarre, as well. Deep in the woods lays a good ole fashioned tourist trap - a cabin resort run by a Croatian dude named Uncle Slavko that's focused around Bigfoot. It's a real family friendly place, that is, until a group of Sasquatch-clad employees (including genre mainstay Kane Hodder) fall into a toxic virus-ridden swamp, turning them into zombie Sasquatch-clad employees. As one would expect, all hell breaks loose around the resort.

I am completely smitten with the movie Love wants to be. It's absurd, over-the-top, filled with quirky characters and one-liners, and completely ridiculous - all the makings to produce a very solid and fun-filled horror comedy. Sadly, the script - primarily the dialogue - just isn't as smart as it wants to be, making the film inferior to what it's strives for. As a whole, the script felt like a first draft, never getting polished, fleshed out, or reworked. If someone told me this was written in 2005, I would totally buy it. A good portion of the humor/jokes feel dated, never getting beefed up like they should have. Once shit gets chaotic, our characters are jumping all over the place, speaking and behaving in a way that would make you believe they've been in survival mode for months, but in reality, it's only been minutes. I know we're talking about a very outlandish idea here, but the script lacked a lot of common sense and rational. There's also some unforgivably bad CGI that really killed certain moments for me.

However, even though there was a lot I found lacking, there is still plenty to enjoy. A lot of humor missed the mark for me, but there were still laugh-worthy moments. Doug Jones has a bit part as an Abe Lincoln performer who also happens to be a doctor, and his time on screen were hilarious. Hugo Armstrong's character of Chester, the obligatory backwoods hunter determined to track and kill Bigfoot even if it's one of the staff dressed up as the monster, was so successful, it almost felt like he was written by someone else (in comparison to all the other characters). And, one should mention the bloodshed is rather fantastic. When used, the practical effects were very satisfying for gorehounds.

A group viewing would be ideal, but on your own, it's not a waste by any stretch of the imagination. I just wish the script would have been workshopped more.

SCARE-A-THON WEEK TWO

Two weeks in and I'm still on track to hit 40 movies this month. Just to recap, I'm accepting pledges per movie watched, raising money for both Planned Parenthood and Reach Counseling Services in Neenah, WI. If you'd like to pledge or know more about the Scare-A-Thon, shoot me an email at john.marcus.pata (at) gmail.com.

If you missed it, check out the recap of week one's viewings.

Now, onto this week's movies! 

12. HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II (1987)

Full disclosure:  I'm pretty much a big fan of the 1950s, especially the music. When a film sets itself in that world - let alone a horror film - it makes me happy. Sure, Hello Mary Lou only starts in 1957 and flashes back time to time, but the charm of '57 is present throughout. 

When a recently crowned prom queen (Mary Lou) gets set ablaze out of jealousy in 1957, her angry spirit gets stowed away in a trunk (obviously) in the basement of Hamilton High, waiting to reclaim her title. Skip ahead to 1987, the students of Hamilton are prepping for the prom. Enter prom queen prospect Vicky Carpenter and her over-bearing mother who insists Vicky reuses an old dress for the dance. "But mom, I don't want to wear my green dress!" Well, Vicky, you're in luck. Open up that mysterious trunk you just found and rock a new dress. Oh, and enjoy being possessed by the Mary Lou Maloney. 

Hello doesn't try to be anything but dumb fun. It's chock full of good one-liners, over-the-top demises of annoying high schoolers, some bitchin' tunes, and Michael Ironside. I mean, who doesn't enjoy seeing Ironside pop up in random titles. While Hello is entertaining and silly at times, it never fully becomes the party movie it wants to be. None of the characters aside from Mary Lou are memorable, the deaths occur periodically, and there isn't one effect that left me amazed. Even the film's climax isn't deserving of prom queen status, maybe more like freshman representative. 

SCARE-A-THON WEEK ONE

I'm hoping to post a weekly recap of my views and thoughts. So far, I'd say we're off to a pretty good start!

1. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (2014) - First Time View
To kick off the month, I headed to New Zealand. Well, okay, I didn't actually travel there, rather checked out this flick from some of the Flight of the Concords gang. A "documentary" crew follows around a group of vampires, all of which are hundreds of years old, living together in Wellington.

Without a doubt, Shadows puts an entertaining and charming spin on the vampire mythos. Everything we know about creatures of the night is here, but presented in a unique manner.  They fight about doing the dishes, meeting women, run into the opposing gang (who are werewolves not swear-wolves), and try to get accustomed to life in the 21st century. Clocking in at a sleek 86 runtime, it did loose some steam as it went on. I think there's an outstanding 30 minute episode located underneath all the fat. Don't get me wrong, it's quite successful, but the gimmick got old and exhausted by the time the end credits rolled. The humor worked, however, I only truly laughed out loud a few times.

When I think back on the film, I think fondly of it, which makes me think I enjoyed it more than I did. I could see myself benefitting from an eventual second viewing, especially to laugh at my favorite line again. When talking about why vampires prefer virgin blood, Vladislav states, "I think of it like this. If you are going to eat a sandwich, you would just enjoy it more if you knew no one had fucked it."

SCARE-A-THON 2015

For many moons now, I've turned October into (what I like to call) 31 Days of Horror. The goal - to watch 31 horror films during the month, at least 16 of them being first-time views. There's never really been a reason to do it other than just to have fun. This year, however, there is a reason. Well, actually two.

Following the lead of my good friend Aaron Christensen, I am using this year's quest as a fundraiser, a Scare-A-Thon. What does this mean? Well, much like a walk-a-thon, I am accepting pledges of any amount for the movies I'm watching. Instead of 31, though, I am aiming to sneak in 40 fright flicks. The idea is that is someone were to pledge, say, $0.10 per movie and I succeed in hitting my target number (40), that would equal a total donation of $4.00.

But what a minute, a donation to where? Remember how I said there are two reasons for this year's 31 Days of Horror? In doing this Scare-A-Thon, I am raising money for two organizations I firmly believe in and want to support. First is Planned Parenthood, who provides vital health care and education to women and men all over the country, and the Fox Valley's Reach Counseling Services, who strives to end sexual violence and promote healing in our community.

I'll be posting as I go, probably weekly, and giving quick thoughts on what I've watched. If you're interested in pledging, it's never too late. Just let me know and I'll reach out with all the info.

Here's to a great and safe Halloween season, friends!

PITY ONE-SHEET

I've been working on a new short film called Pity since November, and have done a shitty job posting about it. That all changes now!

I could give you all the info here, or you could just head over to the Facebook page to get the scoop and keep up-to-date. We're also up on IMDb!

However, I'll be kind and share with you the official one-sheet designed by my good friend Danny DelPurgatorio of Vitamin Pictures.

DEAD WEIGHT HITS US AND CANADA!

It's been a long time coming, but we finally secured North American distro for Dead Weight through Kino Lorber/Horizon Movies! Come January 21st, many more will be able to feel the weight. You can order it from Amazon, download it from iTunes, rent it at Family Video, and find it in many other places.

We're trying to get on Netflix too, so if you would be so kind, save it to your disc queue!

Keep up with our journeys on Facebook, and rate us on IMDb!

Oh, yeah, there's new artwork too...

WHISPERING BODIES

Care to hear something dumb? I didn't read a single novel in 2013 (although, I read comics and magazines). Barf.

While I'm not a New Year resolution guy, I set a goal to read more in 2014, and decided to kick things off with Whispering Bodies, written by Jesse Michaels. Well, after two sittings, the book has been read. Granted, it was only 209 pages, so it wasn't too terribly long. Still, in two days I read more than I did last year.

I knew absolutely nothing about Whispering Bodies when I cracked it open, except that it was written by Michaels, which is all I needed to know. Michaels was the singer in Operation Ivy, a short-lived punk-ska band from the Bay Area (active from '87-'89). Even though the band only had one official release, that record is, without a doubt, the most influential record of my life. I heard OPIV at a very young age (fourth or fifth grade), and their music and message has stuck with me to this day. OPIV goes down as one of my favorite bands, as Michaels himself ranks him at the top of my favorite lyricists. So, in other words, it was a no-brainer to read his first novel.

Whispering Bodies is a rather simple and straight-forward story: a mysterious death occurs in Roy Belkins' San Francisco apartment, and he sets out to solve the crime. Keep in mind that he is not a detective. He's not really anything, to be honest. However, it's the characters that give this book something more. Every single person in this narrative is a character amongst characters, especially Belkin. The level of absurdity is established rather quick, and it's clear that the world Belkin lives in is almost a caricature of the one we know. Between the murder mystery aspect and the characters (not to mention their interactions, situations, and general behavior), I can't help but think of Whispering Bodies as an urban Twin Peaks.

I knew Michaels had a way with words due to his lyrics, but I wasn't sure how they would hold up on a page. Not that I doubted him for a moment, but it's a shift in gears. Nevertheless, he nailed fictional writing. What surprised me the most was the tone and sense of humor throughout. His lyrics (in OPIV, Big Rig, Common Rider, and Classics of Love) are serious, usually touching upon social, cultural, economic, and political issues, and while there's remnants of that in Bodies, there's such an offbeat humor that more than excels. I certainly was laughing out loud on a very regular basis.

You don't have to be familiar with the music, or Twin Peaks for that matter (since I mentioned it). Whispering Bodies stands on its on feet, and they're waiting to take you on an adventure through the streets of San Francisco.

Can't recommend this one enough.

MUSIC, MOVIES, AND COMICS OF 2013

I really like music. I really like films. I really like comic books. I listen to a lot of music, watch a lot of films, but don't read as many comics as I'd like. Here's a breakdown of my thoughts on all three in the past year.

Let it be said (as if it isn't obvious), all of this is my opinion. I know for a fact there's a bunch of people who will disagree with me, that's just fine. Also, there's probably plenty of stuff I missed out on from this year, so this is all based on what I put my ears and eyes on. Feel free to leave your thoughts, or tell me how much my taste sucks. Just be respectful, eh?

For your convenience, I linked to the records/songs/trailers, so be sure to click away!

TOP 10 RECORDS of 2013

10. The Creepshow - Life After Death

9. Wringer - Bullfighter

8. Plow United - Marching Band

7. Caves - Betterment

6. Harley Poe - Pagan Holiday

5. The Flatliners - Dead Language

4. Not Half Bad - Good People

3. Off With Their Heads - Home

2. Iron Chic - The Constant One

1. Get Dead - Bad News

2013 RECORDS WORTH MENTIONING aka HONORABLE MENTIONS

Atrocity Solution - Lost Remedies

The Filaments - Land of Lions

The Infested - Eaten From The Inside

Red City Radio - Titles

RVIVR - The Beauty Between

Swingin' Utters - Poorly Formed

Superchunk - I Hate Music

FAVORITE EPs of 2013

The Flatliners - Split

Future Theft - They're Like Pop Punk or Whatever

Ghetto Blaster - Tales From Twisted Minds

Harley Poe - Man of God

pageripper - s/t

TOP 10 FILMS of 2013
10. Stitches
9. Sign Painters
8. Here Comes The Devil
7. Elysium
6. Insidious Chapter 2
5. The Conjuring
4. Sightseers
3. Prisoners
2. The Kings of Summer
1. The World's End

2013 FILMS WORTH MENTIONING aka HONORABLE MENTIONS
100 Bloody Acres
Billy Club
Drinking Buddies
Pieces of Talent
The Rambler

FAVORITE NON-2013 FILMS!
This is a list of stuff that came out previously but I had not seen until this year.

28 Hotel Rooms

Angel Heart

Another Earth

Cedar Rapids

Citadel

Diggers

The Forbidden Door

Habit

The Imposter

Lars and the Real Girl

Love Object

Memories of Murder

Mud

Mystics in Bali

Never Let Me Go

The Night Stalker
Perks of Being a Wallflower
Possession

Razorback
Seven Psychopaths
Silver Linings Playbook
Taxidermia
Things
Tyrannosaur
The Vicious Kind

TOP 10 COMICS of 2013

Disclaimer: These were my favorite out of what I read, doesn't mean they were released this year.

10. Nowhere Men (Image Comics)

9. Snapshot (Image Comics)

8. Witch Doctor (Image Comics)

7. Screamland (Image Comics)

6. Bedlam (Image Comics)

5. Daredevil: End of Days (Marvel Comics)

4. Punk Rock Jesus (Vertigo Comics)

3. Hawkeye (Marvel Comics)

2. Revival (Image Comics)

1. My Friend Dahmer (Abrams Books)

WHEN THE LEAVES FALL, THE RECORDS WILL SPIN

I'm one of those weirdos who can hear a song/album and instantly remember where I was when I heard it, who was with me, what the weather was like, how the air smelled, and sometimes, what I was wearing. Yeah, it's odd, but it's true. Try as I might, but I can't help associate certain albums with respective seasons.

Since the fall weather has finally rolled into town (which, by the way, is my favorite time of year), I figured why not put together a list consisting of the records I have the strongest nostalgia for when it comes to these months. This is not all of them, mind you. Just a nice little collection.

Click on the album artwork to hear a choice song from each.

Angry Johnny and The Killbillies What's So Funny?
There's a handful of albums that stayed in constant rotation for days, if not weeks (okay, more than a handful is a better way to put it). This is one of them. Bought it in October, listened to it for a least two straight weeks. More specifically, "High Noon in Killville" quickly became my most played track on iTunes (and I usually don't like to just listen to individual songs). Feels like a crime to listen to What's So Funny? on a warm, sunny summer day. Thanks to the film 11:14 for introducing me to Angry Johnny (the opening track, "All-American Girl," is used in the film and I anxiously sat through the credits to find out who sang it).

Arms Aloft Comfort At Any Cost

It was the day before Thanksgiving, I was still co-owner of a screen printing shop, and we had to ship a massive order before 6pm. As we were burning the screens, and in great timing, our power washer took a shit on us.  While I was frantic and stressed, Adam was getting ready to flea the shop to get a new one, not before he plugged in his iPod and said, "I'll only go if you listen to this." Assuming it was going to be his regular dose of metal, indie rock, or Rush, I was not prepared for what I was about hear. Sometimes I'll just put this EP on repeat and go for a long walk in the breezy fall nighttime, my favorite way to experience it. Oh, and for the record, we did ship the order on time. 

Bigwig Invitation to Tragedy

I remember going to The Exclusive Co. (which was in its previous location) on a Tuesday in September with nothing in mind, just looking for something new. Little to my knowledge, the new Bigwig came out that day, and I was stoked beyond belief. I hardly say "stoked" so take that as in indication how pumped I was. This record still makes me think of that old store; the uneven hardwood floors, the cool draft squeezing past the front door, the smell… That was a record store. Miss that place. 

The Misfits Static Age

Um… Because why wouldn't The Misfits show up on this list? If you're unsure why this would have connections to my favorite season, well, just go listen to it.

Osker Idle Will Kill

For their second release, Osker swapped out their rawness for a little more of a mature feel, which at first didn't sit well with me. After repeated listens, I was able to ignore the contrast, and appreciate the songs as they were. There's a certain mood to Idle Will Kill, that in a way I find depressing, which perfectly compliments gloomy autumn days. Still one of my go-to records when I'm down.

Slapstick Slapstick

I discovered Slapstick way later than I should have. These 25 songs could essentially be labeled the soundtrack to my junior year of high school. I could not get enough, and still can't all these years later. I associate driving my '88 Toyota Camry to work (at Cousin's Subs) during a downpour as the sun was setting with these songs. Still the best ska-punk record I've ever heard.

T.S.O.L. Dance With Me

Being a teenager and hearing Jack Grisham proclaim "I want to fuck the dead!" (in the song Code Blue) on Punk-O-Rama Vol. 2 was more than enough to catch my attention and want to hear more. It was just happenstance that I bought this record during the fall, as everything about it screams fall weather, but it is required listening.

LIFE WON'T WAIT

June 30, 1998. It was the summer before my freshman year of high school, and I ended up working for my mom's boss, painting the exterior of their building. It was my first taste of "full-time" work, as I worked Monday through Friday. Can't remember if it was eight hours a day, I think it just might have been. I do recall, however, that I had to be there at 9am, which completely sucked. I mean, after all, this was summer break. Who wants to get up that early during summer? As I quickly found out, those carefree summer days we all loved were over.

On this particular day fifteen years ago, a Tuesday to be exact, I woke up extra early to make a slight detour before work. Much to my anticipation, the new Rancid record, Life Won't Wait, was coming out, and I had to be the first one to buy it (not to mention I wanted to listen to it all day at work). Now, when there was a new record coming out that I excited about, I used to go to the Exclusive Co. about thirty minutes before they opened, to ensure I was the person there to buy it. That is, of course, if Sam Warnke didn't beat me to it. Actually, my work was only a few blocks away from Exclusive, so it wasn't as much a detour as it was a brief stop. 

Just a few weeks prior, I caught the world premiere of the music video for "Bloodclot" on MTV's 120 Minutes (which I used to sit up and watch until 2am every Sunday night during the summer). As if I wasn't pumped enough, that video pushed me over the edge. Lucky for me, I taped it when it aired, and basically watched it daily until the release of the record. On top of that, just a few weeks later, I'd be catching Rancid live for the first time at Warped Tour. In other words, the first half of summer was all about Rancid.

The opening line of the intro wasn't lying when it said, "The phenomena you are about the witness could well revolutionize your way of thinking... Prepare yourself for the evidence that will follow." Something I was unaware about was what I got myself into when I made my purchase that morning. Not only is Life Won't Wait my favorite Rancid record, but it's one of my all-time favorite records period. With …And Out Come The Wolves, the band started to explore elements of their influence, dabbling into ska and reggae. With Life Won't Wait, they took it to a whole new level. Not only were they busting out tracks of all styles, they were executing them perfectly. It seems that this direction steered a fair amount of fans away. I still find myself in conversations where people shoot Life Won't Wait down. That's fine, to each their own, but for me, it doesn't get much better than this.