Thursday, September 13, 2012

500th Post

Today marks the 500th post on F This Movie!. Whoa.

In the past, we've marked these commemorative milestones with special lists (like this one and this one) or with podcasts on Star Trek, because a perfect world is one in which time is measured in Star Treks. So I'm not going to do that here. I just want to say a couple of things about where we're at with F This Movie! and where we'd like to go. And I don't want to get into too much back-patting or self-fellating. I'll leave that to you guys (which means it's not "self-fellating" and more just "regular-fellating," but, you know, SOME ANTICS). Besides, we did enough of that on and around our 100th podcast and F This Movie Fest last February.

Since starting the podcast and website back in May of 2010, we have published 132 episodes of our podcast. We hosted F This Movie Fest, the very first all-Twitter film festival. We've been written about by The A.V. Club and The Huffington Post. We hosted our own screening of Die Hard and got to watch the Greatest Action Movie ever made with 100 of our closest friends, fans and family. This year, we introduced (30) Stars of Summer, which may not ever come back, because holy shit. We've watched trailerz with Doug and shit on classics with JB. We've held two Scary Movie Months, which means we've held two F Scary Movies! Challenges. The first year, we had 125 entries. By year two, that number had grown to 435.
The F This Movie! crew at Die Hard (not pictured: Erich and Alex)
We're just days away from kicking off our third Scary Movie Month (OMG I can't wait) and our third F Scary Movies! Challenge. Hopefully, it will be even bigger and more successful than last year. I'm curious to hear if any of you have specific plans or goals for things that you're going to try and watch this October (if so, let me know in the comments). Last year, I devoted way too much time to every horror offering available on Netflix Instant. I saw a lot of terrible movies. This year, I think I'm just going to watch what I want to watch, even if I've seen it before. It will make for a happier October. Oh, and The Omen, because I've still never seen that one.

Writing about movies never feels like work, even when it's A LOT OF WORK. I made the decision over a year ago to try and post new content at least five days a week, and overnight F This Movie! morphed into a monster that needs to be fed again and again. There are days when I wish maybe I didn't need to write 2,000 words on a Steven Seagal movie at 11 o'clock at night, but that's just a time management issue. While I'm actually doing the writing, it's fun. It's cathartic. I like developing and organizing my thoughts about a movie as I type them. I like focusing on movies that don't always receive the kind of serious critical attention we try to pay. And knowing that I'm actually writing for an audience that READS THIS STUFF is what makes it worthwhile. It's the difference between lecturing someone, which I'm not interested in, and having a conversation, which I love (especially when it's on the internet, and I don't have to have any of that panic-inducing real-life social interaction. I can't even answer the door when the guy [or girl, because GIRLS CAN DO ANYTHING] comes to deliver the pizza. I AM NOT JOKING). The discussion we have in the comments section is my favorite part of posting a new piece. Hell, its the whole reason we do this.

These days, there are so many goddamn movie sites and it seems the internet is pretty evenly split between those and porn (although people taking pictures of food that they're about to eat is something of a dark horse).

It now occurs to me that we might have chosen the wrong path.

Because of this overcrowding, it's becoming increasingly difficult to make one's voice heard amidst the white noise that online film conversation has turned into. One of the things that has been most rewarding about FTM is the response we've had from so many of you who point out that we're doing something that's just different ENOUGH to stand out from other sites. Maybe it's because we joke around without constantly being superior smartasses. Maybe it's because we try (TRY...) to not be pretentious douchebags. Maybe it's because, as at least one reader has affectionately pointed out, we love movies and are excited about them. That doesn't make us special among movie fans -- we all, in theory, love movies, and that's why we're here -- but in a culture of criticism that's become increasingly hip and snarky and THE WORST, it's nice to distinguish ourselves in that way, if only a little. By the way, we are far from impervious to sarcasm and snark; JB wrote 52 different columns called Shitting on the Classics, after all.

We also live in a culture now in which everyone has to make his or her own opportunities. Media has been democratized at the same time that it has basically been taken over by corporations. So while there's very little chance that Newscorp or GE will take a chance and give you a break (unless you are a racist or a raging asshole, in which case WHEN CAN YOU START??), it has also never been easier to just DO IT YOURSELF. That's a blessing and a curse. Plenty of good art and content has sprung up where it might not have otherwise. But the flip side is that there's SO much of it now that it's just become noise. Everyone is a photographer. Everyone is a musician. Everyone is a filmmaker. And, yes, everyone is a critic now, by virtue of the fact that everyone has a movie blog or a podcast. Just in the time that F This Movie! has been around, we've seen dozens of podcasts spring up that essentially do the same thing that we do, just as when we started out, we were doing something not unlike some of the other movie podcasts out there. We have outlasted many of them. Others, I'm sure, are even more popular than ours. And I will not sleep until that is no longer the case. DO YOU HEAR ME, SLASHFILM? YOU CALLED DOWN THE THUNDER, WELL NOW YOU'VE GOT IT.

I'm incredibly lucky, because when I decided I wanted to start a podcast and a website I didn't have to seek out contributors or co-hosts at all. My closest friends (and my wife) are all people who love movies. Who know a ton about movies. Who have seen a lot of movies. Plus, they're great conversationalists. And they're all funny -- and not Jim Carrey, funny, either. More like JEFF DANIELS FUNNY. What you hear on the podcast is basically just the conversations we would be having anyway, from the way we talk about movies to the way we joke around and constantly give out contact information. It's a pretty great circle to be in.

The best part about F This Movie! is that we've been able to open up the circle. We get to have new, cool conversations about movies we like or don't like with new, cool people we wouldn't otherwise know. I've been turned on to new movies I wasn't necessarily aware of. Heath Holland turned me on to the Dolph Lundgren Die Hard rip-off Command Performance, which was super entertaining and hit me right in the Heavy Action sweet spot. J.M. Vargas alerted me that I should DVR Possession, a movie that's not even available on DVD. Having seen it, I'm not sure I should have listened, but I appreciate the recommendation. Someone posting as 'Anonymous' turned me on to These Amazing Shadows, a really solid documentary about the National Film Registry. Tons of clips. I love clips.

So, yes, we are still small. We're growing every day, but in the vast ocean of the internet, we are but a tiny a shark waiting to become a Jaws (3D). But we're still a success, because together we have all created a place to talk, to exchange ideas and to share in our love of movies without a bunch of negativity or dickhead trolls (also the name of my first punk band). My wife can attest to the fact that, outside of my family, there's only a small handful of things that make me happy. Running this site makes me happy.

Thanks to all of the F This Movie! writers and contributors, who are all incredibly smart and funny and dedicated, and who consistently turn out some of the best and most unique movie writing I've read (and I've read a LOT). Thanks to Michael Stailey and Melissa Hansen at DVD Verdict, who are good and generous and wonderful, and who offered to pick up our show and put it in the rotation, bringing our silly podcast to the ears of thousands of unwilling listeners (and who, incidentally, run the best and most prolific DVD and Blu-ray review site on the internet -- good luck finding a title that isn't covered on DVD Verdict).

Most of all, thanks to you boys and girls, who have supported us and engaged with us and who are the driving force behind this whole thing. I so appreciate all of your emails and comments and feedback. As we go forward, is there something we're doing that you'd like to see more of? I dream of a time when we can post multiple pieces a day, so that our readers have to keep checking back every couple of hours. Right now, in order to do that we would have to start posting movie news items, which would make us just like every other site. I don't want to be that. So, short of telling everyone that James Gunn is directing Guardians of the Galaxy or that Peter Jackson will or won't be turning one movie into three, I'm open to suggestions. I can't promise to take all of them, but I'm more than happy to hear your thoughts. I love our community here. Thanks for being part of it.

I'll bet our next 500 posts go more quickly the first 500. I hope you guys will be here for every one of them.

60 comments:

  1. Congratulations

    Brilliant

    ¡Felicidades

    Awesome

    Félicitations

    تهنئة

    Well Done

    Gratulálok


    Here's to another 500!

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  2. First off, I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your show and ALL the content of your website. I always eagerly await new episodes on Wednesday mornings, or a new "Watchin' Trailerz with Doug," or the latest collection of recommendations on "Netflix This Movie." Every different contribution of content is a combination of interesting and entertaining in its own way, and I even learn something new about movies every now and then that I hadn't previously known.

    I appreciate your insight into movies and finding out what you like about certain movies and why. I just love getting to hear other peoples thoughts, even if they don't always agree with my own.

    I commend you on all the content that you already produce, but I suppose my one suggestion would be to keep it up with the "list" shows every now and then. I think it's fun to hear the two or three different viewpoints on the "greatest" of something. Plus, you get to talk about multiple movies on one show! It's great! I also love your dvd commentaries, which usually prove to be highly entertaining, and even insightful (although I would stick with the multi-person perspective whenever possible).

    As far as movies to watch during scary movie month, I think the one I am looking forward to the most is seeing Polanski's Repulsion (I've never seen it), which I'm pretty sure Patrick saw for the first time during one of the previous scary movie months, correct? Also, perhaps Dario Argento's Suspiria.

    At any rate, keep up the good work, guys! It's been fantastic to follow you all so far, and I will continue to do so for a long time!

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  3. Congratulations F this Movie crew. You have a great blog and podcast.

    One of the things that distinguishes your site is that your readership is small and loyal. I see the same names in the comments section post after post. And real names rather than handles which I appreciate. These people have definitely become part of the appeal for me. You may only post once a day but the discussion that is spawned by that post makes it worth returning to the site throughout the day.

    As for Scary Movie month, I am definitely preparing. I haven't seen any of the Classic Monster movies so I'm procuring Phantom of the Opera, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, and Creature from the Black Lagoon. I always envy people who get to see a great classic (as opposed to those shit-worthy ones) for the first time. So go ahead: Envy me JB

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    1. Just so you know...Fathom Events is doing a one-night-only screening of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein in movie theaters nationwide at some point during the last week of October (sorry, I don't remember the exact date). Should be very cool to see 'em on the big screen.

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    2. I really hope to make it out to that Fathom showing.

      Are you going to be picking up the Universal Monsters Blu-ray box set, Darren? That would be a GREAT way to see all those movies. You really are in for an incredible October watching those for the first time. Be sure to report back each time you see one.

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    3. They're showing The Birds on Sept. 19 with an interview with Tippi Hendren.

      Frankenstein/Bride of Frankenstein is Oct. 24 + round table talk with Sara Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Jr. and Rick Baker.

      They're also showing ET (10/3 - Drew Barrymore interview), Lawrence of Arabia (10/4 with behind the scenes footage) and To Kill A Mockingbird in November. Show time is 7pm and some theaters will have 2pm matinees.

      And then, there's also Rifftrax doing a live showing of Birdemic on the 24th of Oct. :-)

      http://www.fathomevents.com/classics/series/tcm2012.aspx

      PS - Am I the only one who hoped they would have released the Universal Monsters on blu-ray as "Legacy" sets as they did before - all the movies in one set per monster? They could stick Phantom of the Opera in the Invisible Man set - same actor.

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    4. Cool. Thanks for the info, Kathy. But did they really have to do E.T. and LoA in October? Do we really need more to do that month?

      I'm with you on the Universal Monster release. I'm a little disappointed that we're not getting all the sequels and everything, too, because now I still have to hang on to all my DVDs. And I won't have Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man in HD.

      But I guess that's just nitpicking, since I'm thrilled we're getting the main movies at all.

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    5. "Rifftrax: Birdemic" for me, and maybe "Frankenstein/Bride of..." if I can find the time. :-)

      They're showing "The Phantom of the Paradise" in a movie theater tonight (Saturday) at midnight and I seriously thought of going. But we're down to the last few days of "Big Brother" and at midnight Showtime 2 is showing "Big Brother After Dark." Sorry, but watching Ian, Dan and Danielle lie, backstab and plot against one another live on TV (especially with HOH competition Pt. 2 on the line) is so much of a hook than Finley and De Palma doing goth, IMHO. Go Dan!

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    6. Patrick...they have to show them now before they all come out on blu-ray before Xmas.

      JM...you passed up a midnight showing of PotP for a Big Brother episode you could have recorded?

      *face palm*

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    7. "Big Brother" isn't just about watching the show, it's about talking/commenting on chatrooms and forums on what we're watching. There's a timeliness and unique bond between us, diehard "BB" fans, and the experience of watching the non-CBS "BB" live feeds from the "BB" house and talking about the HG's as it's happening. Last Saturday's live show was excellent, more drama per second than an episode of "Mad Men" (get it? :D) and I was online to talk about it; beats a De Palma 70's movie harder than a splash of Brute cologne on Daredevil's smelling senses.

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  4. I only have one problem with this post. If you could self-fellate, why would you ever not self-fellate?

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  5. @TomAllen - Mind. Bloooooown.

    I'm actually going to try and watch some scary movies this year, guys, instead of being the resident coward.

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  6. Congratulations on the 500th post! I wish I was there at the beginning but I have enjoyed your podcast/postings since the F This Movie Fest! It actually corresponded with my entry into the Twitterverse so I'm partial in bringing that back in the future. I'm still trying to catch up with all the episodes!

    As for Scary Movie Month, I might try to snag the Universal Monsters Box Set since I haven't seen The Phantom of the Opera(I know!) and Bride of Frankenstein(I KNOW!). As for suggestions for an episode, maybe "The Evil Dead Trilogy"(just because I think they are all fun in their own ways). Also "The Exorcist", mostly because I think to a lot of people treat it as the "Citizen Kane" of horror films and yet there is a segment that detest that moniker.

    Here's to another 500(and more)!

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    1. That PotO...fair but not the best (it is the one that DePalma copied for Phantom of the Paradise).

      You haven't seen Bride?!?!?!?!?!?!?

      Have you heard about the Fantom Events/TCM theater showing in Oct?

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    2. 1. PotP is fantastic!
      2. I KNOW!!! Haha.
      3. Nope, but I'll look into them, thanks!

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  7. The aspect I like about F This Movie so much is it really reflects the thoughts of a moviegoer. You don't get bogged down in 'this is what a review should be' but instead you pick up on what interests you and drive it home. It's more of a gut-level approach than an pompous, intellectual one (cough..Filmspotting) which is how I think most people respond to art such as movies, music, literature etc. I also am bias because I am Chicago-based and know about every theater you are talking about. I first listened to the show after the Music Box Massacre podcast in 2010 (I was searching the internet for "reviews" of the event) and stumbled across F This Movie.

    I would love to see more 'Like you were there' columns and F Everything shows. F These Directors is great too - more of those would be welcome.

    For Scary Movie Month, I want to get through more Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and Horror anthologies (maybe my favorite subgenre???). The Halloween DVD Marathon with my buds this year is Vampire themed so I'm going to be cranking through about 10 of those one day in Oct - not to mention Music Box of Horrors (Lieberman!) and The Massacre at the Portage.

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    1. You are a hero among men, Adam. Getting to know you (we've actually met in person, everyone!) has been one of the many rewards of FTM.

      I love horror anthologies, too, but there are so few good ones that I've seen. Could you give me a Top 5?

      What vampire movies are you watching for the marathon? Please say Vamp. Just kidding! That movie is not very good.

      Have you seen Witchfinder General (or The Conqueror Worm), the Vincent Price movie being shown at the Massacre? It's one of my favorite Vincent Price performances. The behind the scenes stuff on the movie is fascinating, too, because VP and the director hated each other.

      You'll have to report back to everyone on MBoH, as some of us are boycotting.

      Thanks for all the nice words.

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  8. "The internet is pretty evenly split between [movie sites] and porn ... It now occurs to me that we might have chosen the wrong path."

    Waaaay ahead of you, Patrick.

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  9. Another Scary Movie Challenge?

    Outside of that copy of The Baby that I'm still working up the nerve to watch, where am I going to find more horror movies that 1) I haven't seen and 2) I can stomach?

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    1. The movies you watch for the Scary Movie Challenge don't need to be first-time viewings. I'm going to watch lots of stuff I've seen 20 times. I'll try and mix in some new movies, but feel free to watch anything. And, of course, there's always The Baby...

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    2. I think I'm going to put together a William Finley (RIP) retrospective - Sisters, PotP, The Funhouse...

      Trying to find copies of Eaten Alive and Night Terrors (find out if that's as awful as the IMDB reviews make it out to be).

      :-)

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    3. Don't forget The Black Dahlia. Or do?

      I'm hoping to write something up on The Funhouse in October. Maybe a "Movies I Love." Any excuse to watch my beloved Winslow Leach.

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    4. I saw The Black Dahlia once. That was enough. Rather watch the Lucie Arnez TV movie, frankly.

      Did Finley even get a line in that?

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  10. This is just wonderful. I love you guys, and you're doing a great job. I think you should just keep doing exactly what you're doing. If you want to grow, they will come. But even if it never grew by another single person (it will) there's a well established respectful community that is a fun and safe place to come and talk about movies with NO FEAR of recrimination or pious, nose-in-the-air snobbery. You guys are all down to earth REAL people who are fantastically easy to talk to. In short, you do what everyone else does not. You do not approach movies from an upward position looking down. You do not spend an hour discussing Kermit's motivation in the new Muppet movie. You actually enjoy movies! Do you realize how rare that is in this ridiculously bloated podcasting field? The Heavy Action column alone sets you guys apart from every one else I can think of. I don't want you guys to interview celebrities, I don't need you to bring me the movie news, and I don't need 8 columns a day, I love F This Movie because YOU LOVE MOVIES. It's who you are. You guys are the best.

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  11. F This Movie! is the first and only movie blog I've ever followed. To be honest, i can't imagine any other blog on the internet could both educate me and entertain me as much as this one. Keep it up.

    P.S. I'm dying for scary movie month!

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  12. As is almost always the case, Heath hit the nail squarely on the head. I found F This Movie through DVD Verdict, and I don't remember which episode I heard first but I was enamored immediately with the sound of smart, funny people truly discussing movies, not just slavishly praising or angrily shitting on them. There's a refreshing lack of the snark and ironic distance that are common on so many different podcasts.

    The site is great just the way it is, and though I don't comment much I come back multiple times daily because I love reading the comments. It truly does feel like a community and I love that. I can't wait for Scary Movie Month, those challenge posts are a blast to read. I had a great time with (30) Stars of Summer, it was a huge challenge to find the time to watch all of those movies but it was worth it. I hope there's another F This Movie Fest in the cards, and all I can really say is I'm looking forward to the next 500 posts and all the great discoveries and discussions that go along with them. Thanks for everything you do, and I'm proud to be an F-Head!

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  13. Something I think would be interesting to see on here is a place for members to share some of their work. With all these movie lovers on here, I'm sure some have made work of their own. Just a thought.

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  14. Well, the outpouring of support and positivity just reaffirms everything I wrote in the post -- we have the best community I've found online. The fact that everyone likes coming here every day and talking to one another is more than I could have hoped for when we started. And it's SO GREAT to hear how excited everyone is about Scary Movie Month. Now that the weather has cooled in Chicago and it's starting to feel like Fall, I'm freaking out inside. I want to get started now, but that's like peeking at your Christmas presents before Christmas morning. And I will not cheat.

    Everyone's comments about the tone and approach of the show is so great, because it means that what we're trying to do is working. When we started, I just wanted to do the kind of movie show that I would like to listen to, because there just aren't that many. I'm glad other people have the same sensibilities.

    Thank you so much, everyone. Thank you thank you thank you. I really do hope we will all stay together for a long time. At least two Avatar sequels and a prequel. So, like, 25 years?

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  15. ALSO --

    I don't want to give away anything we have coming up for Scary Movie Month, but I will say two things:

    It would be a great month for those of you who haven't seen the Universal Monster movies to catch up. Hint.

    Also, several of you mentioned commentaries. I won't say we're doing another one for sure, but I won't say we're not. It will be Scary Movie Month after all. And it's NEVER a good idea to go to camp.

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    1. Oh, snap! I was already planning on making my way through the Universal Horror catalog all month long. Cuz...last year, the whole Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th thing I did just wore me out. I'm super excited now.

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    2. Netflix put it back on streaming?

      Oh dear god...

      ;-)

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  16. Top 5 horror anthologies:
    1. Black Sabbath
    2. Trick R Treat
    3. Creepshow
    4. Dead of Night
    5. Tales from the Darkside The Movie/Tales From the Crypt (1970s)

    Vampire marathon will likely have Dracula-Bela Legosi, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Lost Boys, The Monster Squad, Blade or Blade 2, Fright Night, The Last Man on Earth, From Dusk Till Dawn, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Let the Right One In.

    No, I haven't seen Witchfinder General yet. I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

    I'll bring the noise on my report from the 'amazing' looking Music Box House of Horrors.

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    1. I don't know if I could come up with my five favorite anthologies (I AM A HYPOCRITE!). Creepshow and Trick R Treat would be on there for sure. I want to watch both Dead of Night and Black Sabbath again. I think I would include Tales of Terror, because I love that movie. And, of course, Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror, which I saw in a theater.

      I still have never seen the original Tales from the Crypt.

      That's a pretty killer lineup of vampire movies, though it appears to be missing Near Dark, John Carpenter's Vampires and Daybreakers. Also, My Best Friend is a Vampire.

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    2. I love Creepshow, but i think i like Creepshow2 better. Maybe it's because i saw it first. I was only 6. It scared the hell out of me.

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    3. I haven't seen Tales of Terror yet (though I own it in a Vincent Price 3pack). I'll have to put that in my stack of stuff to watch. Was Snoop's Hood of Horror really worth watching? I drove to a theater in Indy to see Bones when I was in college. That was a mistake :-)

      I'm not the biggest Near Dark fan, haven't seen John Carpenter's Vampires in a long time but don't remember liking it, Daybreakers I was kind of mixed on. Never heard of My Best Friend is a Vampire. I'll read up on it. I might add Interview with the Vampire which is kind of underrated in my opinion.

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    4. I was joking about at least half of those. Tales of Terror really is great; Hood of Horror is the WORST. It just made for a funnier reference than Tales from the Hood, which is actually not bad. I don't love John Carpenter's Vampires, either; it's just ok. I want it to be better than it is. Don't really seek out My Best Friend is a Vampire; it's '80s junk that I think was made in the wake of Teen Wolf (though I might have my dates mixed up). I think I like Daybreakers more than you, but Interview a little less. It always struck me as a movie about men being PRETTY.

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    5. Holy crap! I forgot about Tales From the Hood! That would be in my top 3 horror anthologies. I saw that at the Woodfield Mall when I was in junior high in a theater of bikers and would be gangstas.

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    6. I like the first one better as a whole, but "The Raft" from Creepshow 2 just really got me when i was young.

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    7. I like "The Raft." It's the only thing in Creepshow 2 that I think works -- and, even then, it's maybe only as good as the third or fourth best segment in the original movie.

      Anyone ever see the direct-to-DVD Creepshow 3? I think it's a sequel in name only. I haven't dared check it out.

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  17. As we go forward, is there something we're doing that you'd like to see more of?

    It might open a can of worms (as in it costs $$$ to implement) but now that there's a .net at the end of 'F This Movie' I think this place could use a forum or user-updated content html thingie (you know, a forum :rolleyes: ) where the faithful can post/update stuff 24/7/365. This is mostly because there's a lot of good posts in each of the individual stories, but after that day passes and days turn into weeks/months/years some of those thoughts get lost to the many clicks it takes to get to them. If these stories/topics were turned into forum topics then anyone could post a NEW thought on the "Young Guns" poscast or "Favorite Actor" story and everybody could see it/read it/respond to it.

    Instead, right now, a new post on these particular stories/podcasts (or any of the previous 499 posts except the previous 5 or so) doesn't generate new responses because it takes so many clicks to get to them. When 'The Agony Booth' (another website I hold in as much esteem as 'F This Movie' for entirely different reasons) added a forum and sections for 'Other' and 'TV,' combined with their extensive database of thorough reviewed movies/videos (that you could still comment on years after the piece had been archived), it became more fun for me to visit. I'd sure love for those 499 stories (especially the podcasts and the lists) to still be read and commented on, but that's just not feasible in the current design/layout (people are lazy and also don't want to post a new comment if they know nobody else would read it). Just a thought and yes, it costs $$$ to implement a forum and a moderator and what not.

    Also, do you have to be a FOP (Friend of Patrick's) to be a regular contributor to the site? Except for Erich Asperschlager everybody is either in Chicago or a friend of Patrick's outside Chicago. Can't blame you for sticking together and stick it to the coasts (and Canada!) from which all media content comes. This is why I love "MST3K" so much: they hit the big time (national TV) but never lost track that they were from Minnesota and kept the humor/antics humble and grounded, like 'F This Movie.' :-)

    J.M. Vargas alerted me that I should DVR Possession, a movie that's not even available on DVD. Having seen it, I'm not sure I should have listened, but I appreciate the recommendation

    I should have realized that your need to avoid confrontation or unpleasant things that upset you wouldn't let you enjoy this, but you also said you'd appreciate an ambitious failure (although I think Zulawski's "Possession" is anything but a failure). Besides, wasn't it fun seeing a young Sam Neil playing something other than the Antichrist? :-) Looking forward to your 7-word review of "Possession" on Scary Movie Month, especially if you challenge yourself and not use the dead-giveaway word that starts with 't' and ends with 'e.'

    This will be the first time I'll participate in the 'Scary Movie Month Challenge,' which is kind-of hard for me because I don't make it a habit to watch horror movies in October (or baseball movies in summer, brainless movies in then summer, Christmas movies in December, etc.). If I feel like watching a comedy or a western in October, why the hell not? I like horror, but consume nothing but for a full month? Sorry, can't. But I'll play along just to challenge myself to write 7-word reviews (which is kind-of hard for Mr. 'exceeded 4096 html character limit').

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    1. Thanks, J.M. I think introducing a forum might not only be a little much right now, but I'm not even positive that's a direction I want to take. We'll see as things continue to grow and change -- it's certainly something to think about in the future. But you make a good point about posts disappearing after a few days on the "home page." I wonder if trying to create some sort of "Recent comments" sidebar might help keep things visible? That way, if you were to post in the comments of an old show, that would pop up on the home page and other people could a) be reminded that even exists and b) get in on the conversation. I'll poke around a little.

      I'd be willing to consider Possession a success, but only if I can figure out what Zulawski was trying to accomplish. Honestly, I was making a joke, because even if I didn't love it, I a) really do appreciate the recommendation and b) am glad to have seen it, since I've never seen another movie like it.

      Glad to hear you'll be joining us for the SMC. Keep in mind that you do not have to watch ONLY horror movies in October. You just post any time you do watch a horror movie -- even if that's only four or five times. Every little bit helps. It's fun!

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    2. This time last year I was an advocate for a forum, but now I'm not anymore. It seems to me that forums tend to become too large and can overtake the actual content and community of a show. You start out with a place where everyone can speak their mind and in a short time you have forum "superstars" who are posting every 5 minutes about anything and everything under the sun. It also becomes a place where some weird social politics can happen, and you eventually end up with forum topics that look like the bottom of an Aint It Cool column or a Youtube video. not that this community isn't better than that, because it is. But from experience, I know that forums can quickly run away from people, and then it's no fun for anyone.

      The only downside to not having something like that is that sometimes I want to say something or ask something on here that isn't related to the particular topic at hand. In that case, there's no easy way to say "hey guys, what do you think about _____?" without bringing things to screeching halt. Like in the film vs digital conversation, you can't really say "who's watching the new series of Doctor Who?"

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    3. Which reminds me...the DVD of Prometheus is coming out without one second of all that "wonderful" footage that made more sense of the plot we were told was edited out added back....

      (ha ha :-p)

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    4. Now it will be interesting to hear people backpedal, since the mere existence of that footage is what a lot of fans hung their rationalizations on.

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    5. I dont get it? What footage are you talking about?

      Im a Prometheus supporter (a propromethei) and am really looking forward to seeing the dvd to delve into the details.

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    6. When the movie was in theaters and a lot of people were bringing up holes in the narrative (or in the themes), a number of defenders claimed that those questions would be answered by the scenes that were cut out. Now it sounds like that might not happen.

      I'll be curious to go through the disc, too, and see if it improves my opinion of the movie.

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    7. 1) It wasn't just defenders of the movie talking about this magical "25 minutes" - Theron and Fassbender kept talking about it in interviews about the movie. As in, "I know it's confusing but they cut so much out...if you just saw the whole movie then it makes sense...".

      But we're not going to get the "whole movie" this time either.

      2) Dare I suggest that we might take note that STILL YET ANOTHER DVD SET of Blade Runner is coming out just before Xmas.

      Why do I get the feeling that we'll get to see that 25 minutes of Prometheus one minute at a time as Fox "double dips" this movie 25 times if they can get away with it! >:(

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    8. I find it odd that damon lindelof would reveal more about the mysteries of the movie. That's not like him.

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    9. The only "mystery" is who Lindelof did under the table to get into the business as a writer.

      Photos that include a dead prostitute or a live boy?

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  18. Like some of your other listeners, I found you by way of DVD Verdict. The first podcast I listened to was "The Wolfman" followed by "Ghostbusters." The way JB and you talked about film, with off side references, humor and honest feelings was absolutely wonderful to stumble onto. I became an instant fan and have since listened to all your audio files.

    Like a few others, I have an extremely long commute to work so they come in handy--especially the ones that run over an hour. :)

    There is one story though I would like to share with you in regards to your podcasts.

    About a year ago, I burned a number of them onto a thumb drive to take on a road trip to LA. A few friends came with me, two of which were dating. One of the audio files we listened to was your talk with Erika about "Bridesmaids."

    From that conversation alone, it is abundently clear that you two are not only in love, but the best of friends. It's a little overwheming to some at first, because (sad to say) most relationships are not that.

    However, that night in L.A., one of my friends (a girl) started crying out of nowhere as we talked about day to day things. I asked her what was wrong and she explained that she and her boyfriend (who had also come along on the trip, but was out with others) were growing apart--or rather should never gone out at all.

    One of the reasons she cited was the "Bridesmaids" podcast, saying "You can hear plain as day how much those two love and care for each other and he and I just don't have that." Later that night, she broke up with him.

    That drive home (6 hours) may have been LONG and intense, but at least I had the infamous "Taken" podcast to listen to. :)

    And to this day, whenever my other friend, her ex-boyfriend, hears the name of Jon Hamm, he can't help but think back of the podcast that changed his life--he says (now)for the better. LOL.

    Thank you Patrick and everyone at F! This Movie for being one of the nicest and sanest places on the net to talk about film. Keep up the great work!

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    1. Wow! Thanks, Cameron. I don't totally know how to feel about that story. I mean, on the one hand, it's really great that people had a reaction to our show and that the way I've always seen my relationship with E comes across. On the other hand, she's a total homewrecker. AWKWARD. Glad to hear everyone feels better off today. If nothing else, it gives us a new tagline: "F THIS MOVIE! -- Responsible for more breakups than any other podcast."

      Thanks for always being a big part of our community here, and for passing along cool stuff when you find it. I haven't yet watched that Raising Cain cut, but I'm totally going to.

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    2. That settles it, Im never letting my fiancée listen to F This Movie ever again.

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    3. ^^^ Hey, not fair. The podcast needs all the listeners it can muster; pre-listen to them so the one that will make her realize how much of a catch you're not is not on rotation, but let her listen to the rest. You want the site/listenership to grow, right? ;-)

      Cameron's story is as good as Mark Ahn's "Taken" story, especially because the podcast actually did affect someone else's life (Mark Ahn's life didn't change from the "Taken" podcast since the kidnapping had already happened to him). What does it say that it was the "Sleepaway Camp" commentary track is the one that touched me (ahem!) deeply and turned me into an 'F' head?

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    4. ^^^ You wear incredibly upsetting short shorts and start cursing at people at the drop of a (cowboy) hat?

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    5. Well I think the only logical thing Patrick and Erika can do now is to do another show where it deteriorates into them yelling at each other and one (or both) ending up in tears. THEN I will sit down and listen to it my my fiancee and I can say "well dear...at least we're not them!"

      I dont see any other possible solution.

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    6. Actually, on second thought, Don't.



      phew

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  19. I know I’m a bit late but, congratulations to all the F This Movie! crew on your 500th post. Thanks for all the hours of entertainment your podcasts, columns and the DVDs I won have provided over the last couple of years. Although I haven’t had the time to join in on the discussions much lately they are always a great read and it’s brilliant to see somewhere on the internet where we can talk about films so free from cynicism and snarky comments.

    One other thing, I absolutely adore the Heavy Action columns. If I was rich enough I’d pay Patrick to write them all day, or at least until he’s done one on The Perfect Weapon.

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    1. Thanks, Stuart. You're never too late! We've loved having you here talking with us. And thanks for being a fan of Heavy Action -- I love writing it, so it's great to hear that someone really enjoys reading it (and if you're hiring, I'm in). I promise The Perfect Weapon is coming, although there's going to be a lot of pressure to make it a good one now...

      Thanks again! Stay with us!

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