I don’t understand how companies can improve a product in one area, and break it in others. Because, you know, that isn’t an improvement at all.

Being a big movie fan (I have like 900+ DVD’s in my collection), I take an interest in news about the video business and the like. And I’ve been reading that Blu Ray sales are getting softer. It’s almost as if the public really doesn’t like them all that much. And executives are puzzled as to why.

Well, here’s my .02 - they aren’t that big a leap. And they are a significant downgrade in other areas. I have a Playstation 3 (which is supposedly one of the best Blu Ray players available) and I’ve bought more than my share of Blu Rays to play in it, so I feel qualified to talk about it (note: whether I feel qualified to discuss something usually never enters into it anyway… just thought you’d want to know that.)

Ok, back to Blu-Ray. Here are the strengths: The picture looks a little better (and in some cases, a lot better.) And some of the new online type features are neat. Those are largely what they are selling you with Blu-Ray.

But there are three annoyances that make me pause when reaching for a Blu-Ray:

Blu-Ray Annoyance #1 - It doesn’t remember where I stopped- Ok, I usually like to watch a movie the whole way through. But it’s not always possible. So I hit stop, and will come back to it later. 9 out of 10 Blu Ray discs have to start over. Seemingly every DVD in my collection can remember where I left off - even after a year or two!! Why can’t Blu-Ray? I honestly don’t care what the reason is - this is a massive fail. 

Blu-Ray Annoyance #2 - Blu-Ray’s have VERY inconsistent sound -The explosions (etc) are very loud on most Blu-Rays. And the dialog is painfully low. I have to constantly see-saw the volume level, unless I want to wake up Maryellen (I don’t). This happens regardless of equipment used and/or sound settings. Again, massive fail.

Blu-Ray Annoyance #3 - Too much pre-movie crap- DVD’s used to do this as well, but Blu-Ray’s have taken it to an entirely new level. Can I please just watch the friggen movie???? 

I can’t believe that untold millions were spent on making Blu-Ray the chosen format of the future, and they missed/ignored these painfully simple things. Things that an inferior technology handled with ease. It’s a marketing/design goof that I would have pointed out in an afternoon.

One more movie post, and then we’ll get back to business.

I just got done doing the “two weeks of terror” thing, and wanted to post a little something about the art of watching a movie.

Now, it may seem odd that I post this, because “watching a movie” takes no more effort than, say, “looking out the window”. In fact, depending on if the sun is in your eyes or not, the movie might be infinitely easier. 

But to me, there’s a profound difference between watching a movie, and watching a movie. 

Most people simply watch movies. But a few watch movies. Here’s the difference (besides the overly clever use of italics):

• You can watch a movie over a few sittings. Just pause the DVD and come back later.
• You watch a movie in one sitting. Straight through.  
  
  
• You can watch a movie with interruptions. Kids, phone, dinner, etc.
• You watch a movie with no interruptions. Go away.
  
  
• You can watch a movie with friends - you goof, yell at the screen, comment, etc.
• Watching a movie with friends is hard, unless they are watching it also.

You probably get the point. In other words, when you watch a movie, you actually carve out time to really watch it. And you allow yourself to get absorbed in it. You understand the characters, what’s going on, etc - the movie gets your full attention.

Now, whether I watch a film or simply watch one depends on the film. I merely watch “Transformers 2″. But I watch “The Seventh Seal.” To me, it’s really the only way you can truly enjoy such a film.

I’ve been told by people “I wish I could get into movies like you do”.

Well, it’s easy - just watch them.

I’m splitting this up because that first post was getting a little big.

Again, the idea is a horror movie a night for two weeks. And what does this have to do with business? Nothing, except that every successful businessperson / entrepreneur should have a well-rounded life

October 26th - Tenebre (1982)- I’m doing two Dario Argento films in this (the next one will be later this week - if you know Argento, you can likely guess what it is.) Tenebre is more of a “stalker/slasher” movie than pure horror, but Giallo’s (the Italian name for such) have their place in the genre.

Tenebre is the story of a writer visiting Rome, whose novels seem to inspire a local murderer, making him a prime suspect. And that’s prettymuch it. Listen, Dario Argento isn’t much of a screenwriter, but he’s a hell of a director (one of my favorites.) He’s just a master withthe camera, and his touch is decidedly stylish - the moves, sweeps, panning, etc - he’s an artist witha lens. This is a great film to both watch and listen to (featuring a superb score by Goblin, the band he usually uses). It’s also pretty gory - Argento’svictims typically die spectacularly, with blood literally painting the walls.  But despite the gore, this is “art horror” (particularly the long outsideshot of the apartment building with the two girls… you’ll know it when you see it.)  

Expand your horizons - watch Tenebre and see a master director at work. Then get ready for the second Argento later this week.

October 27th - Don’t Look Now (1973) - As you can tell by the movies I’ve picked so far, the location and setting of the film mean a lot to me. Done well, it can make a good movie into a great one. And that’s the case with Don’t Look Now, a creepy little movie set in the most unromantic, downtrodden version of Venice you’ve ever seen. There are no gondolas with singing boatsmen here - just a damp, depressing, crumbling city ready to show you the darker elements of life. And that’s about all I’ll tell you (it’s all you really need to know.)

Like many of the movies I’ve chosen so far, this is more “atmospheric terror” than in-your-face scares - a group of teenagers turning this on while saying “ok, bring on the scary movie” will be disappointed.  But that’s ok - these movies are meant to be actually watched and experienced, not halfheartedly textedthrough. Watch this alone in the dark with no breaks and tell me what you think…

October 28th - The Blair Witch Project (1999) - This is likely the most polarizing movie in horror history - you either love it and think it’s brilliantly scary with one of the best/scariest ending scenes ever, or you hate it and say “it was nothing but shaky film and screaming”. And to be honest, it’s both - it’s just the people who love it see something beyond the screaming.

I tend to watch movies without pretense, without pre-formed opinions, etc. I like to watch them start to finish without interruption, and usually become engrossed in them - it’s the only way to watch movies, really (in my opinion anyway). And if you do that with Blair Witch, especially if you are alone, it will scare the @#$% out of you. Especially that ending. I almost don’t see how it can’t.

October 29 - La noche del terror ciego (Tombs of the Blind Dead) (1971)- This is a guilty pleasure of mine. Technically, it’s not a “great” horror film, but I can’t resist putting it here. It’s the first in the “Blind Dead” series by Spanish director Amando de Ossorio, and one of the creepiest films around. Like many good movies, it takes a bit to get going, but once everyone gets to the castle where the Blind Dead reside, it becomes everything you want it to be. The best part are the “blind” zombies who slowly shuffle towards their prey, relying on sound. They are ancient corpses, with rotting bone and tattered robes - some of the best looking zombies ever.  

One of my favorite DVD sets in my collection is the “Blind Dead” coffin box, seen here.

October 30th - The Beyond (1981)- I’m a fan of certain horror directors - Argento, George Romero, and Lucio Fulci all pop to mind. “The Beyond” is Fulci’s entry to my Two Weeks of Terror. It’s set in a run down New Orleans hotel that was built over one of the entrances to hell. There are supernatural happenings, killings, zombies, and… well… Hell.

Fulci is known for some surreal images and gore - buckets of it. People are killed by zombies, acid, spiders, etc. Despite what I’ve mentioned, however, out of my entire list, this one probably plays most like a “popcorn movie”. Maybe I’m just weird, but I’ve always found this one fun.

October 31 - Suspiria (1977)- My favorite horror film of all time is Dario Argento’s “Suspiria“. And why is it my favorite? Well, it’s not the story, which is average. Or the acting, which isn’t that great. It’s the way this movie looks, and sounds - in very simple terms, this is probably the most beautiful horror film ever shot, and has a score (again, by Argento staple ”Goblin”) that is worth owning on its own. The use of color and surreal images of the German dance academy(where the movie is set), along with some of the best horror music ever, invokes a dreamlike state that completely envelops a viewer - until, of course, the shockingly graphic violence that Argento is also known for. It makes for a mix of calm and terror that is unsurpassed. This would be a five star movie with no dialog at all.

And there you have it - two weeks of the best horror imaginable.

I know many were left out - Dawn/Day of the Dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, The Omen, Salem’s Lot, A Nightmare on Elm Street, probably five Vincent Price films, Willard/Ben, Jaws, The Descent, Race with the Devil…. I could go on and on. Looks like I might have to do this again next year

Thanks for reading - one more movie post, and then we’ll get back to business.

I started doing this as a Facebook post… Watching a Horror Movie a night for two weeks.

I’m a HUGE horror movie fan. I mean, enough of a fan that I was discussing them on Usenet in alt.horror 10 years ago, and owned all the good Asian films (thanks to Bootlegs purchased on Ebay) years before the American remakes were even thought of. It’s a hobby, for sure.

I like all kinds of horror movies - I love a good, atmospheric ghost story; I like zombie films; slashers; weird stuff; vampires; I even like utter trash, like HG Lewis’ sixties “gore” films like Blood Feast and 2,000 Maniacs.

So the other day, on a whim, I said “I’ll watch one a night until Halloween” and posted such on Facebook. I decided that they’d all be what I consider “good to great” horror films (meaning no “so bad they are good” stuff like the above-mentioned HG Lewis or “Plan 9″ or the like.) I guess my goal (besides watching them, of course) was to maybe expose someone to a movie they have not seen. As a film buff, I like doing that.

Anyway, I was asked for a list, so I’ll post such here, with a short synopsis of each movie. I’ll update this as I go. I’ll also link these to their IMDB entries, so you can find out a little more about them. I’ll also post links to amazon if I mention a particular version, etc.

Oct 19th - Night of the Living Dead (1968) - George Romero’s classic zombie movie is the perfect place to start. Shot in beautiful black and white, and filled with tension, this is the movie that kicked off the zombie genre as we know it. He’s gone on to do better (Dawn of the Dead / Day of the Dead), but for pure “Halloween style” atmosphere and scares, you can’t beat the original. 

October 20th - Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971) - Great title, huh?? This is a really creepy movie that is largely unknown. Why it’s unknown is beyond me, as it has “scary atmosphere” to spare. Maybe it’s because the acting isn’t really all that great, and at times, it almost seems like a TV movie (maybe it was? The 70’s were big on TV movies). But trust me, if you like horror movies, you’ll love this one.  

October 21st - The Exorcist (1973) - You can’t have a list of great horror films without The Exorcist. This movie utterly shocked people in the early 70’s, and it’s aged well - it’s still pretty disturbing today. The makeup and effects were really well done for 1973, but it’s the fairly simple story/set that really makes this film - almost all of the key scenes take place in Regan’s bedroom. Personally, I prefer “The version you’ve never seen“, which includes the really creepy “spider crawl” scene. Just a note to anyone looking to pick this up.

October 22nd - Nosferatu (1922) - The first vampire movie (and in my opinion, easily the best.) Max Schreck plays Count Orloknot as a suave, sophisticated, angst-ridden vampire, but as a horribly deformed, cursed soul - he’s really something to behold. This is an old silent film, so don’t expect whiz-bang in your face scares, but to me, the mood of this film is second to none. There are a million versions and prints around, but this one, from Image Entertainment, is easily the best. It has the correct speed, and lets you choose from two different musical scores.

October 23 - Ringu (1998) - This is it… the big one. This is the Asian film that got all the “US remakes” started. Ringuis a creepy supernatural story about a vengeful, thoroughly evil spirit that kills people seven days after they watch a cursed video. It is a really scary film, with an immense feeling of dread that doesn’t let up. And it has one of the best endings ever. I actually liked the US remake also, but feel the Japanese one is superior, because the spirit (Sadako) is so twisted and dark… she was made a little too cute in the US version.

 October 24th - Session 9 (2001) - Great little scary movie that never got any real press. David Caruso (from NYPD Blue) is part of an asbestos cleanup crew working in a creepy, abandoned asylum, where things are not what they seem. This is one of those movies that drips with atmosphere, because the location is just so dominating (the asylum may as well be a character). It takes a little while to get going, but the interplay between the actors is good enough to keep you interested. It gets really gripping about halfway through, and the climax is pretty disturbing (and scary).

 October 25th - The Shining (1980) - We’ll continue with the “location is almost a character” theme and go with Stanley Kubrick’s version of “The Shining” (that’s the one with Jack Nicholson - not the one with the Wings guy). Stories abound on how difficult Kubrick was to work with, but the results are spectacular, as the Overlook hotel is just a deathly forebodingplace, not to mention Jack’s maniacal performance. The score on this film is also superb- just listen to the music in the beginning as you see the little yellow volkswagen go to the hotel and tell me that’s not one of the best opening pieces to a horror film ever… and those two little girls. Eeek.

 I could go on - if you haven’t seen this, you must, and if you have seen it, watch it again this week. This is horror at its best.

 Continued in Part 2

I got interviewed by Leslie Truex of Work at Home Success - turn up the volume, as my voice seems low (which is nothing like it is in real life… ask Maryellen )