Sunday, December 25, 2011

Top 10 Christmas Horror Films



A scene from the '98 family film 'Jack Frost' starring Michael Keaton. 
Or at least... I really hope it is






10) Silent Night, Evil Night  (1974)
Produced by B-Movie icon Lloyd Kaufman and even presenting John Carradine in a supporting role you have one of the more popular Psychological Horror Films centered on Christmas ever made





9) Don't Open till Christmas (1984)
A murderous psychopath wanders the streets of London killing anyone found in a Santa Outfit. The first two acts are strong, with some inventive kills but it falls apart at the end. Nonetheless it provides a fun horror thriller worth a look.






8) Treevenge (2008) Short
From up and coming Genre leader Jason Eisner (Hobo with a Shotgun) comes an inventive crazy short film about Christmas Trees who have had enough screwing into stands, lame ornaments stabbing them and ridiculous angels on their heads. And they are pissed.

Watch the entire film  here below!





7) Santa's Slay (2005)
Wrestler Bill Godlberg is Santa who little do you know is actually a demon (Santa-Satan, it's not a stretch) and goes on a rampage of killing which is what the TRUE meaning of Christmas really was. Yeah, it's awesome. And the opening scene; a dinner killing where you see the likes of Chris Kattan, Fran Drescher, Rebecca Gayheart and yes, James Caan meet their demise, well... it doesn't get much better than that.





6) Rare Exports (2010)
Hidden away in a deserted mountain range is a secret that many have worked hard to keep from the public: Santa is really a serial killer hell bent on punishing the naughty. In a plot line that reads like a B-Horror this Finnish delight is anything of the sort providing a serious look at an off-beat concept. It's funny, violent and all in all just a damn good suspense/horror thriller that likely moves higher on this list as the years pass.





5) Jack Frost (1996)
Not to be confused with the previously mentioned Keaton lead family film; This is tongue in cheek horror goodness. Honestly this is one of my *favorite* films period, let alone Christmas Horror. It also prompts one of the best WTF moments ever when you ask yourself: "Wait... where is the carrot?" And yes, that is Shannon Elizabeth below.





4) Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Unlike a number of others on this list let me be clear: this is NOT just another tongue in cheek Horror film. This is a legitimately disturbing selection that to this day is still banned in some countries. I of course love it. The 4 sequels though? (Yes, they made a part V) Not so much.





3) Christmas Evil aka You Better Watch Out (1980)
Another extremely underrated yet somewhat perverted Christmas Horror feast about a man obsessed with the Holidays who eventually loses his connection with reality and believes he is Santa. The man then turns this obsession into a killing spree of the naughty. Its a bit darker than most might think and over the years has developed a pretty strong Cult following thanks in large part to John Waters calling it the "greatest Christmas movie ever made".




2) Black Christmas (1974)
One of the most influential Horror films of all time; a slasher that pre-dates Halloween and Friday the 13th. Black Christmas tells a now overwrought story line but at the time was an original, tense masterpiece that still stands the test of time today. The remake was pitiful but don't let that turn you off to what may be the first real slasher film.





1) Gremlins (1984)
Although some would argue the genre of 'Horror' here it still has the elements to make this a winner. Speilberg and Dante combined on one of my childhoods favorite films with enough dark humor to entrance any viewer even today. One of the greats in ANY genre.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Top 10 Mancrushes of 2011

in no particular order...



Donald Glover



The reason for me to be excited on Thursday Nights. Community is hands down the funniest show on TV (seriously, it's not up for debate) and despite a wonderful cast from start to finish no one makes me laugh more than "Troy". Throw in his new rap album as "Childish Gambino" and seeing him do stand-up and rap at Fun, Fun, Fun Fest and my crush reached new heights in 2011.


Ricky Gervais 



This is a newcomer to the list, and honestly it was a long time coming. The original Office and his podcasts alone should have given him his spot years before but he reached new heights with me after hosting the Golden Globes and the subsequent outspoken defense of Atheist everywhere. His closing line for the 2011 Globes, in front of millions says it all "... and thanks to God... for making me an atheist."



Neil deGrasse Tyson
              
The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Neil deGrasse Tyson
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical Humor & Satire BlogThe Daily Show on Facebook

Science has needed someone like this for decades and now, *finally* they have their face for the masses. A charismatic genius that "gets it". Neil is as cool as they come and in an industry that no one ever thought was "cool" to begin with but now that all changes.



Jordan Hulls



The best shooting PG in the nation that was born in Indiana, was the Indiana Mr. Basketball as a HS senior and is one of the toughest SOB's on the floor every single time out is a resume enough. But to then lead my resurgent Indiana Hoosier squad to a now 11-0 record and our first top 25 ranking in nearly 4 years? Now, a lot of people might think I'd pick freshman Phenom Cody Zeller here but the team starts and ends with Mr. Jordy Hulls.



Dennis Kucinich



One more list and this man makes the Hall of Fame (see below). As the congressman for Ohio this is THE politician who really understands what the American people want and isn't afraid to say it. His help to get the Ohio Workers Bill voted down (http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0211/Kucinich_to_rally_in_solidarity_with_Ohio_public_workers.html) is yet another notch on a very impressive belt of accomplishments.



Andrew Garfield



I noticed him first on the criminally underrated Red Riding Trilogy. Then there was Never Let Me Go and his breakthrough performance in The Social Network. But for me it all came together after this one interview above. This one time where I realized that he too is just a nerd appealing to other nerds and how can I not get behind a calling like that?



Ryan Gosling



Yeah, yeah.. I know that anyone listing Ryan Gosling on a crushlist is about as shocking as Lindsay Lohan posing in playboy, it was all bound to happen. But Ryan took what was already a very stellar resume (Half Nelson, Lars & the Real Girl, Blue Valentine) and then added THE film of 2011 - Drive. The fanaticism and fact that he stared in the equally shitty as drive is amazing 'The Notebook' knocks him down some notches but in reality those aren't fair to him. Dude is just awesome. And I want to be friends. Yeah. 


Stephen Colbert
     
The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Bill O'Reilly Proves God's Existence - Neil deGrasse Tyson
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical Humor & Satire BlogVideo Archive

Another on the verge of a HOF spot. Colbert has taken his bit to new levels and continues to make tongue in cheek humor that is still informative.  And to illustrate this all while coming full circle to the post a few spots above I present to you this clip.


Win Butler


Take the band with the greatest album of the decade, add in one of the best albums of last year (which even surprisingly won them a 2011 Grammy) and then allow me to see them live in what was perhaps one of the 3 greatest shows of my entire lifetime? That's a good stretch for Win and his band Arcade Fire. Throw in some amazing humanitarian efforts and the fact that I was even sent a hand signed post card from the band simply for donating to their charity and well... you have the recipe for a man crush.



Rachel Maddow



















Well, you see... Ahem.


Bonus Pick:
Christopher Hitchens



This is a bit of an honorary pick since, unfortunately, Mr Hitchens left us on 12/15. Author of the hilarious yet informative "God is not Great" and along with one of my favorite Authors Chuck Klosterman helped with a series of Vanity Fair articles that are both controversial and invigorating. You will be missed sir. RIP.


Hall of Fame
P.T. Anderson
Sean Astin
Reggie Miller
Peyton Manning
Rivers Cuomo
Jason Schwartzman


Creepy Specific Crushes



Ron Swanson smiling
Jared Leto AS Jordan Catalanto only
Bernie Sanders in a suit on the Senate Floor
Jake Gyllenhaal ranting in Donnie Darko

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Top 10, err... 15 Concerts I Attended in 2011

In the first of my Best Of 2011 lists...

To follow there will be Best Of's in Film, Albums, Songs, TV and a few random surprises. But we shall start here. And keep in mind too these aren't necessarily the best bands, just the best shows. Although that of course plays a HUGE influence.

And in what is becoming a tradition with my music lists here is a Spotify Playlist specially created with only bands I saw in 2011. 



15) Justin Townes Earle
Grant/Millennium Park - Chicago
Choice Moment: Doing a heartbreaking yet fun rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Racing in the Street"

Show Clip: There were only two total clips online so this will have to do.



14) Pete Yorn with Ben Kweller (On my 31st Birthday btw)
Canopy Club - Champaign, Il
Choice Moment: Ben Kweller's piano solo cover of the Beach Boys "God Only Knows". That and me catching a drumstick of course.

Show Clip: I actually have some video of this but its not handy. This will have to do instead (he played this acoustic in this show as well). I effing love it when he breaks the verse down too.



13) The Dodos
in a small church - Champaign - Pygmalion Music Festival
Choice Moment: The atmosphere is what made this so special. Just watching these guys play 8 and 9 minute+ version of their work in this small intimate setting with a stained glass window behind them was perfection. I liked this band before this show, I loved them after.

Show Clip: Sadly no actual clip can be found. But this wonderfully building piece below perfectly exemplifies what this band is like live.

















12) Bob Schneider and Filter
Bat Fest 2011 - Austin, TX
Choice Moment: This was my first concert in Austin so it had a special meaning regardless. But seeing the Adam West rocking out to some 'Honey Pot' and then an impromptu cover by Bob and his band of Biz Markie's "Just a Friend" are moments I won't soon forget.

Show Clip: Just a friend... with a lil' improv in that Bob Schneider way. This whole performance and show just reeks of Austin.


11) Alpha Rev with Quiet Company, Joe Pug and Ed Rolland of Collective Soul
La Zona Rosa - Austin
Choice Moment: Ed Roland on stage singing "World I Know" and "Shine" with Alpha Rev. Something I never thought I'd hear again live in my lifetime. Throw in Quiet Company's cover of "El Scorcho" and we had one hell of a successful show.

Show Clip: This is actually my own video that I uploaded to my facebook. I think my quote to my friend right before they played this was "If they play 'The World I Know' I may lose it".



10) Iron & Wine with The Head and the Heart
Vogue Theater - Indianapolis
Choice Moment: Both bands on stage for a stirring collaborative version of "Boy with a Coin". This also was the first I had ever heard of The head and the Heart who are now one of my favorite new bands of 2011.

Show Clip: Sadly no actual clip could be found. But they did perform a very striking version of this song below in the same manner, which of course was effing moving.


9) Death Cab for Cutie
Austin Music Hall - Austin
Choice Moment: Closing the show with a 10 minute version of Transatlantacism, my all-time favorite Death Cab track. That alone was worth the price of admission and was the first time I had ever heard it Live.

Show Clip: I was up stairs in a VIP area with a pretty sweet view. The crowd singing along to a stripped down version of "I'll Follow You Into the Dark" also was pretty sweet:
 


8) M83, Lykke Li, Ra Ra Riot, Spoon, Joy Formiddable, Childish Gambino, Cold Cave
Fun, Fun, Fun Fest - Austin
Choice Moment: Honestly it might have been Donald Glover's standup but aside from that the M83 and LykKe Li shows were two that exceeded my expectations.

Show Clip: I dig this a lot because you can see how well they utilized the stage. it was a long day so I was sitting for part of this but it was a wonderful way to wind down the fest.
 


















7) Braid, Deerhoof, Japandroids, Asobi Seksu, Strfkr 
PolyVinyl 15th Anniversary Show - Pygmalion Music Fest - Champaign
Choice Moment: Pretty much the second Braid got on stage. I felt like I was 15 again. 

Show Clip: I was all over the place for this show but for Braid was pretty close the first half, and for good reason
 


6) Godspeed You! Black Emperor 
Metro - Chicago
Choice Moment: Uhh, seeing Godspeed live. Seriously, this was something I had waited years for. The use of lights and stage accents really helped as well. 

Show Clip: I was actually way in the back for this one, but it didn't matter. You can enjoy them from anywhere. This is 15 minutes that you need to invest right here

















5) Foster the People, MGMT, The Shins, Big Boi, Phantogram, Erykah Badu, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Phish 
Outside Lands Fest - San Francisco 
Choice Moment: Foster the People covering well... let me just link this below. If you don't know why this was so awesome you don't know me too well. 

All in all this was an amazing festival from top to bottom. And with 65 degree weather in SF the week after I just accepted a new job and moved across the country it was a fitting way to end my weekend



4) Bon Iver
Chicago Theater - Chicago
Choice Moment: Completely stripped down Acoustic version of "Skinny Love" with the crowd singing along.

Show Clip: about ten rows from the front, on the left side. Every single song was so damn powerful, this is how the show opened. Just like on the new album.


3) The National with Local Natives
Austin Music Hall - Austin
Choice Moment: Encore set by The National that included lead singer Matt Berninger walking through the entire crowd belting the repeated lyrics at the end of Terrible Love. Followed by a 100% unplugged (literally, not even a mic) and singing in unison with the crowd for the finale.

Show Clip: The true closing number, completely unplugged. Brilliant
 


2) Weezer
Memories Tour -Pinkerton Album - Chicago
Choice Moment: For those not familiar this wasn't just a 'Weezer' concert, this was them playing Pinkerton, in it's entirety, from start top finish. So hearing tracks like Butterfly and Across the Sea was beyond special since these are songs that Rivers usually refuses to play in other shows because of how personal and emotionally tragic they are. 

Show Clip: Was right in front, dead center for this with Vicki and friends belting out every lyric in unison. When the crowd goes nuts here is a "memory" indeed
 

















1) Arcade Fire with The National
UIC Pavilion - Chicago
Choice Moment: The entire show really. This may have been the greatest concert of my lifetime even. Arcade Fire played an over 2 hour set that I will likely never forget.


Show Clip: I was a bit closer than this, just towards the right of the stage. The energy of the crowd was and is palpable. This may have been the greatest show of the last decade for me, not just 2011. Effing perfection.





Honorable Mention: Passion Pit (Assembly Hall - Champaign) Appleseed Cast (Champaign), Saves the Day with Bayside (Austin), Cut Copy with Washed Out (Champaign, Pygmalion Music Fest), Bear Hands (Champaign, Pygmalion Music Fest), Margot & the Nuclear So &So's (Vogue Theater, Indianapolis), Girl Talk (Canopy Club - Champaign)

Monday, December 5, 2011

Top 10 Songs I act Like I Hate, but Secretly Love

And yes, I am fully prepared to take plenty of shit for this one.

Plus you are a cold-hearted liar if you act like you hate every track listed.



===========================

10) Britney Spears Toxic
Yeah...


9) Katy PerryFirework
It took me a full year before I even knew this was Katy Perry.


8) Lady GagaA Bad Romance
I just love all of that "ra ra aha ah ahhha hhh, gaga oohh lala" or whatever it is. Ugh.


7) Kelly Clarkson Since You Been Gone*
I refuse to use the actual title which instead spells it "U"
It is impossible for me not to bob my head to the chorus


6) Natasha Beddingfield - Pocket Full of Sunshine
This clip perfectly exemplifies this song to me:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HVCB9hW6kg&feature=related


5) LMFAORock Party Anthem
Tongue in cheek wonderfulness. And I will forever defend the Kia Gerbils too.


4) Justin BieberBaby
Ugh. This one is tough but I...  just.cant.help.myself.
This also may be the greatest thing in the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eWxPgyD7Ew


3) Leona LewisBleeding Love
"I don't care what they say..." I'm still in love with this song. I can't explain it either.
I heard it on AI one night and have been hooked since. 


2) Backstreet BoysI Want it That Way (Tell me Why)
My first true "guilty pleasure song". The Tell me whyeyye?!?! is pop perfection in shit wrapper. 


1) Enrique Iglesias – You Can’t Escape My Love
I have secretly loved this song for too many years now, the cat is out of the bag. No single track on the planet immediately puts me in as good of a mood as this. I had an ex that would play it every time we fought and I would concede and just smile. No joke. Why? I still don't know. But it is and always likely will be my #1 secret joy in this world.



Bonus Tracks –
Whatever is played during this commercial:


Any recent song by The Black Eyed Pees