Rabid (1977)

Everybody must have heard of Mary Mallon aka "Typhoid Mary". She was the woman who wandered around America at the turn of the 20th Century infecting people with Typhoid. She was a carrier, but for some reason the disease never affected her. Eventually the New York Local Authorities got wise to what was happening and she was put into quarantine, which save one ill-advised and quickly aborted attempt to reintegrate her back into society, was where she ultimately died some 30 years later.

Rose gets chatted up again in Rabid, New World Pictures 1977

Tonight I watched Rabid, the 1977 horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg. Can you tell where I'm going with this? Well let's see...

Pen Cap Chew - Shaving Is Boring (2011)

"Shaving is Boring" was Pen Cap Chew's second single off the as yet unreleased Dream Theatre album. Here is a sort of scrapbook to commemorate the release:

A Side: Shaving is Boring

"Here is the A-side of the eagerly awaited 2nd single. It's a tune straight off the new Dream Theatre album. This time the music is a little rockier... although the sentiment has faded..."

Pen Cap Chew - I Dreamt of a Black Heart Procession (2011)

"I Dreamt of a Black Heart Procession" was Pen Cap Chew's first single off the as yet unreleased Dream Theatre album. Here is a sort of scrapbook to commemorate the release:

A Side: I Dreamt of a Black Heart Procession

"This is the A-Side of the first single off the forthcoming new album by Pen Cap Chew. It's a dark swaying waltz unlike anything we've done before and may ever do again..."

You Were Never Lovelier (1942)

I got some stick for watching this film. But you know what... I don't care! My wife had been watching the finals of the World Arm-Wrestling Championships live from the Scunthorpe Majestic. But when she popped out some for more beer... I took my chance and dug out a Fred Astaire DVD...

Fred Astaire chills out watching the Xaviar Cugat Band
in You Were Never Lovelier, Columbia 1942

Once Upon a Time in China (1991)

Do you remember when dubbing was considered to be a good thing? I know it has provided some great humour over the years, but really, does it add anything positive to the viewing experience? I was surprised to discover that the version of the Once Upon A Time in China I sat down to watch last night was dubbed. And it wasn't good dubbing. No! This was bad dubbing with dodgy American accents aplenty. I almost switched it off right there and then. In the end I switched the audio so that I was watching it with what I think was dubbed Cantonese complete with English subtitles. It wasn't great, but it felt like the best compromise at the time.

Kung Fu on the Beach in Once Upon a Time in China, Paragon Films 1991

As you may have noticed, I'm having a bit of an Asian film renaissance at the moment, so expect a little flurry of reviews on this subject over the coming posts. Some I'm excited about. Others, like 'Big Tits Zombie', I'm kind of not. But unless I find something else that tickles my fancy in the meantime, you're going to hear my views on each and every one of them... whether I like it or not!

Tokyo Zombie (2005)

You know those moments where you just don't know what to be doing with yourself? That was me today as I was agonising over tonight's DVD selection. What was it to be? Horror or Humour? Zombie or Mutant?

Well, in the end I opted for Zombie Humour in the form of the Japanese film: Tokyo Zombie.

Zombies in Toyko Zombie, Manga 2005

Mutant Chronicles (2008)

Necromutant from The Mutant Chronicles, Grosvenor Park Productions 2008

What on Earth was I thinking?

Mutant Chronicles is every bit as bad as it sounds. I knew it was going to be bad, but I really didn't have any inkling just how bad it was going to be.

It's pretty bad!

The Walking Dead (2010)

My Wife's got a Zombie Survival Plan! Regular readers of this blog will know that this is a real breakthrough... and it's a lot better than mine... which is to panic, get bitten and die!

Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) goes in search of gas in the Walking Dead, AMC 2010

This all started a couple of weeks back when I managed to pry her nose out of her Black Belt Karate magazines and we sat down to watch the first series of The Walking Dead. She didn't want to do it... but she did!

And they say that love is dead...

Dance of the Dead (2008)

You can pretty much guarantee that films ending in 'of the Dead' are going to have zombies in them. Dance of the Dead does not disappoint on this front.

You can also be pretty certain that any American teenage comedy is going to revolve around a Prom, Jocks, Geeks and Cheerleaders. Dance of the Dead delivers on all counts! Yee-Haw!

How to Scan Sheet Music

I had a go at scanning in a piece of sheet music this week... and what a journey of discovery it has been! I've scratched the scab off something horrible here and I thought I'd share some of the pain and the learning with you.