Justice For A Ghost

What starts out as a series of unusual murders, in which the male victims were all close friends who probably touched each others’ butts, ends up as a complicated paranormal-driven mystery even Inspector Gadget wouldn’t have been able to solve. That, and the way they died—frightened enough to suffer a heart attack—is just too much a coincidence to ignore.

Here’s where South Korean’s Arang (2006) goes from a complex murder case with ghost sprinklings, to a full blown brain snap with five endings.

Through flashbacks we learn the ghost chick female detective So-young’s been unpleasantly dreaming about, was raped and murdered by all the guys who are now turning up dead in the face. One clue leads So-young to a salt storage shed on the beach. Besides making popcorn and Jell-O™ taste yummy, salt is also a preservative. You may think I just gave away a plot spoiler, but you’re wrong-ish.

Every time So-young uncovers another part of the mystery, there’s another one underneath it. Meanwhile the ghost is ticked — it took 10 years to get someone to finally take her case. Arang is a bit tough to follow, but if you hang out you’ll be rewarded with a sick ass ending, which as you know, is why we all watch these things. I don’t know what Arang translates to, but I’m guessing it means “rent me, today if possible!”

Rock ‘n Roll Aliens, Giant Bullies, Wiccan Babysitters

Keith Richards, iconic rock guitarist and co-founder of The Rolling Stones, recently interviewed on 98.5 WNCX FM Radio in Cleveland, OH, that not only does he believe in aliens, he claims there’s an actual extraterrestrial landing strip on his expansive property in England. Given how much drugs and alcohol the famous wasted musician has infamously consumed over the last 100 years ago (you got that one, right?), surprised he hasn’t also seen Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, Chupacabra and/or Mothman lurking about his front yard as well. (Then again, he might think they’re just roadies.)

I believe him. Rock and roll wouldn’t lie. So maybe Keith should rewrite some of his songs to support his claim: “Beam Me Up”, “Let’s Spend The Night Together on Uranus”, “Blue Turns To Greys”, “You Can’t Always Get Abducted When You Want”, and “It’s Only Probing (But I Like It)”. I’m thinkin’ platinum sales, here.

While we wait for the Stones’ intergalactic tour, here are a few upcoming horror/sci-fi movies that may or may not give you satisfaction…

I KILL GIANTS (2018)
“A teenage girl chooses to escape the realities of school and a drab family life by retreating into her magical world of titans and giants. With the help of her new friend Sophia and her school therapist, Barbara, will learn to battle her giants and face her fears — tackling the bullies at school, her sister, and her difficult home life.”

I liked it better when it was Harry Potter. Still, giant monsters and difficult home life. I can relate.

HEREDITARY (2018)
“When Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family, passes away, her daughter’s family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry. The more they discover, the more they find themselves trying to outrun the sinister fate they seem to have inherited.”

Big talk about this on the movie/dive bar circuit. I bet Helen’s shameful ancestry has something to do with an unpaid bar tab. Note to matriarchs: dine ‘n dash = NOT COOL.

NIGHTMARE CINEMA (2018)
“The anthology centers on a series of down-on-their-luck individuals who enter the decrepit and spine-chilling Rialto Theater, only to have their deepest and darkest fears brought to life on the silver screen by The Projectionist — a mysterious, ghostly figure who holds the nightmarish futures of all who attend his screenings. By the time our patrons realize the truth, escape is no longer an option.”

Sounds nifty, though for a great “people trapped in a movie theatre while evil beings eat your face and/or popcorn”, try the Italian gore snack bar, Demons (1985). You’ll forget all about your AMC Stubs™ reward points.

THE NIGHT SITTER (2018)
“A scheming con artist poses as innocent babysitter ‘Amber’ to steal from Ted Hooper, a wealthy occult enthusiast with a reclusive son named Kevin. Her crew arrives to clean out the house just as Kevin stumbles upon one of his father’s most prized artifacts and unwittingly summons a trio of witches known as The Three Mothers. As the playful, sadistic witches start picking people off, Amber and Kevin form an unlikely bond and try to survive the night together.”

That would be fun to have witches as babysitters. If you spill a jar of dried frog tongues, there’s plenty of brooms around to sweep ’em up. Wonder if they know any “take out the garbage” spells and/or enchantments? That would so awesome.

Big Hair Sci-Fi

The last time that comet came this close to Earth, it killed off all those cute and friendly dinosaurs. Now, 65 million years later, it’s back for an encore in the 1984 sci-fi cheese classic, Night of the Comet.

When our unlucky planet goes through the tail of the maniac meteor, it turns most people into piles of pencil shavings and some into meteor zombies. Survivors include a Valley Girl with big hair who has unprotected sex with her movie projectionist boyfriend. (I think he ends up getting eaten like a popcorn/human hot dog combo deal. I lost track as I had comet dust in my eyes.)

Scientists theorize that the meteor-made zombies will soon disintegrate into pencil shavings. Until then, don’t put your hands in their mouths. Turns out, the scientists are the bad guys, harvesting the survivor’s untainted life goop in hopes to cure their impending zombie-itis. Too much dumb-assery and a ridiculous way to resolve it all in the form of Mother Nature. Science sucks.

Alien Anniversary

Fox Home Entertainment should be in the farming business as they’re experts at milking cash cows, i.e., Alien (1979), this time a re-re-re-release coming at you in a slick new art-y box packaged as a 35th Anniversary Edition with some re-purposed “extras” to get you to buy it again. (Goes on sale October 7, 2014. Price depends on which version you want. Warning – they have ‘em all.)

Dang. And now I’m about to buy into Alien again. (What the hell is wrong with me?) I bought the movie ticket. I bought the VHS. I bought the DVD. I bought the Blu-ray™. I bought the extended version w/deleted scenes. I bought the box set. I bought the limited edition Quadrilogy hi-def in-yer-Matrix box set. Crap, I could own my own Nostromo salvage vessel by now with all the money I’ve shelled out for this thing.

Here’s the other wallet-draining “jewels” you get with this version…

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary by Director Ridley Scott, Cast and Crew

• Audio Commentary by Ridley Scott (Theatrical Version Only)

• Introduction by Ridley Scott (Director’s Cut Only)

• Final Theatrical Isolated Score by Jerry Goldsmith

• Composers Original Isolated Score by Jerry Goldsmith

• Deleted and Extended Scenes

Collectibles:

• A reprint of the original Alien illustrated comic.

• All-new, collectible art cards as a tribute to the late H.R. Giger.

In case you forgot: “When the crew of the space-tug Nostromo responds to a distress signal from a barren planet, they discover a mysterious life form that breeds within human hosts. The acid-blooded extraterrestrial proves to be the ultimate adversary as crew members battle to stay alive and prevent the deadly creature from reaching Earth.”

I remember the first time I saw Alien in a movie theater. I didn’t blink once, even while shoveling fists full of hydrogenated oiled popcorn down my space yap. When the alien finally jumped out, I spontaneously, possibly willfully and symbolically crapped my pants. And this is why to this day I am not allowed back in the Admiral Theatre. (Not cool behavior for a teenager alledgedly house-broken since the sixth grade.)