Ruminations, Musings and Other Stuff…

Hey all,

Really sorry for taking so long to update my blog.  It’s actually a little perplexing, even to me, that it’s taken so long to get back to you all.  I wish I had some amazing excuse but I really don’t.  Life just pulled me in a million directions at once and got me a to a point I had to break things down to keep up.  I had The 3 Day event in DC, Mel’s Dad got remarried, I was playing soccer for the first time in years, we took some much needed time off, I’m still finishing up the first draft of the screenplay I’m co-writing, we had two other weddings to attend and add to all of that, work and the usual drama that occurs with everyday life and I simply had no time to spend blogging.

Both Mel and I have neglected our readership (though I have much, MUCH more so) and were hoping to get back on the horse and start writing for ourselves again.  There’s been a ton of self-reflection around these parts and I think I could definitely use the fix that only writing for Ruminations can give.

SO, hopefully this means you’ll be hearing more from me!

I do have a few things I’d like to bring up before I sign off for the evening though.

First up The Pebble Project.  It’s not defunct.  I’ve still been collecting stuff (all of it super cool in it’s own right) almost daily to share with you all, it’s just that I have to find a much better and more efficient way to serve it up to you.  I’ve been working with a few Flickr Wordpress plugins, since Flickr is where I am keeping them all and I think I’m close to a solution, I just need a little more time to work on it.  Once I’ve nailed that down I will let you all know so you can enjoy it again.  Sorry I dropped the ball so hard on that one. I just simply couldn’t keep up with the daily postings.

Second, Movie Reviews.  It’s broken my heart to no end that I haven’t gotten out to the theater more this year.  I have seen a few good films, though nothing worth writing a full review about.  I was thinking of putting up a post filled with mini reviews and suggestions for you all though; hrmmm… maybe I’ll do that! Either way, the winter has some awesome films coming to town so hopefully I’ll be able to catch some of them when they blow through and get some good thorough reviews down for you all.  I’ve missed writing them!

Lastly.  For the love god. Vote, vote, vote…

That’ll do for tonight!  I’ll definitely be writing much more frequently now that a few personal thought consuming events have come and gone, I just wanted to check in and let you know that I am definitely still alive and kicking.  Thanks to all who’ve continued to stop by (if you all even bother anymore).

Sorry I have been so dormant.

All the best,

Tad

This would definitely be pebble-worthy, (and I’m definitely going to get caught up on those, just not tonight) but I wanted to make it front and center for a bit because I think the message is timeless and incredibly pure.  Considering the time it was made, it’s pretty incredible that it is so applicable today.

Enjoy and take it with you.

Where’d I get it?:http://www.dbilly.com/images/RrringPayphone.jpg

Aside from being cheeky and fun, this pebble got me thinking about the whole story behind a balloon… um… scultper? Is that what they’re called?  Well, that’s what I’ll call them for now.  It’s fun thinking about this balloon sculpter going rogue on his compatriates, saying things like “Fuck giraffes!!!! And dogs too!! And don’t get me started on those damn hats!!!” or “there’s so much more that can be done with you isn’t there…” while stairing at some limp brightly colored balloon in his hands, a wistful twinkle in his eye.

So while the photo wasn’t anything terribly amazing, it got some fun thoughts going on in my head.  Which is kinda the whole point of this project; to take something else away with you after visiting here.

Hopefully you did!

Whether you like his books, plays, paintings or movies, Clive Barker is somewhat of a force to be reckoned with.  Primarily affixed with the horror genre, Barker’s created some of the most arresting visuals ever in cinema, canvas, novels and short stories. And while all have sometimes been hit or miss, they have always been memorable in some way or another.

That said he’s had a big influence on me since I read “Books of Blood” in college and definitely since I saw “Hellraiser” in high-school (dear god did that movie keep me up at night… I loved it!).

I know, I read book after the movie, so sue me .

As far as cinema is concerned, his movies (mostly of which he’s written and NOT directed) have always ranged from mediocre (the “Hellraiser” series beyond part two, and even that wasn’t that great) to somewhat inspired (it gets knocked a bit, but I’ve always loved “Nightbreed”) yet, they’ve always been memorable.  And, like his written prose and his art, his movies always leave a bit of a scar on you and it’s for that, that Clive Barker will always receive my respect.  He is the king of creatively dark and disturbing visuals and to this day, a lot of his work inspires me.

Which brings me to this latest debacle in the film industry.  Well documented at the site bloody-disgusting.com, the latest film adaptation of his short story “The Midnight Meat Train”, has received the oddest film treatment from a major film studio to date.  Frankly, I haven’t seen a release like this in for, well… ever.  What happened is that the film was picked up by LionsGate (whores to the SAW franchise, and who can blame ‘em), a studio that has done VERY well for itself as of late, and, after viewing it, they decided to release it straight to the racks of a Blockbuster near you.  But then the fan-base (god-bless the interwebs) revolted and they decided to do a severely limited theatrical release… to the cheap seat theaters that barely dot the landscape of our great nation!

The aforementioned fan base then screamed an even louder “WTF”!!

And the real shame?

I may be wrong, (PLEASE, please, correct me if I am) but I believe it’s the “American debut” of a director that should be very dear to every horror fan’s heart:  the Japanese maestro of the epic and zany film “Versus”, Ryuhei Kitamura.

Based on his past exploits alone, this guy is clearly talented and after being fortunate enough to catch TMNMT at a “cheap seat” theater near me ( Carmike Blue Ridge 14 Cinema, 600 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC, 27606 (919)828800) I can safely say that he really needs to be given a better/fairer shake at films in the US.

Is it the “Citizen Kane” of horror?

Hell no!

But it is some inspired film making and some of it is definitely polished and memorable enough to stick with you well after the credits roll.  Which is well worth the usual arm and a leg you’d pay at the megaplex (Mel and I, embarrassingly, paid almost 20 bucks to see “Ironman” this summer) much less the buck or, in my case, buck fifty I spent to see TMNMT.  Yes, near the end it does kind of go into “um… what?!”-ville, but if you’re a fan of Clive Barker’s cannon of works you’ll know that that, for most part, rings true to life.

With Barker, it’s often not about about the destination, it’s the f-ed up trip getting there.

So… what’s the point?

Well, if you love the horror genre, or you even “sorta” love it, you should make the trip out to see “The Midnight Meat Train” at a dollar theatre near you.  It’ll totally be worth your time!  If anything it’s worth it, to see a talented film maker (Kitamura) and a good film adaptation of a Clive Barker short story.

Do your part and if it’s near you, go and see it!  Give the finger to the corporate film industry in America, and show them that these films deserve so much better!

At least better than this….