Travel Insurance

Bouncing and traveling all over the world can be a lot of fun. After all, the images that you capture in your mind when exploring new places and new lands can always provide a great deal of powerful and unique memories. (Of course, you could also always take photographs of them…just in case your memory doesn’t turn out as good as expected!) Then again, some memories are best left forgotten – particularly if a trip turns out disastrously and you end up injured. Than again, you may not be able to forget it if you are responsible for shelling out a great deal of money on medical bills derived from the accident. This is a horrible problem, but it is a problem that could have been diverted had you purchased medical travel insurance. If you currently do not have travel insurance, then you may wish to visit Cover My Travels at the previously listed link. They have a tremendous selection of travel insurance plans and could prove to be quite helpful. Please visit their site for more information.

Suffering Through The Haunted Submarine

Watching Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea's The Haunted Submarine makes me wish I had a copy of the Beatle's Yellow Submarine to watch instad. This is REALLY dull ghost story that was slopped together in order to save costs. I do remember this episode when I was a kid because the glimpses of the Flying Dutchman would creep me out, but my LORD, these episodes are atrocious when comparing them to the awesome first and second season. I mean, WHAT WERE THEY THINKING WHEN THEY MADE THESE EPISODES?

Oh yeah, I remember, they were thinking about how much money they could shave off the budget. Irwin Allen rally should be ashamed of himself for what he lt Voyage "sink" into.

Buy Big Tires

How are your car tires doing? Hmm? You say you do not have any tires? That is absurd! How could such a situation occur? You say there is a shortage of big tires for commercial and oversized vehicles? Surely that can not be true! What a minute, it IS true? So what are you and other people who need a steady supply of OTR tires? How about you check out the following website: www.buybigtires.com. This is a great site that provides an incredible stock of rare and hard to find tires that many other distributors who are lacking in terms of the volume of stock. (ie…Buy Big Tires will never force feed you the line that they are ‘out of stock’ as their stock is vast and significant) Please visit their site and see what they have to offer. They are a great distributor and will grow in size and exposure as more people realize how great of a site this is.

VTTBOTS - The Thing From Inner Space

Egad. Here is another entry in the 'monster of the week' format from Season Three of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. This episode is the eptinomy of laziness and dull writing. The folks at VTTBOTS.COM loved it (?), but the folks at the late, lamented Epi-Logue Magazine referred to this episode as 'horrendos.' Bingo. That is the apt position. This dopey episode borrows from CREATURE FFROM TH BLACK LAGOON (nee rip-off) that finds a weird sea creature/humanoid (a tall stuntman made even more huge by wearing silly looking Gene Simmons style platform shoes. (By the way, the goofy creature has dubbed in growling sound effects that play when the damn thing isn't even moving its lips!)



The show really took a nosedive with this episode because even the sillier monster episodes were never so dull and straight forward. Sadly, this would become a trend in future episodes and would drag the series into unwatchable-ness.

Packing Station

Do own or operate your business? If you do, then you realize that a business is only as good as its mailing supply. If your company is short of necessary envelopes, packaging supplies and general all around mail order supplies, then the ability for your company to properly conduct its business is going to be severely limited. If this is the case, your business is going to suffer. This is a totally avoidable situation and it can be circumvented if you purchase your supplies from a reliable store that has a comprehensive stock of items. One such store that offers these items along a host of other supplies such as cardboard boxes at The Packing Station, one of the best mailing and packing and moving supply shops in the UK. If you have spent a great deal of time building your business you will want to really keep it successful. A well stocked supply of mail order items will keep the wheels of the business operation in motion.

VTTBOTS - Werewolf

After rewatching the incredibly "logic challenged" Werewolf episode of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, I have to say that as dopey and dumb as the episode is, I actually enjoyed it. Granted, the plot holes in the episode are legion (how did a wolf get to the SOuth Pacific is only one of the multitude of problems with the script), but the episode delivers a lot of action and when you are looking for a fun diversion, then a little action packed excitement is all you need.

This episode is mainly a lot of running, junping snarling and fighting which is basically what a kid's audience would have eaten up in the late 1960's. Whether you dslike the story of not (and it is not bad as far as silly werewolf themed TV plots go...oh wait a minute...it IS silly) it proved popular enough to have a sequel episode entitled Brand of the Beast, an episode that was essentially remade in the third season with Man Beast where the werewolf is subsituted by an Ape Man (don't ask)

Yes, I realize that the brilliance of Voyage's earlier episodes are sorely missed in the later episodes of Season 3 and 4, but one also has to look at the pragmatism of the situation - the show needed to reign in its budget and if it could draw an audience while spending less money, then it could survive to a fourth season. (Actually, it was renewed for a 5th, but Irwin Allen opted not to continue the series.

In a perfect world, there would have been an even balance of 50% great writing with 50% silliness, but this was not to be. Instead, we got mostly 90% silly and about 10% great. One of the sad facts about television has only recently been 'exposed' thanks to the cool folks over at "Jump the Shark" and that is that the vast majority of television programs nosedive after a while. Voyage is no different. In fact, Voyage's decline was much less painful than other classic programs that devolved into awfulness. Happy Days, Diff'rent Strokes and MASH were far WORSE than Voyage's monster of the week format when those aforementioned shows neared their endings. (I'm sorry, but the latter seasons of MASH were PAINFULLY bad compared to the brilliance of earlier seasons) And, honestly, what was worse the latter seasons of The Love Boat or the latter seasons of All in the Family. Hell, they had to change All in the Family's name to Archie Bunker's Place because it was so disimilar to the earler episodes!

PS - The werewolf mask used in this episode was the same werewolf mask used in an old Lost in Space episode that was TRULY one of the worst episodes in Lost in Space history

Horror Films of the 1970's - The Book

While it would be silly of me to recommend a book that I have not yet read, I do feel a certain sense of entusiasm towards the following title that will be released next week (June 30) Horror Films of the 1970s by John Kenneth Muir. Of course, anyone who reads this blog knows I love 70's horror films and pop culture so this new release should be a great one (I hope). Thanks to Amazon.com for the heads up.
BTW - please check out PSYCHOS! SICKOS! and SEQUELS! The Horror Films of th 1980's as it is a tremendous read as well.

New Zealand Channel

Summertime is here and there are a number of options for leisure time activities running through people’s heads. Of course, taking a vacation is probably the top topic being debated. That is, people wonder where to go for vacation. Here is a recommendation for those undecided: New Zealand. There are lots of great deals and Cheap Hotels in New Zealand that can fit a great variety of budgets and travel schedules. This is a beautiful country and one filled with a number of wonderful of outdoor activities amidst the grand beauty of a wonderful country. How could you choose any other destination.
(Sponsored by Cheaper Than Hotels)

FYE - FYI

I take back everything that I ever said bad about FYE's entertainment superstore. First, they seem to be drifting towards Tower Records more lax policies towards their employees. In other words, they hire freaks which is always a good thing. (Me = Freak, too) Secondly, they have greatly discounted the newer Godzilla movies on DVD and, for under $10, the 2003 version of GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA and GODZILLA FINAL WARS are available. Despite having watched the first few films of the more recent Godzilla series (including watching the one that was released in theaters), I stopped watching the series because, well, who knows. Now, I can go back and re-review the series and see what I have been missing.


Also, I did pick up the third season of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA which was released last week. The third season carries the AWFUL werewolf episodes which are awful enough to be entertaining.

So, I tacitly endorse FYE at this juncture.

Rate Genius

While we all hate to have to deal with interest payments on loans, such payments sumply are not avoidable. However, there is a way that the interest rates can be lowered provided you are dealing with a top notch lending network such as rateGenius. Rate Genius offered competitive refinancing rates that are well worth investigating. So, if loan payments are strapping you, follow that link to their homepage and take advantage of their offers. Sponsored by Rate Genius

El Topo and Holy Mountain on DVD

This proved to be a real shock. Alejandro Jodowarsky's classic films EL TOPO (1969) and THE HOLY MOUNTAIN (1971) are finally legally available on DVD. These bizarro cult films were minor cult hits when they were theatrically released and then saw a second life on the underground during the 1980's. Curiously, the films were never released on video even when Jo's then new film, the thoroughly bizarre SANTA SANGRE saw a home video release. It seemed that the weirdness that is El Topo and the Holy Mountain would never see the light of day...now....a new boxed set is slated for release.

What are the films about? Damned if I know. They are a huge surreal mess, but they are a hugely entertaining surreal mess. Enjoy.

Calorie Help

Sure, we all love lounging around in front of the tube checking out cool releases of new and vintage horror films. But, that is not necessarily the wisest move when it comes to dropping extra pounds. In fact, inactivity combined with a poor diet will quickly lead to packing on a ton of extra pounds. Now, who wants to do that to themselves? Some people, in fact, do this to themselves because they lack sufficient knowledge in terms of being able to reverse the negative process of weight gain. If one gets a little educational help on the subject, then the ability to drop weight becomes much easier. One way to educate oneself on the subject of weight loss can be gained through the use of a FREE calorie counter offered at MyFitnessPal.com. This is a great site loaded with a ton of nutritional information that aids in the ability to keep track of calories consumed and calories burned. That alone can prove to be a huge plus in getting all that excess weight off. Check it out!

Them Godzilla DVDs

I was in Best Buy today and skimmed the Japanese Language DVD releases of some classic Godzilla films. This all started with the release of Gojira (the uncut version of the 1954 Godzilla) The cool new releases run $14.95 (Ironically, the same price bootleggers sold them for a decade ago) and include INVASION OF THE ASTRO MONSTERS, GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN, GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA and I think one other title that escapes me right now. Me thinks I am going to pick up GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN this weekend.

Lake Placid 2 and Ice Spiders

Yes, I have a cold tonight and am watching the Sci-Fi Channel movies where we get Ice Spiders - a movie where giant spiders ala Kingdom of the Spiders have beseiged a mountain resort ala Snow Beast. Lake Placid 2 is the sequel to the forgotten 1999 giant crocodile flick.

This is somewhat painful viewing. Why did I switch off the A&E home renovation show with the hot brunette babe?

Debt Help

Dealing with debt is not exactly something that brings about a sense of enjoyment. Debt is, of course, the root of much stress in our lives and if we can not get a handle on it, it can spiral out of control. This is why resources such as Thrifty Scot Co (visit their link here: IVA ) are incredibly valuable. The sire contains a wealth of information such as articles on the following subjects:Identifying Debt Problems and Tackling Debt Problems Thrifty Scot offers a great many valuable articles on the subject of debt as well as specific programs designed to deal with the problem. Please visit their site.IVA Sponsored by TTS
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Never To Be Forgotten - Psychotronic Magazine

Is it weird to purchase a movie magazine just to read the obituaries? Maybe. But I always learned a great deal reading the "Never to Be Forgotten" Obituary section of Micheal Weldon's Psychotronic Video. The people featured in NTBF were those B-movie personalities of yesteryear..TV hosts, stuntmen, Game Show Hosts, Radio Cowboys. Yea, all sorts of people.

Now, I have to write an obituary for Psychotronic Video Magazine itself. After 41 issues, the magazine has ceased. I'm heartbroken and not sure where to begin.


I read the magazine for the first time sometime while I was in High School. Yeah, I stumbled upon the lost world of newslatter fanszines and through them, I discovered Psychotonic Magazine. It blew me away.

It's hard to put things in words. I didn't expect the business realities if 2007 and take away another of those great movie magazines from us.

1408 The Movie - Believe in the Supernatural?

Sometimes, there comes about the question or not whether the supernatural exists. This can be a fairly odd question to attempt to answer because there is much about the world that we do not know. Often, people will prescribe “fantastic” explanations where the actual answer lies in with the ordinary. As such, much of the supernatural merely derives from that which we have provided a convenient explanation. Of course, most supernatural myths derive from the middle ages and earlier where knowledge of science was very limited and superstition was rampant. However, this is not to say that the supernatural isn’t a fun topic to learn about or, better yet, a subject that would make a great film. After all, the horror genre has been wildly popular for 100+ years of cinema history. A new addition to the genre is the 1408 Movie, a film that does a great job of exploring the subject matter of the supernatural. Want to see a quick preview of the 1408 Movie? Check out this trailer:




How’s that for a really cool trailer. This film has a chance to be the sleeper hit of the season and a top cult film for many decades to come. So, be sure to get in line to see this film when it gets released. It is bound to be a favorite. Sponored by http://www.1408-themovie.com

Monsterland Memories

My experience with Forrest Ackerman’s MONSTERLAND was a lot like many of my college romances. No, we won’t go into that realm of mayhem. What we will do is turn back the clock and relive what it was like to purchase a funky horror magazine back in the day when the genre was considered lower than a whore on the totem pole of respect and getting production info on horror films was next to impossible to discover.
Oh man…8th grade coming up on the horizon, High School coming to an end. What is a loony arts loving 13 year old kook supposed to do for kicks? How about falling in love with the zombie genre two decades before it became hip?
Yeah, it was a cool magazine and there weren’t very many horror magazines on the stand at that time. I couldn’t get into Fango at the time. Sorry. I had been expierimenting with other genres at the Comic Investments in Philadelphia….a comic shop long defunct, but was a popular and familiar site on Bustleton Avenue. I loved the store, but had grown tired of comic books. 1980-1985 were heavy comic collecting years for me. I got tired. So, I ventured into purchasing lots of DR WHO books as I had become a huge fan of the nebbish series. Them I discovered old issues of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND, the legendary monster mag of many generations ago. I purchased several 1960’s back issues as well as a huge number of FM/WARREN PUBLISHING horror mags like CREEPY and EERIE. Through those books, I was able to transform myself to an era I never lived: being a member of the 1960’s monster boom fad by proxy. You see, when you read a mag from 1964, for that brief period of time, you are in 1964 experiencing it as someone would have experienced it the same way in a previous generation. Then, it all became modern again when Forrest Ackerman’s MONSTERLAND appeared on The Comic Investment’s shelves. I was a teen. I heading into high school. I was an outsider. Much of the hope that existed in the comics had turned more into a confused rage and I gravitated to the more counter culture horror books. MONSTERLAND was the first and that was in 1985. This was not so much a reliving of my love for local UHF horror movie)s that I loved as much as it was a love to the mayhem of more modern and subversive horror fare. (See my prior entries on Dom’s Video for some more ambience of the era) Yes, MONSTERLAND really appealed to an 8th grade nothing (with apologies to Ms. Judy Blume

Full color and glossy. It looked like Fangoria, but the writing was much better. It didn’t seem like it was selling out to sell a few issues. Those early issues in 1985 covered some well remembered films from that year: FRIGHT NIGHT, RE-ANIMATOR, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, and DAY OF THE DEAD. The mag really rocked.That Paul Naschy piece was really cool. It spawned several issues and covered his filmography in depth like no other American publication.

Web directory

Web directories that highlight businesses are incredibly important for both consumer and vendor alike. Submission to the Local business directory available via that link is completely free, so if you have a business to promote, the atlist.org directory will prove very helpful. It is also a great help to consumers as well as the directory also displays consumer reviews of the businesses in its directory. Help yourself out: bookmark that site and visit it frequently Sponsored by atlist.org

28 Weeks Later

As much as I would have liked to include a review about this film, I can not because I still did not get the chance to see it. I know, a pox upon me. I was going to check it out today, but I was under the weather. Sigh.

The original 28 Days Later was a really frightening zombie film that created its own identity as opposed to being derivative of other classics in the genre. The zombies were terrifying as their rampaging aggressiveness was a departure other contemporary zombie films. I dug it.

So why have I been delaying with viewing the sequel. I wasn't self employed when I saw the original. You know....sometimes life just gets in the way.

John Sayles - Writer/director God

While musing about ALLIGATOR (1980) in an earlier post, I neglected to mention the man who made the entire wild film possible: John Sayles. For those who are avid fans of the world of screenwriting, John Sayles name will be familiar. He was, of course, the auteur behind classic films such as the best werewolf movie of the modern era THE HOWLING (1981), BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET (1985), EIGHT MEN OUT (1990), and the brilliant film noir western LONE STAR (1993). Oh, how could I forget….Mr. Sayles also wrote the screenplay to the classic JAWS parody PIRAHNA (!978) Yes, this has been a career that storied and critically acclaimed. Sadly, Sayles never had a huge commercial hit with any of the films he also directed so he did not become the household name other talented directors achieved. He will get his due on this blog for his work on his horror outings that I promise.

What was it that made Sayles so great? He had a knack for creating memorable, fleshed out and complex characters and provided them with a sense of pathos and irony that resonated with viewers. Yes, it is hard to describe what makes John Sayles so special. You just have to check out his films and see them for yourself.

Bloggerwave

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