Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Halloween Horrors: Top 10 FUNNY Horror Movies

Last October, I ran a series of Top 10 lists of different types of horror movies for Halloween. This year, since my blog traffic has quadrupled, I thought I'd re-post some of those lists for the people who likely missed them. So, if you're looking for some Halloween horror, but you'd like it tempered with a bit of humor, here are ten options for your movie night!

Image from Wikipedia.org

Yes, horror can make you scream and laugh. Some of these films are straight-ahead comedies with horror thrown in. Some are horror with comedy thrown in. And some may be unintentionally funny. But if you like your scary movies cut with a little bit of humor, these are the films for you.

Greenlee Gazette Top 10 Funny Horror Movies

1. Shaun of the Dead (2004) - This movie is a horror spoof, but it doesn't spare the shocks, or the gross-outs. It's probably the best horror spoof ever made (I don't count the fantastic Young Frankenstein, which is more spoof than horror). It helps if you like British humour.

2. Fright Night (1986) - This film isn't quite a spoof, but it is surely an homage to the old "chiller theater" TV programs of years gone by. Excellent performances, lots of laughs, and a shock or two. It does suffer a bit for its obvious 80s fashions, though.

3. Army of Darkness (1992) - The third of the Evil Dead series was the most mainstream, and more straight-ahead comedy. I recommend getting Evil Dead 2 (which is sort of a higher-budget remake of part 1) in tandem with this one. A classic.

4. Final Destination 2 (2003) - This horror film isn't exactly a comedy. But try not to laugh (maybe nervously) at the inventive and gory kills in this one. Better than parts 1 or 3 by a long shot. And some genuine thrills.

5. Critters (1986) - Riding the Gremlins and Ghoulies wave of the 80s, this New Line Cinema (A Nightmare on Elm Street) offering offers thrills and laughs--most intentional. Actually manages to be cute and scary.

6. Psycho II (1983) - The sequel to the all time classic is not the fright-fest it could have been. Tony Perkins is clearly playing it for laughs. And he gets them. Avoid any further sequels and remakes.

7. April Fool's Day (1986) - One of my all time favorites. Every holiday got its horror movie in the 80s, and this one has a novel twist. Gamely played by actors a notch above the typical horror flick. I recently re-watched this one, and it still holds up. I haven't yet seen the remake, though I've heard nothing good about it, so look for the date on the box.

8. The Car (1978) - James Brolin fighting a car possessed by the devil. This one could have made my "BAD" horror list, but it does have some shocks. But, just try not to laugh when The Car kills the tuba player. . .

9. Freddy vs. Jason (2003) - The terror is long drained out of both of these series, so the kills are mostly for laughs. A good time anyway. But who really won?

10. The Blob (1986) - I've blogged about this one before, and it is one of my favorites. Funny mostly for Kevin Dillon's mullet, and the general 80s vibe. Still has a few shocks and is most enjoyable.

PREVIOUSLY:
Halloween Horrors: Psycho
Halloween Horrors: Top 10 FUNNY Horror Movies
Halloween Horrors: Top 10 SCARY Horror Movies
Halloween Horrors: Overlooked Horror Films
Halloween Horrors: A Nightmare on Elm Street
Movies I Can't Wait to See: Friday the 13th
Halloween Horrors: Top 10 BAD Horror Movies
Halloween Horrors: Top 10 CLASSIC Horror Movies



Keith Olbermann's Campaign Comment: Palin is a Fraud

"Special Comments" and lately, "Campaign Comments" on Countdown with Keith Olbermann are appointment viewing around chez Greenlee. And as much as I enjoy the host's righteous indignation and fury when railing against the powers that be, I like it more when Olbermann is having fun with his comments. And here, he looks like the cat that swallowed the canary. Watch.

Elayne Boosler on the Threat of Gay Marriage


Photo from ElayneBoosler.com

Whatever happened to Elayne Boosler? She used to be everywhere, on talk shows, on comedy specials, subbing for Stephanie Miller on her radio show. I miss her, she's danged funny.

So, I was glad to find an op-ed of hers on The Huffington Post. It's against gay marriage in California, which you would think is a bad thing, except that this is Elayne Boosler. And she's got her funny bone on.

[Excerpt]


. . .Marriage takes work and practice, and that is why gays will never get it right. How can they hope to compete with the knowledge earned by doing? With the expertise gained by Rush Limbaugh and his three sacred marriages? Newt Gingrich and his two sacred marriages? Ronald Reagan, John McCain, Prince Charles, Rudy Giuliani, all pillars of society and all married over and over to hone the sanctity and commitment necessary to maintain the bedrock of a society, marriage between a man and several women. . .



Media Treatment of Obama vs. McCain


Image from source, ABC News

Are there two sides to every story? Yes, though they are not always equally weighted. For instance, Person A might say, "The sun always rises in the east." Person B might say, "So far, the sun has always risen in the east, but who knows, it might rise in the west some day." You'd think Person B was kinda nutty, and that his argument isn't as important as Person A, right?

Of course, if you're like me, you don't neatly fit into a box, and you might be Person C: "The sun doesn't actually rise, it is the Earth's rotation that makes it appear that way. And it will continue to appear that way until the Earth stops spinning, or the sun burns out." I'm weird that way.
But the news these days--unless it is a commentary show like Countdown with Keith Olbermann or the entirety of FOX "News"--people expect two equal sides on everything. And when the news doesn't seem to deliver? Media bias!!! John McCain has been covered in X number of negative stories, and Barack Obama in considerably less? Liberal media bias!!!

No one ever seems to stop and consider that maybe Obama didn't have as many things currently going on that were negative to warrant equal negative coverage. This happened back in the Democratic Primaries too, when the math for victory became virtually impossible for Hillary Clinton. Though this ended up being borne out by history, at the time the news media was declared to be "in the tank" for Obama. This despite the fact that there was simply more negative news to be reported for Clinton.

In the following article, the author goes on at considerable length about the media being "in the tank" for Obama, versus against John McCain. I don't buy it. At this moment--though I hasten to add that it could change--Obama is in the lead. There is simply more negative news to report about McCain right now. His running mate, Sarah Palin, has provided new nuggets every day.

But where is the converse argument? How many times have you seen a positive news story about Joe Biden? How often have you heard anything about Biden lately? When he makes one of his infamous gaffes, that's when. And practically, only then. What does that say about the media? That they're reporting what is newsworthy. Or at worst, they are reporting what is scintillating. That's it.

[Excerpt]

Media's Presidential Bias and Decline

The traditional media are playing a very, very dangerous game -- with their readers, with the Constitution and with their own fates.

The sheer bias in the print and television coverage of this election campaign is not just bewildering, but appalling. And over the last few months I've found myself slowly moving from shaking my head at the obvious one-sided reporting, to actually shouting at the screen of my television and my laptop computer. . .

Read more (it's a doozy) at: ABC News

Stuck on Stupid: Joe the Plumber Campaigns


Photo from source, Raw Story

What kind of whacked-out world do we live in, where a guy like "Joe the Plumber" becomes not only a theme and rallying cry for the John McCain campaign, but is actually campaigning? I suppose they figure that Sarah Palin--who was completely uneducated on what Presidents and Vice Presidents do--did all right, so why not Joe?

Well, some of the problem for me, is that right out of the gate, we discovered that ol' Joe was a fraud on several fronts. Least of these is that he's not named Joe (it's his middle name) and he isn't really a plumber. The question he asked Barack Obama that brought him--via McCain at the last debate--to national attention, was riddled with inaccuracies. Also, for a guy so worried about taxes, Joe was in trouble for not paying his. And finally, it turns out that Obama's tax plan would actually benefit him more than McCain's would.

But, forget all that! Facts have rarely gotten in the way of a good GOP storyline, and they're not gonna start now! I mean, Stephen Colbert even had to coin a term for their M.O.: truthiness. A story doesn't have to be true, it just has to feel true. Add to that America's capacity to turn an "ordinary Joe" (or Sam) instantly famous, and you've got an instant celebrity.

But if you were McCain, would you really want him to campaign for you? See, Joe might make a great mascot, a good sound bite, but he's a little nutty when it comes to politics. For instance, he agrees with the thought that "a vote for Obama is a vote for the death of Israel." Really?

There's more. . .

[Excerpt]

Fox host berates 'Joe the Plumber' after McCain surrogate says Obama vote means 'death to Israel'

The all-out effort from John McCain's presidential campaign to scare voters into backing the Republican candidate continued apace on Tuesday as McCain surrogate Joe the Plumber agreed that a Barack Obama presidency would mean the "death of Israel" and end democracy in America. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Don't Speak for Me, Sarah Palin: Hockey Mama for Obama

Not every political parody song is blog-worthy. But this one is. Enjoy!

Obama Supporters: Don't Get Cocky! VOTE!



Found at: AmericaBlog

Could This Really be the End of the Bush Era?


The following excerpt is from a post on Democratic Underground that really speaks to me. Over the course of the 16 months or so I've been writing this blog, many of the things that liberals like me have always supposed to be true have turned out to be true. Things that earned bloggers like me slurs like "un-American," "moonbat," "liberal loons" and "tinfoil hatters" have turned out to be reality.

Karl Rove really is a devious bastard. The GOP really does actively try to suppress liberal voters. We really did torture. There really were no weapons of mass destruction. We were lied into war. Ted Stevens (and countless others) really are criminals. And at the rate things are being uncovered, maybe we really will learn the truth behind 9/11.*

We liberals have been disgusted with the state of our government for a very long time. Somehow, we found the strength to continue paying attention, and continue being engaged after the dumbfounding (and very likely stolen) re-election of George W. Bush in 2004. We held on patiently when the Democrats took both houses of Congress in 2006, even though they didn't go nearly far enough in writing the wrongs of previous years, or fight the obstructionism of the GOP anywhere nearly hard enough.

We've tried very hard to unfog the false, spun reality put out by the likes of right-wing talk radio and FOX "News," entities that somehow made the leap from fringe nuts to mainstream in the Bush era. And I've gotta tell you, I for one am very, very tired of it. November 4th will either cause a widespread sigh of relief for liberals, or it will cause a stunned catatonia. Things look pretty good for the former, but I've been disappointed enough in the past to expect the latter. I'm a cynic like that.

This writer has a slightly rosier--if no less cynical--view. And she puts into words all of my frustration, and puts them into a pretty solid context. Take a look.

[Excerpt]

So Now EVERYONE Knows

Those among us who have recognized the hypocrisy of the GOP over the years – a charge which, when made, often fell on deaf ears – have now been fully vindicated, thanks to the McCain campaign, its supporters, its defenders, and its hard-core adherents.

While Republican voters screamed for McCain to take off the gloves, what actually slipped off was the mask that Republican powers-that-be have hidden behind for decades – and the face that was exposed for all the world to see was, to say the least, not a pretty one. . .



* 9/11 Note: No, I do not believe all the "Loose Change" and other associated stories about September 11. They certainly point out the holes in the story, but I'm not sure I buy their explanations. I'm just certain that we've been told everything, and that some of what we've been told isn't true. I find the "official story" to be just exactly as implausible as some of the loonier theories out there. Given the history of the (still) sitting administration, do you put it past them to lie about elements of the story?

Greenlee Gazette Milestone: 50,000 Hits!


This post is purely vanity. My blog will have received 50,000 hits in just the next hour or so. It's sort of like waiting for your odometer to roll over to an even number. You get so excited, but in the scheme of things, it's no big whoop.

Many large blogs like The Huffington Post or AmericaBlog (the two main inspirations for this blog) can get that many hits in a day--a very bad day. But for a guy who started his blog with this sentence. . .

"This blog will never be found by anybody."
. . .I think it's quite impressive! And 50,000 doesn't tell you everything either. I've had over 70,000 total page hits, which is when somebody comes to the site, and then clicks on archived stories while they're here. And then there is the RSS reader. Now, RSS subscribers are a fickle bunch. I've never been able to hang on to more than 30 or so for more than a day. Right now, it stands at 15. Tomorrow it might be 25. But the point is, those people get continuous feeds that aren't logged in my hits. According to Google, I've had 82,764 total page views.

But it's the daily hits I've been watching with anticipation. Back in August, I had a surge of visitors over two days due to a link in one of The Daily Kos' posts. That spiked my usually much lower monthly numbers to over 6,500 hits, which was a little bit of a thill. And then a funny thing happened in September. My numbers were not surprisingly lower, but not all that much: just over 5,400.
So, I've been drumming my fingers, waiting to see if I'd get to 50,000 hits before election day. Could October reach more than the inflated August number? Well, the answer is yes to the former, and the latter remains to be seen. But we've got four days of October to go, and the number at the moment of this post is 6,418. So, yeah, I'm gonna hit it and go past it. It should top 7,000, which is about the total number of hits I had from June to October last year!

These admittedly small potatoes numbers mean nothing to anybody but me. But one of the things you can do when you have your own blog is, when your odometer turns over, you can write about it! Thanks for reading, and bring your friends!

Monday, October 27, 2008

Young Turks: More Voter Suppression in Georgia

Why don't you find any stories like this on The Drudge Report, FOX "News" or FreeRepublic.com? Gee, I wonder. . .

Oldest Trick in the Book: Flyer Sites Election Date as Nov. 5



Image from source, Think Progress

Good grief. All of this false hysteria from right-wingers about ACORN and nonexistent "voter fraud," and the real bad stuff is being done by Republicans. But of course you knew that.

The oldest trick to discourage opponents from showing up at the polls is to tell them their voting place has changed, or the voting date has changed. The latter is being tried again in Virginia.

[Excerpt]


The Virginia Pilot reports today that a phony Virginia Board of Elections flier is being distributed in Hamption Roads, VA telling Democrats that they are now scheduled to vote on November 5. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Barack Obama Assassination Plot Foiled


Photo from source, MSNBC

Yikes. Glad it was foiled. I can't imagine what stirred those folks up. . .

[Excerpt]

ATF: Plot by skinheads to kill Obama is foiled

Law enforcement agents have broken up a plot by two neo-Nazi skinheads to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and shoot or decapitate 88 black people, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Monday. . .

Read more at: MSNBC

Keith Olbermann's Campaign Comment: McCain, Step Up!

Another Countdown with Keith Olbermann "Campaign Comment," another contented blogger. I love when he gets fired up, and he's right. It's high time John McCain stood up and shouted down the worst elements of his party. The frenzy the right-wingers were thrown into by the Ashley Todd hoax just scratched the surface of their irrational hatreds. McCain should say something about it.

Alaska Senator Ted Stevens Guilty (X7)


Image from source, MSNBC

Ted Stevens, Senior Senator from Alaska--and Sarah Palin political BFF--hasn't just been found guilty, he's been found guilty on seven counts. But being a felon, amazingly enough, is not enough to keep you out of the Senate, or even from running for another term.

Wouldn't you think that at 84 years old, he'd just hang it up?

[Excerpt]

Stevens defiant after guilty verdict

A defiant Sen. Ted Stevens, convicted of corruption charges, said Monday he will fight the verdict "with every ounce of energy I have." He added he will not give up his bid for re-election.

Read more (with video) at: MSNBC


Apple Computer Pledges $100K to Fight Prop 8


Image from source, Qweerty

I was happy to see that Apple Computer has pledged $100,000 to fight Proposition 8 in California, the resolution that would take away same-sex marriage. Since I am in one of those marriages, I have a vested interest in the subject.

But being a Mac-phobe, I'm having an internal conflict (does not compute!). I mean, Apple is spending all this money and time to get us to swtich to their product. What if I was born a PC? Heh. But then again, they did have a rainbow colored logo for 20 years or so.

Anyway, good on you, Apple. And I'd really like to see the conservo-bots ditch their iPods. . . They'll have to go back to playing their Lee Greenwood on 8-track!

[Excerpt]


Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. . .

Read more at: Qweerty


Lady at McCain Rally Thinks She's Sarah Palin

Wonkette is one of my favorite sites if I need a (political) laugh. They express themselves over there in ways I usually don't, but often want to. And I particularly liked the way the described this video:

Lady At McCain Rally Thinks She Is Sarah Palin



Some hobo cat lady must have forgotten her meds this morning and, as a result, thought that she was Sarah Palin and needed to show up beside her “running mate,” John McCain, at an Iowa rally. Because here she is, behind and to the right of John McCain, acknowledging the cheers as Walnuts says nice things about Palin. Or maybe John McCain has started keeping a (very bad) Sarah Palin lookalike with him at all times, so as to draw crowds?

Source: Wonkette

Halloween Horrors: Top 10 CLASSIC Horror Movies

Last year, when this blog barely got 50 hits per day, I ran a series of Top 10 Halloween horror movie lists, to help people find some videos to rent for a fright night. Since we're around to that time of year again, I'll be continuing to rerun those lists, with some sprucing up and updates.


Photo from Wikipedia.org

All right, I've covered my favorite scary horror movies, my top funny horror movies, even the bad horror movies., and now it is time for a list of all-time classics. These movies may no longer scare as much as they once did, but they must not be missed, if you are a true horror fan. If you haven't seen any of the movies in this group, do yourself a favor, and add them to your Halloween viewing list!

Greenlee Gazette Top 10 CLASSIC Horror Movies

1. Psycho (1960) - Already reviewed here, this movie still ranks as the all-time classic. It's very nearly perfect. It may not have the unrelenting gore of Hostel, or the outright laughs of Shaun of the Dead, but this movie still contains enough humor and horror to qualify for all three of my lists. A must see, but avoid the remake.

2. Rosemary's Baby (1968) - Another of the best 60s horror films. Very high-brow, and stylishly shot. And Ruth Gordon is one little old lady you do not want living next door.

3. Jaws (1975) - Not strictly a horror film, but has more scares than some whole lists of movies. It might not work for Halloween, but wait a few weeks, and then pop this one in for a refresher on what a good scary time you can have any time of year. The sequels get progressively worse, so stick to this one, and maybe Jaws 2.

4. Night of the Living Dead (1969) - In a slightly different league from the first three on this list, this low-budget, black and white film still deserves a spot on the list. George Romero squeezed every last cent out of his budget, and delivered a film that can still scare (and disgust) you, almost 40 years later. This film is in the public domain, so watch out for bad prints. Also avoid the colorized version, and the remake. The sequels though, are pretty good, particularly Dawn of the Dead. The ending of this film might tick you off though.

5. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - The first movie set the tone, but the sequel hits it out of the park. Outstanding, nearly flawless horror film. Trust me, if you haven't seen it, it is a must. And if it weren't for this film, there might never have been a Young Frankenstein!

6. Alien (1979) - You might have thought it was just a sci-fi film, but don't be fooled. This is top-shelf horror, it's just that the haunted house is a space ship! Even better that it sets up one of the best sequels in history, Aliens.

7. Suspiria (1977) - Creepy, and moody and very, very foreign in tone, this movie will wig you out. A little astray from the other movies in this list, and not for all tastes, but still a classic.

8. Carrie (1976) - Possibly the best strictly horror adaptation of a Stephen King novel. Piper Laurie is an anti-religionist's worst nightmare. Also started the "surprise ending" motif for horror movies for years to come.

9. The Last House on the Left (1972) - Another low-budget cheapie that delivers a wallop. Seriously, you will have a pillow in front of your face during some parts. Wes Craven is the master.

10. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1986) - Yes, I know, a sequel. But part one is in my "scary" list, and this one is so good, I still consider it a classic. Eerie, moody, and Fred Krueger isn't quite an anti-hero yet. Plus, once again, Wes Craven is at the helm.

Previously:

Sunday, October 26, 2008

John McCain Pulling Down Entire GOP?


Photo from source, Washington Post

My original title for this post was, "Still Worried About Counting Chickens. . ."

Damn, I'm on pins and needles. I wanted Al Gore to win, and arguably he did, but the argument is irrelevant. He didn't get to be President. I really wanted John Kerry to be President, but less for the man himself than the ouster of the Bush Administration and their horrendous policies and activities. That didn't work out too well either, and for a time I was politically depressed.

But this time, I don't just want Barack Obama to be President. I'm desperate for it. For the man, and for who he's running against. I don't think I can stomach another Republican Administration, and let's be honest: if a Democrat can't win in this environment, when could they ever win again? If the dirty tricks and lies work again, if the Karl Rove machinery--rusty and missing some parts--manages to crank out another win, just what the hell are we Democrats fighting for? I tell ya, it would be crushing.

Fortunately, nine days out, it looks like that dark scenario isn't going to happen. But I'm far too jaded to think this is a sure thing. It should be. It almost has to be. But I'm afraid. . .I don't know. . .that I'll jinx it if I get too excited.

Stories like the following one make me feel a little better about the whole thing. I sure hope they're right.

[Excerpt]

Sorry, Senator. Let's Salvage What We Can.

. . .I could pile up the poll numbers here, but frankly . . . it's too depressing. You have to go back to the Watergate era to see numbers quite so horrible for the
GOP.

McCain's awful campaign is having awful consequences down the ballot. I spoke a little while ago to a senior Republican House member. "There is not a safe Republican seat in the country," he warned. "I don't mean that we're going to lose all of them. But we could lose any of them. . ."

Read the whole article at: Washington Post



New DNC Ad: John McCain More of the Same

For all of the alleged times that John McCain has differed with his party, they sure are not evident in his economic policies. He may well have been a "Maverick" in the past, but what about lately? And what has he argued with President Bush about?

Sean Hannity, One Man Anti-Obama Army


Don't ask me why, but I left FOX "News" on this evening while I was trying to win at Spider Solitaire. I caught a little of Huckabee, the part politics, part folksy discussion, part Hee-Haw show hosted by Mike Huckabee. I disagree with his politics, but he seems like a genuinely nice guy. I'm just glad he won't get any say as it pertains to my civil rights.

But after that fairly inoffensive show, came Hannity's America. Now, I have a passing familiarity with the show, not as much as Hannity & Colmes, or his radio show, but I've had it on for noise before. It's basically a televised version of his radio show, with no Alan Colmes counterpoint like he usually has on TV. It's usually garbage, but the last couple of weeks, it has gone over the line.

Worried that Barack Obama might win the election, Hannity's America has focused almost exclusively on tearing Obama down. And over the last three weeks or so, the program has gotten increasingly brazen in it's arch-conservative viewpoint. Tonight, Hannity gave his "Top 10 reasons you should not vote for Barack Obama." And it was a doozy.

The program was presented as something of a documentary, if it was genetically spliced with a political attack ad. Sinister music was accompanied by a voice-over by Hannity, with a documentarian tone, rather than his usual cadence. He presented every negative thing you've ever heard about Obama, paying no head to debunked stories, extenuating circumstances, context or rebuttals. Quotes from Obama were edited to reveal only the portions Sean wanted us to hear. It was a 60-minute attack ad for John McCain, pure and simple.

This was presented in prime time on a national news network. Excuse me, this is FOX "News," so it isn't really a news network, but they present themselves as "Fair and Balanced." For all the hand wringing and whining I've heard about Countdown with Keith Olbermann and The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, for being too partisan, for diluting the news. . .well, they're both impartial straight arrows by comparison.

Hannity did say on occasion, in my opinion, but only when ranking his top 10. Everything in the program was presented as fact. It was appallingly bad, as were several of the RNC and NRA anti-Obama ads during the program. Venomous, nasty, snide, and guaranteed to provoke the right-wing base's emotions. I am hopeful this show only played to the hard-core converted, and to skeptics like me. Because if a naive voter--not knowing FOX "News" and Sean Hannity's reputations--were to watch this program, they'd think we're about to elect a monster.

Shame on Hannity and FOX "News." As though they weren't buried under shame already. I'll say this, if Hannity's nightmares come true, and we get an Obama Presidency (and hopefully the House and Senate too), I hope to see anything branded "news" to actually be news. On both sides, I don't care. If Hannity's America must exist, disclaimer it with "The following is political commentary, and the opinions expressed in the program are those of the host, and not necessarily the network." Or just label the whole damned channel FOX "News" Commentary Channel.

And as a side note, does anybody remember that conservative talk radio used to be fringe? They were not mainstream. Sean Hannity is not a journalist, this was not a documentary, and it is absolutely far right fringe lunacy. How nice it would be if he were back there.

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