freakboy on film: LET ME IN ("The Great Hammer-Amicus Blogathon" Edition)

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A massive thanks to Gill Jacob of Realweegiemidget Reviews and Barry P. of Cinematic Catharsis for allowing me to participate in THE GREAT HAMMER-AMICUS BLOGATHON!  

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                             2010 

Screenplay by & Directed by Matt Reeves 

"I've been 12 for a very long time." - Abby 

I was in the right place at the right time to experience LET ME IN on the big screen.  Curiosity brought me to the theater because I had seen LET THE RIGHT ONE IN and had read the novel.  To be blunt, I wasn't expecting much out of a version set in the United States, that is until the HAMMER logo appeared on the screen.  

First, I had to check if I was still alive.  Second, I wondered if I had been thrown back in time.  I had no idea Hammer was still in the motion picture business in the 21st Century!  Third, my expectations skyrocketed because of this cinematic revelation!  I must confess that I initially had mixed feelings as I left the theater, but repeat viewings have made me appreciate and thoroughly enjoy this film. 

The story, if you are not familiar with it, centers around Owen, a young boy in the 1980's who is ignored at home and bullied at school.  Owen's life changes when a young girl, Abby, moves in next door with a man who seems to be her father.  Turns out Abby is a vampire and the man is her protector and human blood collector.  Events and emotions become extremely entangled and complicated as Owen and Abby figure out if they should let each other into their damaged lives.  

LET ME IN is ultimately a story about loneliness and the three principle leads capture that isolated feeling.  Kodi Smit-McPhee, as Owen, radiates sadness as he struggles with the divorce of his parents while trying to avoid a trio of bullies.  Chloë Grace Moretz gives a mesmerizing performance that shows Abby is older than her body indicates, but is somehow still a child in her own way.  Richard Jenkins is perfectly cast as the middle-age, kind of pathetic father/protector whose life hasn't quite turned out how he imagined.  

While LET ME IN is different from the classic Hammer films, there are similarities to be found.  There is a lurid quality to the story and in certain scenes.  Specifically when the father/protector dumps acid on his face to disguise his identity.  The smoking-skin effect seems like a loving throwback, but it's still disturbingly effective.  Another similarity to the classics is how it becomes increasingly clear, as the plot unfolds, that the real monster in the film is human.  

So, if you want some moody, 21st Century Hammer horror, break out the Rubik's Cube, grab some Now & Later, and enjoy LET ME IN. 

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. Click NATURE'S FURY to read a filmic blogpost from the last time I was invited to participate in a blogathon.

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Click JLH for more info on this blogger.

That Anniversary Post

I started this blog five years ago today and I don't know what to say about it. 

I just hope I've entertained you with my nonsense, which was one of my original goals. 

Thank you for giving me your time over the last five years, and here is to five more.  (clinks imaginary glasses with you)

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S.  Here is another recent anniversary I celebrated...

http://freakoptics.blogspot.com/2018/05/that-anniversary-video.html 

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For more info on this blog..

http://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/tales-from-freakboy-zone.html 

freakboy muses music: CARRIE: THE MUSICAL

I am the sound of distant thunder, the color of flame... 

          Music by Michael Gore 

          Lyrics by Dean Pitchford 

       Book by Lawrence D. Cohen  

When I first heard that someone, somewhere created a musical from Stephen King's seminal novel of teen angst telekinetic tragedy and/or Brian De Palma's brilliant cinematic adaptation, I rolled my eyes in disbelief.  My incredulous mind conjured up song titles such as They're All Going To Laugh At You and Plug It Up.  It just seemed utterly crazy to my extremely closed attitude, so it didn't surprise me to hear how it had been a massive Broadway bomb. 

Years went by and I forgot about the shock of such a brave or stupid spectacle, until I signed up for a 3-month free trial of Apple Music.  I was searching for the soundtrack to the 1976 film, which was a ridiculous thing to do since I already owned a copy of the CD, when I stumbled upon a 2012 revival soundtrack to CARRIE: THE MUSICAL.  My mind reeled.  I never thought I'd want or get a chance to experience this infamous pop culture infusion of horror-suspense and song, but there it was, literally at my fingertips.  I held my breath and let the streaming begin. 

"What the hell am I listening to?" was my initial reaction to the emotional chaos of IN, the opening number.  Then slowly, much like Carrie White's burgeoning telekinetic powers, my enjoyment manifested and grew.  After the back-to-back whammy of tracks 5 and 6, I was hooked.  

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CHRIS is the villain's song, which is often a highlight in musicals, and this proves to be no exception.  It's a wickedly catchy anthem glorifying bullying and intolerance.  This ditty is so politically incorrect that it almost slides into camp until the final, haunting moments, which seem to speak volumes about our world today.  The world according to Chris is better to whip than get whipped...even if somebody bleeds, please, nobody dies from a scar...and that's the way things are.  

EVENING PRAYERS is a beautiful mother-daughter duet that surprised me.  Typically Margaret White is portrayed strictly as a religious zealot, but this song captures the real love she has for Carrie, though it's buried under her extreme beliefs. 

There are so many great, memorable songs to be found in CARRIE: THE MUSICAL, and when I finished that initial listen, I knew I would be listening to it again.  What I didn't foresee was that I'd eventually purchase a copy (thank you, Dave & the late Carrie Fisher) and how it would help me struggle through the early days of my chunk of vision loss.  

I  imagine you're raising an unbelieving eyebrow.  Well, one thing CARRIE: THE MUSICAL vividly captures is the emotional mess of being a teenager.  Needless to say, I was an extreme emotional mess in late 2016 and early 2017, so I related to the whirlpool of feelings behind the lyrics.  I found a safe and effective way in dealing with my anger, frustration, fear and sadness over the unstoppable change in my life.  I was Carrie White in the shower, terrified of what my body was doing without warning, seemingly without explanation.  There's a movement in my head...Saints and Angels, what can it be?  It's growing...it's stirring...it's churning...shifting...bending. 

This is why I believe CARRIE: THE MUSICAL is better than its reputation suggests and should be given another chance.  Hopefully the recent spectacular episode of RIVERDALE inspires another revival.  Maybe a touring production so this Nebraskan freakboy would have a realistic chance of experiencing these songs of endless wonder live on stage.  

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words. 

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. To experience a previous blogpost about one of my music obsessions...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2016/09/freakboy-muses-music-julie-brown.html 

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For more info on JLH...

http://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/home.html 

Deceptively Easy

Maybe I make it look too easy. 

You will see me confidently walking at a brisk pace down the sidewalk. 

You will see me staring at my tablet or a computer.  

You will see me watching television or you will see me at a theater watching a film. 

You will see me occasionally looking through a book or a magazine. 

Maybe I make it look too easy, so you forget that I'm visually impaired. 

Maybe you don't realize I'm walking down a sidewalk I'm familiar with.  I know where the bumps and cracks are, though new or unsuspecting obstacles are always waiting to challenge me. 

Maybe you don't realize that whatever I'm doing on my tablet or a computer is on a website or app I had often used before my vision loss, such as this blog.  I know from memory what's what and where I need to click.  Plus, my tablet reads me the words I cannot, including the words I type. 

Maybe you don't realize how I miss subtle facial expressions and movements, or how easily I get lost during action scenes in films and television.  Though I recently experienced subtitles that I could decipher just enough of the words to figure out what was being said.  This was at a theater, and the subtitles were large enough, with a stark enough contrast, but I still didn't catch every single word.  

Maybe you don't realize how little I can read physical print.  I occasionally flip through a book or a magazine in bittersweet memory and to see what I can see.  I can sometimes decipher a title of a book or magazine article, but the regular text is often too small for me to figure out.  Maybe I'll be able to decipher a letter or two, or a small word, but the grey blob in my right eye obscures little details and sometimes larger details, too. 

Maybe you don't realize I am able to do all that I just described because of my Mad Scientist Glasses, except for walking.  Walking while wearing my M.S.G would be dangerous and stupid to attempt.  

I typed this post because I was recently in a situation where people who know of my half-blind eyes seemed to have forgotten my current reality.  It made me realize I needed to put out a friendly reminder.  

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. For more insight into my half-blind eyes, please click INFO. 
______________________

John L. Harmon is an indie author, blogger & videographer.

enter---> THE JLH COLLECTIVE <---enter

He currently resides left of center in the state of Nebraska and has been visually impaired since December of 2016.

freakboy on film: THE LAST JEDI

2017 

written & directed by Rian Johnson 

"Ah, Skywalker.  Missed you, have I." - Yoda 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could blog about how THE FORCE AWAKENS left me eager to get to know Rey, Finn, Poe and Kylo Ren better, but how Episode VIII turned them into one-note characters.  I could blog about how THE LAST JEDI is the most plotless, pointless, endless STAR WARS film since THE PHANTOM MENACE.  

Instead, I'll be a good Jedi and blog about the three scenes I enjoyed in an otherwise painfully dull, forgettable installment.  SPOILER ALERT: each scene deals with the original characters.  

1) The scene where R2-D2 plays Leia's message from A NEW HOPE.  It was an amusing and touching moment between a boy and his droid, albeit 40 years older.  

2) Yoda burns down the Jedi tree.  It's totally something Yoda would do and seeing the long-dead Jedi master again was the only real surprise in this film.  

3) Luke says good-bye to Leia.  This moment was beautiful on many levels, but Carrie Fisher's passing makes it profound.  

On a side note, Laura Dern was a welcome addition to the cast.  Too bad her character and Leia won't be around to salvage whatever crap Disney shoves down our throats in Episode IX. 

 

Also, the narrator for the Descriptive Audio option on the DVD, which I borrowed from the library for a second viewing, tries really hard to add excitement to the prolonged action, but there is no escaping the tedious boredom.

So, sit back, relax, extend your lightsaber and watch THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK instead!  

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S.  Click FORCE to read my thoughts on Episode VII.

______________________

John L. Harmon is an indie author, blogger & videographer.

enter---> THE JLH COLLECTIVE <---enter

He currently resides left of center in the state of Nebraska and has been visually impaired since December of 2016.

A Revolutionary Update (April 2018)

2018 isn't shaping up to be my best year ever.  I awoke from a long daydream and cut ties with someone I never thought I would.  I ended my ice cream words.  I recently felt panicked and fled when a group of four people sat extremely near me at the library.  So much for swinging doors open, John.

At least I accomplished my first New Year's Revolution goal.  My online home, though it's called an institution because we all go a little mad sometimes, was completed and activated in early March!  The JLH Collective is pretty much how I envisioned it.  Not only can you find my books, blogs and videos, but each month I'll be focusing The Collective Eye on other, far more creative minds than mine.  No comment. 

Unfortunately, accomplishing this goal conjured up some negative voices from my past, and those voices are all saying the same three words.  

It's not real. 

For once this isn't strictly my own voice of self-doubt echoing down through the years.  I've heard those three small, but devestating words uttered by many others concerning my prior accomplishments. From my G.E.D. to unreleased creative endeavors from my young adult days to my self-published book and e-books, others have used those three vicious words to tear me down.  I guess they haven't succeeded because I keep going, though I have allowed their bitter voices to keep my self-doubt alive and churning in my head.  No wonder you went into fight or flight mode at the library. 

While nobody has used those words to describe The JLH Collective, I've been waiting for someone to, which may have diminished my sense of accomplishment.  You see, I didn't create my online home using a web-building site like Twix or Go Big Daddy or whatever.  Maybe I would've used such a site if my book and e-books found readers on a more regular basis, but they don't, so I didn't.  Instead, I thought of this very blog and how I have linked pages together. The proverbial lightbulb clicked on in my brain and The JLH Collective was born!  Yes, it's a blog disguised as a fully functional website that is still a blog thanks to The Collective Eye.  The Victor/Victoria of websites. 

Learning to enjoy my accomplishments, no matter how society views them, is something I need to work on.  I suppose knowing other people I encounter in real life aren't always going to be vicious, bitter jerks might also be a good lesson to learn.  Though I should proceed with my half-blind eyes cautiously open.  

I must admit that those three very small words keep coiling around my thoughts as I slowly prepare to begin working on my second New Year's Revolution goal.  If I can construct my online home, then I should be able to sort through this blog and collect the best (and worst) posts into a book and/or an e-book.  I just need to reinforce my emotional army before I venture forth into this inner battle.  John, cut the crap and just do it! 

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.  

Also... a ginormous thank you to those who support my creative endeavors and who have stuck by me during this Revolution!  I suppose this includes you, Mr. Yarrington.  It's about damn time, John, but your gratitude isn't as gratifying as it should be.  Deal with it, Michael.

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S.  For more info on my Revolution please click...     2018

______________________

John L. Harmon is an indie author, blogger & videographer.

enter---> THE JLH COLLECTIVE <---enter

He currently resides left of center in the state of Nebraska and has been visually impaired since December of 2016.