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Near Dark (1987)
Near Dark (1987)
1987 | Horror, Mystery, Western
Bill Paxton (1 more)
Lance Henrikson
Finger-Lickin' Good!
Near Dark- is a great neo-western horror film about vampires. It was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, it was also her debut film.

The plot: Cowboy Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar) meets gorgeous Mae (Jenny Wright) at a bar, and the two have an immediate attraction. But when Mae turns out to be a vampire and bites Caleb on the neck, their relationship gets complicated. Wracked with a craving for human blood, Caleb is forced to leave his family and ride with Mae and her gang of vampires, including the evil Severen. Along the way Caleb must decide between his new love of Mae and the love of his family.

Vampire films had become "trendy" by the time of Near Dark's production, with the success of Fright Night (1985) and The Lost Boys (1987), the latter released two months before Near Dark and grossing $32 million. Kathryn Bigelow wanted to film a Western movie that departed from cinematic convention.

The combination of the genres had been visited at least twice before on the big screen, with Curse of the Undead (1959) and Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966).

Bigelow knew (and later married) director James Cameron, who directed Aliens (1986), a film that shares three cast members (Paxton, Goldstein and Henriksen) with Near Dark. Actor Michael Biehn was offered the role of Jesse Hooker, but he rejected the role because he found the script confusing. Lance Henriksen took over the role. A cinema seen in the background early in the film has Aliens on its marquee and Cameron played the man who "flips off" Severen.

Its a classic and a cult film.
  
Hark! The Village Wait by Steeleye Span
Hark! The Village Wait by Steeleye Span
1970 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This one's not quite as contemporary as Electrelane – in fact, that's putting it mildly! It's an old folk song that dates back to the seventeenth century, so it's been passed down through the generations. “This is the version that fits the mood of this collection of songs the best I think. It's another one about losing somebody; it's about a young woman who's lover has been kidnapped by a press gang and taken out to sea and she's not going to see him again - it's a terrible, terrible tragedy. “Steeleye Span are a funny band; they came out of a scene that's not too far removed from Kevin Ayers and that electric folk movement of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. They evolved into something that perhaps wasn't so cool later on - there's a record called All Around My Hat that's a bit Alan Partridge - but those early albums are really great. “I definitely have a personal connection to ‘The Lowlands of Holland’. It's an unusual song, actually, in that I can never figure out whether it's Scottish or Irish in origin. It doesn't really matter, but it has significance for me because I live and have my studio in Dumfries and Galloway, and in the song, Gabe Woods is singing about the man from Galloway. “So I imagine it's where I am and when I'm hundreds or thousands of miles away from home, I hear that song and I imagine being back in Scotland. It generates a degree of homesickness and wistfulness and it's good to feel that, because it reminds you of what home is, and why you should return there.”"

Source
  
Collection by Electric Light Orchestra
Collection by Electric Light Orchestra
1995 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I grew up in London, but I spent my teens in the countryside, and I’d come to London on the weekends. It was the early stages of the band where we were meeting new people, getting drunk and stoned - all of those really formative experiences of exploring the decadent debauchery that London has to offer. Then at the end of the weekend I’d have to hop on a train and go back to the sanity of school life. “Whenever I hear this song it evokes that feeling, the sense of the early days of the band and discovering my gang. Your early twenties are about finding your tribe, which is what I did during that time by travelling to London and having those formative experiences with them. “Last Train to London” evokes that sense of finding where you belong, and it happens to contextually fit in with my experience at the time. “It’s a stark contrast to the previously mentioned songs, which are a little darker and heavier. It’s a feel-good tune to me, although it’s a song which has a kind of sad, bittersweet mood in the lyrics, like “I really want tonight to last forever / I really want to be with you.” I felt that bittersweet feeling at the time. “It’s also just a great disco banger! It’s mixed so loud and so relentlessly; and sonically it’s an incredible song. I’m uplifted whenever I hear it, it makes me feel elated. I always drop it when I DJ, it bulldozes the songs on either side of it when I play it."

Source
  
On the Lamb
On the Lamb
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Bonfire Body
Spring is in the air in Ocean Crest, New Jersey, and with it, changes. Lucy Berberian has gotten her own place, and it’s near the beach and her family’s Mediterranean restaurant, which she manages. The worst part is dealing with her landlady’s nephew, Gilbert, who is determined to get his aunt into a retirement home so he can get his hands on the valuable piece of land. A rare Saturday night to enjoy a bonfire on the beach ends when Lucy and her friends find Gilbert’s body in the sand. Lucy’s friend Melanie becomes the prime suspect, and she begs Lucy to figure out what is going on. Can she clear her friend?

It had been a while since I read the previous book in the series, but it wasn’t long before I was caught up with Lucy and the rest of the cast again. I was happy to see relationships and characters continuing to grow. The mystery is good, with several viable suspects and plenty of secrets for Lucy to uncover. The climax was logical and suspenseful. I did have some problems with logic in other places, like character’s ages. I can make it work, but it would have been nice having things like that actually spelled out for us. I would love to visit Ocean Crest if it were real. Even at the down time of Spring, when this book is set, it sounds like a fun town. We get another three delicious sounding recipes at the end of the book. If you’ve enjoyed the previous entries in the series, you’ll be happy you to catch up with Lucy and the gang again here.
  
Midlife Bounty Hunter (Forty Proof, #1)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I've read a few books in the past by this author and enjoyed them, so I'm hoping this one plays out the same way.

It starts with Breena heading to a graveyard where she's supposed to be attending an interview but things take a decidedly paranormal turn when she meets a skeleton and is chased by a werewolf up a steep come-out-of-nowhere mountain where she finds out she's passed the interview and is now working for a group who do bounty work for the supernatural community.

I did enjoy this but I wasn't fully invested in it. The most exciting thing for me was Crash...and Breena trying to get her house back, but mainly Crash. There was just something about him that drew my attention and intrigued me. Him, I would like to see more of. The rest of the gang...meh. They didn't grow on me that much and I didn't feel like I grew to know them that well.

I feel I should mention Robert and Feish, too. They were the closest people - loosely used term - to Breena in this and they were pretty likeable in this one. I'm sure she'll grow closer to them over the course of the series and they'll turn into valuable allies.

One thing I wasn't a fan of: the continuous referral of her ex husband as "Himself" rather annoying after a while. Why not just "Him" or his name or even "ex"? He does sound like a piece of work, though, and I feel like seeing him get his comeuppance is going to be good.
  
The Equalizer 2 (2018)
The Equalizer 2 (2018)
2018 | Action, Mystery
Having been a long time since I saw the first one it was difficult to link any of the very specific things between the two. My only recollection of it is that he was a subdued hero who pulled out some extreme vengeance. This one was no different in that respect.

The action was good and at the beginning you see the use of the stopwatch, which is noticeable in it's absence through the rest of the film. The final action sequence trails through the storm torn town as Washington picks off the enemy and the whole thing seems to be going well until some random first-person shooter camera angles are thrown in out of nowhere and seem completely out of place.

But that isn't the only thing that seems out of place. The whole story line about the art loving neighbour of McCall only partly adds to the film. We see his brief secondary story line with the inclusion of his gang friends, but as soon as it appears it disappears, and doesn't really contribute at all. As odd character placement goes there's also Pullman as the bereaved husband. Needed? Possibly. The right choice? Possibly not.

If you can look past the strange conclusion-less pieces of the film then all the action, the main story line and a nice summing up to a side story make for a good film to pass some time. But I didn't feel like it met its potential. A lot of people in the screening seemed to be distracted throughout, another film that while full of action was somewhat slow paced at times.
  
Sunrise at the Mayan Temple
Sunrise at the Mayan Temple
Sigmund Brouwer | 1993 | Children, Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Slow Start, Fast Paced Second Half
Ricky Kidd is surprised when his younger brother, Joel, is given six tickets to spend 10 days down in Mexico. He’s even more surprised when his parents agree to send the two of them plus his friend Mike, Ralphy, and Lisa, along with Old Lady Bugsby as their chaperon, down there. When the group arrives, they learn they are there to be part of a dig at Chichen Itza. It sounds great, but Ricky soon begins to get new worries. Like why is everyone afraid of the leader of their dig? Are the rumors of an ancient legend come back to life true? Or is something more sinister happening?

Normally, I love this series, but this is definitely the weakest book. The mystery starts slowly with a travelogue as Ricky and the gang head south. Once the plot does begin, it moves quickly, but Ricky has to have much of it explained to him at the end. He does have a few insights, but not the usual ones that solve the case. The short story used to introduce the plot also causes some issues with the book overall, ignoring some of Ricky’s drive for justice we’d normally see. It twists the broader story instead of just introducing it. Fortunately, the characters are as wonderful as always, and I enjoy spending time with them. It also has some funny moments, including a great running gag. If you are already a fan, you’ll want to pick up this book, but if you are new to the characters, start with one of the earlier, better ones.
  
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