Sounds Familiar: Japan votes for ‘Change’…
…With only two weeks of official campaigning that focused mainly on broadstroke appeals rather than specific policies, many analysts said the elections were not so much about issues as voters’ general desire for something new after more than a half century under the Liberal Democrats….
And the platform was CHANGE! and anti-status quo!
…The ruling party has betrayed the people over the past four years, driving the economy to the edge of a cliff, building up more than 6 trillion yen ($64.1 billion) in public debt, wasting money, ruining our social security net and widening the gap between the rich and poor,” the Democratic Party said in a statement as voting began Sunday. “We will change Japan,” it said.
And LOTS of SPENDING promises were made but NO word on HOW they will govern, just like here:
With only two weeks of official campaigning that focused mainly on broadstroke appeals rather than specific policies, many analysts said the elections were not so much about issues as voters’ general desire for something new after more than a half century under the Liberal Democrats.
Oh Japan, something new is not necessarily something good, as we have seen here! Just as here, while they campaigned on how AWFUL the big debt was, the plans are to RAISE it!
The Democrats are proposing toll-free highways, free high schools, income support for farmers, monthly allowances for job seekers in training, a higher minimum wage and tax cuts. The estimated bill comes to 16.8 trillion yen ($179 billion) if fully implemented starting in fiscal year 2013.
Guess what else we have in common? Our demographics:
Making the situation more dire is Japan’s rapidly aging demographic – which means more people are on pensions and there is a shrinking pool of taxpayers to support them and other government programs.
Sounds just like what happened here. I wish them luck and hope they get a better result.
LeAnn Rimes courtesy of brattyangel1100
Horror Spoof: Transylmania trailer…
Courtesy of TheMovieJunk
Update: SciFiWire’s Todd Gilchrist slaughters Zombie’s sequel in review…Halloween 2 review roundup…
Update: WOW! Todd Gilchrist’s review on SciFiWire is as brutal as Zombie’s gore splashed grunting kill scenes:
Comparing Halloween to Halloween II is a little bit like debating the comparative value of two bowel movements. Both are equally worthless, but the first was excruciating while the second just uncomfortable—although it’s unclear whether there’s an actual difference, or you were simply prepared for the pain after having gone through the experience once already.
That said, Halloween II is in fact better than its predecessor, which means that the series went from abominable to merely unwatchable, and which means that “fans” of the 2007 reboot may indeed enjoy it. But anyone uninitiated with Rob Zombie’s brand of grainy hillbilly brutality would be better served by eating a bran muffin and steering clear of this particular horror film, because it’s a compliment to call it a piece of crap…(go read the whole thing!)
This line from the review perfectly encapsulates what I find lacking in the GROSS factor horror today found in Saw, Hostel, and Zombie’s remakes of classic Carpenter:
…But it’s also a sure sign of desperation that the only moment in which the writer-director really references Carpenter’s films is in the final scene, when he uses the original’s familiar piano refrain to emphasize a character’s deteriorating sanity, and unfortunately, underscore the difference between jarring shock-exploitation and genuinely disturbing suspense: no matter how graphically one can depict a scene of violence, its impact will never compare to the lasting effect of an image, much less an entire film, in which a palpable mood is created and then successfully communicated to its audience….
These are spoiler free…
Courtesy of MutantvillePlayers
Courtesy of RandBreviews
The reviews consistently dislike the Zombie take on Dr Loomis in H2….Zombie seems to deliberately make the audience dislike the characters…is this supposed to make us develop a sympathy for Michael b/c everyone else is so awful? dunno….
Spartacus: Blood and Sand Teaser – Gladiator Oath
Courtesy of Starz:
Betrayed by his country. Beaten into slavery. Reborn as a warrior.
“I commit my flesh, my mind, my will. I swear to be burned, chained, beaten or die by the sword.”
Premiering on Starz January 2010.
Darken Rahl LoTS fans take note, Craig Parker is in the series 🙂
True Blood 2.11 ‘Frenzy’ Sneak Peek
Vodpod videos no longer available.
High Season for Horror Flicks kicks off…
Here's Johnny!' Jack Nicholson in 'The Shining' Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
The NYDaily News has a great wrap up of its top 10 horror flicks of all time to kick-off this weekend’s Halloween scream season launch.
I have to go with their pick for number 4 as the one that scared me the most, even the trailer which just shows the elevators is scary IMO:
No. 4: “THE SHINING” (1980)
All work and no play made Jack anything but a dull boy.Director Stanley Kubrick’s masterful adaptation of another Steven King classic (though not very loyal to the source material) divided critic, but left plenty of spilled popcorn on the floors of movie theaters across the country. The story of a writer who is possessed by demons and driven to murder as he and his family are trapped by a snowstorm in a haunted Overlook Hotel, was impossible to overlook due to the meticulousness of the film’s director. One scene was reportedly shot with 148 retakes, easily a world record.
But the final print is worth it: a ghoulish, visually stunning masterpiece that, when paired with Bela Bartok’s creepy score, evokes a terrifying mood.
Two YARM flicks open tonight: Halloween 2 and Final Destination 3D open today marking busy season for we horror fans…
As “Halloween 2” and “Final Destination” are on the verge of slashing their way through theaters this Friday, fans are split on just where today’s horror movies rank against the all-time greats. Is Rob Zombie’s Mike Myers a new, improved model over John Carpenter’s iconic slasher? Did meek (sp) Norman Bates overpower “Friday the 13th’s” Jason Voorhees? Does “Rosemary’s Baby” or “The Exorcist” possess a spot in our rankings? Do zombies or vampires scare us more?
In honor of the recent surge in movie body counts, the Daily News takes a stab at our list of the top 10 horror movies of all time.
Click on … if you dare!
Shining (1980) official trailer courtesy of cofthegs
Medium – Jake Weber and Patricia Arquette on the new season…
Courtesy of CBS
Moderate in the Middle 