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Sometimes the reviews just write themselves!



When I was thinking about people I know in Texas, you did not come immediately to mind. Yeesh!

I'm glad you are somewhere safe (and I hope that any other family you have in the state are also doing okay). If there's anything I/we can do, just say the word.
I should be THE Texan on everyone's minds! This hurts worse than the property damage!

Seriously though, I appreciate it. I wish there was something I could ask for but everything is in such a stand still due to a lack of resources that there's nothing that can be done currently. Just waiting for the headache of dealing with insurance claims and truly realizing the scope of the damage (need to repipe the entire attic, replace the ceiling in at least 3 rooms, and floors will need to be replaced). None of it feels quite "real" yet.

But while I'm not the only one with property damage (I know WAY more people affected than even when Harvey hit), I'm very grateful no one has had anything truly tragic happen. A close friend in Austin had a neighbor die from falling on ice and hitting his head.

I think the scope of damage will only become more clear and shocking as the days pass.



Eh, I thought Rowland's performance in it was very good; it was the unnecessary fat, like that breakfast scene that felt like it lasted half an hour, or the problematic implications of the ending, where
WARNING: spoilers below
Falk essentially "slaps the crazy" out of his wife, which feels like it was intended to be a sort of "happy" ending, that are the problems for me.


Still a pretty good movie despite those flaws, though.



I should be THE Texan on everyone's minds! This hurts worse than the property damage!

Seriously though, I appreciate it. I wish there was something I could ask for but everything is in such a stand still due to a lack of resources that there's nothing that can be done currently. Just waiting for the headache of dealing with insurance claims and truly realizing the scope of the damage (need to repipe the entire attic, replace the ceiling in at least 3 rooms, and floors will need to be replaced). None of it feels quite "real" yet.

But while I'm not the only one with property damage (I know WAY more people affected than even when Harvey hit), I'm very grateful no one has had anything truly tragic happen. A close friend in Austin had a neighbor die from falling on ice and hitting his head.

I think the scope of damage will only become more clear and shocking as the days pass.
Glad to hear that you're unhurt at least, MKS, as well as everyone else I know in the state, since my late Grandma had a friend who still lives in Fort Worth, one who should be almost 90 years old by this point (I haven't heard anything about her, so as far as I know she's okay), while Firebender from the Corrie works somewhere near the Plano area, and she mentioned that it got so cold that she saw an outdoor swimming pool froze solid down there (in addition to her losing power), so I'll try to keep you and my other Texas friends in my thoughts while this whole cluster **** works itself out.



Glad to hear that you're unhurt at least, MKS, as well as everyone else I know in the state, since my late Grandma had a friend who still lives in Fort Worth, one who should be almost 90 years old by this point (I haven't heard anything about her, so as far as I know she's okay), while Firebender from the Corrie works somewhere near the Plano area, and she mentioned that it got so cold that she saw an outdoor swimming pool froze solid down there, so I'll try to keep you and my other Texas friends in my thoughts while this whole cluster **** works itself out.
While the pools in my area didn't seem to freeze (most did have their pool plumbing explode though), I do have a small fountain at my yard that froze completely solid and snowed over. SOMEHOW, of all things water related, that thing reanimated itself the moment it thawed enough. The sound of it randomly starting up kicked in some PTSD though. Everyone in my family currently goes on red alert the moment we hear running water.

My house went from zero to the climax of Titanic in less than 15 mins. I didn't know that could even happen in a house without a hurricane.

Appreciate it and glad others are safe!



The trick is not minding
Eh, I thought Rowland's performance in it was very good; it was the unnecessary fat, like that breakfast scene that felt like it lasted half an hour, or the problematic implications of the ending, where
WARNING: spoilers below
Falk essentially "slaps the crazy" out of his wife, which feels like it was intended to be a sort of "happy" ending, that are the problems for me.


Still a pretty good movie despite those flaws, though.
Yeah, I get a lot of people really enjoy the film, so I won’t unnecessarily attack it, but coming from a family riddled with mental disabilities (paranoid schizophrenia, bi polar disorder, alcoholism all spread out amongst my parents and siblings) I take a hard view of it’s portrayal.
That ending was a bad spot as well, glad you mentioned it.
Our personal recommendations in that challenge is picked out for us anonymously, and I always feel bad when a movie misses its mark with me, because it’s usually someone’s favorite that gets chosen by them.



My house went from zero to the climax of Titanic in less than 15 mins. I didn't know that could even happen in a house without a hurricane.

Appreciate it and glad others are safe!
My house had a pipe burst several years ago (in the cellar, thank goodness), and when I went down to check there were already like 4 inches of water.

For the next week or so (during the cold snap), I was advised to keep the hot water running at a trickle because the moving water in the pipes helps? Or something?

I think you're right that once the "emergency" passes there are going to be a ton of long-term effects.





Yojimbo

Killing is my business....and business is good. Wanted to see this forever and figured it would best get it in before the next countdown. Also, I have not seen the Sergio/Clint version so this was all new to me. A samurai (Toshiro Mifune) starts a bidding war between two warring clans who would like his services. He's not terribly interested in helping either clan, he just wants to up his price, so he plays them against each other. He has a few other things up his sleeve, as well, and that's the fun of Yojimbo. How is it all going to unfold? Nothing wrong with this movie. Like the other Kurosawa films I've seen this movie feels ahead of its time. When it comes to filling up a frame there's Kurosawa and Kubrick, then everybody else. Every shot looks fantastic. I know b&w foreign films can be a tough sell but if I'm going to introduce somebody to them, somebody who has very little interest in them, Kurosawa is the guy I'm going with first. Mifune is again outstanding.


and what would a weekend be without at least one classic:



aka Howling II: Stirba: Werewolf Bitch. Not quite on par with Yojimbo but it was a lot of fun in a so bad it's good horror flick. Christopher Lee, playing it totally straight, is a werewolf hunter who travels to Transylvania (why not) to hunt down an old adversary: Stirba: Werewolf Bitch (Sybil Danning). That's pretty much all you need to know. The story is ridiculous, but fun and they throw enough silly stuff out there to keep it from ever getting boring. The gore fx are all pretty cheesy but get an A for effort. They're fun. The music is pretty good but that's to be expected from any band featuring a keytar. I've never been a big fan of Sybil but she does pretty good here even though she isn't asked to do much (basically, look outstanding). That striped outfit is the cat's meow even if it does make her look like a backup singer for a bad 80's Christian rock band. Have to mention that all the werewolves (over)acting like dogs when they are in their human form is pretty funny and was a nice touch. Only thing missing was some butt sniffing, which would have bumped this into 5 star territory, but you have to draw a line somewhere, I guess. Maybe that's in one of the 6 Howling movies I haven't yet seen. Normally a film like Yojimbo would throw the curve but not today - on a curve it's a solid



My house had a pipe burst several years ago (in the cellar, thank goodness), and when I went down to check there were already like 4 inches of water.

For the next week or so (during the cold snap), I was advised to keep the hot water running at a trickle because the moving water in the pipes helps? Or something?

I think you're right that once the "emergency" passes there are going to be a ton of long-term effects.
The pipes that burst were in my attic. I have no idea how many inches of water it would've been somewhere that collected water but most of it drained through the floors and into the lower rooms/garage.

Basically, every light fixture or AC vent had water pouring out of it like a fire hose. Even after I shut the water off, water poured out for like 20 more mins. I had to grab every tub, bucket, and towel to keep it from destroying everything.

This is after keeping my faucets dripping to try and prevent the freeze. My plumber basically told me that the only chance I'd have had would have been to shut my water off at the main and drain the entire system. Even so, they apparently used cheap, thin copper pipes in my house and people that did exactly that turned their water back on to busted pipes regardless.

It simply got too cold with no electricity for heat for too long and compromised all except the handful of households I know that had the attic insulated and/or changed to PEX pipes.

Yet school districts are acting like this is business as usual and are asking people to come back tomorrow. It's a joke and a bad one.



MKS, I echo what everyone has said. Sorry for your losses, but I'm glad you're safe and with family.
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MKS, I echo what everyone has said. Sorry for your losses, but I'm glad you're safe and with family.
Thanks, man. Sucks a lot but could've been so much worse.



Thanks, man. Sucks a lot but could've been so much worse.
Yeah, if I can offer some positives, you're not in line for food or water (that isn't available anyway), and from what I gather we're done with freezing weather for the foreseeable future, so let's hope the restoration process can get started soon. Ugh!
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DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING
(1972, Fulci)
A film that starts with the letters C or D



"No one can be killed with black magic, no one! It's nonsense."

During the first half of the film, the plot feels very scattered, and I don't think the characters were integrated effectively into the story. The pace is a bit clumsy, and there is a character that is somewhat problematic, especially by today's standards. For better or worse, the second half was more focused and the overall execution felt more assured. At first glance, the resolution might feel too "twisty" for "twist" purposes, but upon closer examination, I think it makes more sense than one might think.

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot



I should be THE Texan on everyone's minds! This hurts worse than the property damage!

Seriously though, I appreciate it. I wish there was something I could ask for but everything is in such a stand still due to a lack of resources that there's nothing that can be done currently. Just waiting for the headache of dealing with insurance claims and truly realizing the scope of the damage (need to repipe the entire attic, replace the ceiling in at least 3 rooms, and floors will need to be replaced). None of it feels quite "real" yet.

But while I'm not the only one with property damage (I know WAY more people affected than even when Harvey hit), I'm very grateful no one has had anything truly tragic happen. A close friend in Austin had a neighbor die from falling on ice and hitting his head.

I think the scope of damage will only become more clear and shocking as the days pass.
I think a certain other Texan took all the attention with the timing of his vacation...


Glad you are safe.



Yeah, hang in there MKS. I'm sorry to hear about your home, but it's good that you found somewhere else to live for the time being. Stay safe and stay strong.
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Yeah, if I can offer some positives, you're not in line for food or water (that isn't available anyway), and from what I gather we're done with freezing weather for the foreseeable future, so let's hope the restoration process can get started soon. Ugh!
Indeed. Some of the stuff I've seen is just heartbreaking. It's especially frustrating as all this feels thoroughly avoidable if our infrastructure was been at all safeguarded for this but so many chose to do nothing.*

Here's to hoping we learn from this. I certainly did.

Thanks too, Torgo. It really does help to see how many people are glad that the ceiling missed me and my wife.





aka Howling II: Stirba: Werewolf Bitch. Not quite on par with Yojimbo but it was a lot of fun in a so bad it's good horror flick. Christopher Lee, playing it totally straight, is a werewolf hunter who travels to Transylvania (why not) to hunt down an old adversary: Stirba: Werewolf Bitch (Sybil Danning). That's pretty much all you need to know. The story is ridiculous, but fun and they throw enough silly stuff out there to keep it from ever getting boring. The gore fx are all pretty cheesy but get an A for effort. They're fun. The music is pretty good but that's to be expected from any band featuring a keytar. I've never been a big fan of Sybil but she does pretty good here even though she isn't asked to do much (basically, look outstanding). That striped outfit is the cat's meow even if it does make her look like a backup singer for a bad 80's Christian rock band. Have to mention that all the werewolves (over)acting like dogs when they are in their human form is pretty funny and was a nice touch. Only thing missing was some butt sniffing, which would have bumped this into 5 star territory, but you have to draw a line somewhere, I guess. Maybe that's in one of the 6 Howling movies I haven't yet seen. Normally a film like Yojimbo would throw the curve but not today - on a curve it's a solid
My favourite bit of trivia about this movie:
When the werewolf suits finally arrived for the shoot, they were contained in a crate marked: "20th Century Fox: Planet of the Apes". Director Philippe Mora was horrified to find he had been sent monkey suits. He quickly contacted a producer, who replied: "You're talented, you'll make it work." Mora tried to get his point across that the monkey suits were impossible to pass off as werewolves, only to have the producer hang up on him. Stuck with monkey suits, Sir Christopher Lee overheard the dilemma and came up with an idea to help make the ape looking werewolves work with the improvised line: "The process of evolution is reversed." Director Philippe Mora loved the idea and said this movie became noted by one critic for being the only werewolf movie to have the phase: man, monkey, wolf.



When life gives you lemons, eh? BTW, speaking of The Howling 2, have you ever seen this, Rock-O?:






It's legitimately one of my favorite videos I've come across on the Tube.



I think a certain other Texan took all the attention with the timing of his vacation...


Glad you are safe.
Who among us doesn't root for Burke in Aliens?