Decidedly Anti-muslin

Here's a shocker...

I had a really productive weekend, which surprises me, since, weekends are usually reserved for bad scifi channel movies, self-loathing, and grumbling under my breath. But not this weekend. I got off my ass and finished going over all the copyedits, and cleaned up the first chapter of Road Trip. I even got a chance to finish reading a manuscript and do a mini-critique for my goodest iFriend, Joe Schreiber*.

I know what you're thinking...

Hey Mark, are you on the cocaines?

No, actually, but thanks for asking. I've been working out like crazy. I'm up to six days a week, and the diet has me in full deprivation mode--I'll look like Christian Bale in The Machinist by the end of the year, or die trying.

Kidding!

If anyone ever needed an I.V. and a hug, it's this guy. Did anyone actually see this movie? It looked really freaky, so normally it'd be on the top of my list. Somehow it slipped through. Hmm.

We rented Vacancy on Saturday night, which despite a wholly blah ending, was very effective horror stuff for at least 2/3rds of the flick. Also rewatched some Tivo'd Jackie Woodmans. My favorite lines were between Jackie (Laura Kightlinger) and her Mom (Mary Kay Place):

Mom: At least there weren't any Muslims on the plane.
Jackie: That is a very uncomfortable fabric.

Anyhow, off to write more politically incorrect urban fantasy. Today's goal is to break the record for the most four letter words in a single sentence. Wish me luck.


*I'll be reviewing Eat the Dark, Joe's follow up to his Stephen King-esque debut, Chasing the Dead, next month.

Comments

Joe said…
So VACANCY was worth watching, then? I've been holding off but your endorsement is enough to make me risk it. After failing to heed your warning on 1408, I learned to listen. What a piece of unscary crap.

The Machinist, however, is excellent. I almost can't believe it got made. I mean, look at the guy. That by itself was enough to get me interested. But the story is genuinely disturbing, it's got a great twist, and possibly the most unnerving funhouse scene ever filmed. I almost couldn't watch.
Have I built your expectations high enough yet?
Mark Henry said…
My expectations are practically grandiose after that pitch. Now, I'm all over The Machinist.

You know, I suppose Vacancy's ending is forgiveably bad. You might want to give it a shot, especially if you have a fear of finding yourself in the middle of a snuff film.

Speaking of surprise snuff, my favorite in that subgenre is Mute Witness, definitely worth a peak.
Anonymous said…
Generally I skip anything that looks like horror but two films that were very badly pitched, so they did seem to be high-concept horror have surprised the Hell out of me: The Jacket and The Machinist. Holy switcheroo, Batman! They be GOOD and not horror filmy at all. DAYam!
Mark Henry said…
That the Jacket was good surprises me. I'll have to add it to the list.

Thanks!