Heh
 

What happened to t.A.T.u.?

Anyone know the name of this short story?
 

According to googled sources, you're apparently thinking of O. Henry’s “A Retrieved Reformation” .

I'll be standing by for the flames which will inevitably follow this post.

Your humble servant-slash-flamebait,

Dave

Edited to add this link if you want the rest of the story

Heh
 

Every man's fantasy.

Heh
 

They made the fatal Milli Vanilli mistake of trying to actually sing on live TV.

And the one got fat.

Terrorizing the Kiddies
 

The others get progresively weaker as they go on, unfortunately. Some good freaky moments in the beginning of Ringu 2, and I actually jumped out of my seat at one point, but at the end, you are just sitting there going "um... Okay...."

While it was just a remake, and a truer one than many, it certainly wasn't of the "if you see one you've essentially seen them both" variety.

The ex-husband was a somewhat, but not entirely, different character. The Japanese ex-husband was a brilliant science (math?) professor at the local univ - the dreamy romantic sort that makes all of his female students swoon. (Note the actor's hair and goatee - very outrageous, swoopy dramatic romantic hair, by Japanese standards. It reminded me of the press coverage of Koizumi's hair when he got elected - there was a fair amount of ribbing that he got elected because women fell in love with his romantic hair. Same hairdo.) The US ex was dreamboaty, but he was just some video editor - so his role in sleuthing stuff out was removed entirely from the scientific/abstract/nature of the universe tone it had in the original. In both cases, you can't imagine why the reporter dumped him, other than she's neurotic.

Much as I love Brian Cox, the character of the Saduko's/Samara's (adoptive?) father was completely new. (It was definitely not a recasting of the old innkeeper.) The idea that the girl was likely adopted was completely new. The idea that she inherited an, essentially, spiritual but also genetic taint from the mother was removed.

I guess the biggest difference was the acceptance in the Japanese version of anything supernatural, with no indication whatsoever that that accpetance was a stretch or might conflict with science. In US ghost stories, your hard-headed hero/ine must be forcibly convinced of supernatural shenanigans - because s/he's proxy for the hard headed audience, which demands proof. In the Japanese one, everyone from the school kids to the reporters to the scientists just immediately accept "ah, we have paranormal phenomenon, of course!" If something isn't obviously scientifically explainable, then, clearly, you have ghosts. It's a little weird. But then, Ringu's Saduko reminded me more than a little of Akira, so I think there is just a major cultural element there that I don't get.

Anyone know the name of this short story?
 

Why would there be flames? Paranoid much?

Or are you anticipating that someone will be in the mood for a little friday flamewar? Damn canadian.

Heh
 

This is good, especially since it already seems to be a running theme in porno flicks. Except for the vigilante part, that is.

Good times.

Want to hear something scary?
 

When I was 10-11 years old, I used to take acrobatics at this place that was a short walk from my grade school and maybe a 10 minute walk from my apartment. I and most of my friends were pretty self sufficient at this age and we all walked to and from school on our own. So, it was no big deal making the trip to the after school program which lasted til like 7:00 or so and then home from there twice a week. Back then, Manhattan was made up of actual neighborhoods and it felt safer within your neighborhood because you actually knew and interacted with your neighbors. I digress.

Anyway, one night after we were done with acrobatics, we all left and chatted a bit outside before dispersing for home. Before going on my way, I noticed a tall guy sitting across the street on a stoop, staring at us. He had really big, poofy white hair and was smiling in the creepiest way. But, even then, I knew New York has weirdos, so whatever.

So I start walking home. He gets up and starts walking the same direction as me. I'm across the street on the uptown side, so it's not like he's following me...yet.

I get to the corner, cross to the downtown side and then walk west. He keeps walking west. I decide to go downtown a block instead of continuing to go west because I don't want him behind me, since every time I turn around he has a weird smile on his face and is looking dead at me. He walks dowtown a block too and he's like 40 feet behind me.

So I walk west on a long avenue block. He does the same. I turn downtown on the avenue on which I live. He turns too. I'm getting scared. His smile is getting bigger.

So, it's pretty clear he's following me. But I had to make sure. I reached an intersection, crossed the street going downtown, then west, then uptown, then east, then downtown again. He crossed the street going downtown, then west, then uptown, then east, then downtown again. Now I'm petrified. This seems to excite him.

My building was on, let's say 30th street and 8th -- not right on 8th, the entrance is on 30th, a little west of 8th. At 31st street and 8th, I sped up a bit. But he did too. I took out my keys in the middle of the block so that he couldn't see. Then, when I turned the corner and was out of his view for a bit, I booked (love that word) to my lobby door, had my key ready, went inside and ducked down. Then I peeked around the door through the window on the side.

He turned the corner, paused. Looked around and then got really pissed. He stormed up and down the block and went down into the train station (I guess thinking that's where I went) in pursuit of me. Then he came up again and I had enough and ran upstairs.

I told my mom, she called the cops and they came over and questioned me for over an hour. Seems this guy fit the description of a molester/murderer who was wanted in connection with the abduction and murder of like 6 other little boys.

Now THAT is some scary shit. And I'll never forget that sick fuck's face. Ever.

TM

Poll: Best tagline for a movie ever
 

In the movie biz, the "In Space, noone can hear you scream" is called a "logline."

And to respond to what someone was talking about yesterday, Nicole Kidman is "attached" to star in Bewitched. (I don't know if that's true or not, but if she is, the word is 'attached').

Jargon-ista out.

str8

trick or treat
 

OK, now here's a question, how do you get into a movie when the damn doorbell keeps ringing?

I tried to watch KISS goes to the amusement park (whatever the name of that movie is) and the damn doorbell keeps ringing. How's a person supposed to enjoy a bottle of wine and a "good" movie.

Is Rocky Horror on tonight or is that so over?

Heh
 

Which one? The blonde with curly hair?

Ghosts and Other Scary Things
 

Like Beetlejuice, I have been summoned by the invocation of my name three times, but am at a loss for what to say. So, I give you this photo of the next generation of gay flesh eaters - http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...&e=2&ncid=1756

Heh
 

Now that's humor.

Want to hear something scary?
 

1) Did they get him?

2) WTF are acrobatics? Gymnastics or cirque du soleil stuff.

trick or treat
 

Turn out all the lights and/or disconnect the doorbell.

[ETA:] My (recluse) mom hasn't had a trick-or-treater in 10 years taking that approach.