Yes, this is one of the reasons why I have not been blogging as much. We're on the move once again. In fact we've been dragging stuff for a few weeks. As I didn't move once when I was a young'un moving tends to make me slightly (an understatement for sure) crazy. The fact that we're moving twice in one year is nothing short of insanity. However, we couldn't turn the place down when we knew of its existence and the deal we could get.

Our friends, Art and Jo-ann, have retired and moved northward to Endako, BC aka the middle of nowhere. As a resullt of their move they have a 3 bedroom /2 full bathroom house with a two car garage and a fireplace in Burnaby just 10 minutes up the street that needs tenants on whom they can rely and we fit the bill. Its dead quiet there and twice the size of the loft we live in now. The kicker is our having to pay $400 les for our rent per month. Who could turn that down? I'm crazy but not stupid, so away we go.

I'll have a cool new office with plenty of shelf space and so will Carol. Our bedroom is huge and has an ensuite. The living/kitchen/dining area is open and will fit the 52" TV we're looking at very nicely.

So here we sit among the boxes again, ready to go. Breakfast at "Rotten Ronalds", a rented piece of shit one ton from U-Haul and help from some friends and Carol's uncle should get the job done.

I'll post pictures of the move later. Poor Moosh doesn't know what hit her.

Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen) has responded to threats of legal action from the government of Kazakhstan over his character Borat, who claims "I number 2 TOP television reporter in Khazakhstan" and travels around the world interviewing (and offending) people of different cultures.

Earlier this year the character Borat offended the Jewish Anti-defamtaion League with his song Throw the Jew Down the Well. The problem? Sacha Cohen, the comedian who created and portrays Borat is Jewish.

I must admit I am quite amused by Borat and his antics as they do tend to test the boundaries of good taste. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Reuters Article: "Sue me," Borat responds to Kazakh legal threat

CBC Arts: 'Karate Kid' star Pat Morita dies at 73
Goodbye Mr Miyagi/Arnold.

I went to Seattle on Sunday and on Monday morning I went hunting for the elusive White Moose with my friends Erik (aka Zardoz of crappy movie fame) and Joe (aka Treacherous). It was a scary day but we came out victorious. The pictures folowing were taken by both myself and Zar. If you have the stomach you may continue on but beware, there be carnage ahead.

CBC Nova Scotia - No 'holiday' tree for this grower

This is getting ridiculous. Society has gone completely mental. If someone is offended by the word 'Christmas' they need to give their heads a shake. I don't consider myself a chiristian but still celebrate Christmas. I don't celebrate holiday. I know, I know it has the word christ in it and has been a part of a 'christian' (whatever the hell that means this week) holiday since the seventh century. This fear of offending someone with a word like Christmas is getting far out of hand. I would understand were it a hate-filled racist word, but it isn't. Its just a word that means 'the day I get presents', that's all. Heck, if we really want to get nitpicky, the word holiday is based on the term 'holy day' and a holy day denotes one religion or another so holiday is out to. What should one call it then? How about saying, Happy December 25th? I mean the word December comes from the Roman word for ten, so unless nine and eleven are offended I think we have a winner.

I'm grateful that we can say Merry Christmas to people here if we wish to. When Carol and her family lived in Saudi Arabia they weren't allowed to say Merry Christmas in any banners displayed publically and artificial Christmas trees had to be smuggled into the country.

What's next? Santa Claus? Santa Claus is a shortened form of Saint Nicolas. That's right... another christian thing... I can picture the song now:

Here comes the obese redsuited man,
Here comes the obese redsuited man,
Right down obese redsuited man lane...

Political correctness taken to this extreme is pretty silly.

Ferguson Safety Products: Safe clothes & blankets for suicidal inmates in jails and prisons

Mommy, why is Santa in a suicide smock?

As NucleusCMS (my current blog software) doesn't support the importing of FLV (Flash Video) files I've started a videos site at video.mikebrowne.com.

FLV is cool as the people coming to the site only need to have flash player installed in their web browsers and practically everyone does already. No need for quicktime oor any of the other video players you have to downloasd and worry about codecs for.

The site uses Wordpress as a blogging software and, frankly, I'm really liking it. It fairly easy to customize (the current design will change) and user friendly to the point where a dolt like me can figure it out. I just may switch over to Wordpress on the root directory of mikebrowne.com and leave this URL for the archive of all my old stuff.

Birth-mom Dianne, a volunteer firefighter with the Berwick Fire Department sent me some photos of fire practice and them burning an old home. The pitures are great and remind me of the days when I was a member of the Junior Fire Department (actually Deputy Chief at one point) in the Bridgewater Fire Department. Strange how the biggest memory I have is of the smell of the firehall, the hoses the trucks etc. I miss it. If I still lived in Bridgewater I'd have most likely become a volunteer firefighter as some of the my friends moved on to. I really miss it.

There are more of the pictures Dianne sent after the jump ----->

Monster House is coming and it looks pretty cool. According to this article at TheMovieBlog.com the trailer is up at Apple Trailers. Also mentioned in the article is concern with Spielberg and Zemeckis, the Executive Producers, being mentioned more prominently than the director who happens to be a first timer.

It is the business of show after all and marketing is marketing (evil until the end), but have we become so jaded and paranoid that we think Hollywood will always lead us down the garden path? I'm beginning to think moreso than not. But, that said, I'm not sure the negative thought is entirely the best one in this situation.

There's no "fooling" with those two up front. In my experience Exec Producers can be either completely hands off or watch very closely. I'm sure Spielberg wouldn't negotiate for his name to be featured so prominently if he weren't involved in some way, and heavily. My bet is that he and Zemeckis had this project kicking about, one of them knew the newbie and want to give him a shot.

Spielberg to Zemeckis: "Let's see what this kid can do."

Mr Kenan is probably being watched so closely that he needs to be escorted to the bathroom outside the editing suite by a Zemeckis/Spielberg rep taking notes on whether it was numbers one or two and how long it took. Time is money.

Moustapha Akkad, producer of all 8 Halloween movies has been killed in Amman Jordan in a bomb blast at one of three five star hotels involved in the series of deadly explosions. According to some very early reports the bomb had been placed in a false ceiling in the hotel.

From Variety.com:

Producer dies from bomb injuries
Akkad, “Halloween” exec producer, was attending wedding at hotel in Amman, Jordan

LONDON — Moustapha Akkad, the executive producer of all eight “Halloween” films, has died from injuries he sustained in the Jordan hotel bomb blasts.
Akkad directed three pics including the $17 million budgeted “The Message” (1976) about the birth of Islam. The English-lingo film, starring Anthony Quinn as the prophet’s uncle Hamza, was complicated by its adherence to Islam’s ban on showing images of Muhammad.

Akkad also directed “Lion of the Desert,” a stirring film about Libyan anti-colonial resistance to Italian oppressors between 1911 and 1931. Anthony Quinn played resistance leader Omar Mukhtar with John Gielgud and Oliver Reed also starring.

In addition to the eight “Halloween” pics, Akkad exec produced largely forgotten horror “Appointment with Fear” (1985) and comedy “Free Ride” (1986.)

The U.S. national who lived in Lebanon had travelled to Amman for a wedding. The bomb also claimed the life of his daugh-ter Rima Akkad Monia.

Young Hannibal Starts Filming in Czech Republic - MoviesOnline

Thomas Harris, author of Silence of the Lambs, has written the film, and Peter Webber, director of Girl with a Pearl Earring is at the helm. It might not be too bad, but the publicity still accompanying the article gives me that PG-13 horror kind of feeling. I sure hope this isn't just an attempt to squeeze out some more cash from a well loved movie franchise. You know it is. They don't call it "show business" for nothing.

Poultrygeist! Attack of the Chicken Zombies

I just can't wait until I can get this in the 99 cent bin at the video store.

From The Family Guy last Sunday - Peter Griffin referring to the unfair practices of the FCC: "They let Sarah Jessica Parker on TV and she looks like a foot!" That's quality insult comedy right there.

This morning, even before having my coffee, I applied for a job.

I was checking out the film news sites I browse as often as I can and found a job prospect at The Creature Corner in a post called Join the Corner. I was so jazzed I sent a recent story I'd written for this blog. If I got it I'll "start getting free DVDs to review, the chance to interview genre stars, and even get sent on press trips and set visits." too cool!

If there is anyone who's suited to this kind of job its me. Oh please, please, please.

Everyone please send good thoughts...

Here's one for Tyler, the evil sysadmin: How the Death Star Works

This comes to us via TheMovieBlog.com.

I'm not sure Carol would like it if I spent $400+ on a pet zombie, so I think I'll hold off until we're really wealthy. Then I'll get the set. Thanks to GoferBoy and Norwood Matt for the link via boingboing.net.

MoviesOnline.ca and TheMovieBlog have gone far to upset me over the past few days. First I find out they're remaking Day of the Dead, the last in the original George A Romero zombie trilogy. Okay. That's bad. I'm tired of the remakes. They usually suck pretty hard and are geared toward a brainless pg-13 audience. I have yet to see a remake that improved on the orignal.

At least they haven't touched the holiest of holies, Night of the Living Dead. Wait a minute? What's that you say? They're remaking NotLD? In 3D?! *thump* (The thump is me hitting the floor after passing out from horror):

Night of the Living Dead... in 3D?! - The Movie Blog
New Night of the Living Dead Remake coming in 3D - MoviesOnline

I'm disgusted. I know I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. These things make money. That's why they get made.

To hell with it. Let's just remake every classic film. The clothes the people wear in films like The Exorcist and Gone with the Wind look kind of old so it's time for an update.

It's easy. Here's the formula: Take a familiar story and put a star (or two) with some noteriety and a little bit of cutes, a hip soundtrack and market the crap out of the flick during the OC and Lost. Oh yeah, don't let audiences preview it. Opening weekend box office is yours!

What shall we do first?

How about Citizen Kane? That tired old black and white movie could do with some colour, a reworked script, new stars and som cooler music. How about the ultra-cute Tom Welling from Smallvile in the lead and some music by the hip Ashley Simpson (I prefer this link).

Actually I bet that would sell. LAME! See I can be a remake producer too.

God help us. Next they'll be doing a slick Blair Witch remake.

Dopey movie watcher: "Like, why is the camera all shakey? They should, like, remake this." ARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGH!

If you don't like remakes and want to see original content don't go see them. Boycott them. Discourage your friends from seeing them. Don't let your children see them. Turn the TV channel when even an ad for one of these monstrosities comes on. When we stop watching them Hollywood will stop remaking them.

I know. I know. I worked on a remake (that's me in the miscellaneous crew section). Yeah. I'm a Hollywood whore too, but hey... I gotta eat.