Metallica @ Lollapalooza 8/1/15: A Retrospective

photo credit: Jeff Yeager

(most photo credits to Sandee, best Wife ever!)




Lollapalooza . . . a gem of the 90s music scene, the touring festival that gave one indie credibility and some sort of bragging rights.  In its earliest years, to be honest, it never really caught my radar outside of the scant MTV News clip, as I really had no interest (or at least maybe a passing interest) in most of the bands that stacked those early lineups.  That all changed, of course, when Metallica headlined in 1996. 


Although I'm still kicking myself for not catching that tour -- it would have been my first Metallica show, but I really had no idea as to how to get tickets for concerts back then! -- all I can do now is look back and photos and the scant bootleg recordings I've seen from it.  Just recently, I got a DVD of Metallica's performance from the Randalls Island, NY 7/10/96 stop which, along with three proshot video clips and soundboard B-sides from the Irvine, CA 8/4/96 show, completes my Lollapalooza '96 experience.  One thing that I do remember quite fondly though, was the vehement animosity towards Metallica for headlining the festival that year.  As Load was just released, the band were already experiencing a bit of flack from their fans, but now the "Alternative" crowd was giving them shit for ruining their precious festival! 


Years would go by and different lineups would come to pass, but I'd always skip Lollapalooza (in its touring format) and, even after it found its permanent home in Chicago as a destination festival, I always opted to skip it -- and get the hell outta dodge, too!  However, I always secretly hoped that Metallica would one day return to the festival and headline it, thereby giving me an excuse to finally check it out . . . 2015 answered my prayers!


In recent years, as Lollapalooza would slowly announce its lineup, I'd say in my circles, there was always a rumor of Metallica playing it -- unless, of course, they had summer dates in Europe booked for whatever weekend the festival was scheduled for.  The rumors of their 2015 headlining slot crept up very quickly, with only my buddy Matt reminding me about it the day before the lineup was announced and one-day passes went on sale.  That day, of course, I was deep in jury duty (cue the dramatic music of doom!), but I was still able to access my phone and remained logged into the website all morning. 


Then, of course, I couldn't secure tickets for my wife, Sandee, and me!  Frustration abounded, but since I was still in jury duty, I had to keep a calm head and remain cool.  My persistence finally paid off and I was able to secure passes!   Then, of course, the talk about where we'd actually watch the show from came up . . . now, if you know me, I'm not one to simply watch from the back or the nosebleeds.  Especially if it's a band I love (like Metallica) and have seen many times from the rail, with band members in my face, etc....there's just no simply "let's watch from the back" in my vocabulary. 


"But it's a festival...arena shows are for the rail" was one retort I heard a lot of.  I silently agreed...but still, the wheels turned as to how me and Wife (and Matt and his wife Jackie) would make sure we had the best viewing spot for this show.  At that point, I really didn't care much for the rest of the festival or the lineup...this was Metalli-palooza '15 yo!  As the date drew closer, I hoped and prayed that the band would announce Snakepit passes or, even an on-stage contest which they had done the year prior in Europe to great success.  FINALLY, at the few US dates prior to Lolla, when they had on-stage winners, I knew we'd have it for our show . . . but then there was the contest itself.  Almost as exciting as entering for a Meet & Greet contest!  Low and behold, I won and although I couldn't really believe it myself, I was still of the mindset that, if you put your mind to something -- no matter how insane it may be -- it can happen!


As the days ticked down to the show itself, my anticipation grew and grew; I'd shown pictures to Wife and family of the previous shows that had fans on-stage and said "That's gonna be us!"  I started to plan out just where I wanted to be on the stage...as if I had the option of "Well, where would you like to be?" anyway!  But still...I never gave up. 


The morning of the show, the four of us hit up a fancy lunch with our friends Chris and Jenn (it was her first time seeing Metallica) . . . but before that, we had to take care of one important piece of the puzzle:  picking up our on-stage wristbands! 

Wristbands secured!

For me, it was Christmas Morning all day!  At this point in the day, I don't think any of us knew quite what to expect...


Once we got to the venue, it was a complete clusterfuck trying to get through security -- though, MAJOR props to those folks for making sure everyone is safe at Lolla.  After all six of us getting through the gates, we milled about and checked out the merch stands.  One cool benefit of the festival are the locker stations, so we were able to keep all of our merch and other supplies stashed for the duration of the day.  Not bad.  The Samsung Galaxy stage (or Main Stage) was at the far end of the festival area . . . honestly, it doesn't seem that large when there is no festival going on and it's just empty softball fields but man, what a hike from Buckingham Fountain (yes, the Married...With Children fountain) to the main stage! 


While waiting for confirmation as to where we were all supposed to meet up to be lead on-stage, a small community of MetClubbers gathered in shaded hilltop area, stage-left.  This wasn't actually a bad view of the show, but come on...we're going on-stage!

One thing about Metallica shows, no matter where in the country or globe, is that they're always family reunions!  It was great seeing folks who I hadn't seen since the second Fillmore show in San Francisco on 12/7/11 (some of whom I'd known/talked to online for years before finally meeting at that show).  KISS has the KISS Army...the Grateful Dead have the Deadheads....Metallica has the MetClub (or Fifth Members as we're called now).  Still, at this point in the day, my anticipation was rising as I was sizing up the situation and trying to ensure we'd all have a good time. 


After what seemed like a few hours, we finally got the call to move down towards the stage . . . my heart sank as I saw a ton of people come through and head backstage.  My thoughts were that they'd get the primo spots on-stage...but nope, they were either just going back to the actual backstage area which was like a small village, as I didn't see too many of them once we got up there.

Waiting in line to go backstage.

Once we got back there, it seemed like the Lolla people or local crew had no idea where we were supposed to line up.  My heart again sank as it seemed like we were in the very back of the line as we moved to one spot....only find out that we were near the front of the line when we were told go back to another spot! 


You remember that scene in Jaws where Robert Shaw's Quint is recounting the Indianapolis story and their rescue from shark-infested waters and says "You know time when I was most frightened? Waitin' for my turn"?  That's how I felt as they lead us in small groups up a small flight of stairs to the wings of the backstage area.  This was it.  Almost there.  White-knuckle with anticipation!  At that point, you could probably have blown me over with a feather!


Finally...this was our view:

Yeah...that's a lot of people.

Surprisingly, it wasn't as intimidating as it could have been or maybe was for other Clubbers up there!  Sure, there was a bit of knee-jerk reaction to want to hide as soon as I stepped out there, but then, I almost immediately felt comfortable . . . aside from the many utterances of "Wow!" and "Hoe-leeee Shit!"  We were met with cheers amidst a scant boos and middle fingers . . . of which both of my middle fingers were returned!  Everyone up on stage were polite and friendly...everyone had a great spot to see the action unfold . . .and then "The Ecstasy of Gold" started and we were ON . . . all of us on-stage singing along.


Before I knew it, Lars walks right past us to get to his drumkit and hands his drink to my friends Andrew and Tricia next to me. At this point, I was still holding out hope that they'd open with "Breadfan", but as soon as James Hetfield stepped up to the microphone with an announcement, I knew we're in for "Fuel" and with that, he demanded "Gimme Fuel, Gimme Fire, Gimme That Which I Desire!"  And, just like that, we were off to a kickass show . . .



Surprisingly -- or maybe not..I still haven't decided -- the crowd was into it from the very beginning.  I remember looking down at the kids in the front row and being glad I wasn't in their shoes as they were getting SMASHED against the rail by the 300,000 strong crowd.  Like the pros that they are, Metallica stormed onto the stage and had that crowd in the palm of their hands the instant they started playing! 

Not the view I'm used to!

(Pic lifted from WGN's website)

Kirk "The Ripper" Hammett melting faces!



Robert Trujillo thundering away!

After the next song, "For Whom The Bell Tolls", the band could have said "Thank you and good night" and the crowd would have been satisfied.  But no, they continued the show with "Wherever I May Roam" and "King Nothing" -- indicating that this was to be a "festival friendly" setlist without many deep cuts or rare gems.  However, without fail no matter how many times I see Metallica, they always seem to play about six or seven songs that I either haven't seen live ever or haven't seen live in forever . . . "King" had been absent for me since 2004, so it was a nice surprise.  Following that cut, Hetfield introduced some old stuff in "Disposable Heroes" which, from what I could tell, pretty much smashed the kids down in the crowd into dust. 

"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" was up next and the beautiful Chicago skyline and cool, summer breeze all combined for a surreal mood during it. The band continued to blaze through a set of songs that easily could have been encores or show-stoppers almost one right after the other.  Finally, Hetfield addressed the crowd about how he had come the night before to see "Sir Paul Something...", which of course elicited many cheers.  He further explained how Paul McCartney (the previous night's headliner) had gotten some incredible crowd participation and that now it was Metallica's turn. As soon as they started "Cyanide", it seemed like the entire city of Chicago was chanting "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!"  In all my years, THIS must be what a European festival crowd looks like.  Simply amazing.  And, today, listening to the recording of this show, I still get goosebumps at this part because the crowd is so monstrously LOUD!


A short while later, "Creeping Death" reared its ugly head to wring some more crowd participation -- there's nothing quite like a few hundred thousand "hippies" chanting "Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!"  Hetfield broke a string on his white Flying V guitar because, well, the mood was way too metal for all six strings!   Kirk Hammett blasted through an extended/improvised solo at the end of the song... even Hetfield and Trujillo were stunned by how maniacal "The Ripper" was!

Throwin' out a double-barreled finger-point during "Creeping Death"

Matt throwing out his own finger-point during "Creeping Death"

Somewhere around this point, my buddy Andrew asked me about the banner that I had on me.  Earlier in the day, I said I had a banner proclaiming "Happy Birthday Papa Het" under the assumption that, given Hetfield's birthday was 2 days away, the band and crew would pie him in on-stage celebration!  "All in good time," I replied back, tapping my cargo pocket where the banner was folded up.  "All in good time." 


Up next was a song that I needed to hear once again, "Fade To Black".  Just like the last time I saw it played live -- MSG 11/15/09 -- I pretty much lost my mind during the intro.  After the vocals were done, I figured it was the opportune time to break out the banner . . . and the rest is history.  During Kirk's closing solo, James like to get the crowd to sing the rhythm melody that he's playing, and started his way down the line of kids on-stage, getting in everyone's faces and singing along with us.

Mind pretty much blown.

To say I was on Cloud 9 for the rest of the show would be an understatement!  Remember what I said about hearing songs that I either hadn't seen live yet or hadn't heard in a long while?  This was solidified by the one-two punch of covers "Whiskey In The Jar" (a Stateside rarity, btw) and "Am I Evil?" . . . I hadn't seen the latter since my first show in '97 and it was the first time I heard the intro for it.  Bonus!

The night ended with the usual "Nothing Else Matters" and "Enter Sandman", which literally blew the place up with energy and excitement.  Seriously...they've played that song 1,183 times since its live debut literally 25yrs ago today in Petaluma, CA!  If I were in a band, I'd kill for that just that one song that continues to have such an effect on large crowds (of course, Metallica have an entire catalog of tracks that do just that!). 

Kirk, waiting for James to start "Enter Sandman"

As the band was leaving the stage/handing out guitar picks and drumsticks, Kirk made his way down the on-stage backdrop, uttering a "share the picks" as he dropped a handful into my cupped hands.  Thanks Kirk!  The curfew must have been looming as the band didn't get to do their usual signing off bits before leaving the stage (I believe the Lolla people cut the power on the stage mics).  As Hetfield was leaving the stage, I still had my banner out, hoping he'd notice it and maybe trade me a wristband for it (I know...NERD) . . . just as he walked by, he gave me a point, a "Thank you" and a wink.


As we were all ushered off the stage, we were directed to a large cooler filled with bottled waters and sodas . . . when I noticed a clear Solo cup with raspberry pink lemonade in it and a Red Bull next to it.  "That's Lars'!" I exclaimed to Sandee.  We grabbed 'em both and a setlist -- which someone must have lifted from her back pocket!   The ice-cold, refreshing drinks were a nice capper to an incredible night!

During the show and immediately after it, I kept thinking "HOW is this gonna be topped the next time I see Metallica?"  It very likely can't and probably won't be!  It was a once in a lifetime moment -- though, if I'd gone to multiple shows last summer, I could have experienced it again -- that I'll NEVER forget and is a story I'll probably be telling in the nursing home someday!


Full setlist was:


Fuel
For Whom The Bell Tolls
Wherever I May Roam
King Nothing
Disposable Heroes
(Kirk Solo #1)
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Cyanide
The Unforgiven
Sad But True
(Bass Solo)
One
Master of Puppets
Creeping Death
(Kirk Solo #2)
Fade To Black
Seek & Destroy
-------------------
Whiskey In The Jar
Am I Evil?
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman






Check out the live recording of the show available over at LiveMetallica.com on CD and multiple digital formats!

12 Films That Have Stayed With Me

Recently, I was tagged in a Facebook post to rattle off 12 films that have stayed with me.  The instructions were A.) Not too think about it too hard and B.) To only use one film per director.  Obviously, the point of this blog entry goes against Rule A., but, I just thought this was too cool of a thing to pass up (plus, my buddy Richard Diaz gave me the idea of breaking each film down and why they're so important to me).  On with the list, shall we?

 
1.) Dawn of the Dead – the fact that I wrote one of my college papers on why I love this film so much speaks volumes.  To me, it goes together with me the way oxygen does…it’s just a simple part of me.  From the first time I saw this film, as a wide-eyed 5yr old who dug the sounds and images of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, to the time I rediscovered it as an 11yr old and falling head over heels for it, to ultimately meeting many of the film’s creators and visiting many of its filming locations. 

There’s a sense of comfort and familiarity that goes along with this film; it’s unmistakable soundtrack like a sweet lullaby or calming force.  In short, Dawn never gets old for me!

2.) Rocky IV – this was the first film I ever saw in a theater and, even though I was only 3yrs old, I still have very vivid memories of seeing it.  Both of my parents telling me that it was like watching a really big TV and that I had to be quiet (a rule that I’ve never forgotten nor broken) as they piled their coats up on a seat so that I could see.  I sat there in pure amazement, ignoring my parents as they offered me popcorn, candy, or a drink.  The only time I broke my fixed attention was…when I fell asleep.  BUT, I do clearly recall the scene of Apollo visiting Rocky at his home with his intentions to fight Drago. 

Perhaps one of the first albums I ever owned was the soundtrack to Rocky IV (I’ve since gotten it on CD and vinyl now too); each song inspiring me to climb mountains and beat up Russians.  It’s safe to say that, yes; this is another one that never gets old for me.

3.) Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom – while I can’t say for sure whether I saw this or Raiders of the Lost Ark first, this one has always held a special place in my heart.  Sure, a lot of people would choose Raiders over Temple of Doom, but not me.  Maybe I saw a little of myself in Short Round, as I day-dreamed about going on adventures with one of my first childhood heroes, Indiana Jones.  Maybe it’s the borderline horror movie elements that creep their way throughout the story and set pieces; admit it, the Temple of Doom itself, with its towering Khali statue is incredible!  Speaking of which, who doesn’t love a lei made from human skulls and a grass skirt made from severed human arms??  Plus, John Williams’ score is fantastic in this; sure Raiders has some incredible themes on its own, but Temple of Doom has its titular piece that places during the human sacrifice sequence….if I had a band, that music would totally be our intro theme! 

As if further proof was needed of just how deeply ingrained Temple of Doom is in my psyche, as a kid, every time I’d see a rope or wire bridge, I’d INSTANTLY want to run/play on it because of the movie.  Hell, to this day, I can’t not see a suspension foot-bridge and not want to cut it in the middle and drop twenty or thirty advancing bad guys on either side of me into the waters below!

4.) Rocky – why yes, I am including two Rocky movies…different directors.  Next to Indiana Jones, Rocky was an early childhood hero to me (thanks mostly to Rocky IV).  As a kid, I remember seeing all the Rocky movies at various points, often getting them confused with one another – no thanks to the previous endings being repeated at the start of each sequel.  However, I didn’t really fall in love with the original film until high school.  I saw and still see a lot of myself in the Rocky character.  I’ve always felt like an underdog – especially in elementary school and, to some extent, in high school where I was considered popular and pretty much everyone liked me.  “His whole life was a million to one shot” . . . my million to one shot was going to college and becoming the first person in my family to do so an earn a degree.  Much like Rocko training for the big fight with Apollo, I busted my ass during my final semesters at Rutgers University (another instance where the Rocky IV soundtrack came in handy…listening to it as I studied for my absolute final exam literally before I walked over to take it!). 

In life, I’d also consider myself an underdog; sort of marching to the beat of my own drum and never really finding myself fitting in with the so-called status quo (whenever I tried to do so, it came off disingenuously). 

5.) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4:  The Dream Master – some of you may say “the sequels sucked! Freddy became a wise-cracker instead of a skin-carver!”  While this may be true to a fault, the first Nightmare film I ever saw was either Nightmare 3 or Nightmare 4.  In fact, this was the one that I remember seeing TV spots for around its release.  Regardless, it’s always been the one I’ve felt closest to.  The kids in it are all great and, to me, are realistically fleshed-out instead of the cardboard stereotypes you’d see in other horror franchises of the time.  Actually, they’re all kids I either wanted to be or at least hang out with!  Lisa Wilcox’s transformation from shy Alice to ass-kicking Dream Master is a great, believable arc.  Danny Hassel’s Dan reminds me of the jocks I was friends with in high school.  Andras Jones, as Rick, is the kinda dude I’d hang out with and/or secretly want to be.  To this day, I’m not afraid to admit that I still have a crush of Brooke Theiss as Debbie.  Haha.    

As for Freddy….well, this is MY Freddy.  As a kid, watching the entire series on VHS, I always felt that the first two films (especially the original) had Freddy “all wrong”.   From the sleeves with no stripes and hobo look (and voice) in Nightmare 1 to the general all-around evil nature in Nightmare 2, it all felt like the filmmakers were still trying to perfect the character. 

Plus…that soundtrack!  At the time, The Fat Boys and “Are You Ready For Freddy” was my jam.  There’s not a time that goes by where I don’t play Dramarama’s “Anything, Anything (I’ll Give You)” and not want to work out or kick some ass at something! 

6.) Back To The Future – growing up in the 80s and early 90s and being your average American boy, it’s safe to say that Marty McFly was a dude you were required to look up to and emulate!  In my eyes, anyone with a skateboard or riding a skateboard was Marty McFly.  Even though I have very fond memories of seeing Part II and Part III in the theater, it’s the first film that solidified my love for the series.  Marty was just so cool in pretty much every situation and always outsmarting Biff!  Maybe I saw some of that in myself, since I was never a big, muscular brute and I always thought I could charm or talk my way out of potentially bad situations.  Plus, what kid at that time didn’t think the DeLorean was the raddest car of all time or who didn’t want to rock out on a guitar like that?  Why yes…I did play air guitar on a broom to “Johnny B. Goode” many, many times.

7.) Aliens – I can still vaguely recall the first time I saw Aliens on TV, through the lenses of a pair of 3D glasses.  I kept switching from one eye to the other, making the picture either totally blue or completely red.  The thinking of a 5yr old, right?  Of course, another early memory revolving around Aliens was, or course, the accompanying arcade game released in 1990 . . . loads of fun that one!   Anyway, as a film, Aliens is exactly like a rollercoaster thrill-ride!  It was never “scary” to me, but always a fun ride with memorable characters – who didn’t want to be Hicks or even Drake?  In the early 90s, instead of just playing “guns” or “war” with my buddies, we’d play Aliens or Predator (especially when we get toy mini-guns!).  I was so obsessed with Aliens that I remember one night during a snowstorm, which was almost guaranteeing no school the next day, I took an old pair of greyish pants and colored black camouflage all over them to resemble the Marines’ gear!  True story.

Around 1992 when Alien3 came out, I managed to tape Aliens off of Request Pay-Per-View, which was for some reason airing it as a free movie.  Of course, I missed the very beginning and so the tape that I always watched -- until I bought the first DVD boxset in 1999 or 2000 – always started with the Marines rushing formation for inspection as they prepared to board the Dropship.  Also, don’t even get me started on the toys from Kenner….had them all…well, most of them.  Some of the mutant, hybrid Aliens were a bit too goofy-looking for my taste as the line started to die out.  In fact, when I first heard there was going to be a toy line from Kenner, I daydreamed of what the figures would look like – almost exact recreations of the movie, though the finally released line (based in part on an unproduced cartoon series) still fit the bill for me. 

Today, it’s one of those movies that I can quote verbatim and, in any given situation, I tend to throw out a line or two . . . I still say “I’m on it” just like Hudson after Hicks gives him orders later in the film!

8.) Michael Jackson’s Thriller  - “But this isn’t a film…” you say?  Bullshit.  Of course it is.  The reason for its inclusion on my list is pretty simple:  it was my exact introduction to all things Horror and monsters.  Being born in 1982, Michael Jackson was part of my being and the Thriller album as a whole was a huge part of that.  I can still vividly recall watching the Thriller music video in pre-school in 1985/1986 and being terrified of the were-cat monster (which I always thought was a werewolf anyway) and not really scared by the “monsters” in the second half of the short film . . . of course, then I saw Dawn of the Dead and my entire notion of zombies (and, most importantly, what they are and what they can do) made Thriller absolutely terrifying to me!

Let’s not forget that ending either . . .still creeps me out!!   Hell, even though I’m almost 34yrs old, just the intro of the song itself still kinda creeps me out.  Those memories and emotions I felt while watching Michael Jackson’s Thriller way back when I was knee-high to a duck have stayed with me for evigt!  And so, it’s because of Michael Jackson’s Thriller that I can trace the roots of my Horror fandom back to today.

9.) The Crow – the first time I read about this film was in an issue of Comics magazine and, while I’m not 100% certain, I’m pretty sure it was before Brandon Lee’s tragic death.  At this point, I had seen Showdown in Little Tokyo and Rapid Fire and so I knew Brandon was “Bruce Lee’s son” and that he was an all-around badass just like his father before him.  My interest was definitely there from a photo in the mag of Lee, in character with the make-up and trench coat.  This would be a cool movie.  And then he died and an entirely different vibe swept over the film and its release.

I was obsessed with The Crow . . . even though I absolutely hated the way people would point out to me that I was.  To this day, I kinda still loathe the word “obsessed” mainly for this very reason.  Ultimately, what attracted me to The Crow so much was that it was a story about love (which, given that I was 11/12yrs old when it was released and I was starting to have “those feelings”, I was looking for love) and revenge (hey, there’s still a part of me that would love nothing more than to turn the tables on those who tormented and wronged me).  This is a film that came along in an awkward period of my life…if I ever had a Goth or emo phase, this was it….grew my hair out (mostly because I wanted to be Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction and/or because Metallica had long hair), wore a lot of black (mostly because of Metallica though) and started to immerse myself in music and movies and was basically finding my own identity.  Ultimately, I never owned a black trench coat, wore white pancake makeup, dyed my hair jet black, painted my nails black, or wore eye makeup…so yeah.  Of course, I was The Crow for Halloween that year, but that was about it.     

The film itself was awesome . . . it was one of the first movies that I rented and double-taped (as it wasn’t yet available to own yet) and got smacked in the face with macrovision copy-protection!  So, even though the tape copied, the picture constantly went from very bright to very dark throughout the entire running time!!  But, at least I had the movie!!

Speaking of music, this is one of the last great soundtracks that I can listen to front to back with no complaints.  Every track is great and, more importantly, is actually in the damn movie!  Nope, none of this “music from and inspired by” bullshit here! 

Over the years, my “obsession” with The Crow seemed to have waned a bit as there was a time where I literally didn’t watch the film or listen to the soundtrack for, at least, 10 years.  It’s one of those films (and soundtracks) that I can revisit and fondly recall those earlier emotions as well as continue to enjoy the story.

10.) Pulp Fiction – another film that I can quote endlessly (and still throughout lines from in almost everyday conversation) with an outstanding soundtrack from start to finish, this is one for the ages as far as I’m concerned.  Actually, the first time I heard of the movie was by seeing the theatrical trailer at the start of The Crow VHS that I had copied!  At first, when I saw Bruce Willis, I thought it was going to be a Die Hard sequel and that Travolta was the villain . . . imagine that scenario for a moment, will you?!  Anyway, that trailer kinda blew me away and I knew right there that I needed to see this film.  Ultimately, I missed it in the theater, but I do remember staring fondly at its theatrical poster in the light box at the movie theater that I’d eventually work at 4 years later! 

As a matter of fact, I had the soundtrack for Pulp Fiction almost 21 years ago to this day!  Yup…bought the soundtrack before I ever saw the movie and I can remember wondering aloud how some of the dialogue bits fit into the film – did Samuel L. Jackson play a preacher man (or at least pose as one) who got shot up?!?!  It’s safe to say that I wore that CD out because I actually did and took it back to The Wall music store, under their “Lifetime Music Guarantee” and got a fresh disc.  Side note:  how many of us just switched out cassette or CD cases with these famous blue stickers when something happened to the music?  Haha.  

My local video store was awesome; they had a killer Horror section and I never got carded for the stuff I’d rent – whether it was I Spit On Your Grave or, in this case, Pulp Fiction.  I actually reserved the very first rental of the VHS at my store and I remember being excited as hell when the day finally arrived that I could go pick it up!  As soon as the end of the day bell rang at school that day, I walked my narrow butt the mile or so down the road to the video store – straight from school.  I even remember waving to my teacher as he drove by while I was walking along the shoulder of the road!  My life changed that afternoon when I brought the movie home . . . in fact, one of my buddies was over and watched it with me.  I think both of us heard many words and phrases that neither had heard before (which we soon added to our vocabulary of course!) and, if I’m not mistaken, he got in trouble with his parents for watching the movie at my house! 

Good times!

11.) The Adventures of Milo & Otis – I’m pretty sure I didn’t see this in the theater, but it was one of the first movies that my mom rented for me on Request Pay-Per-View (along with Elvira: Mistress of the Dark).  To this day, it cracks me when people view my Film Aficionado collection listing and this is at the top since it’s alphabetical! 

Before I was all about blood, guts, zombies, and heavy metal thunder, I was a cat person (and still am, though I don’t have any pets any longer).  This movie and its story of a curious cat and a pug-nosed pup has always spoken volumes to me about the true meaning and values of friendship.  No matter whom you are or what your differences may be – even if you’re a cat and he or she is a dog – it doesn’t mean that you can’t be the best of friends!  Everything is just too cute about this film; from the adventure that Milo & Otis go on and all of the other characters they meet along the way, to the late Dudley Moore’s excellent narration.  One day, I’d love to see the original Japanese version of this film, though I’m sure it doesn’t have that great theme song!

12.) Night Patrol – to some, this is a film that is bottom of the barrel, lowest of the low-brow comedy at its worst.  To me, it’s one film that I will NEVER forget seeing for the first time in my life!  It was a New Year’s Eve party at my cousin’s house – 2002 into 2003 – and one of his friends had brought it over for a screening.  I was literally in pain from laughing so hard at those guys laughing at the movie!!  Everything about it friggin’ KILLS me!  The diner scene is worth the price alone, but just do yourself a favor and check it out . . . especially if you’re into or get the comedic styling of The Unknown Comic!

Somebody Please Tell Me WHY?!?!

Earlier this week, someone asked me, "Why do you like scary movies?"  Even though this was a question I attempted to answer when I started this blog, I still don't think I've come up with a definitive answer and, obviously, I couldn't really give a clear answer when that question was thrown at me.  Sometimes, it's as simple as "You can't understand it if you're not into it."

This pic says a couple of things about me, don't you think?

For me, that's like asking some of my friends "Why do you like football or other professional sports so much?"  In their cases, I'm sure it was something that was passed down from a parent, uncle, older brother, etc and more of a family tradition.  In my case, that'd certainly be true since I've got fond memories of watching, not only horror movies, but movies in general with both of my parents; in fact, some of my earliest memories revolve around movies or television.  Hell, that could even be why I love pizza so much, as a lot of my favorite childhood memories revolve around Pizza Friday at my house!  Before I was even born, when my parents were still dating, they often went to see horror movies like Dawn of the Dead, Silent Scream, and Friday The 13th!  This stuff is in my DNA!  Maybe if my dad had a football in the house while I was growing up, this blog would be dedicated to something entirely different, eh?

As with any bands that I find myself getting into, I feel the need to learn as much about "it" (whether it's a band, tv show, or a movie) as I can . . . this includes behind the scenes stories, photos, making-of's, meeting the cast and creators, and if possible, visiting the locations where said movie was made!  Deep down, I think this sort of "expert" mentality goes back to my childhood, being an only child and often times getting the short end of the stick from others . . .

In my early grade school years, I remember trying to be like my buddies and getting into some recreational sports; T-ball and soccer were my choices.  I hated both.  I hated the practice part and, basically, just wanted the glory of winning . . . never cared much for learning the rules of the game or any of that jazz, ya know?  Same thing in the 6th grade when I joined the school basketball team -- I wasn't very good and, no thanks to my team mates, I found very little encourgement to improve my skills.  I'd jump on a couple other bandwagons in the latter part of elementary school as well; for some reason the Miami Hurricanes were a "thing" at my school...so naturally, I had a t-shirt with their pelican mascot on it (though I remember the thing being a bit too tight on me).  Of course, you couldn't grow up in the early 90s without Michael Jordan fever and EVERYTHING was Chicago Bulls . . . so naturally, I had a Chicago Blackhawks hat that I wore pretty frequently.  Never saw a single game back then as a matter of fact!  Who knows, maybe I was predicting my future of eventually moving to Chicago and the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup a few times once I became an Illinois transplant! 


I remember this day vividly...that's the smile of a kid who's trying to fit in.

Looking back, perhaps there was a even a deep-rooted sense of being left behind that made me not want to tag along with what everyone else was into.  Being that I wasn't familiar with the rules of a football game, didn't know any professional skateboarders outside of Tony Hawk, and wasn't able to tell the difference between the members of the Wu-Tang Clan, I'm sure there was an unwritten attitude of "Alright then...forget that shit!"  Today, it's Fantasy Football picks...I scratch my head on how that stuff works.  Could I have taken the time to learn these things?  Probably.  Were they my ultimate interests or would I just be trying to fit in?  Absolutely the latter. 


Not sure what I was going for with the hair here...

Oh wait, this was it!

However, when it came to liking movies and horror movies . . . I was the king of my domain.  And that fact was comforting, acting as a suit of armor, protecting me from the mixed feelings I was experiencing, but not yet being able to fully vocalize until just now.  Perhaps Freddy and Jason slicing and dicing random teenage stereotypes helped to voice the feelings I was experiencing.  Of course, being on the verge of puberty didn't help matters either...talk about trying to find your identity!  On a side-note, when Black Sabbath were inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, Metallica's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich were on-hand to do the honors.  During Hetfield's speech, he got choked up when he described how the doomy, monstrous guitar riffs lived inside of him, speaking the feelings he couldn't find words for, and helped crack the shell that he found himself stuck in at an early age, helping him find his own creative voice.  That totally resonates with me when it comes to horror movies and, ironically, Metallica's music even!  My grade school class was small...we had the brainy kids, the skaters (my friends), the nerds, the jocks, etc.  Now, after a couple years of half-heartedly chasing trends, I'd found my own identity.  I was the Monster Kid (and "Metallica Bob")!  Nerdy or otherwise...I was me.  I found myself just in time for high school, so I didn't have the same hellish experiences in grades 9 through 12 that a lot of other people talk about. 

While my friends were out doing BMX or skateboarding, I'd be tucked away in my bedroom watching my other friends like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, or hordes of zombies or aliens.  That kind of stuff was as cool to me as skating a half-pipe may have been to my buddies!  The heroes on my bedroom wall were Indiana Jones, Freddy Krueger, Rambo, and Metallica. 

Granted, at that time -- obviously pre-internet -- my fandom was a pretty isolated experience.  Outside of my older cousin Tim, there really wasn't anyone I could "talk shop" with except for a couple of buddies who liked Army of Darkness, Aliens, and Predator. 

As I got older, I realized that being a horror fan is actually pretty communal.  Through posting on message boards to meeting up with like-minded folks at conventions, I've made a lot of friends around the world through our mutual love of all things morbid and scary.  That's the thing though, being into horror movies is, nine times out of ten, just one of the many things that we can connect on.  We all enjoy this stuff for different reasons; some of it is from a technical standpoint on the special effects or story-telling/filmmaking, some of it might be a childhood nostalgia, and some of it might even be a fantasy element that acts as a cathartically, soothing alternative to whatever is going on in daily life. 

On the surface, being into this stuff is pretty nerdy . . . but what exactly is "nerdy"?  Is knowing every tiny detail about the three different "main" cuts of Dawn of the Dead or being able to recite every line of dialogue from Aliens any nerdier than knowing all the stats on Eli Manning?  I think not.  Collecting DVDs/blu-rays and movie posters isn't any different than collecting baseball cards (in some sense, both hobbies are just as expensive, too!). 

Today, I thrive on talking about horror with my friends either on-line, in person, or via almost daily text messages like "Dude, ever seen this movie?" or "Dude, check out what I just picked up!"  I love being thought of as the horror or movie guy to my friends outside of that smaller circle.  Like I said before, it's just me. 

While this pic is a bit old, it still personifies me to this day.

Back From The Dead....again!!!

Hello and welcome back to Constriction Pictures....in an effort to get this blog back up and running on a (somewhat) normal basis, I've been hanging out down in the Crypt and kicking around some ideas about how to do the reviews and possibly adding trailers and maybe even talking about them as well.  What do you think?  Sound good?  I thought so....

I'm gonna start off with something fun...so be on the lookout.

One of the things I'll be re-doing in the Friday the 13th locations post from back in 2011(!)...I was never really happy with it and it was, in fact only one part of what I wanted it to be.  So, I'll be re-doing the photos on it very soon and completing the long-never-posted Part 2 to it.

Anyway, stay tuned...

This kid's shirt just kills me.

Just a quick update....

As you can see, I've been steadily adding some reviews here. I'm also going to be pulling older reviews from my archives either that I've posted on MySpace or on various message boards. So, those posts -- like Rob Zombie's Halloween, 30 Days of Night, and The Mist -- might feel a little dated as they were written right after seeing them in the theater. So, have a heart, and don't be too hard on them if there are any errors I may have missed in them.

Also, I'm going to be adding some short reviews that I've done based on the movies in my collection. Now when I say short, I mean, well they're shorter than the average review you might see on here or have come to expect from me. I usually write the short ones in one shot from memory and give the basics of the plot, what I thought of it, and whether or not you should see it.

Until next time . . . keep reading.

Let the Blog Begin

First things first: welcome to my blog, Constriction Pictures! Since this is my first time with an actual "blog" (not counting MySpace blogs of course), I'm still getting my feet wet and deciding what exactly it is I'd like to accomplish here.

For a long time now, several friends of mine have been saying, "Dude! You gotta do a Horror blog!" and, while I've given it some obvious thought, I was just never sure I'd have the time for it or what I'd do with it. So, with that in mind, I'm gonna start out basic and begin with a review or two.

So, sit tight, grab your favorite beverage and hopefully you'll stick around for a while and enjoy what I've got to say.