The Legends who took down Bonnie and Clyde.

The Highwaymen
2019 | R | 2 Hr 12 Min | Crime | Universal

Director: John Lee Hancock

Writer: John Fusco

Stars:

Kevin Costner

Woody Harrelson

Kathy Bates

Synopsis:

In 1934, Frank Hamer and Manny Gault, two former Texas Rangers, are commissioned to put an end to the wave of vicious crimes perpetrated by Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, a notorious duo of infamous robbers and cold-blooded killers who nevertheless are worshiped by the public.

Fire-up the crock pot once again for this Costner, Harrelson trip down memory lane that is a slow burner The Highwaymen. This incredibly slow flick stands tall at 2 Hours and 12 long minutes. And sadly at times, you feel all of it sitting on your shoulders as you learn the back story of these two men. 

I love period pieces like this the early 30s and 40s fascinate me so when the trailer dropped for The Highwaymen on Netflix I was super excited. All though Bonnie and Clyde are the backdrops, how can things go wrong?  For starters the lackluster storyline, Costner and Harrelson make a good team but the story is very drawn out. Now part of me feels that the plan was to go slow as it was a slow process tracking down the famous gangsters. But did we the viewer need to feel all of it? Most Bonne and Clyde flicks are pretty actioned packed so maybe this was by design. 

The look and feel draw you into a time period of simple and peaceful times achieving an authentic time frame. Regrettably, in maintaining that accuracy, there's not a lot of surprise for the viewers. Hamer and Gault's schemes of traversing Texas and venturing across its borders to focus on the villains' natural predilection for "going home" is smart but not always dramatic. Still, it's a commendable movie that gives a very honest look at the flip side of a legendary historical event.

Although this is a lukewarm movie that runs a little long The Highwaymen is worth a visit especially if you're a fan of its stars or its storied subjects. In the end, I really enjoyed the trip even if it took to long to get there. I love being transported back in time when the story is worth hearing. 

3 Out of 4 Stars

More Cowbell?

Going to do something a little bit different today, going to take a look at the career of an old bandmate Drummer José Medeles. Jose has toured the world with rock star Kim Deal and The Breeders and played drums to back up the late great Joey Ramone. But La Salle native has gained almost as much fame from his second career as from his lifelong work as a performer.

Just over a decade ago, Jose abandoned the life of the touring musician. Without a job lined up, he moved from Los Angeles to Portland, Ore., for the sole purpose of being a good family man. Soon after the move, he opened Revival Drum Shop on a suggestion from his wife. They really never know who might walk through their door. Sometimes it’s members of garage bands and novices, and frequently it’s a rock star, such as Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Medeles said about the high points of his career, were touring the world with the Breeders and backing up Joey Ramone and other great artists for almost two decades. “Another highlight is working so hard that I could have my own musical freedom where I can go and start my own band like the 1939 Ensemble,” he said, mentioning his Portland-based jazz/rock band.

Jose was always one of those guys you wanted to be around he was the class clown yet down to earth. We also shared the same drum teacher  Jimmy Brown who greatly influenced our lives. It's always fun to see somebody you grew up around doing something they love successfully. Now If you would please excuse me I'm off to talk my wife into letting me buy a new drum set.





Oh and that one time they did a Ted Talk



I really dig the sound of 1939 Ensemble truly amazing.

What the Hell...

It's going to snow today! It's already hard enough to swerve past all those potholes.

Our Garden Center has been pretty busy and the grass is green so screw it! 

So true! Sure it is going to snow today but the high they say is 50 degrees. 

Tonight on Svengoolie

The Son Of Dr. Jekyll
1955 | PG | 1 Hr 55 Min | Horror | Columbia Pictures

Director: Seymour Friedman

Writers: Mortimer Braus and Jack Pollexfen

Stars: Louis Hayward, Jody Lawrance, Alexander Knox

Edward Jekyll, ignorant of how his father had brought forth death and destruction with his experiments, is pursuing a chemist career despite the fact that he has been discharged from school or his unorthodox experimentations. When the time comes for his father's estate, which had been put in trust, Edward first learns of his father's actions and rather than ignore the matter, sets out to prove that human personality can be changed by certain chemical stimulations. But he hasn't reckoned on Dr. Curtis Lanyon, a prominent doctor and close friend of the family. Lanyon wants to get his hands on the estate and resorts to murder and frame-ups to make Edward appear to be as insane as his father.

"Son of Dr. Jekyll" makes his appearance tonight on MeTV at 8pm eastern/Pacific, 7 central, or, if you need more information on where and when to find the show in your area, just check your local listings, or at www.metv.com.You can also join the horde of Sven fans on Twitter during the show, who live-Tweet as the show runs, using the hashtag #svengoolie . All that Tweeting continues to keep us trending nationally every week! In the Chicago area, viewers can get one more visit to the “House of Dracula” this morning at 11 am on WCIU, the U.

Also, you only have until midnight, April 20th, to get in your votes in the Rondo Awards! The awards committee has stated that some of the categories are very close- so your vote is important in deciding the favorites in horror and science fiction! Vote in as many or as few categories as you wish- but follow all the instructions so your vote will count! Sure you can vote for Sven but I also encourage you to vote for WHOEVER your favorite is! In fact, this was the first year I did not vote for Sven. The ballot is at www.rondoaward.com. 

Critters A New Binge Review!

Critters A New Binge
2019 | TV-MA | 8 Episodes | Horror | Shudder


Stars:
Joey Morgan

Stephi Chin-Salvo

Bzhaun Rhoden

Synopsis:

Pursued by intergalactic bounty hunters, the Critters return to Earth on a secret mission and encounter Christopher, a lovelorn high-schooler, his best friend Charlie, his crush Dana, and his mom Veronica – whose past will come back to bite them. Who will survive? And who will be eaten?

Nearly 30 years after the last installment in the franchise  Critters 4 (you know that space one) Yeah nobody remembers that one but we sure remember part 3 and its star Leonardo DiCaprio. Critters a New Binge takes place after that one leaving us to wonder did number 4 really happen?  This time those lovable Crites are back with a brand new Shudder Original Series from director Jordan Rubin (Zombeavers). Made up of eight episodes, the very first Critters TV series actually runs shorter than even the shortest film in the franchise, making for a binge event that’ll take just over an hour of your day.

First, let us talk about Joey Morgan for a second, Morgan's break out role was in A Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. This Chicago native knocks it out of the park as he is in full control and kicking ass. Of course, his charter is an overweight teen just trying to get through his day and impress the love of his life played by Stephi Chin-Salvo. Chin-Salvo is a welcomed fresh face that really helps bring this Binge worthy show to the top. We also get a few good cameos with Gilbert Gottfried and Thomas Lennon to name a few. 

Critters A New Binge try's hard to capture that early '80s fun but in some ways hurts it as well. I feel like the show tried to blend the 80s feel with a current decade style in terms of looks. What I mean by that I guess for example the green screen and space scene are fine but looking more like today's comic style of say Sharknado. And I'm ok with that, add in the goofy look of the puppets and you have pure gold! Smoother this bad boy in cheese wiz and enjoy! What the hell critics loosen up I get that you were born in the '90s and missed out on some of the greatest yet dumbest movies of all time that we happen to call Cult Classics (Toxic Advenger anyone?). This is like watching one of those movies that somebody found in their grandpa's basement that we all forgot about. Grrr, I like Critters A New Binge and you should too dam it. 

The Critters franchise has never really taken itself seriously except for perhaps the original; even then, that was marinaded with tongue-in-cheek humor about furry porcupine-like aliens. Likewise, Critters: A New Binge attempts to play up the jokes to even higher levels, highlighting its low budget and various humorous moments to make this film more of a comedy/horror hybrid than straight suspense. And the jokes are not always the best even I will admit the "Furry Ball's" joke got old and well the Matrix was a few years ago so that did not fit in. The one joke everyone is crabby about would be the reference to Avengers: Infinity War I thought was kind of cool.

Look this is silly fun and never takes itself to serious just like the '80s! It's low on gore so in many ways its an entry level kids ride as well. This it’s not going to be for everyone, but for those accustomed to New Binge’s brand of campy humor it makes for a perfectly mindless 74 minutes of cheesy comedy. Critters a new binge seems to be evenly split between “love it” and “hate it.” amongst fans this fan LOVES IT! Bring on more and here is to Dee Wallace returning to her role as the mom in the 1986 movie for SyFy movie later this year! 

4 Bloody Brains out of 5!

Today In Music

Fifty-five years ago today The Supremes recorded "Where Did Our Love Go." The song was their first No. 1 single. This version was ranked No' 472 on Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

In 1971 Chicago became the first rock group to sell out a week of shows at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

1975 - Aerosmith released "Toys in the Attic." and on the same day in 1979 - Aerosmith began their "Night In The Rut Tour" in Los Angeles, CA.  April seems to be a good month for the band. 

April 5,1994 Electrician Gary Smith who was working at Kurt Cobain's house in Seattle discovered Cobain's body lying on the floor in the greenhouse. Local radio station KXRX broke the news at 9.40am that the Nirvana singer and guitarist was dead. A shotgun was found next to Cobain's body. A suicide note was found that said, "I haven't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing . . . for too many years now". A high concentration of heroin and traces of Valium were also found in Cobain's body.

Sunday Funnies Spring

So this weekend at work kicks off Spring with a huge sale because here in Illinois it is still cold but hey let us get out there and sell some plants, mulch, and topsoil that is still frozen to the pallet.

This is so me!

We do sell a ton of poop.

Preach! I just sat outside during a track meet and it snowed!

House of Dracula Tonight on Svengoolie

House of Dracula
1945 | PG | 1 Hr 7 Min | Horror | Universal

Director: Erle C. Kenton

Writer: Edward T. Lowe Jr.

Stars: Onslow Stevens, John Carradine, Lon Chaney Jr.

Dracula arrives at Dr. Edelman's office asking for a cure to his vampirism. However, this is a ruse by Dracula to get near Dr. Edelman's beautiful female assistant and turn her into a vampire. Meanwhile, a sincere Lawrence Talbot, AKA the Wolfman, arrives seeking a cure for his lycanthropy. When Dr. Edelman's first attempt fails, Talbot tries to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff but instead finds a network of underground caves where Frankensteins Monster is in stasis. Chaos ensues as the three monsters fight for dominance of each other.

Also in Horror Host News, the world lost another great to a Heart Attack Cleveland Ohio's "The Ghoul" played by Ron Sweed. Sweed passed away on Monday, after a five-month-long battle with heart problems. He was 70.

To his many friends, there were few with more heart than Sweed – a Euclid native whose rampage through Cleveland’s late-night airwaves started in the 1970s.

Yup, that was The Ghoul: That madcap maniac who loved to “mangle medulas” and, of course, make a mess with flying Cheez Whiz, pierogis and slime – and, yes, firecrackers.

Thank You, Ron, for keeping the Horror Host alive!

They're not staying down there, anymore!

C.H.U.D
1984 | R | 1 Hr 28 Min | Horror | New World Pictures

Director: Douglas Cheek

Writers: Parnell Hall (screenplay), Shepard Abbott (story)

Stars: John Heard, Daniel Stern, Christopher Curry

Synopsis:

A rash of bizarre murders in New York City seems to point to a group of grotesquely deformed vagrants living in the sewers. A courageous policeman, a photojournalist, and his girlfriend, and a nutty bum, who seems to know a lot about the creatures, band together to try and determine what the creatures are and how to stop them.

Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller was just the right amount of 80s cheese to kick off the new Last Drive-In series on Shudder staring Joe Bo Briggs. 

And all though Joe Bob shocked the fans with such a low 2-star rating I'm here to say C.H.U.D. is still a fun little 80s cult classic. Back in July of 2018 Joe Bob and Shudder broke the internet bringing back the show for what was assumed to be a 24-hour marathon one-off, hence its title, The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs. But the event proved so popular that Shudder brought him back for another marathon at Thanksgiving, Dinners of Death, and a third in December, A Very Joe Bob Christmas. But Shudder on March 29, has brought back Briggs who will host a weekly double feature of movies for Shudder on Friday nights, for which he will both introduce and interrupt films, delivering to viewers the distinctive mix of horror-themed wit and wisdom he honed on TMC’s Joe Bob’s Drive-In Theater in the ’80s and ’90s, as well as on TNT’s MonsterVision.

What's really great about The Last Drive thanks to Twitter this has proved to be communal experiences for horror fans who weren’t physically watching the movies together.

Although this Shaksperaing Actor lead movie staring Home Alone's John Heard, Daniel Stern who headed back to New York for Home Alone Two take the driver seat in this one. Sterns real-life wife Laure Mattos, is the movie's first on-screen victim. C.H.U.D. was also the first gig for Kim Greist and Jay Thomas who is seated next to a young John Goodman in the dinner scene. According to Brigg's most of the cast had Theatre background with Shaksper in the park leading the way. For me, the acting in a low budget B movie was pretty spot on leaving one to think this is why people actually like it. 

What people complain about the most is the lack of C.H.U.D.'s. The C.H.U.D.s themselves are barely there for far too long. Low budget horror and sci-fi movies try a lot of strategies to make the most of what they have, cleverly keeping the audience from realizing they aren’t seeing as much as they think they are, embracing humor and camp or being, simply put, groundbreaking and creative but for many C.H.U.D. employs none of them, opting instead to solve the problem with acting. I'm not sure I agree 100%.

I first watched C.H.U.D. back int he early heyday of VHS and have not seen it since so I was going into it very fresh and open-minded. I came out of it still wondering why so much hate for the Urban Dwellers? With a simple plot and simple monsters you still get a pretty decent '80s romp that for some can still be fun. 

''C.H.U.D.'' makes no pretension toward serious theses about government or the environment. It is meant to be light entertainment, that is in the category of horror, it still stands as a praiseworthy effort.

3 Bloody Brains out of 5

Raw-dogging? Nope Just A Shrill Review

Shrill
2019 | TV-MA | 6 Episodes | Comedy | Hulu

Creators: 

Aidy Bryant

Alexandra Rushfield

Lindy West

Stars: 

Aidy Bryant

Lolly Adefope

Luka Jones

Synopsis:

Annie is a full-figured woman who wants to change her life -- but not her body; she is trying to start her career while juggling bad boyfriends, a sick parent, and a perfectionist boss.

This Hulu dramedy stars Aidy Bryant (HBO's Girls) as an overweight woman figuring out which indignities she will accept and which she will reject in a world that prizes thin bodies. I hate the term Binge Worthy but Shrill is just that. 

Shrill is a smart and funny show about an overweight 20-something writer navigating self-esteem issues so deeply ingrained she doesn't always seem to recognize they're there.  We see her bending over backward to excuse the disappointing behavior of her friend with benefits Ryan, a bearded slacker who makes her leave through the back door of his house so his roommates won't see her. And her high-strung mother takes her own mental derangement out on Annie through a constant barrage of passive-aggressive remarks about her weight.

 The six-episode series tracks Annie's complicated and messy journey toward reclaiming her space in the world and embracing who she is without apologies. Though billed primarily as a comedy, Shrill has a tender sort of humor and is unique in the way it allows Annie to be a multidimensional human being. I love how cocky she can be while exploring the many ways society at large can squash a person's individuality and confidence. It's that confidence that kept me wanting more. 

There is something about Bryant's bubbly charm that keeps you from putting down the remote, and although she can come off a tiny bit awkward in the show's more deeply emotional moments, this doesn't seem too out of place, considering that the character herself is only just beginning to be comfortable pursuing what she wants out of her life and the people in it. Not sure how Hulu felt about how Shrill was going to do only ordering up six episodes but I sure hope to get more in the next season.

Shrill is a fun and cute show that comes packed with a powerful message for those of us that struggle with self-esteem. 

4 out of 5 Stars

Saints of Los Angeles

The Dirt
2019 | R | 1 Hr 47 Min | Drama | Netflix

Director: Jeff Tremaine

Writers: Amanda Adelson

Stars: 

Douglas Booth

Iwan Rheon

Daniel Webber

Synopsis:

The story of Mötley Crüe and their rise from the Sunset Strip club scene of the early 1980s to superstardom.

Love it or hate it Glam Metal/ Hair Bands were all the rage in the '80s and for me an amazing time in music to grow up with. Even though I was not much of a Crue fan The Dirt was a fun watch and a nice little trip down memory lane. 

This was meant to be a fun trip down memory lane and by the sound of it, most critics seem to be panning The Dirt. I think for the most part they are missing the point. The Crue was a loud and obnoxious group that partied harder than most glam bands of the time. For me, The Dirt was pure entertainment to its fullest. No, it's not Bohemian Rhapsody but nobody intends for it to be. But like the Queen biopic, the cast was pretty spot on. Douglas Booth stars as bassist Nikki Sixx, Iwan Rheon as lead guitarist Mick Mars, Colson Baker plays drummer Tommy Lee, and Daniel Webber portrays lead vocalist Vince Neil. Out of the group, both Baker and Booth nailed their parts, with Rheon playing the oldest member and the rarely talked about story of Mick Mars who has to be one of the most underrated guitar players to come out of the heavy metal scene. The weak link here is Webber with is poor lip-syncing along with the non-Vince look but don't let that stop you this group still works well together kicking ass throughout the movie. 

I also have strong feelings for the movie trying to humanize the band showing us the hard times they went through. From Vince going to jail, and Nikki's drug use you get a small break from the crazy action and its just enough to make you realize they where human and yes they made mistakes. Don't let that last line fool you too much the movie has plenty of Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll and oh yes doing a line of Ant's with Ozzy is a true highlight of this story. 

The Dirt is recommended for any fans of the band Mötley Crüe, as it showcases the band's impact and significance in music history. It is nostalgic as it tells the group's notorious story. Now if your not a fan of the group just sit back open your mind and enjoy. Do not over think it like most critics have been. I never read the book but remember my wife telling me it was a must read at the time and after we watched it she picked the book up again, I now would like to read the book The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band. I just need to know more about these crazy story's! 

If your a product of the 80s and have not fired up Netflix yet than get on it! If your looking for something outside the box about a rough and tough boy bad give this one a shot you just might like! In this house, I could have gone on for another hour and we would have been happy!

4 out of 5 Stars

Wild Thing!

On April 1st, 1966 The Troggs recorded 'Wild Thing' at Regent Sound Studio in London. The song went on to be a No.1 hit in the US and No.2 UK hit in June the following year. The track was recorded in one complete take. Wild Thing is still a classic today.

And of course on this day 1970 as an April fool's joke John Lennon and Yoko Ono issued a statement to the press that they were having dual sex change operations. 

And a moment I will never forget when Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his father at his parent's home in Los Angeles, California. The argument started after his parents squabbled over misplaced business documents, Gaye attempted to intervene and was killed by his father using a gun he had given him four months before. Marvin Sr. was sentenced to six years of probation after pleading guilty to manslaughter. Charges of first-degree murder were dropped after doctors discovered Marvin Sr. had a brain tumor.

Oh Susanna Hoffs how I was so in love with you, and on April 1st, 1989 Eternal Flame hit #1. This song was never my favorite but you can not beat the lyrics. 

And how could we forget in 2017 after months of uncertainty and controversy, Bob Dylan finally accepted the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature at a jovial, champagne-laced ceremony. The academy, which awards the coveted prize, ended prolonged speculation as to whether the 75-year-old troubadour would use a concert stopover in Stockholm to accept the gold medal and diploma awarded to him back in October.