NASHVILLE, TN - On a Friday night, the 21st of March, 2008, the Belcourt Theater screened a midnight showing of "Diary of the Dead"...with one added bonus - George Romero.
This is actual footage. He is, in real-life, colored black and white. It is very strange but you get used to it. Mr. Romero, the Godfather of the Zombie Genre, was apparently in NashVega$ for a Horror Tattoo Convention of some sort and popped over to the Belcourt to say hello. Best known for his ground-breaking horror film, "The Night of the Living Dead" (1968), Romero has continued his zombie franchise through four other films. He also has credits as producer to the nostalgia-inducing horror TV show, "Tales from the Darkside", a personal favorite (BW: NOW airing on Sci-Fi!!!).
He was a little unprepared but spoke a bit before the movie and even answered some questions from the zombie fanboys in the crowd. He even got into a little ideological/philosophical discussion of "Jesus: The ORIGINAL Zombie?" He then invited the audience over to his hotel for more discussion (seriously!) and took his leave of the brain-starved hordes...
My buddy Jimmy came down for this and we had a blast. There was, of course, the prerequisite zombie outfits including the tragic Prom Night Couple. Oh, if only there car hadn't been on that lonely, country road at that one fateful moment. Maybe they would have made it to the dance and had their first kiss to "Feels Like the First Time"...
The circle is complete! I finally got a letter printed in my current favorite comic book, "The Walking Dead". Written by fellow Kentuckian Robert Kirkman, TWD tells the story of the survivors of a zombie plague (real cause unknown) that have fled the city of Atlanta and holed up in an abandoned prison located in the remote countryside. The main character was a policeman before the plague in Cynthiana, KY (located just north of Lexington). The series is on Issue 47 but you can probably find trades of it in your local library!
It really is an awesome book. I'm a huge fan of survivalist horror, zombies, and all that, but Kirkman writes it so well you really get to know how people would really deal with the undead AND each other. But he made me as giddy as a little girl by printing my letter. Maybe we'll get married. That would be something.
Check out Kirkman's other books: Invincible, The Astounding Wolf-Man, Brit (all of which I've blogged about already), the soon-ending run on Ultimate X-Men, etc. He's a talent for sure.
BAMF! The winner for our 2008 Preferred Superpower Poll is Tele *BAMF* por *BAMF* tation!!!
For those of you wondering what "BAMF" means, it is the sound effect for the X-Man Nightcrawler (pictured) when he teleports around. He was created by Dave Cockrum (whom I met at a comic store on Shepherdsville Road, but I digress) and is by far the coolest one of the X-Men in the movie trilogy. He was played quite well by Alan Cumming, I might add.
But, back to the poll. Almost half of you voted for getting where you want to go instantaneously. Maybe you should go see the movie "Jumper"? I still haven't seen it but it looks rad.
BW voted for flight. I feel that the sensation of flight would overcome the more efficient 'porting. But, the real question is how to pick all those bugs out of my teeth...
A friend of mine had a mama cat and four kittens dropped on her doorstep in the fall of 1993. I had just moved out of my parents' house into my first apartment. Serendipity.
I went over to her house and went into the room where they were keeping the cats. One kitten was nursing, one was in a closet whining, and the other two (one gray and one cream) were running around. I played with the gray one for quite some time. When I stood up to leave I inexplicably picked up the cream one. The rest is history. I named him Tommy after the Primus song, "Tommy the Cat". Yeah, I know. Real original. But I was a huge Primus fan back then.
He was smaller than a chilito (remember those?). He immediately had a house mate named Booger. She was bigger but kind to him and he grew up fast. We moved together into a house with 3 other dudes (including my older brother). One of the other dudes had decided to get one of the litter as well and so Tommy and his biological sister, Tabitha, were reunited for two years. Tommy even became the perfunctory star of the short-lived cable access phenomenon, "Biscuit and Gravy Train".
After the Residence' came 227 in Fern Creek, and then the Castle. After 5 years in the same place, Tommy and I moved again; this time to Nashville, TN. In a short 10 months I got engaged, married, and then grabbed Tommy and loaded up the U-Haul again for Somerville, MA.
Tommy was always the sweetest cat. He would talk to birds, arch his back and dive like Greg Louganis (with a little help from me), walk on ceilings at command, and generally put up with all sorts of crap like wearing costumes and performing for the camera. Tommy was an amazing lap cat and would hop in a stranger's lap as easily as my own. He deferred to the other cats in the house, always letting them run the show. He even had a pretty funny voice, courtesy of my buddy, Jimmy.
Tommy and I were together for about 14 and a half years. And in that time he was a true, unconditional companion. I owe him my life in many ways. If it wasn't for Tommy who knows what would have happened to me? He helped me through many, many, lonely and depressed times. I leaned on him for just about everything.
Tommy was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. His lab results were awful and the decision was made to put him down. We were able to spend time together this past Presidents' Day Weekend. And I was holding his paw when he passed. It's a strange thing to see your buddy lying there, not breathing, staring emptily out the window. I miss him already. Every day. Our other cat, Sophie has taken to lying on the blanket he used right before he died. Maybe it's because it's next to the radiator but I think it's because she knows he's gone.
Tommy was everything to me and there will never ever be another cat like him.
Tommy the Cat
b. August 17, 1993
d. February 19. 2008
A whilez ago, my buddy Antoine and I had a discussion about the Steve Miller Band. Specifically, its Greatest Hits record from 1974-1978.
I just heard "The Stake" (Track 7) on 100.7 WZLX coming home. For you Louisvillians, ZLX is basically Boston's QMF.
Man, I think I sold this CD in the GREAT CHRISTMAS CD SALE of 1995. (Just so happened a roommate's parents had just bought a CD player and wanted to update their media library.) But I gotta say, whether or not it's considered a guilty pleasure or not...I miss this record.
Too many good songs. Too classic. Heck, I even saw Steve Miller at Riverbend in Cincinnati. That's right. I'm a nerd.
But I challenge any of you American males to find any of your friends who did NOT own this record or at least know it by heart. I think it was a prerequisite for entering high school to have this...
As was mentioned previously, Biscuit World had its first TIE in poll voting. The first half of January asked you your favorite dude from 90210. The Internets have spoken and Dylan and Brandon tied with 7 votes each.
The second half asked for your favorite chick. 60% of you favored the lovely Jennie Garth-portrayed Kelly Taylor.
This love triangle thrilled fans of the show and BW's poll proves the love for this entanglement subsists.
Congratulations to Brandon Walsh, Dylan McKay, and Kelly Taylor!!! (BW voted for Brandon and Kelly so BW is very happy...)
Now only one question remains: WHO voted for Andrea? Heh.
