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“The Thing” is a prequel to the ‘80s movie by the same title. This time around we get to see what happened to the “Sweeds” as Mack called them, which were really Norwegians, as Dr. Cooper would correct him. Unfortunately, we couldn’t keep this as a subtitled movie and focus on the Nords and their struggle into paranoid social decay. Instead, we are forced to swallow the fact that the Nords, who this author thought were as stranded in solitude as the Americans, would call some lady from the US to investigate what they had found. Are their no Nordic specialists in ancient artifacts/paleontology? Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is that graduate student/specialist in ancient artifacts/paleontologist that is brought on to help investigate the discovery of an alien ship that was discovered in the Antarctic. That’s right, this time there is a woman, NAY two, involved in dealing with the human copying menace.

“Moneyball,” based on the controversial non-fiction Baseball novel by Michael Lewis, follows the revolutionary tactics Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) implemented to create a winning team on a modest budget. Defying the tradition of Baseball’s antiquated recruiting methods; Beane’s story transcends the design of the diamond field. “MoneyBall” is evidence that even in the oldest of American games, the incorporation of the new can still come out on top.

Beane, the quick-draw mastermind of the small market A’s, feels the pressure from the team’s owner to assemble a championship-caliber team with the salary cap of roughly 40 million dollars. In Major League Baseball terms, that seemingly hefty amount is worth a box of Cracker Jack's compared to the over 100 million dollars elite teams like the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox get to splurge on star players.

The EPM Museum recently opened a great exhibit on the lure of horror films. As read at EMPMuseum.com, "Organized by EMP, Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film examines the pivotal role that horror plays in the human experience. Three iconic horror directors--Roger Corman, John Landis, and Eli Roth--have curated a selection of their favorite films, providing a solid foundation on which audiences can safely explore the spectrum of cinematic horror, from its inception at the turn of the 20th century to the present day."

There are all sorts of props including "the script from "Night of the Living Dead", the alien creature suit from "Alien", the scavenger demon from "Constantine", Jack Torrance's axe from "The Shining", the original ‘Gill Man’ mask used in "Creature from the Black Lagoon", "Bram Stoker's Dracula" manuscript, and other horror film memorabilia."

There are a few screens separated by what looks to be a "Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" inspired forest that play interviews with the three curator/directors about classic and modern horror films from the turn of the 20th century to the present.

Thank you, Odin and all the gods of Asgard, we can actually look forward to crossing the rainbow bridge and descending on Earth to see "The Avengers" film.

On a side note, I wish Scarlett Johansson wasn't in this. Her bad stunt double and ridiculous action poses seem to have followed her into this film as well as the underwhelming "Iron Man 2".

Creep Cinema is a horrifyingly sweet art exhibition with exclusive pieces from South Florida artists. The theme (duh) is based on dreadfully beloved horror films and monsters, ranging from classics like the Invisible Man to modern creeps like the devilish Pennywise. We will get a couple of interviews with some of the participants during the next posts, but for now enjoy the pictures we took from the Opening Night gala at Bear and Bird Boutique inside Tate’s Comics. For more photos, check out our facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bitterbalcony.

Creep Cinema Exhibit
located at Bear and Bird Boutique/Tate's Comics
from October 1 until November 12. 2011

4566 North University Drive
Lauderhill, FL
(954)748-0181
www.bearandbird.com

Steve Jobs died today at the still young age of 56.

Bitter Balcony sends our heartfelt sympathies.

Thanks for those wonderful toys.

R.I.P

Here is a great video putting side-by-side comparisons of other films, shows and interviews that inspired "The Matrix" - very worth watching.

Everything Is A Remix: THE MATRIX from robgwilson.com on Vimeo.