Flamin' Hot Good Guy with a Gun... Ruby Gillman, I'm a Virgo... Maggie Moore(s) Hard Rock Nightmare... Rosehill Cemetery and Cinematography.

June concluded two weeks ago, and it was about then my body decided to take a vacation. However, it didn’t inform me before quietly quitting. We’ve reconciled in the last few days, although I still feel a tad annoyed. Things seemed to be going smoothly but such is life. One minute the river is a lazy flow then come around the bend into rapids. Ah well, things could certainly be worse.
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Despite the brief resurgence of chronic pain and a touch of illness, I’m back on track. That means doing the round up of last month’s publications, and damn if there aren’t a lot to look at. Ghost hunts, movie reviews, and no harm reminding an anthology is available featuring mine as well as several other short stories. All positively reviewed, I might add. Let’s get to it!

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​The month kicked off reviewing a flick called Flamin’ Hot. It’s based on the true story of the fellow who claims to’ve invented the flaming hot seasoning found on Frito Lay snacks like Cheetos, Doritos, etc. It’s a charming comedy with a solid cast, a real Horatio Alger for the modern era. Although it’s warm embrace of capitalist myths like bootstrap pull-ups and the old American Dream sound a little offkey to folks like me, there’s still a delight in watching a film be brazenly sentimental while selling the idea of hard work paying off. The real weirdness was the amount of paperwork I needed to sign. This being a Disney film meant putting my signature on numerous documents swearing no one but me would be able to see let alone hear the movie while I watched it, presumably in a soundproof homemade isolation chamber. 

Flamin' Hot Feels Good | Film Obsessive

After that I got the privilege of attending a screening for a flick called Good Guy with a Gun. This interesting indie film showed at the Gene Siskel Film Center. I haven’t been to that theater in ages, and it was a wonderful reminder of how fabulous a spot that is for seeing movies. On the one hand, the audiences there are cinema fans, so no chance of anyone fiddling on phones or chatting during the film. People are there to watch the movie. Second, there’s a real effort to create the old atmosphere that theaters used to have. And they do so by providing little touches like classic popcorn boxes. The little details really do matter.

As for the movie I ended up reviewing, I had mixed feelings. At the Q&A afterward, the filmmakers asserted Good Guy with a Guy is supposed to show both sides of the gun argument. However, I think the movie is more one sided than they’re willing to admit. At the very least, the pro angle is skewed in a way that’s either poorly written with unnatural dialogue or slanted as such, it’s hard to see it in a positive light. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a well put together movie that brings up a hard topic that needs to be discussed. The film just gets a little bogged down by its effort to have a message as opposed to simply tell a story.
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For the record, I’ll confess to having a touch of trouble writing the review. The Q&A allowed me to see the filmmakers and they were rightly damn proud of the movie they made. Their earnestness and passionate intent came across. The fact I couldn’t honestly give them a glowing review across the board felt kind of unpleasant like kicking a kid after they did okay in the school play. However, I’d be doing a disservice giving them gold when, in my opinion, they earned silver.

At Least Good Guy with a Gun Hits the Target | Film Obsessive

​As work continued, I soon got one I was really looking forward to. The advance screener arrived for Maggie Moore(s). This is a comedy based on a true crime incident. The real-life event is an unsolved crime where two women with the same name were murdered. That sets up the basis for this offbeat comedy which revolves around a similar incident. With a cast that includes Tina Fey and Jon Hamm, I was really excited to see this one. Unfortunately, it amounted to a Hallmark murder mystery of the week. Again, it’s not terrible, but it’s a movie with enough quality ingredients what cooks up is disappointing. However, I would never recommend against it. White wine on a quiet afternoon with nothing else to watch --- it can pass the just time.

Mediocrity Murders Maggie Moore(s) | Film Obsessive

​From there I slipped into penning analysis rather than review. I won’t say much since everything worth talking about is in the article. But I found it necessary to blather on about cinematography, specifically how the work of Roger Deakins gives Skyfall a deeper story. My evidence in that case is centered around the sniper scene in this Bond flick, and I think it also gives a sense of why good cinematography matters in a movie.

Cinematography Enriches Skyfall's Sniper Scene | Film Obsessive

​Last among the movie reviews, I got invited to an advance viewing of Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. The latest animation feature from Dreamworks, it’s an adorable movie. The interesting thing about this occasion is that the screening also doubled as a public viewing. I’m a tall, broad, biker looking heavy metal motherfucker, and I walked into a theater full of children. More than one parent gave me the side-eye until they saw me sit in the area reserved for press. And then we all enjoyed a family flick that isn’t perfect but parents in need of a video babysitter will be pleased to plop their little ones down for a watch. Although it could’ve been better in parts, the movie at least sends the right messages. 

Adorably Awkward Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken | Film Obsessive

​Not long after that I got asked to do some review and analysis of the new Amazon tv series I’m a Virgo. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s by showrunner Boots Riley who did the fabulous surreal satire Sorry to Bother You. This time the aim is a criticism of society coming at things through comic book films. That’s a bit reductive, but I think starts the discussion. The series follows a young man who happens to be a 13-foot tall giant as he emerges into public life. This results in an opportunity to critically deconstruct a number of issues such as racism, capitalism, media as propaganda, etc. It’s a complex series that asks its audience to think critically about the world around them, and it does so in a surreal presentation that is captivating, occasionally touches the heart, and is frequently comical. 

I'm a Virgo Starts Large (Episode 1 Review) | TV Obsessive

Titanic Topics in I'm a Virgo Season 1 | TV Obsessive

​Needing a break from serious writing, I volunteered to type an article celebrating some shlock over at Horror Obsessive. To that end, I picked a movie called Hard Rock Nightmare. Not to be confused with Rock ‘N’ Roll Nightmare, this laughable slasher from the 80s is everything right and wrong about good bad movies. Cringe doesn’t begin to describe certain scenes, and the acting makes porn look like Hollywood gold. Plus, there is some stellar mediocre metal music. Hard Rock Nightmare is a perfect film for what I call beer and a pizza night, where friends get together to drink and mock a movie. 

Are You Ready to Mock Hard Rock Nightmare? - Horror Obsessive

Finally, I got roped into doing another paranormal article. Not gonna lie, I always feel like these are going to be more interesting than they are. Why I keep agreeing is beyond me. I suppose I have some far peripheral fantasy about being a paranormal investigator left over from childhood that occasionally pops up demanding attention. The only thing that quiets the desire is indulging in a little ghost hunting. Truth be told, it’s not the subject matter that ever bothers me. It’s the sites and sources which all seem like a mess of plagiarism, obviously false accounts, and attention seeking debunkable claims.

The headache of sifting through what could be called “creditable” material is frustrating. Ghost hunters online rarely site sources, and when they do, if someone digs deep enough, they’re likely to find the stories are cut & pasted from someone else’s page, itself without sited sources --- it’s a rabbit hole that leads only to doubt. For instance, few noted digitally archived newspaper records citing when a certain statue was made. The paranormal pages preferring instead to assert the debunkable myth that said sculpture was a replacement for one lost on the Lusitania. As for firsthand accounts, it basically becomes untangling a web of echoes repeating a story heard from a friend of a friend who’s cousin knew someone back in the day who saw this happen and since then people claim to have seen the same.

​Still, there’s some interesting history behind the places. That’s partly what brings me back to such articles these days. On this occasion, I got to explore Chicago’s famous Rosehill Cemetery. The historic graveyard is a landmark in the city. Gothically picturesque and wonderful to walk through, I enjoyed the day I spent collecting photos. And although I did need to rev myself up, so to speak, I still got into the article. As I said, there’s a part of me that wants to believe, and I won’t deny a certain eerie, quiet discomfort staring at certain statues. 

Chicago's Gothically Haunting Rosehill Cemetery - Horror Obsessive

Well, that does it for now. I’m hopeful my health holds together long enough for me to complete a few projects before July concludes. The Beerfinger album is coming together nicely. Plus, the anthology “No Trouble at All” got released. This collection of polite horror explores what lurks beneath the façade. It includes a story by me called “Anger Management” about a family with a bizarre, unsettling way of keeping their bad moods in order. And like I said, here’s another positive review. Do yourself a favor and grab this book of frights straight from the source at Cursed Morsels Press.

No Trouble at All paperback | Eric Raglin (cursedmorselspress.com)

Thanks for reading. Stay weird, keep safe, and never lose your sense of humor. Cheers!