Cat's Blog

Growing up at the Horlick house we watched a lot of cable television. My sister and I could pretty much watch whatever we wanted. It was the 80's, cable was fun, we would watch movie after movie, mostly in bits and pieces and what we saw made us laugh. That's what we were looking for, funny movies, and the 80's delivered.

One of the movies I remember watching now and again was DOCTOR DETROIT.



It is a special, ridiculous movie that always amused me and when it showed up as a midnight movie on the NEW BEVERLY CINEMA calendar I knew I couldn't miss the screening!

DOCTOR DETROIT begins with Clifford "Cliff" Skridlow, played by Dan Akyrod, a college literary professor, speed walking through the city. While on his walk Cliff is noticed by pimp Smooth Walker (Howard Hessman), his ladies; Jasmine, Thelma, Karen and Monica, and chauffeur Diavolo (T.K. Carter) who all admire his legs and call him a geek.

How will their lives all intersect, you may wonder? Well, it's 1983 and it all comes down to being at the right/wrong place at the right time!

Smooth Walker is in some trouble, he owes big bad Mom, of Mom's Limousine Service, a lot of money. When Mom comes to collect Smooth comes up with an escape plan that requires a Patsy, so he creates a new "BAD-ASS" partner, DOCTOR DETROIT, to take the fall.

Since Smooth needs some gullible guy to be "The Doctor", he swoops in on Cliff after another chance encounter. Smooth and his sultry Ladies take Cliff out for a night on the town and then offers him the chance to take over his "entertainment" business.

Cliff is a pretty straight laced guy, he's a literary professor after-all who has an elevated sense of honor and duty. At first he doesn't quite believe that the ladies are "nightwalkers" but he still agrees to help these damsels in distress by embodying DOCTOR DETROIT.

Honestly, there's a whole lot of things are going on at once! Cliff still has classes to teach, his college to save for his parents sake, and they of course can't know he's DOCTOR DETROIT! (subplot!) And as DOCTOR DETROIT he's doing his very best to make sure Mom doesn't get her hands on the ladies!!

The whole shebang culminates to a synchronized dance number where JAMES BROWN is singing the jam in honor of DOCTOR DETROIT!!! "DOCTOR ooooh, ooohh DETROIT! DOCTOR, ooohh, oooohh, DETROIT!!" It truly is amazing and I think everyone watching had a big smile on their face when the dancing began. I was smiling big, and so was my dad who came out to watch DOCTOR DETROIT with me. It is a HORLICK favorite after-all! My dad and I sat side-by-side and laughed along throughout the movie, just like we did when we watched it years ago at home from the couch.



And now, sorry if this is spoiler territory next, SPOILER WARNING, SPOILER WARNING, but I just have to go on about the end. Of course things all work out to be happily ever after for DOCTOR DETROIT, the ladies and the college! As we are told what happens to all the characters we get the ultimate tease for a sequel that never would be...sigh...

DOCTOR DETROIT II: WRATH OF MOM!!



(BTW, This moment, when the title screen hit, actually made some fella in the front row laugh for like five minutes straight! I'm not kidding, that guy, whoever he was just laughed and laughed!)

Oh how I do wish DOCTOR DETROIT II could have come true!

This night at the New Beverly was without a doubt one of my favorite midnight movies for 2012! The print was great, the movie was fun and I laughed a lot along with my dad!

Good times in 35mm! YUP YUP YUP!
Please go check out what my Dad's blog about watching DOCTOR DETROIT right HERE! Yup!!

I wish I had my DOCTOR DETROIT soundtrack LP here with my now to listen to the DEVO jam! I still have the Doctor chant; DOCTOR, oooohh, ooohhh, DETROIT! running on a loop in my head.

DOCTOR DETROIT is its own kind of classic, and it is still pretty special to me! I can't thank the New Beverly enough for one hellva funny fun night! That's for bringing the DOCTOR out!

The WonderCon has come and gone this past weekend in Anaheim, CA. For the first time this little con was in So Cal!



The WonderCon has been around a long time and it actually began in Oakland, CA. When I was going to school in Nor Cal my friends and I went and continued going as it made the move to San Francisco. We'd usually go on the big Saturday day, watch panels, wander the aisle and geek out together. I had not been able to attend Wonder Con the past two years missing out on the comics, SF and my friends.

Sadly my Nor-Cal friends couldn't make the trek down south to join me, but my Dad and I went to the show together. Now, my dad and I are comic book nerds! We buy comic books weekly and love going to conventions to keep expanding our collection. (We go to Comic-Con in the summer and I've been going for over 10 years now!)

With our Comic Book buy list in tow we planned to fill in as many gaps as we could.

The trek to Anaheim, CA was an easy one, and parking was a breeze. We had pre-purchased our tickets and were on the show floor by the time it struck noon.

There's nothing like the first steps on to a convention floor. Posters, Comic Books, Toys, Costumed Folks and fellow nerds all under one roof, it's one heck of a "happy place". Yup!

We walked the aisle and scoped out the comic book vendors. The panel schedule was light for the day but I had two things I just HAD to watch that weren't till later in the day. We had plenty of time to wander up and down and up and down.

While on the floor we discovered the awesome actress Sandahl Bergman at a table offering autographs. My Dad and I have been known to be autograph hounds for our favorite movie folks and after walking past her a few times we went over for a little chat. I asked Sandahl if she still danced (she does!) and talked about Xanadu. My dad shared how much Conan meant to him and geeked out some more. For my dad's full take on our chat check out his blog about getting the autograph HERE!!!!!. He also shares a little history about our Autograph book which is Bruce Campbell's IF CHINS COULD KILL.



The WonderCon was just fun, easy going and cool. You could walk the aisle and not shove your way past people. Everyone seemed happy and relaxed. Comic Book vendors were happy too. I honestly go to conventions for comic books and could spend hours just flipping through bin after bin. There's something Zen about flipping through boxes and finding that book to complete a set.



Another good thing about WonderCon was the lack of lines! Now I don't know how it was on Saturday as I could only go Friday, but the only line we waited in was when they herded us to elevators to get to the convention floor. When it was time for the panel 1982: Celebrating The Greatest Geek Year Ever! we got there just as it started and found a nice seat.



Moderated by writer/producer Mark Altman the geeks collected on stage included Jeff Bond, Ashley E Miller, Robery Meyer Burnett, Steve Melching, Daren Doctherman, and Bill Hunt. There were two additional panelists on stage but I didn't catch their names. (D'oh!)

The cool geeks were there to share their favorite movies that came in the year 1982, and they showed trailers to most of the films they talked about. With a slew of films to rattle on about, they only made it through 7 of their picks:

E.T. The Extraterrestrial, The Dark Crystal, John Carpenter's The Thing, Blade Runner, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Mega Force (as an example of Studio Think) and lastly; Diner.

Revisiting the movies from 1982 just brought back memories of the films I saw on a big screen and how much they meant to me when I discovered them on cable. Where would I be without the films of 1982? I can't even imagine such an existence!



After that panel we went back to wandering the floor. We walked up and down every aisle. Visited many in Artist Alley and how I wish I could have bought more indie comics. I'm a sucker for a good comic book pitch.

My dad and I found a few friends, had some good chats and shared our love of a small convention like WonderCon.

We wrapped up the day with a special treat! WonderCon was premiering the latest DC Animated Original Movie: Superman vs. The Elite

Get More: MTV Shows

Superman vs. The Elite is based on Joe Kelly's story from Action Comics #775. Superman fights for TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE AMERICAN WAY. Is Superman still relevant in the world of today when he holds to those sensibilities? You have to watch the film and find out, but that won't be until June 12, 2012!



But I saw Superman vs. The Elite and I loved it. I Love Superman, I love that he fights for Truth, Justice and the American Way. This new animated movie is now one of my favorites among the DC titles and I can't wait to watch it again. GO SUPERMAN!!

After the movie and watching some of the panel with Robin Atkin Downes who was the voice of Elite Baddie Manchester Black, director Michael Chang and write Joe Kelly we said our good-byes to WonderCon.

It was an incredible and fun convention going day. We left with about 75 new/old comics added to our collection. I even found a set of new DC figures and that was a treat as I haven't bought myself toys for sometime. YUP, WonderCon made it all possible! If only Comic-Con was a bit more like WonderCon...well it actually was at one time...my how they've grown.

I do hope WonderCon makes it's way back up north, but the talk is it will say in So Cal...only time will tell and not matter where it goes, I'm going to do my best to be there! Remember: COMIC BOOKS KICK ASS!!! YUP!

If there’s anything you should know about me, it’s that I love watching movies—all kinds of movies; horror, sci-fi, action, foreign, feature length and shorts, any chance that I get. I love storytelling with moving images as they take me places I’ve never been, make me cry, laugh, and indulge my imagination. In my quest to watch all the movies I can I’ve been known to average a movie a day, watching movies at home, on a big screen, solo and with friends.

Gathering friends together to watch movies only enhances a movie watching experience. Together we watch and save all the talking till the credits roll. At a regular movie night at home my fellow film-fanatic friends and I gather to watch something we’ve never seen, and enjoy a little conversation time. Now, the rule is to give the movie its deserved attention, but we can share some jokes and make comments now and again.

I recently got my hands on an IndieFlix Film Festival in a Box, a collection of short films: the best of the best from various festivals, all on one handy little disc. IndieFlix is a site that unites filmmakers and film watchers to share and discuss movies and movie making;their motto is: “Connecting people through movies.” For an avid movie watcher like me it’s been a cool resource on the Internet.

With Film Festival in a Box, the boxes are all themed, and I had the Zombie Edition at my disposal. As soon as I had a free evening I used it to gather together a couple of my favorite movie-night regulars for an impromptu Horror Film Festival night.



The evening’s Short Film Panelists included myself, an obsessive movie watcher; Julia, an all-around cool girl and actress who also works at an awesome local revival house movie theater; and Dave, my boyfriend who is almost—almost—as movie-obsessed as Julia and I. (To further add to our “cred” we are all self-proclaimed horror movie aficionados.) We popped on the disc, settled in, and let the zombies fill the screen to entertain us.

First up we saw “How I Survived the Zombie Apocalypse” (2009): A mother and son are in survival mode in a zombie-infested world, and they’ve made it a game to help each other stay alive.



Second was “Plague” (2009): As a man tries to make a change to his life as a gunrunner, the zombie plague strikes. With crushed hopes he still searches for meaning in order to survive.

Third came “I Love Sarah Jane” (2009): It’s the zombie apocalypse in Australia; we see the world from the perspective of a few neighborhood kids, particularly from one young boy who loves Sarah Jane.

And last, but not least, we watched “Zombie-American” (2005): A Zombie in America shares how he lives day to day in a society that’s usually not so kind to the undead.

IndieFlix’s Film Festival in a Box rules suggest deliberating to choose winners for the categories of Best Film, Best Performance and Best Original Story. At the end of the evening we unanimously all loved “I Love Sarah Jane.” It got all the votes for Best Film, Best Performance and Best Original Story, because it is that good.

When the zombie genre can takes a fresh and new direction it’s refreshing. These days zombies can get pretty boring with the “bite, transform, run and kill” scenario. “I Love Sarah Jane” has great production value and the kids are all believable. I really dug seeing things from their point of view.



During our post-movie discussion we gave “How I Survived the Zombie Apocalypse” some props. It got our votes for Best Zombie Make-Up, and we all liked its use of lighting. It also had a great ending, which wasn’t immediately expected considering how it began.

Also part of the game that is Film Festival in a Box, IndieFlix encourages you to visit the website to share the Best of the Best votes for the filmmakers to see. While there we also checked out the trivia questionnaire. Actually you can take the trivia test on the site or print it out for the group. It’s fun and helps encourage everyone watching to pay extra attention to the details within each film.

Watching the Zombie edition we all go to talking about our favorite Zombie movies and the tropes we like and dislike. We then shared what we’d do should the Zombie Apocalypse actually happen. Everyone should have a plan in effect for the sake of safety!

I highly recommend Indie Flix’s Film Festival In A Box. I’m already rounding up another round of panelists for another Film Festival night. Anytime is a good time to watch movies. In fact it’s all for the love of watching movies and watching them with friends.

**This piece is also featured over at http://blog.indieflix.com/2012/03/zombiebox/ so please check out the site and visit IndieFlix too!

February has come and gone and even with an extra day this past month my movie watching habits are just up to par. I, of course, want more!

Actually the unthinkable happened to me on Monday night, the 27th of February. I had to walk out of a movie at a movie theater!! I was over a half hour into A SEPARATION and then I found myself feeling rather ill in my tummy. I'm not one to get all gross out, but I did make it to the bathroom where I PUKED. (YUCK!!!)

While in stay home sick mode it was a TV show watching time but then I ramped back up to movies with a few re-sees on Laserdiscs! (Yes, I own a Laserdisc player! I am a Luddite!)

But I digress, here's the tally of the flicks I've seen in 2012:

TOTAL MOVIES = 61 with 41 New Movies and 23 Re-Sees.

NEW MOVIES:
27. Chronicle (2012) – 2/4/12 – AMC Citywalk

28. 5 Steps To Danger (1957) – 2/5/12 – Netflix
29. War Of The Gargantuas (1970) – 2/6/12 – VHS
30. Captain America (2011) – 2/8/12 – On Demand
31. Jennifer (1953) – 2/9/12 – Netflix
32. Double Dare (2005) – 2/10/12 – Netflix
33. The Initiation (1984) – 2/12/12 – Netflix

34. A Boy And His Saumrai (2010) – 2/12/12 – AFI/Reel Grit
35. A Film With Me In It (2008) – 2/14/12 – Netflix
36. Little Big Soldier – 2/15/12 – Netflix
37. Old Men In New Cars (2002) – 2/19/12 – AFI/Reel Grit
38. Lust For A Vampire (1971) – 2/20/12 – VHS
39. Secret Word of Arrietty (2010) – AMC 16 Burbank

40. Hollywood Knights (1981) – Netflix
41. Mad Ron’s Prevues From Hell (1987) – Netflix

CHRONICLE was a a great surprise and solid film. I absolutely enjoyed the take on "found footage" and super-powered teenagers. THE INITIATION had Clu Gulager whom I love. A BOY AND HIS SAMURAI was my overall favorite, one film I wish I could share and watch again with everyone!!

RE-SEE MOVIES:
10. Army of Darkness (1992) – 2/1/12 – VHS
11. Cemetery Man (1993) – 2/1/12 – VHS
12. Jack Frost (1996) – 2/2/12 – VHS
13. Wonder Woman (2009) – 2/3/12 – DVD
14. Harry And The Hendersons (1986) – 2/5/12 – New Beverly
15. *batteries not included (1986) – 2/5/12 – New Beverly
16. Xanadu (1980) – 2/11/12 – New Beverly

17. 8 ½ (1963) – 2/16/12 – New Beverly

18. License To Drive (1988) – 2/17/12 – Netflix
19. D.C. CAB (1983) – 2/18/12 – New Beverly

20. Erik The Viking (1989) – 2/26/12 – Netflix
21. Saturday The 14th (1981) – 2/29/12 – Netflix
22. Hudson Hawk (1991) – 2/29/12 – Laserdisc
23. DARKMAN (1990) – 3/1/12 – Laserdisc

Out of the Re-See list my highlights were watching Harry And The Hendersons and *batteries not included with my nieces. While the midnight screening of D.C. CAB was amazing! It was one of the most gorgeous prints I'd ever seen!!!!

I'm so glad that I kicked off my birthday month of MARCH with my favorite favorite favorite movie DARKMAN!! Watching it on a Laserdisc was a hoot, it made me so giddy. But then again, I just get giddy anytime I watch it. YUP! (Crazy to realize that my DARKMAN PARTY was just 3 years ago!)

Now here's to a new month of movie watching for everyone!! I will try try try to increase my overall movie watching average by watching all that I can! Yup.

Keep watching movies folks! You know that's what I'm gonna do!

Movies mean a lot to me, I want to watch as many as I can; old, new, or re-sees! When it comes to movie watching it's always best when I can watch them on a big screen.

The New Beverly Cinema shows all sort of movies and they are currently playing a double from 1987, from Amblin Entertainment; HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS and *batteries not included.



When these two movies first came out I was 10 years old. I don't recall seeing either of them in theaters, but I know I watched them on video and cable with my sister. They were PG/Pretty Good movies and we could get away with watching them as much as we wanted. I'll even admit that ever since I first saw HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS I became obsessed with BIGFOOT and even wrote my own Bigfoot story when I was in elementary school.

As these movies are special to me I had to watch them again, on a big screen, and share them with my nieces (who are budding film fanatics). They had already been introduced to HARRY and watched it a few times but hadn't seen *batteries not included. As they are always up for movie watching we got together and made the trek to the New Beverly, along with my guy Dave and my Dad.

Celia, Effie, Dave and I arrived just before showtime, grabbed a cherry coke, gummy bears and popcorn and ran down to the front row. Just after the trailers started my dad showed up and joined us too. The trailers weren't anything the kids were interested in as they were just anxious for Bigfoot.

When HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS hit the screen grins crossed all our faces. The print was gorgeous! The effects of Bigfoot still hold up so well thanks to the make-up/effects man Rick Baker!

The story is so simple of a family discovering Sasquatch, taking him home and realizing they have to take him back. John Lithgow is perfect as the dad who's hunter's outlook on life is challenged by the hairy fella. It's just fun, sweet and endearing. Maybe I am just a sap, but I love the movie so very much. I still get teary eyed near the end and love the very end even more.

Though my nieces had seen the films before they laughed and giggled at Harry destroying the Henderson house, and wandering around the neighborhood trying to make sense of a world that isn't his home. It was pretty awesome to watch my nieces watch the movie. I'd look over and see them grinning, laughing and in awe of what was on screen.

Before the second movie we got a new soda, shook out some sillies and settled back into our seats. Celia sat with me this time and Effie went with my dad (her grandpa). Now they had seen the the trailer to *batteries not included before coming to the theater, and that was all they knew of the film. I hadn't watched this one in quite some time and was anxious to see how it held up. *batteries is a bit more serious, has that 80's schmaltz comedy but is actually just as charming to me now.



You have a big mean corporation going after the little guys, trying to kick people from their home in a rundown building. Of course each tenant has problems of their own and that's when the "The Fix-Its" arrive to help! I love Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, who are an amazing pair. *batteries has so many 80's character actors I love too. It's just a fun little science fiction film for the whole family. YUP!!

I finally realized that it was written by Brad Bird along with the duo of Tremors, Brent Maddock and S. S. Wilson!! (That's some good film makin' folks in my book!)

Celia and Effie absolutely loved the little flying robot machines! As this movie came to the end I had to assure Celia and Effie that everything would turn out o.k. for everyone. It also brought a few tears to my eyes and I remember just feeling the same way as a kid, hoping for that happy ending.



We thanked our New Beverly pals for a good night and left the theater. Celia and Effie were on a movie high, yapping about their favorite parts, anxious to go home to tell their mom of all the fun they had! They both said the would watch even more movies in a row if they could have. (They make me so proud!)

If I can watch a movie on a big screen it's a good day. If I can watch a movie with family it's even better. We are all movie nerds who want good stories that take us on a fun adventure. My dad was with me watching these movies way back when and it's even better that he's still watching them now with me and my nieces. We are all a sappy movie watching gang! Yup!

HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS and *batteries not included are playing at the New Beverly Monday and Tuesday of this week, February 6-7th starting at 7:30 p.m. and on Monday, February 6th, the director of HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS, William Dear, will come out to introduce the show! I may just have to go back and ask a few "bigfoot" question of my own!

The 80's have come and gone but we still have the movies to flashback with and I couldn't have asked for a better pair of movies for a trip to the NEW BEV.

Now if you're in L.A. go and watch those movies! YUP!!