my SCARY movie recommendations for Halloween

Its almost Halloween again so with that comes scary movies, I love turning off the lights and putting on a horror movie to scare the living daylights out of me. Lately the genre of horror has been given new life from Hollywood & with movies like SAW dominating the box office its hard to ignore the power of them. Its really hard for me to pick just a few of my favourite horror movies so the following are really the ones that hit a nerve with me.

The Exorcist (1973)
Perhaps the most terrifying movie of all time, or so they say. At the time of its original release it affected many people, humours of heart attacks were rampant. So how did it scare so many people? The story itself is about a young girl who gets possessed by a demon. Packed with enough disturbing material to scare even the most hardcore horror fan the movie doesn’t fail to shock, the theme music still striking a cord with people. The Exorcist is a true classic & not just because it managed to accomplish what it did but because the story/acting & indeed the directing are all top notch. No other film forces the viewer to realise the existence of good & evil forces in the world we live in today, no other film has ever had such an impact on me. As for sequels & prequels avoid them like the plague.

Halloween (1978)
Another well known horror movie & series of movies is Halloween. The infamous movie that terrified babysitters all over the world is another piece of classic cinema. What’s so scary about it? Well Michael Myers is! The knife wielding maniac escapes from a psychiatric hospital and goes on a murderous rampage of pure violence and terror. The director makes great use of dark spaces & the music is just as creative & creepy, he takes small situations and by mood & music he manages to create an atmosphere of terror. Halloween has stood the test of time & with an almost endless string of sequels it is no surprise this movie will never loose its charm. Rob Zombie himself recently re-made the movie with his own twists & I have to say as re-makes go its not half bad in act its actually really good and well worth the watch if the original is not available.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
If the name doesn’t induce some form of nausea in you then the film sure will. Another horror classic this movie managed to scare its way into being banned by many film censors, why? It is a tale of raw terror & unimaginable evil. At the time it was attacked my religious groups & not even the bravest of film critics would touch it, to many it is a landmark movie that never ceases to have the hairs standing up on the back of your neck. While some will argue that it is a true story about a family of cannibals its never that straight forward. The family themselves are all based around the idea of a real life serial killer that was active during the 70’s in the state of Wisconsin, he was responsible for the deaths of many victims & like the character leather face it was reported that in a grisly act of insanity he wore the victims skin. All of this had a huge impact on horror in popular culture resulting in a string of sequels & even prequels, It also influenced the making of such movies as The Silence of the Lambs with serial killers taking the spotlight from the usual haunted house style horror movie. I’m sure I will never look at a chainsaw again in the same way, on the time of the films banning it was clear the movie contained no actual blood & most of the terror was psychological.. And yet it was still banned, a true classic.

Interview with the Vampire (1994)
While to some this is not viewed as a horror movie it does have all the ingredients of a horror movie. Based on the novel of the same name by author Anne Rice the film tells the tale of three vampires brought together by love & hate. Featuring superb acting by an all-star cast the story manages to captivate & disturb its audience. It manages to address the issues of not only life & death but of the eternity itself & the immortality of the vampire. With not only an amazing plot & a strong narrative this movie packs enough moments of blood drenched terror to rattle your ribcage, seductive at times the vampires are really some of the most captivating characters in cinema history. Cursed by the bloodlust & never-ending eternity this is maybe one of my all time favourite movies of all time, packed with everything you need in a scary movie you wont be disappointed by the generous helpings of terror & horror mixed in with lavish eroticism.

The Hills Have Eyes (2006) [remake]
I don’t usually like remakes but this is one I really dug, its brutal & truly terrifying! The acting is well done & there is plenty of gore.. Nasty nasty stuff!

Silent Hill (2006)
One of the only good video-game to movie adaptations this really does not fail in the scare department, packed with creepy special effects it never seems to let go of you ..even at the end it still manages to get a few scares in, not for the faint of heart!

Dawn of the Dead (2004) [remake]
A fresh approach to the world of zombie movies this one has plenty of gore & great acting to satisfy any horror fan, I would of course add 28 days/weeks later but I really see them more as sci-fi than horror.. they are still amazing!

American Psycho (2000)
Based on the novel of the same name this is a perfect example of the darkness & violence that could lurk in anyone, brilliantly acted by Christian Bale its sharp in more ways that one!

Saints Row 2 (review)

Saints Row 2 PS3 review (also available on Xbox 360 & PC)

My first impressions of this game were dismal. I thought the graphics were ropey & even the character movement needed a lot of work, boy was I wrong. The graphics were easily fixed by selecting better frame rate in the options menu & as for the character movements.. Well. When you first start off playing you have the ability to create a fully customizable character & when I say fully I mean it, from make-up to nose size everything can be tweaked. There really is so much to this game that I have to split it up into categories to truly do it justice ..so here goes.

Story:
After 5 years from the previous game you wake up in hospital on a prison island from which you have to escape. After escaping you make it back to the city of Stilwater where you hook up with old friends & build new contacts, after you were put away the city has gone to hell & gangs of rivals roam the districts. Back on the scene your goal is to rebuild the saints empire so you can reclaim the city, the gangs are the brotherhood/the sons of samedi & the ronin. The missions themselves blend very well with the story, and the rewards you can earn are well worth the effort of playing through the game.

Activities & diversions:
When gta4 was released it was a great game but it lacked on some of the fun activities of the past series, like the lack of a parachute & random mini-games, perhaps it was too grounded in reality. SR2 sets out to deliver all those activities & then some! There really are so many that I haven’t tried even half of them yet. base jumping speaks for itself/fight club offers underground fighting against multiple opponents/crowd control lets you perform bodyguard tasks for a celeb/fuzz is like the tv show cops where you earn money for apprehending criminals/heli-assault lets you command an attack helicopter in a series of missions/demolition gives you the opportunity to earn big bucks as you go on a rampage to destroy property/zombie uprising is a 3d survival horror game like resident evil, and there are many more.

Vehicles:
I cant begin to list all the vehicles in this game but trust me there are a lot! Cars/trucks/vans/bikes/aircraft/boats & as you progress through the game you unlock car modifications & sets of gang cars to use for your own gang. The thing that really impressed me was vehicle customization option it really is a impressive & I spent ages tweaking & modifying my collection of cars & such, things that can added would be nitro/racing mods/spoilers/body work/lights/paint work/torque/tyre control & the usual selection of rims & tyres. The paint selection is very impressive with so many types & colours to choose for your head will spin.

Shopping:
Oh yes one of my favourite things about this game was the wide selection of shops & the different variety of clothes you can kit your character out in. the stores from the original game return along with some new ones & they all offer multiple colour & designs. Impressions sells formal wear such as a suits & dresses while lets pretend is a fancy dress store that features costumes like a ninja/cat/serial killer/dr/pirate/masks etc, leather & lace is a lingerie store that has everything from bondage costumes to bikinis, nobody loves me is an emo store that sells punk styled clothing & that’s still not even half of them, there are jewellery stores that sell the usual bling & restaurants for food and even liquor stores for all your drinking needs. They really outdid themselves with the variety of stores & clothing.

Soundtrack:
I hate to say it but the soundtrack for SR2 is so much better than gta4, the reason? Variety & lots of it. The stations are as follows easy listening/reggae/funk/pop rock-alt/hip hop-rnb/electronic/metal/80s/indie/classic, some of my fav metal bands are featured such as lamb of god/trivium/chimaira/avenged sevenfold & even 3 inches of blood. Some other bands that appear include duran duran/simple minds/tears for fears/kelis/mcr/the used/taking back sunday & even the deftones. I’m hoping the gta guys take a lesson from this & provide a stronger soundtrack on their next game.

Weapons & playability/lifespan:
A whole arsenal of weapons is available to help you on your way to the top & these can be purchased at gun stores or collected from enemies, some can also be awarded for game progression . Everything you can think of is here including hand guns/assault rifles/rpgs/explosives/smgs/shotguns, other weapons that can be found scattered around the gaming environment include katana swords/chainsaws/hammers/stun-guns/knives & even flamethrowers. On top of all that there are a number of fighting styles that can be unlocked & applied to your character through the plastic surgeons .. Plastic surgeons? that’s right you still have the option to tweak your character completely after you build it by visiting the your local plastic surgeon. The combat is impressive & its very hard to run out of something to shoot at ..rivals I mean, the police show up on the scene just like in gta only this time taking them out & losing them is not a huge chore, as you progress you will even be given the ability to unlock personal bodyguards to protect you & your turf. The option to buy & customize property is also there & you can pimp your crib just like on mtv.. Doing this earns you reward & respect points.. Oh boy.

Conclusion:
I really cant say anything bad about this game it really has everything that a game should & I have yet to even try the multiplayer which I’m sure is great fun. If you are looking for a game with a long lifespan that features gta sandbox styled game play then this wont disappoint. The biggest thing going for it I think is the customization options & the many side missions & activities/diversions - they really are enjoyable & highly addictive. The overall package is a game that features great game play/a good lifespan/engrossing story/entertaining music & is generally great fun - its not just for fans of games like gta/streets of nyc-la etc but for people who want a rich & polished gaming experience.
My overall rating:
9 out of 10

If you go shopping on eBay today be sure of a big surprise

While most people don’t really use eBay the majority of us do & the main reason would have to be value for money. What most people don’t know is that eBay is being used mass pirating & I’m not talking eye patches & wooden legs. One of the most sought after cosmetic brands online is Mac & there are hundreds if not thousands of listings for their products on eBay, its rare that the buyer will actually be getting the official product. This does not just apply to cosmetics but to a wide range of items including music cds/dvds/electrical goods/clothing.. The list goes on. Its not always just reserved for online either, I was at an auction a few months ago & they were auctioning off fake Nintendo games consoles called “viis” of course people/parents etc not so in the know were snapping them up thinking they were getting an amazing bargain, when I was leaving one kid ran past me shouting out that he couldn’t wait to go home & play his wii.. Poor kid. Of course when its done online its different & the profits go into the millions, eBay wont release an official statistic on how many fakes they think are out there and to be honest that’s really understandable. Here are a few examples of fake products lurking around out there.

My personal favourite & maybe the most blatant rip-off of a games console “the Vii” this amazing piece of machinery doesn’t even use a CD instead it relies on a very crappy on board memory unit, as you can see the consoles in workings could easily fit in a shell half that size.

Fake Mac & lots of it! Each of those little boxes would easily go for at least five euro’s so a warehouse full of boxes must be turning over a nice profit. I know what your saying what’s the difference its only make-up. Mac is used by professional make-up artists around the world & the results are always stunning, products such as their compact powders & eye shadows are the ones that keep showing up on eBay so its no surprise that they are the most faked.

Who’s to blame for all this dodgyness? Well I don’t like to point the finger but by going by the shipping addresses the company of origin always seem to be China. The reason for this as an almost lax policy of copyrighting laws & an endless supply of people to produce the products. Its true many countries have problems with counterfeits but Chinas is not just a nuisance it’s a dangerous reality. A recent FBI probe found that almost 3 million dollars worth of high-tech equipment & computers sold from China to the US and other countries was riddled with easy access gateways that hackers based in China could use to penetrate networks & financial institutions on a worldwide scale. Granted very few people will be buying computers from Chinese companies but with online shopping people might see a software program that could only be a bargain, its these software packages that control the groundwork for the possibility of a hack to your system. From clothing to cosmetics sometimes it really is safer to just buy from the original source but then not that many people are going to shell out on a five grand bag when they can get one by the high streets for as little as twenty euros, just think twice before you pick up software or operating system packages from anyone other than a licensed supplier.

What I’m watching.. (TV in a nutshell)

Crime Invasion: Britain's New Underworld
10 part documentary series presented by journalist Rageh Omaar. This documentary sets out to investigate the newer styles & methods of organized crime dominating the UK/Europe from low-tech car thieves to high-tech ATM gangs that steal millions every year from our very own pockets. Dealing with gangs such as the Romanian & Turkish mafia’s the series features interviews with not only victims of crime but with the criminals themselves and the special units of the police that are forming to tackle the ever growing problems faced by these newer gangs that are constantly setting up shop in cites all over Europe.

Vinnie Jones: Toughest Cops (Kosovo)
Vinnie Jones introduces this series which follows police at work in some of the world's most dangerous locations. Although it is one of the smallest regions in the Balkans, Kosovo has been turned into a virtual war-zone by criminal gangs who have flooded the country with drugs and guns, while one of the world's newest police forces is battling to control the chaos. Cameras follow the Department for Organised Crime as they bust a major heroin deal, and the Regional Support Operations Unit as they police a political demonstration in a region where ethnic tension runs high.

Vinnie Jones: Toughest Cops (Papua new guinea)
Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby is overrun by deadly gangs who terrorise the city with violent crime. Cameras follow cops as they bring in the country's most wanted man and his gang, and travel into the lawless bush lands - highlighting how policing a country of 800 different tribes is one of the toughest jobs in the world.

Cashmere Mafia
A group of successful female executives who have been friends since college turn to each other for guidance as they juggle their careers with family in New York City.

Ghost Whisperer
A newlywed with the ability to communicate with the earthbound spirits of the recently deceased overcomes scepticism and doubt to help send their important messages to the living and allow the dead to pass on to the other side.

Desperate Housewives (series 5)
The return to wisteria lane (I’m not spoiling anything!)

The Strangers (2008)

This movie is purely for the shock factor and its obvious from the lack of dialogue between the actors in the movie. For anyone that’s seen “vacancy” it might all feel very familiar but its in no way a copycat movie. At the start we are told how over 1.4 million violent crimes occur in the USA every year - this technique is borrowed from the original Texas chainsaw massacre & is used to tell us as an audience that yes this could happen & maybe it did.. Whether this impacts on most people I don’t know but I did think the movie wouldn’t creep me out in the least.. I was wrong. The main set piece is an isolated vacationing home where a young couple choose to stay for the night, during the night they receive a knick on their door & upon answering it they are met by an unknown women who easily creeps them out.. After she disappears from their doorstep the couple assume they will have no more late night callers. What follows is a night of terror as they are stalked by unknown assailants who slowly but surely terrorize them until their worst fears come true. For me I felt like the movie took a while to really take off but when it did it really proved that simple scares still work in modern cinema, feeling at times like a Friday the 13th movie I have to say the terror felt by the couple was genuine. One of the strongest points of the movie was that it was believable and realistic.. While some will argue that maybe the strangers themselves possessed almost supernatural powers I’d have to disagree. What they did possess was a passion for what they were doing & it felt at times that maybe they were doing it for some unknown reason other than being the usual slasher flick killers that Hollywood seems to endlessly churn out. I think the main theme of the movie was survival, the survival of the couple to what was happening to them - and how they dealt with the situation. If you are looking for a genuinely scary movie that will have you jumping then maybe the strangers will appeal to you, its very rare a movie actually scares or creeps me out but I will admit it happened here & it was refreshing to see a horror movie that used real terror tactics & didn’t rely on cheap gore like so many of the past few years. Its rare a movie like this comes along & if you like horror or even want a thrill then I’d recommend giving this a look, definitely worth watching especially with Halloween coming up.

TAKEN (2008)

Liam Neeson plays a retired government agent (they don’t mention the name of the agency but I’m guessing CIA) his training quickly comes back into play when on a trip to Europe his daughter is kidnapped by a gang of Albanian traffickers based in Paris. He soon learns that he has an extremely small window of time of which to track her down before she disappears forever so he wastes no time in getting to Paris to find her, the film itself wastes no time nor does the story. The action is a fast paced rollercoaster of raw force from Neeson as he fights against the clock. It really is an edge of your seat experience & feels almost like a bourne film but with more meaning in that he’s not just fighting for himself he is fighting for his own family & that’s what makes it so strong. Its not your typical Hollywood movie and I think that’s a good thing because like most European made movies they follow a more structured flow of story & drama, it keeps you guessing along with filling you full of a whole host of emotions. The subject of human trafficking has never really been fully addresses in mainstream movies so I’m sure it will have a huge impact on casual cinemagoers who haven’t seen such movies as “trade” - it’s a grey area of organized crime that movies have avoided for a long time & by featuring it in more mainstream movies it will hopefully promote a greater awareness to people that it does exist, the same way lord of war explored the business or illegal gun running. All in all the movie was an extremely powerful experience with top notch acting from Neeson & an amazingly great story by luc besson that will have you on the edge of the seat with every cliff-hanger moment.. Of which there are a lot of!

“I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

I have been sick for the last week or so hence my blog not being updated - before I got sick here’s a few of the things I was up to…

Nimhneach
Fetish party located in Dublin city, it used to be held in the voodoo lounge but has moved venue to Academy 2 on middle abbey street. Sponsored by miss fantasia it was another night of kinky fun & sexy goings on with a pretty good turnout. I saw many familiar faces & some not so familiar proof that even in these times of recession people still know how to have fun.
For more information visit: www.myspace.com/nimhneach

The national gallery or Ireland
It was really a spur of the moment visit but of course I couldn’t help but giggle a little when I saw some of the rather “strange” paintings & sculptors, a naked guy holding a sheep over his head ..hmmm, of course I couldn’t stop laughing & I was waiting for security to show me the door but I managed to hold it together ..but only just!

Photography
I spent a few days wandering the streets of Dublin & other locations taking more photographs, from leprechauns on Grafton street to puppets on Henry street & much more. Maybe our glorious winter weather is what gave me this cold ..hmm, oh well it might slow me down but it wont stop me. Again samples of my newest work is posted on my other blog.

www.lisa-tiffany-photography.blogspot.com

Russian spammer murdered

Alexey Tolstokozhev (btw, in Russian his name means ‘Thick Skin’), a Russian spammer, was found murdered in his luxury house near Moscow. He was shot several times with one bullet stuck in his head. According to the authorities, this last head shot is a clear mark of Russian hit men (known as “killers” in Russia). Tolstokozhev was a famous spammer who sent millions of e-mail promoting viagra, cialis, penis enlargement pills and other medications. Links in these e-mails usually led to some pharmacy shop, which paid Tolstokozhev a share of its revenue. This is a well known affiliate scheme employed by spammers worldwide. Tolstokozhev is estimated to be responsible for up to 30% percent of all viagra and penis enlargement related spam. In order to send millions and millions of unsolicited letters, Tolstokozhev employed a network of infected computers (so-called “botnet”), which he rented from hackers. How profitable is spam? Well, the authorities say that Tolstokozhev has likely made more than $2 million in 2007 alone. (in comparison: average russian monthly salary is $400) This is a second murder of a spammer in Russia. Another russian spammer, Vardan Kushnir, was assassinated in 2005.