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'The Strangers 2' Director Says the Sequel Has a John Carpenter Influence
I'm not convinced that any horror filmmaker has influenced other horror filmmakers more than John Carpenter, whose past work has become particularly influential to filmmakers of today. Recent hits such as It Follows and "Stranger Things" were oozing with Carpenter inspiration, and it looks like the sequel to Bryan Bertino's The Strangers will be cut from a similar cloth.
Johannes Roberts, who unleashes 47 Meters Down this weekend, is currently filming The Strangers 2, and he says that Carpenter was a huge influence on it.
"I'm in week two of filming. It looks absolutely incredible," Roberts told Dread Central. "I love Bertino's film, I think it's an amazing movie and tonally this movie is going to fit very well into that universe. It has a real strong emotional heart, which the first one did, and it has a very cool retro feel to it, a lot of sort of references to… I mean, I always bring a lot of John Carpenter with me because that's what I grew up on, but also maybe going back a bit earlier to the seventies movies, from Don't Look Now to Duel, the Spielberg movie, even Christine a bit, the John Carpenter movie."
He continued, "All of these influences are finding their way into the movie, but I think it's going to be a real fantastic movie. I'm super excited about it."
In the sequel, scripted by Bertino and Ben Ketai…
The film follows a family whose road trip takes a turn when they arrive at a secluded mobile home park and after the power goes out they decide to hunker down for the night in a borrowed trailer. Under the cover of darkness, three familiar masked psychopaths pay them a visit to test their every limit.
Martin Henderson, Christina Hendricks, Bailee Madison and Lewis Pullman star.
Excellent 'Flatliners' Trailer is Spooky, Tense, and Riveting
I felt compelled to revisit the original Flatliners trailer after watching the one for Niels Arden Oplev's remake of Joel Schumacher's 1990 cult thriller. It's actually surprising how vastly different they are, which I guess is a good thing? We always beg for filmmakers to try something new when revisiting an old property but that doesn't guarantee it's going to be any good. 27 years later, Schumacher's Flatliners, starring Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, and Julia Roberts as four Medical students who experiment on "near death" experiences, is still awfully unnerving. The film's original trailer is gritty, earthy, and wickedly lo-fi, not to mention quite scary. Dig it.
Check Out New Images from 'To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story'
We don't yet have a release date for Masterfully Macabre's upcoming documentary To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story, but we know you guys are as hungry as we are for more information about it. The doc will dig deep into Hodder's life and career, telling stories you've never heard before, and we've got four new images for ya today.
Check 'em out below, along with an exclusive clip and the trailer!
The in-depth documentary includes interviews with Kane Hodder, Bruce Campbell, Bill Moseley, Cassandra Peterson, Sid Haig and Danielle Harris, to name just a few.
To Hell and Back is a harrowing story of a stuntman overcoming a dehumanizing childhood filled with torment and bullying in Sparks, Nevada. After surviving a near-death burn accident, he worked his way up through Hollywood, leading to his ultimate rise as Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th series and making countless moviegoers forever terrified of hockey masks and summer camp.
After decades of watching Kane Hodder on screen, get ready to meet the man behind the mask in To Hell and Back – a uniquely human story about one of cinema's most vicious monsters.
Masterfully Macabre Entertainment will present both domestic and international premieres and bring the highly anticipated doc to audiences around the world.
10 Underappreciated Final Girls!
The final girl trope has long been a staple in horror and refers to the last woman left standing to confront the killer. She's the survivor left to tell the tale. Though the term was only coined in 1992 by film professor and author Carol J. Clover, the final girl has persisted for decades prior. The trope is so intertwined with the genre, that the phrase already triggers a long list of popular final girls at its mere mention. Laurie Strode, Nancy Thompson, Sidney Prescott, Alice Hardy, and Ellen Ripley are rightfully celebrated as the toughest women in horror. But they aren't the only Final Girls worth celebrating. Whether their films were underseen, underrated, or forgotten, here's 10 more final girls that deserve more love:
Alice Johnson – A Nightmare on Elm Street series
When it comes to this beloved series, most fans fondly recall Heather Langenkamp's Nancy Thompson as their favorite final girl. While she deserves every bit of the praise and adoration, there's another final girl in the franchise that's often overlooked; Alice Johnson. Alice is introduced in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master as the best friend of Kristen Parker, the final girl from Dream Warriors. Alice begins the movie as a timid girl from a dysfunctional family, using her lucid dreaming as a means of escape. When Kristen pulled Alice into her nightmare, she transfers her powers to Alice upon her death. As the movie progresses, Alice amasses the power of every one of her friends killed by Freddy Krueger, making her one fierce adversary. No longer the shy girl, Alice becomes a force to be reckoned with. Her character growth makes her transition into final girl even more fun, but that she survives not one but two rounds with Freddy makes her deserving of far more attention than she's received so far.
Jannicke – Cold Prey & Cold Prey 2
Cold Prey and its sequel aren't exactly original; they borrow heavily from American slashers, namely Halloween and Friday the 13th. Fans of slashers will pick up immediately who will and won't survive. Yet, they're extremely stylish and brutal. The icy setting of the old, abandoned ski lodge makes for a thrilling location. Then there's Jannicke, a strong-willed woman that seems a lot like Ginny Field from Friday the 13th Part 2. She's half the size of the giant killer, but her athleticism and strong desire to live compensates for the massive size difference, resulting in a thrilling head-to-head battle. The killer isn't fond of losing, though, and round two commences in the hospital set sequel (sound familiar?). When the staff and police fall violently at the hands of the revived mountain man, Jannicke once again faces off against him.
Barbara – Night of the Living Dead (1990)
The 1990 remake of Romero's classic is an underrated gem in its own right; George Romero re-wrote the screenplay and persuaded Tom Savini to take on directorial duties after initially being hired to handle special effects. The most revelatory update to the zombie classic, however, was the reimagining of lead heroine Barbara. Unlike her 1968 counterpart, this Barbara doesn't fall into a state of shock and hysterics upon losing her brother to a zombie in the film's opening sequence. Instead, she becomes a vital asset to the group of survivors holed up in a farmhouse. Played by Patricia Tallman, this more modern take on Barbara eschews her shrinking violet nature in favor of intelligence and toughness. This version of Barbara not only outlasts on her wits alone but ruthlessly delivers a satisfying conclusion to the power battle between hero Ben (Tony Todd) and obnoxious jerk Harry Cooper (Tom Towles).
Meg Penny – The Blob (1988)
The amorphous monster at the center of this creature feature proved to be a terrifying match for even the military. Crash landing from space as a small entity, the Blob quickly amasses into a size that threatens to engulf the entire town. Enter Meg Penny (Shawnee Smith), an unwitting cheerleader that suffers perhaps the worst first date in history, when nice guy Paul becomes one of the first victims to be dissolved and devoured by the Blob. Yet, Meg doesn't let it keep her down for long. She not only discovers the creature's origins but also figures out the way to stop it. She also uses her charm to woo the town's black sheep, Brian Flagg (Kevin Dillon), to assist in saving the day. When an entire town quarantined by the military are helpless, leave it to one pissed off cheerleader to take care of business.
Yasmine – Frontier(s)
Granted, this 2007 entry in the New French Extremity movement feels like countless horror films before it, borrowing memorable plotlines and moments from films like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes or Hostel. Yet the balls to the wall level of violence and gore was so over the top that it didn't matter. The NC-17 rating slapped on by the MPAA is a giant clue that final girl Yasmine worked harder than perhaps anyone else on this list to earn her final girl status. The Neo-Nazi family that dispatches Yasmine's friends are brutal, yet Yasmine matches their viciousness by ripping out the throats of her attackers, impaling them on a table saw, and using any means necessary to survive. This blood-soaked final girl takes no prisoners.
Taylor Gentry – Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
A clever mockumentary that lovingly pokes fun at the slasher genre also takes the relationship between final girl and killer in a whole different direction. Unlike most, where the killer stalks the final girl over the course of the film until the explosive showdown, this movie sees its final girl, Taylor Gentry, developing feelings for Leslie Vernon, as he shares his meticulous plan to slaughter teens over the course of one night. Once Taylor and her crew discover that Leslie's plans for murder weren't a farce, the film shifts to traditional horror, and the realization that Taylor was always the intended final girl makes for one of the most fun showdowns in slasher history. The foreplay between these would-be lovers is killer.
Megan Garris – Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
When it comes to this franchise, it's usually the first two final girls of the series that hog the spotlight; Alice Hardy and Ginny Field. Yet it's Jennifer Cooke's sassy portrayal of Megan Garris that makes her my favorite final girl of the Friday the 13th series. Her zeal for breaking rules and rebelling against her father, Sheriff Mike Garris, makes for a lively counterpart to Tommy Jarvis' (Thom Matthews) serious man on a mission. While Tommy, responsible for reviving Jason Voorhees in the first place, does all that he can to correct his mistake, it's ultimately Megan that saves the day, both in rescuing a drowning Tommy and taking a boat motor to Voorhees' neck. Final girls are known for their killer survival instincts, but Megan's fearless passion for life sets her apart from the pack.
Tuffy – Feast
Tuffy doesn't have a lot going for her when Feast begins. She's a down on her luck waitress at a bar who moonlights as a prostitute, and her sole source of happiness is her young son. That happiness is ripped away from her violently, thanks to the gross creatures that descend upon the bar. When the bar patrons and purported heroes can't seem to get their act together to ward off the creatures, Tuffy gets fed up and takes matters into her own hands. When both life and weird horny man-eating monsters keep Tuffy down, she fights back. Hard. Her revenge against the creatures earns her the title of "Heroine 2."
Amy Harper – The Funhouse
Elizabeth Berridge's Amy Harper begins as just another one of many horror teens that wished they'd obeyed their parents by the time the end credits begin to roll. Despite her father's wishes, Amy sneaks out of the house to meet her new boyfriend, her best friend, and her best friend's boyfriend to visit a traveling carnival. Sneaking around where they shouldn't, the group ends up locked in the carnival's funhouse for the night with a deformed Gunther in pursuit. It's good girl Amy who winds up confronting the terrifying Gunther alone, resulting in one of the tensest final battles in slasher history. Of course, the unique setting helps. She may have been a simple good girl with a small rebellious streak, but her brutal slaying of her attacker earns her worthy final girl status.
Angela Vidal – [REC] series
What should have been a dull night covering the night shift at a local fire station became reporter Angela Vidal's worst nightmare. A call results in Angela, her cameraman Pablo, and two firefighters investigating an aggressive woman locked in her apartment. You know the drill. The woman bites an officer, and before you know it this zombie-like rage virus spreads throughout the apartment building just as it's quarantined. Just as lone survivor makes it all the way to the top, she seems to fall prey to the virus' source, a very creepy Tristana Medeiros, and the camera cuts to black. For a final girl, it's a pretty weak ending, right? Except, halfway through the sequel, REC 2, Angela is revealed to not only still be alive, but she's kicking butt and determined to finally make it out of the building. Considering the sequel's final reveal, a case could still be made against the plucky reporter for being a worthy final girl. Except, her return in the final entry in the series, REC 4: Apocalypse, has her squaring off against Medeiros infection once and for all. What should have been an easy reporting job turned into a hell that spanned three films, a possession by way of parasitic worm, an exorcism, and a whole lot of carnage in between. Perhaps she, more than anyone on this list, endured the longest to earn her spot.Who is your favorite underappreciated final girl?
New Video from KREATOR Pays Tribute to Shot-on-Video Slashers
You've heard the song, but the video is brand new.
I'm not sure what the longest span of time between a song and its video is, but German thrash metal legends KREATOR damn sure took their sweet time making a video for their 'Pleasure to Kill.' The track, featured on the same-named album that was released way back in 1986, only got a video this week… over 30 years after the song was first heard!
Directed by Dariusz Szermanowicz and Rafal Szermanowicz, the long-awaited 'Pleasure to Kill' music video is inspired by gory slasher films from the time period in which the song was recorded, and it was whipped up due to the recent re-release of the album and three others from the KREATOR library: "Endless Pain," "Pleasure To Kill," "Terrible Certainty" and "Extreme Aggression," all remastered and available now.
The premise? An attractive young woman meets a murderous madman, of course!
"I came up with the idea to add a trashy storyline that captures the vibe of the year 1986," frontman Mille Petrozza explains. "The album concept was loosely based on a fake documentary called Faces of Death, and everyone in the band was a big fan of early slasher movies made by directors like Hershel Gordon Lewis, Lucio Fulci, and Tobe Hooper. This is our tribute to the glorious times of that genre."
Check out the decades-in-the-making video below!
'Ouija' Star Boards TNT's "Snowpiercer"
Annalise Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil, Oculus, Captain Fantastic) and Sasha Frolova are set as series regulars opposite Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs in TNT's pilot "Snowpiercer", a futuristic thriller drama based on the acclaimed 2013 feature by Bong Joon-ho, Deadline reports.
The hourlong drama pilot, directed by Doctor Strange, Sinister, and Exorcism of Emily Rose helmer Scott Derrickson, explores class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival.
The series is set seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, and the remnants of humanity inhabit a gigantic, perpetually moving train that circles the globe.
Basso will play LJ Anderson, a quiet, diligent, Midwestern girl, who lives with her parents in a fourth-class cabin and works in the greenhouse car. Poor but not as desperate as those that live in the tail of the train, LJ has made peace with her daily routine until a major event shakes up her world.
Frolova will portray Pixi Aariak. Pixi is strange, mysterious, and inscrutable, a charismatic chameleon and probably inspired the expression "still waters run deep." She returns to the front of the train after a three-year sentence in the prison car and struggles to acclimate to her old life. You can't take your eyes off of her. And you probably shouldn't.
Basso will next be seen in Screen Gems feature The Slender Man opposite Joey King and Julia Goldani Telles.
Comic Series 'Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack' Co-Written by Carpenter!
The year is 2020, and hell is literally on Earth.
Via Screen Rant, it was just announced that BOOM! Studios is taking a page out of the Wolverine playbook with upcoming comic series Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack, set to tell the tale of Jack Burton's final ride in the Pork-Chop Express!
Written by John Carpenter and Anthony Burch (Borderlands 2), the four-issue series will be kicking off in September.
In Old Man Jack…
The year is 2020, and hell is literally on Earth. Ching Dai, sick of relying on screw-ups like Lo Pan to do his bidding, has broken the barriers between Earth and the infinite hells, and declared himself ruler of all.
Sixty-year-old Jack Burton is alone in a tiny corner of Florida with only his broken radio to talk to, until one day it manages to pick up a message. Someone is out there in the hellscape, and they know a way to stop Ching Dai.
Check out the main cover for #Issue 1 below, which will have multiple variants!
Colorful Shots From Indie 'They Remain'
Yesterday Variety reported that Paladin had acquired domestic theatrical rights to horror-thriller They Remain, starring William Jackson Harper and Rebecca Henderson. Now, check out some of the first ever images.
"Harper and Henderson portray scientists employed by a vast, impersonal corporation to investigate an unspeakable horror that took place at the remote encampment of a mysterious cult. Working and living in a state-of-the-art, high tech environment that is completely at odds with their surroundings, they spend their days gathering physical evidence, analyzing it, and reporting on their findings.
When Henderson's character discovers a mysterious artifact of unknown origin, the dynamic between them changes: secrets are kept, sexual tensions arise, and paranoia sets in. Having lost all sense of what is real and what is imagined, all he knows is that the horror they have been sent to uncover now threatens his very survival."
Philip Gelatt directed They Remain from his own script, adapted from the 2010 short story by Laird Barron.
Will Battersby produced through his Reno Productions. Gelatt re-teamed on They Remain with Reno Productions, which also produced his 2011 debut feature The Bleeding House.Paladin and Reno are prepping They Remain for a film festival launch and theatrical release commencing in the fall.
Gelatt has worked as a graphic novelist and comic book creator for the Indiana Jones franchise, and for such companies as Dark Horse Comics and Oni Press. He also worked as a video game writer for such companies as Crystal Dynamics and Frictional Games, and on Rise of The Tomb Raider, for which he won the Writers Guild of America Award.
[Review] "The Mist" Weaves a Web of Drama and Paranoia
Dimension and Spike TV's "The Mist" opens with a shot of a spider, which is a metaphor for the web the residents of Bridgeville, Maine are trapped in. It's also instant foreshadowing that becomes a reoccurring theme throughout the show.
"The Mist", adapted from Stephen King's novel, spends the opening moments of the series intercutting between a soldier and the residents of Bridgeville. The soldier awakens with amnesia but catches a glimpse of a terrifying fog rolling into town. Meanwhile, Eve (Alyssa Sutherland) and Kevin (Morgan Spector) Copeland fight over letting their daughter, Alex (Gus Birney), attend a party.
The pilot takes its time introducing the town's characters and setting up their series arcs. Penned by Amanda Segel and Christian Torpe, "The Mist" fights hard to wedge in social commentary, from drugs to bullying, sexual preference, and even rape. Yes, the major conflict in the first episode begins when Alex alleges that Jay (Luke Cosgrove), the town football star, raped her. A rift is formed between her parents being that Kevin allowed her to go to the party behind Eve's back. While the social commentary is commendable, I see many having an issue with how it's presented; not only do the locals not believe her, but the show eludes to the idea that maybe she's lying. This, of course, isn't socially acceptable, yet it's impossible to know where the writers are taking this arc over the course of the season.
But I digress, the point is that the writers are working overtime to insert drama, conflict and add more than one dimension to a story that needs to be more than a horror show. That's the difficult task at hand; how do they expand on King's story without blowing the load too early? "The Mist" is more about people being monsters than the show's creatures. This hearkens back to George A. Romero's initial zombie trilogy, especially Dawn of the Dead.
Once the mist actually rolls in, the town's people are caught in a web and unable to move. One group find themselves trapped in a mall, where they're fighting fear and paranoia, while unseen horrors outside drive their insanity. Here, shit hits the fan, and it never slows down. Those hoping for monsters are going to have to wait being that it appears the first season will torment the town with "normal" insects. Still, these bugs are vicious as they devour anyone who crosses their path; it's violent, bloody and absolutely bonkers. The hope is that the filmmakers are able to continually deliver the goods over the course of ten episodes, which will have to be deluded by more character work.
Speaking of, Frances Conroy's performance is enough to warrant a weekly return to Bridgeville. She's being set up as one of the town's antagonists and single-handedly elevates the quality of the pilot episode. Just wait until you see what comes next…
And while the debut does a solid job of setting up various mysteries, the one thing that bothers me is the opening sequence with the soldier and his dog; it's a constant reminder that the military has something to do with the mist. With that said, "The Mist" is a beautiful blend of drama and horror that delivers on its immediate promise. Feeling like an episode of "Friday Night Lights" with man-eating insects, "The Mist" is as dense as it's terrifying and promises to be one of the best new genre shows on television."The Mist" premieres Thursday, June 22 at 10 PM, ET/PT on Spike.
This Evolved Ape Thinks He's "Bad" in 'War for the Planet of the Apes' Clip
Fox has released yet another stunning piece of footage from War of the Planet of the Apes.
Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his band of Simian brothers discover an unknown, newly evolved ape named "Bad Ape" (Steve Zahn) – an escapee from a zoo. For the first time in the trilogy, Caesar and his apes discover a new ape outside of their tribe, marking a critical moment in the war between Humans and Apes.
Something interesting that I immediately noticed was that "Bad Ape" is constantly shown standing/sitting in front of fire. I don't think this is an accident and is foreshadowing Bad Ape quite literally being "bad" – he does give off a Gollum vibe, ironically played by Serkis.
In the film, after the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.
Andy Serkis returns as Caesar, with Judy Greer as Caesar's wife, with Woody Harrelson added to the growing battle.
War of the Planet of the Apes ends mankind on July 14, 2017.
First Look at WWE Star Luke Harper in Action-Horror Film 'Mohawk'
Ted Geoghegan made his directorial debut with the impressive We Are Still Here, a film that many horror fans named one of the very best of 2015. What's next from Geoghegan? His action-horror-revenge film Mohawk is set to premiere at this year's Fantasia International Film Festival, and the first two images have surfaced.
They come courtesy of EW, giving us our first look at actors Eamon Farren ("Twin Peaks"), Kaniehtiio Horn and Jonathan Huber (WWE's Luke Harper).
In Mohawk, set in 1814…
After one of her tribe sets an American soldiers' camp ablaze, a young female Mohawk finds herself pursued by a ruthless band of renegades bent on revenge. Fleeing deep into the woods, Mohawk youths Oak and Calvin confront the bloodthirsty Colonel Holt and his soldiers. As the Americans seem to close in from all sides, the trio must summon every resource both real and supernatural as the brutal attack escalates.
Mohawk reteams Geoghegan with co-screenwriter Grady Hendrix, author of "Horrorstör," as well as producers Greg Newman and Travis Stevens.
The cast also includes Justin Rain (SyFy's "Defiance), Noah Segan (Looper, Starry Eyes, The Mind's Eye), Ian Colleti (AMC's "Preacher"), Robert Longstreet, Sheri Foster, Ezra Buzzington (The Hills Have Eyes, Crossbones) and many others.
Artist's Awesome 'MEG' Posters Have Made Us Even Hungrier for 2018 Film
This summer, we head 47 Meters Down. Next summer, we meet Meg.
One of the films we cannot wait to see next year is director Jon Turteltaub's Meg, the long-awaited adaptation of the New York Times best-selling book by Steve Alten. Jason Statham stars in the action-horror film about a mega-sized Megalodon shark, which recently wrapped filming – Statham describes it as "Jaws meets Jurassic Park"!
While we wait for the trailer, we wanted to whet your appetite for the deep sea horror to come by showing off a couple pieces of fan-made Meg poster art that we are absolutely in love with. They come courtesy of artist David Graham, who whipped up two different concepts that stress the massive, prehistoric size of the titular monster.
Again, these are not in any way official, but they sure are cool!
Meg will swim into theaters on August 10, 2018.
In Meg…
A deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific…with its crew trapped inside. With time running out, expert deep sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor is recruited by a visionary Chinese oceanographer, against the wishes of his daughter Suyin, to save the crew—and the ocean itself—from this unstoppable threat: a pre-historic 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon.
What no one could have imagined is that, years before, Taylor had encountered this same terrifying creature. Now, teamed with Suyin, he must confront his fears and risk his own life to save everyone trapped below…bringing him face to face once more with the greatest and largest predator of all time.
Rounding out the international main cast of Meg are Cliff Curtis, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Li Bingbing, Winston Chao, Page Kennedy, Jessica McNamee, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Robert Taylor, Sophia Shuya Cai and Masi Oka.
Turteltaub directed from a screenplay by Dean Georgaris and Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber.
[Exclusive] Dying Fetus Premiere Extremely NSFW Video for 'Die With Integrity'
Now over 25 years into their distinguished career, American death-metal band DYING FETUS continues to pummel us with blast beats and crushing riffs. The band is set to release their 8th studio album "Wrong One To Fuck With" June 23rd via Relapse Records, and we have the premiere of the insanely gory and absolutely 100% NSFW video for "Die With Integrity."
Mitch Massie who helmed the infamous Cattle Decapitation video for "Forced Gender Reassignment" (watch here) along with music videos from Whitechapel and John Frum directed the video. Final notice, the following video is super NSFW, don't say we didn't warn you!
Director Mitch Massie commented:
"I wanted to make a revenge tale, a western, and an 80s slasher movie, so I rolled them all up into this video. I love the idea of a guy cutting off heads and attaching them to a chain as he hunts down all the people that fucked his life up only to find out that it was a scorned madame of a brothel that instigated it all."
Catch Dying Fetus on tour this summer – https://www.facebook.com/DyingFetus/app/123966167614127/
'Wrong One To Fuck With' Pre-Order Links:
Dying Fetus:
Chicago! CINEPOCALYPSE is Coming to The Music Box Theatre!!
The iconic Music Box Theatre is filling a void here in Chicago by announcing CINEPOCALYPSE, a new film festival taking place from November 2-9.
The Midwest's largest gathering of horror films and fans alike, organizers promise a full week of ass-kicking genre movies, special guests, and events. This year's Cinepocalypse will feature scary-good world and regional premieres, repertory screenings, special guests, parties, and much more. A full schedule will be announced in October. To purchase early bird badges, visit https://www.musicboxtheatre.com/events/cinepocalypse. For shorts and full-length feature submissions, click here.
Josh Goldbloom, Founder & Artistic Director of The Awesome Fest and what had been known as Bruce Campbell's Horror Film Festival, and Ryan Oestreich, General Manager of The Music Box Theatre, aim to make this year bigger, better and scarier than any in the festival's history. Since 2014, the festival has terrorized audiences with an annual slate of premiere films, guests, and bloodcurdling entertainment. Leaving a trail of apocalyptic annihilation in the suburbs, as Cinepocalypse, the festival sheds its suburban skin, forms an epic alliance with the city's historic Music Box Theatre and reemerges as a brand new horror behemoth for Chicago
The Music Box Theatre stands as one of the nation's most prestigious art house theaters and has recently made a concerted effort to diversify programming and bolster local audiences. Located on the city's Northside at 3733 North Southport Ave, The Music Box's year-round programming has consistently offered genre fans some of the very finest cinematic experiences in digital, 35mm, and 70mm formats.
"We're beyond thrilled to host this next iteration of the horror film festival," said Oestreich. "We pride ourselves on taking risks in our programming and offering a diverse slate of films. Partnering with Josh to create Cinepocalypse makes perfect sense for us as we continue our commitment to great film in Chicago."
In just three short years, what was previously the Bruce Campbell Horror Festival has played host to dozens of horror, thriller and genre legends, including John Carpenter, Fede Alvarez, Eli Roth, Christopher Lloyd, Fred Dekker, Tom Holland, Barbara Crampton, William Sadler, Stephen Lang, comedian Doug Benson, and many more.
"CINEPOCALYPSE will take this iconic film festival to horrific new heights," said Goldbloom. "We plan on presenting Chicago an unrivaled offering of bloody international badassery & terror with our friends at the Music Box."
Bring on the CINEPOCALYPSE!
New Photo from 'Rampage' Has an Appetite for Destruction
Currently filming in Atlanta is video game adaptation Rampage, a Brad Peyton-directed film that will pit Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson up against a handful of massive monsters. Most of what we know about the movie has come courtesy of Johnson himself, who just shared a really cool set photo over on Twitter.
"We have a problem. The beasts survived," @TheRock captioned the photo, which has him walking tall against a destroyed backdrop. Check it out below!
Based on the popular Midway video game, Rampage stars Johnson as Davis Okoye, a primatologist who shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who has been in his care since birth. But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry transforms this gentle ape into a raging monster.
The cast also includes Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Malin Akerman (TV's Billions), Jake Lacy (TV's Girls), Joe Manganiello (TV's True Blood), Jeffrey Dean Morgan(TV's The Walking Dead), P.J. Byrne (Final Destination 5), Marley Shelton (Solace), Breanne Hill (San Andreas), Jack Quaid (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), and Matt Gerald (TV's Daredevil).
The film will Rampage into theaters on April 20, 2018.
Spinoff 'The Crooked Man' Officially Confirmed; Writer Comes Aboard
The Conjuring Universe just keeps growing and growing.
As we expected, The Conjuring 2 character The Crooked Man is soon getting his own spinoff film, as THR reports today that the movie has been officially confirmed. Mike Van Waes was brought on board to pen the script for New Line, from a story by James Wan.
Based on an English nursery rhyme, the creepy character was portrayed by Javier Botet in The Conjuring 2. No wonder on whether or not he'll be back, but we assume he will.
[Related] Nightmarish The Conjuring 2 Concept Art Shows Alternate Crooked Man Designs
Producer Peter Safran recently noted, "I think there's something fascinating in the Crooked Man. Maybe tonally he's not as grounded as the Conjuring itself is and maybe that's why some people felt it wasn't what they were looking for in the Conjuring but I suspect a movie with him would be really really cool. I just love what that character can be. We have some interesting ideas for him."
Both Wan and Safran are producing The Crooked Man.
Next up in The Conjuring Universe, Annabelle: Creation will hit theaters August 11, followed by The Nun on Friday, July 13, 2018.
The Recalled 'Mummy' POP! Vinyl Toy is Now Selling for Hundreds
It's being called a "holy grail" for POP! collectors.
Back in April we told you that Funko had cancelled a planned POP! vinyl toy of Tom Cruise's Nick Morton from The Mummy, which was to be released alongside toys of Ahmanet as both Princess and Mummy. You'll currently find the latter two wherever POP! toys are sold, but tracking down the cancelled third toy will be a whole lot harder… and way more expensive.
Over on eBay this week, two of the cancelled toys have popped up in separate listings, and intense bidding wars have driven the prices up to (at the time of writing this article) a staggering $570 and $430, respectively. The former currently has 49 bids with just 5 hours left, while the latter has 14 bids and 2 days remaining.
The reason the toy was pulled? From what we gather, "licensing issues" were cited as the official reason, with most believing that it was Cruise himself who killed the toy. He's known for not allowing his likeness to be used for merchandising, so it seems likely that it was he who objected to the release of the toy.
If you make bad financial decisions and need one, head over to eBay!
Fan Film 'Sally's Escape from Hell' Captures Feel of Original 'Chain Saw Massacre'
You won't find a better Chain Saw fan film out there.
By far the best aspect of Texas Chainsaw 3D was that it returned to the events of Tobe Hooper's original classic, showing us what happened right after the 1974 film came to a close. Similarly, mega fan Gus Trapani has taken the franchise back to its '70s roots with Sally's Escape from Hell, a new short that makes me question my stance on fan films being relatively useless.
With Sally's Escape from Hell, which essentially reimagines Sally Hardesty's struggle for survival in the final act of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Trapani impressively manages to capture both the manic terror and inherent goofiness that helped make Hooper's film such a standout slice of horror cinema. The filmmaker explains his goal with the short…
This film was simply a passion project made out of the love we have for Tobe Hooper's 1974 masterpiece, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The goal was to try and capture the raw feeling of the original film while adding a tad of our own flavor. Shot in two days with no crew.
Check out the incredible short below, which stars Jennie Yates as Sally.
Here's Why Jean-Claude Van Damme "Quit" the Original 'Predator'
This week marks the 30th anniversary of John McTiernan's Predator, which is praised as one of the greatest action flicks of all time. It's easy to watch the 1987 film now and say, "Damn, this movie is fucking incredible." But as good as Predator ended up it was a tumultuous and problematic process.
As John highlighted earlier this week, Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally cast as the film's title character. JCVD was originally hired to play the beast in Predator; and the costume at that time, before Stan Winston took over and Van Damme was replaced by the late Kevin Peter Hall, was an absolute abomination.
While the story has been told many times before, McTiernan reiterates to CinemaBlend why Van Damme quite the film:
"We never shot anything with him. It was a complete screw up with his agent, trying to hustle him into a job and didn't know what the movie was. It's silly. It was really silly."
Special effects specialist Steve Johnson explained in this 2014 interview that the original design for the Predator was very different to the character that made it to cinemas:
"It was awful," says Johnson, "It was ahead of its time, let's put it that way. But the head did suck."
In regards to Van Damme, he was allegedly displeased with his role and costume, learning that he'd be invisible through parts of the film.
"He was just off the boat from Brussels, he thought he was going to show his martial arts abilities to the world," says Johnson. "He thought this was actually the real look of the monster in the movie and he [said] 'I hate this. I hate this. I hate it. I look like a superhero.' He was so angry."
Johnson explaining that the suit was actually a cloaking device, "made him even angrier because he thought he could do his martial arts, he could fight Arnold Schwarzenegger. Impossible. Absolutely impossible."
While this is the story that's been shared over the years, I've actually heard from people close to both the Predator and Bloodsport productions that there's more to it. The other side of the story goes like this: Jean-Claude Van Damme had found out during pre-production that his Bloodsport was financed. The Predator production refused to let him out of his contract, which then caused JCVD to sabotage his role and force them to "fire" him. This lines up a bit with the aforementioned quotes, which allege that JCVD became difficult and angry when he saw the costume design and learned of his role.
While it's impossible to know the full story, it would be awesome to hear Van Damme's unfiltered side of it. No matter, we all won because Van Damme's Bloodsport is a masterpiece that helped spawn "Mortal Kombat" and other fighting games, and we were also gifted with gems such as Kickboxer, Lionheart, Universal Soldier, Timecop and, yes, Sudden Death.
[Trailer] Daniel Radcliffe Heads into 'Wolf Creek' Director's 'Jungle'
When fear sets in, keep hope alive.
Daniel Radcliffe joins director Greg McLean (Wolf Creek, Rogue, The Belko Experiment) in the Bolivian rainforest for tense survival thriller Jungle, based on the bestselling real-life story of adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg. Ahead of the world premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 3rd, we've got the intense trailer for ya tonight.
In the early 1980s, 22-year-old Israeli backpacker Yossi Ghinsberg and two friends – Swiss teacher Marcus Stamm and American photographer Kevin Gale – set off from the Bolivian city of La Paz on what was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime. Leading the way into the uncharted Amazon was an Austrian expat named Karl Ruprechter, who had met the friends just days before and claimed to be familiar with the region.
But their dream trip soon turned into a wilderness nightmare from which not all of the men returned.
Thomas Kretschmann, Alex Russell, Joel Jackson and Yasmin Kassim also star in the film, penned by Justin Monjo and filmed in Australia.
McLean produced along with Dana Lustig, Gary Hamilton, Mike Gabrawy and Todd Fellman.
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text:
For the Wicca in all of us...
Supposed to do 6 easy/recovery.
For the Wicca in all of us...
Supposed to do 6 easy/recovery.
RA-Start the healing process today. Fall marathon, sub 3 or bust for you.
H2H-My next race isn't till early July. The toe is healing. I still can't bend it but running isn't an issue.
I managed 46 miles last week. Not bad considering I ran a 100 miler two weeks ago. I'm still not 100% although. Shocking. Happy Monday!
Good morning! 4 easy TM miles, abs, and stretching at the gym this morning. That was the start of Hansons week two. So far so good! Back to reality at work today. I'm always grateful that I love my job, but it's still hard coming back from vacation every time.
Okay, DH needs some sage advice from all you sub 3ers and experienced runners. When he gets back from CO, he'll have 8 weeks until Lehigh. He's running the half. What sort of training should he do? He wants to get sub 1:40 (PR is currently 1:40:22). He's currently running 15-20 miles per week due to cycling training. Running will obviously be the main focus once he returns. All advice and suggestions are welcome!
RA: Thanks for the reminder! I'll have to get my spelling supplies ready. Please, please get that leg healthy!
Badger: Uh oh...the race between you and RD is on for the next level...let the fun begin!
Badger - I ran 46 miles too last week. I'm liking the lower volume.
More of the same this week. I've got another race on Saturday - this time a half marathon. Balls on the table time - I'll be going for my PR (and RAs !!), but really not sure my legs will cooperate. It is the same race I set my numerically exceptionally cool current PR time, but I also struggled in 1.29 there last year, so it'll definitely be some work. Part of me doesn't want to beat the time for that reason alone.
SRD today. Noodley arm torture day.
MDawg - you might get a better response from a dual sport person - but what stood out to me is '15-20 miles / week'. My initial thought is ramp up that mileage ! But then I don't know much about his history and what he was running previously when he set that PR. I'm sure there's some fitness cross over, but I'm also sure that nothing can fully replace getting the miles in. With that said - he shouldn't just jump in and start rapidly increasing the volume or he'll likely get hurt. I did a quick bit of hunting - this plan might be something to look at - starting 8 weeks out. The mileage seems to match his at that point, and he could bump it up a little as he goes if he feels good.
Ok - time for work.
Ok, now I can post normally w/o responding or type face that is too small for this old lady to read. Did RD put some wiccan spell on his post to get his community ranking highter?
mdawg - Depending on your DH's long run today, you could tweak the Higdon plan to get some over distance. For LR w/ fast finish on 2 of the following: 10, 12, 12, 14, 14, 12, 10, w8 = HM. Fast finish = pick up in last 2 miles to finish at or close to HM pace. Probably want to initially alternate tempo runs with intervals. Then do both in weeks say 5 to 6. Try for a midweek 8 miler with 4 miles at HM pace then stretch that to 5 miles the next time. Add some strides (6-8 * 100m) after 1 easy run per week and do some 4-6 * 200 after the 6-8 * 400s on 2 occasions
RD - If that was my PR I'd never update it. Ever.
Increased mileage last week, 48 miles, so that means 48 again this week with some more speed work added in as well. Heat is becoming a more annoying factor, my 12 mile long run Saturday got a late start and thus was a sloppy mess of a run. The thought of getting up earlier does not appeal to me, but niether does running in the equivelent of a wet swimsuit. Starting to play around with different GU flavors, so far Island Nectors is the leader.
Ok, now I can post normally w/o responding or type face that is too small for this old lady to read. Did RD put some wiccan spell on his post to get his community ranking highter?
RA-twins! I did that distance as well.
Badger-so shocking. I expected you to run 110 miles this past week. Slacker
Mdawg-not nearly a sub 3er, but I would suggest getting up to 40 miles or more, gradually and if feasible with his cycling. Adding in a speed and tempo session and a long run. I like to do long runs up to 15 miles for a half, but I think 13 would work for him if he hasn't gotten up there in awhile.
RD-fun, I am running a half marathon too this weekend
Maps-I stopped over in Elizabethtown last year during my spring break on the way back from Disney World. Cute little town. I wandered around it in the early morning running and think I happened upon that same place where DS was playing baseball. That is really sad about those parents, especially drinking at their kid's games. Not setting a good example at all
Bmmac-never heard of Island Nectors before. I am partial to Strawberry Banana and also Clif Shot Razz flavor
Easy weekend of running for me since I am doing a bit of a taper for my half marathon on Sunday. Looking forward t seeing where my fitness is at. Hoping for a 1:40 or under. Went to a wedding last night. No crazy shenanigans happened, but DBF and I did learn to tango, well sorta. He kept stepping on my feet a lot.
Rolling back in on a Monday, it's tough. My wedding date was the summer solstice many years ago, but that didn't work out so well. There must have been some deep wiccan reason why that happened.
I did not have a fitness/diet/health oriented weekend. But it's always a good time to get back on track.
Today is my first day of my Yasso training plan, 5 miles easy. The whole first week is just 35 miles, no real speedwork. I'll extend the weekend 10 LR up to 15 LR at least, I'm not going to drop down that much just because a training plan tells me to. So I'll do 40 miles for my opening week.
Mdawg - Good work on your opening week! 17 more to go. It's funny how easy it all starts out, and how difficult it eventually gets.
Maps - sad to hear about the drinking. I agree that it's saddest for the kids. That is a little bit beyond "just having fun" I too have those aches that just don't want to quit, my big toe is one of them :/
Badger - congrats on the 46. How long did you rest after the 100 miler? Was it similar to a post marathon rest?
bmmac27 - haha, I had the same thought on PR's, It's just chasing after another time, it never ends!
Morning crew -- Still recovering from the pic Wicca gathering that took place at my crib this weekend....
RA - Enjoy the easy 6. Hopefully you are doing all the household stuff while Mrs RA heals from her insane 70.3.
Badger - You ran 46 miles last week? Whats this world coming too? Next thing we know you'll be running short events like the marathon.
mdawg - Can DH sacrifice some cycling so he can bump up his miles? Some of us (RA doesn't apply) can only run fast when we have a lot of miles under our belt.
MAPS - Wow 20 beers a piece? That is a lot of beer. Probably a nice 3,000+ calories! If I'm going to consume 3,000+ calories I'd probably rather do it through an assortment of pizzas.
bmmac - Nice work on the 48 miles. We seem to be running similar mileage at this point.
maureen - I'm not nearly organized enough to do bullet points LOL.Keep us posted on how Yasso is coming. Didn't know he made marathon plans. Curious to see what it looked like.
Taylor - Funny, DF and I were practicing dancing last night to our first song. I stepped on her toes like 10 times. And that was without a long dress covering her feet haha. We're totally screwed!
ME: Nice 8-miler this morning in the sun.
Good Day everyone.
Busy weekend here. We went to a steak fry on friday night with a group of running friends and a house warming party on saturday.
Maps sad about the drinking. I like to have a couple but adults should know where to draw the line
taylorma1 is that the Womens Half you are doing. DD1 who is running Chicago this fall is running that.
I got 58 in last week. I upped the sunday LR to get the miles up. Hoping the body holds up with the miles and the intensity. Considering doing a 15K this weekend but there is race day sign up so I have time to decide. Just thinking a flat tempo run during a race might be easier to hang onto what little speed and endurance I have then during a regular run.
Have a GREAT day everyone
Good afternoon everyone!!
RA- hope you had a nice 6 miler. You always provide such good advice to everyone here. It's appreciated.
RD- good luck on your half. I have a feeling it will be a pr. Nothing is standing in your way these days.
mdawg/ebunny- I might be planning a trip later this fall or winter to Alpharetta GA tfriends some friends that used to live in Chicago. Would love to tie a race into that trip.
maps- I agree with the drinking. I get a headache just thinkand about it. I think it n becomes so normal for the kids. That is what they are used too.
rc- when is the Wedding again?
Taylorma- I am running the womens half too on Sunday. Looks like it might be warm. What does your mileage look like for the week?
badger- did you feel completely beat up the days following or is your body so used to this?
maureen- have you trained with the yasso Orlando before? I am thinking of switching things up this time around.
bmmac- I have to run at 5am, but I think I would still be out that early if I didn't have to in the summer. It takes so much more of a effort in the heat.
taylormade- nice weekly mileage.
i had two pretty awful runs this weekend, I don't remember feeling that crappy two days in a row. Ran 6 this am, and felt much better. Going to scale back this week for my half. hopefully that will help the sluggish feeling.
Have a good day!
0 for me last week. Taking PTO from running...probably 0 this week too...altough I'm itching to get out there.
Good Afternoon!
Nice running everyone. Anxious to hear what everyone is running on a daily basis based on the various training schedules.
Ran 10 miles at General Aerobic HR late this morning. Due to the heat, my HR ended up near MP HR for the last few miles, while my pace remained steady. The heat always does it to me. The only good thing is my weight keeps dropping in this weather. I've got 4 recovery planned for Tuesday and then 8 (4@tempo) on Wednesday.
mfam4 - I'm working out the best training plan for me. I'd been running halves and fulls for a couple of years, no formal training but doing 40 - 45 miles per week, tossing in some tempos and hill repeats. Very relaxed. Times were pretty good.
Then before Boston this past April I completed a formal rather aggressive (for me) 18/70 plan. It included 3 70 mile weeks, 3 60 mile weeks, 5 of the 50 mile weeks, and speed work. 7 days of running per week. So the accumulated affect hit hard in February. I was really mentally and physically stretched. I am glad I completed it so thoroughly, but I really didn't like running for a while there, in a bad way.
So I looked around at a few plans and found Yasso at the back of his book. This plan hits a 60 mile week only once, then a bunch of 50 something miles and 40 something miles. More speedwork in this plan than my last plan. I'm hoping not to hit that same harsh wall that I hit in the latter part of my last training cycle.
Howdy all!
You all have been busy! I'm still trying to comprehend all that happened here with the group over the weekend.
We had a busy family weekend between DD2's "official" 4th birthday and Father's day. I did manage to squeeze in a workout yesterday: 2000 yards swimming, followed by 30 minutes on the stationary bike and 2.5 miles on the TM. Hit cycle class this AM followed by another 2.5 on the TM.
rd - that was an amazing race! Congrats!
ra - yes, that is still a great 10K time. Glad to hear the quad held up. Hopefully it is well on the way on the mend. And congrats to DW! Two AG wins two weeks in a row!
ebunny - congrats on your AG win! I guess 50 is the new 40, lol.
mini - 0 miles? With 14 miles for me, I think this may be the first time I ever ran more in a week than you did.
badger - congrats Greyhound!
mdawg - welcome home! I'm certainly not one of the sub-3 hour people, but I would urge DH to build running mileage with caution. He probably has the aerobic capacity and muscle endurance to run many more miles, but the rest of his body may not be ready to take all the additional pounding from running. That is a classic issue with multi-sport athletes.
maps - that is truly sad about the other parents. That baseball league sounds like it has a bunch of losers all around. The maps family deserves better.
I went into the office for a change today and found this posted on the door:
A 5K marathon. Maybe I COULD go sub-3:00 for this one!
Have a good one everybody!
mini - 0 miles? With 14 miles for me, I think this may be the first time I ever ran more in a week than you did.
jmhubba - DW said the same thing...she ran more than me last week. I thought about going for a run last night just to beat her, but decided to let her enjoy it.
Maps: so sorry to hear those folks ruined the baseball. We have an entire generation of binge drinkers who are really going to leave some messed up kids behind.
12x400 with 400 recoveries for me tonight as Rx by Hansons. 9 miles total. Felt much better than last week - took about 80% as much effort to hit my target times.
On a side note, had my first run in with a dog for the season. Was running at a north side track at about 9:30 PM when an older couple showed up with three bully breeds. Promptly took up all the lanes - no biggy, I just ran on the grass when I passed them. About the third time I ran by the man inexplicably let one of the dog's recoil leashes all the way out. Fido promptly chased after me, ran in front of me, and went after my legs. I have a minor scrape from hurdling the thing but just about lost my cool.
Have a great week everyone!
Good morning! 7 TM miles including 8x600s, 400 recoveries, 1 mile w/u, and 1 mile c/d. Second Hansons speed workout done. Feeling good so far. I don't think it will last, but I'm being optimistic. Eating well and getting enough sleep sure is helping. Of course, the Atlanta humidity isn't where it normally is either. That's what's really helping. I am NOT optimistic about that continuing. It will be a sauna very shortly, I'm sure. However, like I told Badger, I will take my summers over your winters any day!
Thanks for all the responses on my DH HM question. To answer the cycling question...yes, he will be running more and cycling less when he returns from CO so upping mileage won't be an issue. He wants to run 4 days a week, but I think he'll need to run 5.
ChicagoMD: I loathe irresponsible pet owners. Glad you escaped with minor issues. Your Hansons workout sounds eerily like mine last week. Are you doing the beginner's plan from the book?
jmh: Priceless!
mfam: What month are you thinking of coming down? There are lots of races here once fall rolls around.
Maps: Those parents are idiots. We will be paying (literally and figuratively) for this down the road. I looked up plane flights to the CA Diva HM. It's not cheap from ATL. Go figure since it's all the way across the country.
Morning Everyone.
Chicago MD: I wish I could punt a few dog owners.
mdawg nice speedwork
me: 9 with strides. I ran a hilly route and tried to hit the hills a little harder and then added the strides at the end. Happy with the run. Now just need to be able to keep adding the miles with a little bit a faster stuff.
Have a GREAT day everyone
Hey gang - What do you think about switching to the dailies? There is a ton of activity here and I like doing the individual shout outs.
Taylormade - Ah, the strides workout. Pfitz had me doing those all the time last year. Really sharpened me up.
Mdawg - Wow nice work out. I will take your summers over our winters any day, too. Yesterday it was 87 and today it's 57. Typical Chicago LOL.
Chicago Running - I haven't had too many encounters with dogs/owners. My main beef is with the cyclists. I've had a few unpleasant altercations with a couple of wannabe Lance's.
Mini - Why the time off? You act like you just ran a marathon.
JmHubba - I'm an elite 5K marathoner. Love that distance! I also love the 10K half marathon. Those are awesome!
Maureen - Does the Yasso workout have like a zillion workouts with 800's? He's like 800 king.
H2H - Yep water weight goes out the window when it's humid in the summer.
Taylor - That is a lot of speedwork. Just a thought but you might want to alternate days so you don't do back-to-back speed workouts. It can be pretty grueling on the legs.
mfam - The big day August 10th. It should be a lot of fun but I'm mostly looking forward to the week long vacation after.
Me: Plan on running 8 again today. Aiming for 55+ this week.
Morning all.
8 easy @ 8.25 pace for me before work. That seems to be my go-to pace now for 4 out of the 6 days I run. Always around 8.30 pace. I used to struggle to run like that, but now it feels harder to go faster.
And my PR attempt at the half this weekend has suddenly become a trail race... just got this from the RD yesterday:
"Be prepared in the first ¼ mile of the half marathon……there are a couple small creek crossings you will have to jump over. They are no wider than 3-ft so a small ballerina leap and you are covered."
I always knew trail runners were ballerinas. Right Badger ?
Maps - don't be hating on us lushes...
although in reality - I could never drink that much anymore. Stupid running and the weight loss.... sorry they messed up the experience.
Taylor-RW - might be cultural (me being a limey) - but what's a 'steak fry' ? Do you fry steaks ?
Taylor-Ma - this is too confusing for my simple mind ! 2 Taylors... Good luck with that half this weekend. Hope you nail your sub 1.40.
mfam - could it be the heat ? runs seem to suck a lot more when it's hot. smart to listen to your body though - could just be a bit over worked.
JMH - watch out for those 5K marathoners... it's funny how many people don't know what a marathon is. Although in reality I suppose, why should they. We're the freaks...
mdawg - nice on the workout. And I'm sure it *WILL* last !!! I had similar good feelings after all of those types of sessions last cycle. It's what really helped build the confidence, and strength.
RC - impressive shout outs !! Your mileage has gotten up there. What's your peak week going to be ?
Right. Work.
Hard2Handle-yeah, running in the heat is incredibly tough. Not looking forward to it being hot and humid around here
Maureen-I was thinking of doing the 70 plan, but I just thought that was too tough, especially with summer running. Might try it in a few years, but right now I like running in the 50s and maybe get into the 60s later on in the cycle
Jm-lol wow. I just can't comprehend that.
MD-that's terrible about the dog chasing you. Glad you only got a few scratches and nothing worse
Mdawg-nice job on the speedwork
Taylormade-I think doing both strides and hills will definitely help with speed. At least that is what I am telling myself since I have added both those into my training
RC-yeah I plan on running really easy tomorrow. I only did 4x800 today with 6 miles total, so one less mile than I planned. Will only do some easy strides on Thursday, so not much speedwork in the mix for this week
Got in a nice workout this morning. 4x800M. 3:18, 3:21, 3:10, 3:22. #2 and #4 were into a strong wind. No idea where #3 came from but I was happy with it. Looking forward to an easy day tomorrow. I have a sore tendon on the inside of my ankle. Luckily I know anatomy pretty well and know it's my posterior tibialis muscle, which is under my calf muscles. So I will make sure to stretch them and ice a bit as well to hopefully get rid of the tenderness by this weekend
ChicagoMD: I loathe irresponsible pet owners. Glad you escaped with minor issues. Your Hansons workout sounds eerily like mine last week. Are you doing the beginner's plan from the book?
I'm doing the advanced plan, against my better judgement, haha. I liked the balance of mileage throughout the training cycle a little more as I was already up in the 30s around the time I started training last week. It will be my first marathon so I'm excited/nervous to try Hansons - but I like the results I've seen from it on these forums. Best of luck with your training, looking forward to hearing from you through the training cycle!
Afternoon All,
Back from a slow 3.5 miles on little sleep. My allergies were bad yesterday, but DS1 were worse. He started having chest pains so took him to the doctor who prescribed some meds so never got in a run. The meds didn't help so was up all night with him and back at the doctor this morning. Luckily, it was not bad enough to go to the ER, though we debated at 2 am. New stronger meds should hopefully do the trick, but take a few days to be fully effective. Luckily, his heart is fine and the pain was from the asthma attack. He's never had one before so lots of anxiety, which didn't help. He also had the Young Hearts for Life screening through his high school in April, which if you have kids, I'd highly recommended getting them screened in junior high or high school.
On a happier baseball note, one of the boys on DS2's team has a disabled twin due to a stroke prior to birth (not that that is happy, but Jack is a great, happy boy). Jack plays on a special team and the mom is asking if they can play against DS2 team, though DS team would not bat. Should be a great experience for all the kids and I hope the parents leave their tobacco and beer coolers at home!!!!
jmhubba: Maybe RD will let you borrow his Sub 3 singlet for the 5K Marathon. You probably could get away with 7 GUs vs his 8!
ChicagoRunningMD: Glad you are ok. Having been bitten while running, all dogs scare me, which isn't a good thing as I'm sure they can sense my deep fear.
RD: The baseball lushes are large, i.e. fat. However, sadly, it was the 5 foot tall (and about that wide) mom who outdrank all the beefy dads (most of whom are 6'2 and bigger and sturdy). Luckily, there are a few fit and normal parents who I can hang out with at the next tourney.
Maureen: I need to take a look at that plan, though it will be too much for me in my current state of sluggishness. Thanks for the help with the posting, though I think RD and badger did put hexes on each other in their quest for greyhound status.
Ebunny & Mdawg: I would live in Georgia, humidity and all, just for those awesome peaches. I wish I would have bought more, but were afraid they would quickly spoil. Yum, yum, yum.
Mdawg: Bummer about the airfare. I plan to fly standby so have a few more options of Ontario or Palm Springs, But isn't getting to meet Maureen and I worth sacrificing your retirement money?!?
Mini: Way to stay strong and not run! Can't wait to see how fast you run this fall!
Taylorma: Nice work on the 800s and way to be attuned to your body!
RC: Makes no difference to me about dailies/weeklies, though I admit I am falling behind a bit in my shoutouts, but so far it has been easier to scroll back, but I could just as easily look at the previous days posts, too.
H2H: Good job on the 10! Hope you found today less humid!
In the past, there have been threads that pop up in late September about people banditing and jumping in and running with friends at Chicago, ie. they want to run in with dad, kids, etc. At NYC, which is way too crowded, IMO, spotters stand and body shove these people out of the way as they try to enter the Park at Central Park South. Questioon: in light of Boston, do you think Chicago will do something similar? It seems Chicago has turned the other way with people hopping in and out of the race and I wonder if they will be more proactive this year.
RD - I'd like to hit 70 at some point. As of now I don't even have any races planned but we're tentatively planning on the Rock'n'Roll Half in July. I might be able to grind out a 1:28:xx.
MAPS - So I finally found somebody who tops your PoloRunner at the gym (the guy who runs in polo shirts). It's JeanRunner! I saw a guy running in jeans. And not just running to catch the bus or something -- actually going for a jog in jeans LOL.
Afternoon all, busy Tuesday. I am doing summer school and we are enrolling now. I never actually have downtime, I'm just always busy. That's why I need the running, it's my stress reliever.
First day of the plan was yesterday, easy 5 miler so NP. Today it's 4 with hills, Wed easy 5, then Thurs it's 6 with 4 at MP. It does seem that this plan has more speedwork and less mileage than my last one. That was a deliberate choice on my part, I think I need to tweak my fast twitch muscles.
Runchicago - I just checked the plan. He has speedwork every week after week 5, not counting the MP work which is present every single week of the plan. Two of the speedwork sessions are Yasso 800's, you do 10 one week and 8 another week, then 12 x 400 at Yassoo pace in another session. 1 of the speed sessions is 3 x 1 mile repeats, 1 is hill repeats, and 1 is a ladder, 1/2, 3/4 1, 3/4 1/2 with recovery jog between. I just realized there's no tempo runs though. We do have one 5K race scheduled, that's like a tempo run to me.
jmhubba - that sounds like an interesting way to train, mini tri's. I like the transition feeling going from one to the next.
Chicago - are you in week 2 of Hanson's? 9 miles with speedwork already? Maybe my plan is a little on the easy side How many rest days per week?
Mdawg - I'll probably get it right eventually, but are you doing a formal training plan or your own? I have a pretty smooth opening few weeks it seems.
TaylorRW - that is a good workout, 9 mi hilly with strides. Must have felt good to finish.
Taylor1 - I probably jumped ahead too quickly on that last 18/70 plan. Now I'm pulling back quite a bit. But it's all training, so it's all good stuff.
Map - sorry to hear about your 2 AM debate. Nothing like a middle of the night decision, always more stressful. Good to complete some mile after all that.
Maureen: I'm doing the Hansons beginner plan from the Hansons Marathon Method book. It peaks at 57 miles. I'd like a higher mileage plan in the future, but I'm just not there physically yet. I'm trying to ensure I make it through this one unscathed.
Maps: I haven't decided on CA so you may yet see me out there. We've got some travel plans up in the air still (AZ which I mentioned last week being one of them). Good call on not getting the extra peaches. They would've been mush when you got home if they were nice and ripe.
Gotta run to a meeting...
Happy Tuesday, Gang!
I seem to always miss Mondays here because if I don't receive an email that one of you guys have posted, it often slips my mind. Thanks MAPS for coming on saying to scoot over to the new weekly. No idea why I can't remember this!
Sunday I took an unscheduled rest day- honestly just forgot to run with it being Father's Day and having major productions in the kitchen for breakfast! I remembered mid-afternoon while at the pool. Kind of funny. Yesterday I ran 5 miles on the TM and then taught Step. Today was a no-run day, with teaching two classes, weights and cardio.
Geez, so many of your low mileage weeks are my high mileage ones. I've been averaging 25-30 miles for the past several weeks.
Mdawg- I need to take a look at your Hanson program. I made it through the Pfitz book, but not the Hanson one yet. Topping out at one week in the 60s would be a big step for me. My last two marathon cycles each only had two weeks in the low 50s as my high.
MAPS- yes, you can't beat our peaches. My dad had a lovely apple orchard with about 500 trees, and several peach trees. I miss his apples and peaches! Crazy about the drunk parents at the game. Sounds like it's time for a clean break from this organization!
JMH- The sign cracked me up with the 5k marathon! You will set a new world marathon record!!
Chicago MD- I get annoyed with the dog owners that are clueless, or worse don't even care. Glad you were ok.
Maureen- I'm eager to look into Yasso's plans. No way can I get into regular 60-70 mileage weeks with my group fitness class load, but maybe Yasso has something doable for me.
RC- Love that you were practicing for the wedding! Don't let yourself stress too much about that dance though- just have fun with it!
Taylor- the tango, huh? COOL!
Hi to everyone else!
Chicago - are you in week 2 of Hanson's? 9 miles with speedwork already? Maybe my plan is a little on the easy side How many rest days per week?
Hey Maureen! Yeah, it's the second week of the Advanced plan. I really like the Beginning plan as well - it probably is the better fit for me, actually, but I just finished a nice 10K training cycle that more closely resembled the beginning of the Advanced plan than the Beginning plan. Figured I didn't need the first 4 weeks of base that they have in the Beginning plan so I went ahead and switched to the Advanced plan. This is my first marathon, though, so I'm not without anxiety about going straight to the Advanced schedule.
The Advanced schedule is like two pages after the Beginning schedule in the Hansons book. It has one rest day per week, which is Tuesday for my schedule as I shifted all the runs by one day so that I could do the long runs on Saturdays with my training group.
Day of rest for me today - am currently on call at the hospital until later tonight (long day) so it was a well timed rest day. Just walked around outside, though, and you all have some great running weather tonight!
Speed work tonight, eased into it last week but kicked it up and went at prescribed pace tonight 6 miles, of which 4.5 were intervals of 4:00min @ 7:00/mi (actually this was 10 seconds fast cause I forgot my book with my paces in it at home) followed by 3:00min @ 8:30-8:40. Felt really good, as odd as that is to say about a speed workout...
RD - I'd like to hit 70 at some point. As of now I don't even have any races planned but we're tentatively planning on the Rock'n'Roll Half in July. I might be able to grind out a 1:28:xx.
MAPS - So I finally found somebody who tops your PoloRunner at the gym (the guy who runs in polo shirts). It's JeanRunner! I saw a guy running in jeans. And not just running to catch the bus or something -- actually going for a jog in jeans LOL.
Dude if you want to go run 70 miles, I'm in. Let's do it.
Maps: so sorry to hear those folks ruined the baseball. We have an entire generation of binge drinkers who are really going to leave some messed up kids behind.
12x400 with 400 recoveries for me tonight as Rx by Hansons. 9 miles total. Felt much better than last week - took about 80% as much effort to hit my target times.
On a side note, had my first run in with a dog for the season. Was running at a north side track at about 9:30 PM when an older couple showed up with three bully breeds. Promptly took up all the lanes - no biggy, I just ran on the grass when I passed them. About the third time I ran by the man inexplicably let one of the dog's recoil leashes all the way out. Fido promptly chased after me, ran in front of me, and went after my legs. I have a minor scrape from hurdling the thing but just about lost my cool.
Have a great week everyone!
Yeah, I have had many run in's with dogs and dog owners. Dogs aren't stupid but their owners often are. I'm the type "A" that will call an owner stupid and call the cops on them. Some people have no business having pets.
Yeah, I have had many run in's with dogs and dog owners. Dogs aren't stupid but their owners often are. I'm the type "A" that will call an owner stupid and call the cops on them. Some people have no business having pets.
Agreed...I was going back and forth about whether I should of been aggressive with the dog and/or owners, especially since they were so obnoxious from the start by taking up the entire track and THEN essentially letting their dogs run free to chase me. I run at that track often and will probably be more firm with them next time.

subset: commoncrawl


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This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=1/3, Sex=0/3, Mature Content=0/3. Marshmallow duel is like a simplified version of Super Smash Bros. You play against another person, moving from platform to platform and collecting items. Some items help you, some items hurt them, and some items are just plain destructive. Throw it all above a massive vat of marshmallow and you have Marshmallow Duel!
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Kellogg, 1905]]:2-3
Capt. Daniel Smith to Col. William Preston.
Dr SIR — Yours by Mr. Boles came to hand 18th Inst I was at home, because I had called a muster the next day, the badness of the weather prevented the people from meeting. So next day I came down here, and Survey'd Mr Lynch's Millseat Yesterday. The people on this River are much more fearful of the Indians than I expected to find them. The late Reports alarm'd them so much that 4 families in my neighborhood mov'd over to Holston before I heard of their Setting off, they went in Such haste that they left all their Stock and greatest part of their Household Furniture. When they got to Holston they heard news that mitigated their fears a little, and they ventur'd back again to take care of their Effects, then I saw them and p[r]evail'd on them to Stay. The badness of the Weather and the troublesome Office you conferr'd on me lately hath prevented me from making any more than seven surveys yet, nay, from making any proper beginning yet, I fear you'll say I'm lazy, but hope to make you think otherwise in four Weeks. This day I leave this neighbourhood to go towards the Rye Coves. Please to make my Compliments acceptable to your Lady. I am in Haste, so conclude with assuring you that I am Dr Sir, Your respectful humble Servt
Money is so scarce on this River that I fear I shall make a very sorry collection—not one penny recd yet.


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Roetzel is a full-service law firm dedicated to the success of our clients, and to the hiring, training, mentoring, retention, and professional development of our attorneys and staff. In each of our 9 offices located throughout Ohio, Florida, and Chicago, we actively recruit and hire individuals who possess a strong work ethic, effective problem solving skills, and Roetzel cultural traits. We look for "good people" - people who genuinely embrace collegiality, are dedicated to teamwork, demonstrate a high level of integrity, and value the importance of developing strong relationships within the firm and with our clients.
Roetzel exemplifies a large firm environment with a small firm culture. Our firm has the resources, capabilities, breadth, and depth of a large law firm, yet still maintains a focus on individuality. Our firm-wide Quality of Life Committee contributes to that collegiality and emphasizes creating an enjoyable work environment at Roetzel.
We recognize and value the fact that our greatest asset is our people, and we operate by the philosophy that each person's contributions are valued and respected. Unlike many other large law firms, collegial relationships between partners, associates, and staff are encouraged and cultivated at Roetzel. We know each other as professional colleagues and as friends. Within the firm, this translates into personal job satisfaction.
All new employees go through an orientation called "Inside Roetzel" in which they are introduced to the firm's operations and administrative procedures. It includes training on computers, research, conflicts, and ethics, as well as provides an overview of the firm's human resources, finance, and marketing departments.
We invite you to take a look at our hiring programs and the many ways we foster the professional growth of our firm's dynamic personnel.
Our compensation and benefits package combines a competitive base salary with a variety of benefits in a work environment that promotes a strong quality of life. Currently, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:
- Competitive salary
- Medical insurance, including dental and vision coverage
- Life insurance
- Flexible Spending Plan including medical reimbursement and dependent care
- 401(k)/Profit Sharing
- Employee Assistance Plan
- Paid vacation
- Stipend to summer associates hired full-time
- Association and bar dues
- Free parking
- Business casual attire during the year in most offices
Quality of Life Committee
In an industry known for quality of life issues within the work environment, Roetzel stands apart from many law firms. Formation of our Quality of Life Committee was a proactive way to prevent our firm from facing the same problems. Our attorneys and staff work hard, but also appreciate the value of making work an enjoyable place to be during the day.
The two main goals of the Quality of Life Committee are to provide services and events that promote fellowship among our employees, as well as create a work environment which emphasizes the "personal" side of business. As a result, the Committee sponsors a variety of events and provides services throughout the year including: fellowship lunches; TGIF parties; office breakfasts; chair massages; employee family events (such as hayrides, picnics, amusement park outings, and bowling); flu shots for employee health screenings; a children's holiday party; and office holiday parties.


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This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=3/3, Sex=2/3, Mature Content=3/3. Super Amazing Wagon Adventure is a fast-paced 2D action game with a random story! You control a group of three migrating west on a wagon trail. The game consists of short scenes that are sequenced together in a semi-random way to tell a crazy adventure story. Face buffalo, wolves, bandits, bears, giant spiders, aliens, and much more!
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Jsw wrote:Small pointless rant here...(Abbreviated version at the bottom)
I find people who are unusually obsessed with super hot peppers to be really obnoxious. I'm not talking about people who enjoy spicy foods. Or even people who grow their own peppers and enjoy a good hot pepper. I'm talking about people who literally seem to find their identity through eating pointlessly hot shit.
I agree that most 'hot for hot's sake' pepper nerds are annoying, no life havin' mf'ers.
I love hot, spicy food, but if:
A) you can't taste anything but peppers/heat
B) you're drooling, crying and snotting like a mace victim
That ain't a meal- that's some kinda endorphin junket you can take by yourself.


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You'll think you were transported to the Middle Ages the moment you step foot in the capital of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bruges is Western Europe's most touristy city. Despite the constant crowds, however, its quaint canals, well-preserved houses and scenic market squares never cease to amaze. It brings you back to the time when knights in shining armor rescued damsels in distress and where romance, honor and chivalry were intricately woven into the fabric of everyday life.
The Groeninge Museum has a vast collection of artworks from the 14th to the 20th century and should be first on your list. Another popular spot is the Basilica of the Holy Blood, where a vial of what is said to be Jesus' blood is still venerated. Also worth a visit is the Onze Lieve Vrouwkerk, where you can find Michelangelo's sculpture of "Madonna with Child". If you want a view of the city from above, climb the 366 steps to the top of the 83-meter high Belfry Tower in Grote Markt. Watch the lace makers at Kantcentrum and take a walk through the tranquil scenery of Beguinage and Minnewater, two historic parts of town. Other places to include on your sightseeing itinerary are the Choco-Story Museum and The Friet Museum. Stroll around the Burg, the city's handsomest square. And if you want to see hidden gardens and beautiful bridges, take a cruise along Bruge's canals.
Mussels, fries and chocolates are outstanding in this part of the world. While there are many eating places along Grote Markt and Burg Square, they can be too expensive and don't really offer the best in terms of food. Look out for non-touristy places and ask locals for recommendations. There are reasonably priced restaurants that offer delicious cuisine along the cobbled streets of Ezelstraat and Hooistraat. For a fun night out, check out the pubs on Kemelstraat.
Never leave Bruges without taking a box or six of world-renown Belgian chocolates. There are many chocolate shops but try Stef's at Breidelstraat if you're on a budget. If price is not an object, the higher-end Chocolatier Van Oost on Wollestraat or Stephan Dumon Chocolatier, with three shops around the city, are the best options. Boutiques and stores are centered along Steenstraat, Kemelstraat and Zilverstraat. Also, there's a Wednesday market on the city square that features local produce.
Groeninge 4
Walplein 26
Langestraat 19
Blankenberge, Belgium


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Mail: Thanks for helping Aiden
Brewer at the Legislature: Mob rule
More opinion
Robertson and Delsing re-elected chair, vice chair of NWB
Goat Expo set first October weekend
More Ag News
The North Platte High School boys' basketball team grinded out a 54-49 overtime victory over Hastings on Saturday at the Dawg House.
"It was physical and rough but it was nice to see the kids step up and make plays when we needed them to," said Kaminski
After holding a narrow 8-6 lead at the end of the first quarter, the Dawgs (2-0) took a 15-8 lead early in the second on a Shane Mauch three-pointer that followed a basket by Luke Wright.
But Hastings (1-1), who made nine threes on Saturday, started to get hot from the outside and tied the game at 19 on a three by Will Reimer.
The Tigers briefly led 22-21 before Drew Callaghan scored the last two baskets of the half for a 25-22 lead at halftime.
Kade Erickson began the second half with a three and then Jack Kenny scored a transition layup that was triggered by a Callaghan blocked shot.
Callaghan then scored the next two baskets to make it 34-22 and close out the 13-0 run.
"I liked how we seized control at the beginning of the second half to extend the lead," Kaminski said.
It didn't take Hastings long to come back. Tyler Ripperger knocked down a three to make it 34-29 and it was a battle the rest of the way.
It was 35-32 going into the fourth quarter and Callaghan scored the first four points of the fourth on a pair of free throws and an alley-oop layup.
But Reimer drilled two straight from downtown to make it a one-point game with four minutes left.
Mauch got a three-point play on the next possession to make it a four-point game and then both teams traded a pair of free throws over the next two minutes.
Reimer made another trey with 1:25 to go to bring the Tigers to within 44-43. Then 30 seconds later, Hastings took the lead when Mark Goodin got a layup off of a steal.
On the other side of the floor, Callaghan was fouled by Tanner Johnson with 34 seconds left and the 6-foot-7 center made one of two free throws to tie the game.
Hastings held the ball for the last shot and with about five seconds left, Reimer missed an 18-foot fadeaway under pressure. The rebound came to Goodin, who put it up before time expired but the ball rolled out of the rim to force overtime.
Mauch made a three 30 seconds into overtime and then Callaghan got a three-point play to make it a six-point lead with 2:42 left in the extra period.
Reimer hit another three on the following possession but that was the closest the Tigers got.
Wright made two straight free throws to put the margin back to five. Ripperger and Mauch traded made free throws in the final minute to round out the scoring.
"I thought we lost their shooters and you can't do that," said Kaminski. "But in the overtime we really stepped up. Drew made some plays in the overtime and so did Shane. We need someone to step up every night and tonight it was Shane."
Hastings 6 16 10 13 4 - 49
North Platte 8 17 10 10 9 - 54
Hastings (49)-Will Reimer 15, Grahm Schneider 5, Mark Goodin 4, Chris Gerard 2, Matt Karloff 5, Tyler Ripperger 18
North Platte (54)-Shane Mauch 16, Kade Erickson 3, Jack Kenny 2, Drew Callaghan 24, Luke Wright 9
Free Throws: H 6-8, NP 15-23; Three Point Goals: H 9 (Reimer 5, Ripperger 3, Schneider), NP 3 (Mauch 2, Erickson)
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101


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PORTAGE, Mich., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- A study presented today at the 2005 American Academy of Family Physician's Annual Scientific Assembly provided the first quantitative data to show that allergies are on the rise in younger generations. The study used the ImmunoCAP(R) Specific IgE blood test which quantitatively measures the level IgE or antibodies responsible for producing allergy symptoms.
"ImmunoCAP is the first and only quantitative test that has been scientifically proven to show higher sensitization rates to allergens in children, which is an indication that allergies are increasing," said P. Brock Williams, PhD, lead investigator and allergy and diagnostics expert, Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. "In this study, the test determined that the level of specific IgE to dust mites in children was more than double and in some cases nearly triple the level observed in their parents."
This study evaluated families from different environments who had at least one parent with reversible asthma. All family members were tested for allergies to several allergens including dust mites - a common allergen - using the ImmunoCAP Specific IgE blood test. The study examined 677 parents with 804 offspring (n=1481). These data revealed that children ranging in ages from infancy to eighteen had a considerably higher frequency of detection in dust mite specific IgE in their blood (55 percent vs. 39 percent), which verifies the increase in allergies in younger generations.
"The increase in specific IgE levels in children may be attributed to generational changes in environmental influences such as forced air, or lifestyle changes, including increased time spent indoors and decreased activity," said Dr. Williams. "Objective data collected early in a child's life allow physicians to recommend avoidance strategies, so that patients minimize their exposure to triggers, which will decrease their risk for developing allergy symptoms and asthma."
The ImmunoCAP technology works by measuring IgE antibodies to specific allergens in a small sample of blood. Specific IgE is produced as a result of sensitization to an allergen and increases with exposure to that substance. Diagnostic blood tests for specific IgE, when used in combination with family history and medical evaluation, help the clinician to improve the management of allergies and decrease the risk for asthma by accurately diagnosing these conditions and improving care for patients.
"Information gained with ImmunoCAP offers all physicians an accurate and objective way to rule allergies in or out, and this information can be very helpful in determining appropriate treatment and avoidance strategies or for referral to a specialist," said Michael Land, president and general manager of Pharmacia Diagnostics, US Operations.
ImmunoCAP Specific IgE blood test is the first allergy test to be cleared by the FDA as a truly quantitative test for pinpointing allergens. Allergy blood testing is recognized by the National Institutes of Health for the management of patients with asthma.
Pharmacia Diagnostics AB, headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden, is the world leader in in vitro IgE diagnostic research and product development. Its U.S. affiliate is in Portage, Michigan.
CONTACT: Nora Plunkett, +1-773-330-5540, for Pharmacia Diagnostics AB


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DIARY OF A WORM, A SPIDER AND A FLY Regional Premiere to Open at Stages Theatre, 1/18
Doreen Cronin's popular series of books featuring bugs come together in the regional premiere musical "Diary of a Worm, a Spider and a Fly" starting Jan. 18 at Stages Theatre Company. Appropriate for all ages, this hilarious script written by Joan Cushing gives audiences an inside look to what a worm, a spider and a fly really think about the world around them.
"Joan Cushing has honored the episodic nature of the books by including the characters writing in their diaries, and a number of characters sharing facts about their essential natures. Bonds can be formed with the most unlikely characters. Honoring the uniqueness of others can help one find one's own place in the world," says Director Melanie Salmon-Peterson. Audiences can expect to see several types of music and dance, including traditional musical theatre, hip-hop and the jitterbug. Anticipate a funny and fast-paced romp through the school year of worm, spider and fly," says Salmon-Peterson.
"Diary of a Worm, a Spider and a Fly" opens Jan. 18 and ends Feb. 17, with a run time of 60 minutes and is suitable for all ages. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.stagestheatre.org for performance dates and times, or by calling the Box Office at (952) 979-1111, Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, and $12 for children (ages 5 to 17) and seniors (60+). There is limited availability for weekday matinees.
Stages Theatre Company was founded in 1984 and since then has grown to become one of the largest professional theatres for young audiences in the country. We engage young artists with themes relevant to their lives and involve them in creating magical works featuring young people in meaningful roles. Through theatrical productions, workshops, conservatory classes and other outreach programs, Stages Theatre Company annually serves more than 130,000 young people and their families.


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It's a boy! Dipped Oreo Pops
A couple weeks ago, my nephew B was born. We were all very excited because he's the first grandchild in the family. I'm still getting used to being called Aunt Jen. I wanted to do something when he made his arrival and decided that the best way to show my adoration of my first nephew was to bake something. Then I got to thinking and decided it would be fun to make treats that the new parents and grandparents could take to work to brag about the new little one.
These dipped Oreo pops were so easy to assemble and came out great. My mom and sister helped me write a B on each pop (we used Wilton candy pens. I had never used them before and they were so easy and worked great!). Then we put them in cellophane bags with some blue ribbon. My brother and sister-in-law took them to work to brag about their new baby boy.
Hubby REALLY enjoyed these guys. I did have to dip them twice for the almond bark to completely cover the dark Oreo cookie. I was worried the coating would be too overpowering, but it wasn't. I don't have any pictures of the final product, but just imagine about a hundred of these guys all wrapped up and ready to go.
See all of my Week Of Oreo Recipes here.
Oreo Pops
Double Stuffed Oreos
Almond bark or white Wilton candy melts
Lolly-pop sticks
Candy pens for decorating - optional
Melt a small amount of the almond bark. Dip the tip of a stick into melted almond bark, then slide into the center of the Oreo. Repeat for all Oreos.
Line a large cookie sheet with wax paper. Melt a larger quantity of almond bark and a fairly deep bowl.
Hold an Oreo by the stick and dip in almond bark. Tap stick on edge of bowl to encourage extra almond bark to drip off. Place on wax paper.
Repeat for all Oreos. Once tray is full, place in refrigerator for a few minutes to help the almond bark set up.
Decorate if desired.
14 Responses to "It's a boy! Dipped Oreo Pops"
Cute idea and they look so easy to make. Must try.
And the stick makes them perfect for milk dipping.
oh my…i've tried my hand at these and just about every oreo ended up cracking when i tried to insert the stick. *frowny face* not even dipping the sticks first seemed to help? do you have any suggestions on how to slide them in without any hiccups. *wink*
thank you SO much for your help…yours came out adorable!
Wow, these are such a great favor idea! They look easy, but impressive (and delicious)!
I am loving all of these new parents/new baby posts, because friends of ours just had a baby boy last week and I can just do everything you're doing! 🙂
Jess@pen – are you using Double Stuffed Oreos? If you're using regular Oreos, maybe the center isn't thick enough to support the lollipop stick between the cookie ends. Or maybe the lollipop stick isn't thin enough (do they even make different sizes?). Just thinking out loud. Good luck. 🙂
jen@pen – I agree with Sarah, be sure to use double stuff Oreos and thin sticks. You'll notice that the craft store has at least two thicknesses of sticks. You want the thinnest ones. I did slide the sticks in slowly but didn't have any issues with breaking cookies.
Why must this kind of thing be posted when I'm trying to lose weight? 😉
YUM! I love the idea of doing the initial on them!
Kim @ http://frostmeblog.blogspot.com
party inspiration
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Awesome post.
How far ahead can you make these and will the Oreo get soggy ?
I can totally see the hiccups @jess, the Double Stuf Oreos have a far more thin and brittle cookie than the original Oreos. They crumble, split and crack very easily, I would imagine irregardless of stuffing volume, the structural integrity of the original Oreo cookie would hold up better for this project.
Can u freeze them?


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Antibiotics are commonly prescribed during pregnancy. The specific medication must be chosen carefully, however. Some antibiotics are OK to take during pregnancy, while others are not. Safety depends on various factors, including the type of antibiotic, when in your pregnancy you take the antibiotic, how much you take and for how long.
Here's a sampling of antibiotics generally considered safe during pregnancy:
Certain other antibiotics should be avoided during pregnancy. For example, tetracyclines — such as doxycycline and minocycline — can damage a pregnant woman's liver and discolor a developing baby's teeth.
Also, it's important to note that two antibiotics commonly used together to treat urinary tract infections — trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole — may be linked with an increased risk of birth defects. Although there's no direct proof that these antibiotics cause birth defects, additional research is needed. In the meantime, use of these medications is still warranted in some cases.
If an antibiotic is the best way to treat your condition, your health care provider will prescribe the safest antibiotic at the safest dosage.
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PHILADELPHIA — In a depressed economy, specialties sales remain challenging.
While distributors say sales in the segment are steady, it remains difficult to merchandise the specialty line.
At Coosemans Philadelphia Inc., sales are difficult, said Martin Roth, secretary-treasurer.
"They're struggling," Roth said. "We have to work a little closer, just like everyone else. They're holding their own, though."
Specialty sales haven't experienced a dramatic change in demand, said John Vena Jr., president of John Vena Inc.
Vena said tropicals are experiencing high demand.
"The biggest growth now is in tropical fruits that were really unknown five, 10 years ago," Vena said. "We're seeing a lot more movement in things like guava, rambutans, longans, kinepas, auenepas and all the seasonal items.
"We're seeing good movement this year as compared to the previous."
Vena carries 400-500 stock-keeping units, including heirloom tomatoes, bitter melons and Indian vegetables grown domestically.
Necessary but not easy
Procacci Bros Sales Corp. dedicates two buyers to specialty produce and tropicals.
"Specialties demand is like any other thing," said Mike Maxwell, president. "You have to promote the product.
"It's not an easy category to manage, but one that's necessary to give the retailers that look they want in their produce aisle. You can't just have it and not have it. Because a lot of retailers have cut back on help, you need someone to pay attention to it."
Newer items
Mark Levin, co-owner of M. Levin & Co Inc., said new specialty items appear all the time.
He cited scuppernongs, a grape grown in Georgia that tastes like a wine grape.
Levin said the specialty item isn't known much outside of Georgia.
Levin also is expanding fresh olive sales.
The company sells a variety of specialties, including garbanzo beans, cactus leaves, mamey sapote and corn husks.
"We're weeding out the less popular ones," Levin said. "We are selling more of the ones that are coming into their own.
"We're doing more items I've never heard of before, whether it's black garlic or muscadine grapes."
While distributors say specialty sales remain steady, organic produce sales aren't as popular on the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market.
Roth said Coosemans recently featured organic romaine hearts. Few, however, wanted them, even when sold at prices less than conventional, he said.
Off the Philadelphia terminal market, organic sales remain steady, said Procacci's Maxwell.
"We have good demand for it," he said. "With this economy, people are still very much looking for value."
One of the East Coast organic pioneers, Procacci has sold organic produce since the 1960s.