Category: Movie

Posted on

31 Days Of Horror – FROM BEYOND (1986)

31 Days Of Horror returns to Last Movie Outpost as we tackle From Beyond, a horror fest that we rate highly

From Beyond is another classic, directed by Stuart Gordon and based on a Lovecraft story. Jeffrey Combs is in it as Crawford, the assistant to the mad scientist, Dr. Edward Pretorius.

from-beyond

Together they have invented a nifty little gadget that stimulates the pineal gland, in between Pretorius’ side hobby of torturing young co-eds he brings home for some light S&M.

The machine is called “The Resonator” and once it’s fired up at the start of the film, all kinds of unintended consequences kick-off.  The good Doctor gets his head bitten off by a creature from a dimension that is next door to our own. It now has access to our world and vice versa thanks to the resonator.

Crawford beats feet, and ends up at the nuthatch when he tries to explain what happened. This is after the cops go to the house and find that Dr. Pretorious is a lot shorter than he used to be. Luckily for Crawford (and us), Barbara Crampton is a Doc at the loony-bin and believes his story.

Using some horror movie logic she decides it would be best for him to go back to the scene of the incident and relive his trauma. For good measure, Ken Foree joins the duo as a cop involved in the case. He’s there to make sure Crawford doesn’t go insane and murder again while Doctor McMichaels makes him re-enact and explain what happened the night Dr. Pretorius got decaffeinated.

After forcing Crawford to put the machine back in working order, things go sideways as Doctor McMichaels is seduced by the pleasure of the resonator.  Dr. Pretorius is now part of the other world and wants the three to join him in a dimension of pleasure… or so he says.

from-beyond

From Beyond is a lot of fun. Unlike Re-Animator, this is not a comedy-horror film. It is creepy all the way through. The ambiance is excellent, with a building dread. Even better, we get to see Crampton, God bless her, in some extremely sexy S&M leather gear. Verily!

All the practical special effects are outstanding and look disgusting. The movie is a slimy, gore-soaked bloodbath.

from-beyond

This is one of my favorite horror films. Do yourself a solid and watch it this month.

To Like us on Facebook Click Here
To Follow us on Twitter Click Here

The post 31 Days Of Horror – FROM BEYOND (1986) appeared first on The Last Movie Outpost.

Posted on

Does Home Sweet Home Alone Follow the Original Canon?

Home Sweet Home Alone, the latest entry in the long-running Christmas comedy family film franchise, has made its impending Disney+ arrival known with a debut trailer. Similar to the many sequels that preceded it, the new movie apparently adheres to the same structural beats set from 1990’s original Home Alone. However, besides distinguishing itself with a recent break out star in Jo Jo Rabbit’s Archie Yates, the film is seemingly grounded in the canon of the original, as evidenced by the return of Devin Ratray’s Buzz.

As the trailer implies, Home Sweet Home Alone’s ordeal of Yates’s Max is far from unique in the now-six-film Home Alone franchise. Indeed, he’s an unassumingly prodigious kid accidentally left behind by distracted, vacation-departed parents—notably an agitated mother (Aisling Bea)—and forced to fend off invaders from his family’s advantageously-spacious American upper-middle-class suburban abode using clever traps. Granted, the idea of said invaders being an unthreatening couple (Ellie Kemper and Rob Delaney) reluctantly attempting to recover an heirloom from the house is a bit of a twist, but a perfunctory nature prominently adorns the film’s proverbial sleeve. Thankfully, the flash appearance of a cop intriguingly brandishing a McCallister name on his uniform provides a unique narrative.

Check out the Home Sweet Home Alone trailer just below.

Of course, extended analysis is hardly necessary to discern that the cop briefly shown in the trailer arriving at the scene of Max’s house is none other than Home Alone franchise original character Buzz McCallister, as reprised by Devin Ratray. The bulky bellicose older sibling of original accidentally-abandoned kid Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), Buzz was not only the prototypical bombastic bully brother, but tended to be the surreptitious instigator of the very family squabbles that would lead to Kevin being lost in the logistical fray before the McCallisters’ frantic family vacations.

Interestingly enough, Ratray’s return as Buzz is the franchise’s first real callback to the continuity of the John Hughes-penned, Chris Columbus-directed original iteration, last represented by Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). While one might point out that 2002 TV movie Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House returned to the McCallister family—with Kevin played by Mike Weinberg and Buzz played by Gideon Jacobs—that entry ignored the passage of time, and can hardly be considered canonical. Sure, such terminology bestows Home Alone with a level of poignancy that’s comical in its own right, but it is nevertheless factual.

Additionally, the Home Sweet Home Alone trailer’s brief Buzz scene manages to convey some slightly intriguing exposition about the film’s setting. As we get our surprise glimpse of Ratray’s familiar face (and all of Kevin’s trauma it represents), we hear his police radio dispatch divulge something about “reports of suspicious people around 36 Lincoln Ave.” Contextually, exterior scenes of the McCallisters’ house in the first two films—notably the first, for which it was the primary setting—were shot at 671 Lincoln Ave. in Winnetka, Illinois. Thusly, it can be deduced that the new film is not only taking place in the same continuity as the first two films, but on the very same street—albeit much farther away. There doesn’t seem to be any intrinsic consequences attached to that notion, but it does further cement the idea of this film’s clear attempt to ground itself on or near the franchise’s roots.    

Read more

While Home Sweet Home Alone is clearly family fare, it is the product of creative personnel who don’t typically dwell in the genre, notably its director, Dan Mazer, a frequent collaborator with Sacha Baron Cohen going back to Da Ali G Show to recent offerings like Who Is America? and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Moreover, Mazer worked off a screenplay by current SNL onscreen personnel in Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell. Consequently, a satirical edge might just be hidden beneath the surface of this unapologetic, trope-mimicking franchise family feature. Moreover, the film will serve as the first major starring platform for Archie Yates, whose seemingly-imminent stardom off his scene-stealing role in 2019’s Jo Jo Rabbit has been delayed by the pandemic.  

Home Sweet Home Alone will attempt to make viewers thirsty for more when it hits Disney+ on Friday, Nov. 12.

The post Does Home Sweet Home Alone Follow the Original Canon? appeared first on Den of Geek.

Posted on

TSA PreCheck, CLEAR, or Both? A Guide to Help You Decide

If you travel often, you probably daydream about how to make the airport experience quick, easy, and frictionless. Because when it comes to navigating airport security, there can be a lot of unanticipated hiccups—long lines, misplaced IDs and boarding passes, extra security checks—that slow you down.

That’s where expedited screening programs come in. 

But knowing which program meets your needs can be tricky. To help, we’ve taken a closer look at the two programs available—TSA PreCheck and CLEAR—their benefits and costs, plus how they work together if you’re interested in joining both. 

Here’s what you need to know to make a decision. 

What is TSA PreCheck? 

TSA PreCheck is a trusted traveler program that allows you to quickly move through airport security. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Once you’ve been approved as a low-risk traveler, you gain access to an expedited security line where you don’t have to remove or separately scan your laptop, liquids, shoes, or jackets. 

A five-year membership costs $85 for initial enrollment and is available to all U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents. Becoming a member of TSA PreCheck involves a five minute online application followed by a ten minute in-person interview at an enrollment center (such as your local airport), which includes a background check and fingerprinting.

Supplemental reading: Skipping Airport Security Lines Is a Matter of Biometrics

More than 200 domestic airports participate in the program—check to see if your home airport does here—as well as 80 international and domestic airlines. (Note: You need to fly on an airline and via airports that participate to access the PreCheck lane.) Once you’re approved, all you have to do is enter your Known Traveler Number (KTN) when booking a flight. 

Note that you are not guaranteed TSA PreCheck for every flight. If you have TSA PreCheck and your boarding pass isn’t marked as such, it’s worth mentioning this at the airline check-in counter to see if the designation can be added to your travel documents. In the future, make sure all of your frequent flyer accounts have your KTN listed and in the appropriate field. This will make booking easier and passing through security lines faster.

DYK? With TripIt Pro, you can find out security wait times—including those for TSA PreCheck lanes—for select airports before you even arrive at the airport. Armed with this intel, you can compare which lane is fastest and head straight there as soon as you arrive curbside. You can also use Interactive Airport Maps to locate amenities near each security checkpoint, like restrooms, restaurants, COVID-19 testing sites, and more.

Many travel credit cards offer complimentary TSA PreCheck membership as a statement credit. Check to see if yours does. Likewise, if you’re interested in joining the program, that perk alone might help you decide which credit card to sign up for. 

What is CLEAR? 

CLEAR is a registered traveler program that allows members to quickly verify their identities at dedicated security kiosks. Unlike TSA PreCheck, CLEAR is a privately owned program certified by the Department of Homeland Security. Instead of using traditional photo identification documents (such as a driver’s license or passport), CLEAR uses biometrics. Specifically, the program scans your fingerprints and/or the irises of your eyes to verify your identity.

The program replaces the need for a TSA representative to check your boarding pass and photo ID. After your identity is confirmed, a CLEAR Ambassador escorts you directly to the next step of security—the physical and luggage scanning stage.

CLEAR membership runs $179 per year. You can sign up online and then complete your application at an airport kiosk in just a matter of minutes. If you’re flying out of one of CLEAR’s 35+ airports, you can also sign up for the service on-site. 

Ready for even more good news? With a TripIt Pro membership, you can try CLEAR on a four month free trial, plus you’ll receive a discounted annual rate of $149.

Can I become a member of both TSA PreCheck and CLEAR? 

In short, yes! Since a CLEAR membership expedites the ID-checking part and TSA PreCheck expedites the security line part, you can use the two programs together to make navigating airport security as quick as possible. 

Do you need both programs? Well, that’s entirely up to you, but here are a few things to consider: 

  • Cost: As a reminder, TSA PreCheck costs $85 for five years (many travel credit cards offer this as statement credit) and CLEAR costs $179 for one year (TripIt Pro members get a discount). 
  • Availability: TSA PreCheck is more widely available than CLEAR; 200 airports versus nearly 40 (at the time of publication). That said, CLEAR also helps expedite entry to other venues in the U.S., including sports stadiums and concert venues. Also bear in mind that while an airport has a TSA PreCheck line, it might not always be in service or you might not be selected for expedited screening by your airline. With CLEAR, you always have access to the CLEAR lane. CLEAR has also launched a Health Pass in their app to easily store and access your COVID-19 vaccination information, negative test results, and more. 
  • Your home airport: Given the availability of each program, be sure to check if your home (or most frequented) airport(s) offers one or both. One program might be more valuable to you than the other simply based on the likelihood that you’ll get to use it. 

While some travelers opt for TSA PreCheck and others for CLEAR, both programs help you more quickly navigate your travel journey. As the travel landscape continues to evolve, you may find one program is a better fit than the other, or that their complementary benefits make your life on the road easier. What matters is choosing the program that suits your travel style best—and makes getting to your destination that much more enjoyable.

The post TSA PreCheck, CLEAR, or Both? A Guide to Help You Decide appeared first on TripIt Blog.