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My dying wish is for an owl/camel hybrid, which I call camowl.

Devils and Valentines.

Hello, and happy SNT.

A few weeks ago, I picked up "The Complete Omen Collection" -- a pretty nice DVD box set containing each and every film from that very devilish umbrella, including the obscure made-for-television fourth installment and the 2006 remake.

I've already written about the first Omen flick here, but now that I've seen the rest, I'm giving The Omen II the nod as my personal favorite. Not that it's some great movie that changed my life or anything, but there's something oddly cool about a movie with a storyline that could best be summed up as: "Satan's teenaged son comes of age."

And now that I've seen last year's remake, my fears were confirmed: It's a pointless shot-for-shot retelling of the original, where everyone goes through the motions and absolutely nothing new is brought to the table. Watch this movie and you'll appreciate a lot of the so-called "reimaginings" that've hit the horror market in recent years, because at least those movies made some attempt to do their own thing.

Plus, what was with Damien in the remake? What worked about the original (and even Part II, to a degree) was that Damien was seemingly nice and normal, and almost damned by his parentage. Here, right from the start, he's a total freak and there's no way to justify why his parents didn't have him committed. Speaking of his parents, Liev Schreiber was more bored than annoying as dear old Dad, but Mother Julia Stiles gave a performance that made me go out and kill her family afterwards. The remake isn't entirely difficult to sit through, and that's something, but it's still a shit movie.


Naturally segueing from Satan to Valentine's Day, there's a whole heap of candies that celebrate the almost-holiday with vanilla flavors and edible love notes. One of my favorites are heart-shaped Ring Pops, which sadly forgo the notion that customers are sucking on expensive edible jewels, but make up for it with a Ring Pops that are much bigger than the originals. Plus, all of the Valentine's Ring Pops are strawberry, so I don't have to spend the extra minute sifting through the display box to make sure I don't skip town with grape.

Posted by Matt on 02/03/2007. E-mail me!



Discussion Thread: 73 comments

Matt, since you work at nickolodeon, I was wondering if you could give me the address of the shmuck who thought of making that stupid ass Naked Brothers Band show with those trailer trash incestuous 9 year olds.

Because I really don’t like those kids.

Chestnuts roasted by Count Chocula @ 02/04/2007 12:21 AM


Matt, so glad you’re not dead. I’ve beem saying that alot after my own mix with mortality this week so don’t feel special.
I have a strange link with Vday because the old Bday is a week prior. I guess it’s because every store has Valentines shit around my birthday so I link it to the same time. After Jan 1 I always got so excited. Now the New Year brings a real new year. I need more beer.

Chestnuts roasted by Bill @ 02/04/2007 12:26 AM


Cameron: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Chestnuts roasted by K- @ 02/04/2007 12:27 AM


I actually saw the Naked Bros Band movie forever ago…maybe before they were part of Nickelodeon??…at a small little film fest. It was actually not all that bad. No where near as bad as those commercials that are on now make it out to be…I bet the show is just as ‘ugh’

Chestnuts roasted by Shuanfu @ 02/04/2007 12:28 AM


Thanks…That’s a movie I haven’t seen but really need to…

Chestnuts roasted by Cameron T. @ 02/04/2007 12:30 AM


Tonight’s SNL is new! Drew Barrymore is joining the 5 Timers Club tonight!

ETA: Funny cold open! “Cats, you can’t sing, dawgs”, and mocking the “other door” running “gag.”

I watched the MST3K version of “Mitchell” on youtube last night for the first time. Wow, standlone movie, it’s pretty awful 70s cheese that my grandma might’ve watched, but MST3K…funny as hell. And the last Joel episode!

Also, I for one am not a fan of Valentine’s Day, and working in a CVS makes it shove this crap down my throat.

The only good thing about conversation hearts, in my opinion, was that I used them to teach myself how to read.

What is this concept of “Wuv”?!

Chestnuts roasted by Invader Norbert @ 02/04/2007 12:34 AM


“I bewieve in a thing called wuv, just listen to the wythm of my heart”

Chestnuts roasted by FyarlGirl @ 02/04/2007 12:39 AM


With “Da Bears” playing, I was really hoping SNL would drudge out the Superfans sketch one more time, with a new generation of superfans…

Chestnuts roasted by Cameron T. @ 02/04/2007 12:39 AM


Ooh, I just found out about a new HBO movie two weeks from tonight that sounds interesting. It’s called Longford, and it’s about Myra Hindley, who was convicted of killing several children in the 60′s and the guy who campaigned for her early release. Coolest part: supporting work by Lindsay Duncan (Atia from Rome) and Andy Serkis (Lumpy!).
Heh, Mitchell’s a top notch episode. If you haven’t seen Final Sacrifice yet, you go ahead on.

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 02/04/2007 12:58 AM


I dig the first Omen. I guess it’s because Damien is, in my mind, Angus Young from AC/DC. It’s like Mike Myers was really Ted Nugent. You can’t kill Ted Nugent!

Chestnuts roasted by Bill @ 02/04/2007 1:01 AM


Meatwad: Uh, huh. Who’s the J-man?
Frylock: Ya know… starts with a J, son of G… died and went to H… on the C?
Meatwad: Died on the C… Comode, comode! Elvis!
Frylock: No.
Meatwad: It’s Elvis!
Frylock: But he was a king. And he did live in a Graceland of sorts.
(sighs) He looks like Ted Nugent?
Meatwad: Oh, yeah, I know that old boy! It’s Jes–
Frylock: Don’t say it! Let’s just call him.. GeeWhiz

Chestnuts roasted by K- @ 02/04/2007 1:14 AM


Matt. Satan is getting really pissy waiting for a response for his question in the second post. Seriously, you wouldn’t think the Lord of Darkness would care, but it just goes to show you that he does.

Also, if Shuanfu is forced to throw out the Darkwing Duck comic because you don’t want them, I am going to cry. I am going to cry so hard, because that shouldn’t happen to Darkwing Duck. It just shouldn’t.

Chestnuts roasted by Mike P @ 02/04/2007 1:25 AM


It’s a juicy jewel of flavor, Ring Pop!
It’s a ring of flavor, without a stick,
a ring of flavor you can lick!

Get off the stick and get a ring! Ring Pop!

Ladies and gentleman, that’s taken up room in my brain since 1989.

Chestnuts roasted by Terror Claws Cole @ 02/04/2007 1:26 AM


I never really understood Valentine’s Day. I always figured that people in relationships had anniversaries and such that gave them an excuse to tell one another how they felt. Even being happily married now, I still feel that way (I remember spending many a February 14th feeling depressed.) My favorite Valentine’s quote (which I’m bound to screw up) is from Lewis Black:
“Do we really want to remind people during the most depressing month of the year that they are alone?”

Chestnuts roasted by Lori @ 02/04/2007 1:36 AM


With “Da Bears” playing, I was really hoping SNL would drudge out the Superfans sketch one more time, with a new generation of superfans…

They did that a few years ago in a Weekend Update sketch with Horatio Sanz as Bart Swerski, Bob Swerski’s nephew (assumed to be Bill’s son) George Wendt then appears halfway through this appearance in character, much to audience delight. So far, the closest thing to a shout-out tonight was during the Donnatella Versace Super Bowl Party sketch.

Chestnuts roasted by Invader Norbert @ 02/04/2007 1:46 AM


Hey, Mike, I don’t wanna throw them out; I just offered ‘em to Matt because, if I recall correctly, he was a fan…but if he says so or remains non-responsive then they are up for grabs…I think there is a stack of ALF’s as well….

Chestnuts roasted by Shuanfu @ 02/04/2007 1:47 AM


Shuanfu, could you send me a list in my email, in case Matt is unresponsive?

Chestnuts roasted by Mike P @ 02/04/2007 1:49 AM


all the v-day talk made me remember that one time, i found a candy heart that read, “DICK.” needless to say, my friends and i laughed about it for a good 15 minutes.

Chestnuts roasted by Phil B. @ 02/04/2007 1:52 AM


Confession: In the fifth grade I put already sucked on Vday candy hearts in everybodys valentines shoe box. It was funny to me. :)

Chestnuts roasted by Bill @ 02/04/2007 2:08 AM


Squee: I haven’t been able to see Dexter yet. I suppose I’ll watch that 5 years too late, too!

And the only Omen movie I’ve seen is the new, Julia Stilesified version. Though I’m glad to hear the kid isn’t so creepy in the original–I should probably watch that. Not to mention the 2nd one. Maybe I should have an Omen marathon on Valentine’s Day. Who’s with me?

Chestnuts roasted by Joey the Girl @ 02/04/2007 2:11 AM


Completely OT: Why is Comedy Central playing “The Breakfast Club”?

Chestnuts roasted by Lori @ 02/04/2007 2:15 AM


I’m not that opposed to candy hearts. I wouldn’t prefer them over say, cliche heart-shaped box of chocolates, but I can think of a few candies that make Necco hearts seem like a delicacy.

I’m kinda dreading Valentine’s Day, because my love life is all kinds of up in the air right now.

Chestnuts roasted by Mystie @ 02/04/2007 2:15 AM


Heh, Mitchell’s a top notch episode. If you haven’t seen Final Sacrifice yet, you go ahead on.

I never said that Mitchell was a bad episode, I loved it, with my favorite part being the “chase” sequence.

“Whew, they merged successfully. My heart was pounding!”

I liked the bit at the end when Joel escaped.

Tom: “You know what this means…I’m in charge.”

The robots panicking themselves to pieces is indeedly classic.

And I’ll be incredibly honest right now…Mitchell is the first full episode of MST3K I’ve ever watched. There, I said it! I’ve been a fan of the show for years, and this was the first time I ever had the attention span to sit down and watch a complete episode. (I saw the infamous Mr. B. Natural short a few months ago, but I stopped after it got “good.” IE, about 10 minutes in, despite being quite hilarious)

Speaking of The Final Sacrifice, click my name to watch a funny montage of all of the times Rowsdower was said throughout the episode.

“Rowsdowermobile, away!”

“Rowsdower-r-r-r-r-r-r!”

“We will, we will, ROWSDOWER! Sing it!”

Chestnuts roasted by Invader Norbert @ 02/04/2007 2:19 AM


I’ve got to agree about The Omen of 2006 — Liev and Julia’s acting was strictly cardboard.

Chestnuts roasted by Review the World @ 02/04/2007 2:21 AM


I hate the way Hollywood has to remake all the classic horror movies. I mean, there has to be thousands of great horror scripts sitting idle on production desks while The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hitcher, The Omen, and now Friday the 13 gets rereleased. There is no creativity in the movies anymore. None.
I feel the same frustration with Blockbuster.
They don’t carry The Last Starfighter or Iron Eagle but fuck if they don’t carry Carnosauras Robo-Shark IV….Death to Maui

Chestnuts roasted by Bill @ 02/04/2007 2:35 AM


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