"Paranormal Apparition" DVD (director: Alec Tuckman)

Inferior ghost story

This micro-indie film is compared to "Paranormal Activity" on the packaging, which isn't really very apt or accurate. No surprise there, eh? This is a fairly generic, quickie movie that doesn't have much to offer the crowded "haunted house" genre. The story follows a typical broken family and their transplant into a ritzy Beverly Hills mansion that's been tainted by the blood of a vicious murder.

The daughter (here played by the lovely Lulu Brand -- obviously a pseudonym) is most susceptible to the influence of the paranormal, and she is the protagonist here. The special effects are purely of the silly digital variety, and there is practically no tension here whatsoever. The acting is average, but the story itself seems so played-out and generic, there's nothing here left to the imagination. Couple with that the fact that there's no nudity at all, and very little blood, and this is safely a throwaway cash-in attempt, riding the coattails of better-known (and creatively superior) films.

World Wide Multi Media

Agrimonia - "Rites Of Separation" CD

Superlative heathen metal

The third album (and first for Southern Lord) from this Gothenburg-based quintet is a scalding, monumental assault of diverse metal stylings. At 60 minutes and 5 tracks, this band pushes the envelope with drawn-out and developing tracks that hint at several heavy sub-genres --melding them into something altogether menacing and seductive.

The opener, "Talion", is 11-minutes of dense psychedelic sludge metal with thick riffs and shrill, demon-like vocals. "Hunted" is another mid-tempo monster, with epic tribal rhythms and spacious guitars building after a melodic piano-led intro. "While Life Lies" is a beast of post-black metal, with huge, thunderous riffs and rhythms. The closer, "Awaiting", is a subtle summation, complete with nearly ambient interludes alongside the voracious and vicious metallic assault.

Most certainly, Agrimonia have a wide and varied sonic palette to draw from, and their brand of heathen black/death/psyche/sludge metal is uniformly superb from any standpoint. Played this one multiple times. Amen Agrimonia.

Southern Lord

Agrimonia site

"Welcome To The Machine" DVD (director: Andreas Steinkogler)

Music industry documentary

This feature-length documentary focuses on the music business, and it follows the trials of an upstart indie pop/dance band, along the way briefly interviewing a number of well-known acts, from the Bloodhound Gang to Lordi to the Album Leaf to AFI to Xiu Xiu. Director Steinkogler, who is based in Austria, naturally focuses on industry professionals in and around Austria and Germany, so the "name" musicians take a back seat.

Steinkogler's "12 Commandments" of making it in the business are pretty well common-sense, and he makes a case that there isn't a singular method to success in the business, but that it's also quite difficult to find an audience in our age of multi-media sensory overload. Honest and entertaining (though a bit long-winded), "Welcome To The Machine" is a well-done "behind the scenes" look at the workings of the music industry.

MVD Visual

Welcome To The Machinebook

"Linnea Quigley - Grindhouse Triple Feature" DVD

Scream Queen Trash Trilogy

First off, this isn't what's normally termed "grindhouse" -- it's more like eighties-era exploitation, of the type shown on late-night TV. That aside, legendary scream queen Quigley stars in these three trashy, sexy, horror-edged films. Expect plenty of eighties stereotypes here, and some of this footage looks to be sourced from VHS or laserdisc, but it's all more than watchable.

First up, "Nightmare Sisters" is probably the most memorable film. It's the tale of three nerdy girls who come into possession of a demonic crystal ball that transforms them into sex-starved vixens. Their party (with three nerdy guys) becomes, well, a bloodbath. There's plenty of topless action from Quigley and co-stars Michelle Bauer and Brinke Stevens, including a steamy triple-girl bath. Good, solid, trashy fun!

"Deadly Embrace" is pretty forgettable, and borders on murder-mystery. Stunning cougar wife Ty Randolph seduces her studly gardener (played woodenly by Ken Abraham, who spends more time grooming his hair than he does acting). Abraham's unwitting girlfriend (cue Quigley's character) gets involved, and things get hairy. Again, some steamy sex scenes ensue. but the faltering plot (straight from a cheesy romance novel) and poor acting leave this one D.O.A..

Finally, "Murder Weapon" is a confused and hackneyed murder thriller featuring a pair of girls (both daughters of murderous mobsters, no less) who leave a mental hospital only to hold a massive party with all of their old boyfriends. Sounds like a good idea, right? Well, the party gets a bit out of hand, and boyfriends start ending up dead. Some reasonably bloody gore is here, and there are plenty of yummy romps with Quigley and her co-star, the shapely Karen Russell. 

Quigley fans will need this inexpensive collection, and fans of sexy horror with a B-movie twist will, without a doubt, be pleased.

Rapid Heart Pictures

Linnea Quigley official site

Beer: Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest

So, craft brewing pioneer Sierra Nevada releases two different "Harvest Fresh Hop Ales" per year. Northern Hemisphere features specially-harvested fresh hops from Yakima, Washington, while their Southern Hemisphere Ale, reviewed here, utilizes fresh hops from New Zealand. This is as delicious of an IPA as one can enjoy, in my humble beer-critic opinion! On to the review...

SIERRA NEVADA - SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE HARVEST FRESH HOP ALE (Chico, CA) - 4.25 (outstanding)

Pours a clean amber, with a huge, frothy, and creamy off-white head. Delicate, intricate lace. Top! Nose is exquisite citrus, tropical pineapple hops goodness. Tastes well-balanced, with the malts up front and a tropical citrus/grapefruit twang at the finish. 

Absolutely superb and well-enjoyable, and a great value at the price (As I remember, $4-5 per bomber).

This is only bottled and released once per year, so if you see it out and about, do yourself a favor and invest!

Sierra Nevada site

Beer: Indiana brews from Flat 12 Bierwerks, Fountain Square, and Cutters

Indiana, and most specifically Indianapolis, has become a hotbed of upstart craft breweries. Indy, specifically, has at least 10 I can count at this point, with others just starting up. The beers reviewed here are all from Indy, or not far from Indy (Cutters is based in Avon, IN near Bloomington). There are no dogs here, either, so if you find yourself within a fair distance, check these out. 

Keep in mind that my reviews are on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being awful, and 5 being awesome. A 3, therefore, is drinkable, whereas a 4 is superb. I don't give out any real 5's, so 4 is top-tier. Drink indie, drink local, and drink responsibly!

FLAT 12 BIERWERKS - NUNMOERE BLACK (Indianapolis, IN) - 4.0

Flat 12 has become a favorite of late, with all of their core lineup being above average. This black IPA is no exception.

Black with ruby highlights. Massive head of bone-toned foam. Attractive lace. Nose is rich, dark, bittersweet chocolate. I get a hint of hops, but it's pretty obscure. Taste is nicely hopped, followed by a roasty charred finish. A solid and enjoyable brew combining some usually disparate styles.

Also of note -- I love the stark, dark, and stylish bottle art.

FLAT 12 BIERWERKS - WALKABOUT PALE ALE (Indianapolis, IN) - 4.5

Also from Flat 12, this is my personal favorite "local" beer now, hands down. It's a pale ale that approaches IPA hoppiness/happiness. using only delicious tropical-citrus Australian Galaxy hops. Cool points to the rep from Flat 12 who poured this at the SWIRCA brewfest in Evansville in 2013. Love this beer!

Pours a fairly clear golden-amber. Average head of off-white suds. Attractive tree-line lacing. Nose is immediately recognizable -- aromatic Aussie hops with a spiky, sharp, and floral earthiness. Superb. Taste is also wonderfully brisk and sharp, with notes of bitter grapefruit and earth again. 

A superlative pale ale that could easily be classified as an IPA, I'd easily pick this up again!

FOUNTAIN SQUARE - WORKING MAN'S PILSNER (Indianapolis, IN) - 3.5

An easy-to-drink pilsner from a new brewery. Hmm.

Pours a cloudy golden, with a huge head of white carbonation. Not much lace, though, oddly. Nose is light grains and malts, yeast. Very mild. Taste is crisp and malty, with only a tinge of citrus hops at the finish. 

This is a smooth and easy-to-drink lager -- not overly memorable but solid and quite session-worthy. 

FOUNTAIN SQUARE - BACKYARD PORTER (Indianapolis, IN) - 3.0

Fointain Square's porter wasn't so successful, but it's certainly not bad, either.

Pours a dark ruby, with a small head of tan bubbles. Minimal lacing. Nose is roasty and fruity, and the body is light, even watery. Flavor is toffee up front, with some roasty chocolate in there as well. 

Maybe this isn't super unique or standout, but it does go down smoothly, and Backyard Porter is a faithful and flavorful English-style porter.

CUTTERS - HALF COURT INDIA PALE ALE (Avon, IN) - 3.25

I haven't been a big fan of the few Cutters beers I've had thus far, and this one just didn't "cut" it for me, either. I do give these guys points for their big pours at local brewfests, and for serving their massive Empire imperial stouts at said functions!

Pours a cloudy amber, with minimal carbonation. Lace is small and erratic. Aroma is mild -- definitely a pine and citrus hops vibe, but it's not overwhelming. Taste is sharp and bitter hops, very much in a citric vein with plenty of acidity. 

Not bad, but not a notable or unique IPA, either.

"Confessions From The Grassy Knoll" DVD / "I Shot JFK: The Shocking Truth" DVD / "Spooks, Hoods, & JFK: The Shocking Truth" DVD

Trio of conspiracy theory documentaries

The whole labyrinth of conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 is a thick and mysteriously impenetrable one. I don't profess to knowing much, and it would take a lifetime of research to even gather a serious, well-educated opinion on just what happened that fateful day. Covert involvement by organized crime and the US government itself (perhaps with the participation of the mob) have been implicated for decades, but there's yet to be any 100% verifiable and accurate resolution, and I doubt there ever will be.

Nonetheless, these three independent documentaries all strive to present a different side to the story, with mixed results. Most well-rounded is "Confessions From A Grassy Knoll", which covers the widest scope, and features the most input from supposed insiders and sources. It's also the most entertaining and professionally-produced, with plenty of newsreel footage, photos, and interviews.

"I Shot JFK" is based around an intense prison interview with James Earl Files, who, before his death, confessed to the murder -- immediately throwing into question the truth behind the accused murderer Lee Harvey Oswald's role in the whole plot (if there was one). Files was a charismatic fellow, for sure, and many of his claims were seemingly very accurate despite the FBI's assertion that he wasn't "credible". At the least, this is an entertaining and inspiring interview, and it makes an ideal second part to the previously-mentioned "Confessions From The Grassy Knoll" release.

"Spooks, Hoods, & JFK" takes a different side, and is based around an in-depth interview with CIA operative and mob associate Chauncey Holt, who died a week following this interview. He brings a series of experiences and associations to the forefront in his version, and encompasses world powers, the US government, and more mafia connections. A lively film, this one feels like an old instructional film, with dry narration. It's an intriguing look at some other possibilities, but, as with any films of this ilk, it's all down to what you want to believe.

Overall, these are some fascinating documentaries, perhaps to be taken with a grain of salt, so to speak, but interesting nonetheless.

MVD Visual

JFKMurderSolved.com