The Blogosphere

You know, this isn't the only blog on the internet....
Seriously! Experts estimate that, at this time, there are at least a few dozen blogs, covering a variety of topics, online. Considering that as many as 500 people "surf" the net each day, that's a lot of material to be read!


Anyway, I thought I'd take a moment to tip my hat at five blogs that I think are worth checking out. They're in no particular order.

--Dave's Cupboard
http://davescupboard.blogspot.com/

Run by a guy named Steve...er, Dave, this is a blog all about unusual foods. Anyone who's read my stuff knows that I am a fan of cheap (often unhealthy) cuisine, and this Dave guy has me beat when it comes to real-world experience in that arena. I never know just what bizarre food experiments he's going to write about. Sometimes, it'll be gag-inducing canned meat products, and other times it will be the latest menu offerings at well-known fast food joints. Dave is a brave man who eats stuff so that we don't have to. Of course, not EVERYTHING he tries is cheap -- Dave will often post interesting recipes, comparisons of different frozen meals, or tips on how to find good places to buy various foods. It's a blog I check out almost every day.


--The Cheap Bin
http://cheapbin.blogspot.com/

This is a frequently-updated site that deals with many of the things I love most: bad movies, bad music, bad TV shows, bad everything. The guy who runs it clearly knows his stuff, posting updates on his latest B-movie viewing experiences in an amusing, easy-to-read style. Like me, he gets an obvious joy out of all things campy, and I wish I had the time to check out as many gems from yesteryear as he does. Plus, you can tell that he's a big Mystery Science Theater 3000 fan. I love that Cheap Bin!

--Frog on the Pumpkin
http://strangelittlegirlblog.blogspot.com/

Listen, I love Halloween. Anyone who reads my blog should know that. The food, the atmosphere, the weather, the iconography -- Halloween is my favorite time of year, and Frog on the Pumpkin captures a lot of those things on a near-daily basis. Run by a lady-type who calls herself The Frog Queen, this blog is hard to understand without actually experiencing. The Queen tells us about her Halloween-related decorative efforts, or latest spooky excursions, and it's always fun to read. Not to mention, I'm a fan of both frogs and pumpkins, so...you know....



--The Roads of Autumn Dusk
http://theroadsofautumndusk.blogspot.com/

This blog describes itself as "A Farrago of Monstrous and Heroic Media Culture Missives." That clear?

Really, Roads of Autumn Dusk is about all things strange...sorta. It's about interesting media stuff from eras gone by...kinda. It's about comics and random funny stuff from today...I guess. Hey, it's all the things I enjoy reading, OK?. You never know what proprietor Rogue Evolent will write about, but it's guaranteed to be interesting and offbeat. You gotta check out The Roads of Autumn Dusk. It's the weirdest blog on this list.

--Mondo Bizarro
http://mondobizarrocinema.blogspot.com/

Now, this here is a great blog. It's all about movies...MY kind of movies. Written by a guy named Alec Pridgen, Mondo Bizarro covers stuff that I'd review myself, if only he didn't always beat me to it and do a better job than I would have. He's clearly a man with excellent taste, and I always find interesting content when I stop by (which is most days). The blog itself has a great, simple design, and Alec writes with an entertaining, easy-flowing style. Much more focused than my own blog, this one is among my very favorites to check out. That's Mondo Bizarro!

Oh, and while we're talking about dudes who know their movies, here's a film about the man, the myth, the legend himself, Mr. Bruce Campbell!

My Name Is Bruce (2007)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489235/


Netflix description:
Mistaken for the character he plays in the Evil Dead films, B-movie icon Bruce Campbell (playing himself) is kidnapped by the citizens of a small mining town who want him to save them from a vengeful demon. At first, Campbell thinks it's all part of an elaborate prank. But when he realizes the demon is in fact real, he comes face to face with a second terrifying enemy -- his own fear. Ted Raimi co-stars in this tongue-in-cheek comedy.

I think Bruce Campbell needs no introduction here. How could any self-respecting B-movie fan not know who he is? I mean, Bruce is the greatest actor, NAY, the greatest MAN ever to exist in the history of the universe!!! He was in The Evil Dead. DO YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT MAKES HIM?!?

Nah, just kidding. I'm really not that much of a Bruce Campbell fan, but I do think he's a charismatic actor, and My Name Is Bruce showcases his various qualities perfectly. In this film, Bruce plays himself (sorta). He's asked to come and help a small mountain town rid itself of an ancient Chinese demon who was accidentally released from its tomb in a nearby coal mine by some partying teenagers. Bruce cooperates with the townsfolk believing it all to be some kind of role-playing adventure organized by his agent as a birthday present, but eventually learns that the supernatural danger is, in fact, quite real. WILL he rise to the occasion and use his B-movie knowledge to save these helpless people???

This film is a treat from start to finish, assuming that you're in on the joke. A spoof of Bruce Campbell's storied monster movie career, I found each scene entertaining, and admired our star's ability to laugh at himself. See, he's a god to B-flick fanboys everywhere, which is played up in this picture. A yokel teen thinks that Bruce is somehow the only one who can save his town from this murderous, rampaging demon (a guy in a rubber suit with ridiculous glowing eyes) and he never loses faith, even after our hero runs for the hills like a coward at the first taste of real danger. It's kind of like The Three Amigos, only with a quirkier, more self-referential, sense of humor.

My Name Is Bruce is loaded with quotable, laugh-out-loud lines (some lifted directly from Campbell's previous films), and performances across the board are perfectly balanced. I was also impressed to learn that Bruce Campbell shot this one himself on a shoestring budget out on his own property deep in the Oregon wilderness. The whole process is hilariously chronicled on the DVD's Making Of special feature, which I really appreciated because...you know, with something like this, it's essential to give the fans bonus material. Bruce came through!

As stated above, My Name Is Bruce is a must-see for its target audience. If you like B-movies; if you enjoy bad special effects; if you get jokes about Bruce Campbell, then this picture will definitely be up your alley. It's funny and cheap in all the right ways. The average viewer will probably find Bruce nonsensical and self-serving...but I say screw the average viewer. I dig this film.

4 out of 5.

b.