Thursday, May 2. 2013
The Booth At The End
'The Booth At The End is a 2010 drama series. The series includes two seasons, so far, consisting of 5 twenty-three minute episodes each. It was created by Christopher Kubasik, directed by Jessica Landaw and starring Xander Berkeley. The series asks one question: "How far would you go to get what you want?"
'The series follows the storylines of several characters who visit a mysterious figure in the corner booth at the back of a diner. Each character has heard rumors that this Man is able to grant desires, provided that a task is performed. Upon receiving the task, the Man's only other demand is that the character continually update him on his or her progress. Once the task is complete, the character's desire is always fulfilled.
'Played by Xander Berkeley, The Man sits in the far corner booth of a diner. Characters who approach him with a specific desire are given a task. If you complete the task, the desire is always fulfilled. Often, progress towards the completion of the task also results in progress towards realization of the desire. A further demand is to be updated on the thoughts and feelings of the characters as they progress in completing the task. Oftentimes, he emphasizes that it does not matter to him whether or not the task is completed: the choice is always up to the other person.' (Isohunt torrent download).
Friday, March 22. 2013
Astrospies
'Millions remember the countdowns, launchings, splashdowns, and parades as the U.S. raced the USSR to the moon in the 1960s. But few know that both countries also ran parallel space programs, whose covert goal was to launch military astronauts on spying missions. With investigative journalist James Bamford, NOVA delves into the untold story of this top secret space race, which might easily have turned into a shooting war in orbit.' (PBS video stream & The Pirate Bay magnet link).
Tuesday, March 19. 2013
The Modern Day Hobos
Having been interested in the old-time American hobo lifestyle for some time, it has come as a great surprise and pleasure to find a thriving subculture of modern hobos still riding freight trains across the US. PBS has a superbly evocative film about hobos here.
Indeed, some old-timers are still out there migrating by freight-train to find work but there is a new wave of hobo riding simultaneously. It would appear that the new younger generation of 'bos' brings a decidedly 'punk-attitude' that simply rides the rails just for the sake of riding the rails - wonderful stuff. This creates an amazing mixture of young punks and old hobos doing the same thing, just for different reasons.
Riding the rails is also referred to as 'freight-hopping' or 'train-hopping' and there is quite a bit of stuff out there. Railroad Semantics is the website of Aaron Dactyl who publishes his own 'freight zine' about his adventures and is well worth a read. Northbank Fred has a very comprehensive website that has loads of hobo stories and links.
There is also a ton of stuff on YouTube and I particularly liked the videos from Wizehop.
Sarah George's documentary Catching Out is also a good all round study of the modern hobo. (Isohunt torrent download).
Friday, October 19. 2012
Grindhouse: Planet Terror & Death Proof
I don't know how these Grindhouse movies slipped under my radar having thoroughly enjoyed Hobo With A Shotgun, but it is some of the funniest shit I've seen in a long time. I particularly enjoyed the additional fake trailers shown in the video streams below...
'Grindhouse is a 2007 action-horror/exploitation double feature co-written, produced, and directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. The double feature consists of two feature-length segments, Rodriguez's Planet Terror and Tarantino's Death Proof, and is bookended by fictional trailers for upcoming attractions, advertisements, and in-theater announcements. The film's title derives from the U.S. film industry term "grindhouse", which refers to (now mostly defunct) movie theaters specializing in B movies, often exploitation films, shown in a multiple-feature format. The film's ensemble cast includes Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton, Naveen Andrews, Fergie, Bruce Willis, Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and stuntwoman Zoë Bell.
'Rodriguez's segment, Planet Terror, revolves around an outfit of rebels attempting to survive an onslaught of zombie-like creatures as they feud with a rogue military unit, while Tarantino's segment, Death Proof, focuses on a misogynistic, psychopathic stunt man who targets young women, murdering them with his "death proof" stunt car. Each feature is preceded by faux trailers of exploitation films in other genres that were developed by other directors.' (Planet Terror torrent download & Death Proof torrent download).
Thursday, October 18. 2012
We All Need A Bit More Of The Medusa Touch
I remember The Medusa Touch having quite a profound affect on me the first time I saw it as a child. It's possibly even an earliy influence that was responsible for steering me towards the works of Aleister Crowley in my teens. (The Pirate Bay magnet link).
In the following clip Richard Burton delivers a powerful and scathing criticism of western society's infatuation with war. I think his words hold much more relevance in today's current political climate than they did back in 1978...
Sunday, October 7. 2012
Four Horsemen Film
I've been waiting for this documentary to come out on BitTorrent for the past year and it looks like it just got uploaded a few days ago. There's another documentary with the same title but that's the four atheists sitting around a table: Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris and Dennett whining about religion. This film is the one with Noam Chomsky, Max Keiser, Joseph Stiglitz, John Perkins, Herman Daly, Michael Hudson and Phillip Blond taking aim at capitalism.
'As the global economy continues to veer from crisis to catastrophe many more people are looking for wise counsel on how to reshape the Western Economy. Over the last three years 23 global thinkers - many of whom have been marginalized - have come together to break their silence and explain how the world really works.
'Their views transcend mainstream media and short-term political explanations to describe in simple terms what needs to be addressed in our universities, governments and corporate structures. We will not be returning to business as usual.
'Four Horsemen doesn't get involved in banker bashing, criticising politicians or conspiracy theories. The film looks at the systems that we have chosen to live under and suggests ways we could change them. With events veering out of the control of democratic governments and the global economy on life support for the foreseeable future Four Horsemen is a catalyst to begin a debate around the solutions we urgently need.' (The Pirate Bay magnet link).
Thursday, August 23. 2012
Ink
'A mysterious creature, know as Ink, steals a child's soul in hopes of using it as a bargaining chip to join the Incubi - the group of supernatural beings responsible for creating nightmares.
'Ink is a 2009 American science fiction fantasy film, written and directed by Jamin Winans, starring Chris Kelly, Quinn Hunchar and Jessica Duffy. It was produced by Winans's own independent production company, Double Edge Films, with Kiowa K. Winans, and shot by cinematographer Jeff Pointer in locations around Denver. The film premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on January 23, 2009, and has screened in Denver, the Cancun Film Festival (where it won the Best International Feature award), Rams Head Onstage in Baltimore and in a number of independent movie houses in cities around the US.
'The film was widely circulated in Peer-to-Peer networks which led to its commercial success.' (Isohunt torrent download).
Saturday, August 18. 2012
Dancing Outlaw
Saturday, July 14. 2012
Breaking Bad
If you haven't seen Breaking Bad yet, now is the time to start downloading. With season five premiering on US television tomorrow evening, it's time to get up to speed on this wonderfully written and cleverly constructed series.
'Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the beginning of the series. He turns to a life of crime, producing and selling methamphetamine with a former student, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), with the aim of securing his family's financial future before he dies.
'Breaking Bad has received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its writing, cinematography, and the acting ability of its cast. The series has won six Emmy Awards - including three consecutive wins for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Cranston, one win for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Paul, and two nominations for Outstanding Drama Series. Cranston has also been nominated twice for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series.
'Breaking Bad was created by Vince Gilligan, who spent several years writing the Fox series The X-Files. Gilligan wanted to create a series in which the protagonist became the antagonist. "Television is historically good at keeping its characters in a self-imposed stasis so that shows can go on for years or even decades," he said. "When I realized this, the logical next step was to think, how can I do a show in which the fundamental drive is toward change?" He added that his goal with Walter White is to turn him from Mr. Chips into Scarface. He has said it is difficult to write for Walter White because the character is so dark and morally questionable: "I'm going to miss the show when it's over, but on some level, it'll be a relief to not have Walt in my head anymore." As the series has progressed, Gilligan and the writing staff of Breaking Bad have made Walter more and more unsympathetic. Gilligan said: "He's going from being a protagonist to an antagonist. We want to make people question who they're pulling for, and why." Cranston said by the fourth season: "I think Walt's figured out it's better to be a pursuer than the pursued. He's well on his way to badass."' (Isohunt torrent download).
Wednesday, May 23. 2012
Moonshiners
Monday, May 14. 2012
Still Making Moonshine
'Documentary filmmaker Kelly L. Riley takes us back to Graham County, North Carolina in Still Making Moonshine to reconnect with homemade hooch producer Jim Tom Hendrick, the subject of his previous documentary, Moonshine (2000). Jim Tom proves to be just as colorful in this feature-length follow-up. While he is very much the same unpretentious character we remember from the first film, the good-humored distiller has modernized his methods a bit. Rather than cooking his whiskey outdoors over an open fire, he now heats his brew inside a trailer over a propane flame. Still, despite the technological advancements, Jim Tom manages to set his pants on fire.' (Booze Movies review & Isohunt torrent download).
Saturday, May 5. 2012
Justified
'Justified is an American television drama series created by Graham Yost. It is based on Elmore Leonard's novels Pronto and Riding The Rap and his short story "Fire In The Hole". Its main character is Raylan Givens, a deputy U.S. Marshal.
'The series is set in the city of Lexington, Kentucky and the hill country of eastern Kentucky, specifically in and around Harlan. Timothy Olyphant portrays Givens, a tough federal lawman, enforcing his own brand of extralegal justice in his Kentucky hometown.' (The Pirate Bay magnet link).
Wednesday, April 11. 2012
If A Tree Falls: A Story Of The Earth Liberation Front
Friday, April 6. 2012
Generation Kill
'Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon, Ed Burns and Wright. The series premiered on July 13, 2008 and spanned seven episodes. It is produced by Simon, Burns, Nina K. Noble, Andrea Calderwood, George Faber and Charles Pattinson.
'The cable channel HBO gave the go-ahead to a seven-part miniseries, based on Evan Wright's book about his experiences as an embedded reporter with the United States Marine Corps' 1st Reconnaissance Battalion during the Iraq War's first phase in 2003. The miniseries was shot over a six-month shoot in 2007 in South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia. The primary production value aspired to was authenticity.' (The Pirate Bay magnet link).
Sunday, April 1. 2012
The Pacific
'From the producers of Band Of Brothers, The Pacific tracks the real-life journeys of three U.S. Marines - Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joe Mazzello) and John Basilone (Jon Seda) - across the vast canvas of the Pacific Theatre during World War II. The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal, through the impenetrable rain forests of Cape Gloucester, across the blasted coral strongholds of Peleliu, up the black sand terraces of Iwo Jima, through the killing fields of Okinawa, to the triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after V-J Day.' (Isohunt torrent download).
Saturday, March 31. 2012
Band Of Brothers
'After completing Saving Private Ryan together, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg were both considering separate World War II projects. Spielberg was interested in adapting Stephen E. Ambrose’s Citizen Soldiers, and Hanks was interested in Ambrose’s Band Of Brothers. The two decided to collaborate on Band Of Brothers, which follows one group of men from the first day of training through the end of the war, hitting all of the major elements in the European theater - D-Day, Holland, Market-Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and the capture of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. This very personal narration lets the reader get to know these soldiers as ordinary men, what they cared about and feared, how they spoke, how they related to each other, and what was important to them. Such a story makes the enormous scale and scope of World War II approachable.
'Having collaborated with HBO on the Emmy-winning miniseries From The Earth To The Moon, Hanks suggested doing the same with Band Of Brothers, because, he notes, "I have a great history with HBO, we’ve done this kind of thing before. They understand the type of authenticity we’re going for and they throw away all the rules - we can say what we want to, the stories can last as long as they need to, and we, as storytellers, think that’s very important." Tony To, who also worked on From The Earth To The Moon, joined the production team, and casting began.' (The Pirate Bay magnet link).
Tuesday, March 6. 2012
Network
'Even more compelling and relevant today than when it was first released, Network is a wickedly funny, spot-on indictment of the TV news media. Winner of four Academy Awards it pulses with vitality and a provocative excitement that is forever rare. Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch and Robert Duvall star in this searing portrait of television exploitation. When longtime news anchor Howard Beale (Finch) is fired, he suffers a violent, on-air breakdown. But when his sagging ratings are rapidly found boosted by his angry rantings, he's subsequently rehired and reinvented as the "mad prophet of the airwaves" Of course, when the "prophet" ceases to be profitable, something has to be done about Beale, preferably on camera, before a live studio audience.' (The Pirate Bay magnet link).
Wednesday, February 29. 2012
The Unbookables
'The Unbookables is a narrative documentary about stand-up comics who have spent their careers pushing limits - on stage and off. Relegated to small venues and touring in a crappy van through the Midwest they careen between the desire to succeed and the reality that there may be nothing left to lose. Road life is far from glamorous: comics come and go and cruel pranks and hard drinking punctuate their obsidian dark comedy on stage. They succeed and fail-spectacularly. When they face being fired for going too far on stage, the conflict culminates in a showdown: compromise or double down?' (The Pirate Bay torrent download).
King's X - Live Love In London
'King's X is an American hard rock band that combines progressive metal, funk and soul with vocal arrangements influenced by gospel, blues, and British Invasion rock groups. The band's lyrics are largely based on the members' struggles with religion and self-acceptance. King's X was ranked No. 83 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. All I can say is, I sure as hell hope I'm still as youthful as this guy at 60. Check out the awesome timing near the end of this next track...
'Since being signed to Megaforce Records in 1987, King's X has released twelve studio albums, one official live album, and several independent releases. The band is currently recording for the InsideOut Music label, and continues to tour with each new release. Early in their major label career, they had many opening slots on arena tours, but lately, the band for the most part headline their own shows playing mostly clubs and smaller venues. Each member of the group has recorded solo albums and has made numerous guest appearances on other artists' albums and compilation projects. Doug Pinnick and Ty Tabor also have albums released with side bands in which they participate.
'The spiritual nature of the band's lyrics, particularly on their first three albums, has often led to them being labelled a Christian rock band.
'Whether the band's name was intended as a Christian reference or not, the band members themselves have resisted being identified as a Christian metal or Christian rock band. Although many of their early lyrics have a clear spiritual influence, generally this came from the individual faith of the members rather than an explicit attempt to tap into the contemporary Christian music market in the way groups such as Petra did. The fact that King's X signed to Christian labels early in their career and that the Faith Hope Love CD insert contained an entire chapter of the Bible, likely further fueled their association as a Christian band. What's more, some of their albums were marketed through Christian book stores, but most removed King's X records after Pinnick's announcement in 1998 of his homosexuality. A former Protestant, Pinnick has since openly discussed his agnosticism and his belief that Jesus Christ was not truly the Son of God.' (The Pirate Bay torrent download).
In these video clips vocalist and bass player, Doug Pinnick, is a surprising 60 years old...
The Right Stuff
'The Right Stuff is a 1983 American film adapted from Tom Wolfe's 1979 book The Right Stuff about the test pilots who were involved in high-speed aeronautical research at Edwards Air Force Base as well as those selected to be astronauts for Project Mercury, the United States' first attempt at manned spaceflight.
'The story contrasts the "Mercury Seven" and their families with pilots like Chuck Yeager. While never selected as an astronaut, Yeager was considered by many test pilots to be the best of them all. The Mercury Seven were Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton.
'The film stars Scott Glenn as Shepard, Ed Harris as Glenn, Fred Ward as Grissom, Dennis Quaid as Cooper and Sam Shepard as Yeager.' (The Pirate Bay magnet link).
Saturday, December 31. 2011
Popcorn Sutton: The Last One
Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton (October 5, 1946 - March 16, 2009) was an American Appalachian moonshiner originally from Maggie Valley, North Carolina.
Sutton's career in bootlegging - and getting caught for it - extended back to the 1970s. In 1999, Sutton published Me And My Likker, an autobiography and guide to moonshine production.
Sutton considered moonshine production a legitimate part of his heritage, being as he was Scots-Irish and descended from a long line of moonshiners. In January 2009, after an ATF raid led by Jim Cavanaugh of Waco fame, Sutton was sentenced to eighteen months in a federal prison for illegally brewing spirits and possession of a firearm as a felon. Sutton, 62 and recently diagnosed with cancer, pleaded with the U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer to let him serve his sentence under house arrest. Several petitions were made in attempts to reduce or commute Sutton's sentence, to no avail. He committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning on March 16, 2009, apparently to avoid the federal prison term due to begin a few days later.
He was a short, skinny fella, who always wore his hat - that was kind of his claim to fame, his hat that he always wore. And his bib overalls - he always wore bib overalls. Even when he came to federal court, he was wearing bib overalls. He was a friendly fellow, and of course every time you would talk to him, he would say, "Ray, I've run my last run of moonshine, I'm not gonna do it anymore, I'm just getting too old to be doing this stuff." - Ray Snader.
In 2008, Popcorn Sutton was featured in Neil Hutcheson's documentary The Last One. (Demonoid torrent download).
Friday, November 11. 2011
One Day Removals
Sunday, October 30. 2011
Moon Machines
Moon Machines is a Science Channel documentary miniseries consisting of six episodes documenting the engineering challenges of the Apollo Program to land a man on the Moon. It covers everything from the iconic Saturn V to the Command Module, the Lunar Module, the Space Suits, the Guidance and Control Computer, and the Lunar Rover.
The miniseries features interviews with around 70 of the 400,000 engineers who reportedly worked on the Apollo program during the 1960s and early 70s. These interviews are intercut with archive film, sourced by Footagevault from NASA's various film archives stored at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio and from the National Archive in Washington. It is narrated by actor Bill Hope. (Isohunt torrent download part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6).
Thursday, September 15. 2011
From The Earth To The Moon
'Originally broadcast in April and May of 1998, the epic miniseries From The Earth To The Moon was HBO's most expensive production to date, with a budget of $68 million. Hosted by executive producer Tom Hanks, the miniseries tackles the daunting challenge of chronicling the entire history of NASA's Apollo space program from 1961 to 1972.
'For the most part, it is a rousing success. Some passages are flatly chronological, awkwardly wedging an abundance of factual detail into a routine dramatic structure. But each episode is devoted to a crucial aspect of the Apollo program. The cumulative effect is a deep and thorough appreciation of NASA's monumental achievement. With the help of a superlative cast, consistent writing, and a stable of talented directors, Hanks has shared his infectious enthusiasm for space exploration and the inspiring power of conquering the final frontier.' (The Pirate Bay torrent download).