Author: Damien S. Riley

Damien S. Riley is a creator of: music, books, a podcast on at "Riley on Film."All his work can be enjoyed at his blog, Riley Central RileyOnFilm.com Besides being a professional musician, Damien is a college English and logic professor. His style is soft rock akin to the Smiths and REM but also hooky 60’s music like "Peter Paul and Mary." Damien has recorded and performed with 80's -90’s arena rock band “The Alarm” founding member and original guitarist Dave Sharp. From Damien: “I've created, discovered, and refined a meadow along my way online with my books, blog, podcast, and primordial videos. Do jump in and swim around. Like a 60’s movie.” Come on in, the water’s fine.”
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Nightmare Alley and Sin City (from the Archives)

Take a walk down memory lane with this treat if an episode. Recorded 2 years ago, bringing it back to life because I just want to! There is more bitchen here (in my take) than I can write about. Have a listen. Dave is a figure of my early adulthood in Mission Viejo and we’ve been watching stuff in our separate lives ever since.

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Head Count (2016) – Horror Film Review

This is an indy film I defy anyone to disparage. Did it take a while to get going? Yes. Was it worth it in the house when the group starts freaking out, YES.

As usual I fail to identify with the blind allegiance to a sibling in a film. The “addict” is more grown up if you asked me. The preppie is a “shitehead” but that’s just my hippie perspective. Watching this film makes me want to grab my friends and go to JOshua tree to do shrooms. That’s what these dudes end up doing and as they say, shit goes down. Not all who wander are lost. Both brothers suck at acting but hey. hang in there it’s worth it.

You have a rental at Joshua Tree, the mystic place of retreat and LSD. Those parts are beautifully filmed. I live in Apple Valley which is one of the only places in the world where they grow. IN fact they are endangered and protected. But I digress. The prep is there for his bro (yeah right). The hippie is there for his own spine and getting blazed.

Chicks show up as you would imagine. Drugs start coming out and everybody gets stoned and fried. Again, shit acting but hang in there.

In the climax, we see something so cool that I refuse to spoil. What makes it so scary to me is that I have been in charge of people a lot in my life. To just have one pop up and then disappear willy nilly would scare the fuck out of me. There isn’t anything else redeeming about it. I gave it a hugely high score because the climax idea and writing is so good. It was as if the director said, don’t worry about dialog or acting until the thing starts to happen. When it does, everybody spins around it religiously and that when the shit acting improves and the film becomes one of my favorites. What did you think of “Head Count?”

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Shrooms

That’s right, a horror movie involving Magic Mushrooms! Do tune in and hear my praise of this thing. You gotta see it man.

Damien

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Closed for Storm (Documentary)

Closed for Storm is a 2020 documentary film by YouTube creator Jake Williams of Bright Sun Films. It focuses on Six Flags New Orleans, a Louisiana amusement park that has been abandoned since it was flooded during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

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Is National Geographic Horror?

Hello travelers. I have been obsessed in the last week with shows about Ancient things (good keyword), King Tut and Egypt. I grew up on the stuff, my mother was a paleo docent with the library. Anyway, somewhat by chance I have rediscovered this archaeological stuff. It’s well worth watching for any horror fan. It ignites similar neurons, a fascination wit the profane. 

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