Shark Week 2026: Group Photo #5

    The plot to 1981's The Last Shark is so similar to Jaws that Universal sued, and the film was removed from theaters after two weeks. I like how the AI generated summary on IMDB states that the "shark" in this film resembles a pool float. 

    At least the filmmakers of The Last Shark tried to use their own special effects. In 1976's made for-TV movie Shark Kill, they used previously shot stock footage and wrote their boring screenplay around that.

    I'm using the soundtrack to West Side Story because the rival gangs in the film were The Jets and The Sharks. Even I'll admit that's a bit of a reach.

    What can I say about 2003's Shark Zone? It's the third sequel to 1999's Shark Attack, and a bunch of scenes were taken directly from Shark Attack: Megalodon and the unrelated Dog Watch. At least the cover looks good. This DVD is going back to Goodwill because...

     I now I own the four film collection the Shark Attack movies. I haven't even torn the plastic off of this set yet, but Casper Van Dien stars in the first Shark Attack film, and any movie with Johnny Rico can't be all bad.

    Today's vintage t-shirt is in honor of The Last Shark's inordinate amount of windsurfing.

Shark Week 2026: Group Photo #4

 

    Like the movie Jaws, The Deep also stars Robert Shaw. 

    Like the novel Jaws, the novel The Deep was also written by Peter Benchley.

    Like the novels Jaws and The Deep, the novel the The Beast two-part TV series is based on was also written by Peter Benchley.    

    Today's LP is Deceptive Bends by 10cc. I chose the album based on the cover art work by Hipgnosis. The LP's title was inspired by a warning road sign in Surrey, England. I assume the art work was inspired by the word "bends" being associated with the decompression sickness some sea divers can experience.

    I999's Deep Blue Sea is the only proper shark movie on the shelf today. I saw this film in the theater, and at the time I thought it was the greatest shark film ever after Jaws. I probably still think that.

    Here's the back of today's shirt. Charlotte found it for me when we were thrifting in Oceanside, CA. Good eye, kid!

Shark Week 2026: Group Photo #3

    For today's post I'm picking the soundtrack to 2021's The Suicide Squad due to the King Shark character voiced by Sylvester Stallone. You can see him there on the left.

    I think buying Blu-ray movies just because they have a slipcover is dumb. I thrifted 47 Meters Down because it came with a slip cover...

    One of my biggest thrift store pet peeves is getting stuck in the checkout lane behind someone who is is buying glassware. I found 47 Meters Down: Uncaged today at Goodwill, but the woman ahead of me ended up buying $93 in stemware. I was standing there for over 15 minutes while the clerk wrapped the glasses in brown paper. I hope the movie moves faster than that.

    1979's Up from the Depths was supposed to be a horror comedy, but Roger Corman had all the comedic elements removed in the editing room to make the film an outright horror piece. That didn't work. The VHS cover looks cool, though.

    I almost forgot to add this Flix Brewhouse picture from 2017 ----> link

    Today's outfit is courtesy of Snorkel Bob.

Shark Week 2026: Group Photo #2

    The Sharknado soundtrack is by a band named Quint. They are named after Robert Shaw's character in Jaws. The band is fronted by Robbie Rist who is an actor who played Oliver, a new and young character added to The Brady Bunch TV show's sixth season. It was an attempt to revive their dwindling viewership. That didn't work. The show really jumped the shark when Oliver showed up, but that's not his fault.

    The Holiday Horror Shelf is also displaying Sharknado, Sharknado 2, Sharknado 3, and a souvenir magnet from our vacation at Oceanside.

  Anymore, the only souvenirs I want to bring home when I travel are pictures, magnets, and thrifted t-shirts.

Shark Week 2026: Group Photo #1

     Sunday night markes the beginning of the Discovery Channel's 38th "Shark Week." I haven't paid to stream the Discovery App, but I don't need it to watch shark movies. Physical media rules! 

    Let's see what's on the Holiday Horror Shelf!

        Ah, Jaws, the OG. I was six when this movie opened, and I didn't see it until it finally aired on ABC when I was ten. I wasn't allowed to stay up to watch the whole film (I had school the next day), and that was okay. In the opening scene when Chrissie is attacked by the shark, she screams, "It hurts!" That was enough to scare the crap out of me.

    Now I count this as one of my favorite movies. Jaws has everything. It's a horror film, a monster movie, a sea adventure, a thriller, a drama, and I'd argue it's a buddy film, too. 

    Let's see, we've got the 1995 letterboxed VHS, 2005' 30th anniversary edition DVD with the Commemorative Photo Journal, the 2012 Blu-ray, and the NES game from 1987. The game's storyline, if you can call it that, has more in common with Jaws the Revenge, the 4th Jaws film, and that's not a compliment.

    Peter Benchley's novel, Jaws, came out about a year and a half before the movie. Director Steven Spielberg was rooting for the shark when he first read the novel because the characters were so unlikable (according to IMDB). I have read this book, and I agree with him. 

    As for the other three Jaws books... I haven't quite absorbed them, yet.    

    This one of my favorite skateboard deck designs. Jaws, Robert Shaw, Narragensett beer, and skateboarding? Yes, please!

    Yes, I even dressed up for the beginning of Shark Week. 

    I'm such a nerd...

    

    Stay safe in the water!

Going Back to Oceanside

"We've been living in the city such a long time
You and I should live by the water
I'll shape up and you'll fill out
And we could buy a house
Maybe even have us a daughter..."

"Live by the Water" by Papas Fritas

    Neither Daphne nor I can remember exactly why we chose Oceanside in 2015 to be Charlotte's first out-of-state vacation spot. We think it had something to do with the price of the apartment we rented. Anyway, we have nothing but good memories about that trip, and we decided to go back this summer.

    It didn't hurt that both Daphne and Charlotte have discovered that they really enjoy vacationing by the water.

    On our first flight to Oceanside, all the screens in the back of the airplane's seats were showing scenes from the Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" programing (more on that later). That imagery scared Char quite a bit.

    This time the screens were much more welcoming.

    I was pumped that they still sell novelty license plates at the souvenir shops. I had one of these when I was a kid. Char used it as a book mark for her beach book. 

    I didn't spot Daphne's name anywhere, but we stayed in condo "D", and I figured that was close.

    

    The view of the ocean from the patio was great, and we spent every morning getting caffeinated to the sounds of the waves. Our walk to the beach was only three minutes.

    Oceanside still offers their Farmers' Market from 9 pm-1pm on Thursday mornings. Here's Char about to enjoy the cookie she picked out. She was almost five years old.

    

    This year Char graciously agreed to recreate the photo for me. Now she's almost 16.

    

    The same goes for these sunset pictures.

    Hopefully we can go back to Oceanside in ten years or so, and I can retake these pictures again.

Cool Shades

 

Summer 2026, Cruisin' for a Bruisin': Group Photo #1

     Some people think that summer is over once the 4th of July has passed, but I'm throwing a BS flag on the field.

   Time to climb into your car and cruise the loop! Let's see what's on the Holiday Horror Shelf!

    

    For 1983's Christine, Scott Baio and Brooke Shields were considered for the film's leads. Brooke would have been an easy fit for the role of Leigh Cabot, but it might have been strange to see Scott, as Arnie Cunningham, slowly become crazy and evil. I bet he could have pulled it off, though.

    Here's what I learned from 2011's Super Hybrid: if you are walking along a dark alley, and you come across a 1969 Chevy K-20 Pickup, or a 1069 Lincoln Continental, or a 1971 Dodge Charger, or a 1973 Mercury Colony Park, or a 1976 Chevy Nova, or a 1985 Chevy C-10 pickup, or a 2004 Chevy Corvette C5 and the vehicle is unlocked and the keys are in the ignition... run away as fast as you can. 

    1977's The Car is now touted as being inspired by Duel (which I will bring up later), but I remember when the first DVD of The Car came out (second from the right). The film was advertised as, "It's Jaws, but on dry land!" The original three cars used in filming The Car were Lincoln Continental Mark IIIs ('69 -'71 chassis) that were modified by Chuck Barris (a hero). The fourth car was loosely attached onto a Ford Thunderbird chassis and was shot out of a car cannon (that's a thing?) for the final shot.

    2019's surprise sequel, The Car: Road to Revenge, really has more in common with Christine, than The Car. "The Car" in question is a Chrysler 300 SRT8. Later in the movie, this "Car" is given parts from the original "Car", and in the end the vehicle looks kinda cheesy. Kinda like the artwork on the Blu-ray that's in the middle of this picture. Cartoon drawings... really?

    FYI: The Holiday Horror Shelf theme for today is, "Dude, that car is killer."

    Drive safe!

4th of July 2026: Group Photo

    Happy 4th of July! Let's see what's on the Holiday Horror Shelf!

    Welp, it's not horror movies today. Today I'm going Sci-Fi. The film's title is pretty obvious.

    I want to explain the CD before I get into the film. I've got the Fountains of Wayne's album Utopia Parkway dead center on the shelf because it contains the song "A Fine Day for a Parade." Today Charlotte will be marching with her snare drum as a high school section leader in Urbandale's 4th of July parade. Marching band is a very big deal at our house, and Char cannot wait for today's performance. It's gonna be a hot one, but she's ready. 

    I found the VHS tape on the left at Goodwill last week ($1.40) and the 20th Anniversary Edition DVD on the right at Half Price Books ($1.80 with the teacher discount) on the same day. I'll confess that both were purchased for this display in mind. I had the thought while I was writing this post  Do I have this on Laser Disc? So I looked, and yep, I did indeed buy this sometime in the past on Laser Disc. So, that went on the shelf, too.

    I saw Independence Day when it first opened in theaters 30 years ago. I went with a friend from work. I had a really good time watching this movie, and I wasn't alone. The crowd was also really into it. As the movie was reaching its climax, I turned to my friend and enthusiastically whispered, "Isn't this movie great?" 

    He replied, a bit too loudly, "I don't know... I find this all to be bit too... implausible," and he dismissed the film with a wave of his hand. 

    Several people near us shot him an angry look. Man, was I ever embarrassed. Then a guy three rows behind us yelled, "Shut up... NERD!" Several peopled laughed.

    My friend sank low into his seat in response. 

    Did I feel bad for him? A little. 

    Did I agree with the guy three rows back? A lot. 

    Hope you have a great 4th!

Birthday 2026: Group Photo

    I know my birthday isn't a real holiday, but what the heck. Let's see what's on the Holiday Horror Shelf!

    The original posters for 1981's Canadian slasher Happy Birthday to Me had the blurb, "John will never eat shish kebab again. Steven will never ride a motorcycle again. Greg will never lift weights again. Who’s killing Crawford High’s snobbish top ten? At the rate they’re going, there will be no one left for Virginia’s birthday party… alive. Happy Birthday to Me Six off the most bizarre murders you will ever see." That's quite a spoiler and quite a mouthful. (SWIDT?)

    In 2017's Happy Death Day, a character relives her birthday over and over with references to Groundhog Day. In 2019's Happy Death Day 2U, the same thing eventually happens, but the movie references are to Back to the Future II. I was hoping for a second sequel, but I don't think that's going to happen.

    In 2010's My Soul to Take, it seems like a deceased killer called The Riverton Ripper is coming back for the seven children who were born on the day the Ripper was killed. Say what you will about this Wes Craven film, but an alternate ending on this release made me choke up. Didn't see that one coming...

 

    Here's a little info about my birthday t-shirt choice:

        In the late 80's there was a popular TV drama called Thirty Something. The series was about seven people living in Philadelphia dealing with their everyday adult angst. My mom really liked that show.

    

       A Chicago band named Local H released their first LP, Ham Fisted, in 1994. "Mayonnaise and Malaise," is a song on that record, and it has the lyric, "It's really something to be twenty nothing." I thought was clever, and I wore this rock tee all the time in the 90s. 

    I remember wearing it while shopping in Sioux Center, Iowa, and a stranger stopped to tell me how much he liked my shirt. To me, that's almost the ultimate compliment.

    Anyway, here's the shirt I wore to dinner tonight.

    Charlotte hadn't seen this shirt before, and she complimented me on this rock tee. High praise, indeed.

        In my small bubble, for a small amount of time, I was a main character... Yay!