Halloween 2025: Group Photo #20

 October 20

    The Bachman Books was published in 1985, and it contains the novel Rage which depicts a school shooting. Stephen King let this edition go out of print in 1997 in response to actual school shootings. Wise move.

    So, this edition of The Bachman Books is somewhat collectable, but Rage is not why I have it. It's all about The Long Walk. The characters in that novel are mostly boys aged 15-18, and I was in that age group when I first read it. The story just "clicked" with me. The characters talked to each other like my friends talked. Some acted the way people I knew would act if they were in the same situation. Also, being a bit of a long-distance runner, I could appreciate the torture the boys were putting their bodies through. 

    From left to right: The Bachman Books hardcover, Centipede Press's special edition of The Long Walk, The Long Walk first edition paperback, and Castle Rock Kitchen. A cookbook may seem like a weird choice, but the recipes are inspired by meals mentioned in King's books, and the cookbook is narrated by the mother of The Long Walk's main character, Ray Garraty.

    I was excited when I read that The Long Walk was finally being made into a movie. But when the day came for me to see it, I found myself dreading the experience. I was about to watch characters that I had known for years die on the big screen. 

    When we sat in the theater, I turned to my friend and said, "I'm glad that we get to see this film, but I don't think we're gonna have a good time." He nodded in agreement.

    We were right. The movie was very good, but just not fun. Which, I suppose, was the point.

    I think this movie based on a different "Richard Bachman" novel is going to be a better time.

Thrift Store Show and Tell: Summer of '23 Edition pt.2

My summer thrift store show and tell continues with movies, books, and clothes.

Movies

Why would anyone buy a DVD today? 

Razvan Mihaila did a nice job of summarizing his article about the DVD's place in 2023: "While DVDs can’t match streaming platforms’ level of convenience, there are plenty of reasons to still watch DVDs in the age of streaming. Besides better audio and video quality, bonus content, or reliability, DVDs allow you to cut the cord from the streaming platform and build your own movie collection." (Mihaila).

We're not getting rid of Netflix or BritBox anytime soon. But it does make me feel better when people say DVDs and Blu-rays look better than streaming movies. I don't feel like such a fossil. Also, sharing a movie with a friend is a lot easier if you have it on a disc.

Another reason I like DVDs is that I take my old MacBook Pro with me when we travel. I prefer the 13' screen over my phone's screen, and as bonus the Mac can play DVDs (but not Blu-rays). That can be pretty handy if the AirBnB guest Wi-Fi isn't working.

Having a case of ten DVDs in my backpack wasn't a problem flying to Portland, ME, but I did get pulled over by security when flying back. The guard asked me what the discs were that they had scanned. I told him they were DVDs, and he patted my shoulder and said, "You're just like me. I like to know where my movies are. I don't want to depend on streaming." Couldn't agree more. 

I hadn't seen The Last Boy Scout since it came out in 1991. As far as being an action/ buddy picture, it still works. I had forgot all about the opening football scene. That had to surprise some people.

These "4 Film Favorites" DVDs are cool. They don't take up much shelf space and you get a lot bang for your buck (dad joke).

Charlotte attended a sleepover a few of weeks ago, and Daphne and I had a date night. We went out for appetizers, and then decided to watch a movie at home. When I explained the plot for The Punisher, Daphne replied, "So it's going to be like John Wick? Let's watch that!" We both had a good time, and I think it would have been fun to see Thomas Jane appear in another Marvel film.

Charlotte and I are now in the habit of watching movies together in the basement on Sunday nights. Char just turned 13, so that has opened up a lot more movies for us to watch. She has been wanting to see something scary with me, so I researched "horror movies for beginners." Several lists included The Sixth Sense. I thought that might be too bloody, so I opted to show her Signs. Same director; less blood. Daphne agreed, but Char did not. It wasn't for her. Not. At. ALL.

We stopped the film, but before I lost her to the great upstairs, I switched to Billy Madison. I had recently bought the DVD on a whim.  It was a HUGE hit. Man, did she ever laugh. I did, too. Char has declared that Billy Madison will now be the movie she shows her friends when they come to visit. High praise indeed. Char has seen the movie twice so far, and last night we watched the DVD's outtakes and deleted scenes - something you can't do with streaming. 

We watched  Happy Gilmore and Tommy Boy last weekend. Char gives both movies a 9 out of 10, but Bill Madison still rules (like the O'Doyles) at a perfect 10 for her. 

I'll buy a Blu-ray for myself over a DVD any day. They look better than DVDs and are more durable. This is why I picked up The Shining, Big Trouble in Little China, and It. I already owned the first two films on DVD, but unopened copies on Blu-Ray were an easy upgrade to make. Two for $4.98 is pretty cheap, but I found It at the dollar store. Even the clerk was surprised, "We have that here?"

Books

I'm a big fan of paperback novelizations of movies. I've collected quite a few over the years. It started when I was in 4th grade, and the original Halloween was a new movie. While my mom shopped on the other side of Kmart, I stood by the book racks and quickly read the last few pages of the novelization. Here are excerpts from the last page:

I thought, Oh No! He's not dead? He's still out there? The sun had gone down by the time we left the store. I kept looking behind us in the parking lot to make sure "The Shape" wasn't following us. When we got in the car, I asked Mom to lock the doors. I didn't tell her why, though.

Sly Stallone and James Cameron wrote Rambo: First Blood Part II's screenplay together? If the internet is to be believed, Cameron wrote the first draft, and Stallone made changes like removing the comic relief sidekick. 

Seven is one of those movies that is "one-and-done" for me. I won't watch that film again, and I won't even open this book. Still, this title will look good in the group on the shelf.

Amityville: The Horror Returns has a pretty weird plot. The family escapes to California to get away from the Amityville house in New York. After a business trip, the parents return to find that the house in California has transformed into the Amityville house and their kids inside are in danger. That reminds me of Jaws: The Revenge where the shark travels all the way from New England to the Bahamas to continue to attack members of the Brody family. I bought this because the back of the book states "Soon to be an NBC movie," but that didn't happen. I guess this isn't a novelization after all.

But Bonnie Hill did tape this sweet lable inside the front cover of her Amityville book. This must have inspired Prince's album artwork (previous post).

I think the person on the cover of Maniac (1987) looks a lot like Brendan Fraser. The only reason I bought this book was to write that sentence.

I think I saw You Might Be from Canada If... by Michael de Adder in every Canadian gift shopped we walked through on vacation. The book is really well done, and if you don't get the joke because you are not from Canada, then there's a reference section in the back.

Example page: You Might Be from Canada If...

Clothes (and food)

Our trip to Canada was originally planned back in '19 and '20. Those plans changed, of course. But no matter how they changed, the plans always included stopping by the The Holy Donut in Portland, Maine. When we finally got inside, I had the urge to tell the cashier that we've been waiting over three years to visit them, but that felt awkward. Daphne told me in the car that she almost said the same thing.

Here's the mural on the side of the building. What's in the box that Daphne's holding? There were half a dozen potato donuts, but one escaped before I could take a picture. I was mildly disappointed when I realized I had ordered a gluten free donut by mistake. Turns out that was one of the best donuts I have ever eaten.   

I was pretty excited to find a Holy Donut tee at a thrift store in Nova Scotia. 

Agreed.

When we first visited Charlottetown in 2016, I found some great stuff at their Value Village thrift store. I requested a return trip to VV when we went back to P.E.I for one night.  I found this SureWood Skateboards tee. Local rock bands, dive bars, restaurants, breweries, and businesses all make great subjects for thrift store t-shirts. For me the idea is to score something that can't be found back home. 

I saw several of these Molson tees for sale. I believe they were part of a give-away promotion in 2019, and there were a few different designs. I went with the lighthouse to remind myself how much fun we had climbing the rocks at Peggy's Cove. Again, these tees might be common sights in Canadian stores, but they make a unique souvenir to wear back home. 

PickWorld is a family run business located in New Castle, Delaware. They print their guitar picks in house, so if you have a need for custom picks, hit them up. This isn't a rock band shirt, but it gives off that vibe.

Okay, that's it for summer thrift. Let's see what fall brings.

Anticlimactic

 I've written about this book before. I preordered Cemetery Dance: A Fifteen Year Celebration on August 12, 2009. That was one year and six days before our daughter was born. 

Charlotte turned 11 this year, and the book had still not arrived. I don't know about you, but I think 12 years is a long time to wait for something to arrive in the mail.

The book, renamed The Best of Cemetery Dance 2, finally arrived on our doorstep last October. I nervously cut the tape on the cardboard, gingerly removed the book from the nest of packing paper, and cautiously slid the book out of its protective sleeve.

I opened the book to the first page of signatures and heard a cracking sound. Not good.

The page was glued to the one before it, and some of the signatures were buried in the adhesive.

After waiting 12 years and two months, my book arrived defective. So much for opening the book to the sounds of trumpets...

I shook my head, took a couple of pictures, and contacted Mindy at Cemetery Dance. I was never worried that they would not send a replacement. I just was not in the mood to repack the book and go to a UPS store.

I received my replacement book and a mailer sticker for the damaged book within a week. 

"The twins are alive! God bless you, Doctor." - Steven Banks 

This copy looks much better.

I thought I'd be more excited about finally having a autographed copy of The Best of Cemetery Dance 2. But I haven't even bothered to put it in my book case. It's sitting unceremoniously on top of the case underneath a vintage Star Wars ball cap.

The book will eventually get its spot on the shelf, but I'm going to make it wait awhile. See how it likes that...