Once again I got a rare food at one of my local liquor stores, Canal's--the same place I got the edible shot glass that I talked about on my recent February 22, 2020 post. It was another impulse buy, as the bags were sitting on a shelf right next to the line (or queue, to some of you) for the cash register. Once I saw that they were from Ireland, and new to me, I added them to my booze order. The bags I got were both from the Keogh's company--their shamrock & sour cream flavor and their mature Irish cheese & onion kind.
Keogh's is a very recent company, having been selling prepared snacks only since 2011. However, the family has been farming in the North County of Dublin area for over 200 years. Their website boasts that the are the only company in the world to sell both potatoes and crisps under one brand. They're also big on environmental concerns, such as having a low as possible carbon footprint. And they assisted in introducing potato farming to parts of Southern Ethiopia as well. The information included on both the website and the product bags is rather quirky. We learn that the three kettles in which the crisps are cooked are named Patty, Lyndsey, and Eimear. And not only are the Keogh family members' photos posted on the website, they are joined by the ones of the employees who do the cooking. Moving on, each of the crisp bags note which field the potatoes used were grown in, as well as the exact variety of potato, the production date, and a "best by" date. If one is so inclined (and I was), a customer can view an aerial view of each potato field, even. Finally, in addition of several other crisp flavors, Keogh's also markets crinkle cut crisps, popcorn, and, as mentioned previously, potatoes themselves.
I also learned today that the standard story of this food type's creation is probably apocryphal, like the "Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson of Salem, NJ proved tomatoes were safe to eat in 1820" story I discussed in my post on November 21, 2012. In the usual potato crisp/chip invention story, a customer, sometimes credited as being railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, was complaining about the French fries ("chips" to our U.K. friends) being served to him at the Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga Springs, NY, U.S.A. sometime in 1853. He thought they were too thick. Chef George Crum grew frustrated, as several more thinner cut fries attempts were also sent back. Finally, as petty revenge, Crum deliberately cut the potatoes super thin, fried them to a crisp, and then over-salted them. However, to his shock the customer liked these creations, and so Crum started making them intentionally, and the "Saratoga Chip" spread around the country, and then the world. Another version of the origin story claims Crum's sister (or sister in law), Catherine "Aunt Kate" Weeks accidentally dropped a potato shaving into a fryer, and when George pulled it out and tried it, he liked it. And then they started making them for profit. Alas, both of these stories are almost certainly made up, especially the first version. No contemporary documents supporting the George Crum inventor story exist--in fact it's the opposite. In newspaper articles, and even in his own commissioned biography, there's no mention of his supposed invention. And the only document supporting the Aunt Kate tale is her obituary, decades after the alleged event. Finally, there's the fact that several European cookbooks have been found with potato chip/crisp-like recipes that were published well before 1853. The oldest being William Kitchiners's "The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual," which came out in 1822. (If you're curious, Kitchiner's book was reprinted, and is currently available on Amazon.) Which, when you think about it, makes sense. Cutting potatoes into thin slices and then frying them isn't that big an innovation, and was probably developed by several chefs independent of each other. One invention that has passed the historic test is that of Laura Scudder, of California, in 1926. She didn't invent the crisp, but she did invent a sealed wax paper bag packaging for them, which enabled them to be preserved significantly longer. Therefore, it seems that many people invented some version of crisps by the early 1800's at least. Maybe Aunt Kate's take on them was influential in the U.S. in the mid to late 1800's. But whoever was first, I think most of us can agree that crisps/chips are a great snack.
1) Keogh's Irish Crisps, shamrock & sour cream flavor: Came in a 125 gram/4.4 ounce bag. These were the typical crisp size and shape. Yellow in color, with a visible black powder speckling. They were okay. Salty. I didn't taste a particularly strong sour cream flavor. Also, I was hoping that the shamrock flavor would be distinctive, but it wasn't. (Shamrock extract is one of the ingredients, which I guess means clover?) Anyway, these crisps were solid, but nothing more.
2) Keogh's Irish Crisps, mature Irish cheese and onion flavor: Same size bag, size and shape of crisps, and color as the previous. Stronger flavor. Good, and nicely crunchy. Bolder taste, and I love cheese and onions, so that worked. So these were better than the shamrock & sour cream kind, and I would buy these again.
Obviously these crisps were a bit pricier than regular, domestic kinds, given that they are artisanal and imported. But even the weaker one was still alright. So folks looking to try something different in a potato chip/crisp will probably be satisfied.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Underrated Horror Gems--"Tombs of the Blind Dead"
Well, I'm a little tired of talking about weird foods and drinks, so we're going to discuss another movie that I think is underrated. This one is pretty obscure to all but fairly serious horror fans. "Tombs of the Blind Dead" is a 1972 Spanish production, written and directed by Amando De Ossorio. It was successful enough to spawn three sequels, but in my opinion it isn't remembered like it should be. Anyway, as usual I'll start with a brief, spoiler-free synopsis, followed by a long, spoiler-saturated recap, and end with a discussion of the movie's themes, strong points, and some information about the cast and crew.
Some young people--Virginia, Betty, and Roger--are traveling through Portugal to enjoy a weekend camping trip. However, Virginia abruptly becomes upset, and impulsively jumps off the train in a huff, and heads for the small town she saw in the distance. Alas, this town is actually the ruins of a castle, and it's not empty. Betty and Roger try to locate Virginia, and learn disturbing things about the castle. Some explanations about the mystery date back over 500 years, and involve an order of knights who reportedly adapted black magic practices. Before long, the dead have returned, and the bodies start piling up. Will anyone survive?
(SPOILERS AHEAD UNTIL MARKED) After the opening credits, we meet three young people in quick succession--Virginia, Betty, and Roger. Virginia and Betty run into each other at a pool near a beach, and they haven't seen each other in years. Virginia and Roger had planned a weekend camping trip, and Roger pushes for Betty to join them. Betty joins them on the train they'll be traveling on. However, almost immediately Betty and Roger seem to be flirting, which upsets Virginia. In a flashback we see a twist--Virginia isn't jealous about Roger, she's jealous about Betty, since as school girls they had a lesbian relationship.
Virginia wants to leave, but there isn't an official stop coming up. When an attempt to bribe an engineer to stop fails, Virginia jumps off the train with her camping gear. Betty and Roger are clearly alarmed, but the engineer still refuses to stop. Virginia heads to the apparent town she saw from the train, but quickly discovers that it's actually the ruins of a castle. She decides to camp there. While she's falling asleep she's interrupted by undead knights, who rise from their tombs on the castle grounds and attack her. Virginia manages to escape from them, and she also steals one of their horses and rides away. However, near the train tracks she's overwhelmed by her mounted assailants.
Next we see Roger and Betty at a cafe. A waitress explains that the area where Virginia jumped off is an abandoned castle called Berzano. She alludes to disturbing legends about it before clamming up. Meanwhile, the train passes by and the engineers see Virginia's dead body. They don't stop, but they do notify the police at the next station. Roger and Betty take matters into their own hands, and rent horses to ride to Berzano. When they reach it their horses are spooked and flee, and they find some of Virginia's possessions. The police then encounter them, and explain that Virginia's been murdered in some sort of bizarre ritual. Back at her mannequin shop Betty's assistant Nina reveals a bit about Berzano, as she grew up fairly nearby. Nina says the legends were that the knights there conducted evil black magic ceremonies back in ancient times, and even in recent times bodies were occasionally recovered there. At the morgue Virginia's corpse revives, and then kills an attendant. Betty and Roger visit a library and question a local historian, Professor Candal. He tells them the full story, which we see partially in flashback. A group of Templar Knights learned occult practices while on the Crusades in the 13th century. When they returned they attacked towns, and killed virgin girls as a blood sacrifice, which granted them eternal life. But, the Spanish king conquered them and executed them by hanging, during which crows pecked out their eyes.
The police show up and interrogate the Professor, wanting to know about his son, Pedro. Pedro is a smuggler who works near Berzano, and the police think that he murdered Virginia, and used the old Templar legend as a cover up. The undead Virginia then breaks into Betty's business, and attacks Nina. Nina only manages to survive by destroying Virginia using fire.
Roger and Betty locate Pedro, and convince him and his girlfriend Maria to accompany them to Berzano for the night. Pedro gets Betty to walk with him in the ruins, and he brutally rapes her. Right after the old bells ring, and the Knights rise again. They quickly dispatch the knife-wielding Pedro, and Roger's bullets are useless. They mortally wound Roger, who dies after warning Betty to stay quiet to hide from the blind Knights. Alas, after killing Maria the Knights hear Betty's panicked heartbeats, and they advance upon her. As dawn breaks she flees on foot, with the Blind Dead riding after her. This time the engineers stop the train to help her, but some Knights get on, too. It's a bloodbath as the angry dead cut down the engineers and many of the passengers. The train is started again, and makes it to the next town. The conductors and new passengers are stunned at the carnage, while Betty is now grey haired and possibly insane. (The end.)
Before I get into the virtues of "Tombs of the Blind Dead," let's get its faults out of the way. (Also, for brevity's sake I'm going to refer to it as "Tombs" for the rest of this post.) The film was very low-budget, and at times it shows. The actors are okay at best--and kind of inept and hammy at worst. The script has its lapses in logic, too, some of which I'll expand on later. Some of the special effects are good--the Knight's costumes and makeup, for example--but others aren't the strongest, such as the obviously fake body of the sacrificed girl in the flashback sequence. And the rape scene near the end is repulsive, and completely gratuitous. (This scene, as well as the subplot about Betty and Virginia having a lesbian relationship, along with some of the added gore of the sacrifice sequence, was removed in the version sent to the U.S., and in the first case I think this was a better decision.) The story unfolds slowly at times, too, so viewers wanting an exciting, thrill-a-minute movie will surely be disappointed.
But, despite these drawbacks, I feel the film still succeeds overall. One of the major reasons for this is the movie's tone, and setting. The ruins where "Tombs" was largely shot, a real ancient monastery called the Santa Maria La Real de Valdeiglesias, in Pelayas de la Presa in the Spanish Community of Madrid, are great. The scope and decay of this really added to the movie's creepiness. The reality of the ruins really helps the viewer suspend their disbelief--a band of undead Knights arising in these historic, crumbling ruins seems almost plausible. The juxtaposition of the film's locations works well, too--we go from late 20th century tourist-strewn beach resorts and modern cities to austere, grim, Medieval castles, back and forth. Virginia unrolls a new sleeping bag, and listens to a wireless radio, all the while lying in a stone ruin that's over 500 years old, and really "inhabited" by people who are neither fully alive nor dead. These stark differences are jarring, and slightly disorienting, and therefore, frightening. All of the modern society's technology and culture aren't much help against such an ancient and cruel foe. The film's tone is rather mean and vicious at times, as well. I mentioned before that I thought the rape scene was too much, but the Knights' acts of violence are earned, yet disturbing. The moments of violence are few, but when they are shown they're effective, particularly at the massacre on the train at the end. The movie seems to be a triumph of style and mood over substance.
And then there's the monster in this film, the Blind Dead themselves. They're very eerie looking, with their mostly skeletal frames, grayish hooded cloaks with the red ankh symbol on them, vacant eye sockets, and their still somehow intact facial hair. "Tombs" is often characterized as a zombie movie, but upon reflection this definition of the Knights is problematic. There are many similarities, of course--the Knights are walking, reanimated corpses, that are most dangerous in numbers, and who attack any living person. But other attributes are much more similar to a classic vampire. The Blind Dead aren't mindless like a typical post-Romero zombie. They're able to wield their swords, and ride their horses quite well. Also, like vampires, instead of eating their victims' flesh they just bite them, and then consume the blood, something which seems necessary to their continued existence. Moving on, though, their decayed nature is different from the traditional vampire, who usually can pass for a living person. Writer/director Amando de Ossorio compared them to mummies, and I can see that. Like both vampires and zombies, the Blind Dead are seen to transmit their affliction to their victims, at least in Virginia's case. It's not known if the morgue attendant, or any of the other victims return as the undead, too, but it would make sense if they did. Their active period is vampire-like, although not completely. They are seen to rise from their tombs only at night, even when potential victims are in their castle during the day. This isn't absolute--we see them chase Virginia, and Betty, in daylight without ill effects. (To be fair, this tolerance of daylight is sometimes lacking in the sequels.) The Knights' powers are again similar to a zombie, or a vampire. Bullets are useless against them. Presumably a large edged weapon like a sword or ax could be effective, if one could hack one up before being swarmed by a group of them--but we don't see this. Fire is very effective, though--the only undead creature that's actually destroyed, Virginia, is a victim to flames. Alas, our characters at Berzano don't think to use this method, even though all of them have a portable fire-making device since they're all smokers! But the Knights' most impressive power is their remarkable hearing. It's like the common observation that when people lose a sense, the others are enhanced to make up for it. Because what a wonderful ability this is--even the graboids in "Tremors" or the aliens in "A Quite Place" couldn't hear people's heartbeats! Maybe de Ossorio should have expanded on this, and made the Knights' sense of smell superior too--as in they can smell the fear of their victims. In conclusion, then, I have to give Amando de Ossorio a lot of credit here. He didn't just rip off "Night of the Living Dead"; he was obviously influenced by it, but he gave a new spin on his undead creations. There's a neat historical explanation for them, and the Knights' motivations are explained, and reasonable (I mean, they're evil, of course, but we know why they're doing what they're doing--they want power, and to live forever).
The nature of the Knights' existence also makes me wonder if one of the messages of the movie was an anti-Satanic, Faustian morality tale. Because when you think about it, the Blind Dead really got screwed. They technically received an eternal life, but only technically. They're decayed corpses, who apparently only rise after dark (maybe only on certain days, or if people are nearby?), and they are obsessed only with killing people and drinking their blood. To put it bluntly, they don't appear to be enjoying an eventful existence. Instead, they're basically cursed. So it's like the Devil, or some unnamed evil spiritual power, tricked them into an eternal punishment. You almost feel sorry for them.
Also, one could make the assertion that the Knights' actions in this movie are justified. We know that when they were truly alive they ravaged the countryside, killing virgins for their blood sacrifices, and presumably stealing from and controlling many of the villages and towns in the area. However, this seems to have changed after they were executed. We know that Nina's home town was somewhat close to Berzano, and Pedro and his gang were only six miles away. Both these distances would be easily accessible for beings with war horses. There are tales of victims' bodies being found, but apparently only at Berzano itself. So, in effect, the Knights attack people who have trespassed onto their property. At the end, it's true, they also attack the people on the train, but perhaps only because the train people were aiding a woman who invaded their territory. So, all in all it's a story where the "villains" are the people who defend themselves from home invaders. (And yes, I realize I'm being a little silly here, but I just wanted to explore the movie from a different point of view.) This also makes me wonder--what did the few remaining Knights on the train do at the station? Did they keep killing indiscriminately? As strong as they were, eventually they'd overcome, surely. They didn't have their horses at this point, so did they just awkwardly walk back to Berzano? Part of me wants to think that this absurd scenario did happen.
Other questions remain, too. (Once more, I know the actual explanations are, "It's a movie, these details advanced the story, the budget was limited," etc., I'm just trying to figure out the reason within the story's reality.) For one, what's the deal with the Knights' horses? We see that Roger and Betty's living horses are spooked just being in Berzano, and they run away, so for this and other reasons I think the Knights' steeds are supposed to be undead as well, despite the confusion about their costumes and appearance. So does this mean their horse were executed too? And possibly blinded? If so, it would follow that the horses would need to feed on blood to maintain their unholy existence just like their masters. Maybe de Ossorio should have added a scene where they're shown doing so. Furthermore, if the Knights' horses are undead, why was Virginia able to ride the one that she did? Shouldn't the horse have bucked her off, or attacked her, or at least refuse to run away? Was this horse a renegade, who was then punished or even destroyed by the Knights later?
Other thematic arguments lend themselves well to "Tombs." The Blind Dead, who live in the remote country, are basically against the urban-living humans, who are encroaching on their home. Or there's the technology of modern life. The Blind Dead use simple tools like swords, and horses are their transportation, versus the radios, guns, lighters, and automobiles of the living humans. The attack on the train running past their property is particularly blatant in this way. Perhaps the movie's message is even a screed about how capital punishment causes more problems than it solves, cursing both the living and the dead.
Finally, for the American release of "Tombs" the studio did something utterly ridiculous. They tried to capitalize on the success of the "Planet of the Apes" movie series. Although, as you may recall from my recap, there are absolutely no apes in the movie, regular or super evolved and smart. But nonetheless, a prologue was added which said that apes from another planet came to Earth 3000 years ago, but they were conquered and blinded by people. Therefore, the apes wanted revenge. And the title was changed to "Revenge from Planet Ape." I've seen a lot of comically bizarre advertising campaigns during my long history of watching low budget horror and exploitation movies, but this one has to be the most misleading and absurd.
(END SPOILERS--SAFE FOR ALL READERS) Writer/director Amando de Ossorio had a fairly busy career, all of it within his native Spain's film system. "Tombs" was by far his most famous movie, and it was followed by three sequels--"Return of the Evil Dead" (1973), "The Ghost Galleon" (1974), and "Night of the Seagulls" (1975). Other movies of his include "Grave of the Gunfighter" (1964), "Malenka, the Vampire's Niece" (1969), "Demon Witch Child" (1974), and "The Sea Serpent" (1984). Alas, like a lot of film makers, he often had trouble acquiring even semi-decent budgets for his projects, which thwarted his attempts to make more movies before he died in 2001. If you're curious about my opinions of his famous series, I think "Return of the Evil Dead" is quite good--maybe even better than the original. However, "The Ghost Galleon" was undone by ludicrous special effects and a weak script, and "Night of the Seagulls" was just okay. So I recommend that horror fans check out the first two, and if they really enjoy them maybe also watch the final two entries.
As for the cast, I wasn't familiar with any of them. Mostly because they were almost exclusively active in Spanish movies or television shows, which I haven't seen. (For the record, I have seen some Spanish movies, such as "The Orphanage" (2007), "Belle Epoque" (1992), "[REC]" (2007), "Who Can Kill a Child?" (1976), "Errementari (aka The Blacksmith)" (2017), a couple of Paul Naschy and Jess Franco films, and most of Guillermo Del Toro's Mexican/Spanish productions. Also, of course, the subject of my March 15, 2013 post, "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie" (1974) ). So I'll base some of this on their number of acting credits listed on IMDB. Rufino Ingles (Inspector Oliveira) has the most credits, appearing in 179 films or television shows before his death in 1981. Antonio Orengo (Train Engineer) was in 134 projects in a career lasting from 1964-94. The man who played Professor Candal, Francisco Sanz, appeared in 96 shows or movies from 1964-95. Of the others, Juan Cortes (coroner) and Maria Silva (Maria) were in 87 projects and 73 movies or television shows, respectively. Jose Thelman (Pedro) was in "Return of the Evil Dead" (1973) among his 20 credited rolls. The only actor or actress to work into the 21st century was Lone Fleming (Betty), who also was in "Return of the Evil Dead" (1973) and several projects from 2014-18.
Obviously during this harrowing time of isolation due to the COVID-19 concerns, many of us are cooped up in our residences. So if you want to watch something different, something disturbing yet escapist, I think many horror fans will enjoy "Tombs of the Blind Dead." So follow medical advice on how to limit the spread of the disease, stay safe, and hopefully my posts about weird foods, underappreciated horror movies, and sports can provide some interesting reading during this time.
Some young people--Virginia, Betty, and Roger--are traveling through Portugal to enjoy a weekend camping trip. However, Virginia abruptly becomes upset, and impulsively jumps off the train in a huff, and heads for the small town she saw in the distance. Alas, this town is actually the ruins of a castle, and it's not empty. Betty and Roger try to locate Virginia, and learn disturbing things about the castle. Some explanations about the mystery date back over 500 years, and involve an order of knights who reportedly adapted black magic practices. Before long, the dead have returned, and the bodies start piling up. Will anyone survive?
(SPOILERS AHEAD UNTIL MARKED) After the opening credits, we meet three young people in quick succession--Virginia, Betty, and Roger. Virginia and Betty run into each other at a pool near a beach, and they haven't seen each other in years. Virginia and Roger had planned a weekend camping trip, and Roger pushes for Betty to join them. Betty joins them on the train they'll be traveling on. However, almost immediately Betty and Roger seem to be flirting, which upsets Virginia. In a flashback we see a twist--Virginia isn't jealous about Roger, she's jealous about Betty, since as school girls they had a lesbian relationship.
Virginia wants to leave, but there isn't an official stop coming up. When an attempt to bribe an engineer to stop fails, Virginia jumps off the train with her camping gear. Betty and Roger are clearly alarmed, but the engineer still refuses to stop. Virginia heads to the apparent town she saw from the train, but quickly discovers that it's actually the ruins of a castle. She decides to camp there. While she's falling asleep she's interrupted by undead knights, who rise from their tombs on the castle grounds and attack her. Virginia manages to escape from them, and she also steals one of their horses and rides away. However, near the train tracks she's overwhelmed by her mounted assailants.
Next we see Roger and Betty at a cafe. A waitress explains that the area where Virginia jumped off is an abandoned castle called Berzano. She alludes to disturbing legends about it before clamming up. Meanwhile, the train passes by and the engineers see Virginia's dead body. They don't stop, but they do notify the police at the next station. Roger and Betty take matters into their own hands, and rent horses to ride to Berzano. When they reach it their horses are spooked and flee, and they find some of Virginia's possessions. The police then encounter them, and explain that Virginia's been murdered in some sort of bizarre ritual. Back at her mannequin shop Betty's assistant Nina reveals a bit about Berzano, as she grew up fairly nearby. Nina says the legends were that the knights there conducted evil black magic ceremonies back in ancient times, and even in recent times bodies were occasionally recovered there. At the morgue Virginia's corpse revives, and then kills an attendant. Betty and Roger visit a library and question a local historian, Professor Candal. He tells them the full story, which we see partially in flashback. A group of Templar Knights learned occult practices while on the Crusades in the 13th century. When they returned they attacked towns, and killed virgin girls as a blood sacrifice, which granted them eternal life. But, the Spanish king conquered them and executed them by hanging, during which crows pecked out their eyes.
The police show up and interrogate the Professor, wanting to know about his son, Pedro. Pedro is a smuggler who works near Berzano, and the police think that he murdered Virginia, and used the old Templar legend as a cover up. The undead Virginia then breaks into Betty's business, and attacks Nina. Nina only manages to survive by destroying Virginia using fire.
Roger and Betty locate Pedro, and convince him and his girlfriend Maria to accompany them to Berzano for the night. Pedro gets Betty to walk with him in the ruins, and he brutally rapes her. Right after the old bells ring, and the Knights rise again. They quickly dispatch the knife-wielding Pedro, and Roger's bullets are useless. They mortally wound Roger, who dies after warning Betty to stay quiet to hide from the blind Knights. Alas, after killing Maria the Knights hear Betty's panicked heartbeats, and they advance upon her. As dawn breaks she flees on foot, with the Blind Dead riding after her. This time the engineers stop the train to help her, but some Knights get on, too. It's a bloodbath as the angry dead cut down the engineers and many of the passengers. The train is started again, and makes it to the next town. The conductors and new passengers are stunned at the carnage, while Betty is now grey haired and possibly insane. (The end.)
Before I get into the virtues of "Tombs of the Blind Dead," let's get its faults out of the way. (Also, for brevity's sake I'm going to refer to it as "Tombs" for the rest of this post.) The film was very low-budget, and at times it shows. The actors are okay at best--and kind of inept and hammy at worst. The script has its lapses in logic, too, some of which I'll expand on later. Some of the special effects are good--the Knight's costumes and makeup, for example--but others aren't the strongest, such as the obviously fake body of the sacrificed girl in the flashback sequence. And the rape scene near the end is repulsive, and completely gratuitous. (This scene, as well as the subplot about Betty and Virginia having a lesbian relationship, along with some of the added gore of the sacrifice sequence, was removed in the version sent to the U.S., and in the first case I think this was a better decision.) The story unfolds slowly at times, too, so viewers wanting an exciting, thrill-a-minute movie will surely be disappointed.
But, despite these drawbacks, I feel the film still succeeds overall. One of the major reasons for this is the movie's tone, and setting. The ruins where "Tombs" was largely shot, a real ancient monastery called the Santa Maria La Real de Valdeiglesias, in Pelayas de la Presa in the Spanish Community of Madrid, are great. The scope and decay of this really added to the movie's creepiness. The reality of the ruins really helps the viewer suspend their disbelief--a band of undead Knights arising in these historic, crumbling ruins seems almost plausible. The juxtaposition of the film's locations works well, too--we go from late 20th century tourist-strewn beach resorts and modern cities to austere, grim, Medieval castles, back and forth. Virginia unrolls a new sleeping bag, and listens to a wireless radio, all the while lying in a stone ruin that's over 500 years old, and really "inhabited" by people who are neither fully alive nor dead. These stark differences are jarring, and slightly disorienting, and therefore, frightening. All of the modern society's technology and culture aren't much help against such an ancient and cruel foe. The film's tone is rather mean and vicious at times, as well. I mentioned before that I thought the rape scene was too much, but the Knights' acts of violence are earned, yet disturbing. The moments of violence are few, but when they are shown they're effective, particularly at the massacre on the train at the end. The movie seems to be a triumph of style and mood over substance.
And then there's the monster in this film, the Blind Dead themselves. They're very eerie looking, with their mostly skeletal frames, grayish hooded cloaks with the red ankh symbol on them, vacant eye sockets, and their still somehow intact facial hair. "Tombs" is often characterized as a zombie movie, but upon reflection this definition of the Knights is problematic. There are many similarities, of course--the Knights are walking, reanimated corpses, that are most dangerous in numbers, and who attack any living person. But other attributes are much more similar to a classic vampire. The Blind Dead aren't mindless like a typical post-Romero zombie. They're able to wield their swords, and ride their horses quite well. Also, like vampires, instead of eating their victims' flesh they just bite them, and then consume the blood, something which seems necessary to their continued existence. Moving on, though, their decayed nature is different from the traditional vampire, who usually can pass for a living person. Writer/director Amando de Ossorio compared them to mummies, and I can see that. Like both vampires and zombies, the Blind Dead are seen to transmit their affliction to their victims, at least in Virginia's case. It's not known if the morgue attendant, or any of the other victims return as the undead, too, but it would make sense if they did. Their active period is vampire-like, although not completely. They are seen to rise from their tombs only at night, even when potential victims are in their castle during the day. This isn't absolute--we see them chase Virginia, and Betty, in daylight without ill effects. (To be fair, this tolerance of daylight is sometimes lacking in the sequels.) The Knights' powers are again similar to a zombie, or a vampire. Bullets are useless against them. Presumably a large edged weapon like a sword or ax could be effective, if one could hack one up before being swarmed by a group of them--but we don't see this. Fire is very effective, though--the only undead creature that's actually destroyed, Virginia, is a victim to flames. Alas, our characters at Berzano don't think to use this method, even though all of them have a portable fire-making device since they're all smokers! But the Knights' most impressive power is their remarkable hearing. It's like the common observation that when people lose a sense, the others are enhanced to make up for it. Because what a wonderful ability this is--even the graboids in "Tremors" or the aliens in "A Quite Place" couldn't hear people's heartbeats! Maybe de Ossorio should have expanded on this, and made the Knights' sense of smell superior too--as in they can smell the fear of their victims. In conclusion, then, I have to give Amando de Ossorio a lot of credit here. He didn't just rip off "Night of the Living Dead"; he was obviously influenced by it, but he gave a new spin on his undead creations. There's a neat historical explanation for them, and the Knights' motivations are explained, and reasonable (I mean, they're evil, of course, but we know why they're doing what they're doing--they want power, and to live forever).
The nature of the Knights' existence also makes me wonder if one of the messages of the movie was an anti-Satanic, Faustian morality tale. Because when you think about it, the Blind Dead really got screwed. They technically received an eternal life, but only technically. They're decayed corpses, who apparently only rise after dark (maybe only on certain days, or if people are nearby?), and they are obsessed only with killing people and drinking their blood. To put it bluntly, they don't appear to be enjoying an eventful existence. Instead, they're basically cursed. So it's like the Devil, or some unnamed evil spiritual power, tricked them into an eternal punishment. You almost feel sorry for them.
Also, one could make the assertion that the Knights' actions in this movie are justified. We know that when they were truly alive they ravaged the countryside, killing virgins for their blood sacrifices, and presumably stealing from and controlling many of the villages and towns in the area. However, this seems to have changed after they were executed. We know that Nina's home town was somewhat close to Berzano, and Pedro and his gang were only six miles away. Both these distances would be easily accessible for beings with war horses. There are tales of victims' bodies being found, but apparently only at Berzano itself. So, in effect, the Knights attack people who have trespassed onto their property. At the end, it's true, they also attack the people on the train, but perhaps only because the train people were aiding a woman who invaded their territory. So, all in all it's a story where the "villains" are the people who defend themselves from home invaders. (And yes, I realize I'm being a little silly here, but I just wanted to explore the movie from a different point of view.) This also makes me wonder--what did the few remaining Knights on the train do at the station? Did they keep killing indiscriminately? As strong as they were, eventually they'd overcome, surely. They didn't have their horses at this point, so did they just awkwardly walk back to Berzano? Part of me wants to think that this absurd scenario did happen.
Other questions remain, too. (Once more, I know the actual explanations are, "It's a movie, these details advanced the story, the budget was limited," etc., I'm just trying to figure out the reason within the story's reality.) For one, what's the deal with the Knights' horses? We see that Roger and Betty's living horses are spooked just being in Berzano, and they run away, so for this and other reasons I think the Knights' steeds are supposed to be undead as well, despite the confusion about their costumes and appearance. So does this mean their horse were executed too? And possibly blinded? If so, it would follow that the horses would need to feed on blood to maintain their unholy existence just like their masters. Maybe de Ossorio should have added a scene where they're shown doing so. Furthermore, if the Knights' horses are undead, why was Virginia able to ride the one that she did? Shouldn't the horse have bucked her off, or attacked her, or at least refuse to run away? Was this horse a renegade, who was then punished or even destroyed by the Knights later?
Other thematic arguments lend themselves well to "Tombs." The Blind Dead, who live in the remote country, are basically against the urban-living humans, who are encroaching on their home. Or there's the technology of modern life. The Blind Dead use simple tools like swords, and horses are their transportation, versus the radios, guns, lighters, and automobiles of the living humans. The attack on the train running past their property is particularly blatant in this way. Perhaps the movie's message is even a screed about how capital punishment causes more problems than it solves, cursing both the living and the dead.
Finally, for the American release of "Tombs" the studio did something utterly ridiculous. They tried to capitalize on the success of the "Planet of the Apes" movie series. Although, as you may recall from my recap, there are absolutely no apes in the movie, regular or super evolved and smart. But nonetheless, a prologue was added which said that apes from another planet came to Earth 3000 years ago, but they were conquered and blinded by people. Therefore, the apes wanted revenge. And the title was changed to "Revenge from Planet Ape." I've seen a lot of comically bizarre advertising campaigns during my long history of watching low budget horror and exploitation movies, but this one has to be the most misleading and absurd.
(END SPOILERS--SAFE FOR ALL READERS) Writer/director Amando de Ossorio had a fairly busy career, all of it within his native Spain's film system. "Tombs" was by far his most famous movie, and it was followed by three sequels--"Return of the Evil Dead" (1973), "The Ghost Galleon" (1974), and "Night of the Seagulls" (1975). Other movies of his include "Grave of the Gunfighter" (1964), "Malenka, the Vampire's Niece" (1969), "Demon Witch Child" (1974), and "The Sea Serpent" (1984). Alas, like a lot of film makers, he often had trouble acquiring even semi-decent budgets for his projects, which thwarted his attempts to make more movies before he died in 2001. If you're curious about my opinions of his famous series, I think "Return of the Evil Dead" is quite good--maybe even better than the original. However, "The Ghost Galleon" was undone by ludicrous special effects and a weak script, and "Night of the Seagulls" was just okay. So I recommend that horror fans check out the first two, and if they really enjoy them maybe also watch the final two entries.
As for the cast, I wasn't familiar with any of them. Mostly because they were almost exclusively active in Spanish movies or television shows, which I haven't seen. (For the record, I have seen some Spanish movies, such as "The Orphanage" (2007), "Belle Epoque" (1992), "[REC]" (2007), "Who Can Kill a Child?" (1976), "Errementari (aka The Blacksmith)" (2017), a couple of Paul Naschy and Jess Franco films, and most of Guillermo Del Toro's Mexican/Spanish productions. Also, of course, the subject of my March 15, 2013 post, "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie" (1974) ). So I'll base some of this on their number of acting credits listed on IMDB. Rufino Ingles (Inspector Oliveira) has the most credits, appearing in 179 films or television shows before his death in 1981. Antonio Orengo (Train Engineer) was in 134 projects in a career lasting from 1964-94. The man who played Professor Candal, Francisco Sanz, appeared in 96 shows or movies from 1964-95. Of the others, Juan Cortes (coroner) and Maria Silva (Maria) were in 87 projects and 73 movies or television shows, respectively. Jose Thelman (Pedro) was in "Return of the Evil Dead" (1973) among his 20 credited rolls. The only actor or actress to work into the 21st century was Lone Fleming (Betty), who also was in "Return of the Evil Dead" (1973) and several projects from 2014-18.
Obviously during this harrowing time of isolation due to the COVID-19 concerns, many of us are cooped up in our residences. So if you want to watch something different, something disturbing yet escapist, I think many horror fans will enjoy "Tombs of the Blind Dead." So follow medical advice on how to limit the spread of the disease, stay safe, and hopefully my posts about weird foods, underappreciated horror movies, and sports can provide some interesting reading during this time.
Saturday, March 14, 2020
Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--More Sausages, Mostly Viennas
As I've done many times previously, this is an expansion of an earlier post. Back on December 23, 2017 I tried several kinds of canned sausages, from the Banner, Beverly, and Prairie Belt brands. Today I'll be discussing three more--Armour's Vienna sausages, Libby's Vienna sausages, and Carmela's chicken sausages. All of them I found at my local Shop Rite supermarket.
The definition of what constitutes a Vienna sausage varies depending on where you are. In Europe it refers to a type of sausage that's usually made from beef and pork, and stuffed into a sheep's intestinal casing. It's traditionally parboiled and later smoked. The sausages themselves are usually longer and thinner than the common "hot dog" or frankfurter. Alternate names include wiener, wurstchen, and Frankfurter wurstl.
Meanwhile in North America it's not a link sausage, but instead is a smaller, shorter, canned wiener, that's usually been smoked. This variant dates back to the very early 1900's. In the 1950's the usual casing was removed, although there's still a skin to hold everything in. Vienna sausages were very popular in the 1940's up until the 1970's, but since then they've been in decline. They're also commonly eaten as an appetizer type snack, and are sometimes referred to as "cocktail wieners." Or basically, mini hot dogs you enjoy while having some drinks.
The Armour company is an important one in American cuisine history. Started in 1867 by Philip Danforth Armour, the company was the most important business in Chicago, Illinois by the 1880's, the leader in that city's immense meat packing industry. However, Armour was bought up by various other companies over the years, and as of 2018 this brand is owned by ConAgra. Famous writer Dale Carnegie, who's book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" (1936) was tremendously successful, and started the self-improvement book genre, was at one time a top Armour salesman. Famous musician Stevie Nicks, known for being part of the band Fleetwood Mac, and her solo work, has a connection, too--her father Jess was the president of Armour in the 1970's. Finally, on the negative side, Armour had a reputation of being particularly against labor unions, and for reportedly selling rotted meat to the U.S. Army in the Spanish American War (1898).
Libby's was also an important 19th century stalwart of Chicago, beginning in 1869 as Libby, McNeill, & Libby (after founders Arthur Libby, Archibald McNeill, and Charles Libby). They specialized in corned beef (see my "Bully Beef" post on February 23, 2019 for more information on that food type). Like Armour, in the 20th century Libby's was acquired by other companies. In this case, different companies own different parts--some own the canned meat line, some their canned vegetable line, some their official trademark, etc. The canned meat line, which clearly puts out their Vienna sausages, is also owned by ConAgra. Other flavors of Vienna sausages include chicken and Hawaiian.
Carmela, on the other hand, is relatively new, and based in Puerto Rico. Alas, I wasn't able to locate an official company website, so my data is sparse. The company started in 1963, but since 2006 has been a brand in the Century Packing Corporation. Aside from the chicken sausage I had, they also market other cured, smoked, and canned meats, and imported rice and frozen meals.
1) Armour Vienna sausages, original flavor: Came in a small 4.6 ounce (130 gram) can. Inside were seven tiny, pink colored hot dogs, basically. These cylinders were about 1.75 inches by .75 inches (about 4 cm. by 2 cm.) with a .75 inch (about 2 cm.) diameter. They had a soft, wet texture, as they were canned with some water. Plain they tasted like a hot dog. With Taco Bell hot sauce on them they were better--the spice zing helped. So they were alright overall.
2) Libby's Vienna sausages: These were made with chicken, beef, and pork, and were marinating in a
chicken broth, which I drained. The can size, number of sausages, and color of them was the same as the Armour kind, and the texture was identical, too. The flavor was slightly different--a bit plastic-y, with a spicy aftertaste. Once again, these tasted like a tiny hot dog. They tasted alright plain, but better with the Taco Bell sauce. I probably should have tested to see if I could tell them apart from the Armour kind--I don't know that I could have.
3) Carmela chicken sausages: Their container was 142 grams/5 ounces. The seven sausages inside were slightly thinner than the previous kinds. They also were easier to remove from the can, as they separated a little better. Their color was a bit different too--a bit more reddish. Also, the skin was thicker. However, the taste was very reminiscent of the others, both plain and with the Taco Bell sauce. These maybe had a kind of negative aftertaste, but overall, all three of these brands were essentially the same.
To sum up, then, if you like hot dogs in general, you'll probably like these. Given their small size they're probably best as a snack, perhaps with cocktails if that's your preference.
The definition of what constitutes a Vienna sausage varies depending on where you are. In Europe it refers to a type of sausage that's usually made from beef and pork, and stuffed into a sheep's intestinal casing. It's traditionally parboiled and later smoked. The sausages themselves are usually longer and thinner than the common "hot dog" or frankfurter. Alternate names include wiener, wurstchen, and Frankfurter wurstl.
Meanwhile in North America it's not a link sausage, but instead is a smaller, shorter, canned wiener, that's usually been smoked. This variant dates back to the very early 1900's. In the 1950's the usual casing was removed, although there's still a skin to hold everything in. Vienna sausages were very popular in the 1940's up until the 1970's, but since then they've been in decline. They're also commonly eaten as an appetizer type snack, and are sometimes referred to as "cocktail wieners." Or basically, mini hot dogs you enjoy while having some drinks.
The Armour company is an important one in American cuisine history. Started in 1867 by Philip Danforth Armour, the company was the most important business in Chicago, Illinois by the 1880's, the leader in that city's immense meat packing industry. However, Armour was bought up by various other companies over the years, and as of 2018 this brand is owned by ConAgra. Famous writer Dale Carnegie, who's book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" (1936) was tremendously successful, and started the self-improvement book genre, was at one time a top Armour salesman. Famous musician Stevie Nicks, known for being part of the band Fleetwood Mac, and her solo work, has a connection, too--her father Jess was the president of Armour in the 1970's. Finally, on the negative side, Armour had a reputation of being particularly against labor unions, and for reportedly selling rotted meat to the U.S. Army in the Spanish American War (1898).
Libby's was also an important 19th century stalwart of Chicago, beginning in 1869 as Libby, McNeill, & Libby (after founders Arthur Libby, Archibald McNeill, and Charles Libby). They specialized in corned beef (see my "Bully Beef" post on February 23, 2019 for more information on that food type). Like Armour, in the 20th century Libby's was acquired by other companies. In this case, different companies own different parts--some own the canned meat line, some their canned vegetable line, some their official trademark, etc. The canned meat line, which clearly puts out their Vienna sausages, is also owned by ConAgra. Other flavors of Vienna sausages include chicken and Hawaiian.
Carmela, on the other hand, is relatively new, and based in Puerto Rico. Alas, I wasn't able to locate an official company website, so my data is sparse. The company started in 1963, but since 2006 has been a brand in the Century Packing Corporation. Aside from the chicken sausage I had, they also market other cured, smoked, and canned meats, and imported rice and frozen meals.
1) Armour Vienna sausages, original flavor: Came in a small 4.6 ounce (130 gram) can. Inside were seven tiny, pink colored hot dogs, basically. These cylinders were about 1.75 inches by .75 inches (about 4 cm. by 2 cm.) with a .75 inch (about 2 cm.) diameter. They had a soft, wet texture, as they were canned with some water. Plain they tasted like a hot dog. With Taco Bell hot sauce on them they were better--the spice zing helped. So they were alright overall.
2) Libby's Vienna sausages: These were made with chicken, beef, and pork, and were marinating in a
chicken broth, which I drained. The can size, number of sausages, and color of them was the same as the Armour kind, and the texture was identical, too. The flavor was slightly different--a bit plastic-y, with a spicy aftertaste. Once again, these tasted like a tiny hot dog. They tasted alright plain, but better with the Taco Bell sauce. I probably should have tested to see if I could tell them apart from the Armour kind--I don't know that I could have.
3) Carmela chicken sausages: Their container was 142 grams/5 ounces. The seven sausages inside were slightly thinner than the previous kinds. They also were easier to remove from the can, as they separated a little better. Their color was a bit different too--a bit more reddish. Also, the skin was thicker. However, the taste was very reminiscent of the others, both plain and with the Taco Bell sauce. These maybe had a kind of negative aftertaste, but overall, all three of these brands were essentially the same.
To sum up, then, if you like hot dogs in general, you'll probably like these. Given their small size they're probably best as a snack, perhaps with cocktails if that's your preference.
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--3 More Kinds of Beans
A little over a year ago, on January 15, 2019, I did a post about some different and obscure varieties of beans--specifically, yellow eye, soldier and Jacob's cattle beans. I also discussed lupini beans on September 15, 2018. Today I thought I'd try this again with a new batch, which I picked up at my local Shop Rite supermarket. So it'll be small white beans, pink beans, and Roman beans for this post.
Roman beans go by many titles, including borlatti, rosecoco, cranberry, and Saluggia. Oddly, though, they were first developed in the South American country of Columbia. However, this bean is synonymous with Italy because they became particularly popular there in the early 1900's. They resemble pinto beans, only bigger. Also, pre-cooked they have a distinctive white background with red specks pattern. (They become a dull pinkish-brown after cooking.) Roman beans are often used in soups, in chili, or are baked. Saluggia, Italy is apparently best known for two very diverse things--this type of bean, and being the location of nuclear waste storage sites.
Pink beans are very popular in Mexico, the southwestern part of the U.S., and the Caribbean. They are sometimes called Santa Maria pinquitos, since they're a major part of barbecue dishes from that valley in California. Pink beans are similar in size to great northern beans and pinto beans, and as the name suggests, have a pinkish-brown hue. Consumers often put them in chilis, or make them into refried beans.
Small white beans also go by many monikers, such as haricot, pearl haricot, pea, Boston, and navy beans. The last name is the most common, and they got it after they were begun to be served to sailors in the U.S. Navy starting in the mid-1800's. Small white beans are sometimes confused with white kidney beans and great northern beans. As far as preparation goes they are most often baked.
All these beans, like beans in general, are quite nutritious. I'm sure many folks call them a "Super Food." Vegetarians and vegans especially prize them because they're a good source of non-animal derived protein. They also have some iron and potassium, and a decent amount of dietary fiber.
The manufacturer for all of these beans was the same, Goya. For a background on that company, please consult my post on May 25, 2016, which was about Brazilian cookies, and my post about Spanish cookies on January 6, 2018. I won't bother to repeat myself, so at this point I'll just move to the beans' reviews.
1) Goya small white beans: All of the beans I'll discuss came in 15.5 ounce/439 gram cans. These beans were an off-white color, although I thought they were more medium-sized than small. Cold, out of the can they tasted like regular beans--no more, no less. Mixed in with some Taco Bell Nachos Bell Grande they tasted much better, as the flavor combination of the beans with nacho chips/crisps, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, etc. was quite winning.
2) Goya pink beans: These were a reddish hue, and were noticeably bigger than the small white kind. Plain and cold they were a bit fleshier and meatier than the white ones, but they once again pretty much tasted like regular beans. And as with the previous, mixed in with the Nachos Bell Grande was a marked improvement.
3) Goya Roman beans: Since they'd obviously been cooked before the canning process, they had their boring pinkish-brown cooked color rather than the cool white-with-red-speckles pattern. They were even bigger than the pink beans. Once again, the taste when eaten cold was fairly typical and pedestrian, although their bigger, fuller flavor did make them the best of the bunch. And like the others they were significantly tastier when added to the Nachos Bell Grande.
Therefore, to sum up, all of these were decent beans. If you like beans in general, I think you'll probably enjoy these, too.
Roman beans go by many titles, including borlatti, rosecoco, cranberry, and Saluggia. Oddly, though, they were first developed in the South American country of Columbia. However, this bean is synonymous with Italy because they became particularly popular there in the early 1900's. They resemble pinto beans, only bigger. Also, pre-cooked they have a distinctive white background with red specks pattern. (They become a dull pinkish-brown after cooking.) Roman beans are often used in soups, in chili, or are baked. Saluggia, Italy is apparently best known for two very diverse things--this type of bean, and being the location of nuclear waste storage sites.
Pink beans are very popular in Mexico, the southwestern part of the U.S., and the Caribbean. They are sometimes called Santa Maria pinquitos, since they're a major part of barbecue dishes from that valley in California. Pink beans are similar in size to great northern beans and pinto beans, and as the name suggests, have a pinkish-brown hue. Consumers often put them in chilis, or make them into refried beans.
Small white beans also go by many monikers, such as haricot, pearl haricot, pea, Boston, and navy beans. The last name is the most common, and they got it after they were begun to be served to sailors in the U.S. Navy starting in the mid-1800's. Small white beans are sometimes confused with white kidney beans and great northern beans. As far as preparation goes they are most often baked.
All these beans, like beans in general, are quite nutritious. I'm sure many folks call them a "Super Food." Vegetarians and vegans especially prize them because they're a good source of non-animal derived protein. They also have some iron and potassium, and a decent amount of dietary fiber.
The manufacturer for all of these beans was the same, Goya. For a background on that company, please consult my post on May 25, 2016, which was about Brazilian cookies, and my post about Spanish cookies on January 6, 2018. I won't bother to repeat myself, so at this point I'll just move to the beans' reviews.
1) Goya small white beans: All of the beans I'll discuss came in 15.5 ounce/439 gram cans. These beans were an off-white color, although I thought they were more medium-sized than small. Cold, out of the can they tasted like regular beans--no more, no less. Mixed in with some Taco Bell Nachos Bell Grande they tasted much better, as the flavor combination of the beans with nacho chips/crisps, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, etc. was quite winning.
2) Goya pink beans: These were a reddish hue, and were noticeably bigger than the small white kind. Plain and cold they were a bit fleshier and meatier than the white ones, but they once again pretty much tasted like regular beans. And as with the previous, mixed in with the Nachos Bell Grande was a marked improvement.
3) Goya Roman beans: Since they'd obviously been cooked before the canning process, they had their boring pinkish-brown cooked color rather than the cool white-with-red-speckles pattern. They were even bigger than the pink beans. Once again, the taste when eaten cold was fairly typical and pedestrian, although their bigger, fuller flavor did make them the best of the bunch. And like the others they were significantly tastier when added to the Nachos Bell Grande.
Therefore, to sum up, all of these were decent beans. If you like beans in general, I think you'll probably enjoy these, too.
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