Tag Archives: Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub

Halloween Horror Fest Experience

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ParaNorman (2012)

It’s not all full-on mature scares here at the Virtual Hot Tub.  Sometimes it’s fun to watch something that, although definitely supernatural, isn’t strictly horror.  ParaNorman is one such movie. ParaNorman

This animated spectacle is based around a young boy named Norman, who can see (and interact with) the dead.  His uncanny abilities, however, make him a figure of derision amongst others, not to mention being a concern to his family.  Norman’s estranged uncle sets him on a quest to remedy a witch’s curse on their home town, before the dead rise and they all face a grim end…

ParaNorman is beautifully designed and animated, making the whole film a real visual treat.  The characters are great fun, and there’s a decent moral to the tale.  Norman is certainly an outsider, though all the characters are faced with overcoming their prejudices.  There’s certainly enough strange and supernatural phenomena here for this to be suitable Halloween viewing – however I wouldn’t recommend this for very young viewers.  It’s a PG and some of the scenes are somewhat gruesome…

A real feast for the eyes, and a good fun tale to boot!

8/10

Ale Satan!

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It’s time for a Halloween themed tipple at the Virtual Hot Tub, and what could be better than this fine craft beer?

ALE SATAN is from Legion 13, an alternative brand created by Hannibal Helmuerto and Anastasia the IV of Circus of Horrors fame.  You may remember my feature on the last time Mrs Platinum Al and myself visited the circus… P_20141108_150949

The beer is brewed at 6.66%, and is guaranteed to “make you feel devilish”!  It’s a tasty pale ale, which despite it’s strength is actually very enjoyable.  Straight from the bottle, it was quite a lively brew.  It’s described as “stronger than Anastasias’s hair”, and “subtly hopped”.

We ordered a few bottle for last years Halloween shenanigans.  Unfortunately the delivery turned up late, but I forgave them as there were some very cool stickers in the box.  I love stickers!  Especially as the artwork (for the label and stickers etc) were designed by the great Vince Ray, one of my favourite artists.  His style is a perfect match for this brand!

Ale Satan is a mischievous beer with lots of character.  Ideal for any Halloween party, your guests will love it!

The Legion 13 website is here.

Halloween Horror Fest from the Black Lagoon

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Yes, you guessed it – more mini reviews of scary movies for the month of October.  As always Halloween is a big deal at the Virtual Hot Tub; we’ve started watching horror films already.  And why not?  Seeing as there’s already Christmas stuff in the shops, I want to (in the words of Alice Cooper) keep Halloween alive…

The Fog (1980)

The town of Antonio Bay is about to celebrate the one hundred year anniversary of its founding.  Yet the towns folk don’t know that their home was built with gold stolen from a ship that was deliberately wrecked.  The fog rolls in and the ghostly crew return, to seek revenge against those who conspired against them all those years ago.

John Carpenter created another horror classic with this film.  Although knocking on a bit, this movie still has some jumps, some gore and oodles of atmosphere.  The concept itself is great, and executed superbly as the fog – and the gruesome undead – take over the small town.

 fog

There’s not much character development or background, but decent performances from Jamie Lee Curtis and her mum, Janet Leigh.  Not to mention Adrienne Barbeau as honey voiced DJ Stevie; watching helplessly from a lighthouse as the mist creeps in towards her home in the distance, her young son waiting…

I hadn’t seen this film for a few years, and forgotten a lot of the detail.  It was refreshing to view it again and appreciate just how good it is.  Not quite up there with The Thing or Halloween, but definitely another cracker from Carpenter.  The Fog is worth your time.

8/10

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Universal unleashed their last classic monster on the silver screen with this gem.  Originally filmed as a 3D feature, Creature from the Black Lagoon gives us the first appearance of the iconic Gill Man.  This genuine old school monochrome piece of art has it all – adventure, mystery, murder and mayhem.

A team of scientists in the Amazon discover some strange fossils, and explore a remote lagoon to learn more.  There they encounter the Creature of the title, a long lost evolutionary throw back – a fish man from another time.  The expedition’s encounter leads to an attempt to capture the Gill Man, who has developed a crush on the sole female in their team (Julie Adams).  The scientific interlopers are bumped off one by one, the tables are turned and the Gill Man claims his prize…

cfbl

This movie really is a blast from the past.  The story is gripping and retains the viewers attention throughout.  Some of the sequences are still very creepy, in particular when the Creature is gliding through the water, observing but unseen by the swimming girl above.  It’s these scenes where the humans are out of their natural element, and in the domain of their nemesis, that still hold the most power.

If you’re a fan of monster movies, like me, then you must see this film (if you haven’t already).  The Creature from the Black Lagoon has cool photography, is well written, and has that brilliant creature design.  It’s B-movie heaven.

8/10

Disclaimer

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It’s about time I covered a few items, in order to explain how this blog works.  I know this isn’t much fun, but it needs to be done.  Please note that this list is not exhaustive; I may amend or add to this list at any time that suits me.

The points below refer to my WordPress blog, “Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub” (“Virtual Hot Tub” or “blog”):

  1. All views and opinions expressed on this blog are my own and do not represent the views and opinions of my employer or previous employers.  I do not refer to my employer by name on this blog for this reason.  Please do not mention the name of my employer (current or previous) in any correspondence.
  2. Photographs of subjects are taken with the person’s verbal consent only.  If you object to your image being used on this website, please let me know and I will remove it.  Proof of identity may be requested for any removal.
  3. Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub is not responsible for any injuries you may receive, or loss of any kind (including financial) whilst participating in any of our featured activities.
  4. Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub receives no remuneration/compensation from featured venues or events.
  5. Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub and Platinum Al’s Virtual Tiki Bar are “virtual” locations and do not exist in real time or space.

Hope that’s cleared a few things up.

Tat Trek Update #4: Eric Bristow Mug

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In a secret underground facility near Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub can be found my Museum de Tat.  Regular readers will be aware of some of the wonders to be found here.  It’s time to visit once again…

This time I have an absolute classic, which has been in my possession for a long time.

Item: Eric Bristow “The Crafty Cockney” Mug

Description: a standard mug (drinking receptacle) bearing the image of darts playing legend, and “geezer” – Eric Bristow.  Emblazoned with Eric’s nom de guerre “The Crafty Cockney” and a dartboard (not shown) on the reverse. IMG_2793

Cost: Free (it was a gift).

Reason for buying: I didn’t buy it, it was a gift.

This fantastic item actually dates back to my time as a student.  Whilst collecting household items for my first student house (way back in the 1990’s), my Granddad donated a few pieces to help out.  All students have wacky novelty mugs, usually cartoon characters and the like.  None matched the sheer randomness of my Eric Bristow mug, however.  This cup became my standard – my symbol – amongst the student kitchen chaos.

An unusual item for someone who doesn’t drink hot beverages, perhaps.  Cool mug though, thanks to my Granddad!

If you own a tacky novelty mug, feel free to let me know about it.

Star Wars Day – X-Wing Fighter Photos

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Happy Star Wars Day!

It’s the 4th of May, and to celebrate Star Wars Day I thought I’d share with you some photos of something from my toy collection.  I’ve been collecting Star ars figures since I was five years old (a very long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away).  So it’s about time I featured some of those toys at the Virtual Hot Tub.  And what better time than now?

We have here a fairly recent item, Hasbro’s X-Wing Fighter released in 2013.  This was an exclusive for Toys R Us stores, luckily we got it in the UK too.  Any fan can tell straight away that this is actually Biggs Darklighter’s ship that he flew in the Battle of Yavin.  Biggs was Luke Skywalker’s childhood friend from Tatooine, though the assualt on the Death Star in Episode IV would be his last mission.

Box image
The toy

This item was release when Hasbro were re-visiting the classic packaging desing from the 70’s/80’s with their Vintage line.  It nicely mimics the original box artwork, but is updated with new shots.

The ship itself is a joy.  Nicely recreated in plastic, with loads of detail and nice features.  The wings open into attack position; the landing gear deploys and hides away nicely; and there’s even a hidden proton torpedo for if you get close enough to the exhaust port.  This X-Wing is larger than the original toy from years gone by, and more accurate in scale.

My absolute favourite feature of this ship is in the cockpit.  Yes, the targeting computer pulls forward and into position for the pilot to use the view finder!  Awesome.

Also shown here is the Biggs Darklighter action figure from the 2013 Black Series.  He’s a nice sculpt, though as I already owned a previous (very good) rendition of this figure I nearly didn’t buy him.  I’m glad I did – the older version doesn’t fit in the X-Wing cockpit, but this newer one does.  Removable helmet too!

Biggs figure before I opened it…

To finish things off, I added R2-Q2 – the droid who flew with Biggs in the Death Star attack.  There’s a handy slot behind the cockpit for rhis R2 unit to fit into.  R2-Q2 is from the 2006 Astromech Droid Pack Series 1.  He’s had a long wait for his ride to show up.

I waited a while to pick this ship up, and eventually the price came down in TRU.  It would have been worth paying full whack for though.

Enjoy Star Wars Day everybody.  May the Force be with you!

New Year Resolutions

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Another year, another chill sesh in the Virtual Hot Tub!

It’s customary at this time of year to make resolutions, usually as we regret the binging over Christmas and promise not to be so greedy in future.  Fair enough, I feel that pain.  And I applaud anyone who wants to make a change for the better.

I do have a small problem with resolutions being so very negative, however.  It’s all “I must not do this” and “no to that”, and so on.  I think it’s much better to have a positive outlook on these things.  So instead of “I’m not eating junk food”, try “I’m going to eat healthier”.  Or “I’m going to reduce the amount of alcohol I drink”, rather than “I’m not drinking at all”.  Make your resolutions a goal, rather than a restriction.

This way, any minor relapses can be balanced out, rather than becoming a failure and evolving into an excuse to fall back into old, unhealthy ways.

But then, don’t take too much notice of Platinum Al – I’m not giving up anything!  Why would you, with your own Virtual Hot Tub and Tiki Bar??!

I am, however, intending to do the following this year:

  1. Play music.  I listen to music all the time, constantly doing my music homework.  I think it’s about time I actually played some music though.  There’s a guitar and bass in the garage that haven’t been touched for years.  Maybe it’s time to start playing a little.  Practice a few tunes.  I might even start a band!!!
  2. Skateboard more.  In 2014 I was rolling a hell of a lot more than the past few years.  But let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger.  I need to skate as much as I can while I can.  So whether I’m doing tricks or just cruising on the longboard, I intend to get out and skate.  Weather permitting.
  3. Buy some more hats.  Top of the list are a bowler hat; a sea captain’s hat and a Native American head dress.  I like hats.

So there you go – let’s see how those little goals I’ve set develop over the coming months.

Thanks again to all who read, follow and contribute to Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub.  I really do appreciate it!  Your comments and feedback make it all worthwhile.  So stick with me, there’s lots to come in 2015.  All the usual garbage you’d expect, plus possibly a few new areas too…

Here’s to a happy and prosperous 2015 – have a blast, everyone!

Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub – 2014 in review

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Happy New Year to all my readers!

Thank you for taking the time in 2014 to pay a visit to Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub.  Your support, advice and interest have made this all worth while.

Take a look at the report below, to see some of the exciting stats for the past year.  No really, it is interesting!

Thanks again, and stay tuned for more fun in 2015!

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 8,500 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Ode to a Lost Companion

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Ode to a Lost Companion

Constant

We were never apart,

You and I

Together we travelled and explored

Inseparable

Always together, always ready

To fill each moment with sound

And vision

And colour

To bring life to the mundane

To make each event a scene from a film

With a soundtrack tailored,

Individual.

You coloured my world

Gave rainbows their shine

Made the boring bearable

Helped conquer steep climbs

And gave me an obsession

 

Now you’re gone.

The music has stopped ipod

And truly,

You are irreplaceable.

 

This poem is dedicated to my iPod, constant friend and companion for the last seven years.  You will be missed.

Jenna Jameson Visits the Virtual Hot Tub!

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There was a very special guest today at Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub.  A very special lady who I’m sure you will all be familiar with.

Yes, it’s the one and only, internationally famed adult super star Jenna Jameson!

Ms Jameson very kindly accepted my invitation to my Virtual Halloween Hot Tub party, and I was over joyed to welcome her.  Jenna looked fabulous in her sexy rubber witch dress, and had a fabulous time sipping cocktails and doing the Monster Mash.

Well not really, this is actually my Jenna Jameson Halloween action figure – but virtually anything can happen at the Virtual Hot Tub!

This Jenna figure has a broom stick and pumpkin to complement her revealing black dress.  She’s on a stand that features more Jack O’Lanterns and is adorned proudly with her name.

It’s a very cool figure, with amazing detail right down to the intricate tattoos.  And this ain’t no Barbie doll – Jenna is anatomically correct.  So if her dress and panties are removed, intimate details are revealed…

Anyway, a suitable spooky action figure for Halloween, I’m sure you’ll agree! P_20141030_140256