Dust off those cobwebs and grab your chainsaw guitar, it's time to get down and dirty with Wednesday 13.
The tone of this album is grim and serious. This is straightforward metal, with snarling guitar riffs, Joesph Poole's scratchy Alice Copper-esque vocals, and drums that go straight for the jugular. The lyrics are sometimes bitter, sometimes just mean, but always aggressive. This guy's obviously got a chip on his shoulder the size of a coffin.
The album kicks of with "What The Night Brings", featuring an undeniable influence of Rob Zombie, which suits this Scarecrow just fine. From here on out, we are treated to some no-nonsense rockers that, while making no discernible attempts at being radio-friendly rock pop, still manage to be incredibly catchy and memorable. There's just enough double-bass pounding to get your blood pumping through most of the songs. The title track slows the tempo but by no means does it let up on the grimness. The same goes for "Death Infinity", the final haunting grinder on the album.
If you're looking for a dark & heavy album this Halloween that's more business in the front than party in the back, check this one out.
"IT" is "Stand By Me" with horror elements. That's it, that's the review. Now go watch it.
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Ok ok. It may be an oversimplification, but there are unmistakable similarities between the two Stephen King movies. Furthermore, it is the themes that the two have in common that elevates this film to its greatness. Yes IT is about an unknown evil force terrorizing and kidnapping children. Yes this force often manifests itself as a clown. But Stephen King's "IT" is a multi-genre story, and it would be a mistake to walk into the theater expecting a straight horror movie.
At its heart, IT tells the tale of a group of young boys who simply want to have a fun Summer, but are forced to defend themselves against a variety of threats that surround them. Though Pennywise the dancing clown is of course the iconic poster villain, the dangers actually come in many forms; not all of them supernatural.
Jaeden Lieberher plays Bill, a boy who is haunted by the disappearance of his younger brother Georgie (another instantly recognizable character with his yellow raincoat and paper boat, played by an adorable Jackson Robert Scott). Joined by his friends Richie (Finn Wolfhard); Stan (Wyatt Oleff), and Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), they form what they call "The Loser's Club". Later members of said club include Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), Mike (Chosen Jacobs), and Beverly (Sophia Lillis).
As large as the circle of friends become, everyone is written to be very memorable. In fact, it's the heart and soul that went into these characters that makes IT such a special movie. Yes, everyone could be whittled down to their characteristics; Bill stutters, Eddie has an inhaler, Ben is the fat kid, etc. but these are by no means the walking, talking paper cut-outs meant to be antagonist-fodder that you would find in your ordinary "horror" movie. That's because this isn't the antagonist's story; it's the kids' story.
Although it's difficult to decide who the bigger nemesis is here; Pennywise the killer clown (played by a delightfully deranged Bill Skarsgard) or Henry, the sociopathic bully (a role absolutely owned by Nicholoas Hamilton). Both are malevolent forces seeking to terrorize the children. Both appear to take great enjoyment in filling their victims with fear. And both don't seem even the slightest bit concerned with any lines that they may cross in order to achieve this, up-to-and-including murder.
The frightening situations that our protagonists' enemies create for them range from spine-chilling to disturbing, depending on the nature of the threat. For example, there is a scene involving a haunted house in which Pennywise unleashes an assortment of horrifying situations for the boys. They respond, as any kid would, by screaming and panicking. On the other hand, Beverly's dad acts in such a quietly despicable way that it is equally unsettling.
IT is a coming-of-age story, a comedy, a mystery, a romance and a horror all rolled into one epic journey. The fact that the movie takes its time familiarizing us with its characters makes the story all the more rewarding to experience. We see the inner-workings of the loser's club; their bonding, their struggles, their disagreements. Our sympathy for the characters make the threats they face hold more weight. And that's what makes this movie so special.
Disclaimer: When it comes to the infamous debate of Freddy vs. Jason, this review comes from the perspective of someone who is firmly in the "Elm Street" camp. I grew up fascinated by the surreal settings of the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise, as well as Freddy Kruger's sadistic wit. While I didn't hate the Friday The 13th series, Jason's silence and the stalk-kill sequences did nothing for me.
The reason I bring this up is because, while many fans felt burned by the goofy direction this movie took the series, I delighted in it. Therefore I think it deserves to be mentioned that, if you are a fan of the Friday the 13th series, there is a good chance that this film will piss you off.
Jason X comes off like a fan fiction done extremely right. I say this because pretty much everything about it screams "unofficial". Not necessarily in terms of quality, just the "stand-alone" and "spin-off" vibe that it gives off. For example: when we last saw Jason, he literally went to Hell. Yet when this movie begins, he is in the custody of the Government. How did Jason escape Hell? Why is there a research facility at Crystal Lake? How did the military manage to chain up Jason Voorhees? The movie gives exactly zero fucks in explaining any of this.
Right off the bat, Jason, played by Kane Hodder, escapes (again; how? No fucks given) and murders just about everyone in the facility. Scientist Rowan LaFontaine (Lexa Doig) manages to freeze him in a cryogenic pod, but not before he sticks both the pod and her with his machete, freezing both of them and causing the room to automatically seal.
455 years later, they are found by a professor and his students on some kind of Science field trip. Jason and Rowen get taken back to the shop, Rowen gets thawed out and Jason gets taken to the morgue. Yes there's a morgue on the ship, just go with it. Of course Jason wakes up, as Jason does, and begins murdering the ever-loving hell out of anything that moves. As Jason does.
Oh but the plot synopsis does not even begin to properly capture the delicious absurdity of this movie. You see, while Director James Isaac may not have been as obvious with making the material as meta as, say, the Scream franchise (a character doesn't just list out the rules, for example), there are definite winks to the audience. You get the impression that they realized the weight of Jason X's ridiculous premise, and consciously decided to fully embrace it. In my opinion this was the right call. I can't imagine taking the idea of Jason being in space too seriously.
The script, the acting, the dialogue, etc. all reflect this less-then-serious route. Sometimes it manifests in off-the-wall humor; other times it's the self-referential scenes that unabashedly poke fun at slasher tropes. From the sleazy professor trying to entice Jason with riches or fame, to the dominatrix android, to nanotechnology reconstructing Jason as a cyborg (called "Uber Jason), this Friday the 13th wears its campiness like a badge.
That's not to say that common themes of the series aren't present. Jason is still an unstoppable killing machine that can't be reasoned with. The teenagers are still horny. The kills are still gruesome. There is even a scene that takes place in a holographic Crystal Lake.
As I said in the beginning, I enjoy the wit of Freddy Kruger more than the stoic silence of Jason. Perhaps that's why this movie felt so off to so many long time Friday fans; it almost felt like the tone came from the Elm Street series. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this flick. I'm not saying that Jason X is a great movie. But I am saying that it's a great bad movie. If that's what you're into then sit down, grab some popcorn, and let the bodies hit the floor.
Kreator never got as much recognition as Metallica or Slayer when it came to metal, but they sure as hell should have. This German thrash group has been around since the early 80s, and have the massive catalog of albums to prove it.
That said, this album sounds exactly like how you'd expect a veteran group to sound when they decide to make a killer thrash metal album. It sounds fucking awesome. Gods Of violence isn't just some random title; the first song opens with a symphonic-like battle hymn to let you know right away what the theme of the album is going to be. Once they've introduced themselves, the band unleashes an epic journey of war, destruction and glory.
Though the intensity of the shredding guitars, pounding drums and screaming vocals may be pulverizing to the eardrums, Kreator have made an album that rewards close attention. There are some really good melodies underneath the crushing power. Besides this, many of the songs have some rather catchy hooks that stick with you, such as "Satan Is Real" or the title track.
If you're interested in owning a physical copy of the album. there are several packages to choose from the album's label "Nuclear Blast" official website. The music is available on cd or various colored vinyl. Certain packages include a dvd, a digibook and a t-shirt.
Ever since my dad introduced me to the first Phantasm, way back in nineteen-eighty... something... I've been a huge PHAN of the Phantasm franchise. So yes, this review is extremely biased.
But how could it not be? It's the fifth film in a franchise that prides itself on being abstract, dreamlike and intentionally confusing with its story. One needs to be at least semi-familiar with the lore in order to even begin to understand what's going on here. I really want to emphasize that this is absolutely NOT the place for newcomers to start with the series. Go back and watch the previous moves, IN ORDER.
In general, the series follows two main protagonists; Mike, played by A. Michael Baldwin, and Reggie, played by Reggie Bannister. Jody (Bill Thronbury) is an on-again, off-again main character as well, though he is rarely in this particular installment. Together they chased down and attempt to defeat the Tall Man, played by the late Angus Scrimm. Though we are initially introduced to the Tall Man as the mortician of Morningside Cemetery, we soon discover that he is actually an extradimensional being who is collecting the dead and creating an army; for what purpose, we are never truly shown. Besides the expected henchmen, The Tall Man weapon of choice is a multitude of flying metallic spheres that are equipped with blades and drills. He can also travel in between dimensions via portals made from two magnetic poles that resemble a tuning fork.
Still with me?
Phantasm Ravager picks up where the fourth movie (Oblivion) left off, which Reggie re-emerging from the tuning fork portal in the desert. See what I mean about needing to know the lore? Anyway, the main theme here is that Reggie's reality keeps getting disrupted. One moment he's on a desert highway, the next he is in a retirement home, being told by Mike that he has dementia. Before he can come to grips with this reality, he suddenly finds himself in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where The Tall Man has apparently taken over the world. Despite being tossed back and forth between multiple dimensions, Reggie manages to get his bearings quick enough to continue his search for the Tall Man, who always seems to be one step ahead of him.
The movie is open-ended enough to interpretation that it has sparked controversy in the Phantasm community as to whether or not this movie negates all the events of the previous ones. Personally, I don't believe that it does, and I believe that it's kept ambiguous on purpose.
Phantasm Ravager is a labor of love, for better or worse. There are moments in the film when it becomes very apparent that they had a limited budget, but tried their best to push it for the sake of telling the story that they wanted to tell. Personally, I admire the ambition, but I am biased because I have been rooting for it for the last decade. Your mileage may vary.
That said, everything you'd expect from a Phantasm film is here. The Tall Man is a little more chatty in this installment, but I enjoyed his back-and-forth with Reggie. We continue to get more of his backstory as well. Reggie Bannister brings his A-game to the table and is always a treat to watch. There are gory kills via the silver balls. The badass 1971 Plymouth Barracuda is present. There is glorious b-side horror camp. There are cameos for the fans. There is a general vertigo-inducing sense of surrealism throughout. This definitely a movie that you're going to want to watch more than once to get the full impact of the story. Maybe even three times.
House Of The Dead is much more active than your average atmospheric dark ambient. Rather than stretched out drones that cause uneasiness, this is clearly meant to be a score for accompanying scenarios such as hosting a Halloween party or a night of table top role-playing.
Make no mistake: this is an album, not a soundscape. Each song is short and sweet, only a few venturing past the two-minute mark, yet every one has its own distinct theme. These pieces do not blend together. They do, however compliment each other quite nicely. The album creates an imaginary narrative as it flows from one possible scene to the next. As with real soundtracks, not every reflects a scene being drenched in horror; there are softer moments here, more hopeful moments there.
Honestly, it's at times a little too upbeat and new agey to conjure up nightmarish images of an abode filled the re-animated zombies. But on the other hand, this makes the album as a whole feel more fleshed out (please excuse the pun) and worked to its advantage.
I found the music engaging enough that I didn't feel the need to wait until I'm dressed in a costume and on my way to go trick-or-treating in order to enjoy listening to it. However, that certainly wouldn't hurt.
When you become aware of the existence of The Void (Directed by Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie), you will most likely find that there are a few common phrases accompanying the buzz. Terms like "80's throwback", "John carpenter", "H.P. Lovecraft" or "body horror". This is not without good reason. The Void is indeed a love letter to all of these things. Fortunately, it is more than the sum of its parts and stands on its own as a unique film, destined to become a cult classic.
We follow the story of Daniel Carter, played by Aaron Poole, a cop who crosses paths with a young distraught man late at night. He takes the clearly traumatized person to the closest hospital, which is barely open and operated by a skeleton crew. Here we meet nurse Allison (Kathleen Munroe), Daniel's estranged wife, along with a couple of other staff. This includes Kim, played by Ellen Wong, who is basically the human embodiment of the phrase "I literally can't even". In the waiting room are a young, nearly-due pregnant woman and her grandfather.
The film takes but a few minutes to introduce us to the characters before pulling us straight down into the abyss of madness. The hospital is suddenly surrounded by ominous cult members, who stand silently in their white hooded robes, but attack anyone who try to leave the building. The inside of the hospital isn't much safer as strange and horrific things start to happen without warning.
The tension really ramps up when a no-nonsense duo break into the hospital, hell-bent on killing the young man that Daniel brought in. Turns out this person, named James (played by Evan Stern), may be connected to all of the strangeness. Actor Daniel Fathers plays Vincent, a very intimidating man who cares much more about stopping the spread of the madness with his shotgun than making smalltalk. He, along with his partner Simon (Mik Byskov), complete the ensemble cast take the terror to new heights. When Vincent suggests to Simon that they could just burn the place down with everyone in it, you really believe that he is capable of such an act.
Meanwhile, the dead are being re-animated and transformed into horrific mutations. There is a doctor performing unspeakable operations. And there emerges a gateway to another dimension.
The main draw for horror fans such as myself is definitely the practical gore effects. This movie wears its inspirations like a badge, and we love it all the more for it. John Carpenter's "The Thing" is an obvious influence for the creature designs here. That said, the body horror is unique and memorable. This is no rip-off. Everything, from the shapeshifted and barely-recognizable re-animated humans, to the detailed and dreary set pieces, are visually stunning.
Thematically, the story takes cues from a variety of sources, including H.P. Lovecraft, Hellraiser, and Silent Hill. The film is heavy on atmosphere, inducing an oppressive sense of cosmic dread that fits perfectly within the story.
Speaking of which, the story lays down some intriguing groundwork, but keeps it ambiguous. It isn't interested in answering all of the questions that it puts forth. Rather, it asks us to take the same increasingly-desperate journey that Daniel does. It is my opinion that the concepts presented are underdeveloped on purpose. This kind of cosmic horror works because it emphasizes our own insignificance, as well as our inability to comprehend threats that our greater than our natural world. Therefore, over-explaining the lore would take away the mystery that makes it so scary.
In my opinion, The Void succeeds in doing exactly what it sets out to do. It answers the call of horror fans thirsty for something surreal, Lovecraftian and gruesome. It walks the line between telling a compelling story without giving the audience too much, and it's layered and subtle enough to reward multiple viewings.
