Reviews Prince of Darkness

Prince of Darkness

Growing-up, Prince of Darkness was one of my favorite horror movies because it was one of the very few that actually scared me. Another John Carpenter classic, it never received the accolades I believe it deserves and part of that may have to do with the fact that it's so understated and has such a slow build-up. Now that this style has come into fashion, I highly recommend picking-up a copy of Prince of Darkness, turning out the lights, and settling-in for a treat.

It's almost impossible to review Prince of Darkness without a bunch of spoilers, but it's one of the Carpenter's most well-filmed movies. It's also one of his most literate. I think he decided after this one to dispense with all of the esoteric exposition and just go for the jugular, but it's really worth noting the play on Schroedinger's theory, quantum physics, and his attempt to rectify at least 1000 varied themes and concepts - from ancient astronauts to Christianity to the coming of an Antichrist to the advancement of science and more. Just keep in mind that, while we may roll our eyes at some of the concepts mentioned today, this was made back in 1987, when most of this stuff was little more than shots in the collective dark - pretty heady stuff for its time.

But don't doubt that it does move slowly. Even once the action begins, Carpenter chooses to draw it back and what should become an exercise in tension devolves into a waiting game during which we receive even more exposition and explanation. However, there are some truly horrifying scenes and more than a few scares along the way to keep you interested. It's a story movie, but a damned good one.

Prince of Darkness is an understated masterpiece from one of horror cinema's true auteurs in his prime that is not to be missed.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Avenging Spider-Man #1 - Ramos

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Officer Downe: Bigger and Badder

The Badass With A Badge will return to Image Comics this December in a glorious oversized hardcover edition entitled OFFICER DOWNE: BIGGER, BETTER, BASTARD EDITION HC! Writer Joe Casey (HAUNT, DOC BIZARRE M.D.) and artist Chris Burnham (Batman, Inc.) have added bonus pages and even more pages of over-the-top sex and violence to this new edition, inviting readers to experience OFFICER DOWNE as it was meant to be experienced!

"What could be a better X-Mas gift this year than an oversized hardcover filled with sex and gore and weirdness and gore?" said Casey. "...Did I mention gore? Well, OFFICER DOWNE delivers! I hear it's Santa's favorite comicbook about a cop who won't let death or dismemberment stop him!"

"The first edition of Officer Downe sold out really quickly and I'm always being approached by fans of my Batman Incorporated stuff who are trying in vain to get their hands on it," added Burnham. "I'm super psyched that they're finally going to see our contemptible depravity in such a big classy format."

You’ve never felt “command presence” quite like this! This is the cop that’ll keep coming back for more… even from beyond the grave! As one review from Comic Book Resources explained, "Joe Casey adds the right mix of absurd situations and dialogue, while Chris Burnham’s art steals the show," and Major Spoilers put it well when they said, "This comic doesn’t just slap you in the face with it’s graphic nature; it helps you up again and slaps you back down twice as hard."

OFFICER DOWNE: BIGGER, BETTER, BASTARD EDITION HC (OCT110461, ISBN: 978-1-60706-477-0), a 96-page full-color action graphic novel for $12.99, will be on sale in stores December 7^th, and will be available for order in the upcoming October issue of Previews.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Avengers: Solo #1

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Reviews - Blades

Blades is a Troma movie that, like most of them, tries hard to please everyone in the beginning before giving-up and just being a Troma flick. It's ¹/₂ comedy, ¹/₂ horror with all the gross-out gore you'd expect from a golf course in Tromaville (Tall Grass, no doubt). I personally like Troma films, but if you do not, then you need read no further; Blades is as firmly set in Tromaville as any movie you'll see in the genre. And yes, Troma is a genre unto itself.

Like all films in the genre, Blades is difficult to understand: One moment, it's serious, the next horrific, the next comedic. It has the requisite over-the-top dialogue with cheesebal jokes firmly in-place, but Blades is actually more well-acted than most Troma films. And, despite the nature of its antagonist, also less gory. There are some accomplished shots to see, as well, but I guarantee you Blades was pitched as "Jaws on a golf course." I also think it was heavily inspired by Caddyshack.

Honestly, there just isn't much to say about Blades. It's a Troma flick - read: Exploitation - that was riding on the popularity of the above-mentioned films and even with the earnest attempt at acting and directing, it's nothing more nor less.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Point One 3

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Last of the Greats

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

The Activity

Information has been leaking out about a mysterious new project from a pair of rising stars, writer Nathan Edmondson (WHO IS JAKE ELLIS?, OLYMPUS, Grifter) and artist Mitch Gerads (Doctor Who, Stan Lee's Starborn). Now the duo have finally announced that their new ongoing action series will be published by Image Comics beginning in December and is titled THE ACTIVITY.

"We've been working on this since February, and we're thrilled to share it with you," said Edmondson. "Starting this December, the secrets of THE ACTIVITY will be revealed."

In THE ACTIVITY, the evolution of global warfare necessitates the evolution of special forces to rise and meet the call. The U.S Army has therefore looked to its last secret special operations tribe, The Intelligence Support Activity, or Gray Fox. Within Gray Fox is a team of elite men and women whose mission is flexible, whose technology is bleeding edge, and whose execution is precise and lethal. They are Team Omaha, and they serve THE ACTIVITY.

"We've been keeping this project quiet for a while now," added Gerads. "I just can't wait to blow the lid off of this whole thing!"

"It's been a real pleasure to watch Nathan develop, not just as a writer, but as a virtual fountain of ideas," enthused Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. "He originally came to us with OLYMPUS, but by the time that was wrapping, he'd pitched us WHO IS JAKE ELLIS? and then followed that up THE ACTIVITY and another, still-secert project we'll be rolling out in 2012. He and Mitch make a great team, too, and I can't wait to see where they take this concept."
THE ACTIVITY #1, a 32-page full-color action adventure comic for $3.50, will be on sale in stores December 21^st and will be available for order in the upcoming October issue of Previews.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Incredible Hulk #1

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Reviews Big Trouble in Little China

Big Trouble in Little China

I know, I know: Big Trouble in Little China doesn't need a review. Also, it isn't a straight horror flick. However, it is from horror maven, John Carpenter, and it does deal with ghosts, death, and a lot of Hells. Plus, there are very few good reviews of this classic.

There's very little bad to say about Big Trouble in Little China, except that I've yet to see it in comic book form, and by that I mean even an adaptation. Jack Burton will always be an iconic character, however much a stereotype, and his tales deserve further telling - that is assuming he ever had any other tales that compare to the one in this movie (and that would be hard, though it is suggested he may have).

Yes, the dialogue is a bit cheesy, and a lot of it is exposition; Jack and Gracie's relationship - Eddie and Margo's, as well - is unrealistic; and everything moves too fast to be anything but a romp; but Big Trouble in Little China is as good as horror action movies get. It doesn't even fit firmly in that sub-genre, though.

Big Trouble in Little China was one of the last movies of its kind: One that wasn't completely focused into a narrow category meant to fulfill a specific need, or niche, and aimed at a target demographic. It's a genre-bending epic adventure story set in, and beneath, San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1980s. There are big guns, wisecracking heroes with wiser-cracking sidekicks, hot girls with shoulder pads, and neon lights. But don't write it off as a living comic book (and what would be wrong with that, anyway?).

Jack Burton is one of the few "thick" heroes. He was also one of the few true heroes - a reluctant sort who just wanted his truck and his money and to get the hell out of Dodge - not an anti-hero or total badass. Though archetypal and ultimately cardboard, he's not without his flaws. The relationships aren't as pat as they seem, and not everything works-out in the end (though it is satisfying).

Still, Big Trouble in Little China was shot on lush sets, includes scores of extras, and brought us some of the most iconic supernatural villains in pop-culture history. It's more than worth a viewing, it's worth several.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Interview with J.M. DeMatteis

The Weirding spoke to author and comic book creator, J.M. DeMatteis about all sorts of things - from piracy to his personal projects and beyond. Here is that interview.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Point One 2

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Reviews The Rejuvenator

The Rejuvenator is nothing more than two hours' worth of "homages" to better horror and sci-fi flicks - that is to say, a complete rip-off. The Rejuvenator slakes shots from movies like The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wendigo, Evil Dead, and - of course - The Reanimator. Granted, the whole thing is trying to be The Reanimator, and that movie stole a handful of concepts and images from bad B-raters before it, but it did so with a loving touch - true homage vs. flat-out rip-off. In fact, IMdB lists it as a remake of The Wasp Woman, a 1950's sci-fi/horror flick along the lines of The Brain That Would Not Die (referenced in both Rejuvenatrix [alternate title] and Re-Animator).

However, The Rejuvenator makes up for its derivation with plenty of gore. It's well-deservedly regarded as a splatterflick and it lives up to that reputation but, if you don't care for splatterflicks, then there isn't much in Rejuvenatrix for you. Throw it into the DVD playlist with From Beyond, Evil Dead, and Reanimator for a Lovecraftian splashfest but don't expect it to hold-up to the greatness surrounding it.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Shattered Heroes - This Month

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Reviews Funhouse

Between The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist, Tobe Hooper helmed the cult classic, Funhouse - a sort-of retro-active updating of the classic dark carnival story. Funhouse is interesting as a Tobe Hooper film, but not a particularly good film.

You see his development from the tracking shots of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as well as the wildly off-beat, psychopathic antagonists who populate many of his movies, but Funhouse suffers from a convoluted story and lackadaisical pace. Also, like too many slashers of the same period, Funhouse introduces tons of characters and plot-points for the sole purpose of conveniently forgetting them. However, if you are a Tobe Hooper fan, you'll immediately realize how important a flick this is in his development.

The characters appear in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II (as different characters in various garb, but essentially the same archetypes if nothing else) and many of the shots and filming tricks pop-up in Poltergeist, so you can skip Funhouse if you aren't interested in this development because you've probably already seen them in the other two, superior, flicks.

But don't discount it entirely; Funhouse is a movie in and of itself and it does deliver. You just have to slug through an hour or two of setup to get that neat package.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Wolverine and the X-Men #1

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Steam Team, Austin

While it is technically true that I smoke a lot, once smoke gets into your house it is almost impossible to get the smell out of there. I use all sorts of cleaning products and keep a neat house (occasionally), but when you come in from outside or upstairs from the basement, it smells like someone knocked over an ashtray. I don't care what smoke odor removal products austin residents use, that smell is there to stay without a professional cleaning.

And you need more than just your carpets cleaned. Smoke from a fire or simply cigarettes gets into every piece of cloth and fabric in a home. You need all of your upholstery, including furniture and curtains, cleaned thoroughly if you want to manage that smell.

Instead of tackling such a large job yourself, consider calling in experts like the Steam Team. You can find out more, including contact information, by following the links to their site. There, you will also find great household tips and hints for managing smaller chores on your own.

Get started with more information on upholstery right here: http://www.thesteamteam.com/austin-cleaning-services/upholstery.shtml

Alpha Flight - Vindicated

Alpha Flight - Vindicated

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Reviews Visiting Hours

Visiting Hours is a low-key horror melodrama made specifically for females. The protagonists are strong females, the lead males are William Shatner, and the antagonist is a sadistic sexist who gets-off on raping, torturing, and killing women.

I'm not giving anything away here.

All things told, Visiting Hours really isn't a bad flick, it just telegraphs its everything from the opening lines. You aren't going to find a single surprise here, unless you count the climactic gaffe, but it does a decent job of telling its story - it just doesn't bother to lay that story out so much as put it through the paces. It's your typical, 1980's, paint-by-numbers psycho-drama and there's not much else to say about that.

The acting is what makes Visiting Hours worth mentioning at all. While Shatner does his usual Shatting about, the lead (Lee Grant) is strong, and the killer is none other than Michael Ironside. All of the actresses turn in above-average performances, but it just isn't enough to push this B-grader into A-territory.

On the plus-side, Visiting Hours really is a decent slasher to watch with chicks - chicks who don't particularly like horror movies, that is. Everyone who does like a good slasher can safely move along, because there really isn't much to see here.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Saturday Morning Cartoons - Tom & Jerry: Rocketeers

© C Harris Lynn, 2011