MONDO BIZARRO

Poor Bastards of Cinema: The Redeemer (Son of Satan)

2026-10-27T19:23:28.118-04:00

In a Film about killing people who have Sinned, what happens when you haven't?

In The Redeemer (...Son of Satan!), the titular killer is planning to take out six targets.

To do, however, he has to replace the Caretaker...

He pretends to be someone doing an inspection.

He drops the keys by the pool to make the man pick them up...

...and shoots him, dumping the body in the pool.

He's dead.

In the aftermath, the Redeemer takes the body and makes a mold of it.

He does it for a mask...to look like someone that they wouldn't recognize.

I get that you BOTH can't be the Caretaker(s), but you could send him away.

Oh, and his body is later displayed to scare the victims. One last indignity.

Did the guy commit some sort of sin? Probably.
Did he deserve to be a body on the pile just because he worked at the Building? No.

The moral: don't trust strangers.
Ever.

VHS for the Win: The Redeemer (Son of Satan)

2026-10-23T19:42:26.946-04:00

After looking at the actual Film, I might as well cover the alternate release it got.

In the '80s, VHS came about and *most* Films found their ways onto it.

Many of them were rebranded or retitled for release.

This is one of those cases...

I guess this Title is not a lie.

You definitely don't get context of the Film and why it is so weird.

Is it a better Title than The Redeemer?
You decide!

Tubi Thursday: Night of the Demons (1988)

2026-10-22T23:13:24.026-04:00

Is this a great Film to show at your Halloween Party?

Since I don't ever go to those, I'll help you find out...

It's Halloween. What are you going to do?

Me- I'm going to watch Vincent Price Movies.
They, however, are going to a Halloween Party at an abandoned Funeral Home....as you do.

They get plenty of party favors, aided by Linea Quigley distracting the Clerks by bending over.

Quigley showing skin in a Horror Film? Shocking!

Everyone enjoys drinks and dancing at the Party.

All goes well until they do a ritual to summon a spirit (or two).

Shockingly this- and the broken mirror- go poorly.

The Hostess is the first to be possessed and kills the guy who looks like Bulk from Power Rangers.

Quigley is also possessed and the killing begins.

The Cast is whittled down via methods like stabbing, eye gouging, neck snaps and more.

Shockingly, the Film's lone Black Guy is still alive (for now).

The survivors must find a way out or try to survive until sunrise.

Either way, it won't be easy.

They made 3 more of these (and a Remake), so clearly something went right.
The End.

A fun little Horror Film, even if it does take a bit of time to get going.

In a way, it makes for a good Party Film. Everyone can get settled in and maybe a little tipsy before the bodies pile up.

As a Dario Argento fan, I do wonder how much his (he produced and co-wrote it) Demons inspired this one. It features people getting killed and turning into latex-faced monsters.

It's not the only Film to do it, mind you, but how many others also have Demons in the Title?

Putting that aside, the Film features your usual assortment of stereotypes like Horny Guy, Fat Guy, Goth Girl and Final Girl.
I could have probably done without Creepy Brother Who Talks About His Sister's Tits though.

Once it gets going, the Film has some creative kills, good visuals and a nice use of Chekhov's Gun. It's not mind-blowing, but it might be worth a rewatch for me in the future.

Now, if she asks, her makeup looks perfect!

A somewhat overlooked- in spite of many Sequels and a Remake- Halloween Film. Your love of '80s cheese will determine how much you love it though.

'70s Trash?: The Redeemer (Son of Satan) {1978}

2026-10-21T14:14:39.127-04:00

A Film whose Title confuses you almost as much as the Film itself does!

This is The Redeemer, a 1978 Film also released as The Redeemer... Son of Satan! There's a third, vastly different Title, but that's for a different Post.

The Film appears to be the only Film made by its Director Constantine S. Gochis. The man also has no Wikipedia Page, nor does most of the Cast.
Only Jeanetta Arnette does, as she's got credits as recent as 2021's Impeachment: A Crime Story.

The Plot is just plain bizarre. A strange man invites 6 people to a 10-Year High School Reunion, traps them inside and plans to kill them all.

Thiis is why I've skipped my Reunions so far. You never can be too sure!

Since it is the '70s, there's weird sounds, weird angles and lots of bizarre things going on. It's a Film that never makes you bored...but definitely befuddled.

To see how this one and done turned out, read on...

The Film begins with a VERY LONG shot of this Lake, this weird bit of text and then a young man emerging from it.

He walks out of the water casually and boards a Bus to sing in a Church Choir.

A fire and brimstone Preacher in the Church rails against people who sin as the Film cuts to 6 different people that are apparently guilty of said sin.

This includes a Lawyer for the Mob, an Actor, a Letch and...a closeted Lesbian Woman?!?

Earlier, we saw a strange man kill the Caretaker and make a mold of his face.

Now he lets the group in and they find nobody, save for a full Buffet.

This lady is so concerned that she asks the same question twice in 30 seconds...

******

...and gets the same answer twice. Did you do 'two for coverage' and not pick one to use?

Anyhow, they soon find the dead Caretaker and realize that they are locked inside by a crazy man, dressed here as Death (or Skeletor).

The letch- a former Jock who looks like Robert Wuhl- sneaks up on the killer...or so he thinks.

When he spins the chair around, a dummy is revealed...holding a flamethrower...which then goes off.

Ow. His friend only decides to put out the fire...after he's fully engulfed. Dick.

The killer takes out more of the group- via gunshot and falling knife- as he shows a strong flair for the dramatic.

What was his personal Costume Budget?!?

****^+**

With the Cast nearly all dead, he explains to one of them that he's planning to kill them over their various sins.

One of them, by the way, is one that even I had to look up.

The last survivor- manages to shoot the Redeemer, but is then killed by the marionette from earlier...somehow.

Now the final reveal(s).

We learn that this all happened in the recent past as the Preacher- who was obviously the killer- recovers from his gunshot wound.

He also has a double thumb on one hand, which soon transfers to the strange boy (along with his gunshot wound) as he leaves via bus (after killing a kid and framing someone).

He goes back into the water and...that's it?!?

The (confusing) End.

Well, you get lots of points for creativity- that's for sure.

Remember too that this is 1978...and the Film was actually shot in 1976. These kinds of Films hadn't become the rage yet, since Friday the 13th and Halloween were years and months (respectively) away.

This one definitely does some weird stuff.
I can't fault it for trying stuff.

The execution is a really mixed bag, with confusingly long shots, a real lack of Editing and so-so Production Values.

The Plot will leave you thinking about it for days...but not necessarily because it is so clever. It's not quite, say, Memento, but nor is it, say, Monster A Go-Go.

Oh and you can make out the kid walking away from the Lake in the final Wide Shot (even in 360p).
Whoops.

Next up, I want to revisit a Film that I only know from MST3K. Does it have any qualities that make it good un-riffed? Stay tuned...

Shudder Day: Infirmary (2026)

2026-10-20T11:27:46.254-04:00

Am I tempting fate by watching yet another Found Footage Film this Month?

Will I be pleasantly surprised?

Let's find out...

A young Veteran is hired to work a low-stress Security Job.

The problem- it's the Night Shift job at a recently abandoned Hospital.

He's a bit traumatized by the older Security Guard who wants to razz him.

He is also a bit on edge due to some trauma from his time in Afghanistan.

The big, spooky hallways don't help.

They try to find a stranger that breaks in, but they disappear.

As our Hero tries to relax, the power goes out!

The older Guard is going to leave him alone to reset the breaker.

On edge already, being in the dark is not helping his state of mind.

He also starts seeing these medical mannequins everywhere.
Weird.

Can he survive the night?

What secret is this Hospital hiding?

Will they avoid ending on 'The Cannibal Holocaust' Shot for a change?

To find out, stream it now.

A Film that does so many things well...and just fumbles quite a bit at the end.

To start with, the Film has great atmosphere. They used a real Hospital, which helps things.

The Film is very tightly focused, which also helps a great deal.

It can make interiors look unsettling and do much with something as simple as a creaking door.

They also build up some interesting lore about the place. I wanted to see where it went.

The problem- it didn't go anywhere.
Weird shit happens. It ends. That's it.

If you want even a halfway decent answer, it's not here. If they had delivered more, I would be praising the Film more.

I don't mind the low budget. I like how they shot it.

Just actually make a proper ending or make one so insane that I still remember it (and not the Film).

I wanted to love this (honest), but it wasn't quite there.

Is this part of The Backrooms?

A Film that wrote 3/4 of a potentially interesting Film and then stopped. For what it does do right, I'm optimistic about what the Director might do in the future.

SPOILER Theatre: Alternate Endings That Contradicted by Sequels

2026-10-17T16:33:01.983-04:00

Before I stop talking about the Grave Encounters Series (until they make a new one), I need to discuss the Alternate Ending.

I might as well cover 2 more to bring back SPOILER Theatre!

*Don't read this unless, well, you don't care about Decade plus old SPOILERS*

In Grave Encounters 2, the new crew discovers that the lone survivor has been trapped there for the 9 years since the last Film occurred.

Well, not in the Alternate Ending that was randomly uploaded to YouTube by the Creators a few years ago...

In it, the Groundskeeper finds him the next morning in a catatonic state.

A Detective- Garry Chalk- says that the case is open, but not being investigated.

...and the guy is all but comatose years later in a Psych Ward.
He only freaks out when he realizes that he's being filmed.

In Blade 2, the Film is all about him facing mutant Vampires and trying to save his thought-to-be-dead Mentor.

In an Alternate Ending...

Freaking Morbius shows up!

That's different!
We wouldn't get him until Sony's totally successful Spider-Man-less spin-off Series.

Finally, in The Descent: Part 2, the lone survivor is all but forced to go back into the Caves to clear her name and possibly rescue any survivors.

In the Alternate Ending (cut for American Audiences)...

Her escape from the Cave was just imagined!

She's still stuck down there.

Bummer.

If you know more that would qualify, why not leave a comment?
I won't bite.

Tubi Thursday: The Unearthly (1957)

2026-10-15T23:21:43.187-04:00

I decided to go back to the good, old days of terrible, cheesy sci-fi movies.

John Carradine is here- naturally.

A woman is admitted to a Private Hospital run by Carradine. He just wants to help her...right?

Yeah, no.

He's a Mad Scientist who is trying to find the source of immortality.

The source- glands.

It didn't work for this guy.

As luck would have it, a man is caught wandering around outside of the building.

He's caught by Lobo- Tor Johnson- and turns out to be an escaped criminal.

He's blackmailed by Carradine into being a test subject for him.

He has created a 17th gland and is trying to use that to make us live forever.
Who wants that?

The place has a few other residents, including this stressed out lady who Tor has a thing for.

There's also a constantly complaining guy. He's...annoying.

Carradine tests his new gland on the lady above and it goes poorly.

Our Hero tries to convince the brunette that things are dangerous and she finally believes him.

When his escape attempt fails, he reveals that he is actually an undercover Cop.

Carradine flees, but the once comatose guy from Image #2 stabs him to death.

The Cops save the brunette from Tor and the Lady Scientist.

They go down to the basement and find a bunch of monsters (that are all over the Trailer and Poster).
...and that's it. The End.

A Film that almost has a point...I think.

What do you want here?
It's got John Carradine.
It's got Tor Johnson.
It's got mutants (very briefly at the end)!
It's got lots of people smoking.
It has a 35-year-old 'young man' that John Carradine fawns over.

It's nothing special. It's very stock.
Lots of these Movies were not made with a mission in made, a message to tell or even much thought.

This one is definitely a Mad Libs version of a 1950s B-Movie.
'They're trapped with a ____ ______ who is making ______ by experimenting on ______.'

It's alright. I had a good time. Don't judge me!

A really by the numbers Film. Even so, it has John Carradine, constant smoking and Tor Johnson.

Forgotten Toons: Marvel's Monster of Frankenstein (1981)

2026-10-14T23:57:35.208-04:00

Mary Shelley's creation by way of Marvel and then Japan.

This is Monster of Frankenstein, an Anime adaptation of the Marvel Comic. It's not a one-to-one Adaptation, which is probably for the best.

To give a brief summary, between his regular adventures, the Monster met Spider-Man, fought Iron Man, was sent to the future by Kang and later ran an underground City full of Monsters.

Let's stick with a loose adaptation of the Story, shall we?

It also takes many cues from the Universal one, including the neck bolts and inhuman looking skin. This Adam is also not a judgmental guy and he's also not ever called Adam.

To find out what they changed and what they didn't, read on...

The Film wastes NO time as Dr. Frankenstein and his Assistant- not Fritz OR Igor- try to make a new kind of man.

Initially, it fails, but then lightning strikes and super charges it to life.

It goes a bit crazy, scares them and flees.

The Doctor makes his Assistant go after the Creature, but he's maimed in the process.

The Doctor leaves like nothing happened.

His creation is indeed on the loose and it isn't friendly.

It eventually finds its way through the Woods to where the Doctor and company live.

The Doc won't spill his secret, but the Creature seems to want him to as it kills his bird, his dog and then wrecks his garden.

Revenge kind of petered off there at the end admittedly.

The Assistant tries to blackmail the Doctor and was apparently behind the killings and/or scare tactics.

He's confronted by the Creature and killed in self-defense.

The Inspector- who's a bit like the one from Lupin the Third- works the case, especially as more bodies show up.

The Doctor is no help.

Things take an interesting turn (or three) as we learn that the Doctor is the SON of the original Frankenstein.

The Creature shows up at the Dad's Home while he's with the Grandkids. While they're gone, the Creature greets the Dad...who is the blind guy from the Story- most famously played by Gene Hackman in Young Frankenstein.

He befriends the Creature and the Daughter soon does as well. Nothing can go wrong!

Yeah, everything goes wrong.

The Doctor's Wife dies, the grandkid dies, the Creature jumps to its death and the Doc kills himself.

It's...wow. Alright then.
The End.

A Film that is honestly pretty good...and then suddenly really dark. This one...takes a turn.

The Art Style is typical Toei Animation and very similar to the Dracula Anime. All of the tropes are there- that kid and her giant head- and the usual dramatic shots too.

This Frankenstein Monster is mostly just the Universal one, since he never wears the fur coat that the Marvel version is more famous for (and yes, it was in a later Universal Film too).
In the Comics, he kills a bear and makes it.

In this one, he kills a bear to save the girl...and that's it.

A bunch of random changes- like the Grandpa being the blind guy- and more are to be expected. Even Frankenstein: The True Story changed details.

The big thing here is absolutely the tonal whiplash in the final 20 minutes or so. You think things are setup for Sequels- like the Mom being blue like our Creature- and then 'Nope!'

This one is hard to recommend to anyone but fans of Frankenstein that want something a bit different and aren't afraid to suddenly feel depressed.

No matter how much Japan change/tweak things, it's hard to get weirder than the first Live-Action Creature...

Made by Edison's Studio and NOT HIM.

Next time, I return to my digital library for more scary stuff. No more Universal Monsters...probably. Stay tuned...

Remake This?: When a Stranger Calls (2006)

2026-10-13T12:04:07.557-04:00

A Film from the tale end of my Theater days. I remember none of it.

When A Stranger Calls is the 2006 Remake of the 1979 Film that is famous for one line and its gimmick.
To call this one a Remake is a gray area though. Let me explain...

The original Film's Intro Scene (around 20 minutes) is about the Babysitter and the famous call. It pivots from there.

This Remake is JUST that part of the Film.

For comparison, imagine a Remake of Psycho- wait, don't hit me!- that was just the part where she steals the money, flees and is killed in the Shower.

That aside...aside is this a good Film.

It came from Simon West, the Director of Expendables 2, Con Air and the Rick Roll.
No, really. He Directed that Video.

Is this mostly forgotten Remake a good one or trash? To find out, read on...

As the Credits roll, we see a full of Fair/Carnival happening outside of a home. I guess it's a Birthday Party.

We hear a concerned Mom and a scream.
Next we see Cops investigating and an older Detective reacts in shock to what he sees.

It's PG-13, so use your imagination.

We never see this Cop again. Cool.

The Film really follows our Heroine- Push's Camilla Belle, who has some teen drama going on involving a bad friend- Arrow's Katie Cassidy- making out with her boyfriend.

She gets solace from her good friend- Thor: Ragnarok's Tessa Thompson.

Her boyfriend's apologies don't work, but there's a side effect. She went WAY over her minutes and now has to pay her Parents back.

Can you tell that this is from 2006?

Her Dad- Agents of SHIELD's Clark Gregg- drives her out to the remote House that she's babysitting at.

We don't see him again until the finale. Cool.

Said House is indeed remote and I'd say that it looks like it is CGI...if it looked that good for a Film like this in 2006.

The Parents- which include Poltergeist: The Legacy's Derek De Lint- leave, explaining that the kids are asleep upstairs and the Maid may be lurking about.

As noted, why hire a Babysitter if you have a Maid.

In any event, she starts getting weird phone calls...many of them.

She calls the Police, who agree to help her track the line. Even so, they can't be out there in less than 20 minutes.

The calls keep coming and even the brief visit of Cassidy- who somehow got the address and entered through the open Garage Door and Gate- doesn't help.

Eventually, she gets him on the phone long enough.

As the next call rings, the Cop says the famous line.

She goes to find that the kids are alright- hiding in their rooms- and tries to escape with them.

During said escape, she finds Cassidy's body in the bathroom!

The Stranger finally appears and no longer talks. He was so chatty- as Lance Henriksen- earlier.

She finds that the Maid is Dead. Does she qualify as a Poor Bastard of Cinema without appearing until now?

After a tense Third Act, she wounds the man and runs to the Police.

In the aftermath, she wakes up in her Hospital Room and panics when the phone rings.
She is grabbed by the Stranger...and wakes up screaming.

Yes, this was indeed a Tacked On Dream Sequence Finale. Sigh.
The End.

A Film that's honestly pretty good, if not as engaging as they would hope.

This isn't a knock on the Actress, as one person can't truly make or break a Film. She does her best with the role, which features many vacant stares, concerned glances and uncertain body language.

In the cut, they wisely chose to focus almost SOLELY on her for most of the Film. Deleted Scenes- what little there are- show the other side of her conversations and, yeah, it's less engaging that way.

They need you to feel like her- isolated, in a big space with no exit and worried.

The trade-off is that some people- like Thompson in her Film Debut- only get the 2 Scenes (the second being a brief phone call later in the Film).

The Stranger as a concept is good. He's certainly underdeveloped, of course, as he's just a menace that is a pure blank slate to create terror.
Henriksen literally phones in the role, but doesn't figuratively. It's just a shame that he has so little to do here.

This one was clearly cut up quite a bit- the DVD Box shows a shot of the Cop talking to Belle which isn't in the Film- and it doesn't aspire to be more than a decent to good Film about a scared Babysitter.

Even so, points to whoever came up with this shot.

Next up, I might as well cover the Marvel Frankenstein Anime during this Season. Will it be less bizarre? Stay tuned...

Shudder Day: VHS Mixtape (2026)

2026-10-12T20:19:45.697-04:00

I have a very interesting relationship with this Series by now. I like it more than I don't.

This is the 2026 edition known as...

The whole thing has a different kind of Framing Device this time.

It is bits by Gwar, which you'll either love or hate.
I don't mind the lack of narrative if the content is good.

In the first Segment, a Producer- Barbara Crampton- attempts to do a new version of a kid's puppet show with cult appeal.

What she doesn't know is that the Show had a worse finale than 'Gordy's Home' and it's not safe there now!

After a weird Claymation bit from Flying Lotus, the next proper Segment is about those folks who go out into the middle of nowhere to explore for content.

Their journey ends...poorly when they find a hidden lab.

In the next Segment, a pretty flimsy setup for found footage- a guy shooting a Daily Diary in his Apartment- occurs.

He hears a musician upstairs and, well, chaos ensues.

In the final Segment, a young lady tries to complete a track that her dead Dad was working on.

The Black Metal piece leads her to kill many poor souls in the search for pure, bleak metal goodness.

To find out how these go, stream the Film now.

A bizarre mishmash of styles, quality and all out insanity.

For starters, the Gwar Segments are as crazy as you'd imagine. They might make or break things for you.
They have a certain...style.

As far as the Stories go, the first one was my favorite. Evil 'Muppets' are so fun.

The 2nd Segment built up nicely, even if I wasn't quite a big fan of where it ultimately went.
The 3rd Segment is like a gonzo attempt to do a Lovecraft Story and just goes in a direction that nobody could have likely predicted.

The final Segment is creative and devious, possibly to a fault.

All in all, it's a mixed tape...er, bag for me on the actual content.
The overall package is fun with Gwar's often gross, always strange Interludes.

In lieu of a proper Theme, I'll happy take this Easter Egg...

Given the stark variety and so much Gwar, this one is likely to be divisive. While it's not my favorite, I am glad that I checked it out.

Tubi Thursday: Dark Asylum (2001)

2026-10-08T22:45:39.028-04:00

While his last Film did not work for me, I do like Larry Drake as an Actor (RIP since 2016).

Let's give him another shot with 2001's...

A city is overrun with fear (in Voice Over and B-Roll of a City) as a mysterious killer is on the loose.

By luck, some Cops find his lair.
It goes poorly for the first one.

They catch him, but he's shot and taken to a Mental Hospital.

Um...wrong kind of Hospital, Film.

He's put in there (off camera) and in the care of Jurgen Prochnow.

My 2nd Film of his in a row (watched, but not reviewed).

He goes full Hannibal Lecter.

Our Heroine- Paulina Porzegova- is called in to work there, even as she's dealing with some personal things.

Do you care?
Nah.

Drake is a modern Serial Killer, so he's super smart, super strong and somehow reading the Script ahead of the other Characters.

He easily breaks free of his straitjacket and kills Prochnow. Bye!

They lock down the place- since that works and nothing else does- and now he needs the key.

He takes out all of the Cops and Security- with ease- and now he has to get Paulina.

She gets helped by a patient- Judd Nelson- and must find a way out while avoiding Drake.

After escaping the Building and getting help, Drake somehow blows up the Cops who ran in and escapes via the Sewers.

He somehow finds Paulina's Grandmother's House (was the address in the records?) and kidnaps her Daughter.

Now only SHE can stop him...and she blows him up.
That seems to work this time. The End.

A Film that has some real potential...and then just gets ridiculous.

Drake is, yet again, a super impossible to defeat guy. He's also suddenly taller here, as his Character is billed at 6'7, while he was 6'2.
He can choke people to death with one hand and knock people around like bowling pins.

Of course, his backhand strikes to Paulina only stun her for a second, so consistency is not strong here.

If this was just a riff on Die Hard where a Psychologist and a Patient must play keep away from a Serial Killer, it could be good.

Hell, it sounds like a good premise for a Survival Horror Game!

This is far from the only Film to pass off Serial Killers as some sort of Superhuman Being. That said, this Film has nothing else going for it.

Paulina and Judd try. Drake is fun when he's a talkative killer.

The Film is just not good and keeps going way past the point where it should have.
At least there's not an alternate Title and Poster that lies to you...

Is that an Alex Ross drawing?

A Film that is not truly terrible, as the setup is good and the Actors are too. It's just too bad that it gets plain ridiculous and over-the-top.

Forgotten Toons: Marvel's Dracula- Sovereign of the Damned (1980)

2026-10-07T23:38:54.602-04:00

As Marvel under Disney tries to rebound with another billion-dollar Film, let's go back to their animated heyday.

Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned is the 1980 Anime adaptation of Marvel's Tomb of Dracula. The Book ran for many years and has been viewed well in the Decades since.

In the 70s, Marvel licensed their stuff to Toei Animation. This is how we got Japanese Spider-Man and Super Sentai.

The Plot is essentially a speed run of THE ENTIRE SERIES which had 70 issues over 7 years. Alas, there is no Marvel connection in supporting Characters as Blade and Doctor Strange were cut.

Will this make sense in around 90 minutes?
To find out, read on...

My copy didn't have the cool Title...I think.

A Satanic Cult is making a big sacrifice to Lucifer Satan.
Yes, they say it like this every time.

Dracula shows up and they think that he's their Master.
He takes the lady with him.

Elsewhere, a young guy named Frank is confronted by an old dude in a wheelchair and a lady.

They hire him to hunt Dracula!

As it turns out, he's Dracula's Son...albeit one born while he was alive.
They don't get into the chronology of this at all.

The Cult plans revenge when they learn that Dracula tricked them. Lucifer Satan tells him that he has a plan and to wait a year.

While the year progresses, the Hunters sort of close in and Dracula sires another child- Janus.

Issue 55

Weirdly, he picks that moment to reveal the truth to his Wife.
Yes, this didn't come up in a whole year.

He tells a long flashback where he was a strong protector of his land until he was killed.
He was brought back to life by Lucifer Satan as a Vampire!

The Hunters close in, but they are actually not the first person to confront Dracula.

The Cult Leader surrounds the Church with crosses and tries to shoot Dracula with silver bullets.

He turns into smoke and the baby is shot.
I mean...you turned into smoke in front of them- what did you expect?!?

Issue 59

Things take a very strange turn in the ensuing time.

Dracula hides away and the Wife mourns Janus.
She tries to commit suicide, but a literal Deus Ex Machina happens.

A heavenly light (God?) revives Janus...and turns him into a super-powered teenager.
He was the original Psi-Lord (aka Franklin Richards)

Issue 61

The new Janus has holy powers and scares away Dracula.

A different power confronts him, however, in the form of Lucifer Satan.

He literally Drags them To Hell and tries to kill Dracula, who is saved by his Wife's latent holy powers!
(In the Comics, it's a lady named Topaz)

Issue 64

While he's free, Dracula is a human once again!

He fails many times to get restored, including asking two different lady Vampires to turn him (back).

He gets oddly heroic as he flees to a House full of kids and fends off the undead with a cross.

Issue 69

He manages to regain his vampiric powers, but the Hunters (remember them?) are coming.

Harker makes them stay outside and he manages to impale Dracula with a silver spoke.
He blows them both up, as the Couple leave.

Back home, Janus returns to his Mother...and to his baby form. The End.

Issue 70

What a strange, truncated series of events.

As mentioned, this is a loose adaptation of 70 issues of Tomb of Dracula. With Blade and Dr. Strange excised (as well as Silver Surfer), they found room to trim things down.

As you saw, the character of Topaz was basically absorbed into Dracula's Wife, for example.

I was not *that* familiar with the Tomb of Dracula Books (being born 4 years after they ended didn't help matters), so I honestly thought that this one was just going off in a weird, Japanese direction.

Color me shocked to learn that all of this- Dracula's superhero kid, him fighting Lucifer Satan and all that- is 100% from the Books. Maybe I need to support the Kickstarter to get the last Trade released.

The Animation here is dated in good and bad ways. If you like the '70s style (think Lupin the 3rd or early Gundam), then you'll like this.
They do take some short cuts with repeat animation, some people just not moving and other such things. It's not amazing, but it is crazy.

This one works if you don't know the Comics as a bizarre bit of History, with Japan making Anime out of Marvel Comics a few Decades before they tried again.

Now I'm doing this during October since it is Horror themed, but it is actually the wrong Holiday...

Next time, I switch back to physical media. I'm sitting on a few Horror Remakes from the 2000s, so maybe I'll check one out. Stay tuned...

Shudder Day: Grave Encounters 2

2026-10-05T23:39:59.192-04:00

A Film that makes me yearn for the joy of being in an *actual* Haunted Sanitarium.

To find out why this Sequel is so divisive, read on...

A guy named Alex is an Online Film Critic- a respectable profession- who starts to learn more about the Film 'Grave Encounters.'

Yes, like 'Blair Witch 2,' we're going with The Film was a Film within this World...but also real.
More on that later.

He starts to make his own Film, but feels that making a 'Torture Porn' Film is not his vision.

Instead, he gets obsessed with the mystery behind Grave Encounters.

They also confirm the 2003 timeline for the first Film, in case you were wondering.

He gets his buddies and would-be girlfriend to go to the same Hospital- with the Caretaker long dead via suicide- and find out the truth.

This is all because a mysterious source sent him clues to go there.
Wait- did 2016's Blair Witch take that Plot Point from this Film?!?

Well, I guess we can call it even for how much this truly is Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows.

They wander around the place and revisit the key locations, literally showing you the big moments from the last Film.

Just like that Film, they do, well, the same bits.

I wonder if she'll grow a giant, monster face and scream.

She does.

The Building plays the same tricks as before- somehow making Exits vanish and walls appear- and our Heroes do the same dumb thing.

They just find little tweaks. So, for instance...

In the first Film, they fell asleep and the ghost broke their lights.
In this Film, they fall asleep and a ghost checks their camera footage.

They also find out that they aren't as alone in the place as they thought.

It only gets stranger, deeper in lore and, to be honest, dumber from here.

I won't SPOIL anymore for you while it is getting a second chance this Month on Shudder.
The End.

A Film that was clearly designed to outmatch the original Film in every way.

Unfortunately, that came at the cost of logic, good storytelling and any real tension.

This one- like many Sequels, Horror or otherwise- goes deeper into its lore and suffers for it.

It both explains a whole lot more and also raises many, MANY more questions than you had before.

If you're here for the ghost stuff, it is the same as last time, save for a few new (for this Series, anyways) tricks.
This one goes ALL IN on the Ghosts being walking Plot Devices too, so enjoy that...I guess.

If this could have avoided more cliches, I'd like it more.
Hell, if it could have at least tried a few actually new ideas in regard to its Third Act, I'd at least be more generous.

Instead, this one is a big, dumb mess that manages to be 'inspired' by more successful Found Footage Films like Rec/Quarantine.

A Film that goes 'Here's what you wanted- right?!?' Sadly, it's not that and just so much worse all around.

Rare Flix: Curse of the Black Widow (1977)

2026-10-03T14:39:39.834-04:00

What happens when you made Kolchak and Dark Shadows, but kept going?

This is Curse of the Black Widow, a 1977 TV Movie made by Dan Curtis. Yes, that one.
The same year as Dead of Night, he was behind this Film.

The Plot involves a Private Investigator getting involved in a series of strange murders in the City. Nobody is quite sure how they can explain the murders are taking place.

It all connects to a woman who then hires him and a possible family curse!

The Cast includes James Franciosa (from Tenebrae), Donna Mills, Patty Duke (as Patty Duke Astin), June Lockhart, Sid Caesar and Vic Morrow. The latter are Special Guest Stars, which is still a Credit that I don't understand.
How do you Guest Star in a Film?!?

Anyhow, to find out what exactly this curse is, you might as well read on...

In the Opening, 3 guys are in a Bar when a woman walks in.
She picks the youngest guy to 'help her fix her car.'

When he turns her down (saying that he's going to meet someone), her eyes get all crazy and he's killed via a POV Monster!

One of the men in the Bar happens to be Franciosa, who works a Private Investigator.

He's questioned by the Lieutenant (Morrow), but nothing comes of this...yet.

The Story also follows a pair of Sisters- Mills and Duke- as well as their Aunt- Lockhart- and Niece.

There's definitely something going on with them.

The Cops- specifically Morrow- tell Franciosa to back off.

He's then hired by one of the Sisters, so that isn't going to happen.

Meanwhile, the other guy from the Bar is killed by the mystery woman after he tries to bring her to our Hero.

The other Cop- who looks like a Live Action Hank McCoy- springs what sounds like a crazy theory on our Hero.

The killings were done by a giant spider! Not only that, but a woman is transforming into one to do them!

He doesn't believe it until the evidence- like a body full of spider venom and webbed up crime scenes- piles up!

He learns that the client and her Sister were both born in the wild- after a plane crash- and one was bitten by spiders. That can apparently incite the titular Curse.

He's saved by this 'Indian'- played by Jeff Corey- who confirms the tale, but can't point out which Sister it is.

The Plot Twists begin to pile up in Act 3, so hang on!

The mysterious woman is one of the Sisters, who suffered a 'Split Personality,' and started the killings.

The Mom- thought dead in Italy- shows up and is then killed by the Sister.

She's scared, which causes her obvious Stunt Double (even in 360p) to dive out a window.

The Black Widow wraps up the good Sister, but kills the Aunt when she tries to help out.

Franciosa is told that only fire can kill the Spider.
It finally appears in the finale in full frame...and is mercifully not build on top of a Volkswagen!

He shoots it...for some reason and then uses the fire to kill it.

In the aftermath, him and the Sister are an item (shared trauma does that).

The Niece is then used as a Sequel Bait, as the final shot shows her to have the Black Widow mark!

Dun dun DUNNN!

The End.

A fun Film that is very much of its time in the best and worst ways.

We get lots of shortcuts to not show the Spider. I was expecting that.
Thankfully, this is a Dan Curtis Film, so his usual flair (and Soundtrack by Robert Cobert) make up for things.

The Plot is a bit convoluted, for sure.

I do wonder how this one has NOT ended up on Svengoolie by now. He's run Dead of Night, both Kolchak Films and Trilogy of Terror. Odd.

Given that it's a TV Movie from the '70s, I get that the modern audience for this one is pretty slim. Even so, it's a good to great time and deserves more than just a VHS rip and being free on YouTube.

And yes, mine was a VHS Rip. Don't believe me?

Next time, I'll take another Film from my Digital Library. At long last, my love of Dracula and Marvel will finally intersect properly! Stay tuned...

Tubi Thursday: Dr. Giggles

2026-10-01T23:05:16.623-04:00

With a Medical/Asylum Theme to this year's Horror Movie Madness, I might as well check out this bizarre Film that I've never gotten around to watching.

Will this Horror Comedy kill?

This is Dr. Giggles. He's a crazy guy who escapes from a Mental Hospital.

He's also a super genius, because reasons and returns to his hometown.

In said hometown is our Final Girl- Holly Marie Combs- and her boyfriend Not Zach Braff.

She has a heart condition and fears Doctors, so a scary one is one to avoid.

The Doctor hides out in his old House, which was apparently abandoned for Decades. Why was it left standing when it was full of bodies?

That's not how this works.

His Dad was also a Doctor who went crazy and was lynched by the Town. He wants revenge...and this is just Freddy Krueger's Origin Story, only Medical.

I should also note that he has a compulsive giggling fit, even if it much of it is clearly ADR (his lips are oddly still while giggling).

In spite of that, the giant man sneaks around town in full Doctor gear and picks off everyone.

As it turns out, the Son was also crazy and the Doctor hid him where nobody would look.

I won't SPOIL it.
Sufficed to say, it's gross.

Can anyone stop him as he seeks to kill everyone, because...um, reasons.

Seriously, he just kind of kills anyone, be them teens, old men or adults.

Will he get his hands on Combs?

He manages to survive being stabbed, shot and blown up.

He gets an extended chance to kill Combs in a Hospital, because nobody noticed the giant burn victim.

She zaps him with the shock pads and he breaks the 4th Wall for a bit.
The End.

A Film that can't agree what it wants to be.

It wants to be a Horror Film. It has lots of kills, although it cuts away from most of them and usually shows only the aftermath.

It wants to be a Comedy Film. It has the Villain giggle all of the time and act over-the-top.

I suppose there is likely an audience for this kind of thing, as shown by the continually baffling love of Art the Clown.
Dr. Giggles is arguably as much of a Mary Sue here. He overpowers everyone, can sneak into anywhere while being as silent as a Ninja, literally walks off by stabbed in the femoral artery in one leg and just seems invincible.

With Freddy Krueger, he's literally (dark) magic. I can make exceptions.
This is just a mental patient that is impossibly strong, silent and always two steps ahead.

It's a Film that probably worked better in Comic form, which is where it began and went back to after grossing just $8.5 million against a $7 million budget.

If people you know like this kind of stuff, let them know- just maybe be less dramatic about than Cliff here.

A Film that could really work if it either reined things in or really went for the gusto. Instead, it is nearly a cartoon, but also tries to be shocking...and mostly fails at both.

Fiction vs. Fiction Double Feature: For Your Eyes Only and Moontrap

2026-09-30T12:10:09.978-04:00

Two Movies that I own in Comic Book form.
Two adaptations that don't change all that much.

It would be a stretch to cover either separately and I don't want to forget about these until November.

As such, let's cover the brief differences with both here.

Let's start with Bond...

***VS***

What's the Same?

It's the same Script, pretty much. It all plays out as intended in both Versions.

I own it in this format, but my copy is not nearly this pristine. Kids owned it, alright!

What's Different?

M is actually in this Comic. Since the Script had him in it, they included the Character (whose Actor was really sick and couldn't shoot any Scenes) in here.

The other big thing is a little one, but a constant one. I'll explain.
The Film doesn't have banter from the many Henchman and glorified Extras that make up the Cast.

This is likely since they were actually Foreign and thus didn't speak English.
The Comic has them all making quips/comments constantly.

In addition, the fake Margaret Thatcher is mentioned, but not shown.
I want to think that Howard Chaykin refused to draw her, but it's likely just a likeness issues.

This might be an edit, but it looks semi-legit.

For the second feature, we jump ahead to 1989 and...

***VS***

What's the Same?

The Story- again- is based on the Script and it's a tight adaptation.

What's Different?

The Comic version is a pretty tight one at right around 25 pages. As such, some little things get cut.

Lots of banter between Koenig and Campbell is cut out. If you look at the first page posted above, you miss all of the Character Setup between them and jump right into the Action.

On top of that, a pair of Scenes are missing.
A short bit with Koenig and his Son is cut and a bit where Koenig meets up with Campbell at a Strip Club (where he's getting drunk) is also cut.

In case you couldn't tell this was from the '80s.

Amusingly, this is not just to cut out the pointless T&A.
The Comic actually adds some to the romantic bit with Koenig and Mera.

In the Film, any nudity is pretty much just implied. In this Comic, we see her naked- albeit from behind.

Oh and the Comic has NO time for Mera's Backstory about being an Ancient Astronaut! Kind of key.
She's just discovered and ends up with Koenig as they save the day.

So, the obvious question for both...

Which is Better?

The Film (For Your Eyes Only)

The Film (Moontrap)

Neither comic is bad- at all. Chaykin's art- while rushed by his own admission- is good in the Bond Comic.
Moontrap's Comic is just too truncated and lacks the pathos established in the Film.

With all that said, I've own the Bond Comic- in Book form- since I was a kid (and it shows). I spent 99 cents on Moontrap and it got me to watch the Film (and likely the Sequel), so I'm still content.

'80s Fun: Moontrap (1989)

2026-09-29T13:19:51.357-04:00

What happens when Star Trek meets Evil Dead? Well...

It's not this Movie- but that is a good tagline for a Poster.
This is Moontrap, a 1989 Sci-Fi Thriller that happens to Star Walter Koenig and Bruce Campbell.

To be fair, my comparison is slightly apt, since the Director- Robert Dyke- did work on Evil Dead 2- with Bruce.

What inspired me to pick this one? I already bought the Comic Adaptation from a 99 cent bin.
Hopefully I get my money's worth. You'll likely find out soon.

The Plot involves some strange tech being found near the Moon. When it creates a killer robot, they realize that they must return to the Moon- remember that this is 1989- to find the source and stop it.

How well does that work out?
To find out, read on...

In the Intro, we see weird tech activating on the Moon.

After that, we meet a pair of Astronauts- Campbell and Koenig- who are flying around in the Shuttle.

They come across a big piece of debris...which turns out to be a Spaceship.

This was the same Decade that brought us the Naked Lady Space Vampire, so why not go inside?

They find a withered body and a red, egg-looking thing.
No Space Eggs- dammit!

It's actually not an egg, but an outer shell for some tech that scans its surroundings and makes a robot body.

Say- this is a great image to use for the Comic's Cover!

They manage to stop it from destroying the NASA Base when Koenig gets above it and blows it up.

You just had to shoot it there- so simple.

This- and some Western Jingoism- gets the duo a trip to the Moon.

Koenig finally lives out his dream- being in charge on a ship.
Also going to the Moon.

The duo are led to strange building and find a lady in some sort of coma.
They wake her up, but are then attacked by another robot!

They defeat the robot, but sadly Bruce's Character is killed.

It's not the last we see of his face though (for context, see the Stinger).

The woman is finally able to speak and explains that she is from another Planet!

She was sent to warn the Earth about the alien threat, but things didn't go well.

On the Moon, the aliens take the scrap from the lander- stranding the pair- and prepare to make an escape ship.

They capture the duo, but Koenig rigs the lander to blow up!

In the aftermath, Koenig is now living with the Alien Lady.

They tease a Sequel, which was planned in 1990...and then 2011...and then 2014...and finally happened in 2017.

The End (until I watch the Sequel on Tubi).

A fun, if not all that great Film.

The Plot is nothing amazing. Aliens are real and we have to stop them.

The hook here is the Body Horror aspect in which the Aliens merge dead flesh and machines to make the robots. The Film doesn't *quite* nail the potential here.

The Budget is a notable thing here, as it uses lots and lots of miniatures- especially once they go to the Moon.
Guess what Mr. Dyke did for Evil Dead 2.

Is the Film worth watching to see Bruce Campbell? Obviously, yes.

If that's not your thing, well, I don't want to know you.

The Film definitely fights to reach its potential and I'm curious to see if it was achieved in the Sequel. Just no Bruce- oh well!

Next time, it's October, so let's see if I can dredge up some scares, spooks and gore. Let's start with something from my digital collection. Stay tuned...

Shudder Day: Grave Encounters (2011)

2026-09-28T12:22:40.481-04:00

As October officially begins this week, I'm beginning Halloween Horror Movie Madness yet again.

To start off strong, a Found Footage Film that hit big 15 years ago.

Prepare for some...

The Film begins with a Producer talking about how he was approached by a man to make a Ghost Hunting Show.

He says that this was before there were a dozen (so everyone says that this Film is set in 2003).

This man is the Host.

His Show- Grave Encounters- ran for 5 Episodes and the sixth was never submitted.

Instead, they have the 76 hours of raw footage which THEY cut into a Narrative.

They are staying overnight in a supposedly Haunted Asylum and we see that they are bit loose with the truth- because every one of these Films is inspired by Cannibal Holocaust.

After lots of setup and seeing them in full, uncut takes- again, this is from CH- we finally get some tension build up as they wander around.

The best Character- T.C.- is having none of their shit, so, naturally, the Ghosts pick on him the most, first shoving him down some stairs.

Enough happens to scare them, but now they can't get out. They're locked in, remember?

It seems that the Residents of the Asylum don't want them to leave...but also want to make them run away.

Pick a lane, Ghosts!

Tensions rise as their appears to be no way out!
Exits they can find don't seem to help.

As the group gets picked off one-by-one, will they finally capture the proof that they have wanted to find for all of this time?

Will anyone live to show it?
To find out, stream it now.

A Film that is very cliche- even for its time- but is there more to it?

The Plot is basic. You know how these go.
The Location is good, if cliche.
The Acting is...not especially amazing.
All of the Found Footage cliches are on display here.

Without going full SPOILER, the Film tries to do something where the Building itself (or their perception of it) is being warped in order to keep them inside.
If this wasn't a Found Footage Film, you could get away with the trickery aspect more- but the Cameras see what they see.

There was one- admittedly bad- Ghost Hunter Film which finished halfway and then retold the events with the real things being shown.
Maybe do that and have them yell at a missing door. Cut to it again and show them yelling at a wide open door that they just can't see a way out of it.
Just a thought.

In any event, this one has a very predictable beginning and ending. Between that, a few good ideas slipped in.
On the plus side, Ghosts now to write the whole message equally across the door. No 'Don't Dead Open Inside' mistakes by them!

A Film that I can see the hype for at the time. For me, they only tried to do a little bit different and that wasn't enough to avoid being full of cliches.

Streaming Standard: Spider-Noir (2026)

2026-09-26T10:00:00.000-04:00

A Show that many people said 'Why bother?' when it was announced.

Was it too crazy to last?

This is...

In 'Into the Spider-Verse,' Nicolas Cage voiced an over-the-top Crime Noir version of the Character.

In this Show, we see A version of that Character, but not necessarily the same one.

He was simply The Spider and he fought crime, until he vanished 5 years earlier.

Ben Reilly stopped being The Spider when he was unable to save his Fiancé from drowning in the East River (inside of her car).

He's now a Detective only and he's usually drunk and/or depressed.

A woman named Cat comes into his Office and gives him a case to work.

It involves a crime lord named Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson), former Soldiers he served with in WWI and a man who could set himself on fire.

...and live. That's the key part, isn't it?

The Show is available to watch in either Black and White or True Hue Color (see below).

I chose B&W.
It is Noir, after all.

As it turns out, the Soldiers from Reilly's past- himself included- all ended up with special powers.

This is the Noir version of Sandman and Tombstone, but there's also Electro later.

The downside- what gives them powers is slowly killing them!

Will Ben Reilly become The Spider once again to bring justice to them and the entire City?

Can he still do it?

Will we get at least one Nic Cage freakout?

To find out, stream this Show now.

A well-made Show that is, sadly, only going to get a niche audience.

The Pitch couldn't have been easy- an alternative Timeline version of pre-1930s New York with an older Cage as Spider-Noir.

Hell, Nic Cage is a bit of a niche pick now. No offense, Mr. Cage.

If you can buy into the premise and watch this one in B&W for full Noir effect, it really works. Cage is a hard guy to love at first, but you soon realize that he's just hiding his pain and running from responsibility to avoid pain in the future.

He's a good guy. He's relatable.

The Plot is simple enough to follow, but also complicated enough to be true Noir. It's another balancing act.

For me, it all came together, thanks to the strong performances of everyone involved- especially Cage and Gleeson. It won't necessarily be for you.
As for me, I'm just going to deal with the fact that Amazon just cancelled the Show...

A really creative Show that made some big swings. The Show will either hook you or lose you right away.

Tubi Thursday: Morgan- Killer Doll

2026-09-24T22:47:36.619-04:00

A final Asylum Film- finally!

To close out the Month, let's pivot to their rip-off of MEGAN, just in time for the Sequel to (sadly) bomb in Theaters.

This Doll is not in this Film.

A young woman is a bit crazy and just killed her abusive Dad.

A young woman is troubled, raised by her widowed Dad after an accident.

The former confesses her love via letter and her friends make fun of it.

The girl douses herself in gasoline and burns herself.

The nice girl is left with...this...doll...

The doll comes to life and gets revenge on the people who wronged the dead girl.

Just kidding- she kills this Black Housekeeper who just showed up in the last Scene.
Her body is never shown or mentioned again.

I should also mention that Michael Pare plays the nice girl's Dad. He's sitting down in 95% of his Scenes and the first time we see him walk around, he gets attacked.

Sitting was a good idea, Michael!

The doll kills a few of her friends.

This one has a twist, so I'll hide it a bit for you. Highlight below if you want to know...

The Doll is actually the girl, who faked her death via fire. Just like The Boy.

Who will survive this land of death, interiors and L.A. B-Roll?
To find out, stream it now.

A Film that promises so little and delivers just that.

Fair play- you didn't make a Killer Robot Girl. She doesn't dance.

That said, you didn't do anything that's actually clever or original with this.
It's all cliche.

Hell, this one gave me flashbacks to The Jolly Monkey- a different Rip-Off you did.
That and that Elves Movie with no Elves in it (or Dan Haggerty).

This Film is just full of things that almost sound deep, are almost interesting and don't really subvert things. Did I really expect the Cop who appeared in literally one other Scene to save the day?

Of course not.

Hell, this Film didn't even appear to shoot its Cemetery Scene in an actual Cemetery. They showed B-Roll of one and then pointed a camera up from the ground at the Actors standing around a wreath of flowers.

A Film that could have tried to do literally anything different or clever. Ironically, the Film they were piggybacking on did just that (but nobody but me liked it for it).

'90s Trash?: The Jackal (1997)

2026-09-23T14:32:51.407-04:00

This is the Remake of a '70s Classic, but NOT the Streaming Remake with Eddie Redmayne.
Multiple Remakes make things confusing!

This is 1997's The Jackal, which is mostly a Remake of The Day of the Jackal.
Why the name change then?

In short, the people that owned the rights to the Original didn't want a Remake (and the original Star turned down a Cameo). Changes were made to the Story and it was retitled simply 'The Jackal.'

Everyone was happy- relatively so.

The Plot involves a contract killer who has a big target in America. The Government brings in the only man who can ID him (that's currently alive).

Can they stop him from taking out his target?
Who will survive?

To Find out, read on...

After a nauseatingly-90s Credits Sequence, we see an FBI Agent (Sydney Poitier) in Russia.

Him and some Agents try to bring in some Russian Mobsters.

In the chaos, one of them is killed by the Lady Commander.

The man's brother- also a Mobster- is quite upset and hires The Jackal (Bruce Willis) for revenge.

Charles De Gaulle was the original target, but he died 27 years before this one came out.

Instead, he's paid 70 million dollars to kill the Head of the FBI!

As the Film shows us Willis getting his fake ID and money transfers, the hit is revealed under intense 'questioning' by Russian officials.

Knowing about it, they seek out a woman who saw Willis, but need a SECOND person to find her.

It's Richard Gere playing a Former IRA Member.

My reaction when I learned that he'd be doing an accent this whole Film.

The Jackal continues to change outfits in basically every Scene as he works out his plan of attack.

As part of his plan, he orders a giant gun and needs someone to make a mount for it.
That's your cue, Jack Black!

After some filler involving smugglers (what does it add?), he gets it working.

Since Black essentially extorted him for more money, he tests out the gun on him!

Plot twists abound as The Jackal does find out about the FBI's plans and Gere being out.

He finds out about the woman who can ID him (who was pregnant with Gere's baby when he shot her) and goes to her house.

The Agents at the house- including the Lady Commander- meet a bad end.

RIP JK. No LOL.

Willis makes it to America via boat with his giant gun and gear.

He eludes capture at the Marina, seemingly leaving the gun (hidden in the ship's mast) behind.

He still has it, however, and sets himself up to kill...The First Lady.
That was his target the whole time!

Gere- with help- stops the attack and Willis flees.

After taking a hostage, he nearly kills Gere before the woman shoots him.
Gere- being the Lead- gets the final shot(s plural) in though.

In the aftermath, he's allowed to escape by Poitier, since his pardon was rejected.

A Film that had potential, but can't quite decide what it wants to be.

The Film can't decide whether the focus should be following Willis or Gere. As such, the focus is constantly pulled one way or another.

They really want you to get invested in the minutia of Willis' work, from showing you him buying a car to painting it to repainting it.
If that's the case, make it about him.

If this was made today, a Film just following the bad guy with minimal amounts of people working the case could absolutely work.

They tried to make Gere compelling, but it only sort of works. He's still Richard Gere, but his motivation doesn't come about very naturally.

The action is oddly minimal here, as this one also can't decide whether it is a subtle '70s Thriller or a violent '90s Action Film. Nobody quite wins out.

It's not a bad Film, but the conflict in production and story keeps it from being great. I'm nicer than the Newspapers were.

Young folks in 2026 do know what Newspapers were, right? You're not Lost?

Next up, I dive back into my (still growing) digital collection. What fun can I scrounge up before October begins? Stay tuned..

Cover Art Special: 'For Yours Eye Only's' Poster Controversy

2026-09-22T11:46:09.532-04:00

Poster.
Controversial Poster.

For Yours Eye Only had a very famous Poster.
Even today, it is notable among Bond fans.

They had the Model wear the bikini backwards, since they wanted some 'tush' in the shot.

The phrase 'it was acceptable in the '80s' gets thrown around these days.

That's not always true.

This Poster was controversial at the time and we got various Edits of the Poster like this...

Or this one that feels like an accidental inspiration for the Born in the USA Box Art.

I'm not sure why the coloring is all wrong on the bottom, other than it being a shoddy Edit.

My favorite is this one that appears to be from a Newspaper.

The fact that this exists after 40+ years online is amazing.

Is this V.I. Warshawski?

Lastly, let's look at a more recent example of the Poster's notoriety.

This DVD- not mine, sadly- has the Cover Lady standing in front of Bond's Car (which blows up after one Scene) and Bond just kind of staring at you.

Are you looking at my girl?!?

The Producers didn't try anything as scandalous with the next Poster.

After all, it was called Octopussy- that was enough!

Shudder Day: Buffet Infinity (2026)

2026-09-20T23:52:35.355-04:00

Was this the best Film to watch in full right before I went to bed last night?
Well, I did.

To find out what the hell this is, read on...

A small Town is dealing with a series of competing businesses, including a Sandwich Shop and the titular Buffet.

Oh and there's a mysterious sinkhole that might be connected to the constant, low humming sound that is scaring off birds.

Probably should have led with that.

The whole Film is just showing you the Commercials and the competition between the two main Shops is getting hot and heavy.

Meanwhile, there's a whole Plot involving a Cult, some Lawyer and a Pawn Shop.
Also a Used Cars Salesman.

Have I mentioned that there's alot going on here without a normal structure yet?

The Buffet and the force behind it are seemingly getting more direct.

The Businesses connected to it in the Strip Mall end up closing for various, bad reasons and they keep expanding.

We also keep hearing about how nobody sees the Staff of this place.

As things seem to get bleaker in Town, the Story somehow gets weirder.

Yes, this was the normal(ish) part.

Now there's an exploding head, mysterious fires, floating people and more.

It's...well, you just have to see it for yourself.

A very strange Film that is absolutely going to be polarizing.
There's not much of a way to be 'eh, that was alright' with a Film like this.

They only sort of break the format as the Film (and the events) get stranger.
You have to accept that you're only getting any Plot from the Commercials.

I think it works- for an hour. There's a little flexibility there.

The events are vague, but also clear enough if you keep up. Given the scale they're going for, a standard format would be hard to manage.

As the Film got to Act 3 and wrap up, it finally explained key parts of the Plot (somewhat) and it sort of worked. Some of it was still just weird for weirdness sake.

As an experimental Horror Film, this works.
Again- you will either love it or hate it.

I lean more towards the latter (I'm just also a pedantic critic). Eat up if you so choose.

An absolutely bizarre Film that pretty much commits to a bizarre structure. How you feel about that remains to be seen.

Immediate Response: Coyote vs. Acme (2023/2026)

2026-09-19T16:36:37.174-04:00

A Film that wasn't going to be released just a year or so ago.

I had to support it.

The Good

* The Plot is a good one, taking inspiration from an idea that people have talked about for a long time. Why not sue the Company whose products always backfire?

* Will Forte is great here, playing a mix of Comedic and Dramatic. His Arc is key to the Film.

* The mix of Animation and Live Action is great. Lots of subtle bits that just sell you on this weird world.
* The Film has great gags and a great message.

* John Cena's giant bolo ties get a mention. They're something.

The Bad

* The Animation is CGI and cel shaded. I got used to the different look, but it's not everyone's favorite.
* How did you not end with a 'That's All Folks!" Weird.

* Some of the more obscure stuff in the Film (like Dr. Peter Lorre) or stuff that's supposed to be subtext why they picked 1992 to start at) will probably be lost on many people.

A really good Film that I'm so happy to be vindicated by. If it was bad or just so-so, it would be a darn shame.

It's so good and I'm glad that it's not rotting on a Server somewhere.

Bail Bond: For Your Eyes Only (1981)

2026-09-18T14:35:17.062-04:00

Roger Moore's Bond is back and he's not going to Space this time. We promise!

This is For Your Eyes Only, the Sequel to Moonraker that dialed back the sci-fi elements to basically nothing.

The Story involves a missing MacGuffin, Bond joining forces with a lady on a mission and the usual Bond antics. Back to basics!

In a way, this one is quite different because it is based (very loosely) on a short story (actually 2) and not a Novel by Ian Fleming.
To fill in the gaps, we get Scenes taken from and/or inspired by other Stories, including Live and Let Die and Goldfinger.

There's a strong connection to a previous Bond Film WITHOUT Moore, but I'll get to that shortly.

Just know that this is the *serious* Bond Film and will only be like 30% over the top this time.
To see how that works, read on...

In the Cold Open, Bond is picked up by work via Helicopter.

However, the Pilot is killed and it is taken over by....Not Blofeld.
There was a dispute over ownership of the Character, so the Producers killed off his Shemp here.

A seemingly normal boat is actually hiding some advanced doohickey and gets blown up. Now the object is in play.

Elsewhere, a woman visits her Parents on their boat, but they are killed by the Pilot while she's inside!

Temps de récupération!

Because the Actress is French.

Bond is called in to go looking for the thing.

Notably, this Film doesn't feature M as his Actor was really sick.

They didn't want to recast him, so he's 'on leave.'

You know, during this crisis.

Sadly, he died after this came out and was recast in the next Film.

As it turns out, the guy that Bond wants answers from is the same one that she wants to kill.

She gets her way, but they must then escape in a tiny, banged up car.

Supposedly, it was Moore's favorite one to drive.

Bond meets with the next guy in the line- played by Julian Glover.

He's a Greek Importer and he puts Bond on the trail of another guy who is a drug smuggler.

FYI Glover lost the role of Bond to Moore.

Bond seduces a woman working for him, but she's then killed by the bad guys.

She was played by Pierce Brosnan's then-wife and he visited the set.
Future Bond got to see Present Bond be implied to have slept with his Wife.

She died in 1991 and never saw Pierce take up the role.

The other smuggler is Topol, of Fiddler on the Roof or Flash Gordon fame.
It depends on whether you watch Musicals.

In any event, he's actually NOT the bad guy, but Glover is.

A bunch of shooting and other hijinks ensue. There's too much stuff in 2 hours for me to cover in-depth.

In any event, they stop the Russians from getting the MacGuffin and our Heroine doesn't kill Glover...because Topol does it for her.

Bond and the woman don't answer his watch phone (which works better than a real phone today) and go skinny dipping instead.

As such, they don't get to talk to this Margaret Thatcher impersonator.
The End.

She was the real villain all along!

A fun, action packed Film with a pretty flimsy Plot.

As a composite Story, the basic idea- go and retrieve the thing- is the bulk of it.
This one fills the remainder with the usual Stunts, random gags and a B-Plot involving a fairly annoying Ice Skater.

She was the Lead in The Watcher in the Woods though.
We also get the final appearance of the 'Man with Wine Glass' from the last 2 Films (always surprised by Bond appearing).

If you can accept that the Plot is a pretty loose series of events, you can still really enjoy this one for the spectacle it is trying to be.
There's an attempt at a full romance with his Female Lead that may or may not work for you.

Apparently, there was thought that Moore might not come back, so they planned an opening with him visiting the Wife's grave (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service) and that showing the new guy.
Moore- obviously- returned, so we get a connection to Lazenby instead.

Many parts of the Plot feel out of that same Film, which is neat (if intentional). This mention also gives us a trio of future Game of Thrones Actors represented (Glover, Rigg and Charles Dance as a Henchman!)...

Next up, let's jump to the '90s with a different kind of Spy Thriller. Can one Agent stop a nameless Assassin? Stay tuned...