"The Walking Dead" - Season 9

Hey, you know I'm going to say it. "I told you so!"

For quite a while now, I've been saying that TWD has been on a decline both creatively & in quality. The season 9 premier was awful, the second episode was no better. It all boils down to the lack of sympathetic characters, characters that continually act in contrast to their established personas & redundant story lines.

There were many mistakes made during it's run, the first in my opinion being the firing of Frank Darabont. He set the tone for the fantastic first season. He should have remained onboard to guide the show but instead we got that abysmal second season.

The third season was great. After that, predictability set in. It seemed that the zombie gags were the only refreshing thing each episode!

The handling of Negans character was awful. At no time did I find him believable or even threatening. The murder of Glenn, even though it was an eventuality, seemed anticlimactic & it turned off a lot of regular viewers. Killing Carl was just plain stupid. Now, with the main star leaving, I don't see it really progressing in a positive direction for the fans.

Daryl Dixon is the one character who has grown, developed but yet retained his core and is the single exception to the entire show. If there is to be a future for TWD, they need to focus on him.

This is going to sound rude but I noticed in the first two episodes that six of the main characters are in an interracial relationship. Nothing wrong with that but it seems a bit forced within the story. I mean, the writers think of everything before it gets filmed don't they? So, no one thought it as redundant to have all these people in interracial relationships? It was a conscious decision to have that many up front in the story. Every lifestyle gets a representative in Hollywood.

The story is just...without substance at this point. It's "Interpersonal Relationships 101" for the zombie apocalypse. Romero said that TWD was a soap opera. Romero was right.

I will watch TWD until it dies a slow, boring death.

For what it's worth, I watch "Z-Nation" on SyFy Channel & enjoy it! It's got a comical side that makes it actually fun to watch! They keep reinventing the zombies in new, strange ways.

Maybe if TWD wasn't such an emotionally pummeling experience in depressing hopelessness every single second of every episode, they might have made it.

"Bone Tomahawk" (2015)DVD Review

"Bone Tomahawk" DVD Review

I've read alot of great things about this movie since it was released. I finally had a chance to watch the film this week.

"Bone Tomahawk", written and directed by S.Craig Zahler is a rare gem of a film. It's an unusual Western, one that deals with cannibal troglodytes killing citizens in the small town of "Bright Hope" in the late 1890's.

The cast:

Kurt Russell plays Sheriff Franklin Hunt. Russell is one of those rare actors who is always fun to watch. He shines in this role.

Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins, Sid Haig & David Arquette round out the perfectly cast ensemble.

Each character is as fleshed out  with authenticity by the actors in such a natural way that it's nearly impossible to dislike any one of them.

The troglodytes are horrific, both in appearance & action. The local indigenous tribes refer to the forbidden area as "The Valley of the Starving Men". A local Indian guide known only as the "Professor" tells the Sheriff about the troglodytes but refuses to take them. He instead shows them where they are on a map.

The design of the troglodytes provides a new twist to the "cannibal native" trope. These cannibals implant bones in their throats that penetrate the windpipe. They use the horrific sound to communicate & warn each other. A truly creepy sound that adds to their monstrous appearance.

The film does not flinch from the gore of the kills, whether it be a gun shot or a slaughtering of a living human being for food by the troglodytes, they show it all.

I recommend this film for many reasons: story, acting, action, horror, locations...just a great film.

If the old addage of "never judge a book by it's cover" is true, then "Bone Tomahawk" proves it.

"H.P. Lovecraft: Posthumous Victim of Political Correctness"

I've often written about my lifelong fascination with the writings and personal life of famed weird fiction writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft.

One aspect of his life that I have never written about is his "racism". I have not written of this because it is always a hot button of serious debate amongst fans & scholars alike. These debates never solve or even further the understanding of the man's writing's or his life. Useless as it is to debate whether his work loses meaning because of his personal beliefs, I am finally going to join in this quagmire to offer my own thoughts & feelings regarding this topic.

Oh, I am quite sure that some of you reading this will be gnashing your teeth & railing against your smartphones at what I am going to say. I first say to you this: be patient & thoroughly read this blog entry to it's conclusion.

There is little need for an introduction about Lovecraft as undoubtedly if you've had the interest to read this far, you already know who he was & have read at least some of his writings. It would be an unnecessary and redundant exercise.

So, let's get to the heart of the matter.

H.P. Lovecraft had racist views that spilled into his writings. Yes, indeed he did. There is no argument that this is true.

Lovecraft was a frail & faulty human being, as we all are. The era in which he was born & raised cannot bear the full responsibility in the creation of his feelings - as not all people at the time held the same feelings as he did. The era certainly had a part in it, although I believe it was only partially responsible.

Many factors make people feel as they do. Humans are a vastly intricate, almost incomprehensible, conglomeration of many different things. Many aspects of which will never be understood. No one on Earth is exempt from this most basic realization.

Every single one of us have feelings that we share & some that we don't. All of us.

We all internalize those feelings that we have been told are undesirable concepts for "normal" people to possess.

All feelings that a person has is valid. It is how one acts upon those feelings that make them right or wrong.

That was true in Lovecraft's era & it is true today.

To look back in time & condemn this man for his thoughts & feelings is ridiculous. To strip away his work & posthumous notability is wrong for us to do.

Our current "enlightened" status is systematically destroying or rewriting the past. Lovecraft is a victim of retroactive political correctness.

Great works, like Lovecraft, must be preserved as they were written & left untouched. We can derive meaning from the work in all of it's ways, good or bad. Determining the "worth"  of written work is totally up to the reader and not the imposition of a moral judgement from a group of people acting retrospectively.

"Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Stowe has been heavily edited. "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Twain suffered the same fate.

Why? Because some of the words in the books are condoned as offensive by modern society. Are the words offensive? Yes. Should the works be edited? No. Have Twain & Stowe been stamped as bigoted racists? No.

So why has Lovecraft not been afforded the same luxury as Twain & Stowe?

Lovecraft's image has been removed from literary awards, essays written condemning the man for his views, his work pulled from school libraries...

Lovecraft was simply a man. A man with faults. A man who created the greatest science fiction and horror mythos ever written. His personal feelings crept into his work as alien hybrids, strange invaders, mysterious forces & incomprehensible madness.

He was a flawed human being as we all are. No better, no worse.

Slaves to Technology?

As the millennium drew to a close, the cellular phone was advancing at a pace that equalled the advancement of computers.
By 2018, the "smartphone" reigned supreme as both a phone, a computer, a personal organizer, game console, tv, dating service, newspaper, video camera & just about everything else you needed or wanted it to be.
Therein lies the problem. Humans have become addicted to this marvel of the technological age. Their faces absolutely glued to the screens of their alter-ego identities streaming across the ether at the speed of light...as they walk out in traffic and get ran over by a bus. Alot of good that smartphone did for those people but I'm sure they'll make an app for that soon...for a price.
I'm not against technology at all. In fact, I'm writing this on my phone right now from the comfort of my recliner. No, technology is a good thing except for when it has unintended consequences that are deterimental to the human condition.
Smartphones are deterimental to humans. They take away one of the most basic human need: the need to be in the presence & company of other living, breathing human beings and has replaced it with a "virtual" connectivity that allows the user to be whoever they wish to portray. Often that portrayal is in direction opposition to reality.
In creating this false reality, the user find themselves in a real physical world that they cannot relate to after long exposure to the virtual world.

You see this everyday. How many people stand in a checkout line at a grocery store and instead of talking to their neighbor in line, we see them with their face in their phones so they don't have to engage with another real person? This creeping, addictive and ultimately destructive, psychological modification is going to be irreversible at some point in the future as technology will eventually create a body interface with the virtual machine. People will no longer be people but rather an avatar.

I see technology as a tool and nothing more. I prefer to remain totally human, thank you very much.

Of course, I remember a time when there were no home computers at all. Everyday technology was quite a bit different.
It was 1982 and I was 12 when my family bought a "Commodore Vic 20" and that was the first time I had ever saw a computer in person & not on an episode of "Star Trek" or "Space:1999"!
The phones that we had were either mounted on the wall of the kitchen or on the nightstand in my parents room. Both were rotary dial phones.
Cable TV? Forget it. Bigger cities had cable but not the best majority in the rural countryside of my home state - not at that point in history anyway. Satellite TV was available but it was more limited in availability than cable.
No, my family had a huge tv antenna that had to be pointed to the northwest, towards Atlanta, to receive 5 channels. The reception, oddly enough as it is today, was dependant on the weather. That really wasn't an issue after we bought our first VHS VCR. We could pop in a tape & check out a movie - after we drove 13 miles to the nearest video store where we were a member & rented one for overnight viewing. God help you if you didn't rewind the tape when you returned it or you'd catch that fee on your rental account.
I will admit that it was fun to go to the video store. As a horror & sci-fi buff, it was amazing. The colorful posters, the memorizing box art & the shock of the price of movies on VHS that we're just released - if you wanted to own one!

What did we do before this age of technological marvels? We talked. Yep. Face to face. We ate dinner together in the evenings & talked about our days, our dreams & aspirations for our futures. We connected in a way that few families do today. We had a familial bond that ran deep and was immutable. We had no virtual reality to run to in order to escape our problems & worries. We talked about them, helped each other. We created real memories with each other. Lasting memories that are stronger than any mere machine can simulate.

I see parents giving their 10 year old kids smartphones. These kids will be socially stunted. How do I know? Ever seen a parent try to take away that kids phone? Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.

Parents have forgotten how to tell their kids "no" & mean it. Often, the parents provide the technology to the kid so they don't have to parent the child. Just let them melt into their game world & you won't hear from them for hours.

The smartphone, in particular, is and will continue to become a threat to human development. Human nature always leans toward the darker elements of life when those elements become so eadily accessible.

The smartphone has already changed the family units basic behavior. You know it's a problem when a company offers a phone dampening field to be used around the kitchen table so no one can use their phones instead of talking to each other.

The only reality that humans should be able to create is the one centered squarely around their family with technology tethered & limited to it's use as a tool.

There'll come a time when humans will regret ever inventing these devices & we'll move on to something else. That's what history has taught us...and we should listen with to history.

Eibon Press "Zombie" #6

Issue number six of Lucio Fulci's "Zombie" by Eibon Press is out & on the gory rampage!
This issue is crazy, man!
The continuing sequel story fleshes out Dr.Menards story and continues the utter mayhem in New York!
You thought the shark vs Zombie scene was crazy in the movie?
Eibon Press ups the insanity by putting ape vs zombies!
You gotta see it to believe it!
By now, anyone reading my little blog about these comics should know that Eibon Press comics are all about the quality of their products. The same applies to this issue.
I bought the limited collectors edition of which only 1,000 copies we're printed.
Eibon Press, you guys rock! Keep these incredible comics coming!!

Eibon Press "Zombie" #5

Here it is! The 5th issue of Eibon Press adaptation of  Lucio Fulci's "Zombie"!
The issue actually starts the sequel story in motion as our protagonists arrive in New York to find the city a wreck.
The artwork is, as usual, fantastic & gruesome. There's also an appearance from our favorite director!
The book itself continues the tradition of quality set by Eibon Press by including fantastic extras & the ingenious "Eibon Sleeve"!
I bought the "Trading Card Inferno Edition", limited to 1,000 copies.
Keep 'em coming, Eibon Press! I love 'em!!

"Walking Dead" mid-Season Premiere

Too little, too late.

Where's the big payoff of Carl's death? I wanted to see him as an undead pudding eater going after his Dad!

Instead we got visions, crying & a suicide.

The scene lacked any emotional power. Know why? Because you can't subject your audience to inhuman barbarism & hopelessness constantly and then try to extract sympathy from them after being conditioned not to care!

I didn't care that Carl died. If it was during the first or (boring) second season, I would have cared.

Yet again, the wildly swinging pendulum of character development gets the better of any established story logic.

It's as if the characters can't decide whether or not they're good or evil - at least for any length of time.

Again, continually punishing the audience with despair and hopelessness is not the way to KEEP the audience. Add to that the fluctuating characters & you most definitely will alienate the audience!

Make up your mind, TWD! Hell, I only watch it now for the walker gags.

Star Trek Scale Model Kits

This post is a general review of Polar Lights 1:1000 scale "Star Trek" model kits. I'm going to go over five of these kits in this series.

           (1)- USS Enterprise 

             The Original Series 

USS Enterprise "Space Seed Edition" comes with Khan's sleeper ship, the SS Botany Bay, in scale with the Enterprise. The completed model is about 11" long & comes with a dome base capable of displaying the Botany Bay alongside the Enterprise.

Despite it's diminutive size, the model can be lit using LED's (as all of Polar Lights Trek kits can be). The dome base is big enough to house electronics (555 IC timers, a switch & power plug).

Spinning nacelle effects can be done in sequencing leds with a 555 IC + a 4017 decade counter OR mechanically spinning the inner dones using a micro geared 60 rpm motor. Both methods would require a certain amount of modeling experience. Simply lighting the domes works great too.

The kit is one of the most accurate of the original series Enterprise.  The old 1:650 AMT kits were just awful. The AMT 1:537 22" Cutaway is better than the 650's but were still inaccurate. 

The huge Polar Lights 1:350 scale version being the best at almost 3 feet long.

(2)- Klingon D-7 Battlecruiser

The Original Series

The new tooling makes for a far superior replica than the older, larger 1:650 AMT scale models. If you want windows to light, you gotta drill them out. There's plenty of room to place LEDs inside.

(3)- Romulan Bird of Prey

The Original Series 

Another great replica but with less room inside to light. The decal sheet is what gives this model the great look it has. The included base is the same as the other models in the series but it has a curved wire instead of the usual solid rod. Accurate details are a big improvement over the old 1:650 AMT version.

(4)- Refit USS Enterprise 

The Motion Picture 

This kit is one cool model. Plenty of clear cast parts, decal sheet for the Aztec patterns & more accurate than the old 1:537 AMT issues. The hull windows will have to be drilled out but it can be lit very effectively without them. I used  white 1.8mm leds for the strobing formation lights & 1.8mm leds (red & green) for the flashing navigation lights. Blue 3mm leds were used for the deflector dish, the warp engines with white leds for the bridge dome & lower planetary sensor domes. The base holds two 555 timer circuits to cotrol the flashing leds.

(5)- USS Reliant 

"The Wrath of Khan"

Another accurate kit that outshines it's old 1:537 scale AMT predecessor. No Aztec Decals are included like it's sister ship, the Enterprise, but not really necessary. There's plenty of clear parts and it can be lit up. Again, the windows must be drilled if you want them lit. There's not quite the interior room to run wires in the nacelle pylons and the roll bar weapons pod but it can be done with a little imagination. I used the same leds & 555 timers as my Refit build. A really great kit.

"Star Trek: Discovery"

As a lifelong "Star Trek" fan of over 45 years, I've had to adjust to many changes in it's history. Some were easier than others to get used to!

I favor the Original Series as it holds a special place in my life. There's been no major issues for me regarding every incarnation of Trek. Even the reboot movies by J.J Abrams (the Kelvin Timeline) have grown on me.

Such is not the case with "Star Trek:Discovery". I absolutely loathe this new series. I dislike everything about it.

It does not embody the spirit of Star Trek. The designs, the technology, the characters, the utter disregard for established canon, and just about everything they've tinkered with!

The characters are totally unlike the Trek standard as set by 50 years of canon. A completely unsympathetic group of protagonists. Characters throwing out the "F-word" just for effect...really? Back stabbing, lying, aggressive...the list goes on...

The writers have taken totally unknown and before now, non-existant characters, & made them the center of the story alongside long standing canonical characters. It just doesn't make sense.

The uniforms, the technology and even well established aliens like the Klingons have been reworked into unrecognizable states. It's as if this series was designed by non-fans who read the Cliff Notes for Star Trek to gain their knowledge of the Trek Universe! Which universe does ot take place in? The Prime Timeline? The Kelvin Timeline? Hell, at least the reboot movies were in an alternate universe & it kept the logic of the changes logical & acceptable!

The USS Discovery design is absolutely ridiculous! It resembles a discarded design created in the 1970's by artist Ralph McQuarrie. As far as the ship fitting into canon...it doesn't. "Spore Drive"? Give me a break!

Doing edgy social & political allegorical stories are not new to Trek, but "Discovery" seems to be the Social Justice Warriors of space! Maybe a better title would have been "Snowflake Trek" or "Sovereign Citizen Trek".

With a world phenomenon like Star Trek, the creators owed it to the fans, the world, to create something new without totally destroying what came before - for no other reasons than to be "edgy".

They've redesigned the USS Enterprise again. It's a completely new design and bears little resemblance to Matt Jeffries original design OR to the reboot movies version. It looks more advanced than the TOS version and too gritty for the "Kelvin Timeline" reboot version.

It's just a mess. The show, the  characters, the designs...everything. In fairness, I will say that the special effects are top notch. That doesn't help at all if you can't believe what you're seeing, no matter how great it looks.

I really wanted "Discovery"...until I watched it.

"Always Watching"(2015) DVD

"Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story" (2015) is a tale from the internet born "Slender Man" mythos.

"Marble Hornets" is a Youtube found footage series centering around a student film & the "Operator" - a mysterious, deadly humanoid. The movie, "Always Watching" is a story from within the "Marble Hornets" universe.

"Always Watching" continues the found footage format & follows a news crew, found videotapes & the "Operator's" supernatural stalking of them as they get closer to the truth.

The film is well done for a smaller budget film. Doug Jones (Hellboy, Star Trek:Discovery) plays the Operator with creepiness.

The only thing that this film really suffers from is it came during the time that "found footage" films had saturated the movie market. It really doesn't add anything new to the genre or even to the "Slender Man" myth either.

It's an interesting film & worth a watch, especially if you're a fan of the "Marble Hornets" series.

Rating: 3/5 Chainsaws

"Grabbers" (2011) DVD

"Grabbers" (2011) is a great independent Irish horror fim. I like to refer to it as "Lovecraft Lite"!

It's most definitely a horror-comedy but it has elements in it that really make it stand out from the crowd.

The creature effects are superb and effective! There's enough scares & gloopy tentacles to satisfy most horror fans. Well, maybe not hardcore gore fans, but everyone else will find it a genuinely good film!

The film did well at Sundance Film Festival in 2012 & it enjoys fairly regular airings on the Independent Film Channel.

No use spoiling the film as you should see it yourself!

Deadites Rating: 4/5 Chainsaws

"Frankenstein's Army"(2013) DVD

"Frankenstein's Army" (2013) is yet another practical effects horror romp that has made an impression on me.

Although it falls within the "found footage" horror subgenre, it does so imaginatively.

Set in the final days of World War II, a battalion of Soviet soldiers are on a mission into enemy territory.

They find the secret lab of a deranged scientist (Karel Roden) who reanimates, melds and creates horrific undead Nazi hydrids of man & machines.

The creature designs are ingenious, having just the right mixture of horror & camp.

There's enough blood, gore & creepiness for most horror fans.

If you like movies in the vein of "The Void", "The Thing", "The Deadly Spawn"- then you need to check this gem out .

Deadite Rating : 3.75/5 Chainsaw

Eibon Press "Zombie" Issue #3.

Eibon Press "Lucio Fulci's Zombie" Issue #3 Review.

Continuing the adaptation of the movie, Eibon Press has continued to prove that they are the master of Fulci adaptation!

A gore-soaked installment, the artwork seems to drip off each page.

The extras included are the awesome "Eibon Sleeve", a couple of stickers, a couple of limted edition trading cards, and two inserts.

Again, I stress that the quality here is great. Not only with the content of the material within the comic but also the quality of the product itself!

These comics are already increasing in value and will undoubtedly become more so in the coming years.

I highly recommend buying the series!

Eibon Press "Zombie" Issue #4

Eibon Press "Lucio Fulci's Zombie" Issue #4.

In this issue, the movie adaptation concluded & it continues on into new territory as our protagonists land in New York and into utter mayhem!

As usual,  the art is incredibly rendered & gory. Full credit to the creative staff of Stephen Romano, Micheal Broom, Derek Rook, Austen Mengler, Gerry Coffey & Fatboy for their hard work, dedication to source materials & quality of product!

Get them while you can! They will not be available forever!

"Day of the Dead: Bloodline"(2018) Movie Review

"Day of the Dead:Bloodline" is yet another re-imagining of 1985's George A. Romeros dark classic third installment of his "Dead Series".

Romeros "Day" is a dark horror fest marked with high quality practical effects. A horror masterpiece.

This "remake" is one heaping pile of shit without one redeeming quality. 

The makeup effects are standard gore mixed with some cgi...and not that great.

The main zombie antagonist, "Max", is unbelievably intelligent. I mean, unbelievable in the negative connotation. None of the protagonists are particularly fleshed out and I found them all pretty flat & uninteresting.

 The whole movie, really, doesn't add anything new to the zombie genre and it sure doesn't pay homage to the original.

Don't waste your time & money on this. It's just another James Dudleson stinker.

Leave Romeros films alone. 

 Rating: 1/2 out of 5 Chainsaws

"The Witch" (2015) Movie Review

"The Witch" (2015) is a period horror movie set in 1630's puritan New England written & directed by Robert Eggers.

I was highly impressed with this film for many reasons. If you're expecting a modern jump scare fest, as most modern horror films are, you may be disappointed. "The Witch" is an excellent example of horror filmmaking that generates a true sense of fear & mystery.

The story is as accurately portrayed as any (if not more) high budget Hollywood offerings. The story itself uses historical elements as court records, personal accounts & New England folk lore in it's realistic depiction of life in puritanical New England.

The sets, the costumes and especially the language are of the highest degree of accuracy.

The story is genuinely creepy & scary. It has a sense of isolation that permeates as the protagonists become outcasts due to differences in theology with the church of the settlement they occupied.

Again, I will not spoil it for you as I suggest you view it yourself. However, I will tell you that you should be prepared to watch and more importantly,  LISTEN to the dialogue. The English language used in 1630 can be a tad confusing if one is not familiar with it.

Don't view this film with other such well known Puritanical horror films in mind such as "Witchfinder General" or "Blood on Satan's Claw". Those films, while great, are not in the same vein as "The Witch", in my opinion. Not because of content similarities but because of quality differences!

DeaditeJoe Rating: 4/5 Chainsaws

"The Void" (2017) Movie

"The Void" is an independent horror film with Lovecraftian overtones written and directed by Steven Kostanski & Jeremy Gillespie.

The film is a fine example of filmmaking within a small budget. I say that because upon viewing it in it's entirety, one would  be hard pressed to put it in the "low budget horror" category! The look & feel of the film is slick, like a film that would have a much bigger budget. The visuals, predominantly practical effects, are very effective.

I cannot overstate the Lovecraftian overtones in the film. The film works on several levels & multiple viewings reveal many different layers of interpretation.

The film on first viewing might seem to be a combination of various films like "The Thing", "Prince of Darkness" with elements of "The Whisperer in Darkness" thrown in.

However, it is much more than that if you're knowledgeable in the Cthulhu Mythos by Lovecraft. The film exudes cosmic horror like few films have - although many have tried.

I'm not going to spoil this film for you. I really want to tell you about slimy tentacled creatures breaching a great cosmic threshold into our world...but...I'd rather you see it!

I will say that this type of film resides squarely into a very specialized niche in horror & it's not for everyone. It's "Cosmic Horror", a reality-bending, body horror insanity-driven nightmare that should not be missed!!

Deadite Joe's Rating: 4/5 Chainsaws