Mermaid's Scar- Cult Manga Review

Rumiko Takahashi might be better known for her quirky comedies and romance tales but her Rumik World series showed her sharper, horror tinged edge. Her Fire Tripper run in Manga Mania was the first complete manga series I read and I purchased quite a few of the OAV adaptations from the Rumik World anthology series including Fire Tripper, Laughing Target and Maris the Wonder Girl.
One of the Rumik World films I had not seen but had read a bit of was Mermaid's Scar. I had picked up a grab bag from my local comic shop and it contained an issue of Mermaid's Scar comic in it but this was not the whole run. I'd only read this one comic and wanted to read more but never found any other issues. Also, I don't think the film was released in the UK. Setting out to right this wrong (and to gain closure after nearly 30 years), I sat down to watch it alongside it's companion piece Mermaid Forest. This is my review for Mermaid's Scar as I have already reviewed Mermaid Forest before.

Whilst doing some research about the film, I found that Mermaid's Scar is one of the many tales that makes up the Mermaid Saga. The series apparently ran sporadically in Japan and the premise is based on the Yao Bikuni, or Happyaku Bikuni legend, where eating the flesh of a mermaid will grant immortality or turn you into a terrible monster called a 'lost soul'.

The series follows Yuta, a young man of about 18 years old, who eats the flesh and is thus immortal. He seeks a way to gain his mortality whilst undergoing The Littlest Hobo or The Incredible Hulk TV show style adventures where he helps people before moving on in his quest.

In Mermaid's Scar, Yuta is joined by Mana, a young woman of similar age and affliction. In this OAV, we are not told how they met but they pass each other off as siblings and travel together.
They meet a young boy, Masato, who is travelling alone to meet up with his mother who lives in a mansion on top of some dramatic cliffs overlooking the ocean. The pair find work at a local building site nearby and see that the relationship between the boy and his mother is terse and abusive. Is there more to this ralationship than meets the eye? Well, when a Lost Soul turns up I'd say yup!

This is a darkly violent OAV with its fair share of blood including someone being shot, piano wired, tied in barbed wire, stabbed with scissors, strangled and then potentially beheaded with an axe. So yes, this isn't (or rather IS) very much your grandpa's Takahashi. The tale is about the perils of losing your humanity when you live forever and  Masato comes across as a real price if work, selfish and self-centred, like any 800 year old 10 year old would be.

This OAV is well animated and the music really sells the mood. It's a shame we didn't get more of this series in the West as I would definitely have invested in it. If you have a spare 50 minutes, this manga is well worth your time of you like twisted little horror films.

I'm now hoping to watch the 2003 Mermaid's Scar series and see if that is a more complete offering of the saga.

LINK: Fire Tripper- Cult Manga Review

LINK- Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review

LINK- Monster City- Cult Manga Review

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- The Offworld Collection- Book Review

LINK: Manga Exhibition at the British Museum

LINK- The Midnight Library and the Idea That You Can’t Go Home Again

LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

The Rise of the Niche Book Scene

The physical books industry went through a torrid time in the 90s with many independent shops closing due to multiple factors. Competitors offering discounted books, supermarkets selling at a discount and the burgeoning online marketplace all ate their lunch and so the industry seemed in terminal decline, especially within niche interest books. However, something truly amazing has happened in recent years as small, niche publishers have been able to create a business for themselves by selling directly to their consumer or by being able to more easily reach their audience through targeted marketing online. It's been amazing as over the past few years I've contributed to a few Kickstarters or crowd funding projects to purchase books on such niche interests as diverse videogame essays (Offworld) and the animation of DIC (creators of series such as Mysterious Cities of Gold, Inspector Gadget and Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors).

Book publishing has evolved and, whilst it can't beat the experience of browsing a well-stocked bricks and mortar store, I appreciate that all tastes can be catered for.

This has faltered somewhat as in late 2023 (which will date this article) there has been a huge rise in paper and energy costs. The closing of pulp mills, rise in energy costs across the world and the slow economic rise post-Covid has had a knock-on effect but I foresee things settling and things getting better. Now, excuse me as I tuck into my book about the series The OA.

The Laughing Target- Cult Manga Review

I do love the works of Rumiko Takahashi and her Rumik World anthology series. Her Fire Tripper run in Manga Mania was the first complete manga series I read and I purchased quite a few of the OAV adaptations including Fire Tripper but also the adaptation of a curious one shot comic adaptation called Laughing Target. The cover was suitably sinister in this short horror tale and back then I had no idea what it would entail.

The cover of the film is quite dramatic.

This OAV holds a special place in my heart, even if it isn't even close to being creator Takahashi's best work. It is arguable what is but it's probably a toss up between Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkokou, Ranma 1/2 or Inuyasha but back then I didn't know any of that. All I knew was that this was an edgy horror anime featuring a fight to the death with bows and arrows. Looking back now, I can see that it is about trauma and how we process it.

The story outline is pretty straightforward: During her childhood, a young girl named Azusa goes missing. She encounters something sinister in the woods and comes back different- changeling style. When she turns 6, Azusa is betrothed to her cousin Yuzuru and they are set to marry when they are grown up. Fast forward 10 years and Yuzuru is a confident archer with groupies and a girlfriend, Satomi. When Azusa arrives, keen to keep to the promise, Yuzuru's world is turned upside down as malevolent forces seek to ensure Satomi's end and the union of Yuzuru to Azusa.

Laughing Target is an effective short horror film.

Laughing Target is well worth a watch as it stands the test of time as an intriguing horror OAV with enough chills to still genuinely unsettle. Rather than just a stereotypical evil shrew, the film elicits sympathy for Azusa, a survivor of abuse at the hand of three boys as well as an isolated girl by her eccentric and overbearing mother. The latent powers of summoning the ghosts of death when she is angry or scared seems understandable under these circumstances! The promise to her betrothed kept her anchored but when she sees that he has given his heart to another, and assaulted her in defence of his love Satomi , it triggers memories of past abuses and untethers her. It is quite powerful but I hadn't read it like that 30 or so years ago.

Rumiko Takahashi might be better known for her quirky comedies and romance tales but her Rumik World series shows her sharper edge. Laughing Target is a well done story, presenting difficult concepts at a time when they were often poorly represented.

The film is well worth 50 minutes if your time. Also, stay for the credits as it ends on a downbeat note that will linger long in the mind.

I Am (Not) a Number: Decoding The Prisoner- Book Review

A short while ago, I finally saw the entire 17 episode run of The Prisoner. It was the first time I had seen the show and viewing it with no nostalgia attached, I could still see why the series had maintained a cult status. Like Twin Peaks, of which I am a huge fan of, the more one delves into the quirkiness, lore and theories, the more one appreciates what was done. It has clearly inspired many shows including Lost, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The X Files and so many more.

It is a singular show and it's tight episode run has kept it evergreen by avoiding the bloat and repetition that plagues a lot of series.

The series is now seen as cult with its allegory of socio-politics, but it was a prime time show when it was initially released. I don't know how Patrick McGoohan managed to get funding for it as it is so ahead of its time yet of its time; the Cold War was alive and well and the fear permeates this singularly psychedelic and Kafka-esque show with some real world analogies. However, it also embraced the Summer of Love with its fashion, crazy carnival of colours and The Beatles' All You Need is Love.

The show sure goes to some odd places and it can be difficult to parse what you have just seen, so a book promising to explain the key takeaways sprinkled across the episodes as well as a grand theory intrigued me enough to buy it.

Alex Cox gives a brief overview of each episode (in the order in which they were shot) and dissects aspects of them which builds to his grand theory or decoding if you will.

The book is slight but it does capture the zaniness and kookiness of the show well, showing how McGoohan created a vibe without necessarily spoon-feeding the audience with an ending that neatly tied the solution in a bow. Instead, what we get are little clues dotted throughout, which, if considered as a whole, makes sense and is cohesive. I agree with Cox's final analysis and also agree that the ending is rather obtuse but decodable if you consider the show as a complete tapestry with a overarching design that takes in the geopolitical situation of the time as well as the space race confirms my views too.

The book is a good read and enjoyable as a companion piece whilst watching the show.

Monster City- Cult Manga Review

This is a bit of the throwback and was considered a bit of a classic back in the early days of manga in the UK. Alongside Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s Wicked City and Ninja Scroll, we had the Cyberpunk Collection, Dominion Tank Police, Vampire Hunter D, Crying Freeman and Doomed Megalopolis, these were everywhere wherever manga was available in the early 90s.

Monster City or Monster City Shinjuki as I knew it from advertising in the UK, is a pretty good showcase of 80s animation. The opening fight scene set the mood as good fights against evil, but good loses and an area of Tokyo is take over by the demons. The area goes to pot (and real estate prices tumble) as the demons seek to revive an elder demon god. The son of the hero, Kyoya, is called upon when the President's daughter, Sayaka Rama, to help defeat the forces of evil and save her President father by going to the heart of Demon City Shinjuku, defeat the 3 sub-bosses before facing the acolyte, Rebi Rah, who is aiming to resurrect the eldritch gods from the demon realm.

Overall, the plot is pretty simple and makes sense as it is very videogamey. The animation is gorgeous, fluid and has that Kawajiri sense of style which was very evocative of 'Japanimation' that looked head and shoulders above most other animation studios from the time. The character designs are excellent and have aged pretty well considering it is nearly 40 years old. An aspect I appreciate is that it isn't too fanservicey or cringy but it is the 80s so we still get classics like, "I'm gonna tear his head off and shove it up his a$$". This is one of the most edge lordy things in this manga but then, it was the late 80s so that 'tude fits with the times. More problematic is when our' hero' decides to sleep on the floor and share the bed otherwise he might not be able to help himself to attack the woman who is accompanying him on this mission.

However, I do appreciate that Sayaka has some agency and is determined to find out what is going on in order to save her father. This is tempered by the fact that she is incredibly gullible and almost  gets assaulted before she is saved, but she does get swindled out of cash.

Kyoya is the stereotypical slacker who is a chauvinist but has the potential for greatness through his sword fighting skills, if he inky applied himself. Their team up works as they save each other a couple of times and it all is sealed with a (consensual) kiss after the defeat of 3 henchbeaasts and a disciple before the Elder Demon God's are released into our realm.

The film has voice acting that is indicative of the quality for the time. The American President's daughter sounds Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom plummy British whilst the kid who helps them sounds like the dreadful Slow Poke Rodriguez who has a stereotypical Mexican accent that is from those banned old Tom and Jerry. The kids supposed to be a tween but sounds like an old man who's smoked 20 a day all his life. The dub is so bad but I love it; it is a creature of its time but my gosh is the animation and framing lush.

Overall, whilst definitely not amazing, Monster City is better than most anime from the 80s and isn't too problematic. It's worth the 80 mins or so of your time.

LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- The Last Guardian- Video Games As Art

LINK- Shadow of the Colossus- Book Review

LINK: Manga Exhibition at the British Museum

LINK- My One True Gaming Constant in Life- Nintendo

LINK- Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review

LINK- The Midnight Library and the Idea That You Can’t Go Home Again

The Prisoner- Cult TV Series Review

I have been a film aficionado for a long time. My father brought me up on classics like David Lean's adaptations of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations as well as the various black and white classic comedies of Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. However, I became interested in cult TV series and films whilst attending University. Our campus was media-centered and as a result it had a huge catalogue of videos to rent, free of charge. I ploughed through many often taking the maximum 8 out at a time and consumed them voraciously. As a result, I believe that I am quite literate in films and TV but the series that really attract me are the more offbeat curios that were before my time and appreciating them for what they were, whether that be Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Twin Peaks, Children of the Stones, Ghost Stories for Christmas, Tales of the Unexpected, The Twilight Zone (in my opinion, the pop culture lodestone for so much that followed) or the myriad of niche films and series of yesteryear.

There was one series that I kept hearing a lot about so I thought I'd right that wrong; I would watch The Prisoner. I knew of The Prisoner through The Simpsons parody but also from reading various publications and magazines that spoke of the series in reverential tones.

Viewing the show with no nostalgia attached, I could see why the series has maintained a cult status. Like Twin Peaks, of which I am a huge fan of, the more one delves into the quirkiness, the lore and the theories, the more one appreciates what was done. It has clearly inspired many shows including Lost, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The X Files and so many more.

It is a singular show and it's tight 17 episode run keeps it evergreen by avoiding bloat and repetition... I mean, there's only so many ways you can attempt to escape by boat!

Patrick McGoohan is compelling in the role as 6.

The series is now seen as cult with its allegory of sociopolitics, but it was a prime time show when it was initially released. I don't know how Patrick McGoohan managed to get funding for it as it is so ahead of its time yet of its time; the Cold War was alive and well and the fear permeates this singularly psychedelic and Kafkaesque show with some real world analogies. However, it also embraced the Summer of Love with its fashion, crazy carnival of colours and The Beatles' All You Need is Love.

The show sure goes to some odd places, such as Once Upon a Time where 6 is brainwashed and regresses to certain points of his earlier life, or Free For All where he becomes a demagogue.  However, it does make a weird kind of sense and shows the hopelessness of it all. In the words of 2, it doesn't matter if it's East or West who control the Village, it is '... a perfect blueprint for World Order'.

In Free For All, which is a very disorienting episode that looks at electioneering, it examines democracy in a vapid society where there is the guise of free media and culture. It could be analogous for much of the world today.
In Chimes of Big Ben, a pretentious art competition sees 6 create a flat pack boat and sell it off as a chapel door with a cross. He wins the competition, after being heavily supported by 2, and wins. This sideways look at the pretentiousness and corporate interests in art is a very unsubtle thumb of the nose to the art work of the 60s.

Other episodes I particularly liked include Hammer into Anvil, which sees 6 do some outlandish things in order to confuse and befuddle 2 into thinking there is a conspiracy against him, and Checkmate, which sees 6 combine with other uncooperatives to escape from the island. But, who can he truly trust?

There were a few others that I didn't care for, generally amongst the latter half of the series, but they were still worth a watch as they added to the mythos of the show.

The finale, Fall Out, is an extraordinary piece of work. It is utterly incomprehensible at first viewing, at least for me, but by piecing ideas from various episodes you can make a kind of sense, much like Twin Peaks: The Returns episode 8. I don't get it all but think The Prisoner is all about the power of the individual which is supreme but also about how individuality affects the social fabric so it is oppressed by those in power. The reason 6 resigned and what he was involved in are not the important things here, nor is the question of who or what number 1 is. What matters more is the vibe of the show which looks at the surreal, psychedelic and counter-culture movements and how it is seemingly a threat to common society- a fear held by many Libertarians.

I read the essential I Am (Not) a Number: Decoding The Prisoner by Alex Cox and his theory is one that rings true for me. I can get behind his theory and, with the passing of time, it seems the most accurate in my understanding of what the series is about.

Overall, I loved the show and even thought the central mystery remains for me, like it does for my theories of Twin Peaks, it will remain long in my memory.

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- How to be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by Mike Schur- Book Review

LINK- The Good Place and Philosophy- Book Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK- ‘Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire’ LINK: Elden Ring- Videogames As Art

For the Love of Cult (and Prohibitive Costs)

I have a deep love of cult films and series and this admiration started a long time ago. When I got into the scene in the mid 90s, it was quite a cheap experience as people were getting rid of their old VHS tapes and so they could be picked up relatively inexpensively from charity shops, which were plentiful in my hometown of Barking. I also watched many films at my university as the University of East London *braap braap etc* had a media course. In between lectures and on my days off, I watched many of my most formative films and shows; it was here that I got into Twin Peaks and the ouvre of Krzysztof Kieślowski, Ingmar Bergman, Werner Herzog, Wong Kar Wai, Shunji Iwai and a multitude of others.

When there was a move to DVD, I found loads more variety in the types of VHS tapes in charity shops in Barking, as people migrated to the newer format with extras such as documentaries, behind the scenes, slideshow and the director and cast commentaries. As time moved on, and streaming became a thing, DVD sets were found for cheap in these shops as well as CEX...that is, until they weren't.

About 5 years ago, I noticed a huge spike in the cost of cult films and TV box sets sets. I used to be able to get old BBC sets for a few quid but now most are over £10. I think the reason is two fold- rarity and an ardent fan base. Let me explain.

Before, many of the series I watched or wanted were deemed niche but with the internet, short and long form video essays on YouTube and hate watching popularised by shows such as MST3K, the cult and niche has become more mainstream. Everything has been commodified, more so than ever before. I know I sound like a hipster, or an old man shouting into the clouds, but it's very annoying to see how much things are marked up from even just a couple of years ago. I noticed the same thing with retro gaming as games and console prices have going through the roof over the past few years; this has been further exacerbated by Covid where the comfort of ‘better times’ and nostalgia has made these products highly desirable. With cult films and series, things are not quite the same- the horror movies in CEX are the premium... especially Hammer and Amicus classics. As a friend said, YouTube is your friend but sometimes it's nice to support the creatives and have a copy of something physical so it isn't scrubbed from a digital service or an ephemeral file downloaded from arrrr friends online.

I have built up quite a good collection but, in this area, there is no way I am or could be a completist. Many companies do small limited edition runs and, unless I feel incredibly strongly about a film or show, I can't justify the outlay. I am glad that many more people are getting to enjoy under-appreciated or semi-forgotten shows but I hope things calm down a little and we don't have a bubble like the retro game scene has had over the past few years. I am an analogue millennial in that I like to have physical versions of some things. I'm not a luddite as I see the benefits of streaming, digital documents and downloadable content but I don’t want it to be ephemeral as streaming services do have a habit of scrubbing stuff.

Vampire Hunter D- Cult Manga OAV Review

In Japan, manga has been a part of the culture for a long time. The origins of manga are debated and The Handscroll of Frolicking Animals by Kitazawa Rakuten is considered a major influence, but generally it gained prominence in the post World War 2 era where artists such as Osamu Tezuka brought some levity and lightness to proceedings with Mighty Atom or Astro Boy as he's known in the West. Tezuka was to manga what Will Eisner was to American comics; the medium existed before their arrival but they brought it to the fore and forever changed it.

As a young boy growing up in east London, England, I didn't know anything about manga or anime but I was consuming it unknowingly through shows such as The Mysterious Cities of Gold and Ulysses 31.
One Saturday, I went into my local WH Smith and saw issue 22 of a magazine called Manga Mania and was taken by the big eyes, spiky hair style and tiny mouth and nose of the cover star that reminded me so much of the animation style I liked. When I picked it up, from the top shelf next to the more salacious magazines, I felt a bit of a rebel but upon opening it the kinetic imagery and artistry blew me away. Flicking through it I saw a mention of The Mysterious Cities of Gold in the letter pages and knew I had found something special.

I was lucky enough to visit Japan in 2013.

My uncle who was only slightly older than me, saw that I had an interest in manga and gave me Devilman and Akira to borrow on VHS- not bad for a 13 year old kid enthralled by this new genre. At the time Akira blew my mind, I didn't understand it then and don't even pretend to now but I knew that I was watching something special.

One of the other manga VHS tapes I was given early on in my journey was Vampire Hunter D. I watched it at the time and loved the moody art style and its similarity to Castlevania, a videogame series I enjoyed on the NES and Megadrive at the time. Since then, I have become more aware of the artist Yohitaka Amano, who contributed to the D design as well as the art for many Final Fantasy videogames. So, on this wet, cold and dark night I thought I’d settle down and watch the Vampire Hunter D OAV film.

In the film, the world's humans live in fear of the vampires and beasts that haunt the land. When a young maiden, Doris, is attacked and marked as the new bride for the evil Count she seeks help from a mysterious swordsman. Known simply as D, the dhampir (part human-part vampire) rides to the castle and an epic battle begins.

Watching the film for the first time in about 25 years, one of the things that struck me is how like a videogame it really is. D goes to the castle to confront the Count but is sent down into the castles depths. He then goes through a sort of boss rush where he fights against various creatures, including the three Midwich Medusa sisters, a ghost wolf, a spider throwing hunchback, before rescuing Doris. However, this continues the story on from where a game would usually end. Doris’ brother is kidnapped so D has to go back and rescue him, then he is killed but rises again before he has a final confrontation with the big bad.

This 1985 OAV is a handsome piece of work, obviously created with a good budget that takes advantage of the format of the time to be a tight 81 minutes. The film does contain lots of gore and there is a bit of gratuitous nudity as the young maiden, Doris, is in the shower for a non-essential scene but, surprisingly for the time it was created, it remains relatively non-offensive.

Manga was one of my first true loves and one that has survived to this day, at least to a lesser extent. Manga is in my lifeblood and even though it doesn't feature as prominently in my daily life as it once did for me, it was formative in my youth and for that I am still grateful. Films like this remind me why I fell in love with the medium in the first place.

LINK- Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- My Visit to the Cartoon Museum in London

LINK- Manga Exhibition at the British Museum: Review

LINK: Preserving the Spirit of Media Past

LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

LINK- My One True Gaming Constant in Life- Nintendo

LINK- On, and On and Colston (Or, ‘How We Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism in GB’)

Twins of Evil- Cult Film Review

My love for old horror films started in my formative teen years. The BBC would show cult horror films late on Friday and Saturday nights in the early to mid-90s and, when we got Sky, late 90s/ early 2000s Bravo Channel. Some were the more salacious films of 60s and 70s European cinema, often in the horror genre but not always-  some were experimental pieces which had a deeply ethereal feel and long moments of quiet where the gorgeous scenery and silence would wash over you. It was here I first saw Circus of Horrors, Vampiros Lesbos, The Witchfinder General and many, many more.

It was during this time that I first watched Twins of Evil. I decided to revisit the film for the first time in over 25 or so years to see if it was worth the cult classic status it has acquired over time.

The story is quite simple: At a village where superstition reigns supreme, a young woman is burned at the stake for being a witch by a band of puritans. Maria and Freida, played by the identical Collinson twins, are placed under the care of their puritanical uncle, played by an ever reliable Peter Cushing. The twins are identical in looks but very different in nature with Maria being kindhearted but Frieda being selfish and hedonistic. When Frieda secretly allies with the pleasure seeking Count Karnstein (played with suitable arrogance and charm by Damien Thomas) and is turned into a vampire, her sister seeks to get her back but is it too late?

The film is based on Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla but apparently this film changes quite a lot from the source material. As it is, the film is a very simple story of good and evil and the nature of humans. It's not a deep character study like The Blood on Satan's Claw or The Wicker Man but it is quick disposable fun that shows Hammer at its cheesy average.

The cinematography by the awesomely named Dick Bush is solid and the Harry Robinson composed music surprisingly jaunty, especially over the opening credits as a poor woman is writhing in agony as the flames overtake her body. Director, John Hough, knows his remit and that is to let his star actresses take the spotlight and shine in their title roles.

The film is fine but that's it. The twins are solid in their roles whilst Cushing and Thomas play their roles with suitable gravitas but the story is slight and there are few surprises. It's a recommend from me for nostalgia's sake but there are definitely better horror films from the period out there.

LINK: Kolchak: The Night Stalker- Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Twin Peaks Retrospective

LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

LINK- My One True Gaming Constant in Life- Nintendo

LINK- On, and On and Colston (Or, ‘How We Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism in GB’)

LINK- ‘Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire’

LINK: Let’s All Create a ‘New Normal’.

The Witchfinder General- Cult Film Review

My love for old horror films started in my formative teen years. The BBC would show cult horror films late on Friday and Saturday nights in the early to mid-90s and, when we got Sky, late 90s/ early 2000s Bravo Channel was a real boon. Some were the more salacious films of 60s and 70s European cinema, often in the horror genre but not always-  some were experimental pieces which had a deeply ethereal feel and long moments of quiet where the gorgeous scenery and silence would wash over you. It was here I first saw Circus of Horrors, Vampiros Lesbos, Twins of Evil and many, many more.

For this dark season, I thought I'd watch the unholy trinity of British folk horror; The Witchfinder General, Blood on Satan's Claw and The Wicker Man. No, not the Nic Cage remake. Now, say it after me…

A true crime against nature.

I saw Witchfinder General on Bravo back in the late 90s/ early 00s I believe. I hadn't seen it since then but remember the violence being quite disturbing at the time.

It starts off with a quiet countryside scene with lush green grass and lolling sheep. It quickly cuts to a hangman setting up a gallows on a hill whilst  a mob drags an old lady up to it. Whilst the priest recites the last rites the noose is put around the old lady and the stool is kicked away from underfoot, she swings and it smash cuts to Vincent Price as Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General, watching from astride his white horse. For a cold open, this scene is brutal and it doesn't stop there. The statement of intent has been set and it's not backing down.

The smashcut of Vincent Price is brilliant and the beginning is brutal.

The music by Paul Ferris kicks in to offer a brief moment to catch your breath as the credits roll. When the narrator sets the scene about 1665 and the English Civil War, we see that the rule of law is broken and cruelly inequal- dispensed without due process.

When a Roundhead soldier, Richard, is given leave after saving the life of his captain, he goes to see his lady love, Sarah. Her uncle gives him permission to marry his niece but wants him to take her away as the threat of being accused of witchcraft hangs over the area. The soldier returns to his regiment but, unfortunately, the following day the Witchfinder General comes to town and falsely accused the priest. He makes advances against the niece and, in exchange for a night with her, promises to free the priest. When Hopkins goes to a nearby town, his second in charge, John Stern, assaults the niece too. The priest is then dunked in the water and hanged for witchcraft as the niece's sway is lost.

The soldier returns to his love and promises to avenge the priest's death and the loss of her innocence by killing the witchfinders. What follows is a cat and mouse chase as the soldier looks to catch up to the witchfinders whilst they continue to carry out their dreaded executions.

The film is brutal in it's portrayal of violence done against the innocent and voiceless but the threat of cynical Puritanism and greed that underline this dark tale, still persist in today's world. The cinematography by John Coquillon is stunning shot as the beautiful greens of the beginning  contrast against the autumnal colours when Hopkins comes to town and brings his brand of justice. The costumes are on point and whilst you can tell that this isn't an expensive production, the economy of design lends it a charming period look.

Even after nearly 50 years, the depravity shown is still shocking but the tale of systemic violence done against women whilst the community watches is still relevant and prescient even of the rise of the far right and populism where hardwon womens' rights and liberties are being rolled back for a similar puritanical zealousness, underpinned by greed and power. Director Michael Reeves, who died tragically young, has created a film that has stood the test of time and is prescient.

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review

Captain Sindbad- Cult Film Review

I've been on a bit of a Sinbad binge lately, I mean who hasn't right?, and I had half remembered memories of this one from my youth, in my head it was a mixture of this with The Golden Voyage of Sinbad where the hero goes to an island to kill the beating heart of an evil dictator who has separated it from his physical body to make himself invulnerable. After some research online, I found the film I was looking for was the lesser known Sinbad film Captain Sindbad (1963) and so stepped up to watch it.

The story was similar to what I remembered but quite different in many ways: Sindbad (with an extra 'd' for some reason) returns from a voyage and heads home to his beloved Princess Jana. However, in his absence, her kingdom has been taken over by an evil warlord who cannot be killed as his heart has been stored away in a far off tower. What follows is a treacherous voyage through a swamp to recover the heart, kill the fiend and return the kingdom to its rightful rulers.

The story is pretty basic but it's Sinbad so we are expecting swashbuckling and 'browning up' of people to be 'swarthy' and of uncertain Middle Eastern heritage. However, it is a product of its time so should be understood and appreciated as such. I don't bear it any ill will.

The cast are all uniformly matinee players, with the broad acting style that entails, Guy Williams makes a likeable but pretty bland Captain Sindbad, Heidi Brühl is a beautiful but deadpan Princess Jana, Pedro Armendáriz chews the scenery as El Kerim, all 'Kill him', 'Take him to the dungeons' and 'Raise the taxes, no double the taxes' kind of  acting whilst Abraham Sofaer plays magician Galgo as a weak, simpering coward with no self-motivation or drive beyond simply surviving for the next few minutes. However, the matt paintings, costume design and set pieces are pretty sumptuous here considering the small budget this film undoubtably had.

The special effects are definitely of their time, featuring the evil El Kerim spinning court magician Galgo's head around and the invisible creature (show by stencilled footsteps, some sparkler effects and a green hue). The magician later does a spell to grow and stretch objects and, I'm not proud of this, my thoughts went straight to the gutter, but he uses it to gain access to El Kerim's ring which takes away the villain's power. What this is definitely missing is the wonder of Harryhausen’s creatures as they became the draw that stayed long in the memory after the often forgotten stories. There is a hydra type monster but that looks like a flimsy rubber model which has red led lights for eyes and fake looking smoke machine smoke. The fight isn't fluid but rather the protagonist flailing his sword around windmill style with no flair or skill. The fact the creature is taken out by a conveniently placed square boulder dropped by his crew from a nearby cliff edge makes the fight seem pointless. There is no kinetic drama in this fight compared to Harryhausen’s work but what is to be done (except three better Sinbad films). Later on, when Sindbad fights the glove in the tower, again, it lacks drama. The use of the swanee whistle when Galgo uses magic to get El Kerim to the tower is poorly conceived as it gives a everything a comedic tone. I'm not saying everything needs to be grim dark but a bit more consistency in tone would be much appreciated.

Overall, the film is a lesser Sinbad film as it lacks the drama and magical effects that really propel the story along. It is an okay diversion but not really one I can recommend unless you have fond memories of it from your youth.

LINK- The Golden Voyage of Sinbad- Cult Movie Review

LINK- The 7th Voyage of Sinbad- Cult Movie Review

LINK- Into the Unknown Exhibition Shines Bright at the Barbican

LINK- Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema Virtual Exhibition Experience- Review

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Pure Invention- Book Review

Hammer Glamour- Book Review

I have been a film aficionado for a long time. My father brought me up on classics like David Lean's adaptations of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations, the various black and white classic comedies of Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy as well as the Dynamation works of Ray Harryhausen.

My love for old horror films started in my formative teen years. The BBC would show cult horror films late on Friday and Saturday nights in the early to mid-90s and, when we got Sky, late 90s/ early 2000s Bravo Channel. Some were the more salacious films of 60s and 70s European cinema, often in the horror genre but not always- some were experimental pieces which had a deeply ethereal feel and long moments of quiet where the gorgeous scenery and silence would wash over you. It was here I first saw The Witchfinder General, Circus of Horrors, Vampiros Lesbos and Twins of Evil and many, many more.

I became even more interested in cult TV series and films whilst attending university. Our campus was media-centered and as a result it had a huge catalogue of VHS tapes to rent, free of charge. I ploughed through many often taking the maximum 8 out at a time and consumed them voraciously.

Hammer was a name that stood out to me as you were guaranteed a strong performance from a lead actor, often Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing, and lashings of blood and glamour. It was here that I came across many actresses who I knew from other works like Caroline Munro (Sinbad), Nastassja Kinski (Paris, Texas) and Madeline Smith (Live and Let Die). It seemed like horror was the genre many a young lady had cut their teeth on and specifically Hammer.

Cushing and Lee get all the credit but the leading and supporting ladies added so much to the productions and needed to be spotlit. The women were often glamourous and their acting skills overlooked by many, including the film makers themselves, for mere tittilation but the coffeebook Hammer Glamour looks behind the scenes and  presents black and white and colour photographs from the Hammer archives of these actresses.

Usually, each of the 50 actresses gets at least 3 pages as well as biographies including candid interviews from the surviving actresses or archival quotes from past interviews for those who are no longer with us. These are no mere puff pieces but actually quite critical of the treatment many of these women received from an often mysogynistic and sexist British film industry of the time. Many were told that the nude scenes or candid photos they reluctantly took part in would only be for 'foreign markets' only to find the scenes shown in the home UK market. The author, Marcus Hearn does not shy away from this and, whilst having a clear love of the studio and it's works, he is aware of these issues and has shared them here. It isn't all doom and gloom though as many actresses had an amazing time and were well treated, however, many left the industry jaded, dependent on drugs or alcohol, whilst a few even committed suicide.

The book is a handsome tome with good quality paper stock and crystal clear photographs. The layout of the pages is consistent with large photographs of the actresses in their film roles as well as promotional shoots. This book is a respectful look at the first ladies of horror and is highly recommended by me.

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LINK: Kolchak: The Night Stalker- Cult TV Series Review

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LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

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Kolchak: The Night Stangler- Cult Movie Review

A while back, I watched the 20 episode television series of Kolchak, after having had the DVD collection for years. I had heard it mentioned often when The X Files was at its peak. I thought the series was excellent and could understand why it had achieved cult status over the past 50 or so years; it had a late night pulpy horror charm. I’d also watched the first movie and found that the production values were high in this slower paced affair. The tightness of the film made it watchable and exciting, even with the dated makeup effects.

It was with some excitement that I watched the follow up movie, Kolchak: The Night Strangler. It follows our intrepid investigator as he is down in his luck in Seattle a year after the incidence in Las Vegas. A chance meeting with his old editor Tony Vincenzo places him on a path to track down a serial strangler in Seattle. Every 21 years, a sequence of murders occurs within the same few blocks and so Kolchak seeks the killer who has possibly discovered the elixir of life.

Like its predecessor, the show is well produced with great cinematography highlighting the cityscape of Seattle. The story is intriguing and Kolchak (Darren McGavin) has lots of fun interactions with the office staff as he is trying to save the case. The old Seattle catacombs are an excellent location for this mystery and lends the whole film that 70s griminess.

The Watch House- Cult TV Series Review

British children’s television series during the late 70 right up to the late 80s period were quite interesting; slightly spooky but not too spooky, with a tinge of creeping dread. I'd never heard of ‘The Watch House’ but, had heard it mentioned in the same tones as Moondial, Children of the Stones and The Owl Service. Just hearing it mentioned with those greats had me interested and so, over the course of an evening, I watched all three 30 minute episodes.

The story is quite simple:
Following the difficult break-up of her parents, young teen Ann is left to stay with friends of the family at an old life-brigade watch-house. Whilst cleaning it up, she realises that the place is haunted but what is the spirit (or spirits) trying to tell her?

No-one does creepy folk horror quite like the British and this sort-of ghost story is effectively produced, featuring lots of location shoots that add some sense of place and atmosphere to proceedings. For a 1988 production, I can imagine it costing quite a bit but the shoot really adds a gorgous setting in which to set-up this ghost story. The special effects are obviously dated and we're made on a limited budget but, when the shipshead comes alive and the flashback of the ghosts is revealed, they are effective.

Whilst some of the adult actors do come across as quite hammy and theatrical, and some of the child actors precocious to the point of annoying, the whole thing generally works. Sure the story is quite basic and doesn't linger in the memory like the shows that left their endings more open (such as Children of the Stones), but what we do have is a short serial with a feisty female protagonist (played by Diana Morrison) trying to get to the bottom of a mystery.

As an adult with no nostalgia for this show, it is pretty forgettable but I don't feel like I wasted my time on this. Not every show has to be an all-time classic and this is pretty basis but effective enough.

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

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Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger- Cult Movie Review

Sinbad and the Eyes of the Tiger is the third and final trilogy of Sinbad films that stop-motion maestro Ray Harryhausen made for Columbia, the others being The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973). It was not a commercial success apparently but I have fond memories of watching it in my youth, either on a rainy weekend or some national holiday or half-term. Of the three Sinbad movies created by Harryhausen and director Charles H. Schneer, this movie is the one I remember the most because of the iconic bronze minotaur creature but was my fondness well placed or was it sepia-tinted memories of a poor film? To answer this, on a typically rainy Easter half-term afternoon, I decided to watch it again and see- thus completing my journey of the three Sinbad films.

The story is quite simple, as it has been in each time; A sorceress (and evil stepmum) wants her son to ascend to the throne and so curses the actual prince of the land, turning him into a baboon. Along the way, she tried to kill Sinbad and his crew to prevent them from helping the prince but he prevails. He also learns of a way to transform the prince back in order to repay a favour and make himself a hero worthy of the princess. He travels to an island to seek advice from a wise man, Melanthius, who might be able to turn the prince back but they need to travel to the icy north. Will the plan work though?

Patrick Wayne plays Sinbad but, whilst he certainly looks impressive with his groomed beardline, curly hair and gold earring, his acting it a bit wooden and lacks charisma, a major flaw when you are the main protagonist who is known to be dashing, swashbuckling and daring. Jane Seymour is Princess Farah and does okay with what she is given, speaking earnestly and with a slight accent to make herself suitably 'Arabian'. Margaret Whiting chews the scenery as the evil sorceress Zenobia and is effective in a Mighty Morphin Rita Repulsa kind of way. Meanwhile, Patrick Troughton's Melanthius plays the old wise man well but makes ridiculous choices like giving a hornet a potion that makes it grow larger and it then proceeds to attack him: not so wise then…

There is earnestness in the acting but the plotting is wonky at best and the special effects are not as effective as they were in the earlier film. Harryhausen is still a master but the imagination isn't flowing fully here, sure the Minoton bronze minotaur is impressive looking (and is pretty much a glorified rower) but Talos in Jason and the Argonauts was better (and done earlier). The other fantastical creatures such as the gryphon and cyclops from the earlier Sinbad films are lacking here, being replied by a huge walrus and hornet, hardly the special effects showcase we'd come to know and love from the myths and legends of the Arabian Nights. However, the final battle between the smilodon and troglodyte is well staged and suitably dramatic but is too little to late to save this film from mediocrity- a sin with a world as ripe for interpretation as Sinbad.

That said, the matte art is impressive and the location shooting in Petra, Jordan and some Balearic isles makes it a pretty journey. The costumes are great too and the soundtrack and sound effects suitable for this type of movie.

Taking the movie as a whole, it is simple daft fun; it is still worth a watch but it does lack the heart and, dare I say, fun and creativity shown in the earlier Sinbad films.

Out if the three, I'd say this was the worst of the bunch but it isn't bad per se, just underwhelming.

LINK- The Golden Voyage of Sinbad- Cult Movie Review

LINK- The 7th Voyage of Sinbad- Cult Movie Review

LINK- Into the Unknown Exhibition Shines Bright at the Barbican

LINK- Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema Virtual Exhibition Experience- Review

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Pure Invention- Book Review

Kolchak: The Night Stalker- Cult TV Review

I bought the Kolchak: The Night Stalker DVD collection a few years ago, but it been sat in my pile of shame collecting dust. Earlier this month, I decided to finally bite the bullet and watch it during my annual January videogame detox.

I didn't know anything about the series but had heard it mentioned often when The X Files was at its peak. Apparently, Kolchak was an inspiration for Chris Carter when writing the adventures of Mulder and Scully, so if it was good enough for him it was good enough for me.

The 20 episode TV series followed Carl Kolchak (excellently played by Darren McGavin) investigating supernatural phenomena in his home city of Chicago. Each week he would have an investigation, facing off against mummies, vampires, werewolves and the like, whilst his likeable but ball-busting editor Tony Vincenzo (played by Simon Oakland) would be on his back about some more mundane mainstream story.

Typically, at the beginning of each tale we'd see Kolchak at his typewriter wistfully retelling the adventure he'd just had. Then, we'd go through the whole story as Kolchak slowly pieced together the puzzle to find out who the 'monster of the week' was. It's an effective story-telling device that offers a snapshot of a bygone age with its fashion, technology and concerns about the future. There are a few issues here and there with stereotyping, especially of the exotic 'other' like Hindus, Native Americans and Haitians, but it's not as problematic as many shows from that period, in fact the show stands up pretty well as Kolchak tried to understand these differences. It's not always subtle but I've definitely seen a lot worse from this era.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker

I watched all the episodes and my favourite 3 episodes were:

The Ripper- A serial killer in Chicago, who preys on women, has the same MO as Jack the Ripper, but it couldn't be him... it's been almost a hundred years, right?

Bad Medicine- When a man dressed as a Native American sorceror kills older ladies of distinction for their gems, Kolchak is on the case to see that the crime spree stops. Richard Kiel appears in an early career role and is suitably brooding as an 8ft transmitting giant who morphs into animals. Even though it is quite insensitive now, it is a great episode with lots of tension and mystery.

The Knightly Murders- When a museum showcasing medieval armour is under threat of being turned into a nightclub, the reanimated black armour of a cursed knight murders some of the Chicago folk involved in the museums closure. A crossbow, mace and lance are the murder weapons of choice but can Kolchak get to the bottom of it?

The show is highly entertaining and extremely watchable, even now. There is a gentle humour that goes with Kolchak being thrown out of places he shouldn't be and people not believing his wild sounding stories. McGavin has the confidence and charming personality to befriend some people whilst getting under the skin of others, much like Columbo. His dogged pursuit for the truth is endearing as he portrays Kolchak with warmth and good humour, rather than just a newshungry reporter.

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- How to be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by Mike Schur- Book Review

LINK- The Good Place and Philosophy- Book Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK- ‘Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire’ LINK: Elden Ring- Videogames As Art

Magnetic Rose (Otomo's Memories)- Cult Film Review

Katsuhiro Otomo is a manga legend, rising to prominence with his seminal masterpiece Akira. It was the first real breakthrough worldwide manga hit, spread initially by word of mouth and then gaining a cult fandom until it broke through to the mainstream thanks to the terrific but confusing film.

For his follow up work, Otomo went a little more left field, creating a comic anthology series of which 3 were turned into an animated film called Memories. I knew of the film due to the soundtrack that I purchased at Forbidden Planet for a then-princely sum of £25. I was intrigued by the cover and when I saw that one of the composers was Yoko Kanno, whose work I'd loved in 'Macross Plus, I bought it. The music was mesmerising, bringing together Puccini's Madame Butterfly with Kanno's wending jazzy brassiness. It is a hauntingly beautiful score and I played it for years before ever seeing the film.

In the late 90s, the emergence of the internet made buying, selling and trading anime much easier and so, after striking an friendship with a fellow manga and anime fan, I received a copied VHS of Memories.

Now, all three short films are worthy of attention but for this review I specifically want to shine a light on the first, Magnetic Rose. I only read one comic from the anthology series and that was Magnetic Rose, but that was after having watched the 50 minute enthralling sci-fi horror/ psychological film

I only recently found out that Magnetic Rose was written by the late, great, gone-too-soon Satoshi Kon who made Paprika, Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress, Paranoia Agent and Tokyo Godfathers, and looking at those works, the psychological angle is obvious. The storyline is about a salvage ship on their way home receiving a distress signal. Following protocol, they go to provide assistance only to find a graveyard of ships all merged together in the shape of a rose. As the crew explore the interior they encounter a facsimile of a baroque world but there seems to be a presence within which means harm.

I won't spoil it but the atmosphere created, enhances by the evocative operatic soundtrack, is second to none and the film will linger in your mind long after the denouement. The animation is sublime and has some of the most technically impressive multi-plane shots seen at the time, lending the film a lived-in free movement which is appropriate for space.

I've been into manga and anime for over 30 years and this particular film is one of my all-time favourites. Even after all these years, the film haunts me.

The Green Knight- Film Review

I have fond memories of the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I vividly recall a teacher, Mr. Mathias, reading a version to my year 6 class back in the 80s as we were studying Arthurian legends.

The tale itself is an intriguing one, set in Arthurian legend times. On Christmas Day, the Green Knight, a creature made of wood, plants and nature, arrives and sets a challenge, for one of the knights to lay a blow and to receive the same blow a year later. Gawain, foolish in his youth, lops off the creatures head and finds to his astonishment that the creature lives, retrieves his head and restates the challenge to be complete one year hence. And so Gawain must travel far and wide to find his way to the Green Chapel to receive a reciprocal blow.

Wow, what a tale! At the time I remember being enthralled and the art in the book was stunning, as was the Loathely Lady follow up book by the same author, Selina Hastings and artist, Juan Wijingaard.

This book is one of my favourites and is an excellent interpretation of the legend.

When I heard there was a film adaptation I was excited as it’s the quintessential Heroes Journey. However, I'd heard that this version was a deeply meditative film rather than a swords and sandals epic like the Harryhausen films of old or the scale and grandeur of Lord of the Rings. Due to this I think some people were disappointed as they were expecting more action but when I heard that it starred Dev Patel in the main role as Gawain I was intrigued as he is a brilliant actor who is very nuanced and powerful in the roles he plays. Also, being a fan of a lot of art house and European cinema I went in knowing that it would be a slower paced film and so it proved. Patel portrays a deeply flawed yet human Gawain who feels the pressure to achieve as he is the nephew of the great King Arthur. The problem is he doesn’t act or speak in a knightly way, foregoing the Code of Chivalry each of King Arthur's Knights swore which included lofty ideals such as: protecting the weak and defenseless, obeying those placed in authority, and always speaking the truth, bravery, courtesy, honour and great gallantry toward women.

After watching the film I had a strange sense of nostalgia, even though it was a brand new film. After a few days ruminating upon it I think I have an idea of what the feeling was; it reminded me of late 90s/ early 2000s Bravo Channel. Please, bare with me on this aside. The channel would air some curious cult film that had deeply ethereal feels and long moments of quiet where the gorgeous scenery and silence would wash over you, often they were the more salacious films of 60s and 70s European cinema, often in the horror genre but not always. Don't get me wrong, this is not a cheaply made or looking film, or salacious at all, but it feels so experimental yet deliberate. This film looks absolutely beautiful and is well watching on that basis alone, however the story is intriguing and the ending is something special. I just can't describe the feeling but the film is kind of Lynchian in the feeling of unease it create.

The Green Knight

The film is sumptuously shot.

Anyways, I loved the film and I think its one of the finest pieces of cinema I've seen for many years. It's not for everyone but then it doesn’t need to be; it fills that niche arthouse cinema so well without trying. I do hope people will give it a chance and it finds it’s rightful place as an all-time classic

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The Black Angel- Cult Film Review

I first heard of The Black Angel short film whilst flicking through my monthly issue of Infinity, a wonderful cult and geeky pop culture magazine. What drew me in was the fact that it was based off of Arthurian myth, was created as a short film project with just a £25,000 budget and the director, Roger Christian, made it as a dream project with no oversight and the backing of George Lucas during the release of The Empire Strikes Back.

What emerges is a passion project with an economy of design that leans into the dreamlike work of Andrei Tarkovsky and the stunning panorama of Akira Kurosawa, both influences accredited by Christian. However, it starts like Werner Herzog's masterpiece Aguirre: Wrath of God in the way that it feels like a hypnotic dream as the first 5 minutes are silent as we see a lone traveller, Sir Maddox, slowly trotting on his white horse across gorgeous dreamlike rocky landscapes covered in morning dew and fog. He arrives at his castle and family home to find it in ruins and the only people inhabiting it are young children with 'the sickness'.

When he nearly drowns but is saved by a young maiden in white, Sir Maddox is determined to save her from The Black Angel, a mysterious figure who seems to have a hold in her.

The film itself is a strange and entrancing journey and reminds me of a film I saw recently, The Green Knight starring Dev Patel. That film also reminded me of the Bravo Channel in the mid to late 90s when they'd show strange culty films late at night. It really was a hodgepodge of content and this film would have fit in that slot before channel drift set in.

The film is available to view on YouTube on the official Famous First Films page and I look forward to the upcoming full length movie.

The Color Out of Space- Cult Film Review

Whilst suffering decision paralysis, caused by having too many choices available on Netflix and Amazon Prime, I came across a film that popped up and intrigued me… The Color Out of Space. I was familiar with the short story from H.P. Lovecraft, having read it about 20 years ago, and had loved the strange premise of a meteorite landing on a farm and bringing dreadful consequences for the creatures and humans that lived in the area. However, I didn’t know how this story could be effectively adapted for the screen as Lovecraft’s Cosmicism and existential dread, about humanity’s insignificance in the eyes of unknowable beings, would lose its power if the creature (in this case, a colour) were presented on screen as nothing is scarier than the unknown. So, suitably intrigued I selected to see who was involved and upon seeing Nicolas Cage front and centre, it kinda clinched the deal for me that this was a must watch… the man is an enigma and is pushing acting boundaries- both good and bad.

I watched the movie late at night over a couple of days and, at times, it felt like a strange lucid dream. In fact, on the second night I had to rewatch 10 mins from the previous night as I wasn't sure that I hadn't fallen asleep and dreamt it. I can reassuringly say that no, I hadn't dreamt it and yes, it was in fact as strangely, magnificently, hauntingly beautiful as I had thought.

I only knew the director, Richard Stanley, from the amazing documentary Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau when he went into the rainforest and survived off the land, playing an extra under disguise after being fired from the film shoot. However, based on this film, I can say that he is a solid director and has great vision which would have made Moreau a more exciting proposition than what we ended up with.

The Color Out of Space is a glorious B- movie and the whole feel is very The Thing or, more recently, Annihilation as it is a slow burn that slowly brings out the scares without being too graphic or gory. Cage keeps it reigned in for the first hour before he starts to Cage Rage out but he never goes Full Cage (FC) or gives the powerhouse gonzo performance we are used to and expect (Think The Wickerman bees scene). Rather, this is a more tempered and measured approach with occasional FC elements like the alpaca shooting and 'family always sticks together' speech. The rest of the supporting cast are solid and play it straight.

The cinematography is stunning and there are moments of pure spectacle. The trippy visuals and practical special effects give the film a timeless vibe in that the CGI is very good for the budget and the practical effects work well in an 80s way- the period it most recalls in its homage to the sci-fi horror genre. The soundtrack by Colin Stetson is reminiscent of dark 80s synth wave but also with some heavier beats. Overall, it's an excellent soundtrack that complements this unusual film.

I know that this is the first of a planned Lovecraft trilogy and I eagerly await the next one, which I hope will happen even thought this film was disastrous financially but won general plaudits from fans and reviewers alike. If you have a spare couple of hours and want something very unique, this may well fit the bill.

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Supernatural (BBC): Cult TV Review