Blood Capsule #323 (Special Edition)

What's a Special Edition?  It's a series where I review one of my favorites.  These are films that would appear in my Top 50 or so (if I endeavored to compile such a list).

THE HOWLING (1981)

I'll end the suspense.  The Howling is my favorite werewolf movie of all time.  I have a sick fascination with the sequels, but they really did it right the first time.  Watching it last night (after a period of dormancy that lasted several years), things clicked for me.  I think I know why it works.  I mean, I've always known, but this most recent viewing shed some clarity on the matter.  The Howling is one of a handful - and that's being generous - of lycanthropictures that perfectly balances vein-slashing horror with genuine pathos.  The secret weapon?  Dee Wallace Stone.  She's invaluable as TV journalist Karen White, so much so that I can't imagine the film without her.  None of it, not even Rob Bottin's jaw-dropping special effects, would hit the same without her ardent, solemn performance at the core of the film.  If you need a synopsis, White is sent on a furlough to a mountain resort to find some solace after a harrowing episode where she assisted the police in nabbing a serial killer.

I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying that this leave of absence is interrupted by a gaggle of werewolves.  The creatures themselves are fierce.  I can only echo the sentiments of others when it comes to the transformation sequence, which I just learned was shot after director Joe Dante ran out of money.  Who needs a budget anyway?  This is a five-Z'Dar supernova of fur and wolfsbane (I'm using five Z'Dars from my personal collection, I'll have you know), but it should be noted that the midsection is sluggish.  As much as I try to silence my inner critic, I had to mention it.  That doesn't diminish the explosive third act, though.  John Carradine earns a nomination in the category for Best Supporting Actor That is Almost Dead.  And that was a tough playing field, too.  Elisabeth Brooks was a shoe-in for Sexiest Werewolf Bitch.  I'm kidding; that's not a real category.

Random Album Alert

Another day, another 2025 release that rips.  The band is Shrieking Demons, and this is an excellent slab of death metal.  Could very well end up on my year-end list.

Blood Capsule #322

UNNATURAL (2024)

Disclaimer!  I'm only roping Unnatural into Random Werewolf Month for two sketchy reasons.  How sketchy?  Enough to warrant a disclaimer.  I needed there to be a "current" film amongst the dead pool of titles that I curated.  Also, this is a werewolf movie for, like, five minutes (the first five, to be exact).  It switches to vampire mode for the rest of the running time.  I had to include it, though.  Folks, Unnatural is a horror/western hybrid starring Al Snow.  Yes, the wrestler.  I didn't realize that he entertained an acting career on the side, but his IMDb page is variegated in an assortment of low-budget projects that range in style from horror to Homeless for the Holidays, whatever you would call that.  He's pitch-perfect here as a grizzled cowboy.  Actually, that's going to be a theme, as I have to say that Unnatural is pretty...unbad.  Don't get me wrong.  It's obvious that this flick is limited in scope, but I didn't spot nearly as many unintentional gaffes as I was expecting.

Snow plays a stolid, imperturbable drifter who opens the film by saving his grandchildren from a werewolf.  Incidentally, our lycanthrope looks...can I use "unbad" again?  It's un-ungood.  From there, we cut back and forth to a Dodge City of sorts.  The sheriff is a bloodsucker.  By God, if Al Snow can't send him and his acolytes back to Hell, he's going to die trying.  That running time I mentioned clocks in at 103 minutes.  Normally, that would be a hindrance for a z-grade picture show, but while Unnatural moves at a methodical pace, I was never bored.  I was hoping to see Al Snow dispatch monsters at high noon/midnight, and for better or worse, that's what I got.  If I want to sleep at night, however, I can't hand out any more than three Z'Dars.  That's just the way it is.  Now, I'm no wobblin' jaw, so I'm going to head for the door.  Don't squat with your shootin' spurs on, partner.

By the way, Unnatural II and III are in pre-production.  Hot dog!

Help support the site!

If you need a reason to join my Patreon (the lowest tier is only $1), I just posted Blood Stains - tiny capsules - of the Wishmaster sequels.  By the way, part four is insane.  Yowza.  You also get early access to Blood Capsules.  And you get the knowledge that you're supporting the best dang horror/metal blog in the universe.  So join!

Blood Capsule #321

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN PARIS (1997)

I imagine that fans who flocked to see this film in 1997 were disappointed that it didn't (correction: couldn't) live up to An American Werewolf in London.  Can I share something with you?  Promise not to laugh?  In my opinion, London is overrated.  Any moron could tell you that the special effects were incredible, but it left me feeling flat.  It's definitely not my favorite werewolf movie.  Not even close (I'll get to my actual favorite a couple of reviews from now...patience, patience).  If you view Paris as a true sequel, it's not going to wash your dishes.  However, if you view it as a stand-alone creature feature, one produced in the gizzard of a slasher boom, you might find that most of its punches connect.  The main dude is played by Tom Everett Scott.  He is vacationing in France with his daredevil buddies, and right off the bat, this flick has a leg up on the original.  The oh-so-significant best friends are brought to life by perennial "that guy" actors Vince Vieluf and Phil Buckman.  Simply put, they rock.

This is the last time I'll reference it, but I never felt a connection to the side characters in London.  Here, they're entertaining, and as an added bonus, they play an integral role in the storyline.  Conversely, I can't say that the chemistry between our cloying leads is particularly riveting.  Julie Delpy is fine as the lycanthropic love interest, but...meh.  The rain-soaked opening credits ensured me that Paris would be easy on the eyes.  And it is, with the exception of the werewolves.  Good Lord, the CGI has not aged well.  It looks foul.  Malodorous even!  That's a crucial bone of contention, considering that the werewolves are the stars of the show.  In terms of gore, nothing stands out.  I realize that it sounds as if I've soured on An American Werewolf in Paris over the course of this capsule, but I had fun with it.  I enjoyed it more than I did when I saw it at the fragile age of thirteen.  I'm pretty sure I was just waiting to see boobs and/or blood in 1997.  I'd like to think I've matured since then.  Ahem.

My thoughts on Weapons...

I was told to go into this movie with very little knowledge of the plot beforehand.  So I won't give much away.  Weapons is already being touted as the best horror romp of the year, and while it's definitely worth seeing, I would probably give the edge to Bring Her Back.  Both films are intense, but this one does take awhile to get cooking.  I wouldn't even call it a disconnect.  You're going to see 45-60 minutes of plot unfold before you're lined up with a protagonist.  The narrative jumps from character to character, almost like an anthology, which is fine.  That's the nature of the story.  Whenever I'm confronted with an unorthodox framing device, I have to wonder if it wouldn't have been easier to digest as something more linear.  Of course, if you haven't spent time with Weapons, none of this makes any sense.

It sounds as if I was disenchanted, but I wasn't.  This is an engrossing sit, and I'm glad that I limited my exposure to "promotional materials" before I entered the theater.  I didn't even watch the trailers.  There is quite a bit to talk about here, but obviously, I don't want to get into details.  Suffice to say, the acting is first-rate.  There are a couple of disturbing moments that could read as "scary," although I never use that word myself.  It seems that everyone else has already bought a ticket to check out Weapons, so I don't know that it needs a recommendation.  For what it's worth, I do recommend it.  4 Z'Dars?  Super intriguing, not jaw-dropping.  That's my official verdict.

Iron Supplements #4

MONOLITHE

Technically, I'm cheating with this entry.  I think I may have listened to this album years ago, but that doesn't change the fact that I rediscovered Monolithe by clicking around on Metal Archives.  This is melodic death/doom, an environment I am totally comfortable with assimilating.  It should be noted that Black Hole District is LP number ten.  I can't vouch for the other stuff, but I do plan on dunking my head into this discography like a sugar-dependent child bobbing for apples at a Halloween party.  There are ten tracks here, five being one-minute filler interludes and the rest being gargantuan skyscrapers of towering riffs.  "Skyscraper" is actually an appropriate word.  You may have noticed the cover, which ties into the concept of the album.  I typically don't follow along with lyrics, but for those who do, Black Hole District is a science fiction story that takes place in a Blade Runner-esque city.

Again, that's fine and dandy, but I'm here for the tunes.  Catchy clean vocals crop up here and there, as do liquid guitar harmonies.  Overall, songs such as "Sentience Amidst the Lights" and "To Wander the Labyrinth" align with my tastebuds.  I never got into Blade Runner, though.  I once had a professor in college who knew that I fancied myself a "genre journalist," and he gave me the extra credit assignment of writing a report on the movie.  I think I got an A.  I hope I got an A!

Blood Capsule #320

LONE WOLF (1988)

The plot summary on IMDb refers to the characters in this film as "college students."  I'm calling shenanigans.  They act like high school brats.  If they aren't squabbling over girls, they're fighting in the hallway.  Plus, the teachers reprimand them like they're teenagers.  All of this is compounded by the fact that they are - easily - the oldest teenagers I've ever seen in a b-movie.  I mean, they could double as their own parents.  Clearly, Lone Wolf is a ditzy flick, but that's part of the charm.  It's also notable for being, like, ridiculously obscure.  As of this writing, it's still not on Blu-ray.  You can forget about finding it on VHS, although I'm sure it's out there.  Somewhere.  I shouldn't bury the lede; this is a fun werewolf romp.  The identity of our lycanthrope is a mystery until the ending.  The suspects?  Mostly nobodies, but the main dude is worth talking about.  He might even be worth starting a new paragraph.

Eddie (last name redacted...he's too cool for that) is the poofy-haired singer of a rock band.  He's dangerous.  And he has convinced the owner of the only club in town to let his band play every night, seemingly.  For weeks on end!  Did I mention that this was a ditzy flick?  I'll skip to the vital details, the most salient points.  Our werewolf looks awesome.  Plain and simple.  The first shot we see in Lone Wolf is the monster's bloodied claw transposed over a full moon.  Again, awesome.  The highlight of the whole ordeal is a beheading at the winter's ball.  My words don't do the scene justice.  You had to be there.  This is a 4-Z'Dar powerhouse, but it's not without pockmarks.  I'm man enough to admit that I checked the clock a couple of times during the third act.  If the pacing was a bit snazzier, Lone Wolf would be unstoppable.  It very nearly eclipses other werewolf movies from this decade that are held in high esteem.  Don't sleep on it if it ever makes the jump to more accessible physical media.

Random trivia!  According to myth, Lone Wolf was the last film that O.J. Simpson watched the night before he killed Nicole Brown Simpson.  Um, allegedly.

Now Playing #23

Azarath - Praise the Beast

Behemoth fans probably know all about Azarath.  The band features Inferno on drums, and genre aside, he has got to be one of the best drummers alive.  I'm convinced that he was born with secret limbs, as I have no idea how he plays some of this stuff.  Anyway, Azarath traffics in slightly blackened death metal.  It's seared, really.  This was their fourth full-length album, and I pull it out every 10-12 months.  It's full of spasmodic riffs (lots of intermittent squeals) and martial beats that make you feel like you're in Hell's boot camp.  The vocals remind me of the dude from Krisiun, and before you chastise me for not knowing his name, do you even know his name without looking it up?  Sit down.  My favorite tunes would have to be "I Hate Your Kind" and "Queen of the Sabbath."  This record destroys.  Man, I wish Behemoth still played this kind of chiseled, face-removing death metal.  Hail Inferno.

Oskoreien - Hollow Fangs

As per usual, I don't know how I found out about this band.  Maybe Angrymetalguy?  This is their third album, a 2025 release that is determined to climb to the top of my eventual year-end list.  I've seen them listed as "post-black metal," but that's nonsense.  This is just melodic black metal, and off the top of my head, I can't draw any points of comparison.  It's a unique sound that pivots on the interplay between the lead and rhythm guitars.  I absolutely adore the clean, emotionally wrought solos that always seem to emerge at the right time.  It's a minor point, but I'm also a fan of the artwork.  Again, it's unique.  Check out "To Kiss the Viper's Fang" to get a feel for the material, which...I mean, there are only five songs.  You might as well listen to all of them.  I know I said I couldn't compare these guys to anyone, but the music does have the consistency of peach ice cream.  And Grima.

Hold up.  I did some online snooping, and apparently, Oskoreien has been tagged as "Cascadian black metal."  That's news to me.  Personally, I don't hear Panopticon or Wolves in the Throne Room on Hollow Fangs.  Now that I mention it, I don't think Panopticon counts as Cascadian either.  I thought it was a geographical branch of the metal ecosystem.  I don't know.  It has something to do with forests.

Blood Capsule #319

DOGMAN TERRITORY: WEREWOLVES IN THE LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES (2024)

Apparently, this is from a batch of cryptid documentaries produced by Small Town Monsters.  I'm into cryptozoology, but I have to admit that I didn't know squat about the Dogman of Kentucky (or Texas).  This is an engaging concatenation of interviews with experts and locals.  I can appreciate that director Seth Breedlove was pushing this project uphill, as it's hard to present facts in an arena that is built on supposition and hearsay.  As for the topic at hand, I hate to say it, but...I'm not sold on the existence of "dogmen."  A lot of the legend stems from a tragic event referred to as the LBL Massacre.  It's a great campfire story, but there is a dearth of hard evidence.  And that's putting it mildly.  Still, there are books and other films on the subject.  I recommend forming your own opinion.  In other words, don't listen to me.  Keep reading, though?

The root story at the heart of this motion picture is interesting.  I'll listen to any spooky yarn that involves government cover-ups, especially when black helicopters just happen to fly over during key interviews.  That had to be planned, right?  I'm a cynical guy who watches pro-wrestling, so I assume that everything is a work.  Whether Dogman Territory is bogus or not, it's certainly worth checking out, even if it doesn't sway the viewer into loading up on silver bullets.  At the very least, it adds a layer of mysticism to Random Werewolf Month.  Hey, it's readymade material for your next horror marathon.  You bring the moon, and I'll bring the flea repellent.

October will be...

...Random Reptile Month!  If you wanted something different, you only have yourself to blame.  I put it to a vote on Facebook, and while I was pulling for Random Vampire Month, I have to give the people what they want.  Get excited!  Now!

Blood Capsule #318

SKINWALKERS (2006)

Random Werewolf Month has taught me an invaluable lesson: there are way, way too many werewolf movies in the universe, especially on streaming.  I took a chance on Skinwalkers because it was directed by James Isaac.  That name might ring a bell, as he has toiled on oodles of genre films under oodles of different credits.  His main claim to fame - to my target audience anyway - is a certain spacebound slasher.  Yep, he helmed Jason X.  If you had anything to do with Jason X, I feel like I owe you one.  Renting Skinwalkers was the least I could do.  And I didn't even rent it.  That's just leftover 90's parlance that I'll probably never relinquish.  I did stream it, so I'm not a complete caveman.  Skinwalkers deals with a rogue clan of lycanthropes.  They reminded me of the villain's posse in Fright Night Part II.  That's definitely a plus.  Anyway, the bad guys seek to snuff out a 13-year-old.  This kid was prophesized to find a cure for "the curse," but some folks prefer being werewolves.

I hope you're not averse to warring factions.  Don't worry; Skinwalkers doesn't approach Twilight territory.  The casting is impressive.  Rhona Mitra and Elias Koteas are rock solid as the emotional anchors of the story.  There is a character twist that didn't make much sense, but I wouldn't want to spoil it.  Suffice to say, any system errors are minor.  Apparently, there is an unrated cut that adds twenty minutes of sex and gore.  In the film's defense, I didn't notice that I was missing out on choice exploitation.  Isaac does a bang-up job with the climax.  It's set at a steel mill, and it was giving me heavy Freddy's Nightmares vibes.  All in all, Skinwalkers is adequate.  Nothing mind-blowing.  I mean, it doesn't compare to Jason X, but what does?

Slumbering Sun or Random Album Alert

Click HERE to listen to Starmony, the new album from Texas doomsters Slumbering Sun.  This probably doesn't require a disclaimer, but I feel like I should mention that I'm not affiliated with the band in any way, shape, or form.  They simply rule.  Imagine something in the vein of Warning and Pallbearer (I'm also hearing a smidgen of Hangman's Chair).  This is just fantastic doom with crystalline vocal harmonies/starmonies and measured arrangements.  And riffs!  Riffs for days.  Listen to it.  Buy it.  Thank me later or not at all.

Blood Capsule #317

HOWLING III (1987)

Technically, this is a "found footage" film.  I'm clinging to that so I can cite it as a favorite whenever I hear someone losing their popcorn over the latest V/H/S venture.  Howling III is an oddity.  When I was a kid, I was spooked by seeing a ballerina transform into a werewolf.  Nowadays, that scene is hysterical.  I do wonder why it was shown on television during school hours in the early 90's.  Childhood rocked, didn't it?  Growing up, I never questioned the sheer audacity of this series.  Grunge was cool, the sky was blue, and there was a boatload of Howling movies.  We took these ridiculous franchises for granted.  How was I to know that it would be so much fun revisiting this Ozploitation lycanthropicture as an adult?  I'm still not sold on it being a high watermark for werewolves in general, but the synopsis alone is entertaining.  A feral girl escapes her rapist uncle and evades a "werewolf cult" by shacking up with a Hollywood producer.  Naturally, she auditions for a role in Shape Shifters Part 8.

It's interesting that Howling III seems to be winking at the viewer.  I don't know if you could call it self-referential in earnest, as it's pretty wacky outside of the movie-within-a-movie trope.  Let's talk about monsters.  I'm forgiving when it comes to creature effects, but these werewolves are just daffy.  Zany even!  I'll admit that the pouch-roving "kid" is ten kinds of cute.  The film almost becomes clever when it spins common thread between lycanthropes and marsupials.  Almost.  It's a nice idea, but it never really goes anywhere.  Honorable mentions must go out to Dagmar Blahova and Imogen Annesley as lady wolves Olga and Jerboa, respectively.  Honestly, their performances are too refined for this flick.  I'm counting that as a compliment.  I would have to rewatch the worst sequels to give my full ranking.  Since that isn't going to happen, I'll say that Howling III falls somewhere in the middle.

Recommended to fans of wombats and bandicoots.  They're marsupials; I checked.

Iron Supplements #3

CROWS

I like all of the bands that I break down here, but if I'm being perfectly honest, this is the first Iron Supplement that has joined my "regular" listening rotation.  That's pretty much on-brand, as this is easily the weirdest one yet.  Crows was a speed/power metal band out of Germany.  I'll talk about the music in a second, but the lyrics take precedence.  For some odd reason, Crows chose the plight of Native Americans as the theme of The Dying Race, their only full-length album.  Yeah.  But whatever.  The songs kill.  They're full of soaring harmonies (check out the chorus of "We Are the Storm"), melodic shredding, and more soaring harmonies.  This isn't straight power metal, which I think is the main reason why I dig it so much.  I'm reminded of Helstar.  And maybe Helloween.  I mean, I'm not into Helloween, but the similarities are there.

Members of Crows went on to play in Sodom and Angel Dust.  I will say, they don't share any common bonds with the Teutonic thrash triumvirate of Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction.  Same sandbox, different sand castle.

Blood Capsules #316

LATE PHASES (2014)

I meant to catch this flick upon its release.  For reasons unknown, I'm only seeing it now.  Let me recommend the hell out of it before I go any further.  It's a clever, point-blank cross-pollination of Silver Bullet and Bubba Ho-Tep.  Why Bubba?  Because our setting is a retirement community, and most of the characters are senior citizens (though I concede that none of them believe themselves to be rock stars).  The main dude is a blind man played - incredibly well, mind you - by Nick Damici.  He has an acerbic personality, which makes it easier to be in his corner.  Within the first twenty minutes, his neighbor is mauled by a hulking werewolf.  The fact that we don't see the beast again until the finale is actually a stroke of brilliance.  The film is forced to rely on the strength of its plot.  I'm not used to watching movies with, y'know, plots, so Late Phases was a breath of fresh air.

I sincerely hope the casting agent was paid handsomely.  Everyone is dialed in, and that includes...Tina Louise?  Yes, Ginger is given a supporting role, as is Tom Noonan.  Again, the acting is nuanced from all involved.  The werewolves are not "the point," but it has to be said that the creature suits are glorious.  I'm sitting here trying to decide if there was anything I didn't like about Late Phases.  I mean, I don't like that it's somewhat obscure.  This is easily one of the best werewolf movies of the 2010's, maybe the best overall since Ginger Snaps.  Why wasn't Tina Louise in Ginger Snaps?  I digress.  The non-lycanthrope drama is written with panache.  Ironically, it's just as affecting as the tender moments of Bubba Ho-Tep.  Check out Late Phases pronto.  Recommended to fans of 1994's Wolf and calcium-rich diets.

Mid-Capsule

I usually have a mid-capsule post ready to go, but at the moment, all I have is a reminder that Random Werewolf Month starts tomorrow.  Also, you can expect new editions of Now Playing and Iron Supplements in the next 7-10 days.  Dig it!

Blood Capsule #315

BOA (2001)

There is something wrong with me.  I just know it.  Feel my forehead.  Feverishly warm, right?  I may need to check myself into the nearest infirmary because I had a blast with Boa.  Maybe Saturn is in retrograde, or the right stars have aligned.  Or something.  I wish I could explain it away, but this direct-to-video claptrap tickled my fancy.  It wasn't content to merely mimic Anaconda.  No, it takes a stab at the "prison" subgenre.  The plot resides on New Alcatraz, a maximum security slammer located a few degrees of longitude (and latitude, I reckon) away from the South Pole.  Eventually, it will house thousands of criminals, but as Boa begins, the prisoner count is in the single digits.  Of course, these murderers and weapon smugglers are tapped to assist paleontologists in wrangling a prehistoric snake.  Enter Dean Cain (I'll wait a minute for the applause to die down).  He plays Scientist Guy, and I have to hand it to him; I believed he was Scientist Guy.  For what it's worth, the acting is presentable across the board.

That's just it.  Everything is presentable, aside from the spotty CGI.  I'm not going to deduct points for, shall we say, dubious special effects, as it comes with the territory.  It's low-budget entertainment, so play ball.  Technically, it's mid-budget, but something tells me that catering consisted of crackers and peanut butter.  That's only if you don't consider Dean Cain to be a square meal.  So yeah, Dean Cain.  Cripes, what happened to this review?  Anyway, the creamiest compliment that I can afford Boa is that it takes its time setting up the exposition without burdening the pace.  There is some semblance of structure here.  If I could offer any constructive criticism, the film is visually barren.  The sets are gray, the snake is gray, and my beard is gray.  Enough is enough.  I can't look you in the eye and proclaim that Boa is the best "killer snake" flick on the market, but it exceeded my expectations.  By, like, a lot.  Plus, Dean Cain.

Content (a gentle reminder)

I don't know how others view this website, if they view it at all.  This is probably just seen as another blog, but I see myself as a content creator.  I'm no different than a YouTuber, which by the way...YouTube is getting clued in on the Patreon model.  You can now "join" a person's YouTube channel and support them monetarily.  I'm hoping this normalizes the whole process because I always feel weird shilling my Patreon.  The truth is, every dollar helps.  Yes, even one dollar helps keep the site going, as it inspires the hell out of me and kicks my keister into overdrive.

So click HERE and maybe one day, I'll write a 1,000-word essay on The Supernaturals, a nifty "war zombie" movie you probably haven't seen.  Maybe one day...

Blood Capsule #314

QUICKSILVER HIGHWAY (1997)

This is another title I remember seeing on video shelves in the late 90's.  Made for the tube - Fox, to be specific - Quicksilver Highway is a cut above most of the dregs that find their way to the small screen (at least in terms of production design).  It could squirt through on name-dropping alone.  It was directed by Mick Garris.  If you need more names that horror goons will swoon over, how about Stephen King and Clive Barker?  Yes, this is an anthology, a double bill with Christopher Lloyd as toastmaster general.  He spins the yarns, but the two halves aren't actually connected.  He simply regales a bride who is broken down on the side of the road.  Once he finishes with that bit of business, he suddenly appears at a carnival where he spooks a pickpocket.  Er?  Pickpocketer?  That doesn't sound right.  Anyway, the first story is a King adaptation called "Chattery Teeth."  I won't bother with a blow-by-blow synopsis, except to say that it's Stephen King-y as hell.  Also, it's a little light on true horror, but hey, I was entertained.

The second segment stars Matt Frewer as a plastic surgeon who loses control of his hands.  It's...weird.  Fingers literally talk to each other.  They plot to overthrow their host body, and eventually, we see hands running around a hospital causing general mischief.  I realize that my job here is to give my opinion on the movies I watch, but I don't know that I have an opinion on Matt everloving Frewer doing his best Ash impersonation.  It certainly happened.  I'll give it that much.  Quicksilver Highway ends with a resounding kerplunk.  No twist.  No wrap-around gimmick.  Just credits.  Y'know, I've never heard anyone talk about this flick.  It premiered a few weeks after The Shining was revamped, so maybe it was a case of inauspicious timing.  I'm feeling three Z'Dars.

Death

If you live long enough, you'll eventually see the death of your pop culture.  Technically, mine has been dying for awhile now, but the deaths of Ozzy Osbourne and Hulk Hogan solidify it for me.  It's a strange feeling.  Plenty of people will point out that no, Hogan was not the superhero that we grew up watching.  I get it.  I'm not jaded enough, however, to act like he didn't mean something, even in 2025.  He's still Hulk friggin' Hogan.  People on social media can dance on his coffin if they want, but I'm choosing to pay my respects.  Of course, everyone loved Ozzy.  My mom loved Ozzy, for crying out loud.  While it's true that he didn't write any of the riffs on the Black Sabbath records, the role he played in the creation of heavy metal cannot be denied.  He was there for all of it.

I'm not sure if I have a point to make with any of this.  Just jotting down my thoughts on a hell of a week.  I'm going to go listen to Master of Reality now.

Iron Supplements #2

DRAGON

Poland!  It's a very metal country.  Typically, it's known for its blasty, stomach-churning death metal, but today, we're taking a look at a thrash band.  Enter (the) Dragon.  They dabbled in technically proficient death/thrash.  I'm using past tense because they also dabbled in industrial rock.  Scream of Death was their third album and it's what I'm currently jamming.  I can also vouch for 1989's Horde of Gog (great title).  The later stuff...it's anyone's best guess.  Seemingly, a lot of the bands that I discover on Metal Archives are currently active, this one being no exception.  My penchant for Dragon (and it's a small penchant, as I just unearthed them) stems from the fact that I prefer thrash from the late 80's and early 90's.  Let's face it; if you were still playing full-tilt thrash in the 90's, you were dead serious.

Comparisons?  I'm hearing the dry tonality of Coroner and maybe the faster bits of Rust-era Megadeth.  Early Dragon is a solid listen.  No word on if they actually wrote songs about dragons.  I haven't gotten that far yet.

Blood Capsule #313 (Special Edition)

What's a Special Edition?  It's a series where I review one of my favorites.  These are films that would appear in my Top 50 or so (if I endeavored to compile such a list).

CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980)

I need to rewatch The Beyond to make it official, but I'm fairly confident that City of the Living Dead is my favorite Lucio Fulci film.  It was my first Fulci experience, and in retrospect, I'm surprised that I took to it as readily as I did.  I was still new to Italian horror.  I could have easily been put off by the haphazard dubbing, though it should be noted that the dubbing isn't that bad.  By the same token, I could have been dismayed by the lack of a linear story.  But no, I didn't have to check my enthusiasm at the door.  I kinda-sorta love the fact that it dares you to dream up a coherent synopsis.  It's almost plotless in the same way that Seinfeld is a "show about nothing."  Of course, things do happen, but Fulci is a miserly chap when it comes to the tendons, the fibrous tissue between the events that transpire.  Out of context, we see a priest commit suicide, we see a fecund zombie tear its way out of the earth, and we see poor Catriona MacColl scrape the lid of her coffin as she is buried alive.

In context, these images still manage to stand independently of one another.  Fulci initiates a volley of "greatest hits" that refuse to be shaped into a traditional three-act structure.  All of this mysterious merrymaking (??) is wrapped in gobs of atmosphere.  I rate atmosphere as City's best quality.  It's certainly Fulci's strong suit.  The climax is a carousel of headstones, festered flesh, and enough mist to dress the sets of two Hammer films.  And yet, I can't award this rotting epic a perfect rating.  In terms of characters, I'm really only partial to MacColl.  Then you have the ending, which no one can seem to rationalize.  I still rank City of the Living Dead above Zombie and House by the Cemetery.  No one is asking, but my second favorite Fulci dish has got to be Don't Torture a Duckling.  How did I get this far without mentioning the entrail regurgitation or the industrial drill lobotomy?

Truly, this movie is a gift that keeps on giving.

Now Playing #22

A-Z - A2Z²

This is a progressive metal supergroup of sorts.  Are supergroups passé?  If so, don't tell A-Z.  These guys crush Velvet Revolver anyway.  So this project's moniker is derived from the names of the vocalist and the drummer, respectively.  Fates Warning frontman Ray Alder takes the microphone, while Mark Zonder (formerly of Fates Warning and Warlord, I believe) sits behind the kit.  I sound like a complete moron when I try to talk about drumming.  Likewise, it's my suspicion that most metal journalists wouldn't know a hi-hat from a bowler hat, but for what it's worth, Zonder's work here is exceptional.  Personally, I was hooked because of Alder's involvement.  I just love the guy's voice.  If you listen to "I Am Numb" or "A Wordless Prison," he sounds younger than his years suggest.  If you're not into prog, you probably won't dig this stuff, although the songwriting prioritizes earworm melodies over herky-jerky time signatures.

Of course, some of A2Z² is herky-jerky.  It comes with the territory.  I would be remiss if I didn't mention the contributions of guitarist Nick van Dyke (see Retribution, which also boasted the talents of Ray Alder).  The guitar solos are virtuosic without being Yngwie-able, if you catch my drift.  This record is exceedingly listenable.  What does that mean?  It means I've listened to it quite a bit, and I wish that "Fire Away" was played at every sports stadium.  It would drastically improve a seventh inning stretch.

Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon

Ordinarily, I would attempt to spotlight an obscure band that doesn't darken your browser that often, but what can I say?  I'm on a(nother) Darkthrone kick.  By this point in 1993, everyone's favorite Scandinavian hobgoblins had settled on black metal as their main vocation.  Any and all traces of death metal had been flushed from their kidneys.  Or mountain oysters, if you prefer.  Maybe I'm mistaken, but it seems as if Under a Funeral Moon gets brushed aside, at least where Darkthrone's 90's output is concerned.  That could be a miscalculation on my part.  Either way, it goes hard.  Check out the massive breakdown that bisects "Summer of the Diabolical Holocaust."  So tasty.  And I love the cacophonous leads that crop up here and there.  The production is obviously abrasive, but from where I'm sitting, it never becomes too strident.  You can still hear the riffs.

The riffs, man.  "To Walk the Infernal Fields" is chock-full of them.  That's probably my favorite track, but ask me tomorrow, and I might go with closer "Crossing the Triangle of Flames."  I bet it's a scalene triangle.  Shapes are pretty metal.

Blood Capsule #312

SCARED TO DEATH (1980)

Recently on Facebook, I posed a challenge to my like-minded peers.  Feel free to play along.  Name a great monster in a not-so-great movie.  There are endless options, and I received some excellent answers (like the hideous sun demon in - you guessed it - The Hideous Sun Demon), but I did have a movie in mind.  I first encountered Scared to Death at our local video store in the late 90's.  Cool cover, although I never took the bait.  And while I'm sure I could stream it somewhere, I insisted on grabbing a grubby, begrimed VHS copy for the purposes of this review.  It just felt right.  Could I see every detail during scenes set in the sewer system?  No.  Hell, I couldn't see every detail when the action was in broad daylight.  That's not the point!  The point is...um, give me a second.  The monster in this flick is swell, so swell that producers bankrolled a quasi-sequel just so they could use the monster in a subjectively "better" setting.  The result was Syngenor, a term used here.  It stands for SYNthetic GENetic ORganism.  I might review Syngenor, but hey, one thing at a time.

So Scared to Death (not to be confused with the 1947 thriller of the same name starring Bela Lugosi and George Zucco).  The upside?  I've used the word "monster" eighty-seven times in an effort to delineate the appeal of this creature feature.  The suit has an H.R. Giger vibe to it, and man, it cuts an imposing silhouette.  The downside?  Scared to Death will bore you to death.  Trivial moments drag on and on for no actual reason.  An illustration, if I may...instead of simply showing us a hospital, we have to see the main character write a note explaining that he's heading to the hospital.  And then we see the hospital.  Guess what?  Nothing happens at the hospital.  It's a frustrating situation, mainly because director William Malone is seriously talented.  There are red arrows in Scared to Death that point to a top-shelf spookshow.  Unfortunately, the viewer is denied access to such a spookshow.  I forgot to write a synopsis.  Um, a laboratory experiment does what laboratory experiments do in these budget pictures.  The plot reminded me of The Kindred.

Watch The Kindred.

Iron Supplements #1

CREMATORY

I don't remember how I clicked onto this band, but they were the impetus for this column.  I'm sure that the members of Crematory are super proud and stuff.  So what we have here is gothic doom metal from Germany.  I'm currently blasting the 1993 debut (Transmigration, pictured above) through my earbuds, and I have to say, I really dig it.  It's not too dissimilar from what Paradise Lost were doing in the early 90's.  Maybe the keyboards are a little more pronounced.  And how about that album cover?  Seemingly, Crematory lost interest in plodding death metal as they ripened.  They would soon espouse electronic music, which, erm, no thanks?  They did release an album earlier this year, but there are no reviews for it yet.  If you decide to check it out, be sure to report back.

Dude, the riffs on "Hall of Torment" are astoundingly heavy.  Yeah, I'd call the maiden voyage for this column a success.  Crematory ruled...at one point anyway.

Blood Capsule #311

COLOSSAL (2016)

It's time to switch things up a bit.  I don't remember seeing any advertisements for Colossal upon its release.  If I had, it's a safe bet that I would have checked it out.  On the surface, it's a romantic comedy starring Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis.  Boring "normie" stuff, right?  Well, hold on a second.  The trailer - should you ever watch it - reveals an inner core, a creamy nougat center contrived to placate kaiju fans.  Yes, kaiju.  Colossal falls somewhere in between Cloverfield and...name a modern romantic comedy.  Hathaway plays Gloria, an alcoholic struggling to scrape by after breaking up with her boyfriend.  She finds a new social circle (along with a new job tending bar), but right as her life begins to approach normalcy, a disaster hits South Korea.  To be specific, a monster hits South Korea.  A giant monster.  Gloria inundates herself with news updates, both online and on television.  Everyone does, but for whatever reason, she's an empath when it comes to South Korea.  I'll be honest; it could use some explaining.

There is a twist.  And it's the crux of the trailer, so I wouldn't call it a spoiler.  Gloria walks home from work every night, and as she nears her house, she crosses a desolate playground.  Every move she makes on this playground is mimicked by the monster in South Korea.  If she falls down, the monster falls down.  If she scratches her head, the monster...et cetera, et cetera.  Cool concept, no?  The characters are reasonably fleshed out, so you want to see how they handle such an extraordinary situation.  I was on board for most of the running time until the last leg where one of the main players turns heel, to use wrestling jargon.  It seems out of step for this person to act and react the way they do.  Everyone else comes off as natural, which compounds the problem.  I can only say so much, as I'm trying to circumvent actual spoilers.  I can, however, comment on the monster.  It's a 100% digital creation, but I dug the smooth design.  We also get a giant robot.  So there's that.  Obviously, this isn't strictly a horror film, but I think it will appeal to nerdy genre enthusiasts (ask me how I know).

Rasslin'

Good Lord.  That main event was so over-the-top ridiculous, I liked it.  I'm not proud of the fact that I watched so much wrestling yesterday, but I am proud of the fact that I didn't pay for any of it.  That's a win, no matter how you slice it.  And yet, I have more wrestling in my near future.  Evolution starts soon.  I know that it's going to be boring, but I can't help it.  Iyo Sky is in the main event.  I have to tune in, don't I?  I wish I had a witch friend who could manifest A.J. Lee into reality for me.  Witches can do that, right?  I'm asking too many questions for what is essentially filler.  Apologies.

I really don't like Nikki Bella.

Blood Capsule #310

DEEP SPACE (1988)

Not to be confused with 1991's Dead Space.  I was just telling a friend the other day that I am easily entertained.  It really doesn't take much to cajole me into writing a positive review of your work, even if you're Fred Olen Ray.  See, Fred understands this.  I'm sure he knows everything about me.  Aside from being omnipotent (???), he knows that I'll watch any and all Alien ripoffs.  I have to, folks.  And when it comes to these snow jobs, these peculating pieces of plagiarism, Deep Space is dependable.  In fact, it's on the level of Xtro 2: The Second Encounter, an Alien riff that holds a special place in my moth-eaten heart.  Charles Napier plays Ian McLemore, a no-nonsense cop who is on probation for being a no-nonsense cop.  Yeah, the action movie clichés are laid on thick.  His partner is just as tetchy.  Normally, the sidekick is a token goofball, so I actually appreciated this dude.  Unfortunately, he does happen to be the token black guy, so he doesn't stick around very long.

What about the monster?  Does it look like a xenomorph?  You bet!  Since we never see its legs when it's ambulatory, I'm thinking that they only built a torso.  That's fine by me.  Deep Space was afforded a reputable budget for a Fred Olen Ray joint (this was probably his biggest project yet), but I wasn't expecting aerodynamic special effects.  We get a couple of car chases, an occasional explosion...y'know, the usual.  The second act is sluggish, but ol' Fred brings it home for the finale.  There should have been a "goop wrangler" listed in the credits.  An honorable mention goes out to this flick's version of a facehugger.  Good stuff.  If I had to interject with a complaint, the subplot with the psychic isn't terribly interesting.  I almost completely forgot that it existed.  Nevertheless, if you're looking for a hassle-free cheese dish, Deep Space might be for you.  At the very least, it's notable for being an Alien ripoff that takes place in the suburbs.  Yippee?

Random Album Alert

Click HERE to check out a fresh batch of tunes by Drawn and Quartered.  I was just listening to it while polishing off a review for Random Werewolf Month.  Speaking of which, August is going to be sick.  Also sick?  Meat-and-potatoes death metal, which is what this album delivers.  I don't know if it's going to be on anyone's year-end list, but my ears are telling me that it's cool.