Dave Stewart & The Spiritual Cowboys - Party Town

I first heard Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys' song "Party Town" back when I saw Flatliners in the theatre, circa 1990. I've loved this song since, but it took me forever to introduce it into my rotation.

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31 Days of Halloween:

We watched Jordan Downey's The Cycle this past Saturday. Fantastic film! 

I had some small issues with the interpersonal dialogue at times, but overall, this is an expertly film, made on a studio scale - look at the production values! - and it features a gnarly, throw-back practical monster. Can't recommend this one enough - just hit Shudder.

Also, as I'm focusing on integrating as many first-time watches into this Halloween viewing season, I've begun marking all first-time viewings with *.

1) George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead

2) V/H/S/ playlist (Amateur Night; Safe Haven; Slumber Party Alien Abduction; Bone Storm; Dreamkill)

3) The Warriors

4) Big Trouble in Little China

5) Dreamscape

6) Infirmary*

7) Beware Boiúna*

8) Milk & Serial

9) Pumpkinhead

10) Deathgasm (The Last Drive-In Presentation)

11) Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings*

12) Carrie (Mike Flanagan)*/ John Carpenter's The Thing

13) The Roost / Return of the Living Dead III*

14) Trigger Man

15) Evil Dead Burn

16) Pulse*/ Lord of Tears*

17) Impetigore*/ Sator

18) My Soul To Take*/ The Serpent and the Rainbow

19) Terrifier

20) Evil Dead 2013/ All Hallows Eve

21) Crystal Lake*/ Friday the 13th

22) All Hallow's Eve 2*/ A Nightmare on Elm Street

23) The Last Drive-In Halloween House Party: John Carpenter's Body Bags/ WNUF Halloween Special*

24) The Cycle*/ The Howling

25) Dark and the Wicked/ Pet Sematary/ November

..

The trailer for Jeremy Saulnier's new film, Slayground popped up and apparently it is a Horror flick! Saulnier making a straight Horror flick? Oh man...

Only issue here is, this hits theaters January 29th! So wish this was landing in time for Halloween. I am very excited for this. I love all of Saulnier's films... well, except Murder Party, which I tried several times years ago and couldn't get into. I'll have to give that another go at some point. Everything since, however, has been fantastic.

 

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Read:

I neglected to mention here that I finished reading the revised Gunslinger a few weeks ago and immediately picked up King's first collaboration with Peter Straub - The Talisman - for a reread. This is all part of my planned Dark Tower/Territories deep-dive. After The Talisman, I'll read the sequel Black House for the first time, then roll right into the just-published Other Worlds Than These.

I'm halfway through and this one is a tough read for me. I walked away from my first experience with it - oh, say about fifteen years ago - not really a fan. There are parts of it I really, like, and other parts that leave me cold. I'm coming to realize as I reread this now, that those parts often have to do with the absolutely brutal child abuse in this one. This is like the anti-Goonies; The Talisman takes the idea of a young kid on mystical adventure that was so popular after its publication and shows what a scenario like that might really look like. Between The Oatley Tap and Sunshine House, there's a lot of really challenging stuff in here. That's great, though. I think the last time I read this, I didn't quite understand what I was getting in to. I'm not saying The Talisman is going to suddenly enter my top five King novels by the end of this read, but I'm definitely appreciating it a lot more this time through. 

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Playlist:

Marilyn Manson - One Assassination Under God Chapter 2

Walter Rizzati - The House by the Cemetery OST

Dead Man's Bones - Eponymous

The Damned - Night of a Thousand Vampires

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - The Night Creeper

Blut Aus Nord - Hallucinogen

My Apple Music Halloween Playlist

Danzig - Black Aria

Danzig - Black Aria II

Portishead - Third

Tones On Tail - Everything!

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Two of Pentacles

• Eight of Swords

• Ace of Cups

Adaptable approach made difficult by an emotional bombshell. 

Hmm. No idea how to interpret this at the moment. That said, I see the Two of Pentacles a lot when I work with Grimm's Hand of Doom deck, and that makes me think there's definitely something about the card that 'sticks.' It may be constant change - I think I'm fairly good at that, even though my routine has definitely solidified since arriving in TN four years ago. 

Black Pyramid - The Crypt on the Borderlands

Isn't this just the coolest name for a track? Sounds like Bernie Wrightson adapting William Hope Hodgson. 

From Black Pyramid's 2024 opus The Paths of Time Are Vast, which you can order over at Totem Cat Records HERE. It's been a minute since I've talked about these guys. Felt like the right time. Not only is this record a sonic mallet, but it has one of my favorite sleeve designs in years. 

Can't wait to hear what these guys do next.

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31 Days of Halloween:

1) George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead

2) V/H/S/ playlist (Amateur Night; Safe Haven; Slumber Party Alien Abduction; Bone Storm; Dreamkill)

3) The Warriors

4) Big Trouble in Little China

5) Dreamscape

6) Infirmary

7) Beware Boiúna

8) Milk & Serial

9) Pumpkinhead

10) Deathgasm (The Last Drive-In Presentation)

11) Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings

12) Carrie (Mike Flanagan)/ John Carpenter's The Thing

13) The Roost / Return of the Living Dead III

14) Trigger Man

15) Evil Dead Burn

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Watch:

Despite what I consider a HUGE misstep in Season Three, the trailer for Yellowjackets' final season just dropped and I'm excited for the show to reach its conclusion. Here's the trailer. 

I am very happy this is wrapping up with this season. I'd originally heard five seasons, but I think they're smart to end it now. I'm not sure if the issue I had at the end of Season Three will tank the rest of the show for me - I'm really hoping not - but I can say, if we don't get some resolution to the major mysteries, I'll be pissed. I love ambiguity if it's earned, but in the case of a show like this, leaving the eyeless guy or some of the other threads dangling will feel cheap. 

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Playlist:

John Carpenter w/ Alan Howarth - Halloween III: Season of the Witch OST

Godflesh - Purge

Boy Harsher - Get Mean

Genital Shame - Wellness Plan (pre-release singles)

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Shapes of Midnight

My Apple Music Halloween Playlist

The Sword - Age of Winters

Black Pyramid - The Paths of Time are Vast

Miranda Sex Garden - Carnival of Souls

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

Financial motivation in the form of disappointment.

• Knight of Pentacles

• Knight of Swords

• Five of Cups

Genital Shame - Wellness Plan

 

I LOVE this album so far. This is the first music from Genital Shame I've heard, but it instantly left an indelible mark. Basically a one-woman show, the band is the brainchild of Erin Dawson. Really blown away by this. There's a moment in the third single released so far, "Górecki Peace," that completely transforms the track into something I've never heard before. The metal returns, but it's altered, and the song plays out its final approximate four minutes in a way that now feels inverted. It's brilliant arranging, and overall indicative of a project that's using Black Metal as a launching pad. Always my favorite 'flavor' of Black Metal.

I am very much looking forward to the full album dropping on October 30th. You can pre-order the new album, Wellness Plan, from the Genital Shame's Bandcamp HERE.

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31 Days of Halloween:

I have a new thing this year where I'm going to be super selective about the non-films I log, and when I do, I'm going to simply log them for the day I finish them. 

K and I began Mike Flanagan's Carrie last Friday with three episodes, did three more Sunday night, and then finished up Monday night with the final two. Holy cow. 

 

First, I am not really a fan of Depalma's film. I just don't think it's as great as people remember it. I saw it later in life and, while nostalgia skews my opinion of plenty films, that is not the case with this one. 

I don't know that Mike Flanagan's Carrie qualifies as "Horror" - at least not yet - but it's moving in that direction. He apparently wants three seasons to tell the story he's set out to, and I'm hoping that happens. What we do have here are the horrors of the modern world, and it's often pretty hard to watch. Bullying, narcissism, obsession... the social media paradigm in all its horrid glory.

I'll say the writing here is exquisite - I honestly think Carrie is the best Flanagan series yet. I'm not sure it's my favorite of his, but it's the best. 

The architecture that brings things to a head in the "arbitration" episode is so well woven. Everything matters, everything pays off, everything brings the characters exactly where they need to be in this intricate narrative machine. 

Helping sell all this is the acting, which is all top notch. Summer H. Howell nails Carrie White as such an interesting cross-section of personality traits. Shy and awkward, but with a simmering strength that comes out long before the TK does. And Samantha Sloyan! A Flanagan regular who never disappoints, her performance evolves in such a maddeningly believable and stoic manner that you almost feel like you're watching her socials. Also, I have to mention Siena Agudong as Sue Snell, as Sue is my favorite character in the Carrie mythos thanks to the through line in Carrie 2: The Rage and how Amy Irving develops that character across two films separated by over twenty years. Agudong brings her to an entirely new level, and once again, her story continues beyond the first installment.

Also, allow me to say this: I think there's a much larger tie-in to Flanagan's eventual Dark Tower adaptation here than just one little easter egg sign. No, I think subsequent seasons of this show may prove to be the beginning of the road to the Dark Tower. Of that, I will say no more at this time.

1) George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead

2) V/H/S/ playlist (Amateur Night; Safe Haven; Slumber Party Alien Abduction; Bone Storm; Dreamkill)

3) The Warriors

4) Big Trouble in Little China

5) Dreamscape

6) Infirmary

7) Beware Boiúna

8) Milk & Serial

9) Pumpkinhead

10) Deathgasm (The Last Drive-In Presentation)

11) Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings

12) Carrie (Mike Flanagan) / John Carpenter's The Thing (theatrical viewing)

13) The Roost / Return of the Living Dead III

I also watched Brian Yuzna's Return of the Living Dead III for the first time. 

I don't know why, but I always assumed this would be awful. Not the case! I actually really enjoyed this, and it felt pretty consistent in tone with the first two flicks in the series. I mean, nothing will ever be Return of the Living Dead, but hot damn if this wasn't along similar enough lines that it felt related. Also, I have such a fixation on any story that takes place in underground tunnels, as a large part of this does.

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NCBD:

This week's comics waiting for me at Rick's!

The unfortunate thing is, I somehow never subscribed to this book and totally missed the 11th issue! That's okay, I'll track it down before I finally find the time to sit down and reread both The Nice House on the Lake and this sequel series in a weekend.

Yet another facsimile! Yet another Batman facsimile! Yet another Batman cover I have seen my entire life that I have never read. 

Beachhead. 'Nuff said!

ARAH and the Skybound book are really showing me how much I love Beachhead's character. Always one of my favorite Joe figures as a kid, he's visually the closest thing the Joes have to a Cobra visage on their team, but he's also a certified bad ass!

If this entire issue is a, "... meanwhile, back on Cybertron" issue just to stoke the flames of our curiosity of what's coming out of Megatron's cocoon next issue, well, I guess they should have withheld the cover solicitation for #38. Either way, this book still kicks ass.

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Playlist:

Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest

John Carpenter w/ Alan Howarth - Halloween III: Season of the Witch OST

Ritual Howls - Into the Water

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures

My Apple Music Halloween Playlist

Samhain - Final Descent

Godflesh - Decay

Genital Shame - Wellness Plan (pre-release singles)

Dreamkid - All Thriller, No Filler (single)

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Three of Swords

• Page of Cups

• II: High Priestess

There's a big shift in tone coming up in my work, and I need to embrace it, not recoil from it. That change will be a battery that may carry me through the rest of the book.

That's certainly empowering, but it's a bit scary, too. I need to be sure I recognize this when it happens, as there's an aspect of the the Three cards that pertains to change and an association with the Three of Swords in particular that warns of sorrow. Nothing causes sorrow faster than resisting necessary change.

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - I'll Cut You Down

 

The opening track from their 2012 masterpiece Blood Lust. This track marches like old school Sabbath, man. Seriously...

Seeing this band live again really helped solidify the fact that, in my eyes, Blood Lust is their best album. That said, every one of this band's albums is pretty stellar from start to finish. The only one I've had a bit of a tough time cracking is the 2013 follow-up Mind Control, but hearing them open with Mt. Abraxas seems to have opened the album for me. 

Also, I never really thought about it before, but Kevin Stars' vocals are kind of like if Chris Latta-era Cobra Commander or Starscream had a metal band.

Full set list, or as full as I can remember with a little help from the googles:

• Mt. Abraxas (Mind Control) 

• Waiting for Blood (The Night Creeper)

• Death's Door (Blood Lust)

• Ritual Knife (Blood Lust)

• House by the Grave (no keyboard solo ending, though; Shapes of Midnight)

• Bedouin (Wasteland)

• Don't Let It Control You (Shapes of Midnight)

• Pusher Man (The Night Creeper)

• Melody Lane (The Night Creeper)

• Withered Hand of Evil (Blood Lust)

• Only Death Is Your Handcuff, i.e. Solo la morte ti ammanetta (Nell' ora blu)

• Shapes of Midnight (Shapes of Midnight)

• No Return (Wasteland)

A really nice curation of tracks from all their records except the debut, Vol. 1. I don't think I could have asked for anything else that we didn't get. 

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31 Days of Halloween:

Last night I watched Infirmary, a brand new found footage flick on Shudder. Here's the trailer, which I have not watched, so proceed with caution:

Written by Katy Krauland and Nicholas Pineda and Directed by Pineda, this is a pretty good found footage flick. FF's not really my genre, but I can recognize it when it's used effectively, and this does. I didn't love the characters; I could have actually just watched the camera pan around the abandoned hospital with the awesome score by Stephan Bolch, who I am unfamiliar with (but not for long) and also known as Theatre of Delays. All in all, though, a solid watch.

1) George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead

2) V/H/S/ playlist (Amateur Night; Safe Haven; Slumber Party Alien Abduction; Bone Storm; Dreamkill)

3) The Warriors

4) Big Trouble in Little China

5) Dreamscape

6) Infirmary

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NCBD:

Big week, and a lot of books that fit the season. Let's go!

A facsimile of Swamp Thing's very first issue? No way I would pass this up. 

Issue 50! 'Nuff said.

Of the Earth's final issue and I am excited A.F. I want more, but I'm also insanely happy with what we have. Can't wait to see how this all shakes out.

I recently acquired the Hardcover volume of Minor Arcana 1-15. It's so beautiful I cancelled my pull for the monthlies and decided to just wait. After rereading the whole series to date, though, I'm not sure I can wait. We'll see. I hate to double dip.

Still only here because of Micronauts, but I'm trying to keep an open mind.

A new Jonah Hex series written by Michael Walsh? Yes please!!!

Yet another facsimile; you'd think with so many of these of late, I'd finally be able to spell the word "Facsimile" without the aid of grammarly. Nope.

I remember this cover from as far back as I go with comics. No idea what's actually inside, but it seemed like something I'd like to finally read. 

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Playlist:

Faith No More - The Real Thing

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Shapes of Midnight

Black Sabbath - Technical Ecstasy

Electric Wizard - Dopethrone

Deadguy - Near-Death Travel Services

Odonis Odonis - Eponymous

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Mind Control

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Wasteland

Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses (Suspended in Dusk vinyl release)

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Blood Lust

Goatsnake - Black Age Blues

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Ace of Swords

• Three of Wands

• Four of Swords

Two Swords and a Wands? Sounds like the pen is mightier than the sword, or the brain is a better resource for an upcoming skirmish than the fists.

31 Days of Halloween Begins NOW!!!

 

You know, I was beginning to think I did not like this new album from Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats. The production this time really stripped away some of the charming grime that gives the band their sound. I deleted it from my Apple Music and abstained for a week or so, and when I came back yesterday, I found I really liked it. This song especially. With these kind of low-key 80s synths that start the song and then haunt the mix's background, I don't think I've heard anything like that before.

 

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31 Days of Halloween:

I conceived the idea of beginning this Halloween season with George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead - the greatest zombie movie in the history of zombie movies, in my opinion, months ago.

This is one of those seminal films for people my age. I'd like to think Romero's work - especially on Night-Dawn-Day - transcends my age, but regardless of that, it really is difficult to think of a more astute social commentary with high level practical FX and cinematic swagger. I love everything about this film, from Ken Foree, to Fly Boy to the Hare Krishna Zombie. 

And so, let the list begin!!!

1) George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead

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Playlist:

Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses (Suspended in Dusk)

John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davies - Cathedral

Metallica - ... And Justice For All

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Shapes of Midnight

Dance with the Dead - Malombra

Blood Mother - Eponymous

Godflesh - Decay

Sisters of Mercy - Floodland

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Seven of Wands

• Queen of Pentacles

• Eight of Cups

A postive result indeed yesterday at the GI doctor, where I finally found someone willing to talk about fatty liver with me. Despite imaging showing mild/early signs of fatty liver in July (prompted by blood in my urine that turned out to be the herald of this dreadful kidney stone that still has not passed), the doctor brought up the point that all my labs done in March for my annual showed normal liver function. So yes, positive result, especially when you add in the almost three months (four by the time I'm finished) of no alcohol I've adhered to since. Now, Queen of Pentacles denotes stability, but the Eight of Cups reminds me not to rest on my laurels, i.e. I need to shake the inner voice telling me I should just have a beer now if everything is so normal.

Give it time.

Joe Bob Briggs' Nashville Double Feature!

K and I finished the Ryan Murphy adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's The Shards last week. I say finished despite the fact that the show reveals itself to be a set-up for a multi-season series rather than a mini-series. Suddenly all the unnecessary "Murphy-isms" that took over the story after the second episode become understandable. Understandable, but not forgivable. I didn't hate this, but I LOVE the book, which I first encountered on the BEE podcast when he read it weekly during COVID. As he was writing it, I should say. IF this gets picked up for more episodes, I'll watch them. But goddamn did this adaptation drive me insane.

If you know the book, you know this song is very important to it. If you watched the show, you might agree with me that, despite my other misgivings, they've done a couple really cool scenes with this, especially in the season finale.

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NCBD:

The return of one of my favorite titles in recent memory! What a great week. Let's get into it:

I am SO excited to have That Texas Blood back again! 

Robert Kirkman bringing in the goofy G.I.JOE: Star Brigade character! This was way after my time with the toy back in the day, and reading about it, as stupid as this sounds,  I'd be willing to bet Kirkman will make this awesome.

The second issue of the first comic in probably close to fifteen years that actually feels like a Vertigo book to me. The Black Tower: Raven Conspiracy seals Ram V as a writer I will follow, even if it's only on his creator-owned books. 

The Shaolin Cowboy continues to kick right-wing douche bags' asses in this increasingly bizarre tale of a future that very well could come to pass if we're not careful.

And the second issue of Sean Murphy's The Last Driver! I loved the first issue and am eager to get further into this world Murphy has created. His futuristic world-building is always so rooted in real world current events, there's equal parts glamor and revulsion, i.e. the world of Punk Rock Jesus. Not sure how far this will go, but I can't wait to find out.

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Watch:

Monday I had the day off work so I could drive down to the Belcourt Theatre early enough to park for a triple feature. Well, a single feature followed by a double feature, if you will. 

The impetus for the trip was Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl's Indoor Drive-In Geek Out: Cult of the Rock Star Night. The two films they showed for this were Don Coscarelli's Bubba Hotep and Roger Corman's Rock n' Roll High School. The first, I've been a fan of since I saw it open at Chicago's Music Box back in 2002. The second, I'd never seen. Imagine my excitement! 

In his introduction to Bubba Hotep, Joe Bob reminded me of a few things I'd forgotten about the film. Namely, that it was a truly independent film, so much so that, when I saw it back in '02, I was supporting Coscarelli's distribution tour for the film, which no distributor would touch. This one really held up; I've come to see how depressing it is the older I've become (go figure), but Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis both give helluva performances, and the overall maudlin aesthetic resonates as something no one really wants to talk about - getting old. So I'm glad Coscarelli chose this one, which I'd also forgotten is based on a Joe R. Landsdale short story.

The second film and evening closer was Rock 'n' Roll High School. Roger Corman produced, directed by Alan Arkush with a hand from Joe Dante, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this. I've never really been much of a Ramones fan. If you'd asked me why that is, before Monday night, I would never have been able to put it into words. I didn't not like their music, but other than a handful of songs I adore (Pet Semetary, Somebody Put Something in My Drink, I Just Want to Have Something to Do, Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio? and their cover of Chinese Rock), a lot about the Ramones always defied my interest. Now I know why, thanks to an observation Joe Bob made while introducing the film.

"I know people called the Ramones punks, but their music always sounded... wholesome to me."

Yep. That's it exactly! I came into punk by way of Black Flag and the Misfits, so Ramones' music always felt less than dangerous comparatively. Now I see the error of my thinking - the Ramones are basically the Beach Boys with leather jackets and electric guitars. Locking that context into place, suddenly I've had them playing around the clock since.

The third film - first of the day - was Padraic McKinley's feature film debut The Weight. I knew nothing about this one going in. I had not even seen a trailer. From the blurb on The Belcourt's website: "A more-than-worthy addition to the WAGES OF FEAR / SORCERER canon of precious cargo and precarious conditions..."

That blurb says it all. Not quite the staggering account of persistence and madness that Sorcerer is, The Weight definitely carries some of Friedkin's masterpiece's DNA, while 100% being its own film. The mechanics of the plot - how the characters arrive in the situation of the film - is a touch undercooked, but it didn't matter. Fantastic performances throughout, and beautiful cinematography by Matteo Cocco propel this film forward with little hesitation.  

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Playlist:

The Devil's Blood - III: Tabula Rasa or Death and the Seven Pillars

Goatsnake - Black Age Blues

Holy Fawn - Dimensional Bleed

Ramones - Rocket to Russia

Ramones - Road to Ruin

Ramones - End of the Century

Marilyn Manson - One Assassination Under God Chapter 2

Genital Shame - Wellness Plan (pre-release singles)

Blut Aus Nord - Ethereal Horizons

Dean Hurley - Anthology Resource Vol. 1: 𝝙𝝙

Blood Mother - The Night Fires (single)

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Nine of Wands

• V: The Hierophant

• VIII: The Strength

It takes a lot of strength to realize you are the cause of your own disaster - Wow! I like that I am once again getting readings that actually reflect on the predicaments for my characters in Shadow Play 2, but is it Richard or Arthur who are causing their own issues?

Zach Cregger's Resident Evil

 

From their 2023 album Disharmonium: Nahab, which I'm really still trying to make sense of three years after release.

Both Disharmonium albums function a bit like hallucinogenic substances to me; I put them on when I need to shake up my Euclidean-trained brain chemistry and see around the corners I've outlined my life with. With the recent announcement of a new BAN release coming this winter, I was hoping for the third part in this series. Not sure that's what we're getting, but regardless, the news sent me back to these for a while. 
 

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Watch:

Friday night, I hit the Regal for Zach Cregger's Resident Evil. Saturday night I went back with K for a second viewing (preceded by a second viewing of Hope, which has moved into my #2 spot for the year). 

After two viewings of Resident Evil, I'll start by stating this up front - I have zero interest in this as a R.E. movie; my excitement is entirely for a new Cregger film. So how was it?

Zach Cregger has such a unique, consistent style. There must be so much of his personality in his films, because those definitely serve as a through line. 

Zach Cregger has such a unique, consistent style. There must be so much of his personality in his films, because those definitely serve as a through line. I read recently that he removed all the jokes he originally had in the script for this, however, there are still so many "exhale" moments. A lot of it is a relatability that  Austin Abrams brings to the film. The entire ordeal flows a bit like a video game; there is an escalating series of "problem solving" situations Abrams' character must overcome as he treks deeper into the countryside surrounding the ground zero of Raccoon City, and he does it swearing and mumbling and flinching all the way. His Bryan is a slacker with an important decision in the background of this one terrible night, and although that B-story is waaaay in the background, it helps guide him through one terrifying event after the other, until he reaches the "final level" and shit really gets F'ked up.

As always, my suggestions is to see this one in the theatre. I'll definitely be having a second viewing before the week is out.

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Playlist:

Steve Moore - Jimmy & Stiggs OST

Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium: Undreamable Abysses

Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium: Nahab

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Shapes at Midnight

Anthrax - Curium Perficio

Blut Aus Nord - Triunity

Blut Aus Nord - What Once Was... Liber I

Sleep - Hemispheres

Ministry - Singularity (single)

Blut Aus Nord - Ethereal Horizons

Type O Negative - Life Is Killing Me

Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest

Perturbator - Lustful Sacraments

Final Light - Eponymous

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Ace of Wands

• Nine of Swords

• Eight of Cups

A breakthrough of Will short-circuited (or perhaps jumpstarted by?) a disaster of intellect. A misunderstanding that will emotionally transform a scene from average (or less than) to something powerful.

A direct reference to the section of Shadow Play Book 2 that I'm currently working on. I've taken a divergent path with two of the characters, completely inspired by Stephen Kings' Dark Tower books, and it's been a difficult road. A lot of it is not quite working yet, so this just tells me I'll have to fail big to get the breakthrough I'm looking for. 

New Music from Godflesh!!!

 

The new album Decay is out next Friday!!! Pre-order your copy HERE.

 

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Watch:

First trailer for one of my most anticipated films of the year - Takashi Miike's Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo. 

Probably about a year out of high school I saw the first, Abel Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant for the first time and was enamored with it the same way I was enamored with a lot of that 80s/early 90s crime cinema. Except, Bad Lieutenant had a considerably more "What the actual fuck?" factor I never could pin down until a rewatch about twenty years ago: there's no plot. I mean, I guess you can say the Nun or Keitel's gambling debt serves as something of a plot, but really those are background threads. The main film is just a diary of debauchery and I love it.

When I saw Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Ports of Call, I was once again blown away. This is back in the 00s when probably 70% of what Nick Cage did constituted hard passes for me, but Herzog drew me in and he did not disappoint. Neither did Cage, whose performance is frenetic, funny, and at times, heartfelt. "That was my favorite crack pipe." Need I say more?

I'm not a huge Takashi Miike fan; frankly, I'm afraid of many of his films. But what I've seen I've dug and this just seems like the best idea. Or, at least as good an idea as NWR doing Maniac Cop. 

What a glorious age of cinema we live in, even as the proprietors of the business perpetually attempt to destroy it.

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Playlist:

Windhand - Eternal Return

Black Sabbath - Sabotage

Black Sabbath - Vol. 4

Chat Pile - Who Loves the Sun

Hangman's Chair - Saddiction

Steve Moore - Jimmy & Stiggs OST

Goatsnake - Black Age Blues

The Devil's Blood - The Thousandfold Epicenter

High on Fire - Cometh the Storm

Blut Aus Nord - The Mystical Beast of Rebellion

The Afghan Whigs - Soft Control

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Ace of Cups

• King of Swords

• XVI: The Tower

A breakthrough of intellect will topple outdated ideas I have about something close to me and open a new path. 

I'm doing a pretty deep rethink on a certain aspect of the Shadow Play sequel, and I believe this is a direct reference to making more progress with that.

Casper Kelly's Buddy

From 2006's "3" double disc. Love this so much. I've really been getting back into a lot of the darker ambient stuff I've amassed over the years, and Final's third album released after their seven year hiatus is one of my favorites. This track, the closer on the second disc, is probably my favorite. This takes me places, man. Hahaha.

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Watch:

I'll admit, when I first head mention of Buddy and saw the teaser image of what appeared to be a man in a unicorn suit holding an axe, I immediately dismissed it as another Five Nights at whatever knock off and forgot about it. Then, Anthony from The Horror Vision happened into it at last week's Scream Unseen and relayed his approval to the rest of us on the show, so I grabbed tickets for Friday night. I'm oh so glad I did, because folks, this movie is INSANE!

Here's what I did not know: Buddy is the brainchild of Writer/Diretor Casper Kelly, who did Adult Swim's Yule Log - also completely insane - and the "Cheddar Goblin" segment in Panos Cosmatos' Mandy. And that's really all you need to know, other than you will be hit with a succession of WTF moments unlike anything else out there in cinema at the moment. This may well be the return of the Freaked/Dark Backward mission statement, and I for one welcome it! Casper Kelly - you have a fan for life from this moment forward, sir!!!

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Playlist:

Jim Williams - Possessor OST

Metallica - Ride the Lightning

Dreamkid - Daggers

The Afghan Whigs - Soft Control

Windhand - Soma

Blut Aus Nord - 777: Cosmosophy

Portishead - Dummy

Low Cut Connie - Livin' In the USA

Mastodon - Once More 'Round the Sun

Russian Circles - Nine

Ash Borer - Cold of Ages

The Fixx - Reach the Beach

Arab Strap - The Red Thread

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• V: The Hierophant

• Knight of Pentacles

• XIV: Temperance

Taking this as a nod that I am back on the right path with saving money. Plan is to increase double-down on mortgage payments starting next check.

RIP Peter Cullen

 

I had something completely different set for today, but for obvious reasons, this won out. Damn. What a fucking week. The really eerie thing was, I received the news of Cullen's death about an hour after I finally bought tickets for the 40th anniversary screening of Transformers: The Movie on September 17th. Something tells me that screening is going to take on a whole new meaning after this news. 

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Watch:

I FINALLY got to see Jane Schoenbrun's new film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma! This was a long, hard road folks.

After waiting weeks to see if any theaters around me would get this, my Clarksville Regal picked it up last Thursday. I grabbed a ticket and sat my ass in the seat at 9:20 PM, only to have a sudden, horrible realization as the trailers played and I found I could not understand nor barely hear the dialogue.

Do you remember me talking about the crappy sound on that 20th Anniversary remaster release of Neil Marshall's The Descent two weeks ago? Well, it wasn't the film. Both of that and my first attempt a seeing Miasma were on screen 10 at my Regal. When I walked out to talk to an employee about this, I was told this was a "known issue."

A known issue, and they kept using that theatre for screenings? Total bullshit. 

I ended up walking out without seeing the film. I filed a complaint with Regal, and perhaps because of that, Tuesday night I noticed they had moved the film to a different screen for one time slot on one night - 10:45 PM last night. So, despite the fact that I've been asleep by 11:00 a couple times already this week, I trudged out at 10:35 PM last night, drove ten minutes to my theatre and put my arse in yet another seat.

Speechless. I would not have guessed in a million years that the fact that the fictitious slasher's name "Little Death" is actually a reference to one of the underlying concepts of the Illuminates of Thanateros; "Little Death" or "La Petite Mort" as a euphemism for the orgasm, which is kind of the hub of the entire film.

I'd have to say I still like I Saw the TV Glow the best of Schoenbrun's work, but goddamn are they on a roll. I am onboard for anything they do. Which includes their first novel, which I pre-ordered earlier today.

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Read:

After just discussing it on Drinking with Comics this week, I received my copy of Humanoids Press' English language translation for the classic Metal Hurlant. 

This is volume 5 - I only just became aware of this. 

I have been wanting to read this magazine for years! There was a time when I would just google the covers and artwork and state at it. So many of the Sci Fi flicks I grew up with were inspired by this - chief among them Blade Runner and Alien - so I think it's great Humanoids is translating and re-releasing these. 

Hurlant was a magazine back in the 70s/80s, but here they're collecting them in pretty nice soft or hardcover editions that must compile stories from multiple issues, though I'm not sure yet what the grouping strategy is. Apparently there are new stories mixed in as well, but for someone reading these the first time through, I can't tell what's what (or at least not yet).

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Playlist:

Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest

The Ocean - Fluxion

Final - 3

The Ocean - Aeolian

Emma Ruth Rundle and Thou - May Our Chambers Be Full

Holy Fawn - Death Spells

Spotlights - Love & Decay

Mountain Realm - Beastbane

Chelsea Wolfe - The Dark

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Shapes of Midnight (pre-release singles)

Judas Priest - Firepower

Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance 

The Afghan Whigs - Soft Control

The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium

Chris Isaac - Forever Blue

The Damned - Darkedelic

Canadian Rifle - Peaceful Death

Russian Circles - Gnosis

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Eight of Pentacles

• Nine of Swords

• King of Pentacles

• Two of Swords

I had it in my head to try a new layout. Not sure if there is a pre-existing name for this one or not, it just presented itself to me. Let's dig into it!

The work I'm putting into 'work' has gotten a bit uneven. It follows me into my weekends and off hours, and I need to back the fuck up or I'm going to end up stuck in a creative stalemate. The Two of Swords as the final card indicates resolution is on its way, but the King of Pentacles suggests it may take a while...

RIP Dolly

Wow. Dolly Parton. I can't claim to be the biggest fan of Dolly's music, not because I don't like it; I'm just not familiar, but as a human being? Among the greatest of our era. RIP.

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NCBD:

Lots of stuff I am looking forward to this week, including some new titles. 

We begin with a new Stuff of Nightmares one-shot! I have loved every issue published under the Stuff of Nightmares banner, and I expect nothing different from this.

A new Rick Remender book! I've picked up a few first issues from some of his other recent series and nothing really moved me - still quality work, just not my thing. Hammerfist looks like it might change that. Gorgeous Steve Epting art to boot. Very excited for this one!

The final issue of Fall of the House of Slaughter should pave the way for whatever shake-up is about to happen in SIKTC issue 50, out October 7th.

This book looks and sounds very old-school Vertigo. That's calculated, of course, but I'm here to give it a shot. Here's the solicitation blurb from League of Comic Book Geeks:

"OCCULT WARFARE IS A FANTASY... OR IS THAT WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO THINK? Twenty-three-year-old Darren Burroughs out of Audubon, PA, is a gifted rookie sent under the guise of a diplomatic aide to train with Division Nine — an obscure, outdated, and easily dismissed arm of British intelligence that specializes in dealing with paranormal incidents. In the right sort of spy circles, they're known by a different, more feared name... Black Tower. 

It's 2026, and in the age of cyber warfare and drone strikes, someone is plotting to steal the head of a giant-king to break a centuries-old ward that has kept invading forces out of Britain. Magic and espionage collide as the Black Tower's band of misfits, led by the enigmatic Alistair Romeo, delves into a maelstrom of spells and silencers, working against time and in the shadows to fight the esoteric battles bubbling under the surface of our visible wars."

Finally, ROM arrives in the Energon Universe in a proper way this month with these two books:

With ROM and now Micornauts, you have to ask yourself what's next. 

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Watch:

I first caught wind of Emily Bennett & Justin Brooks' Blood Shine last month when the most recent issue of Fangoria landed at my door. There's a great article about the film that immediately put it on my radar. Now we get our first trailer:

Dark Sky Films has become a force for good in the Horror genre, and when you add in Larry Fessenden as the cult leader, oh boy! I cannot wait. This is currently a $6.99 rental on Prime, so odds are we'll be watching this one over the weekend. 

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Playlist:

Steve Moore - Jimmy & Stiggs OST

Roughly Enforcing Nostalgia - Front Door Doxologies

Metallica - Garage Days Re-Revisited

The Ocean - Aeolian

The Ocean - Solaris (pre-release singles)

The Ocean - Holocene

Cliff Martinez - Only God Forgives OST

The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium

Frankie and the Witch Fingers - Data Doom

The Besnard Lakes - Until in Excess, Imperceptible UFO

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Ace of Swords

• Six of Cups

• Eight of Swords

Revitalized by recent developments, I definitely have a clearer perspective on things. Still haven't passed the stone - or at least I'm pretty sure of that - but I feel better these last few days, and I think a lot of that comes from, as the cards say, information. 

UPDATE: Thinking about the cards again. As is my custom, I left the spread on my desk all day so I could contemplate it off and on. That usually doesn't really amount to much - the day's tasks and responsibilities accumulate and I just kind of stop seeing the cards, let alone end up with any time to think or read about interpreting them further. Today, though, I'm thinking about the Ace of Swords, a card I habitually associate with "Breakthrough" when looking at the Thoth version. 

This card represents the bridge to the unconscious mind. It also has to do with perception, i.e. awakened perception. Seeing what was missed. In this case, the Eight of Swords suggests an inner problem. I'm having a hard time tying the Six of Cups in here, but I think it goes without saying there's something I'm struggling with that will soon crack wide open in a way that I will gain a new understanding. One that, hopefully, will alleviate the issue. This may very well still tie into my health, but now I'm thinking there's something more. 

Gravest Gravy, Baby

Out today - The Cramps, Gravest Gravy - lost tracks recently found and rescued with help from Henry Rollins and Ian Mackaye!

The only track available to stream on YouTube is the opener - '77's version of TV Set (now my preferred version of that particular track. Holy smokes - those Ivy Rorschach guitar 'solos!'), which I previously posted HERE upon announcement of the record. Instead of repeating myself, I went ahead and posted the "Weekend on Mars" version that originally served as the B-side to 1983's "I Ain't Nuthin' But A Gorehound" 7". I think I dig the version on Gravest Gravy better, but with a track like this - with any Cramps track- the more versions, the better.

Grab Gravest Gravy directly from Vengeance Records webstore HERE or their Bandcamp HERE.

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History:

Let's listen to Mr. Henry Rollins talk about how Gravest Gravy was rediscovered:

The rebirth of Vengeance Records is a beautiful thing. I can't wait to see what else comes down the pipes. In the meantime, HERE's the direct link to the site and their store, a great place to fill in gaps in the collection or finally acquire some of those records I only have as burned discs (thank you, Mr. Brown!) or old tapes.

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Watch:

If you haven't seen this trailer for Writer/Director Scott B. Hansen Devour yet, it's a doozy. It probably shows too much, but after watching it, I don't know that too much can taint this flick, because it looks nuts! Unhinged, in the best possible way. 

I know I usually avoid trailers, especially ones with a runtime of three minutes, but this is an indie, and it's fighting for its audience. This trailer will most likely earn it one. Good. Can't wait to check this out on October 29th!

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Playlist:

Dungen - Ta det lugnt (disc 1; thanks Tommy!!!)

The Cramps - Flamejob

The Cramps - Gravest Gravy

LARD - Pure Chewing Satisfaction

Carpenter Brut - Leather Temple

Perturbator - Age of Aquarius

The Cramps - Psychedelic Jungle

Godflesh - Streetcleaner

Dungen - Ta det lugnt (disc 2)

Dungen - Tio Bitar

Dungen - Stadsvandringar

Butthole Surfers - Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac

The Jesus Lizard - Mouth Breather/Sunday You Need Love 45

The Jesus Lizard - Puss 45

The Jesus Lizard - Wheelchair Epidemic/Dancing Naked Ladies 45

Butthole Surfers - Rembrandt Pussyhorse

The Jesus Lizard - Down

Pailhead - Trait

Ministry - Rio Grande Blood

Ministry - The Last Sucker

Ennio Morricone - Greatest Western Themes of All Time

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Two of Cups

• I: The Magician

• Ace of Cups

Resolved trouble and recuperation. There's a note for Two of Cups in my grimoire that adds, "Find the high ground to gain perspective (especially when paired with Cups), and here's the Ace of Cups, which can indicate major transformation. This fits with the resolution/recuperation motif. The Magician suggests I will pull myself through the issues and arrive at this new high ground. I read this to be a reference to my health and my current writing project, which I made major strides on this past Wednesday (despite being exhausted as all hell after waking up at 3:40 AM).