Tomorrow I'm starting 7 Days of Sabbath, but in the interim, I wanted to get this awesome new track by L.A.'s Faetooth a little push. This band landed on my radar with their 2022 album Remnants. This new track precedes their upcoming second album, Labyrinthine, out September 5th on The Flenser record label. Pre-order HERE.
Watch:
I had my second theatrical viewing of Ari Aster's Eddington last night. There is almost no doubt this will be the movie of the year. I can scarcely believe the sophisticated levels of layering in this film. There are levels of insight into the human animal, human society and human ignorance in this film that I'll be unpacking for years.
Eddington is a Western, a Horror movie, and on a very subtle level, a comedy made for people who see humanity the way I do - pessimistically. Ari Aster also crafts one hell of a shoot-out sequence, and has the subtle audacity to pepper it with Looney Tunes-esque visual gags that, if you catch them, will blow your mind. So many disparate elements synthesized into a perfect whole.
From the LONG-AWAITED album Private Music, out August 22nd. Order HERE. Easily one of my most anticipated albums of the last five years, I'm absolutely stoked we're getting this next month. I cannot wait to put on headphones, smoke some pot (increasingly rare) and listen to this record from start to finish.
NCBD:
HUGE haul today. Let's dive in:
Oni's resurrection of EC comics continues to evolve. No sooner did Epitaphs From the Abyss end, than the the Grave Digger has passed the proverbial Horror mic to his cohort, The Tormentor, for the new series Catacomb of Torment.
New Z News! I still have barely scratched the surface of the backlog of issues I picked up in Chicago last month, but good to no it's still going.
Has this series had the best covers of 2025? Maybe. I'm still loving that this is bi-monthly and wondering how we lucked into that? Reminds me of the old 80s Turtles, when it would come out bi-monthly or... maybe later. Either way, it's been very cool to see Jason Aaron come on board with the brothers completely pulled apart and slowly... oh so slowly... put them back together.
Oh man. Crisis time - Phantom Road's current arc, The Horror Men, ends next issue and the solicitations on League of Comic Book Geeks ends there, so that means, with Lemire having all the irons in the fire he does, this series is about to go back on hiatus.
One of my most anticipated books when it's dropping, it's hard to imagine going another couple of months without Phantom Road. But I guess we do what we have to do.
I have been waiting for Imperial issue 2 for what feels like months! I loved the first issue, and cannot wait to jump back in, especially with Hulk's proclamation of "War" at the end of the first issue!
This whole "Baroness as a Joe" scenario continues despite the hope last issue's cover instilled in me. Oh well, I'll just shut my mouth because at this point, there's probably no way I'm not going to continue this series. The one silver lining is the burgeoning friendship between Clutch and Hound. LOVE that development A LOT! Hear Mike Shin and I talk about this on the new episode of Drinking with Comics, HERE.
\Speaking of the latest episode of Drinking with Comics, I convinced my cohost, Mike Shin, to read Ben Winters and Leomacs' Philip K. Dick amalgamation, Benjamin, and he loved it! What's not to love? PKD lived an absolutely fascinating life, and, in retrospect, it blows my mind that it took this long for someone to use that life as fodder for a fictional story! Issue two drops tomorrow, and I cannot wait!!!
I wasn't blown away by issue one of "Death of the Silver Surfer," probably because the whole "Death of" idea seems incredibly passé at this point. That said, there's no way in hell I'm not buying a book with this cover. Holy smokes!
Watch:
Two episodes from the finale and I have to say, Ian Carpenter and Aaron Martin's Hell Motel (i.e. Slasher, season six) might just be the Horror Event of 2025! Every episode has been fantastic, but this week's? Chef's fucking kiss!
This show is so expertly plotted. A perfectly maddening Whodunit? combined with all the beautifully brutal flourishes Slasher is known for, the combination just works so goddamn well! Also, while I gave props to Martin and Carpenter up front as the creators, lest it not be forgotten that the inimitable Adam MacDonald directed all of these nasty little fuckers.
Playlist:
Ty Segall - Possession
Deftones - White Pony
Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist
Deftones - Eponymous
dan le sac Vs. Scroobius Pip - Angles
Drug Church - Prude
Hangman's Chair - Saddiction
YUNGBLUD - Idols
Horrendous - Ontological Mysterium
Ozzy Osbourne - Patient No. 9
Blind Willie McTell - Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order (Vol. 1)
Willie Nelson - Oh What a Beautiful World Songs of Rodney Crowell
Reggie Watts - Fuck Shit Stack (single)
Jogger - Nephicide (single)
Mi Loco Tango - Rocco and His Brothers (single)
Abby Sage - Smoke Break (single)
Abby Sage - The Rot
Crystal Castles - II
Card:
From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.
• Nine of Swords
• IX: The Hermit
• Nine of Wands
Two nines? Not sure this has occurred for me before. Climax and accomplishment? That combined with the Hermit actually lead me to believe this is a direct acknowledgement by the cosmos (ie my inner self) that I've earned the break I've taken, through the accomplishment of finishing my book and the culmination of Sweetie's existence. But it's almost time to really tune back in,.
Blackbraid III will be released independently on August 8th, and you can pre-order directly from the artist HERE.
I'll tell you, I have no problem spending whatever an artist wants to sell their physical media for in 2025 because they need to recoup the cost of services like spotify raping them (while pouring their profits in to the AI arms race). This Blackbraid merchandise looks fantastic - I had to restrain the impulse to buy one of the bundles with the shirt and hoodie - and this is easily the best-looking vinyl release I've seen all year.
NCBD:
A pretty robust haul this week. Let's go!
This time, it's all about the "B" cover! LOVE this! Those shadowy Decepticon images amidst fire and ruin, with Only two issues left with DWJ. I haven't seen who is taking over, but it looks like it's just in time for Quintesson War, which starts in Void Rivals 25 and, I'd imagine, will at the very least echo through this book.
My first issue of Savage Sword as a now monthly subscriber and I'm psyched! I owe a huge debt to my good friend Grimm for turning me onto this book.
I have been looking forward to Planet Death number one since stumbling on issue 0 last month. If you want to know more, check out the Drinking with Comics Mike Shinabarger and I did on this one HERE.
Dark Regrets is turning out to be insanely fun and pretty damn funny to boot! As much as I love Black Metal and (most) of its aesthetic, you have to admit, there's a lot there to make fun of.
Look at that cover by Miguel Mercado! And inside, Andrea Sorrentino's art adds an extra punch to the first mini-series spin-off from the anthology Epitaphs From the Abyss. Not sure if there are any more coming after this wraps up with issue number 4, but hopefully. That's the awesome thing about running an anthology - you can always mine the stories therein for longer ones down the road.
The penultimate issue of Dark Pattern's Case 03: Pareidolia. Can't wait to see where this is going. I've sampled a handful of Batman books over the last year - the first book* to feature the dark detective that I've read in years - and this? This has been one of my favorites (but nothing beats Gargoyle of Gotham!)
* Not entirely true; there was that Maxx/Batman book a few years ago. I didn't buy that for Batman, though.
Watch:
A few days ago, I mentioned my Criterion Sale items, Repo Man and Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cure. Since I spoke a bit about Repo Man the other day, I wanted to talk now about Cure.
I've heard about this one for years, but somehow never got around to it until now. Wow. Talk about atmospheric! There is a beautiful pall that hangs over this film, and while it grinds the characters to dust, it creates a singular cinematic experience for the viewer. The tension is so quiet! That's gotta be hard to do, because no one does it. At least, not like Kurosawa does here.
For years, one of the things I always saw referenced about this film was how it was the start of the Japanese Horror movement of the late 90s/early 00s. That was an immediate turn-off, because with few exceptions, I'm not really a fan of that era of Japanese Horror. I see now that both the inclusion of Cure in with films like Ringu and Juwon is a false relation, and my own preconceived notions about Japanese Horror from that era are wrong. I wouldn't call either a sweeping generalization, but it's close. It's also a great reminder to draw my own conclusions. Sometimes, certain cinematics feel akin to a quagmire, and I after a small sampling, I run for the hills. Best not to do that, and Cure is the, well, cure?
I loved this film and am happy to have it on my shelf. Further study is on the horizon.
Playlist:
Stephen Sanchez - Angel Face
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Arcade Fire - Everything Now
Shellac - 1000 Hurts
The Reverend Horton Heat - Liquor in the Front
Sonic Youth - Dirty
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
bunsenburner - Reverie
Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz
Ike Reilly - Salesmen and Racists
Muggs - Dust
Blackbraid - The Dying Breath of the Stag (pre-release single)
Black Sabbath - Master of Reality*
Ozzy Osbourne - Patient No. 9
* Read a fantastic article about a girl who owns 54 different vinyl pressings of Master of Reality HERE.
Card:
From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.
• Queen of Cups
• Eight of Pentacles
• Four of Wands
Queen of Cups again - as I write this on Tuesday afternoon, Sweetie has returned from surgery. A section of her intestines is enlarged, and - tests pending - it's likely lymphoma. We have been instructed to begin administering Prednisone today, which the Vet says should help hold it at bay and make her feel better. Once the lab results come back and we know for sure what we're dealing with, we can proceed. It's not the best result, but for now, I will take it and lavish her with Queen of Cups-sized emotion.
Eight of Pentacles - dedication.
Four of Swords - two interpretations that I can see lining up from those in the Grimoire. The first is completion and balance. The second is, "recognize completion and channel it into the next phase." These would seem to be offering two separate wisps of advice, because, of course, I'm interpreting this all about Sweetie. It's not an easy thing to let a loved one suffer, and that is definitely not our intention. So the idea is we treat it best we can. If it's lymphoma, we'll do chemo, which for cats isn't the same as it is for people. We're talking about a pill. I don't know, I have to do a lot more research. First things first, though. We need those results.
In my previous post I mentioned that Mr. Brown set me up with a small cache of burned CDs for our drive from Chicago back to Tennessee. One of those was the newest Willie Nelson album, Oh What A Beautiful World, wherein Nelson plays the songs of Rodney Crowell.
I've loved seeing my friend fall in love with both these gentlemen's music, and in on-brand fashion for myself, I've engaged with everything he's shared with me by both, but not really jumped 'feet first.'
That may have just changed.
I have a previous connection with Willie Nelson; in 2015, in a misguided attempt to, ah, save our marriage, my ex and I saw Nelson at L.A.'s Greek Theatre. I'd obviously been as vaguely familiar with Nelson's music as any other music-minded person in our time would be, with maybe a little bit of extra exposure here and there.
Watch:
Yesterday, K and I accompanied my Dad to see the new Joseph Kosinski film, F1, starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris and Kerry Condon.
I know nothing about racing, and I've never seen another film by Mr. Kosinski. This, however, was fantastic; a truly epic experience at the movies on a Sunday with the family. Man can not live by Horror alone, and it's nice every once in a while to take in a well-made, big studio film and feel the exhilaration they can offer when done right. F1 hits all the standard "Save the Cat" beats but does so with bravado and confidence that make this a thrilling theatrical viewing. Not sure it would carry as much weight at home, so if you've any interest, see it in the theatre.
Read:
Although I will freely admit that it is never a good idea to read more than one book at a time, I stumbled upon David Sodergren's new Splatterpunk novel, Death Spell, a few days ago and have been voraciously devouring it since.
Fantastic novel. Fantastic prose, vivid - and gnarly - imagery, and some insane shocks. Mr. Sodergren likes to punch the tropes in the nuts, and I'm all for that. Here's the solicitation from Barnes and Noble's website:
"25 years ago, young businessman Ron Jarvis made a sinister deal that changed his life forever. The cost was high... but who can put a price on power?
Now, Ron is the CEO of a global media empire, and one of the richest men in the world. And yet, to help his daughter, Ron will once more seek out the architect of that hideous pact, bringing death, despair, and total destruction to all around him in a jaw-dropping frenzy of outrageous, bloody carnage."
The Author himself describes this book on his Instagram page as, "H.G. Lewis directing a Shaw Brothers black magic film." This hits all the right notes, and I'd add that there's such a harmonic resonance here with a lot of the Indonesian Horror films I've become enamored with over the last few years that this is really scratching an itch I didn't know needed scratching. Black Magick feels extra threatening when wrapped in the heat, insects and vastness of the jungle.
Available anywhere you buy your books, you can check out all Mr. Sodergren's books here on his Indiebound page.
Playlist:
Willie Nelson - Oh What a Beautiful World Songs of Rodney Crowell
Willie Nelson & Leon Russell - One for the Road
The Jesus Lizard - Goat
Deadguy - Near-Death Travel Services
Deadguy - Work Ethic EP
Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou - May Our Chambers Be Full
Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power
Wake the Devil - Eternally Under Your Spell (single)
Roy Head - Same People (That You Meet Going Up, You Meet Coming Down)
From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.
• Ten of Pentacles
• Knight of Swords
• Four of Wands
The determination for success requires harmony. Obvious, right? I drew a determining card and received the Nine of Pentacles: Abundance. Is this a nod toward success? Maybe, but that's a pretty dangerous tact to take. In other words, my takeaway here doesn't come from the cards, but what I read in between the cards: Stay hungry.
When The Thirsty Crows broke up a couple years ago, man, it hurt. Bass player Chris Saunders is a good friend - so good that, admittedly, the last few years I lived in California, I totally took the Crows for granted. Despite Chris always keeping me up to date on shows, I only saw them a handful of times and really didn't support them at all. But like Tom Keifer sang, you don't know what you got 'til it's gone. I moved, the Crows broke up, and I realized that Hangman's Noose is one of my favorite albums of the last ten years, and really, the only Rockabilly/Psychobilly record I care about outside the first five Reverend Horton Heat albums.
Anyway, when Chris told me he and some of the other Crows had a new band, I was instantly intrigued, and everything I've heard has made this my most anticipated release of the year. And the first single only fuels that fervor. "Eternally Under Your Spell" is half Psychobilly and half straight up fucking Metal and I love it.
Can't wait to get the first proper release from these guys, whether it's an EP or an album. I'll buy whatever they're selling.
Watch:
New Yorgos Lanthimos in October??? This man has become one of the most confident and prolific filmmakers of the current era, and as I type this, I realize I still haven't seen his most recent film, Kinds of Kindness, which - perhaps it's just me - felt like a total stealth release.
I watched this trailer without sound, and it intrigued me to no end. Totally in, so I'll be there come October 24th when Bugonia hits theatres. A remake of the 2003 Korean film Save the Green Planet, which appears to be streaming only on Kanopy.
Playlist:
Rodney Crowell - Triage
Willie Nelson - Oh What a Beautiful World Songs of Rodney Crowell
Ren - Sick Boi
Meat Puppets - Dusty Notes
Big Black - Lungs
Slayer - Diabolus In Musica
Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss
Wake the Devil - Eternally Under Your Spell (Single)
Baroness - Live at Maida Vale, Vol. 1
Baroness - Live at Maida Vale, Vol. 2
Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa
Frank Black and the Catholics - One More Road for the Hit
Jozef Van Wissem/SQÜRL - Only Lovers Left Alive OST
Deadguy - Near-Death Travel Services
YUNGBLUD - Idols
Temple of the Dog - Say Hello 2 Heaven (single)
Card:
From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.
• Eight of Pentacles
• Six of Swords
• XVII: The Star
The dedication of the Eight of Pentacles leads to the great objectivity of the Six of Swords. Actual "Science," or proven results. That, my friend, is the path to enlightenment often hinted at by XVII: The Star.
And yes, that's all a bit woo-woo, but it's more fuel on the fire for reengaging with my Art. I've yet to jump back into writing full-on; I received some amazing news on BG&BH's yesterday, and that should be enough to incite reengagement with my Craft. Gotta move that needle, though.
From Ganser's new album, Animal Hospital, out August 29th on the always wonderful Felte Records. Pre-order HERE.
NCBD:
I've kind of unofficially switched to a M-W-F posting schedule here for the time being, and I'm still getting used to that. I'll use this as the reason I somehow forgot to feature my NCBD pulls in Wednesday's post - when I'm working on these a day or two out, it's easy to forget what day you're aiming for. Anyway, This week's pull ended up being considerable, so in this case, hindsight helps condense what otherwise would have been two consecutive posts.
Turns out, Batman: Dark Patterns is going even longer than I originally thought. This is the most consecutive months I've read a Batman book since Grant Morrison's run ended!
Already read this one - dark times for the Autobots, man. And more Bruticus! In fact, we have an all-out combiner battle with Bruticus and Devastator versus Superion! I can't even believe how this book taps into all my childhood play fantasies about the Transformers.
More dark times for heroes. It's definitely in the air - I mean, art reflects life and looks at the world we live in. Some really interesting developments in this issue, and the bi-monthly release schedule is still really working for me, partly as a respite for the old wallet and partly as a suspense builder.
This issue of SIKTC features some of the best trademark James Tyion IV dialogue. From the two clerks talking about mustache-shaving daydreams to the Jaws discussion, this one's all set, but holy cow - things are going to go off next issue!
The first issue was so-so for me, but I'm looking forward to sticking around and seeing where this pretty deft send-up of Black Metal culture goes.
Once again - Oni for the win! A new Horror Anthology featuring Andrea Sorrentino? You don't need to say another word.
But wait - there's MORE!!!
Earlier in the week, my good friend and frequent collaborator Grimm pointed me to the fact that Titan Books has been publishing a new Savage Sword of Conan magazine-sized book for eight issues now. I'm not a card-carrying Conan fan, per se, but back shortly after I discovered H.P. Lovecraft, I picked up a mass-market paperback copy of Howard's Tales from the Cthulhu Mythos and have long thought it one of the best I cut my Robert E. Howard
Looks more like "Savage Sword of Danzig" to me!
This issue of The Savage Sword of Conan features six tales that all revolve around Howard's The Black Stone. THIS is my REH wheelhouse - The Black Stone is probably the short story that left the deepest impression on me from that Mythos paperback, and I think it's fantastic that writer Jim Zub is using it as a jumping-off point to weave the Black Stone through a myriad of Howard's characters - from the Cimmerian to El Borak to Soloman Kane. Granted, these stories just made me spring for a set of the spin-off Black Stone series on eBay, but that's fine. Just like so many other power-mad sorcerers, I'm willing to pay for more exposure to the titular monument.
Issue eight was really what sparked my interest, as Grimm sent his joyous accolades for this series along with a picture from issue 8's The Wuthering:
'Nuff said! Seriously though, this entire book is gorgeous, and it was a real treat to discover the first story herein was drawn by Jason "Nameless" Burnham!
Playlist:
Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
The Devil's Blood - The Thousandfold Epicentre
Marilyn Manson - One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1
Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power
Melvins - (A) Senile Animal
Thou - Summit
Deee-Lite - Dewdrops in the Garden
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Big Black - The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape
Rapeman - Two Nuns and a Pack Mule/Budd E.P.
Killdozer - God Hears the Pleas of the Innocent
The High Confessions - Turning Lead Into Gold with the High Confessions
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Card:
From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.
• Page of Wands
• Two of Pentacles
• Three of Pentacles
Decisions about Earthly matters should be made from a place of strong support. What the hell does that mean, exactly? I'm far too tired to figure this out at the time of typing this, so I'll be staring at these cards all day on my desk.
I hate when the pull interpretation comes out sounding like an exaggerated fortune cookie!!!
From their first album in 30 years, Near-Death Travel Services, out June 27th on Relapse Records. I pre-ordered my copy from the Relapse Store the second I saw the announcement last month. Love these guys, and I love this video! The False Metal asteroid made me laugh out loud!
It's difficult to put into words the joy seeing Deadguy reunite instills in me. These guys were one of the few bands from the old Victory Records that made a positive impact on me. In fact, Fixation on a Coworker became something of a legendary album for my friends and I at a time when there wasn't a lot of metal besides Ministry or Mike Patton projects that we cared for. I've carried the CD copy Subculture Magazine sent me to review with me since I received it blind back in '95, and seeing them reunite last year in Brooklyn and now having a new full-length on the way in just a few weeks... it feels great.
Watch:
Despite an INSANE level of curiosity, I am abstaining from watching this trailer for now. I'm not sure I ever thought The Black Phone needed a sequel, but after reading a bit about this, I have to say, I'm in.
I'm sure I'll see this a bunch of times at my local theatre, but for now, I'll push past it and hope I can just be surprised. I will say, in the little bit of the synopsis I read, they mention a "Winter Camp," and I thought that was an amazing twist on the Summer Camp trope. I'm curious if it's ever been done before. I brought it up at the comic shop and one of the guys mentioned The Lodge and The Shining, but while those are winter-based, they're not 'camps.' The more I think about this - and it will still require some research to confirm - this may be a one-of-a-kind concept here.
Derrickson and Cargill - I really don't think this can go wrong.
Read:
As K and I continue our rewatch of Daredevil, Season Two, my fascination with John Bernthal's rendition of Frank Castle has me jonesing to re-read some of the old 1980s Punisher comics I was obsessed with back in the day. So, Tuesday night after we finished Season Two, Episode 7, K retired for the night and I spent some time pulling out short boxes.
I'd forgotten that Stephen Grant wrote the original 1985 Punisher mini-series that served as the set-up for the ongoing one that kicked off in 1987. The ongoing was my introduction, but a large part of my catalyst for picking that up was seeing Mike Zeck's cover art on the wall behind the counter at my first comic ship, Worth, Illinois' Heroland (back when it was attached to the Post Office on Harlem and 111th). Mike Zeck is a criminally forgotten artist who did the art for two of my favorite series from the 80s - this Punisher mini-series and J.M. Dematteis' Kraven's Last Hunt, which I've waxed on about in these pages several times.
I eventually picked up all five issues of this mini at comic book shows scattered around Illinois - they used to host them at Knight's of Colombus Halls - and they quickly became prized possessions. It's been quite some time since I've read these, though, so it's great to go back to them now.
The story starts with Castle behind bars at Rikers. A run-in with Jigsaw and a failed assassination during a prison break put Castle in the debt of an organization called The Trust. The Trust says they just want Frank to keep doing what he's doing and they'll fund it - but Frank knows there's another shoe bound to drop, and he's packing enough ammo accordingly.
It wasn't until a couple of years ago that an off-hand comment in something I read made me realize how inherently 'Right Wing' the concept of the Punisher is. Although, I'd argue there's an element of Common Sense here as well - Common Sense being my political predisposition in comparison to the two parties of nonsense we currently adhere to in this country. Still, there's no denying that the origins of this character - and certainly the early comics - leaned that way. Yet, just like Marvel has done with Frank's current incarnation in Disney +'s Daredevil: Born Again, there's complexity here that undermines this interpretation.
That Marvel was able to 'take back' the Punisher logo in Born Again after its unfortunate "Scared Blue Line" association since that infamous photo of a cop's lock screen as he waits outside the Uvalde school shooting while children die is nothing short of a fucking miracle. Not everyone will agree with me on this, but I thought the fact that Marvel addressed this head-on in Born Again was ballsy, poignant and honestly took a lot of guts. I'd be curious to know how many Police officers started the show with a sense of excitement and then bounced once they saw the turn it took with Fisk's private army of corrupt police. The distinction here is perfect - a truly thin blue line that, just as in our reality, takes care to separate the good cops from the bad ones. Anyone offended would seem to be taking the wrong side from the jump.
After falling pretty hard for Year of No Light's 2021 album Consolamentum, these guys have been off my radar for a while. Last week I went deep-diving my Apple Music stores on my phone and ran into that album, spun it a couple times in one day, then this week realized they released a single-track E.P. recently. And let me say - Les Maîtres Fous does not disappoint. At just under 30 minutes, this track goes all over the place in the best possible way, building from literally nothing to some epic, bombastic heights. Out on The Ocean's Pelagic Records, you can order yourself a copy from the group's Bandcamp or the Pelagic webstore that suits you best.
Watch:
The trailer for Joe Begos' Jimmy and Stiggs finally came out and HOLY F**KING SH*T!!!
My most eagerly anticipated film of the year. I will drive to see this on the big screen in August if I have to, no problem. The great thing about seeing the "Eli Roth Presents" tag is that, about an hour after I saw this at home, I went to the theatre and saw a slightly shorter version of this trailer play before the Philippou Brothers' new film, Bring Her Back.
Watch:
And let's talk about the Philippou Brothers' new film. While their first film, Talk to Me, is a banger in every sense of the term as I define it. Bring Her Back is not.
This is drab, dour and dark in a way that will seep under your skin and play with your anxiety. This one burrows deep and really picks at some taboo terror. I have several friends who have compared it to Ari Aster's Midsommar, and I can't argue that. Difference between my comparison and theirs is part of theirs hinges on the "I don't think I will ever watch that again."
I would see Bring Her Back again tomorrow if the opportunity of fancy arose.
This is going to be in my top ten for sure, possibly top five. I'm further in awe of the Philippou Brothers and cannot wait to see what they do next.
Playlist:
John Carpenter w/ Alan Howarth - Big Trouble in Little China OST
From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.
• Page of Cups
• XIV: Temperance (ART)
• Nine of Swords
First, I love Grimm's portrayal of XIV, because even though I always associate this card with Thoth's Art instead of the classic Temperance, I can see how Crowley got to the change, and Grimm's illustration here embodies it. The Dark Arts - You must temper them.
While my entry in the grimoire for Princess or Page of Cups leads off with "Dreams can become reality," it's really all about focus. This is Malkuth, and to transcend it, focus is important. Certainly the dark arts are a form of focus and an expression of Will, and with them, the climax of the Nine of Swords can be achieved.
All of this is really a fancy, Yungian way to say focus and work hard - hard enough for the work to be mistaken/categorized as Magick, and you can accomplish your Earthly goals.
I'm sure it will come as a surprise to no one who reads these pages that I immediately equate this with my writing, as with BG&BH finished, I find myself wondering if I should proceed with publishing it through my Horror Vision imprint, or possibly shop it to agents/publishers.
When I added Preoccupations back into my regular rotation a week or two ago, I had zero idea they had a new album coming out. I woke up this morning and saw Apple's push notification that Ill At Ease had been released, promptly made coffee and have been sitting outside listening to it in the post-storm morning since. Exceptional album! A surprise like this is so rare these days, and I am cherishing it!
You can purchase Ill At Ease from Born Losers Records HERE.
Watch:
I was super excited to see Sean Byrne's new flick, Dangerous Animals, is getting a wide theatrical push. I still say Devil's Candy would have been an absolute banger if it had played theatres, but, unfortunately, it came out before this new post-pandemic, Independent Horror friendly world we live in.,
While I'm not really one for mean-spirited torture films, I've come to know Byrne's work enough to know this will be something more than it seems when it opens on June 6th.
Playlist:
Gibby Haynes - Third Man Records Blue Series
The Black Belles - What Can I Do? (single)
The Raveonettes - PE'AH II
Pinky Tuscadero's Whiteknuckle Assfuck - Halfway to Honky Heaven
I feel like I've been waiting for the new Perturbator album forever, and now we finally have the first single. I don't love the video, but the track is cool. As usual, though, I'll be holding out for the full album to hear it again. Need that context.
Watch:
Here's a new Irish Folk Horror flick I do not remember hearing about before this past weekend when it popped up on Shudder. You know I love me some Irish Folk Horror; this is well-timed, as Lorcan Finnegan has a new film out and in buying tickets for that tomorrow night, I've already got a hankering to rewatch Without Name, which is possibly my favorite of the Irish Folk Horror genre.
This is Writer/Director Aislinn Clarke's second feature-length film. Their first, The Devil's Doorway, is on a list I have somewhere and is currently streaming on AMC+ (But not their Horror subsidiary Shudder, fuckyouverymuch AMC+), so I'm adding both of these films to my watch list with hopes to have a nice, spooky double or triple feature soon.
Posting, but not listening. New albums Skeletá is out this Friday, 4/25, and although Loma Vista hasn't shipped my vinyl yet - I'm not sure what they are waiting for - I'm holding out until I can at least listen to the entire record on Apple.
NCBD:
Fantastic pull list this week! Very excited to hit the shop tonight. Here's what I'll be reading later today:
Jeff Lemire's Minor Arcana returns, just in time to line up with my Gideon Falls re-read, so I am very much into more Lemire. Plus, this book has been very cool. Atmospheric the way Lemire does so well.
Still one of the strangest books I've read in quite some time, Into the Unbeing continues to confound and delight me. Macrocosmic Body Horror.
Even though I've cooled on Skybound's iteration of Joe, I'm still looking forward to seeing the confrontation promised by this cover.
Two left after this one. Damn, I'm going to miss this book.
Dust to Dust has really turned out as a sleeper. I don't hear much about other folks reading this book, but I know they're out there.
Watch:
I haven't had a chance to say it here yet, but Ryan Coogler's Sinners is an exceptional film, and a breath of fresh air in what started out a strong year for Horror with Presence, Grafted, The Dead Thing and The Monkey, but quickly became stale.
Sinners shares some structural DNA with Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn in that it both films are actually two movies glued together in the middle with blood. What I love about this is that is the world, right? There's the everyday world where you're robbing a bank or driving around, collecting down-on-their-luck musicians to play at your new Juke Joint, and there's the world where something unnatural arrives and takes you into the netherworld.
With Sinners, the detail is fantastic. You can feel 1930's Southern heat, the sticky humidity, and the life to which these characters live to their fullest, even when they die. Very cool film that I recommend everyone up for a field trip take in on the big screen. The soundtrack through the theatre speakers alone is worth the trip.
Playlist:
Dreamkid - Daggers
Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses (Suspended in Dusk)
Windhand - Eternal Return
Moon Wizard - Sirens
Telekinetic Yeti - Primordial
Mars Red Sky - Eponymous
Black Sabbath - Sabotage
Card:
Back to the Thoth deck today for a quick, one-card pull:
From the Grimoire, "How true are you to your inner aspirations and will?"
Holy cow - new music from Stereolab!!! From the forthcoming album Instant Holograms on Metal Film, out May 23rd on Duophonic UHF Disks and Warp Records . Pre-order HERE.
Watch:
A full trailer for Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's 28 Years Later dropped while I slept, and just seeing the thumbnail, I'm excited. I'm not going to actually watch this trailer, mind you. But just knowing we're that much closer to this brings me joy.
My fear is this will play before every movie I go to the theatre to see until the film's release on June 20th.
Playlist:
OLD - The Musical Dimensions of Sleastak
Type O Negative - Life Is Killing Me
Primus - Pork Soda
Killing Joke - Eponymous
Stereolab - Aerial Troubles (single)
Type O Negative - Dead Again
Tad - Inhaler
Card:
From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.
• XI: Justice
• Knight of Cups
• Nine of Swords
Balance creativity or sleeplessness could result.
I actually think this is telling me this so I do the opposite - I've wanted to work on some projects at night the last two weeks, but I'm finding it impossible to stay awake later than 11:00 PM most nights. I think I need to generate a fervor to inspire some 'sleeplessness.' Or at least, some sleep-delay.
I am waaaay behind on posting new music here. Mr. Brown alerted me to Pulp's new single last week, along with news of their forthcoming first album in... a really long time! More drops on June 6th. Pre-order from Rough Trade HERE.
NCBD:
Very excited to hit the shop later today. Here's what I'll be bringing home:
Really digging A.J. Lieberman and Mike Henderson's The Hive. The first issue was something I grabbed on a lark, but it was enough to get me to come back for two, and now here I am waiting on issue #3! A street-level crime comic with a very subtle, maybe "Black Mirror-like" Sci-Fi twist.
I'm going to have a boatload of these Z-News waiting for me in Chicago next time I'm on the South Side long enough to shop at Amazing Fantasy. The cover story here is on Joe Kelly helming the recent re-launch (yes, again) of Amazing Spider-Man with a new number one. I saw that on the shelf last week and almost went for it (there were certainly enough covers and copies), but they didn't get me this time, so it will be cool to read Kelly's plans or whatever this "interview" will be.
I feel like this book is tri-monthly at this point, and that's okay with me. Take it slow.
Justin Jordan and Maan House's Mine Is A Long Lonesome Grave is now one of my most anticipated books every month! A creepy A.F. supernatural revenge story, I'm really hoping this runs longer than next issue, which is the last I see solicited. I suppose if it doesn't, we'll have a tight little tale easy to push onto others. Always better to leave 'em wanting more than give 'em too much. Still, this could unfold in some pretty crazy ways. I trust Mr. Jordan implicitly, so I'm here for it either way.
Watch:
I'm not entirely sure how I made it to 2025 without seeing 1994's Brainscan, but I watched the flick for the first time last night and instantly fell in love with it.
With a screenplay written by Andrew Kevin Walker taken from a Brian Owens story, Director John Flynn leaves his 80s Action roots behind and crafts what I can honestly say is the only film I know of that delivers to me the same vibe that Robert Englund's 976-Evil does, and if you read these pages, you know how much I adore that film.
This a 90s film that feels like a natural progression from 80s Sci-Fi Horror; the suburban neighborhood, children who lead a seemingly adult-less existence and do just fine, and an otherworldly entity that singles them out for Horror that feels, at times, theoretically very frightening. I mean, the opening "kill" sees the film's Protagonist Mike (Edward Furlong) commit a savage murder first-person by way of a 'radical new video game.'
If you've read my story "Literal Death", I'm sure you'd think this film burrowed its way into me way back. That, however, is not the case.
So, of course, after watching Brainscan, I had to follow it with 976-Evil.
How could I not? Perfect timing, because I missed this one last year during 31 Days of Halloween, so I was overdue.
I don't know what it is about Englund's sole Directorial excursion that I love so much. It captures not an era, but an era as portrayed by Hollywood so perfectly, balanced on the precipice between when Horror and Exploitation were kind of studio-ish (Post-Terminator) because there were still successful, but still malleable, small studios with widespread distribution. The kids in 976-Evil are exacerbated stereotypes of 80s nerds and hoodlums like we see in so many other films (Return of the Living Dead springs immediately to mind), but combined here with Howard Berger's FX and the faux-small town but still recognizably urban environments the Art Director and Set Designers create, there's an etheral tone I've not seen many other places. Except in Brainscan, where Flynn updates the look to early 90s-but-still-oh-so-close-to-the-80s Suburbia, but still retains that 80s Kids in Danger vibe.
Playlist:
Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses (Suspended in Dusk version)
Type O Negative - Life Is Killing Me
MadLove - White With Foam
Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She
Card:
From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.
• Five of Swords
• Two of Pentacles
• XXI: The World
Routine can be damaging, but it can also help establish a new foundation from which new vantages reveal comprehensive comprehension.
Or something like that. In other words, stay the course.
