This is Halloween 3! - A Few Non-Mainstream Comic Horror Movies

Comic books and horror go together like oatmeal and sausage… what? It’s a good meal combo! Anyway, we have gotten quite a few horror movies based on comic properties over the years. The first one I can really think of is Swamp Thing the 1980’s. Of course, DC and Marvel have been over this for years with characters like Swamp Thing, Blade, John Constantine, and others characters hitting live-action. Even Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness tried its hand at horror and succeeded in my opinion. Don’t know if it succeeded at the Multiverse aspect though, but that’s another story.

Today’s post is going to be about some comic movies that don’t have that DC bullet nor the Marvel insignia on it. Marvel and DC are not the only ones that have put out good comics, folks. Diversify that shelf or longbox a bit. First, we got The Crow from 1994 starring Brandon Lee, a movie that I have been wanting to see for years. Next, we got Spawn from 1997, a movie that I kinda had to fill out the list with. I am no Spawn fan, but it has Michael Jai White, so it can’t be too horrible… right? Finally, I got a double watch from my recent COVID sit: Hellboy and Hellboy. Yes, I made that confusing on purpose. First, it’s Hellboy from 2004 with Ron Pearlman. Last, it’s Hellboy from 2019 featuring David Harbour.

This is Halloween 3! - Reality-Bending Nosferatu, Invasions in the Homeland, and Christopher Lee!

Next up for the month, I decided to go down a more sci-fi path. Instead of trading punches with the supernatural, we got some pesky aliens to look at. As usual, I got four picks for this one. First up is one that may not count in the “evil invading aliens” topic, but I just re-watched Dark City from 1998, and I gotta talk about it. Next up is the classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers from 1956. I was originally going to re-watch its 1978 remake for this, but I never saw the original. Next, I got Strange Invaders, a 1980’s throwback to 50’s B-movies. Yes, that doesn’t sound too great. Finally, we have End of the World from 1977 featuring Christopher Lee. I say featuring because he’s only around for like 8 minutes or something. Dang cover art!

This is Halloween 3! - Lackluster Sequels!

Well, we’re in the spooky season, and I got a few movies and shows I want to talk about. I know I got a post about monster dramas in me somewhere, but this isn’t the time! No, I got a hankering to revisit a few sequels to classic horror movies. It’s funny because I think I saw all of these before I saw their first movies. I know I can say that for Jaws, Predator, and Halloween. Those came much later in life. I’m not so sure about Hellraiser. I may have seen Hellbound before the first one, but I’m not sure.  I know I somehow ended up seeing bits of Hellraiser 3 when I was pretty young. I don’t know how the heck that happened!

Today’s picks are a bit random but still fit in that “scared crapless” genre. First, we got Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 from 1988. Next up, we broach the sci-fi genre with Predator 2 from 1990. If you thought running in the jungle was bad, try running in Los Angeles.  Next up, the animals decide to get involved with Jaw 2 from 1978. Finally, I gotta end it in a slashing good time with Halloween 2 from 1981. So, let’s see what other messed up stuff Clive Barker can bring to screen.

Tales from the Trade! - Superman and the Authority

Well, it’s September, and I’m feeling… eh. The kids are back in school, so you know that “Down with the Sickness” is going to be played a lot in many homes. Lately, it’s been hitting us with Liz and Andy being a little down for the count. Even though I’m not around here as much anymore, I got to talk about some Superman comics. I might even throw in a certain show that’s recently made it to Max. Today’s pick is Superman and the Authority, a miniseries that was starting just as Andy was being born. In fact, I got the first issue the day I closed my pick list at the Great Escape in Nashville. If there was one thing that was gonna get me to come out and get the whole trade, it would be Grant Morrison.

Now, the story behind this mini is a weird one that involves a defunct idea called 5G… no, not that 5G on your phone or in the airwaves. I don’t know everything about it, but it was another reboot that Dan Didio wanted to do. The key word is “wanted” because that whole idea blew up in smoke and Didio was let go from DC afterwards. The ideas (That whole DC Future event after Dark Knights Death Metal) kind of made their way into the comics, but things remained the same. I did hear that one idea was to take an older Superman down an authoritative route, but Morrison said “I say thee nay” or something and instead wrote about a lower-powered Superman forming a team of lesser-knowns, villains and sometimes killers. Yeah, that also sounds weird, but this is Morrison we’re talking about.

Random Thoughts on... The Matrix Resurrections

Well, it has been a two-year wait, but after this recent re-watch, it’s time to return The Matrix once again. When I heard that there was another Matrix coming, I was whelmed. The casting also got me excited though I was a little saddened to see that Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving weren’t returning. The hype for The Matrix Resurrections really didn’t hit me until the first trailer came, and I gotta say that was one awesome trailer. So, this film is either going to be a hit or a trainwreck. Knowing the Wachowskis (and we only have one with Lana), it could go either way. So, The Matrix Resurrections was released toward the end of 2021. Since we were still in the pandemic, the WB was releasing most of their newest movies in theatres and on HBO Max at the same time. By the way, that merger with Discovery sucked in all kinds of ways. 

Oh yeah… PAY YOUR WRITERS AND ACTORS! $*%&#!