Alien Covenant (2017) Cast Slideshow video

A little slideshow video of the cast members of the Prometheus Sequel, entering theaters in August 2017.

April Fool's Day (1986 - 2016) 30 year anniversary

A toast to dying young.

Released on Friday March 28th, 1986, April Fool's Day was produced by Frank Mancuso, Jr., the man in charge of Friday The 13th sequels and the son of Paramount president of the time Frank Sr.

Following in the tradition of other Holiday-themed slashers of the era, April Fool's Day is remembered as one of the more popular '80s slashers, taking in over $12 million at the box office on a $5 million dollar budget.

Despite its popularity, the film has been credited for being the impetus for the downfall of Slasher films. In the documentary Going to pieces: the rise and fall of the slasher film, critics blamed the film's corny, jesting ending as an insult to the slasher genre. Though, I've always seen that ending as fitting for the holiday its named after and thought it was done rather cleverly. Plus, the whole film sustains a creepy aura throughout, making the viewer wonder if its a joke or not.

As a kid in the '90s, I was intrigued by the fantastic cover featuring the host of the party toasting to her guests, while sporting a noose ponytail and flourishing a knife to no one. It just teased treachery and bloodshed. It wasn't until the film was released onto DVD in the 2000s that i finally got the chance to view the film, and ever since, I try and rewatch it every spring around this time.

On a final note, I remain motivated to purchase the novelization, which supposedly features the legendary alternate ending where Skip attempts to murder his sister Muffy. It has also been rumored that they filmed this ending, but no footage of it has ever been released, though photos of it are out there.

The novelization is rare and only on Ebay sparingly at a price of around $30+. It was written by Jeff Rovin, a writer who also wrote the novelizations for Re-animator & Broken Arrow.

Here's a link to my in-depth review of the film, recorded in 2012:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6T_hLyn5TI

David Koepp Commissioned to Write Indiana Jones 5

Steven Spielberg refers to David Koepp as "The Closer" for his ability to polish off and tinker with scripts that are in need of fixing. Even though some of his work has been hit or miss, I view Koepp as a top 5 screenwriter in the world.

 Since his work on the original Jurassic Park, Koepp has been revered and trusted by some of the biggest names in the world of film and publishing.

He's adapted scripts from the work of Stephen King (Secret Window), Richard Matheson (A stir of echoes), Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park, The Lost World), & Dan Brown (Angels & Demons, Inferno).

Simply put, the man is brilliant, and in March 2016 he was recently hired to script the latest Indiana Jones film--A sequel and continuation of the character with the return of Harrison Ford & Steven Spielberg for the fifth installment.

Koepp had previously script doctor'd 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' in 2008, which was based on storyline by George Lucas & Jeff Nathanson. Reading around the web, I gathered this credit has left a cicatrix on his current reputation.

Now given full carte blanche, i'm eager to see what Koepp cooks up. In the rich world archeology, there's an endless list of mysterious excursions for Indy to embark on. Though he'll have his limitations with an aging Harrison Ford, this film will be a climacteric moment for his career in the eyes of the public.

Most notably, though, is the absence of series creator Geroge Lucas, who was known for being pedantic with the character and storyline of Indy films. In fact, it took many years to get a 4th film in the franchise due to story disagreements betwixt the two. Many see his absence as beneficial, but after witnessing the revolution of Disney's new take on Star Wars, I can tell it lacked the midas touch of Lucas.

As a result, I have foresworn my Jedi allegiance. No, I haven't gone to the darkside. I've actually gone to no side. I'm in a galaxy a far, far away from Rey and Finn.

Back to Harrison Ford, there was a rumor going around back in 2014-15 that he'd stipulated in his Star Wars episode 7 contract for Disney to guarantee him at least one more Indiana Jones film before rebooting it.

This was around the time where rumors of Chris Pratt taking over the fedora were soaring through the web. Now i wouldn't be surprised if Pratt still joined the project to inject some youth into the franchise. With Shia Labeouf on crazy pills nowadays, who knows if they'll want him back. I speculate that a young female archeology grad-student will be created for the obligatory nubile woman character.

As for speculation on this film, we can surmise that it'll be set in the 1960s. I must cogitate further in order to guess a decent plotline, but I'd love to see stonehenge involved, or some sort of astrology factor.

If you're feeling the need to indulge in the Indiana Jones franchise and have seen the films to death, I recommend seeking out the comic book series-- The Further adventures of Indiana Jones, or the Dark Horse Omnibus of Indy graphic novels released in the '90s.

Batman (No. 252) Comic Book Review

Title:   "The Spook's Master Stroke!"
Writer:   Frank Robbins
Issue:   #252, October 1973

Locations: Gotham City Police Headquarters, Gordons Office, Gotham's New maximum security  prison, Gotham Social Club, Potter's Field Burial Ground for he unclaimed, Gotham Rooftops, Subway, Abandoned structure (The Spook's secret lair)

The spook danced at midnight.

For the ominous season of Samhain, DC resurrected the spirit of a villain created only months prior--The Spook--appearing in Detective Comics # 434 in April 1973.

Lots of fans often mistake the Spook for "Spectre", a DC superhero with similar character traits. In fact, they're both caped in green cloaks and their names are both synonyms for the word "Ghost".

Anyway, I found The Spook to be an outstanding villain, shrewd and devious.

Let's talk about the story now...

In the opening of this issue, Batman and Gordon review the profile of Val Kaliban (AKA The Spook). Gordon's amzed over his cunning wits and baffled over the strange mysteries involved in the case, but Batman's on top of things. The Spook's a master escape artist, brilliant architect, and is even schooled in the field of hypnotism. Back in 1963, He was an architectural Draftsman and imprisioned for the murder of his Boss, an engineer involved in Gotham city development.

Batman theorizes that Kaliban's Boss had caught him purloining blue prints for the new Gotham prison, which set him up in the "Escape Insurance" business for the underworld. His record states he was executed by the electric chair, yet ten lears later he returns to Gotham. He sells the secrets of absconding to Gotham's criminals until Batman captures him in Detective comics #434.

His reputation as a skilled escape artist gave reason for him to acquire the nickname "The Spook". Despite his crafty illusion skills, he holds no supernatural prowess, yet everyone believes him to be a ghost.

 

Suddenly, like a ghost, The Spook vanishes from Gotham's new State Prison, and Gordon is notified via telephone while Batman is still present. Soon, Batman vows to psycho-analyze the Spook in order to find his weakness, and he also assures Gordon that they're dealing with a man and not a supernatural being.

 

Meanwhile, The Spook wastes no time pandering his Escape Insurance to the ruffians of Gotham City, who were lounging at the downtown "Social Club."

Batman's initial plan is to start at the spook's grave at Potter's Field Burial Ground for the unclaimed.

Spade in hand, Batman disinters Kaliban's coffin, finding a cloaked prop of the Spook. Then out of some ghostly oblivion, the Spook manifests, whacking Batman upside the head with the Spade. He buries him in a dirgeless interment, and frolics away in glee at disposing of Batman.

But wait, lurking in the deadly shadows of the spooky cemetery, the familiar silhouette of Alfred arrives to exhume Batman. It ends up being Jason Bard (Gotham Police officer), aided by a mini-lung device, and masquerading as Batman. Apparently the real Batman strategized this ruse in order to stalk a more laxed Spook and discover his actual lair.

Through a series of secret tunnels, Batman tracks him back to a dilapadated structure, the Spook's refuge. Vicious guard dogs attack Batman. He disposes of them by clobbering them in the snout, their most sensitive area according to him.

In the huge structure, Batman discovers it to be a type of prison designed by the criminal architect. It even has an electric chair, which Batman unwittingly sits in to gain a perspective on how Kaliban escaped his execution. The Spook traps him in the chair and puts him under electric duress. He tells Batman he was able to escape the chair by hypnotizing an inmate, who looked similar to his shaved-head look, to take his place. Thinking he's dead after the shock, The Spook unstraps him and Batman clouts him into submission. He reveals he survived the jolt of the chair by wearing a ceramic skull-cap.

Back at headquarters, Batman shows Gordon and another officer a set of blue prints he found. They're designs for an inescapable prison, the product of Kaliban's mammoth Ego.

Final Thoughts: I found this to be a clever story and I view The Spook as underrated villain. Very cunning with his knavery. A worthy opponent to the caped crusader, and surprisingly there's not much info of him online. The crew did a sensational job of making a horror related story for october, without it being too contrived with  halloween tropes.

Of note, there is another story in this issue, a Robin adventure, but due to the frailty of my copy, I skipped it.

Overall: A-



Lastly, this issue was released the month following the legendary Joker revival issue #251, noted for being the reinnasaince of the character's evil roots and the purging of his goofiness . In 2013, I reviewed that issue on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpfLzmoyqGQ

The Town That Dreaded Sundown Villain - Custom 3 3/4 action figure

The latest custom 3.75 from EBAY seller 'popsfartberger' is another Vintage Horror Villain, the mysterious murderer known as the Phantom Killer. Based on the unsolved murder spree that took place in the 1940s in Texarkana, which rests on the Texas and Arkansas border, the 1976 film is considered a prototype of the early slasher film. However, it's often forgotten and over shadowed by other seminal '70s Slashers -- Halloween, Black Christmas, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, & Tourist Trap.

Donning a potato-sack, the figure comes with two weapons-- A Knife & Pistol.

Now correct me if i'm wrong, but I only remember his weapons being a Gun, Pitchfork, Pickaxe, and Trombone. Anyway, in making a custom figure, one is limited and the point is to keep it simplistic, so i understand.



The figure is on sale for $45 as of 2016.

Horror & Comic Book

This Blog will solely be Dedicated to Genre Films & Graphic Novels. - JBM 11/8/12