Flashback Friday: Prince Valiant (1997)

“He told them I was valiant…..”

Much like The Phantom, Dick Tracy, and a number of other popular older comic and comic strip properties in the 1990s, Hal Foster’s legendary comic strip Prince Valiant (1937) received the cinematic treatment in the hopes of cashing in on the success of films such as 1989’s Batman. While most of those films managed to obtain at least mild success or, at a minimum, a cult following, 1997’s Prince Valiant barely even registered on filmgoers’ radars. Valiant had already been adapted for the big screen once before in a 1954 film which also failed to bring in an audience despite the comic strip being highly successful. The 1997 film performed even worse than that movie.

What’s really sad about the 1997 film is that it’s actually a pretty good movie. It gives us a somewhat altered origin story for Valiant and swaps out his Singing Sword for Excalibur. Merlin is dead in the film as well. He is very much alive in the comic strip. In the film, Valiant stands in for an injured Sir Gawain to escort Princess Ilene to her home kingdom while the rest of King Arthur’s knights prepare to battle the Scots. Unknown to Arthur, however, is the fact that Thule raiders tricked him into believing that the Scottish stole his beloved Excalibur. The legendary sword is now in the hands of the evil Morgan le Fay and wannabe Thule King Sligon. They plan to capture Sir Gawain in order to activate Excalibur’s powers, mistakenly believing that he has noble blood. The Thule Vikings attack Valiant and believe that they have killed him. They also capture Gawain and take Ilene prisoner. Valiant manages to survive and learns that he is of noble blood. From there, he and a band of allies set out to save Ilene and Gawain, retrieve Excalibur, and bring peace to the land of Thule. Watch the film to find out what happens!

The film’s cast reads like a who’s who of fantasy, sword and sorcery, and science fiction. Stephen Moyer (True Blood) makes his starring debut as Prince Valiant. Katherine Heigl (Roswell, Bride Of Chucky) portrays Princess Ilene. Edward Fox (1991’s Robin Hood) appears as King Arthur. Anthony Hickox (Waxwork, Warlock: The Armageddon) co-stars as Sir Gawain. Joanna Lumley (The New Avengers, Ella Enchanted) stars as Morgan le Fay. The cast is rounded out by genre stalwarts Udo Kier, Ron Perlman, Warwick Davis, Thomas Kretschmann, and Gavan O’Herlihy. Basically, if you’ve seen any fantasy or science fiction film from the 1960s to the late 1990s, you’ve seen a few of these stars already. All of them give excellent performances.

The film is extremely fun. It’s far from perfect but I really enjoyed watching it. The special effects are dated but the musical score is brilliant. I also love how scene cuts feature artwork from the original comic strip and artwork featuring the actors from the film. I also love the fact that Prince Valiant looks just like Prince Valiant from the comic strip. It’s a shame that this film is best known not for how fun it is, but that the European cut of the movie features Katherine Heigl’s nude backside in one scene. If you watch the American cut of the film, that scene is edited out and the rest of the movie is fairly family friendly.

If you enjoy movies like Willow, Krull, and Dragonheart, you’ll enjoy Prince Valiant. I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading my post. Thanks for reading it!

Outpost: Texas Renaissance Festival 2023

Clan Tynker about to do some Danger Tricks!

Lift Up Your Cares!

I headed out to the Texas Renaissance Festival for what I believe was my fifteenth year on October 14th. To be entirely honest, there have been too many bottles of mead between my first visit and my most recent one to recall just how many times I’ve gone to this festival. I only had one day to spend at the festival this year, so I made the most of it.

It looks like a lightsaber, but Elijah is swallowing a sword. My phone captured a cool effect on the blade.

I started things off with a visit to the Brigadoon Brewery where I purchased a Black Plague beer. I then took my seat for the first show that I see every year: The Clan Tynker Family Circus. As always, Clan Tynker brought joy to my heart as I forgot my worries for just a little bit while being entertained by them. I snagged a bunch of stickers at the end of the show and then made my way to the Magic Garden where I chilled out for awhile. Then I went to the Pirate Museum where they added new exhibits and attractions.

Next, I made my way to the Agora to dine on a gyro, drink some mead, and watch the wonderful dancers of Global Dance Theatre. The lovely dancers showed everybody their jupkas and the band was amazing as always. Next to Clan Tynker, Global Dance Theatre is one of my favorite shows.

I spent the rest of the afternoon drinking a little bit too much, eating a little bit too much, and generally having a good time. I caught a few other shows and visited a number of vendors as well. It was another fine weekend at the Texas Renaissance Festival and I cannot wait to go back next year!

If you’ve never been to the Texas Renaissance Festival, I highly recommend it. As I already mentioned, I’ve been going to this event for at least fifteen or so years and have loved it every time. It really is a great place to visit to get a break from the real world. This was my first year to dress in garb for the festival, and I plan on doing so again next year. If you attend the festival, I recommend that you dress up as well.

Thanks for checking out my post! See you again real soon!

Nerd Con 2023: Adventures At Nerd Con

Mont Belvieu, TX

Since all of my time last month was dedicated to Thirty-One Days O’Horror, I didn’t get to tell you wonderful folks about some other events that I attended in October. Today I will play a bit of “catch-up” on one of the events and later on I’ll address another amazing event that I attended. Today’s focus is on Nerd Con, which took place in Mont Belvieu, TX on October 21st.

Nerd Con was a one-day, absolutely free event to attend that, in all honesty, offered a lot more than many pop culture conventions that do charge admission offers fans. There were artists, writers, voice actors, and two actors that starred in some of my favorite 80s and 90s shows and films. There were also panels, fan groups, collectibles, and tons of other things to check out at the event.

I met two of my favorite actors in the world at Nerd Con. Keith Coogan (Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead, Adventures In Babysitting, The Fox And The Hound, Cheetah) was an amazing dude, taking silly pictures with fans and amping up the nostalgia big time! Marc Price (Skippy from Family Ties, Trick Or Treat, The Rescue) was also an amazing guy. We talked about Mt. Rainier, Bigfoot, and, of course, Family Ties. I also had a great time chatting with John Morris, Andy from the Toy Story films. All three of these guests and everyone else that I talked with were excellent.

The venue where Nerd Con was held was also wonderful. The Eagle Pointe Recreation Complex featured ample parking, beautiful scenery, and some excellent food as well. Oh, and since I was in that part of Texas (and literally fifteen minutes away), I had to go to Buc-ee’s in Baytown! I even got to meet the beaver himself!

All in all, this was a great event that I intend on adding to my regular schedule. Be sure to visit their website and if possible, attend the event next year! I’ll definitely be there!

Thanks for checking out my post. I’ll have another this weekend!

Halloween Bites! Thirty-One Days O’Horror 2024!

Next Halloween Is Gonna Suck!

Thirty-One Days O’Horror has gone down many dark alleys over the years. From a look at all of the classic Universal Monsters to classic Disney horror films and attractions to a bevy of beautiful Final Girls and this year’s sadistic slashers, I try to keep things a bit fresh each year. Well, next year will be no different as I’ll be taking a look at thirty-one vampires! 2024’s Thirty-One Days O’Horror theme is going to be Halloween Bites!

Thirty-one vampires in thirty-one days. Can it be done???? Absolutely! While I’ll be taking a closer look at a few specific vampires and vampire films, I’ll also be looking at vampire franchises and, yep, I’m going there, the Twilight phenomena! That’s right, folks, I’m going to take a look at the franchise that many hardcore vampire fans fear in real life!

You can expect to see a few key vampire films like the classic Bela Lugosi Dracula, Interview With The Vampire, Blade, and The Lost Boys, but you’ll also get to check out a few lesser known toothy treats like Subspecies and Stakeland, and the blaxploitation masterpiece, Blacula! You won’t wanna miss it!

Do you have any specific vampire films that you’d like me to cover???? I’m currently compiling my list for 2024, so shoot me a message or comment below with some of your favorite vampire films and I might include them in my list.

I hope that you enjoyed Revenge Of The Slashers. Halloween Bites promises to be just as much fun! Thanks for reading my posts and please be sure to comment your vampire requests below!

Revenge Of The Slashers: Michael Myers

The night HE came home!

Happy Halloween! You’ve made it to the final day of Thirty-One Days O’Horror! My month long celebration of my favorite slashers comes to a close with none other than Michael Myers! He wasn’t the first slasher, isn’t the most lethal, but he’s the granddaddy of ’em all! There was no way that I would omit Michael from this list and I absolutely had to celebrate him on his favorite day of the year, October 31st!

Since Michael is such an iconic character, he’s going to get the bullet point treatment. Let’s break down this master of mayhem!

  • Michael Myers was created by John Carpenter.
  • Michael has appeared in twelve of the thirteen Halloween films. He was not technically in Halloween III: Season Of The Witch (1982).
  • Despite not officially appearing in Halloween III, Michael does show up on a television that a character is watching the original Halloween film on at one point in the film.
  • Michael has been portrayed by nine different actors on the big screen, sometimes by more than one in the same film.
  • The first person to don the mask of Michael Myers was Nick Castle, who would return to the role as “breathing sounds” in Halloween II (1981), Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills (2021, also wore the suit along with James Jude Courtney), and Halloween Ends (2022).
  • Despite inconsistent film profits, reboots, and changed timelines, the film series is the most profitable horror film series in the United States.
  • Michael Myers edges out Jason Voorhees by ten kills, 161 to 151, for most murders amongst slashers. Only Pinhead, who arguably isn’t a slasher, bests Myers.

The men behind the mask:

  1. Nick Castle
  2. Dick Warlock
  3. Tony Moran
  4. George P. Wilbur
  5. Don Shanks
  6. Chris Durand
  7. Brad Loree
  8. Tyler Mane
  9. James Jude Courtney
  • Tyler Mane was the first actor to portray Michael Myers in consecutive films.
  • James Jude Courtney has portrayed Michael Myers in full costume more than any other actor with three appearances in the role.
  • Like Ghostface and Sidney Prescott, Michael Myers is forever connected to Laurie Strode, his younger sister, whom he pursues and hopes to murder to finish off all of his family.
  • Laurie Strode has been portrayed by Jamie Lee Curtis (1978-2022) and Scout Taylor-Compton (2007-2009)
  • Michael’s weapon of choice is a kitchen knife, but he has used many other items to kill his victims.
  • Michael wears a mask, an altered Captain Kirk mask purchased at the last minute prior to the shooting of the first film, and a basic set of coveralls.
  • Michael Myers has appeared in numerous video games, books, comics, and even in cameo appearances on various television shows.
  • There have been numerous action figures and other collectibles featuring Michael Myers.
  • Michael Myers is listed as The Shape in the credits of many of the franchise’s films.
  • Michael Myers’ first kill is his sister, Judith. Judith has been portrayed by Sandy Johnson (1978) and Hanna Hall (2007).
  • Dr. Samuel Loomis is the psychiatrist featured in the Halloween franchise who is attempting to stop Michael Myers’ killing spree. He has been portrayed by Donald Pleasance (1978-1995) and Malcolm McDowell (2007-2009).
  • Adult Michael Myers never utters a word on screen.

Well, that’s Michael Myers in a nutshell. I’m sure that I missed a few things here and there and if I did, let me know in the comments. Myers is one of my favorite slashers of all time. I’m hoping that we’ll be getting another Halloween film in the near future.

So there you go. I hope that you’ve enjoyed this month long celebration of the greatest slashers of all time (and a few that you might not know). I really hope that you’ve enjoyed this wild ride as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it. Thanks for celebrating Halloween with me and thanks for reading my posts!

Revenge Of The Slashers: Ghostface

“Do you like scary movies????“

Ghostface needs no introduction. If you’ve been on this planet since 1996, there’s no doubt in my mind that you have seen at least one Scream film. When the original Scream movie hit the big screen, it turned the slasher genre on its head, directly referencing other films in the genre, establishing the “rules” of slasher films, and playing with those rules for the entirety of the film and for most of its sequels. Arguably the savior of the slasher genre, Scream breathed new life into a genre that was dead at the time of its release.

Ghostface is in the photo. Both of him!

Considering that Ghostface is ranked right up there with the big three of Michael Myers, Freddy Kreuger, and Jason Voorhees, he (and she) will get the bullet point treatment. Here we go:

  • Ghostface has been portrayed by twelve actors across six films.
  • In almost every film, Ghostface is revealed to be not one, but two killers.
  • Scream 3 was the first film to not feature two killers. There was only one Ghostface in the film despite the script initially calling for two slashers.
  • Scream 6 features three Ghostfaces and two copycat Ghostfaces who are murdered by the real deal.
  • Ghostface uses a voice changer to taunt his victims over the phone. The voice changer voice is provided by Roger Jackson in all six of the films.
  • Ghostface’s primary target in the first four Scream films is Sidney Prescott. Sidney is portrayed by Neve Campbell in all four of the films.
  • In the fifth film, Scream (2022), Ghostface returns to Woodsboro to attack one of the original Ghostface killers’ daughter, Sam (Melissa Barrera) and her half-sister, Tara (Jenna Ortega). This brings Sidney (once again portrayed by Campbell) back home to fight Ghostface one more time.
  • Sam Carpenter is Billy Loomis’ daughter.
  • In the sixth film, Sidney is mentioned in passing but Sam Carpenter and Tara (Jenna Ortega) become the main protagonists and primary targets of Ghostface.

Each Ghostface from all of the films so far:

  1. Scream: Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard)
  2. Scream 2: Mickey Altieri (Timothy Olyphant) and Debbie Salt (Laurie Metcalf), who is actually Billy’s mother
  3. Scream 3: Roman Bridger (Scott Foley), Sidney’s half-brother
  4. Scream 4: Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts), Sidney’s cousin, and Charlie Walker (Rory Culkin)
  5. Scream (2022): Amber Freeman (Mickey Madison) and Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid), Tara’s boyfriend
  6. Scream 6: Wayne Bailey (Dermot Mulroney), Quinn Bailey (Liana Liberato), and Ethan Landry (Jack Champion), the father and siblings of Richie Kirsch from the previous film
  • Ghostface’s signature weapon is a Buck 120 knife.
  • Ghostface’s signature move is holding the knife in front of himself and wiping it clean.
  • Each Ghostface has a unique motive for killing.
  • Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) are secondary targets of Ghostface in the film series. Only Gale Weathers has appeared in all of the films in the franchise.
  • Other significant characters that appeared in more than one Scream film include Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber), Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton), Martha Meeks (Heather Matarazzo), and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere).
  • Seventeen stunt actors have portrayed Ghostface while under the mask. Lee Waddell was the first onscreen Ghostface.
  • The Ghostface costume’s mask varies slightly across each film.
  • The film-within-a-film, Stab, gets progressively worse across the Scream franchise. It also features Ghostface.
  • Ghostface was created by Kevin Williamson. Williamson is also known for Dawson’s Creek, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and The Vampire Diaries.
  • A very forgettable television series entitled Scream was released that was inspired by the film series.
  • Ghostface can be found on t-shirts, mugs, posters, as an action figure, in video games, and is referenced throughout pop culture.
Yours truly with the original Ghostface, Lee Waddell.

Ghostface’s popularity shows no signs of slowing down. A seventh Scream film is in development and the costume and its Stab variations are consistently in the top costume sales each Halloween. Are you a fan of Ghostface? Let me know in the comments.

Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”

Thanks for checking out today’s Revenge Of The Slashers post! Tomorrow is the FINAL DAY of Thirty-One Days O’Horror for 2023! Can you guess who our final slasher might be?????

Revenge Of The Slashers: “Billy”

“Filthy Billy. I know what you did, nasty Billy!”

Although we barely get a glimpse of him in the film, “Billy” is easily one of the creepiest slashers on my list this year. Appearing in 1974’s Black Christmas, “Billy” terrorizes a houseful of sorority sisters by making obscene phone calls to them and then killing them off one by one. He does all of this from the attic of the sorority house and even manages to frame an innocent young college student for the murders that he commits.

Billy spends most of his time making obscene, vulgar calls to the sorority sisters. He hides in the attic and patiently waits for one of the girls to become isolated from the rest of the group and then kills her. His first kill in the film is perhaps the most memorable, as he suffocates poor Clare to death and then stores her in the attic in a rocking chair near the window. He has no specific weapon of choice, happy to use crane hooks and glass unicorns to kill his victims.

“Billy” was portrayed by three different actors in the film. Many of his kills and general movements throughout the house are seen from his point of view, and in the POV shots, Albert J. Dunk performs as Billy. Nick Mancuso and Bob Clark provide Billy’s voice on the phone calls and we briefly seek Clark’s shadow-covered face in the film.

There have been two remakes of Black Christmas, neither of which had the same impact that the original film did. The original 1974 film has become a cult hit over the years and is considered to be one of the first slashers in the slasher film era. It also partly inspired the first Halloween film.

Thanks for checking out today’s post. Have you seen Black Christmas? Let me know what you think of the film and of “Billy” in the comments section.

Revenge Of The Slashers: The Prowler

“I want you to be my date, Rose.”

Of all of the slashers on this list, the Prowler is probably the one most forgotten despite having some of the most brutal kills in cinematic history. The original film, which I reviewed here, fared poorly at the box office, but the gory kills that came courtesy of the magical hands of special effects and makeup artist Tom Savini have cemented the character in slasher history.

Portrayed on the screen by Farley Granger, the Prowler’s tale goes all the way back to World War II, where he gets a Dear John letter from his best girl, Rosemary, and kills her and her boyfriend, Roy, at their college’s graduation dance. Jump ahead to 1980, and the college has decided to bring back the graduation dance. It also brings back the Prowler.

Dressed in a World War II combat gear, the Prowler starts taking out college students with a pitchfork and a bayonet, alternating between the two weapons. He impales a young man through the top of his head, pins a young girl in the shower with his pitchfork, saws another young lady’s throat open, and so forth. His kills are violent and some of the most realistic looking attacks in 80s cinema.

What sells me on the Prowler is how violent he is in the film. Those kills do look extremely brutal and he speaks only one line: “I want you to be my date, Rose.” Had the film done better at the box office, we might have gotten more Prowler films. Sadly, there are no plans to bring back the WWII character any time soon. There are a couple of action figures and the occasional t-shirt on a rack, but other than that, the Prowler has gone silent.

I’d love to see the Prowler revived. How about you? Let me know in the comments section if you’ve watched this film. Oh, and as always, thanks for reading my post!

Revenge Of The Slashers: Angela Baker

“If she were any quieter, she’d be dead!”

She might be sweet on the surface, but Angela Baker is a big ol’ bag of messed up under the skin! 1983’s Sleepaway Camp introduced the world to Angela and thanks to the brilliant performance of Felissa Rose as Angela, the character has been a part of slasher culture ever since. It should be noted that the “twist ending” of the original film will be spoiled in this post, so please stop reading now if you haven’t seen the original Sleepaway Camp.

After witnessing the traumatic death of her father and “brother” in a boating accident, Angela has become silent, barely speaking to anyone that she comes into contact with. She is raised by her Aunt Martha with her cousin, Ricky, who is constantly protecting Angela from bullies. When Angela and Ricky go to Camp Arawak for the summer, her bullies end up being murdered one by one.

Angela is revealed to be the murderer in the film’s iconic ending which shows the world that Angela is actually her brother, Peter, who survived the boating accident and has been raised as a girl by her Aunt Martha. Angela brutally murders her bullies and decapitates a boy that falls for her. She uses anything she can get her hands on in order to murder her victims. From traditional weapons like knives to more painful devices such as boiling water, Angela can make anything lethal. Along with the shocking reveal at the end of the film, one of Angela’s kills involving a curling iron has gone down in slasher history as one of the most disturbing kills on the big screen.

Yep, Angela has a willy.

Angela was portrayed by Felissa Rose in the original Sleepaway Camp film. Pamela Springsteen took over the role in the first and second sequels. Carrie Chambers played the character in Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor. Rose would return to the role in 2008’s Return To Sleepaway Camp. Despite the popularity of the first two sequels and a general appreciation for Springsteen’s performance in those films, Felissa Rose has always been considered the best Angela Baker.

Pamela Springsteen as Angela Baker.

The character’s gender-bending background and the fact that her father was a gay man in the early 80s has often made the original film a target for both praise and criticism from the LGBTQIA+ community. It was a pretty bold move in the early 80s to show two gay men in a loving relationship on the screen. In almost all other cases at the time, such a relationship would be played for laughs. This relationship, as well as the shocking conclusion to the film, have made the film a talking point for how homosexuality is portrayed on the big screen.

Angela Baker was a real trailblazer in her day. Are you a fan of the character like me? Lemme know in the comments section. As always, thanks for checking out my post!

Revenge Of The Slashers: Sweeney Todd

“A proper artist with a razor.”

Arguably the oldest slasher on this list, Sweeney Todd may not immediately come to mind when talking about slashers and slasher films, but he definitely fits the bill. The character originated in 1846 in a printed serial, also known as penny dreadfuls, titled The String Of Pearls. From there the character would appear in numerous novels, stage productions, comic books, television shows, and at least five films. For this post, we will focus on the 2007 version of the character from Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street.

Portrayed by Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd is actually the alias of Benjamin Barker, a barber who is framed for a crime that he did not commit so that the local judge, Turpin (Alan Rickman), could steal his wife away from him. After serving time in Australia, Barker returns to London with revenge on his mind. Using the alias of Todd, Barker opens a new barbershop above Mrs. Lovett’s meat pie shop. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), hoping to win Sweeney Todd’s heart, helps him set up a barber’s chair with a trap door which allows him to dump his victims’ bodies into her kitchen where she grounds them into meat pies.

Unlike the other slashers on this list, Todd doesn’t have to chase or hunt down his victims. They unwittingly walk into his shop, sit in his barber’s chair, and expose their necks to him for “the closest shave you will ever know.” After cutting their throats, Todd dumps the bodies below. Also unlike many of the slashers on this list, Todd is rather messy with his murders. He also has to protect his daughter, who he almost murders, and unknowingly kills his own wife whom he thought was dead (thanks to the deception of Mrs. Lovett).

Todd’s weapons are his straight razors, whom he calls his old friends. He’s lethal and quick with the blades. He has wild black hair with a white streak to one side. His clothing is simple, dark Victorian clothes. He often lets his hunger for revenge overtake his demeanor but, thankfully, Mrs. Lovett keeps him in check.

Sweeney Todd is rarely mentioned in slasher circles, primarily because of his association with musicals and stage productions. Many consider the character to be “high art” and not necessarily lowbrow enough to qualify as a slasher. I disagree with this notion. He’s a slasher through and through.

Thanks for checking out today’s post. Sweeney Todd may not be considered a slasher by many, but he’s a perfect killing machine in my opinion. More mayhem is coming tomorrow!