Classic Horror: A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

“One, two, Freddy’s coming for you….”

I revisited 1984’s A Nightmare On Elm Street over the weekend. It’s been quite a long time since I last saw it and decided to see just how well the film has stood up over time. Aside from a few aged special effects, it holds up surprisingly well. The review below features spoilers, so beware.

For anyone unfamiliar with the film, here’s a quick plot rundown for you: A group of teenagers are terrorized by a creepy villain with a bladed glove. He’s severely burned and tends to hang out in a boiler room. He picks off the teens one by one but one of the potential victims, Nancy Thompson, begins to study the villain and discovers a way to put an end to his reign of terror. She then actively pursues the villain. Oh, did I forget to mention that the baddie, whose name is Fred Krueger, attacks the teens in their dreams? Yep, that’s exactly what he does and it’s up to Nancy to stop him.

The film stars Heather Langenkamp as Nancy and John Saxon and Ronee Blakley as her divorced parents. Her boyfriend, Glen, is portrayed by Johnny Depp is his first film role. Her best friend, Tina, is played by Amanda Wyss and Tina’s boyfriend, Rod, is played by Nick Corri. Fred Krueger (best known as Freddy Krueger) is portrayed by Robert Englund and would continue to be portrayed by Englund until the 2010 reboot when Jackie Earle Haley would slip on the glove.

The film is probably best known for many of its kill scenes and the fact that Nancy doesn’t cower to Freddy but instead actively seeks him out. This is one of the earliest slasher films to feature an intelligent “final girl” who isn’t saved by someone else or makes a bunch of mistakes throughout the film. The movie spawned seven sequels including one “real world” sequel where Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, and writer/director Wes Craven portray themselves being pursued by a real Freddy Krueger. As already stated, a reboot was released in 2010.

Tina and Glen were lucky (or perhaps unlucky) enough to have been the victims in two of the most iconic kill scenes in cinematic history. In her dream Tina is battling Freddy. In the real world, Rod is watching helplessly as Tina battles an unseen villain under the sheets. He then sees her lifted out of the bed with blood spilling from her stomach and watches as she is smeared across the walls and ceiling of the room. Glen is literally sucked into his bed. A massive shower of blood then emits from the hole and covers the entire ceiling. Both of these kills were visually amazing and done with practical effects alone.

Other moments weren’t quite as iconic nor have they held up over time. At one point in the film Nancy answers a call from Freddy. He says, “I’m your boyfriend now, Nancy,” and the receiver of the phone turns into a tongue that licks Nancy’s face. Perhaps the worst effect in the film is at the end when an obvious dummy of Nancy’s mom is pulled through the glass on a door. Moments like this are a harbinger of what’s to come in the franchise as many of the kills become progressively sillier with each sequel until Wes Craven’s New Nightmare makes Freddy a more serious villain.

Freddy is a pop culture icon that is right up there with Jason, Michael Myers, and Ghostface. You don’t have to be a horror fan to know who he is and that shows you just how popular the character has become over the years. A Nightmare On Elm Street isn’t perfect, but it is a perfect introduction for Freddy and the character of Nancy has spawned plenty of copycat final girls who aren’t afraid of the bad guy and will do anything to end him. I really loved how Nancy’s hair actually gains grey streaks as she tries to stay awake, fights with everyone who believes that she’s going crazy, and eventually successfully squares off with Freddy…..or does she?

Check this movie out. It really scared me as a child but has lost all of its bite as I’ve matured. Langenkamp, Wyss, Depp, and Corri all give solid performances. Saxon is excellent as Nancy’s helpless father who is attempting to discover the real murderer. Blakley is great as Nancy’s alcoholic mother. Robert Englund IS Freddy Krueger. Craven kept the pace moving nicely and the film never gets boring. I definitely recommend it.

Thanks for reading my post. I’ll be visiting more classic horror films soon!

The Batman (2022)

“I’m Vengeance.”

Spoiler-Free Review

Culling its primary tale from DC Comics’ The Long Halloween, Year One, and other Batman stories, 2022’s The Batman is a very solid movie. In the story, the Riddler is on a killing spree and Batman is trying to decipher all of the clues left in the wake of each murder. All of the murders are linked together and each one is executed with specific intentions to expose the true villains of Gotham City. Batman teams up with Jim Gordon and Catwoman to figure out the Riddler’s next move and take him down before he murders again. You’ll have to watch the film to see what happens and I highly recommend checking it out for yourself.

The film gives us a version of Batman that casual and film-only fans may not be familiar with: The Dark Knight Detective. Batman actively works with Gotham City’s police department, specifically James Gordon, and uses evidence, clues, and some sweet technology to decipher the Riddler’s game plan. Alfred is there as well, assisting Batman with his detective work. Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman, has her own motives for helping Batman but I don’t want to spoil any of that in this review.

The film also gives us a look at the seedy underbelly of Gotham. Fans will recognize characters such as Carmine Falcone and the Penguin and a few other folks that I won’t mention at the moment. As the Riddler slowly reveals his plans to Batman and the rest of Gotham City, we learn that many of the villains in the film aren’t as obvious as they seem. Of course, if you’re a reader of the comics, you’re well aware that the “white knights” of Gotham are sometimes just as crooked as or even worse than the obvious villains.

Pros:

  • The detective work: It was refreshing to see Batman actively working with GCPD. The police were uncomfortable with him in their territory but understood that he was most likely their best hope to solve the Riddler’s motives for murder and successfully capture him. Their relationship with Batman is uneasy.
  • The Penguin: Although he’s essentially a high level stooge for other crime bosses in this film, Colin Farrell’s portrayal of Oswald Cobblepot hints at much bigger things to come for the character. Farrrell was completely unrecognizable in the role and he gave the best performance of the entire cast in this film. He also provided some humorous moments in an otherwise dark film.
  • The Batman: Robert Pattinson’s Batman gets beat up a lot in this film and he has the scars to show it. He questions himself, questions others, and is methodical with everything that he does in the movie. He also provides some genuinely suspenseful moments in the film as he is often only heard and/or briefly seen at times. When villains peer into the darkness and hear footfalls but see nothing, you know that trouble is on the way for them.
  • Bruce Wayne: Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne looks worn out and depressed throughout the film. He actually looks and acts like a man who lives a double life and gets very little sleep as a result. I’m expecting the “playboy” persona to eventually come to light in later films, but this is the right Bruce Wayne for this story as it takes place.
  • James Gordon: Jeffrey Wright gives a stellar performance as Lt. Gordon. It’s a meat-and-potatoes version of the character who stands as the only member of GCPD that Batman fully trusts. They work together excellently in this film.
  • The Batmobile: It spends most of the film as part of the back drop, covered by a tarp. When it is finally revealed in all of its glory, however, it is shown to be the best Batmobile since the iconic 1989 version of the vehicle. It’s a monster on wheels and it strikes terror into those that dare square off against it.
  • Minimal CGI: Did they even use it in this film at all? If they did, the production does a great job of hiding it. Almost all of the effects in this film are practical and that, in my opinion, only adds to the grittiness and “realness” of the movie.
  • No On Screen Death Of The Parents: For the first time in a long time we get to see a Batman film that doesn’t include a flashback scene with Bruce’s parents getting murdered. Sure, that element is still present in the film, but how many times has that specific moment been visited over the years? It’s almost as bad as poor Uncle Ben getting shot down in the Spidey flicks!

Cons:

  • The film’s length: Clocking in at almost three hours in length, The Batman begins to wear out its welcome in the third act. In all honesty, they could have stopped the film thirty or so minutes earlier and I would have been just happy. When you believe that the film is almost over, a new threat arises and drags things out longer than necessary.

Yep, the film’s length is my only gripe. Had director Matt Reeves ended the tale just a little bit earlier this film would have been perfect. Everything else is well done. It’s not my favorite Batman film and it’s far from a masterpiece, but The Batman is an excellent Batman film that deserves any and all accolades that it receives.

The Cast:

  • Robert Pattinson as Batman/Bruce Wayne
  • Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman
  • Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon
  • John Turturro as Carmine Falcone
  • Paul Dano as The Riddler
  • Colin Farrell as The Penguin
  • Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth

Other cast members include Peter Sarsgaard, Charlie and Max Carver, Gil Perez-Abraham, and Jayme Lawson. All of the cast do great jobs but I cannot say enough about Farrell’s portrayal of the Penguin. John Turturro deserves a nod for his portrayal of Falcone as well.

So, there you have it. The Batman is a very good movie and it definitely needs to be seen on the big screen. I hope that you enjoyed my spoiler free review of the movie and I thank you for reading it. Be sure to check out the film!

Classic Horror: Bowery At Midnight (1942)

“Keep that cat from desecrating my graves!”

Bowery At Midnight has everything that it needs to be a great horror film. It stars Bela Lugosi, Count Dracula himself, features a creepy mad doctor, and even has a few reanimated undead victims. The problem though, is that the undead folks don’t show up until the final minutes of the movie. The 1942 feature plays out more like a crime thriller than a horror film and in all honesty, the “horror” feels jammed into the film at the end.

In the film, Lugosi plays Professor Brenner, a psychology professor at the local university, who spends his nights living a double life as Karl Wagner, a crime boss who uses a soup kitchen as a front for his crime ring. He uses the shelter to recruit potential members for his schemes. When the film begins, he has a right hand man named Stratton who helps recruit lackeys for Wagner. Wagner is extremely paranoid, so he has Stratton kill the new recruits when the job is done. Wagner also has Doc Brooks, a drug-addicted doctor who disposes of the lackeys that Stratton kills for him. To top it all off, Brenner/Wagner has a wife who is clueless to his criminal activity and he hides his work from the shelter’s nurse as well. It’s all a tad bit crazy but it’s not a terribly bad film.

I won’t give away the ending of the film, but Wagner’s scheme collapses around him once the shelter nurse’s boyfriend (who also happens to be a student of Brenner) starts poking around the shelter because he believes that his girlfriend is fooling around with Wagner (who he has never seen in person). Toss in the fact that Doc Brooks has a few sinister plans of his own that add the horror elements to the film and you get a crime thriller that ends in a somewhat bizarre way involving the undead. It’s not a terrible film. It just feels like the undead were tossed in at the last minute to satisfy the Lugosi fans that expect him to only appear in horror films.

The film stars Lugosi, who turns in a fine performance, and a ton of character actors and horror genre regulars such as Lew Kelly (Doc Brooks), J. Farrell McDonald (Captain Mitchell), Anna Hope (Mrs. Brenner), Wheeler Oakman (Stratton), and John Berkes (Fingers). The nurse, Judy, is portrayed by Wanda McKay. Her boyfriend, Richard Dennison, is portrayed by John Archer. Wallace Fox directed the film.

Thanks for checking out my review. This isn’t a terrible film, it just feels a bit conflicted about whether it’s a crime film or a horror flick. Had the plot just picked a genre and stuck with it, the film might have been a lot better. Let me know what you think about the film in the comments.

The Year Of KISS: Destroyer (1976)

“All Of The Fame And The Masquerade…..”

KISS released their legendary live album, Alive!, in September of 1975. The album was a risky move for both the band and Casablanca records. Another lackluster release would most likely shutter the record label’s doors and with it, possibly KISS’ future. Luckily, the album proved to be a massive hit and on the strength of one single, a live version of “Rock And Roll All Nite,” and a brilliant packaging scheme that included a tour book and letters from the band, KISS found themselves on top of the world. Of course, being on top meant that their next studio album would have to blow listeners away as well, or the band could find itself back at the bottom of the barrel.

With producer Bob Ezrin at the helm, KISS’ fourth studio album, 1976’s Destroyer, would become the band’s signature release. The album was released on March 15th and by November it was certified platinum. It was the first KISS studio album to achieve platinum status. It was also the first KISS record to receive backlash from fans. Many older fans of the band’s raw, rowdy sound were taken aback by the strings, a ballad, and all of the bells and whistles that Ezrin added to the recording. Despite this, the album found new fans with the November release of the single “Beth,” a ballad sung by drummer Peter Criss that featured a piano and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. It was out of character for the band but new listeners embraced Criss’ raspy vocals and they turned out to purchase the album. Most of the group’s older fans would eventually fall in love with the album and to this day it is considered to be their greatest release.

Everything about the album, from it’s amazing cover created by Ken Kelly to its use of an orchestra, a calliope, a children’s choir, and more, would firmly cement the album on future lists of iconic records. It had nine tracks and a tenth “hidden” instrumental track. There were five singles released from the album: “Shout It Out Loud,” “God Of Thunder,” “Flaming Youth,” “Beth,” and “Detroit Rock City.” The album would top out at #11 on the Billboard 200 chart and “Beth” would become the band’s biggest hit, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.

Track Listing:

  1. Detroit Rock City
  2. King Of The Night Time World
  3. God Of Thunder
  4. Great Expectations
  5. Flaming Youth
  6. Sweet Pain
  7. Shout It Out Loud
  8. Beth
  9. Do You Love Me?
  10. Rock And Roll Party (hidden track)

Personnel: Paul Stanley (lead vocals, backing vocals, rhythm guitar), Peter Criss (lead vocals, backing vocals, drums), Gene Simmons (bass, lead vocals, backing vocals), Ace Frehley (lead guitar, backing vocals).

The album featured a lot of new things that older fans weren’t accustomed to from the band. Cackling children on “God Of Thunder,” one of Gene’s signature songs, was downright creepy. The punchy calliope on “Flaming Youth” gave a youthful sound to the track and, at least in my opinion, made it a better song as a whole. The orchestra on “Beth” was excellent and the many ambient sounds on “Detroit Rock City,” from the diner noise to the revving car engine and Alive! playing on the radio and especially the car crash that flies right into the opening for “King Of The Night Time World,” this album definitely pushed the envelope.

I love this album. It’s one of my favorites by the band. I love how unique it sounds compared to other studio releases by the group and it features many of my favorite songs. My favorite songs on this album include “Flaming Youth,” “King Of The Night Time World,” “Do You Love Me,” and “Shout It Out Loud.” I could probably list all of the tracks as favorites, but these four really stick out in my mind. I love Ace’s solo on “Shout It Out Loud” and on “Detroit Rock City.” Everything about “King Of The Night Time World” is amazing, but I especially love the rhythm guitar work. This album is truly a work of art.

The album has been re-released a few times. A remastered version of the original album was released in the 1990’s along with all of the band’s other releases up to and including Crazy Nights (originally 1987). In 2012, Destroyer Resurrected was released featuring the album’s original artwork, another remaster by Bob Ezrin, and the inclusion of Ace Frehley’s original solo on “Sweet Pain” and the original album version featuring a solo by Dick Wagner of Alice Cooper’s band. 2021 saw the release of the 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe edition with four discs and a Blu-ray.

Thanks for checking out my review. This album was slickly produced by still retained the edge that KISS established with their previous albums. If you want the original lineup of KISS in top form, Destroyer is one of the best albums to experience them.

Throwback Thursday: Stand By Me (1986)

“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”

Based upon Stephen King’s novella The Body, 1986’s Stand By Me may not look like a typical horror story from King but it definitely has horror elements. I’m not talking about vampires or demons or werewolves or even teenage girls with telekinetic powers. Nope, the horror in Stand By Me is much deeper, scarier, and real. It’s about growing up, dealing with family issues, and finding one’s way in life. That’s a lot scarier than a vampire in my book.

The story is about four young boys about to enter junior high who decide to go looking for the body of a recently deceased young man. One of the boys, Vern, overhears his brother talking about finding the body and not wanting to mention it to anyone because it would tie him to a car theft. Vern decides to tell his friends and they set out to discover the body for themselves, turn it into the authorities, and become heroes. As they follow the train tracks to the site where the body was found, viewers learn things about each of the boys. Gordie wants to be a writer and is struggling with the loss of his older brother, Denny. Chris, Gordie’s best friend and protector, battles with the fact that his family’s reputation hinders his own dreams. Vern isn’t as mature as the other boys and comes off as dimwitted at times. He fights to fit in with the rest of the group. Teddy has to deal with an abusive and alcoholic father who physically beats him and even tried to burn off his ear. All four of them are uncertain about entering junior high.

As the boys hike, Vern’s older brother, Billy, and his gang of friends headed up by the sinister Ace Merrill, are also on the trail to find the body. The two groups square off with one another. I won’t reveal what happens, but just know that in the end, we find out what happens to each of the four boys. It’s an amazing coming of age tale that gives people a glimpse into the minds, hearts, and fears of youngsters about to become men.

The story is narrated by an adult Gordie. He has become a successful writer and he tells the story of himself and his friends as they search for the body. I see him as a representation of Stephen King and King has said as much in interviews over the years. King also claims that this is one of his favorite films based upon his work.

The film was directed by Rob Reiner. It was one of his earliest directorial efforts and it is definitely one of his best. That’s saying a lot considering how many wonderful films that Reiner has directed over the years. The film’s soundtrack features some great music from the 1950’s and 60’s and the boys sing along with many of the songs as they walk the rails. The cinematography is amazing as well.

Stand By Me (1986) | Pers: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell.

The film’s cast is loaded with future stars of film and television. Young Gordie is portrayed by Wil Wheaton. Wheaton would go on to portray Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation as well as guest star as himself on multiple episodes of The Big Bang Theory. Wheaton continues to work today having done voice work, web series, and a number of other projects. Speaking of The Big Bang Theory, another guest star on that series was Jerry O’Connell. O’Connell portrayed Vern in Stand By Me and he played Sheldon Cooper’s older brother on TBBT. O’Connell has had a very successful career as a voice over artist, star of film’s such as Joe’s Apartment, and appeared on a number of notable television shows including Sliders. Corey Feldman portrayed Teddy. Feldman already had quite the pedigree as an actor and his star would soon rise even higher when he teamed up with Corey Haim in a long string of successful films. Chris was portrayed by the late River Phoenix. Phoenix was well on his way to a massive film career after appearing in movies like My Own Private Idaho and Running On Empty. He tragically passed away at the age of twenty three due to drug use. Richard Dreyfuss portrayed the adult version of Gordie. Stand By Me was just one more in a long line of successful films for the star. John Cusack, another major star in film, had a small role as Gordie’s deceased brother Denny who appears in flashbacks.

Ace’s gang features a number of excellent character actors such as Casey Siemaszko and Bradley Gregg. Perhaps the biggest star of the film outside of Richard Dreyfuss is Kiefer Sutherland. He portrays Ace and the character is an excellent harbinger of what was to come with Sutherland’s portrayal of the equally wicked vampire named David in The Lost Boys. A string of hit films and a successful television show would follow. Just a few of his films include Young Guns, Flatliners, The Three Musketeers, and Dark City.

This is an amazing film. I hope that you take a look at it if you haven’t done so yet. It’s currently streaming on Netflix and runs about an hour and a half long.

Thanks for taking a look back with me. See you again soon.

The Year Of KISS: The Alive! Albums (1975-2006)

“You Wanted The Best…..”

I couldn’t do an entire year of KISS’ studio albums without at least mentioning the Alive live album releases. KISS is best known for their bombastic live performances and their first Alive album literally saved them and Casablanca Records from falling apart. While I won’t go into much detail about the albums, I do want to at least expose new listeners to them. I am only focusing on the official Alive albums and not other live albums and live compilations such as Unplugged and You Wanted The Best, You Got The Best. I will eventually talk about the Unplugged album later this year because it was a pivotal performance that reunited the original lineup and rekindled the fire of KISS’ popularity. For now, let’s take a glimpse at each of the Alive albums.

KISS Alive! (1975)

KISS Alive! is the granddaddy of them all. Without the success of this album, there probably wouldn’t be nearly fifty years of KISS to listen to and celebrate. This album, composed of tracks from KISS’ first three studio albums (all of which failed to spark music sales for the band), saved KISS and Casablanca records from financial destruction. The lone single from the album, Rock And Roll All Nite, hooked in new listeners and album sales began to heat up. My personal favorite track on the album is “Black Diamond.” The album managed to capture KISS’ energy in their live shows (with a little studio magic thrown in for good measure). It currently sits at over nine million sales and remains KISS’ best selling album of all time. The group followed up the album with their first huge studio album, Destroyer, in 1976 . That album also happens to be their best selling studio album of all time. The rest is KISStory.

KISS Alive II (1977)

Alive! saved KISS. The next three studio albums, Destroyer, Rock And Roll Over, and Love Gun solidified their place in rock and roll history. Alive II simply kept the KISS train rolling as the band was riding a wave of massive success. It featured live versions of tracks from the band’s three latest albums and five studio tracks. Of those tracks, “Rocket Ride” is perhaps the most notable, as it is the only studio track on the album to feature Ace Frehley playing lead and bass guitar. Bob Kulick provided guitars for the rest of the studio tracks except for “Any Way You Want It.” All of the guitars on that track were played by Paul Stanley. Of the live tracks on the album, my favorite is a very country-fied version of “Hard Luck Woman.” The album was very successful and was certified 2X Platinum. It’s also the band’s highest charting live album, reaching #7 on the US Charts.

KISS Alive III (1993)

The KISS Army would have to wait sixteen years before KISS would release a new Alive album. KISS Alive III was released in May of 1993 and by the time of its release, the band had gone through a number of changes. Ace Frehley and Peter Criss were long gone from the band and the group now featured founding members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons and new members Eric Singer on drum and Bruce Kulick on lead guitar. Eric Carr, the band’s second drummer, passed away in 1991 and Singer was brought in as his replacement. Kulick was the latest lead guitarist. He was preceded by Vinnie Vincent and Mark St. John.

In my opinion this album sounds a lot more polished than the previous live releases. This might be due to production quality at the time, overdubbing, or the fact that Stanley and Simmons had perfected their live performances and both Singer and Kulick are arguably the two most talented players to ever grace the stage as members of KISS. My favorite song on the album is “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which showcases Kulick’s prowess on the guitar. A close second would be “Lick It Up.”

KISS Symphony: Alive IV

Ten years after the release of Alive III, KISS blew the minds of critics and fans alike with KISS Symphony: Alive IV. It is easily my favorite live album by the band and the one that I listen to on a regular basis. In true KISS fashion, they took things to an entirely different level with this release. If featured Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Tommy Thayer. The album was broken into three acts. Each act was different from the others. The first act featured the band playing six tracks on their own. My personal favorite track from that act is “Strutter.” For the second act, the Melbourne Symphony Ensemble was brought in to play an acoustic set with the band. This act featured five tracks, all of which were ballads by the band. My favorite of this act is “Shandi,” but I also appreciate the addition of the creepy “Goin’ Blind” from the band’s Hotter Than Hell studio album. The final act featured the sixty piece Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, all of whom wore face paint to match members of KISS. The songs in this portion of the show are simply amazing. “Detroit Rock City” and “Black Diamond” are my two favorite tracks from this act.

This album is simply wonderful. KISS have spent their entire career being looked down upon by critics for their lack of playing skills, artistry, and overall sound. This album proves that their music is amazing. Hearing cellos, violins, flutes, and numerous other “high end” instruments crank out tracks like “Rock And Roll All Nite” shows that KISS was and is much better than they are given credit for by their naysayers. If I had to recommend any live album by KISS, this would be the one.

KISS Alive! The Millennium Concert (2006)

Technically this particular album was the fourth Alive album recorded by KISS. It was originally recorded in on December 31, 1999, almost four years prior to KISS Symphony: Alive IV. It featured all four original members of the band, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, and Paul Stanley. Label merger issues prevented the album from initially being released. It was then shelved by Mercury/Universal with no particular release date in place. Finally, nearly seven years after being recorded, the album was released as part of the excellent KISS Alive! 1975-2000 Box Set in November of 2006.

The box set itself featured remastered versions of KISS’ first three Alive releases and KISS Alive! The Millennium Concert. It included bonus tracks and a booklet. I personally have this box set and I really love it. It’s a great way to showcase the first three live albums and the Millennium Concert is a nice addition.

The Millennium Concert album is pretty good but it’s probably my least favorite live release from the band. It features three tracks from the band that were never recorded with Ace and/or Peter. My favorite track would probably have to be “Shout It Out Loud” or “100,000 Years.” Overall, it’s great to have in my collection but it has never been a go-to album for me.

Seeing a live show by KISS is an experience that I highly recommend. I’ve seen the band live on three occasions myself and truly want to see them again before they call it quits. While the live albums miss out on the visuals of KISS’ live shows, they do a very good job of capturing the sheer power of the band’s sound. Grab the box set if you can and I highly recommend purchasing KISS Symphony as well. If nothing else, purchase the original Alive! album for your collection as it is the one that started it all.

Thanks for reading my review. I’ll release my review of Destroyer on Friday. Let me know in the comments what you think about any or all of KISS live albums.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

The Gentrification Of Slasher Films

2022’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a sequel to the original 1974 Texas Chain Saw Massacre, has quite a few things going for it. It takes a number of Texas stereotypes, social issues, and specific Austin, TX stereotypes and drops them in the middle of Leatherface’s latest killing spree. The funny thing is that these issues and stereotypes are at odds with one another but are forced to join forces to battle the chainsaw wielding wild man.

The film opens with a pair of somewhat arrogant social media influencers, Melody and Dante, on the road with Melody’s sister, Lila, and Dante’s fiance, Ruth. The group is headed for the ghost town of Harlow, where Melody and Dante plan to gentrify the heck out of the deserted locale. Hot on their heels is a bus full of potential investors, all of whom are nothing more than chainsaw fodder for the film. While heading to Harlow, the foursome manage to offend a local named Richter, a big truck drivin’, gun totin’ stereotypical Texas redneck. When they arrive in Harlow, they realize that Richter is the contractor that they hired to spruce up the town a bit ahead of the arrival of the bus of investors. Melody and Dante also discover an elderly woman who is still living in the local orphanage. Dante and Melody confront the woman, telling her that she must leave the property, and the old woman, upset, has a heart attack. She dies on the way to the hospital, setting off a “chain” of revenge killings by Leatherface. Bodies begin to pile up and the influencers are forced to set aside their personal biases and ideals in order to end Leatherface’s terror tour throughout the town.

When she hears that Leatherface has returned, Sally Hardesty, the only survivor from the original film, decides to finish off her adversary and heads for Harlow. She joins up with the remaining survivors in order to kill Leatherface. Her presence in the film feels a tad unnecessary but I’m assuming that it was meant to serve as a direct link to the original film. It also reminds me of every instance where Laurie Strode pops up in the Halloween franchise.

The film is pretty good. If you are familiar at all with the state of Texas, you know that its capital, Austin, is a polar opposite of the rest of the state. It’s a highly liberal city in a primarily conservative state, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre manages to force both of them to work together. It does a great job of showing the best and worst of both stereotypes without becoming political or heavy handed. In fact, there are quite a few humorous moments (possibly unintentional) in the film such as when a self-driving car rolls away while a victim is being massacred and when a young woman decides to use a gun only to find that it’s not loaded.

The film also utilizes contemporary issues such as school shootings, gun control, and gentrification to push its story forward. It manages to do so without getting preachy or even taking a side on any of the issues. It’s one of the best aspects of this film in my opinion.

There’s also plenty of gore. Leatherface uses hammers, knives, broken bones, and his token chainsaw to take out his victims. He’s also given a motive for his mutilation. You almost feel sorry for the guy, especially when it comes to one particularly arrogant young lady in the film.

The film’s cast does a great job. Elsie Fisher portrays Lila, the only truly likeable and sympathetic character in the film. Sarah Yarkin plays Lila’s gentrifying and arrogant sister who realizes her and Dante’s mistake and tries to fix things unsuccessfully. Jacob Latimore does a great job as Dante, who comes off more business minded and visionary than Melody. His fiance Ruth is played by Nell Hudson, who has a small role in the film but seems to be a pretty decent character. The film also stars Alice Krige in an almost unrecognizable performance as Mrs. Mc, Leatherface’s elderly caretaker. Jessica Allain stars as Catherine, a banker who brings bodies….um…..investors to the town of Harlow. Leatherface is portrayed by Mark Burnham and Moe Dunford portrays Richter, the Texas-as-Texas-can-be contractor.

Much like the original film, sound plays a massive part in the movie. Colin Stetson does an amazing job using music to build up tension in the film. Director David Blue Garcia keeps things moving at a frenetic pace as one would expect and there’s a lot about this film that reminds me of the original. It isn’t a watered down misfire like Halloween Kills, but I also don’t believe that it will have a lasting impression as the original film did way back in the seventies. It’s available to stream exclusively on Netflix at the moment and I do recommend it. It’s a gory callback to the original with plenty of unlikeable victims that you’ll enjoy watching Leatherface rip to shreds.

Thanks for reading my review. Leatherface isn’t one of my favorite film killers but I really did enjoy this film. Give it a chance and let me know what you think in the comments.

The Year of KISS: Dressed To Kill (1975)

“She’s a dancer, a romancer. I’m a Capricorn and she’s a Cancer.”

Still looking for a hit album, KISS returned to the studio in February of 1975, four short months after the release of Hotter Than Hell. By March, the band released their third studio album, Dressed To Kill. While it sold better than its predecessor, the album still didn’t generate much in the way of profits for KISS. Little did the band know that just a few months later, the live version of one of Dressed To Kill‘s singles, Rock And Roll All Nite, would help catapult the band to stardom.

The album featured a photo of the band on the cover. All four members of the group were dressed in suits. Three of the suits, the ill-fitting ones, were provided by manager Bill Aucoin from his own closet. Only Peter Criss had a suit of his own. The fact that the suits fit Paul, Ace, and Gene poorly only added to the appeal of the cover and it has since become a favorite cover of many fans. It’s so popular that the band revisited the look with designer John Varvatos in 2014…..with tailored suits.

KISS in 2014. L to R: Tommy Thayer, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Eric Singer.

The album featured ten tracks. Two singles were released. “Rock And Roll All Nite” peaked at #68 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single, “C’mon And Love Me,” failed to chart. The album itself managed to reach #32 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart making it the highest charting album for KISS prior to the release of Alive! in September of 1975.

Track Listing:

  1. Room Service
  2. Two Timer
  3. Ladies In Waiting
  4. Getaway
  5. Rock Bottom
  6. C’mon And Love Me
  7. Anything For My Baby
  8. She
  9. Love Her All I Can
  10. Rock And Roll All Nite

Personnel: Peter Criss (vocals, backing vocals, drums), Gene Simmons (vocals, backing vocals, bass), Ace Frehley (lead guitar, backing vocals), Paul Stanley (vocals, backing vocals, rhythm guitar).

The album sounds more urgent than Hotter Than Hell in my opinion. I don’t know if that’s the best way to describe it, but there’s something about this album that sounds as if it’s out to prove something to the world but it slightly misses the mark. Maybe the band is weary from the road or maybe they are desperate to hit with a song, but this album feels rushed (but not in a bad way). Ace’s solos have more punch to them. Pete’s drums roll along with perfect boogie woogie timing. Gene’s bass sounds amazing and works perfectly with Pete’s skin pounding. Paul is Paul. Of all of the members of the band, he’s been the most consistent over the years. He delivers exactly what he needs to deliver and does it with attitude.

My favorite song on the album is “Getaway.” It’s the only song on the album that features Peter Criss’ raspy voice on vocals and he really screeches out the lyrics on this rocker. “Room Service,” loaded with innuendo as any great KISS track should, is another favorite. My favorite lyric from any KISS track is also on this album. It’s “She’s a dancer, a romancer. I’m a Capricorn and she’s a cancer” from “C’mon And Love Me.” That song and pretty much all of the songs on this album, are some of my favorite tunes by the band. “She” and “Love Her All I Can” feature two of my favorite Ace Frehley solos. “Rock Bottom” has a great lead in that sets up Paul’s ripping lead vocals. I really like this album on the whole. There’s no filler, tons of amazing Ace solos, and great vocals by Peter, Paul, and Gene.

The album is simply fun to listen to at a high volume. The giant in the room is obviously “Rock And Roll All Nite” but it’s just one piece of the album. Hotter Than Hell was sludgy and wonderful. Dressed To Kill is more polished but still kicks you in the teeth. It’s a harbinger of the great things that are coming later in 1975. It’s KISS finally proving to the world that they are ready to hit it big.

Thanks for checking out my review. KISS’ next release, Alive!, isn’t a studio release so I won’t give it a full review. That doesn’t mean that I might throw in a few of my thoughts on the album next week. I’m just getting warmed up with my reviews of the KISS studio albums. This is going to be fun. I hope that you’re enjoying the ride!

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse The Batman (2022)

“I’m vengeance!”

With The Batman due to hit theaters on March 4th and with me being such a huge fan of the character in pretty much all of his incarnations, I had to snap up the McFarlane Toys version of the Dark Knight as soon as I saw it. I can’t wait for the film and having this figure in hand makes me even that more excited for the movie.

The figure is pretty nice overall. The only included accessory is a grappling hook gun. This is par for the course with McFarlane and it doesn’t look like this will change any time soon. In my opinion, Batman is the one hero who is the poster child for multiple accessories. Oh, well, one can only dream. He does also come with the token trading card and DC figure stand, though, and I always appreciate those two things.

There’s a ton of attention to detail that McFarlane is known for for but a closer look at the figure reveals a few misfires. First of all, the shoulder pads on the figure are made of soft plastic. That’s not necessarily an issue, but if you lift Batman’s arms up at the shoulder, the pads either get caught under his cape or pop out in an unsightly manner. Also, the cape just doesn’t look attached at all. I’m assuming that it is tucked under the chest plate in the film, but on the figure it just lies on top of the plate in a gingerly fashion. My figure also features a few stiff joints.

My biggest gripe with this figure is the grappling gun and everything associated with it. There’s a peg in Batman’s right hand where you have to snap the gun into place. It looks like he’s using the Force to hold it there instead of actually holding it with his hand. The handle pokes out beneath which makes the whole thing look unnatural. Why couldn’t they have just closed Batman’s hand a little bit so that he can actually hold the grappling gun? If you try to extend Batman’s arm to fire the grappling hook into some railing above you risk popping out the shoulder pad and Batman’s head can’t turn upwards enough for a shot high into the rafters. If you look at the photos below, you’ll get a better idea of what I’m trying to say.

I will say that the figure looks great on display. As I mentioned, the attention to detail is great. You can see the stitching in Batman’s cowl and distinguish the different pieces of what appears to be plate armor. His boot laces also stand out and his utility belt is wonderful. The face is pretty close to what I have seen of Robert Pattinson in the cowl as well.

As a display figure, The Batman is a winner. As a figure that you might want to pose in battle against the Riddler or any other member of the Rogue’s Gallery, he just doesn’t work. Still, it’s a pretty good figure that’s definitely worthy of purchase.

Thanks for reading my post. I can’t wait to see the film and you know that I’ll be reviewing it once I do!

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Justice League 2021 Speed Force Flash

“Just gotta go faster than the speed of light…..far beyond the speed of light.”

Catching a McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Flash figure from the Justice League 2021 line has been almost as impossible as catching the actual Flash. Thankfully McFarlane released a second version of the figure, Speed Force Flash, and I found a number of them on the shelf at my local Target. I’ve only seen the original Flash figure from this line once in the wild and, to be quite honest, I’m glad that I passed on it and picked up Speed Force Flash instead.

Speed Force Flash comes with the standard McFarlane list: generous points of articulation, a collector card, a display stand, and far too few accessories. Okay, in this case, SF Flash comes with four “speed force” trails that can be attached at different points on his body. I know that there aren’t many other accessories that you could add to this figure so I’m not too worried about the lack of accessories.

The figure has a pretty good likeness of Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash. I also really like the detailing on Flash’s suit/armor. I know that this particular design isn’t as popular with audiences and comic book fans but I really like it and think that it looks great. Barry’s hands feature fingers that are spread out as he’s accelerating his speed. The feet and legs can be easily manipulated into a number of running poses as well.

What really sets this figure apart from the rest of the pack is the “speed force” effect that is achieved by having many of the pieces of the figure either a blue translucent color or having the red fade into the translucent blue coloring. It looks amazing in my opinion and gives the illusion of movement of the figure. You can attach the “speed force” trails to the figure to add to the look or leave them off as well. In either case, the figure looks great. It should be noted that balancing Barry on one foot on the display stand can be a bit awkward. The ankle POA has a tendency to slip to one side or the other. After a few attempts at posing the figure I managed to find a sweet spot, though, and he hasn’t fallen over yet.

Note how the figure that I actually purchased (figure on the right in the comparison photo) features considerably more blue translucent pieces and effects compared to the one on the left and the photo taken directly from the official McFarlane Toys page.

I’d also like to mention that whenever I was picking out which Speed Force Flash figure to purchase, I noticed that one figure had considerably more blue translucent pieces and effects than the other ones had. I decided to pick up that figure for two reasons: 1) He looked a lot cooler than the other figures and 2) I’m hoping that he’s a variant or some type of fluke. While I expect to see a few minor differences in paint applications across a line, the figure that I purchased was much more translucent than the other figures. Sadly, the comparison photo that I took above had poor lighting due to Target’s lights, but I hope that you can see the difference in the figures. Also, if you are aware of any variants or fluke versions of Speed Force Flash, let me know in the comments.

While he isn’t the original figure released in the Justice League 2021 line, I do believe that Speed Force Flash is the superior version of the figure. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Speed Force Flash is my favorite figure in this line as a whole. I just love the look of the figure. Great job, McFarlane Toys!

Thanks for checking out my post. There are more posts on the way!