Crusade (1999)

Crusade: The Complete Series (1999)

13 episodes, approx 44 mins each

The first failed spin-off from Babylon 5. In the year 2267 an alien race known as the Drakh, one-time servants of the Shadows, release a plague upon the planet Earth in a final defiant act of douche vengeance. Consequently, all life on the homeworld will terminate in approximately five years if a cure isn't found and successfully administered in time.

Earth Gov orders the destroyer ship Excalibur to scour the galaxy, dig beneath alien rocks and generally make themselves a pain in the butt of everyone else in order to find the magic cure.

The series managed thirteen episodes before being canned. In truth, it wasn't due to the poor quality of the series, it was the TNT network being interfering bints. Listen to the episode commentaries and you'll discover that J. Michael Straczynski had big plans for years 2-5: leftover Shadow tech; government cover-ups; the return of everyone's favourite bad guy behind a badge, Alfred Bester; a magical sword; and something called an Apocalypse Box, which you'll understand if you watch the show. Things could've turned out good.

Dennis Potter: Three Television Plays (1980)

Cream in My Coffee (1980)
Dir. Gavin Millar

If the traditional British ‘summer holiday’ ever really existed outside of postcards and creative nostalgia, then by the year 1980 it was long into retirement.
Nevertheless, the hotels endured and it’s to one of them that an ageing married couple return, having spent time there together in 1934.

Past and present weave together to form a bigger picture, and through extrapolation we can write the forty-six summers that fell in-between.

Potter's venomous wit lightens some scenes, but mostly it’s a serious study of the destructive nature of secrets, the ennui that often follows marriage and the promises that love makes to please itself.

Lionel Jeffries is good as the old man who wants to live in the here and now but can’t help referencing the past. Peggy Ashcroft is hand on heart amazing as the sympathetic wife who fears to ruffle feathers.

Escape from New York: Volume 1 (2015)

Escape from Florida (2015)

Author: Christopher Sebela  |  Illustrator: Diego Barreto  |  Page Count: 112

Comics publisher BOOM! Studios are doing good work carving a niche in the market for people who enjoy seeing cult movies from yesteryear get more love.

They have at least half a dozen collected editions currently available that I'm interested in, but the money-tree the pikey sold me failed to grow and the golden goose turned out to be male, so I need to be selective with purchases. However, Escape from New York was one that I definitely couldn't pass up.

Like the continuation of their other Carpenter and Russell pairing, Big Trouble in Little China (2015), it picks up the story just after the film ends. It's not as good as Big Trouble, but it's still better than Carpenter's own sequel to his cult classic, namely the Escape from L.A. (1996) movie, and for that I'm at least thankful.

Gamera: Shōwa Era Films: Part Two (1969-80)

Gamera vs. Guiron (1969)

Dir. Noriaki Yuasa

NOTE: Shōwa Era: Part One is HERE.

Film number five features a trio of plucky under-tens investigating a spaceship that landed not too far from their location. The 'plot' develops and after much chicanery the blade-nosed Guiron goes pointy-head to turtle-head with the titular, heroic kaijū, who spends more time getting to the actual battle location than he does engaging in it.

There's flame-breath, boyish heroics and city destruction for kids; space-ladies in figure-hugging polyester for dads; and, no, there's nothing much of note for moms, unless reinforcing the belief that moms are the only women you can trust counts.

Short Peace / Ranko Tsukigime's Longest Day (2013)

Short Peace (2013)

Dirs. Kōji Morimoto (intro) and four short animations from Shūhei Morita, Katsuhiro Ôtomo, Hiroaki Andô, and Hajime Katoki, respectively.

Each of the four shorts (and one intro) take a different thematic approach to its subject, but all in some way represent Japan and capture a little of what makes it unique.

Subjects include, but are not limited to, culture, religion, passion, folklore, noble sacrifice and post-war concerns, set as far back as the Sengoku Era and as far forward as the near future.

They’re all created digitally, but animation styles differ from one to the next. The first is the only one that looks awkward, being too digital in nature. In contrast, the second is a loving nod to emakimono, even down to the stylistic perspectives used.

Dennis Potter's Cold Lazarus (1996)

Cold Lazarus (1996)

Dir. Renny Rye | 4 episodes, approx 50 minutes each.

The second part of the final work requires you to have seen all four episodes of the first part. I won’t drop ruinous spoilers about CL’s plot but I'll need to refer to Karaoke, so please think carefully before reading anything beyond this point if you've any interest in watching Karaoke and have yet to do so.

As we saw previously, armed with the knowledge of his failing heath, Daniel Feeld prepared for the future of the people he felt close to. In contrast, the author was unprepared for what awaited him in his own future, 374 years after his death.

The introduction of cryogenics into Karaoke’s plot may have seemed odd in isolation, but it makes sense when you consider CL. Scientists unearth the frozen remains of Daniel and plug him into a machine that translates the activity in his brain into visual images that can be recorded and analysed by a people who've lost sight of what it means to be human. Their society is in chaos and, for reasons that aren't fully explained, their historical records are inadequate. They believe that memories of a person from the past may help them better understand their present.

La Jetée: Ciné-roman (2008)

La Jetée: Ciné-roman (2008)

Author: Chris Marker | Designer: Bruce Mau | Page Count: 258

Chris Marker’s La Jetée (1962) is a short experimental film composed almost entirely of still images, with a V/O narration telling the story from an unusual point of view.

The black and white stills used in the film’s composition are faithfully reproduced in the ciné-roman book, with the relevant text accompanying each image. The text is in both French and English (because the original short film was a French production).

If you’re familiar with the original it’s an odd experience having the voice of the narrator replaced by your own inner-narrator. The inflections are different, the pacing is different and the edit is different. Nevertheless, if you can immerse yourself fully in the experience then it’s equally as profound and equally as unsettling.

Babylon 5: The Movies (1993-2007)

The Gathering (1993)

Dir. Richard Compton

A feature–length pilot that's notable mostly for setting up large chunks of the story arc that would help make Babylon 5 one of TV's best ever sci-fi series in subsequent years, although no one but series creator J. Michael Straczynski and the producers really knew back then because such long-running continuity wasn't the norm at the time.

Some of the acting is weak, but a few of the cast were replaced when the series went into production.

If you know B5 already, then The Gathering is worth hunting down, despite its flaws.

If you're new to the station, however, or not sure if a plot-heavy sci-fi show is really for you, it might be better to start with Season 1 of the TV series instead, even though it means missing out on some crucial back-story for certain characters. You can fill in the gaps later, but be aware that there are a number of notable differences between what was planned and what eventually came to pass.

Hardware (1990)

Hardware (1990)

Dir. Richard Stanley

Over the years and after repeated viewings I've grown to really love Hardware even though the things that are wrong with it are probably equal in number to the things that are right.

By that logic, it should be little more than an average movie, but Richard Stanley put so much of himself into the film that it's as if the inner-workings achieved a kind of semi-life of their own, making even the flaws interesting viewing.

From the mystery figure in the opening scene, shown walking through a post-apocalyptic wasteland, scavenging for whatever he can turn into profit in a decaying economy, through to the city, itself a different kind of wasteland, right to the very end credits it’s a film that feels strangely familiar but simultaneously, mysteriously unreal.

Dennis Potter's Karaoke (1996)

Karaoke (1996)

Dir. Renny Rye | 4 episodes, approx 50 minutes each.

The first part of Potter’s final work was broadcast two years after his death. He wrote it with the full knowledge that he was dying, which makes viewing it a deeply poignant experience.

You might expect the situation to have pushed him towards tapping into the bleaker side of his talent, but there’s a huge amount of darkly wry humour in the script. There’s also a feeling that inevitability can’t be conquered, so it should instead be thoroughly mocked as best we can.

The main protagonist is a screenwriter named Daniel Feeld. Daniel, played with intensity by Albert Finney, is diagnosed with the same painful medical condition that killed Potter in real life, so it’s fair to assume that it’s at least partly autobiographical in nature. His most recent work is causing grief for both himself and the director of the TV adaptation (Richard E. Grant). It’s fiction but, as is already established, fiction often has a modicum of reality in it.

Gamera: Shōwa Era Films: Part One (1965-68)

Gamera (1965)

Dir. Noriaki Yuasa

All eight of the original Shōwa era Gamera films are available on Blu-ray for a very affordable price thanks to Mill Creek Entertainment. They're split over two volumes, of which this is the first, with each release containing four remastered Japanese originals on one Blu-ray disc. Four films on one disc would ordinarily make me cringe, but the truth is they look just fine. What's equally important is that, even though it states on the reverse that they're Region A, they are in fact Region FREE.

Created to cash in on the success of Toho's Gojira (Godzilla) franchise, the first Gamera movie contains within it enough unique elements to differentiate it from Godzilla.

Burzum (1997-99)

Dauði Baldrs (1997)

Regardless of how you or I feel about the man behind Burzum, there's no denying that he made some of the finest Black Metal in his time.

Dauði Baldrs is different. It was the first release composed while sat in a prison cell. Being denied a guitar meant it had to be constructed on a PC and as a result it's mostly synth.

It tells the story of Baldur, Loki and the coming of Ragnarök. There are no lyrics, so you'll need to read the accompanying booklet or research the story elsewhere. It's not hard to find.

The atmospheric repetitiveness of his earlier works sometimes translates well, but it occasionally comes across as a weak imitation of the real thing. Consequently, it will likely either find a responsive trance-like niche in the listener's head after repeated listens or it will infuriate and/or disappoint.

The Yellow Wall-Paper (1892)

The Yellow Wall-Paper (1892)

Author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman  |  Page Count: 55

"It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide—plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions."

If you hear the name Charlotte Perkins Gilman spoken outside of critical circles, then it'll more than likely be in reference to The Yellow Wall-Paper. Her most famous work, it constantly overshadows all the others.

It's a short but deeply engaging first person narrative from a woman who, in the eyes of her physician husband, has fulfilled her main role as wife. Being of the weaker sex means she should quietly do as she's told for her own well-being. Confined to an attic room, with nothing to occupy her sharp intellect, her state of mind slowly deteriorates.

Her husband's cure for her sickness, one that he believes is of her own making, does more harm than good. Left alone she reads, writes and draws comparisons that wouldn't have existed had she been allowed to walk free. The patterned wallpaper is ever-present; its malignant influence is inescapable.

Videodrome (1983) : Arrow Video Limited Edition (2015)

Videodrome (1983)

Dir. David Cronenberg

Seeing is believing. Until we see something in its physical aspect then its reality is questionable.

What then of television? The device is visible but the transmission invisible. The pictures enter our mind the same way as everything else, but their 'reality' can be entirely fictitious. Sure, we're programmed to know the difference, but what if the programming changes or the difference slips away? Is seeing really believing, then?

By the same token, at what point does violent sex become sexual violence? When does flesh and distinction cease to follow the accepted rules?

Torture. Murder. Mutilation. Videodrome.

Director David Cronenberg's masterpiece.

GoldenEye 007 (1997)

GoldenEye 007 (1997)

Genre: FPS | Players: 1 – 4 | Developer: Rare

Babylon 5: Season 5 (1998)

The Wheel of Fire (1998)

22 episodes, approx 44 mins each.

"No one here is exactly what he appears. Nothing's the same anymore. [...] I see a great hand, reaching out of the stars. Who are you? [...] Do you have anything worth living for? I think of my beautiful city in flames. Like giants in the playground."

Season 5 is the Ensign Red Shirt of the Babylon 5 universe. Almost everything went wrong, and there are a number of reasons why that was.

The most obvious reasons are studio dithering (see Season 4 post for info of that) and the writing having to be rushed to meet production dates.

Lochley (Tracy Scoggins) taking over as Station head and trying hard not to be perceived as the obvious replacement that she was didn't help. It's not Scoggins' fault she had to fit the powerful female template that JMS fell back on in times of need.

Hellraiser Films: V-IX (2000-11)

Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)

Dir. Scott Derrickson

The first instalment in the straight-to-video continuation of the Hellraiser franchise raises a few questions. The most pertinent being why is this even a Hellraiser movie? Having Pinhead in your story for about three minutes in total doesn't make it a Hellraiser story. Putting him on the cover doesn't make it a Hellraiser movie. The same as how my wearing a Batman tee-shirt doesn't swell my bank balance and make me a target for shallow, gold-digging whores.

In truth, it feels like the beginnings of a TV Series; standalone stories that just happen to feature Lemarchand's box and a brief appearance or two from the lead Cenobite. A quick google after viewing confirmed suspicions: it was an existing horror script that had the nailed-one's role subsequently added.

Big Trouble in Little China: Volume 1 (2015)

The Hell of a Midnight Road

and The Ghosts of Storms (2015)

Authors: John Carpenter / Eric Powell  |  Illustrator: Brian Churilla  |  Page Count: 128

I always wanted more Jack Burton adventures but never actually expected it to happen. Okay, it's not a film, obviously, but it's unmistakably Big Trouble to its very core. If you know the film well you'll be able to fit each character's personality to their respective hand-drawn counterpart. The illustrations are somewhere between caricature and likeness, but everything about the things they say and do feels authentic, even down to the individual rhythms used. Thank the gods of faithful continuations for an adherence to the source.

It picks up the story mere minutes after the 1986 film ends. If you remember, Jack and his more competent pals kicked some ass and shook the Pillars of Heaven from somewhere underneath San Francisco's Chinatown. Jack may have left Chinatown behind, but the denizens that gather there aren't finished with him yet.

Sabbat: Music (1988-91)

History of a Time to Come (1988)

Sabbat blew everyone out of the water when they dropped their début album on the Thrash scene in '88.

When Martin Walkyier's unique vocal style, intelligent lyrics and perfect timing were paired with Andy Sneap's smorgasbord of frantic riffs something truly special was born.

The influence it had on later generations within the genre is impossible to measure. When my faith in modern music wanes, which is often, History of a Time to Come is one of the albums that I turn to to remind me of what was lost.

Halloween: Films (1978-2002)

Halloween (1978)
Dir. John Carpenter

Halloween is more than just another cheap, independent slasher flick. It's a master class on how to create, pace and sustain tension when working with a limited budget.

The unease and sense of foreboding that permeates every crucial scene is in large part due to Carpenter's use of music. Like Hermann's score on Psycho (1960) it has a stabbing, piercing, onomatopoeic quality that keeps your nerves on a knife edge.

The faceless, unstoppable force that is Michael Myers taps into a very human, deep-rooted fear of what's hidden behind the mask we all wear, but Michael's inner evil is so powerful that even blankness can't hide it.

Julia X (2011)

Julia X (2011)

Dir. P.J. Pettiette

What little I'd seen of the promotional material for Julia X seemed to imply a weak teen-slasher flick. From the blatant attempt to appeal to moviegoers who discern with their cock not their brain to the very premise itself, internet dating, summed up in the tagline ‘Sex, Blood, Revenge, and that's just their first date,’ I was turned off.

To make matters worse it was filmed for 3D, which usually means you can expect the first and last twenty minutes to contain things thrusting at the camera lens. Indeed, many of the angles are evidently chosen for that very purpose, they make no sense to the actual story, are visually uneven, existing solely to facilitate thrust.

Despite all of the negative vibes I was getting I watched it anyhow. Why? Because I really wanted the hear the music, which was provided by Japanese musician Akira Yamaoka, composer of the majority of the hugely successful Silent Hill video games. Yamaoka's uncanny ability to pair ambience with unsettling allusions speaks to me on a subliminal level. It gets deep under my skin. He's been known to team up with Mary Elizabeth McGlynn from time to time, on average two tracks per album, and it's the same here, two tracks have Mary Elizabeth performing vocals.

Babylon 5: Season 4 (1997)

No Surrender, No Retreat (1997)

22 episodes, approx 44 mins each.

"It was the year of fire - the year of destruction - the year we took back what was ours. It was the year of rebirth - the year of great sadness - the year of pain - and the year of joy. It was a new age. It was the end of history. It was the year everything changed. The year is 2261."

The events of the Season 3 finale are carried over into the beginning of Season 4. It closes doors that were opened in Season 2 and opens some that won't be shut until the very last episode of Season 5.

I think of it as Babylon 5's Dune season; expect political intrigue, religious motifs, betrayals, power hungry Emperors, plans within plans, assassinations, and wars on a planetary scale.

Elsewhere it deals with love, loss, identity, the desire to change and the things we must sacrifice to gain the ability to carry out such change. The Man In-between is revealed. And there are some exciting space battles for those that like that sort of thing.

Candyman: Film Trilogy (1992-99)

Candyman (1992)

Dir. Bernard Rose

Some folks believe that if you look into a mirror and speak aloud the Candyman's name five times he'll come for you. But he won't bring you candy and a smile. He'll cut you from groin to gullet with a vicious and bloody metal hook where his hand used to be.

The beautiful and determined Helen (Virginia Madsen) is doing a thesis on urban myth and legend. For her, the Candyman story is impossible to ignore, offering a ticket to peer acceptance and wider recognition.

Helen doesn't believe the stories. She allows her rational mind to override the instinctual fears that keep us safe from things that exist in the dark. That's her first mistake.

Shadow of the Colossus: Video Game (2005)

Shadow of the Colossus (2005)

Genre: Action / Adventure  |  Players: 1  |  Developer: Team Ico

Team Ico's follow-up to ICO (2001) is a very different kind of game. Nevertheless, there's the feeling that they both exist within the same fictional universe, making Shadow of the Colossus a spiritual sequel.*

It's the story of a boy and his horse. There's also the matter of a dead girl to address. Wander (the boy) will do whatever's required to bring her back from beyond the veil, even kill at the behest of a mysterious voice.

Combat is essentially a series of boss battles. The Colossi are the kind of thing you'd face at the end of a Legend of Zelda dungeon. Many are so large that they need to be climbed so that you can attack their vulnerable spot, but just finding the Colossi can be a challenge in itself because the game world is vast.

The Fall (2006)

The Fall (2006)

Dir. Tarsem Singh

Tarsem often favours style over substance. I'm sure I've criticised him for it in the past, but never in regards to The Fall. Take the time to understand its tiered structure and you'll discover that substance is very much there, indivisible from style, reliant on an obvious contrast between its two different states.

On the surface, the more traditional story being told is a frame that holds within it an additional, fantastical, allegorical story narrated by one character to another, not unlike Scheherazade in One Thousand and One Nights. The imaginations of both teller and recipient are given life, acted out like an elaborate and ornate play. The full picture can only be appreciated when you consider the frame and what it holds as one product.

True Grit (1968)

True Grit (1968)

Author: Charles Portis  | Page Count: 227

“You go for a man hard enough and fast enough and he don’t have time to think about how many is with him, he thinks about himself and how he may get clear out of the wrath that is about to set down on him.”

Though it won't matter very much to anyone reading this, I've been a fan of the Western film genre for almost thirty years (thanks, mom ♥ ) but until picking up True Grit for the first time last week I'd never actually read a Western novel, unless you count Stephen King's Dark Tower series, but the magical realism aspects of it complicate any kind of straight-up classification.

The reason I mention that is to point out that an enjoyment of one isn't dependent on a love of the other. The book and its characters are so well-written that they'd stand head and shoulders above thousands of similar types regardless of year or setting.

Fearless: Director's Cut (2006)

Fearless: Director's Cut (2006) 

Dir. Ronny Yu

A biopic of Master Huo Yuanjia, founder of the world-renowned Jin Wu Sports Federation.

The disclaimer in the end credits states: while this motion picture is based on historical events, characters and incidents have been composited, invented and fictionalized.

It should really have been presented at the beginning to help viewers achieve the correct mindset needed to fully appreciate the film. I don't know about anyone else, but on my first viewing I was expecting the realism of a biopic. Having expectations thrown so far into the wind tainted the experience and it was many years before I gave it a second chance. I'm glad I did, though, because it's a film that deserves a place on a Jet Li fan's shelf.

NIN | JA: Tour Sampler (2009)

NIN | JA: Tour Sampler (2009)

An E.P that was given out free via direct download to promote the Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction Tour.

It features two tracks from NIN that were originally laid down during the With Teeth (2005) recording sessions. They didn't make it onto the final product. Don't assume they didn't make the cut because they're crap. They're certainly not. They're actually a must have for fans (well, fans of that particular album at least).

Wiki claims the two Jane's Addiction tracks were newly recorded studio versions of songs that had previously only existed as live versions.

Babylon 5: Season 3 (1996)

Point of No Return (1996)

22 episodes, approx 44 mins each.

"The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace. It failed. But, in the Year of the Shadow War, it became something greater: our last, best hope… for victory. The year is 2260."

Season 3 is bursting at the seams with story. I can only summarise, or the spoilers will be huge. The Shadow War continues to strike a cold tendril into the heart of the Alliance. Some of the major races exchange powerful blows. Capt. Sheridan is forced to take matters into his own hands. There's a second threat to the station that must be dealt with in a more subtle and secretive manner. A thread that was first introduced a year ago has a crippling effect on station procedure. Franklin has problems. A number of old faces return. Established relationships are put to the test and favours are called in. Something from Season 1 gets resolved… kind of. And more…

Buffalo '66 (1998)

Buffalo '66 (1998)

Dir. Vincent Gallo

We know that films use images to help tell a story, but for some directors the more subtle art of using the imagery as a language with its own semantic and contextual layers is an art form equally important to the process. In the best films a single image is more polysemous than even the most versatile word. Buffalo ‘66 epitomises the notion.

It was Gallo's début feature-length and he wrote, directed, scored and starred in it. He plays Billy Brown, recently released from prison into a cold world. Billy finds a peculiar kind of warmth in Christina Ricci’s reactive performance, but he’s not equipped to deal with the kind of salvation she offers. His neurotic tendencies and masking of nervous weaknesses with frequent angry outbursts keep him safe and distant.

The Scarlet Gospels (2015)

The Scarlet Gospels (2015)

Author: Clive Barker  |  Page Count: 368

'...[T]he weight of his age sat on his countenance, carving it into something that could never be manufactured, only chiselled by the agonies of loss and time.'

I've always leaned more towards the belief that the ‘Hell’ part of The Hellbound Heart (1986) title was in reference to a private hell, a reversal or distortion of the individual seeker's own desires, not the place invented by the Christian Church in which sinners suffer.

Consequently, affiliating the Pinhead character directly with the religious Hell diminishes him in my eyes. Surely having him and his like-minded cohorts exist outside of accepted notions of good and evil — in a realm behind or parallel our own, accessible by the living — makes the Cenobites much more terrifying creations?

I preferred thinking that they weren't acting under instruction of any kind of heretical higher power, but were instead a collective come together because of a shared understanding that pleasure and pain were inextricably linked, and were acting out of will and purpose.

Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's... (2014)

Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau (2014)

Dir. David Gregory

Cult director Richard Stanley had a vision for an adaptation of an H.G. Wells story that he loved dearly. New Line Cinema had cold feet, a sharp knife and a clear view of Stanley’s back. Like frightened animals they struck.

The usurped writer/director is surprisingly calm about the whole affair, perhaps due to time having scabbed over the wounds.

He gives viewers access to the amazing pre-production art and storyboards he’d commissioned, on-set photos of the brief time he’d had in the director’s chair and airs his view on some of the disasters that befall the production.

Dennis Potter's Blackeyes (1989)

Blackeyes (1989)

Dir. Dennis Potter | 4 episodes, approx 50 minutes each.

Apologies for the blurry picture, but in some ways it emphasises a point about the availability of Dennis Potter’s 'Blackeyes' miniseries: no proper box art exists because it's been denied a commercial release. It's been hidden away in the BBC vaults for twenty-six years. An image search returns precious little other than a bootleg dvd and the covers of Potter’s original novel (1987) to work with, hence my crude cut-n-paste job from an old VHS copy.

The story's typical of the author's work, which is to say it's a complex arrangement of layers presented in an unconventional, creative manner; a non-linear narrative that ebbs and flows; a sensual tide that takes as much as it gives.

The titular character is a representation of a writer’s fascination with his niece’s past profession, unattainable except in fiction. He takes parts from her time as a fashion model and creates a tragic, self-reflective, male fantasy that walks off the page. She's a sullied depiction of reality whose very existence taunts.

Hellraiser Films: I-IV (1987-96)

Hellraiser (1987)

Dir. Clive Barker

Barker's first feature-length film is an adaptation of his own novella, The Hellbound Heart (1986). It's without a doubt his finest work to date as a director, and introduced to film audiences one of the most iconic horror villains of all time, one who could easily share space with Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers on a horror podium.

There are a few minor changes in names and relationships. Frank is still Frank, with all his vices intact, but his brother Rory is renamed Larry. Kirsty, who was Larry's 'friend' in the text is made his daughter. (That makes Julia a kind of wicked step-mom, which is an amusing thought.)

The main story is almost identical to the novella, but with some extra content to make it fit a feature film length. The new additions don't add much to what was already in place, except for one notable instance: for a short time it improves upon the ending as written in the book, but then it doesn't and ultimately takes a one-way ticket to Stupid Town. Nevertheless, everything prior to that is as good today as it was back in 1987.

ICO: Video Game (2001)

ICO (2001)

Genre: Adventure / Puzzle / 3D Platformer  |  Players: 1  |  Developer: Team Ico

An adventure game unlike any that the PS2 had seen before. You play as the titular character (pronounced Eee-co), a young lad with horns on his head. His adventure begins in a large room inside a larger castle. You'll have a fair idea why he's there, but you won't know why he was chosen. Was it because of the horns or some other reason?

We also don't know why there's a second individual, a caged female, taller and perhaps a little older than Ico, who doesn't speak the same language as the boy.

If the two strangers are to escape before whatever it is they've been offered up to comes for them, they must somehow overcome barriers and work together.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002-04)

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe:

The Complete Series (2009)

39 episodes split over 4 discs (26 in S1 + 13 in S2).

Wisely taking into account how badly The New Adventures of He-Man (1990) was received, Mattel tried a second MotU reboot in 2002 with designs that were less of a departure from the original 1983-85 series. Characters and locations were updated but remained instantly recognisable.

The opening title sequence sets the tone perfectly; it references the old series and then cleverly and effortlessly lets you know in no uncertain terms that this version of MotU is new.

The rebuilding of the franchise is mirrored in the gradual rebuilding of King Randor's Kingdom. The threat of Skeletor necessitates that it be fortified and that loyal subjects are recruited to defend it, meaning the core team members return.

Diamanda Galás: Masque of the Red Death Trilogy (1986-88)

The Divine Punishment (1986)

Queen of avant-garde, Diamanda Galás, can give grown men nightmares with her extraordinary vocal range. Her performance is unashamedly theatrical and her subject matter often controversial.

The Divine Punishment is the first part of her Masque of the Red Death Trilogy. It has only two songs, but they're split into nine parts.

Listening to it in the dark can give the impression that the listener is being haunted by incensed spirits reading scripture, knowing full well that you'll never be able to forget their aural bouts of primal terror. They don't care. They want you to lose sleep.

The Hellbound Heart (1986)

The Hellbound Heart (1986)

Author: Clive Barker  |  Page Count: 128

'...[H]e had encountered nothing in his life—no person, no state of mind or body—he wanted sufficiently to suffer even passing discomfort for.'

The novella that became more famous for being filmed as Hellraiser (1987) by Barker himself is a fine example of how good an author he used to be. His prose effectively blends the fantastical with an exploration of the common from an uncommon perspective.

In Frank Cotton Barker created a character for whom hedonistic desire has exceeded earthly pleasures, forcing him to cross an unseen border into the realms of the unknown: a meeting with the Order of the Gash.

The Cenobites, as they're more often referred to, are creatures for whom dealings in pleasures of the flesh are a currency and a privilege, but their definitions of pleasure long ago exceeded the human sadomasochistic scale.

Babylon 5: Season 2 (1995)

The Coming of Shadows (1995)

22 episodes, approx 44 mins each.

"The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace. A self-contained world five miles long, located in neutral territory. A place of commerce and diplomacy for a quarter of a million humans and aliens. A shining beacon in space...all alone in the night. It was the dawn of the Third Age of Mankind – the year the Great War came upon us all."

After the shaky but very necessary build up of S1, Babylon 5 takes its place as the best science fiction TV series in the history of ever! Yes, I'm boldly going there, it's better than Trek. The bursting with potential element it carried in S1 comes to fruition.

Commander Sinclair is out, replaced by the kind of charismatic Captain that we were lacking before.

Delenn plays a significant role in S2 but when she finally shows her face it's not quite the one we remember from before... you'll see what I mean.

Sorcery and Religion in Ancient Scandinavia (2011)

Sorcery and Religion in Ancient Scandinavia (2011)

Author: Varg Vikernes | Page Count: 128

'[T]he newborn was given the dead person's name and regarded as the same person as the one in the grave.'

Varg Vikernes' personal interpretation of the myths and folklore of his homeland is a short but insightful work.

Its relevance goes beyond just Scandinavia because at heart most creation myths share a common origin and what's true for one is very possibly true for another, so even if you're not of Scandinavian origin there's likely much within its pages to interest a student of lore.

The reason the kinds of stories and legends cited have remained in the human consciousness for centuries is because they've been adapted and changed to fit the society and the times. That change keeps them alive but can warp the original intent and bury the ideas within under so much symbolism that it's impossible for the uneducated mind to see beyond the obvious.

The Matrix: Films (1999-2003)

The Matrix (1999)

Dirs. Larry and Andy Wachowski

It probably has its haters (even though I've never met one), but no one could legitimately deny that part one of The Matrix trilogy was a milestone in film-making. It shattered existing technical barriers and changed forever how action movies were made. It's not its fault it spawned a barrelful of inferior, soulless clones.

It throws in a smorgasbord of references to Eastern and Western philosophy, mythology, religion and spirituality to give people that like to scratch beneath the surface something deeper to explore, but if you'd rather enjoy it simply as an action movie you can do that, too, because it finds a comfortable balance.

Anime fans will spot many references to some of Japan's most famous works; even the framing frequently mimics the genre stylings.

Meiko Kaji: Zenkyoku Shu (2004)

Zenkyoku Shu (2004)

Getting a hold of Meiko Kaji's albums outside of Japan can entail paying up to three or even four times what you'd normally pony up for a CD.

However, if a Best Of... compilation will sate your needs, then Zenkyoku Shu (or Zenkyokushu) will fit the bill.

It has her most famous works; i.e. the themes to the Lady Snowblood and Sasori (Female Prisoner Scorpion) films, titled 'Shura No Hana' and 'Urami Bushi', respectively.

If you go to YouTube you'll likely find both of them easily enough. I checked at time of writing and they're both there. I'm not going to link directly to either one because with my shitty luck the ones I link will be the ones that get taken down a week or a year from now.

The remainder of the tracks float on similar musical waters, so if those two appeal to your secret, sensual side or your aspiring inner-samurai, then start saving your pennies or cents (or whatever passes for small change where you live) to cover the loathsome import fees.

Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy: Films (2009)

The Extended Editions (2009)

The standard theatrical versions of the trilogy that were first released into the English and American markets were really good, but the eventual release of the extended Swedish language editions in a single box set (DVD or Blu-ray) made my day. It brought with it an additional 120 minutes of footage, two whole hours of extra story! That's 120 minutes in total, not 120 minutes each.

Each film was split into two parts lasting approximately 90 minutes each, enabling them to more easily fit into a TV schedule.

I'd have preferred the split be a simple fade-to-black intermission, but the separation isn't really that much of a problem and I admit that I made use of it each time to get a refill.

Babylon 5: Season 1 (1994)

Signs and Portents (1994)

22 episodes, approx 44 mins each.

"It was the dawn of the third age of mankind – ten years after the Earth-Minbari War. This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is 2258. The name of the place is Babylon 5."

J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of Babylon 5, set out to create a science fiction show unlike anything that had existed before: a show with complex plot threads that appealed to an adult audience; a show about more than just the weird alien of the week that was a metaphor for some part of us. I admit that sounds arrogant, but he did it and he did it well.

He populated his floating tin can in space with a number of different dramatic stock types culled from a wide variety of genres. They clash and forge friendships, fight and find comfort in the familiar just like everyone. No one in the B5 universe is infallible, everyone is flawed, and as such it felt real.

Pale Sketcher: Music (2013)

Warm Sunday (2013)

Pale Sketcher will be a name that sounds familiar to fans of Jesu because Justin K. Broadrick released a Jesu album named Pale Sketches (2007). This is him again, in another of his many guises, but it's lighter in tone than most of his other works.

It has things in common with Jesu material but is stripped back and deconstructed, replacing guitar with a dreamlike quality synth.

Broadrick is prolific with his music but he never puts out crap, so you can always buy with confidence. It's a Name Your Price at Bandcamp, so it's up to you how much you think it's worth. You can find it HERE.

Nightbreed (1990)

Nightbreed (1990)

Dir. Clive Barker

Aaron Boone experiences recurring nightmares about a place that he's never been. It's a place called Midian. He's no proof that it even exists outside of his own unconscious state, but his desire to find it is very real, even though the monsters that live there could tear him apart.

The Midian story begins in dramatic fashion, not unlike an old Japanese horror-fantasy film at its peak but given a modern, colourful twist. It's misleading because that kind of feeling doesn't return once it wanes. Instead, it achieves a unique kind of believability for itself to exist in.

It was written for the screen by Barker, an adaptation of his own Cabal (1988) novel.

The Book of Lies: Liber CCCXXXIII (1912)

The Book of Lies: Liber CCCXXXIII (1912)

Author: Frater Perdurabo (Aleister Crowley)  |  Page Count: 200

'The more necessary anything appears to my mind, the more certain it is that I only assert a limitation.'

To give it its full title, 'The Book of Lies: Which is also Falsely Called BREAKS. The Wanderings or Falsifications of the One Thought of Frater Perdurabo, which Thought is itself Untrue. Liber CCCXXXIII', is perhaps the most accessible of Crowley's published works relating to magick.

The deeper, hidden meanings relating to his magickal philosophies are there to be deciphered and will, no doubt, be recognisable to members of the A∴A∴ and O.T.O., but there's enough disclosure in the footnote commentaries (added later but included in most current editions) to explain certain things to the uninitiated, to enable even a complete newcomer to follow many of the Qabalistic threads and understand that within the work structure is as important as content.

HAMMER: Dracula Films (1958-74)

Dracula (1958)

aka Horror of Dracula (in the US)

Dir. Terence Fisher

It took huge liberties with Bram Stoker's original story, but otherwise Hammer's first flirtation with the Dracula figure is the best vampire film they ever made.

The elaborate sets are beautifully lit. The creeping strings and timely crashing cymbals of James Bernard's score lift everything from routinely dramatic to legendary heights.

What gets the most attention, deservedly so, is the addition of Christopher Lee in the lead role and Peter Cushing as his nemesis, the pursuant Dr. Abraham Van Helsing. Pitting those two against each other is like having mountains collide amid a thunderstorm.

The ending is the most memorable of any vampire film I've ever seen.

Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

Dir. Darren Lynn Bousman

The first time I watched Repo! TGO I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

The second time I watched it I began to like it for its uncompromising bat-shit craziness.

With each subsequent viewing I've fallen even more hopelessly in love with it for the same reasons as the first and second time.

It’s the visual equivalent of a blood-soaked comic book found on the corpse of a Goth, post-car crash, lying by the roadside, stumbled upon and filmed by a Terry Gilliam fan on his way to a Rocky Horror theatre production.

It's a rock opera about... and... with... yea... The trailer can do the work: YouTube LINK.

Films based on works by R. E. Howard (1985—)

Red Sonja (1985)

Dir. Richard Fleischer

The She-Devil with a Sword was created by Roy Thomas for Marvel's Conan comic series, but she was based on Red Sonya of Rogatino, a Howard-created character that appeared in a short story titled The Shadow of the Vulture (1934).

Arnold Schwarzenegger co-stars as a tactless barbarian that isn't Conan. My guess is there was some kind of licensing issues behind the scenes, because it's one hell of a missed opportunity, or it would be if the Red Sonja film was better.

The addition of an irritating child character means the sexualised female warrior role is curtailed, but the homophobia remains. Typical.

I can't remember the last time I saw so many polystyrene rocks collected together in one place.