Ulver: The Norwegian National Opera (2010)

Ulver: The Norwegian National Opera (2010)

Dir. Erlend Gjertsen

If you know Ulver then you'll know they play by their own rules, which is exactly what the live concert film presents a viewer with from the outset. Captured at The Norwegian National Opera on 31/07/10, it begins like some kind of bizarre performance art with the music as accompaniment.

The band members eventually appear in front of a projected screen that displays imagery with a power all of its own, being frequently religious, warring and sexually explicit in nature. It's also occasionally horrific and even somewhat questionable. I unwisely watched it before settling down to sleep.

As a live entity they're impressive, which is something you might not expect from a band that until the previous year had worked solely in the studio since their formation in 1993. And while the full oeuvre of the wolves may not get an airing, their experimental/ambient side certainly does.

Planet of the Apes: TV Series (1974)

Planet of the Apes: TV Series (1974)

14 episodes, approx. 47 minutes each.

A spin-off TV series of the popular movie franchise. For info on the five original movies see HERE.

The human population can talk. It's a departure from the norm but it makes sense for dramatic purposes. Before getting upset about such changes, it's worth considering that the first Planet of the Apes film was set in the year 3978. The TV series is set sometime during or after the year 3085 (it's never specifically stated). That leaves a possible 893 years between series and film, ample time for mankind to forget how to speak for any number of reasons.

Alternatively, and this is my own preferred stance, the series can be considered as a separate entity, as simply another telling of the original 1963 Pierre Boulle novel. The reason I feel that approach makes more sense is because it avoids a number of other small inconsistencies with the films.

Judge Dredd: Necropolis (1998)

Judge Dredd: Necropolis (1998)

Author: John Wagner  |  Illustrator: Carlos Ezquerra  |  Page Count: 192

"If you bring them back, th-thousands will die!"

"I disagree. You’re setting your sights too low. All will die. Total annihilation – it’s the best way!"

In light of some poor decisions by the Justice Department, Chief Judge Silver makes another one that leaves the Big Meg vulnerable. Elsewhere, a door is being opened to a place where judgement of the guilty and the innocent returns the same sentence…the Sisters of Death are ready to move.

Ah, Necropolis. There have been bigger and some would say better Dredd epics since then but it remains my favourite for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it's not Dredd specific. The story, by original creators John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, is much too big for one man to carry on his own, even one with shoulders as broad and solid as Joe Dredd's.

Furthermore, the nature of the invasion means PSI Division plays an important role, which means Judge Anderson's talents are needed.

HAMMER: Mummy Films (1959-71)

The Mummy (1959)

Dir. Terence Fisher

HAMMER had successfully set Lee against Cushing in Dracula (1958) and The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), so it made sense to have the pair return for a third year running with classic horror's third big hitter. But the franchise quickly ran out of steam, reaching only four films, in comparison to Dracula's nine and Frankenstein's seven.

Archaeologists (i.e., sophisticated thieves) forcibly enter the well-lit tomb of an Egyptian high priestess and in so doing invite the wrath of a centuries old curse upon their educated heads. Their transgression was in the name of education not profit, but the distinction is unobserved by certain parties, one of which is a very bandaged Christopher Lee who has every right to be pissed off.

Ultraman: The Next (2004)

Ultraman: The Next (2004)

Dir. Kazuya Konaka

I don’t know much about the Ultraman franchise, so I went to Wikipedia for information about where The Next fits into the overall scheme of things and how it relates to what came before and after.

The article states that the film is part of a three-phase reinvention called the Ultra N Project, an undertaking that was designed to reinvent the hero for an older audience. That seemed like an excellent jumping on point for someone like me.

Prior to it I was watching the awful Ultraman Ginga TV series. The difference is staggering.

The titular hero doesn't appear until approx 40+ minutes into the running time. Until then it focuses mostly on crafting a drama about an F-15 pilot named Shunichi (Tetsuya Bessho) who loves to fly almost as much as he loves his wife and young son.

Monster (2016)

Monster (2016)

Authors: Alan Moore / Alan Grant / John Wagner  |  Illustrators: Heinzl / Jesus Redondo
Page Count: 192

'One metre. Was that enough? Should it be deeper? Kenneth Corman wasn't sure. He was only twelve. He'd never buried anyone before.'

Beneath the 2000 AD logo you used to find the words 'The Galaxy's Greatest Comic.' I can't comment on whether or not that's still the case, but in the mid-nineties I'd have agreed wholeheartedly with the statement. But Monster wasn't a 2000 AD strip, it was from a short-lived British anthology comic named Scream!, so why would Rebellion, current owners of 2000 AD, choose to release it?

I don't know. Perhaps because it was written by three of their greatest writers and has been undeservedly out of print for over thirty years!? Whatever the reason, I'm sure glad it happened.

The Scream! comic lasted just fifteen issues (from 24th March 1984 to 30th June 1984) before mysteriously disappearing from the shelves. I know first-hand the confusion and disappointment felt by readers at the time because I was one.

Nine Inch Nails: The 'Broken' Movie (1993)

Broken (1993)

Dir. Various

NIN's Broken (1992) EP lasts approximately 32 minutes, but it's an emphatic explosion of point-blank hatred and frustration, musically exploring themes of creative and emotional bondage.

As such, it needed a suitably extreme series of images to complement it, but I don't think anyone was expecting what we actually got (or didn't get because it was never officially released, but it was 'leaked' and so bootlegs are available).

Intercut between each of the four official music videos is footage that resembles a snuff film, if such things exist. There's also some bizarre S+M nonsense that's more laughable than shocking.

The uncut video for the song 'Happiness in Slavery' features a naked and willing Bob Flanagan having his fun-bits abused in a visual style that's reminiscent of Japanese auteur Shin'ya Tsukamoto. The graphic nature of it alone will have a lot of people overreacting, but it's fairy cakes compared to what follows.

The video for 'Gave Up' is the most disturbing. It returns the visuals to the amateur home video snuff footage from earlier, but it doesn't hold back like it did before. Be warned, it's not for the squeamish, and if you're not prepared it might even put you off your dinner.