Bathory: Albums (1988-91)

Bathory: Albums (1988-91)

I once heard someone describe the Blood Fire Death (1988) album as a collection of quality songs. The description is certainly valid, but it's also a vast understatement of the truth. BFD is a ground-breaking, momentous human achievement, the importance of which cannot be overstressed. Like the eponymous début album, it delivered something unprecedented that made everyone else sit up and take notice.

The thundering intro, the use of acoustics, the Viking symbolism, the choirs, the cleaner vocals, the pounding drums, the torturing wail of the electric guitars, the Pure Fucking Armageddon heaviness of it all was something that the world hadn't experienced before. In short, it changed the face of metal and made Quorthon a living legend.

The Omen: Films (1976-06)

The Omen: Films (1976-06)

Dirs. Various

01. The film that single-handedly caused kids named Damien to get targeted by bullies at school throughout the 80s (and beyond?), The Omen (1976 / Dir. Richard Donner) is a 1970s suspense / horror film that relies on mood and pace to elicit a progressive sense of dread in the viewer.

Gregory Peck is utterly believable as the American Senator with an evil little shit for a son (Harvey Stephens). Throw in some horror convention, a creepy nanny, a house that lacks life, and a biblical poem and you have a classic that looks dated but still manages to shock and entertain.

In lesser roles are David Warner, Billie Whitelaw, and Patrick Troughton, all of whom are equally great. Prolific composer Jerry Goldsmith's musical score adds an extra layer of palpable eeriness.

Delta Force: Movie Trilogy (1986-91)

Delta Force: Movie Trilogy (1986-91)

Dirs. Various

01. Much of the first movie takes place onboard an aeroplane in flight, with an ensemble cast that's underused. Chief hijacker Abdul (Robert Forster) is moustachioed and menacing, but he didn't reckon on the Deltas doing their thing.

The opening shot sets the movie's tone perfectly, for good or ill. The scene that follows, wherein special ops member Scott McCoy (Chuck Norris) does what other men won't, reinforces it tenfold: it's 80s action from Canon Films with rugged men and many guns (Dir. Menahem Golan).

The team wear covert black duds with a bright US flag patch on the arm lest the audience forget who they're cheering for, or the enemy forget who to shoot. Gotta keep those bullets flying.

If they get tired walking they have motorcycles that shoot mini-missiles. Abdul and his cronies are boned - even if Chuck is perpetually late to the party and Silvestri's music sucks.

Only Yesterday (1991)

Only Yesterday (1991)

Dir. Isao Takahata

A twenty-seven-year-old Tokyo resident named Taeko takes a summer trip to the countryside. It's a holiday away from city life, but Taeko plans to work whilst there, helping with the annual safflower harvest. What she hadn't planned was that her ten-year-old self would choose to accompany her.

It's the same person but in two different eras. The adult Taeko (Miki Imai) replays and relives her memories of fifth-grade Taeko (Yōko Honna), reflecting on the trials of youth, the hopes and dreams she had and how they stack up to where she is now in her life. When combined they make one complete story – one lengthy journey toward an unwritten future.

The deliberate undefined edges that some scenes employ suggests that feelings and situations we thought were complete at the time might actually have lines that aren't filled in until years later, provided we're wise enough, and perhaps even daring enough, to make the connections.

Godzilla: Heisei Era Films (1984-95)

16. The Return of Godzilla (1984)

Dir. Koji Hashimoto

NOTE: numbering continues sequentially from the Shōwa Era. For simplicity's sake I've used English language titles for each of my Godzilla reviews, but it's always the original Japanese language versions of the films that I refer to.

The Heisei Era is almost exclusively a case of Godzilla vs [ANOTHER] kaijū; the exception is the first film, which is a reboot of sorts, being a sequel to the original 1954 film that ignores the other fifteen Shōwa films. It was a deliberate attempt to return the series to its origins. It successfully made Godzilla scary again. No longer something to be mocked, Godzilla is total fucking destruction.

The first proper reveal of the rejuvenated beast is impressive, with newly added facial animatronics that enabled it to have nuances like never before.

Critters: Films (1986–)

Critters: Films (1986–)

Of the shovel-load of horror B-Movies that the industry shat out during the 1980s, Critters (1986) directed Stephen Herek was one of the more entertaining ones. It arguably still is. It's basically a sci-fi/horror hybrid with some accidental laughs and some purposeful laughs.

The creatures are like vicious little bastard cousins of the Gremlins. They wreak havoc, as you'd expect, but what makes the film work so well is that the family is at the heart of it. The bitey things don't kill off dumb, screaming, sex-crazed teenagers one by one - they threaten something important, something that's worth fighting for. That makes all the difference.

Critters 2: The Main Course (1988) directed by Mick Garris is set two years after the fuzzy feckers went wild in Kansas. Life goes on for the survivors, but nothing's peaceful for long in B-Movie Land. The space porcupines are back for more, and their numbers have increased

The Beastmaster: Films (1982-96)

The Beastmaster (1982)

Dir. Don Coscarelli

Many of the elements that made a successful sword and sorcery movie in the 80s are in place, including a wicked high priest (Rip Torn) who uses magic and religion to keep a position of power, a banishment, a trio of scrying hags with a dangerous prophecy, a cool bladed weapon or two, a peaceful village burned to the ground, and a sympathetic hero on a quest for revenge / redemption, but The Beastmaster isn't the genre classic that as a youth I used to think it was.

It's still mostly entertaining, however, with a neat ingredient that separates it from the pack, namely the hero's ability to communicate with animals like some kind of barbarian Dolittle. Inevitably, he makes friends and allies as he journeys toward his ultimate goal, but the most memorable of them all are arguably the smallest ones.

A Scene at the Sea (1991)

A Scene at the Sea (1991)

Dir. Takeshi Kitano

Garbage collector Shigeru finds a damaged surfboard by the side of the road. He takes it home and thereafter a story develops slowly over a short but magical summer in which simplicity is beauty and the mundane is remodelled as something deadpan hilarious.

Both Shigeru (Claude Maki) and his girlfriend Takako (Hiroko Ôshima) are deaf, so there's not much spoken dialogue in the film, but the silence in no way diminishes the relationship or our understanding of it because the 'voice' of the piece is very much Kitano's and he orchestrates it masterfully; the bond between the couple has a rhythm that can be heard over the sound of wind and waves.

It was the first of many times that the director had composer Joe Hisaishi provide the score. The music and image are so seamlessly matched emotionally that it's as if the pair had been working together for decades.

Marduk: Fuck Me Jesus (1991 / 1995)

Marduk: Fuck Me Jesus (1991 / 1995)

Wrapped in what's surely a strong contender for BM cover art of the Century, the boldly named FMJ was an early demo release from the 'most blasphemous band in the world'.

It's a hell of a lot better than I'd anticipated it would be, given what I'd read in other media. It's an interesting blend of down-tuned Black and Death Metal with a cluster of unexpected tempo changes that keep things fresh. There's even some creeping Doom influences in there.

It was originally released on cassette in '91, but the version you're likely to find if you go shopping — and the one that I've been referring to — is the '95 Osmose reissue. That version had an additional three tracks, two of which are Bathory covers. If you're paying tribute to any artist in the genre that Marduk are best known for, then early Bathory is a logical choice.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: Films (1984-2003)

01. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Dir. Wes Craven

Prior to re-watching the first of the Elm Street movies recently, it had been well over a decade — perhaps even closer to two — since I'd last seen it, but I remembered almost every scene as if it was yesterday. It's because I'd watched it many times on an ex-rental VHS as a teenager. In all honesty, and accounting for nostalgia, it holds up rather well.

If you're not familiar with the set-up, it's the story of a group of teenagers, all of whom reside on the titular Elm Street, whose dreams are haunted by a killer with blades on one gloved hand. The killer's reasons for doing what he does are part of the film's plot, so I won't delve any deeper than that.

One of the movie's strengths is its atmosphere, and by polluting the safety net of the unconscious, by turning a place of retreat into a realm of pure terror for the story's protagonists, it sticks in the mind.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: TV Movies (1987-94)

Star Trek: TNG: The Complete TV Movies

Dirs. Various / 10 feature-length TV Movies / 835 mins (approx total)

I've covered the individual seasons of The Next Generation elsewhere on The 7th and Last blog, but in order to keep those posts at an acceptable length I didn't dwell too much on the two-parters; aka the TV 'movies'. This post indulges my desire to give them a little more attention.

There are ten in all, and because there's some TNG moments in Deep Space 9's pilot episode I'll add it, too. Naturally, given the number, it'll be longer than my usual post length.

The Almighty: Studio Albums (1989-93)

Blood, Fire and Love (1989)

I discovered Blood, Fire and Love, the band's début album, when I was about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't that age when the record was released, just that age when I discovered it. But that's not important. What's important is that after half a dozen playthroughs I began to think it was great, believing it could be the sound that would ultimately destroy pop-tinged Hair Metal.

I thought it was a Rock album for the ages, the perfect soundtrack to a night of cheap cider and trying (mostly in vain) to get one's leg over.

Hearing it again after so many years have passed made me smile guiltily and a little shamefully.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Dir. Nicholas Meyer

While TNG was kicking ass on TV, TOS returned to the big screen for one last old-crew hurrah.

And it went out in style. From the dramatic opening to the bitter-sweet ending it rarely puts a booted-foot wrong. I don't understand why it so often gets overlooked by many people.

Writer/Director Nicholas Meyer, having co-worked on the screenplays of II and IV, did the same for VI but took the helm as director, too.

Thematically, the end product is darker than Star Trek often dared to go. The optimism is still evident but it's bullied by heavy political issues, prejudices and ingrained racism, all of which are dissected and put under a microscope.

Batman / Judge Dredd (1991-98)

Judgement on Gotham (1991)

Authors: John Wagner / Alan Grant | Artist: Simon Bisley | Page Count: 61

"I'm goin' into an uncontrollable butt frenzy!"

Picking Judgement on Gotham off a shelf in '91 was the most excited I've ever been for a ridiculous comic crossover event. Joe Dredd and Batman! Whoa!

I imagined the personality clash to be like two worlds colliding. Okay, it's not quite that good, but it's still pretty awesome and revisiting it again despite being twenty+ years older gave me a similar kind of joy.

In previous years Batman had faced some twisted minds in his own world, but he'd never encountered anything quite like Judge Death before. When the superfiend D-Jumps from Mega-City One to Gotham it's going to take more than a glimpse of a winged mammal suit to save the city from being Judddgggged.

You'll need to be a fan of both characters to get the most from it. Authors Wagner and Grant had more experience writing for Joe, and it shows. They don't do Batman an injustice, they capture his personality well and don't compromise his integrity, but when weighed out it's mostly Dredd's story. I'm perfectly okay with that, but it's worth mentioning in case you're here solely for Batsy.

The Sandman: Volume III (1991)

Dream Country (1991)

Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrators: Kelley Jones / Charles Vess / Colleen Doran |

Page Count: 152

"Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes…"

Volume III of X in the Sandman saga sets aside the multipart work in favour of some standalones. There are still references to things outside of each individual story, so they're still a part of the series story arc, but they can be removed from it and enjoyed separately.

The publisher claims that each collection 'can be read in order or as individual volumes', but that's just publisher bullshit to sell more copies. I would argue that it's best to read them in order, always, even the standalones.

The first story will likely appeal to anyone who's ever tried to pen a narrative (or even a blog review) of their own and found themselves staring in despair at a mocking blank page after half an hour of fruitless toil.

The Sandman: Volume II (1991)

The Doll's House (1991)

Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrators: Mike Dringenberg / Chris Bachalo / Michael Zulli | Page Count: 228

"[I]f it touched you, you could wash and wash until your skin was tattered and bloodied, but you'd never be clean again."

Volume II of X in the Sandman saga is where the series really begins to separate itself from the larger DC Universe; it feels like a self-contained world populated by a collection of believable people, not dependent on past histories. Morpheus grows into a more three dimensional character, not the insubstantial entity he was before. Everything's more focussed and immediate.

The stories also undergo a drastic change, being much better developed in terms of their depth and interconnectivity; while some of the subject matter is darker and more adult. I found one part of the story to be uncomfortable reading, but at the same time the very idea that it could ever happen was intriguing.

The Sandman: Volume I (1991)

Preludes & Nocturnes (1991)

Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrators: Sam Kieth / Mike Dringenberg | Page Count:  235

"I'd just had this nightmare. These things with faces like appendectomy scars were crocheting my intestines into body bags for the blind and dead."

I want to someday feature Mike Carey's Lucifer series on The 7th blog, but it makes sense to cover The Sandman first, seeing as how Carey's work was an offshoot of it. So, in service to Lucifer (not like that), let's proceed.

Volume I of X in the Sandman saga brings together the More Than Rubies storyline, in which the Lord of all Dreaming (Morpheus) gets into a spot of trouble with an enthusiastic occultist who steals his possessions, magical things that weren't ever meant for the human world. Morpheus spends most of the remainder of the book trying to get the items back, but his journey takes him to places that he'd rather not set foot.

Child's Play / Chucky Movie Collection (1988—)

Child's Play (1988)

Dir. Tom Holland

Charles Lee Ray, aka the Lakeshore Strangler, is hunted by police. As a last resort, and thanks to some convenient knowledge of voodoo magic, the killer manages to transfer his consciousness to a popular kid's toy, the Good Guys doll.

Six-year-old Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) loves the Good Guys franchise; he watches the cartoon on TV, eats the breakfast cereal, and wears the branded clothing. Andy's mom, Karen, a single parent, does her best to give the boy what he wants, and what Andy really, really wants is a Good Guys doll, naturally.

That's the basic set-up. Young Alex Vincent isn't annoying at all, which is not something that can be said for a lot of kids in films, and actress Catherine Hicks is believable as a mother with a 'compensating for absent father' attitude. But the most memorable character is the doll, Chucky, voiced by Brad Dourif. He's a sadistic, vindictive, foul-mouthed and merciless little shit. If you're a fan of black humour, he's also pretty damn funny at times.

Knightmare (1987–94)

Knightmare (1987–94)

8 Seasons, 112 episodes, approx 25 mins each.

As a young Faustus I loved all things fantasy and supernatural: HeroQuest gaming sessions; Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy books; the many Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms novels; etc, so it's no surprise that Knightmare fit perfectly into my life.

Four adventurers (kids under sixteen) entered the Castle of Confusion in the hope of conquering its dungeon. One wore the Helmet of Justice, which limited what he/she could see, and entered the dungeon proper. The remaining three stayed behind to act as guides, able to see on a screen where their Dungeoneer friend was, to direct and attempt to keep them from falling into imaginary pits of doom and suchlike.

The rules of the game were overseen by a Dungeon Master named Treguard of Dunshelm (pictured right), a noble(ish) born Saxon knight, he would give occasional clues and hints to either encourage a train of thought, help solve a puzzle or feed the team's nervousness. Among Knightmare fans, Treguard rocks!

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 5 (1991-92)

Star Trek: TNG: Season 5 (1991-92)

26 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Amid the twenty-fourth century problems tackled by the Enterprise crew (e.g. coolant leaks, transporter malfunctions, stubborn settlers on other planets, etc) are a large number of issues and moral dilemmas that affect people of all eras, meaning the show continued to be both universal and timeless in its topics.

One of the issues successfully tackled was an exploration of gender and attraction that the science fiction genre is well-equipped to deal with.

It's perhaps a coincidence, but more than any of the preceding seasons there are episodes centred around or featuring children: there's a birth, an orphan, an imaginary friend, more than one single parent story, and an episode in which Picard has to deal with a trio of kids all by himself. The later isn't a particularly memorable episode in itself, but it highlights how funny the Captain (i.e. Patrick Stewart) could be when he was allowed to step down from the pedestal of seriousness. Speaking of Picard, he gets a stylish new coat that no one else in the crew gets - ahh, the perks of captaincy!