At the Earth's Core (1976)

At the Earth's Core (1976)

Dir. Kevin Connor

A subterranean fiction story in which a senescent British scientist (Peter Cushing) and his American sponsor (Doug McClure) tunnel through a hill in a Jules Verne-esque contraption dubbed the Iron Mole, which would be a good name for an album by a stoner doom band, if it isn't one already.

The duo go way off course and end up far beneath the Earth's crust, wholly unprepared for the dodgy FX that they find there.

The draw for me was Cushing and Caroline Munro, but he'd little of value to do and she disappeared for about half of the movie.

The bizarre flora was fun, but the fauna was bad. The rubber-suit flying things could've had some menace if the lighting had worked in their favour, but it was bad, too. Overall, the movie was a bag 'o shite, even by Amicus standards. It was just about worth it to hear Cushing say, "You cannot mesmerise me, I'm British!" right before getting totally mesmerised.

Alice in Chains: Dirt (1992)

Alice in Chains: Dirt (1992)

It's impossible to put into words the connection I feel with Dirt. It was released in September '92, and by the following year I was obsessed with it.

For a multitude of reasons, '93 was a hugely pivotal year of my life. The shit that occurred in that 12 month period influenced my life's course everyday thereafter. It's been 30+ years since then, but the album is still as important to me now. I consider it a masterpiece, without question and without equal in the 'Grunge' genre.

It's a fairly long album, not far off an hour, but the cohesive musicianship and quality song-writing is of such a high standard that it never drags its heels. By comparison, the band's previous full-length album, Facelift (1990), had a shorter runtime but felt longer.

Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare (1975)

Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare (1975)

Alice's masterpiece began life as a concept album. It deviated somewhat from the original idea, but, personally, I still regard it as one due to how well its individual parts complement each other, despite their obvious compositional differences. It's like a painting in musical form, layered with vibrant textures and blurred lines that when followed lead back upon themselves.

Not all songs flow into each other effortlessly, but the order in which they're arranged is so deeply ingrained in my mind after decades of listening and re-examination that to remove or shuffle one would ruin the unifying essence that makes each one work alongside its neighbour.

Assassin's Creed (2016)

Assassin's Creed (2016)

Dir. Justin Kurzel

Besides the goal of making lorryloads of cash for its producers, game developer Ubisoft was probably hoping that the live action Ass Creed film would entice lorryloads more people to check out their long-running game series, which in turn would increase profits there, too. Anything is possible, I suppose, even when the movie they hoped would sway people is a 125 million dollar turd.

Given that it might be someone's introduction to the world, I'll mention how it presents itself, rather than how it translates its source to the screen. But in that respect, it's dire.

It begins in Spain, 1492. We meet Aguilar de Nerha (Michael Fassbender), a member of the Assassins Brotherhood, a secretive group who are collectively at war with the Templars. The Assassins fight for individual freedoms and expression, whereas the Templars seek to control society through imposed order.

The Wind of Amnesia (1993)

aka A Wind Named Amnesia (1993)

Dir. Kazuo Yamazaki

A peculiar wind blows across the world, erasing mankind's memories. It's like nature hit a reset switch: people forget how to speak; parents forget their children, and vice versa; drivers forget how to drive; doctors forget how to heal, etc. The knowledge in books remains, but no one knows how to read. With even basic life skills lost, how will humanity survive? And more to the point, do they even deserve to?

But like every post-apocalyptic scenario in fiction, not everyone is affected. A memory-wiped youth named Wataru meets one such individual and learns from him. Thereafter, Wataru journeys across America looking for something that honours his mentor / friend.

I'm a big fan of stories that encourage us to question what makes cultures tick, and by extension examine humanity's true worth. E.g., with a clean slate, can we do things better? With religion dead, will our unconscious fears cause us to invent it again? Post-apoc settings are a tremendous framework for that kind of thing.

Apparitions (2008)

Apparitions (2008)

Dirs: Joe Ahearne [1,2,5,6] / John Strickland [3,4] | 6 episodes, approx 56 mins each.

Father Jacob Myers (Martin Shaw) examines evidence of miracles for an institution that considers itself earthly protectors and purveyors of the word and will of God, i.e., the Catholic Church. His findings help determine who does or doesn't get canonised as a Christian Saint.

While investigating the claims of a young trainee [pre-ordination] priest (Elyes Gabel), Father Jacob discovers what he believes to be an actual demonic possession. His actions thereafter lead him to uncover something even more troubling, which may affect his own future role.

I watched Apparitions solely because it starred Martin Shaw, who played the titular inspector in the George Gently TV Series (2007–17) that I'd finished and thoroughly enjoyed a few nights before. Shaw was excellent as Gently, and he was good as Father Myers, too, but the miniseries didn't come close to satisfying my 'evening viewing' time in the way that Gently had.

Assassin's Creed Unity (2014)

Assassin's Creed Unity (2014)

Genre: Action / Adventure | Players: 1 / Multi | Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

AC: Unity was the first of the Ass series to be released on the new (at the time) eighth generation of home consoles; the PS4, etc.

Not being a timely sort of person, I first played it eight years later, in 2022. I should say 'first' and 'last' time because it's bloody awful and I won't be trudging through its story ever again.

To add insult to injury, it came out on the very same day as Ass Creed Rogue came out on the previous generation of consoles. Rogue wasn't perfect, but it was infinitely more playable in comparison to the 'next generation' Unity.

I'm reminded of the proverb 'with great power comes great responsibility', except in Ubisoft's case it's more like 'with greater processing power comes greater catastrophe'. I usually leave my glitch report until after I've mentioned gameplay, etc, but Unity has nothing of value to relay, so the glitch report is all there is!

The Adventure Game (1980-86)

The Adventure Game (1980-86)

22 episodes (split over 4 series), approx 26-45 mins each.

I've probably said on more than one occasion during my time on Blogger that it's been 20-30 years since I last saw [whatever the respective post is about] and didn't know if my memories of it were accurate, but never more so has that been applicable than with The Adventure Game.

I hadn't seen it since it originally aired, which is 37+ years ago, at time of writing (i.e., 2023).

In fact, the only parts of it that I could recall prior to watching it recently were a grumbling aspidistra plant on a tall stand, some odd plastic currency, a salamander, and — the part that I remembered most, like it was burned into my brain — the triangle grid pattern that's used to illustrate this post, known as the Vortex.

The Art of Star Trek (1995)

The Art of Star Trek (1995)

Authors: Judith + Garfield Reeves-Stevens | Illustrators: Various | Page Count: 298

'If we define art as "the activity of creating beautiful things," then STAR TREK's futuristic, alien, often bizarre imagery most assuredly qualifies.'

I do sometimes 'state the obvious' for the benefit of folks that are curious but aren't a part of a particular franchise's fandom, but a book titled The Art of Star Trek explains itself. So if there's anyone still in any doubt as to what the content is, then you're probably reading the wrong blog.

What can't be gleaned from the cover alone is the sheer range of content inside, from rarely seen production sketches to familiar but still awesome key art, some of which has been used on posters and commercial home video formats for decades, and all presented on lavishly glossy paper stock.

King Diamond: Abigail (2022)

King Diamond: Abigail (2022)

Author: Dan Watters | Illustrator: Damien Worm | Page Count: 120

'Perhaps it was the reduction of the world to simplistic concepts of good and evil that revolted me.'

A comic book adaptation of Danish artist King Diamond's 1987 concept album of the same name, about a couple who inherit a mansion with ghosts, wherein the influence of a stillborn child lingers, having outlived her flesh.

Sadly, there's nothing inside the covers to say how much input King actually had in its creation. Hopefully it was more than a simple nod of the head in agreement to the project being undertaken by someone else.

The credited author is Dan Watters, a British writer with various video game adaptations on his CV and the man who was chosen to helm the relaunch of DC/Vertigo's Lucifer series. All things considered, he did a fine job keeping it respectful while filling in the story's gaps.

The Legend of Zelda Manga: Legendary Ed. Vol. 03 (2017)

Majora's Mask (2001) / A Link to the Past (2005)

Author and Illustrator: Akira Himekawa | Page Count: 402

"As long as I see that in the sky, I can't rest."

Majora's Mask continues the story told in Ocarina of Time (2000). Link enters a mysterious forest searching for his missing fairy, Navi, but trouble ensues and the 'Hero of Time' ends up in a situation wherein he has just three days to stop a major disaster or everyone caught in the impact will die.

The way the Nintendo 64 game is structured doesn't make any kind of linear adaptation easy, so Akira Himekawa took the only sensible route open, which was to focus on the acquisition of those masks that directly alter Link and ignore all but the most pertinent side-quest, i.e. the one that offers the most opportunity to pluck at the heartstrings. If you've played MM, you can likely guess which one that is.

Consequently, a lot more changes have been made to the story than was made to Ocarina of Time, but in most cases they were arguably unavoidable and, as before, they're very respectful.

AER: Memories of Old (2017)

AER: Memories of Old (2017)

Genre: Adventure | Players: 1 | Developer: Forgotten Key

AER: MoO deserves praise for a number of things, but perhaps not so much as an actual game. That doesn't mean it's a joyless experience, though. I enjoyed much of it, for the brief time that it lasts.

Its biggest influences are Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda, specifically Skyward Sword (2011), which is the least fun I've ever had with a LoZ game, and Thatgamecompany's majestic Journey (2012).

It has a similar setting and makeup as SS, (i.e. set upon floating land masses in the sky, with a few dungeons/temples that must be visitied in order to progress) and attempts the same kind of soulful pilgrimage that Journey handled so perfectly.

Both the aforementioned games feature a wordless protagonist, as does AER. Her name is Auk.

Auk is a shifter, able to transform at will into a large bird, enabling her to traverse from one floating island to another with ease. The actual transformation is fluid and pleasing to do, performed by a single button-press, both ways.

A History of Violence (2005)

A History of Violence (2005)

Dir. David Cronenberg

An adaptation of John Wagner and Vince Locke's 1997 comic book of the same name, which I've not read, at time of writing.

It's a slow burning drama about what happens to an Indiana family unit when one member's violent past catches up with them, despite a sincere attempt to leave it behind.

Themes of identity and safety are also explored, as the family discover that once a door to such behaviour is unwillingly opened, there's no reliable way to control the route it takes or the people that it touches.

Viggo Mortensen is excellent in his role as a small town diner owner who must respond to something bigger. It marked a turning point in his career - or maybe just in how I saw him. Prior to working with Cronenberg, he had nothing special, to speak of. Thereafter, he delivered a string of strong performances.

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.

A.D. Kingdom and Empire (2015)

A.D. Kingdom and Empire (2015)

Dirs. Ciaran Donnelly (Eps 01, 02, 03) / Tony Mitchell (Eps 04, 05, 06) / Brian Kelly (Eps 07, 08) / Rob Evans (09, 10) / Paul Wilmshurst (11, 12)  | 12 episodes, approx 45 mins each.

Also known as A.D. The Bible Continues, it's a continuation of The Bible: Miniseries (2013) with the same dramatic stylings as before, but lacks the v/o narration this time.

It begins by retelling the crucifixion story and then moves onto the fifth book of The New Testament, the Acts of the Apostles, showing how the religious message outlives the man who was sent to deliver it.

The vast jumps through differing eras that made up the first half of the previous miniseries aren't an issue this time - it's now one lengthy multi-part story with the same characters in the closing episode as were in the opening one, but it suffers from the same belief system 'promotion' that I feel weakened the latter half of the earlier series.

The A-Team: War Stories (2010)

The A-Team: War Stories (2010)

Authors: Chuck Dixon / Erik Burnham | Illustrators: Hugo Petrus / Casey Maloney / Guiu Vilanova / Alberto Muriel | Page Count: 104

"And, no I don't see it as unrealistic. Maybe impractical. but impractical just takes a little longer..."

Four individual stories, one for each member of The A-Team, collected together into a handy TPB. It's a prequel, so they aren't technically The A-Team herein, but the essence of each character as we'll come to know them later in their life is present and identifiable.

They're all set during the Gulf War but aren't connected in any way, and there's no crossover shenanigans, so you're free to read them in whichever order you choose.

I started with Hannibal's, then moved onto B.A, then Murdock, and finally Face. Structurally, they give each man a single objective or goal, which in three of the four cases is to retrieve/extract something from a potential war zone. The fourth is similar, except it's to procure something, an item that's almost impossible to find at short notice. Neither operation goes exactly to plan, of course, but thanks to the participants' skills and ingenuity things tend to work out in the end.

The A-Team (2010)

The A-Team (2010)

Dir. Joe Carnahan

It goes without saying that you can't replace the actors from the original TV series and hope to please everyone — people WILL be upset — so let's forego that and get on with what we actually do get from the reboot.

The introduction of each character sets the tone: fun, punchy and slightly tongue-in-cheek. As a starting point in a venture that aims to replace a much-loved team, it's genuinely okay. I'm not going to single any particular actor out and say they were unequivocally the worst, but I will say that I feel Liam Neeson as Hannibal was the most successful. He'd the air of experience and confidence that the role needed.

For a time I enjoyed the lightheartedness of it, but after it had used up all its potential it seemed as if the filmmakers had stopped caring about both the relationships of the characters and the sense of fun it had successfully established at the beginning, perhaps assuming that by then we'd have forgotten, too.

The A-Team Comic (1984)

The A-Team (1984)

Authors: Jim Salicrup / Marie Severin / Alan Kupperberg | Illustrators: Marie Severin / Jim Mooney / Joe Giella / Alan Kupperberg | No. of Issues: 03 | Page Count 24 x 3

"I ain't flyin' with no cowboy!! You hear me, fool!"

It lasted just three issues (March - May 1984), but The A-Team comic was a respectful tie-in to the TV series.

The characters mostly acted (and reacted) in a similar manner to how their TV counterparts might do in the same situation; e.g. B.A. hates to fly and makes a big deal out of things that annoy him - mostly that's Murdock, who gets stuck on a single crazy thread for the entire story-line; Face gets distracted from the business at hand by any lady that he wants to romance; and Hannibal leads, meets potential employers while disguised, and loves successful plans and cigars.

Aiding the tight-knit quartet is reporter Amy Amanda Allen, who blackmailed the team into letting her tag along during Seasons 1 and 2 of the TV series. She's as 'useful' in comic book form as she was onscreen.

The A-Team: Complete Series (1983–87)

The A-Team: The Ultimate Collection (2007)

98 episodes (5 Seasons), approx 47 minutes each, split over 27 DVD discs.

I discovered some years back that being asked "Why do you watch that crap?" makes me less inclined to validate the reasons for my choices, and instead wonder at the agenda of the person who's asking the question. Sometimes it's not a genuine inquiry, but a thinly disguised insult.

With that in mind, my heartfelt sympathies go out to any individual who didn't have weekly episodes of The A-Team to entertain and inspire them as a youth. I'm not being melodramatic. I really do mean it.

Not having Sergeant First Class 'B.A.' Baracus, Colonel John 'Hannibal' Smith, Lieutenant Templeton 'Face' Peck and Captain 'Howling Mad' Murdock to provide escapism and feed the imagination is like having an integral part of a happy childhood denied you. It's like having never played with LEGO, or having never tasted strawberry sherbets.

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.