THE KILLING JOKE

Went and caught a theatrical screening of the new DC animated movie, Batman: The Killing Joke last weekend, ahead of its local Blu-ray/DVD release next month. The original 1988 graphic novel one-shot, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland, is certainly one of the seminal works in the 70+ year history of Batman and his universe, and one of the most potent things about it is that it was short and packed such a powerful punch in a page count not much more than... a single issue of a regular comic (unlike the multi-issue arcs of other classic Batman stories from the same period, like The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One).

To help pad out the running time of the animated adaptation of The Killing Joke, director Sam Liu and screenwriter Brian Azzarello start the film with a 15 minute prologue which focuses on Barbara Gordon/Batgirl and her relationship with Batman. Violent and strongly sexual in parts, the prologue is an addition to the story which is sure to anger and divide a lot of fans (it certainly changes the established dynamic and relationship between the two characters in a major way), but the rest of the film follows the graphic novel very closely (save for the now de ri|gueur teaser sequence placed mid-way through the end credits).

Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are as great as ever as the voices of Batman and the Joker respectively, and the animation has a look and feel to it that provides a nice throwback to the Batman cartoons produced in the late-sixties by Hal Sutherland and his Filmation studios. The Killing Joke is violent and even a little sexually perverse. It has some amazing strong visual moments - most of which are lifted straight out of the graphic novel - but Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1997) still stands as the Dark Knight's finest animated moment.

The preview screening was preceded by a nice little featurette on Mark Hamill and his memories on how he landed the role of the Joker and the ways in which he approached voicing the character over 20-plus years now.

BLUE SUNSHINE ARRIVALS ON BLU

Another strong contender for Blu-ray release of the year. Full review coming soon.

STRESSED TO KILL

Melbourne born, now LA based, independent filmmaker Mark Savage delivers a very solid effort with his latest feature as a co-writer and director, Stressed to Kill. A thriller with a darkly comic edge, the film stars Daytime Emmy winner Bill Oberst Jr. as a highly strung everyman who, after suffering a serious heart attack, takes his doctor's advice to eliminate the stressors in his life a bit too literally (hasn't every film buff wanted to murder an inconsiderate cinemagoer who refuses to stop talking or gawking at their mobile phone during a movie?). 

Oberst Jr. really delivers a great performance, and has very unique looks that make him appear like a cross between Peter Weller and Reggie Nalder, and he gets strong support from the great Armand Assante, as a cop who harbors some pretty dark and twisted impulses of his own.

Not all of Stressed to Kill works, but the odd bumps in its road are more than compensated for by its high points and overall impact. Savage composes some great shots, and the film delivers a couple of truly amazing sequences during its second half - one when Assante reveals the true nature of his character and psyche, and a climax inside a small cluttered apartment that is terrifically staged and played out, and unlike so many modern films it wraps itself up very nicely and satisfyingly.

Buy STRESSED TO KILL on Amazon here.

THE RAPE SQUAD RE-ASSEMBLES!

Huge kudos to local boutique label Ex Film for the simply outstanding job they have done with their new release of the notorious 1974 exploitation film Act of Vengeance, directed by Bob Kelljan (Scream Blacula Scream and the two Count Yorga films). Perhaps better known under the more contentious title of Rape Squad, this was one of the more infamous films to be released on VHS in Australia by Palace Explosive in the early 1980s (as well as being one of the most valuable and sought after by collectors).

Ex Film's DVD release of Act of Vengeance comes with a reversible sleeve that pays homage to the Palace Explosive Rape Squad cover, and includes a 48 page full-color booklet featuring informative essays by Dean Brandum, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas  (author of Rape-Revenge Films: A Critical Study) and Ex Films honcho Leon O'Regan, and is filed to the brim with rare photos, ad mats, poster and lobby card art, and lots of other visual ephemera. The DVD itself also comes loaded with great extras, including trailers, an interview with star Jennifer Lee, and audio commentary by Heller-Nicholas and local film buff and programmer (and knowledgeable exploitation fan) Zak Hepburn.

Ex Film have also released the movie in a VHS edition, limited to 100 copies and also featuring a reversible sleeve and a collection of trailers from every Palace Explosive VHS release from the day (a roster that includes such memorable titles as I Spit On Your Grave, Bloodsucking Freaks, Squirm, Night of the Zombies, Cannibal Apocalypse and more). 

Definitely a strong contender for DVD release of the year so far. For details on ordering the special VHS/DVD bundle edition click here:

EX Film - ACT OF VENGEANCE

BLOODSUCKING FREAKS INTRO TRANSCRIPT

A transcript of my introduction to last weekend's Bloodsucking Freaks (aka The Incredible Torture Show) screening is now available to read at the Cinemaniacs' website at:

John Harrison - Bloodsucking Freaks Transcript

BLOODSUCKING FREAKS

Director Joel M. Reed and myself introducing the screening of Reed's notorious Bloodsucking Freaks (1976) at the Backlot Studios on Saturday night (Reed's intro was pre-taped in New York). Was great fun with a terrific crowd and my introductory talk seemed to go down really well. I even made up some 'Bloodsucking Freaks Beginner's Kits' to hand out to the crowd, in honour of the original promos handed out when the movie was first released on VHS in Australia, on the famous Palace Explosive label. Watch for a transcript of my intro to be posted soon. Thanks to all those who braved the cold to come out!

THE WITCH

Subtitled "A New-England Folktale", I found the most unsettling and effective aspect of The Witch (or The VVitch as it is stylized on its poster) was in its puritanical atmosphere and stark locales, as well as in the remarkable performance of young Anya Taylor-Joy. Having visited the New England area in 2014 and soaking in its landscapes, old cemeteries and early settler ambience no doubt helped when it came to The Witch giving me the hebee-gebees. No game changer but a movie filled with some immensely strong images and the odd moment of real horror, along with a couple of genuine scares.

 

 

52 PICK-UP

Really enjoyed re-watching 52 Pick-Up last night, John Frankenheimer's 1986 adaptation of Elmore Leonard's 1974 novel of the same name. A story of betrayal, blackmail and murder in 80s L.A., the film is certainly one of the classier productions to come from the infamous Cannon Films Group, and features another standout performance from Roy Schieder, and great supporting turns from John Glover and Clarence Williams III as the main bad guys. Ann Margaret doesn't get a whole lot t...o do with her role but still adds a touch of class to the film, and the late Prince protege Vanity shows up as a stripper/nude model. A party scene also features a lot of famous adult film stars from the day, including Tom Byron, Amber Lynn, Sharon Mitchell, Herschell Savage, Jamie Gillis and others. Let down only by a rather over-the-top climax, Leonard co-wrote the screenplay, and the film does a good job at capturing the seedy 80s LA underbelly, though not as well as William Friedkin's masterful To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)

 

 

THE ANASTASIA KILLER

The Anastasia Killer is a pretty enjoyable 2014 thriller novel written by filmmaker Richard W. Haines (Splatter University, Class of Nuke 'em High, What Really Frightens You, and editor of the classic The Toxic Avenger). Featuring a beautiful Russian femme fatale running loose in New York and seeking revenge on those who wronged her parents, the book is briskly paced and very cinematic in its execution, featuring elements of the slasher genre as well as references to the world of adult f...ilmmakng (there's a veiled reference to the Traci Lords' underaged porn scandal, and one chapter takes place inside an adult film producer's office that is drapped with one-sheets from made-up XXX titles like Eat on the Go and Blow Me Down). Haines' technical knowledge of the filmmaking process certainly shows through in some of the novel's narrative (one of the cahracters is a director of a Law & Order-style cop show), but it thankfully doesn't bog down or halt the flow of the story. Featuring a nice piece of cover art by Kieron Edwards (which reminds me of some of the classic Italian giallo paperbacks of the 1960s and 70s), The Anastasia Killer provides the perfect pulp entertainment to pass the travel to and from work for the week.

 

 

CLASSIC CRONENBERG

Last night's Late Late Show was this double-bill of classic early Cronenberg, which I watched on the new local blu-ray set released by Madman last week. Was great to revisit both films for the first time after at least a dozen or so years. Both Shivers (1974) and Rabid (1977) remain so vital and effective and the central themes in the films remain as intriguing as they are disturbing and often repulsive, because they deal with the human condition and fears that are still very real today. And both films still pack a heavy punch at the end.

The films are also incredibly well-crafted and composed, especially considering the small budgets the Canadian filmmaker had to work with at the time, and Cronenberg always fills his films with lots of interesting, if often unknown, faces. Casting porn star Marilyn Chambers as the female lead in Rabid was certainly a risky creative decision, though a smart move from a marketing/commercial perspective, but she acquits herself quite well, coming off as not only sexual and terrifying but also effectively sympathetic at times.

While the films themselves are as powerful as ever, the transfers on Madman's blu-ray set are rather grainy at times (a complaint I have also heard about overseas blu-ray releases of the same films). Ironically, clips from both films that appear on the documentary featurettes seem to be of higher quality than the film themselves. I haven't watched the third film on this set (Cronenber's 1983 adpatation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone) as yet.

RONDO AWARD NOMINATIONS!

A few photos of my Rondo Award-nominated article When Famous Monsters Gave In To The Force: Star Wars & The End Of The Classic Monster Magazine, which appeared in issue #23 (December 2015) of Monster! This article looked at that period between 1977-78 when the highly influential Famous Monsters Of Filmland magazine kicked the actual monsters to the backseat and became a virtual Star Wars fan magazine, reaching such a saturation point that even interior ads hawking new Star Wars products for sale received their own front cover headlines! Still stunned and surprised but very honored and excited by the nomination (as well as this blog receiving a nomination in the Best Website/Blog category for the second year running!

Visit the Rondo website for all the nominees and details on how to vote:

www.rondoaward.com

70s MONSTER MEMORIES

Currently writing a review for Weng's Chop of this magnificent new 400 page full-colour UK softcover which is pretty much like a time capsule of everything that made being a horror and monster movie fan growing up in the 70s so much fun. An expensive volume but well worth every cent.

www.webelongdead.co.uk

THE CHINA SYNDROME

Saturday matinee viewing. Been an age since I watched this 1979 movie from James Bridges all the way through. It's a pretty taut and nicely constructed conspiracy/thriller which also dances on the outskirts of the disaster genre so popular that decade. Great performances from Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon (both Oscar-nominated) and Michael Douglas (who also produced). Fonda's role, as TV newswoman who investigates the cover-up of a near-disaster at a nuclear power plant in California, certainly suited the actress during her years of political activism, and the film received a huge profile boost being released only a week before the infamous near-nuclear meltdown at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Some parallels to the mysterious 1974 death of nuclear facility health activist Karen Silkwood can be seen in the screenplay (in fact, this and Mike Nichols' 1983 film Silkwood would make a great double-bill).

STARMAN

Decided to take another look at John Carpenter's Starman (1984) last night. Never one of my favourite Carpenter films but not having seen it for many years I have to say I really enjoyed it. A movie that had been in development for some years, apparently John Badham was originally slated to direct but left the project after he saw E.T. and decided the stories were too similar, leaving the door open for Carpenter to come in and direct a somewhat different film than he was known for at the time (after helming the likes of Halloween, The Fog, Christine and The Thing). It's certainly a simplistic story, but works wonderfully due to its lead performances. Jeff Bridges earned a deserved Oscar nomination for his role as an alien visitor who comes to Earth and assumes the form of a deceased person and slowly discovers what it is like to be human, but he is matched by Karen Allen, who is also terrific as the young widow coming to grips with seeing the form of her recently-killed husband suddenly walking around and talking again, and learning how to fall in love once more. Great performance also by Charles Martin Smith as a government scientist trying to help the Starman avoid capture and probable vivisection. One of Carpenter's last really great films before things started to slowly go south for him.

L.A. STRANGLER

A great old true crime magazine I was happy to find the other day for a couple of dollars. Put out in April of 1978 by exploitation publisher Myron Fass, it covers the notorious Hillside Strangler case which had been terrorising women in the Los Angeles area throughout the previous six months. At the time of its publication, it was still assumed that a lone killer was responsible, but when the case was finally cracked in early 1979 it was revealed that it was a pair of cousins, Angelo Buono and Kenneth BIanchi, who had been abducting and murdering the women while presenting themselves as undercover cops. This magazine is fairly typical of the lurid true crime tabloid magazines that were popular on the newsstands for decades.

The Hillside Stranglers case was the subject of several movies, one of which, the 1989 telemovie The Case of the Hillside Stranglers (starring Dennis Farina, Billy Zane and Richard Crenna) I have reviewed as one of my contributions to the upcoming Headpress book on American TV movies of the 1970's - 90's, which should hopefully appear later this year.