Tag Archives: ghost

North West Doom Fest III 

Posted on by
Reply

North West Doom Fest III 

10th – 11th April 2026 

G21 at The Saddle, Chester 

And lo, there shall come a time when the barbarians shall storm the gates of the fortress city, and congregate within its ancient walls in search of enlightenment.  Great would be the merry making, for the barbarians will come not with weapons of war, but with musical instruments and tales of hard-won valour.   

That time came, and it was known as:  North West Doom Fest III. 

Yes, after the runaway success of previous events, Chester’s premier/only Rock pub The Saddle was host to another weekend of the heaviest, the Doomiest, the Sludgiest of bands from around the UK.  Such was the demand, the event was sold out well in advance.  Personally, I was really looking forward to NWD Fest and very thankful to be there! 

Friday 10th April 2026 

The first band of the entire weekend was Ghozer, who are a four piece band from the Midlands.  Sadly, they don’t appear to be Ghostbusters fans, as that Gozer is spelt differently.  They are, however, a mighty and hugely impressive Alternative Metal band, with solid, catchy riffs and crazy, psychedelic lead guitar working nimbly through captivating, proggy epics.  They reminded me of a sludgy High On Fire with wild Hendrix lead.  A perfect start to the weekend, I was massively impressed.    

https://www.facebook.com/GhozerUK

Up next were Bristol’s Froglord, one of my personal favourites and a band I was excited to see again.  I’d seen these guys previously at the same venue, for the Warlockhunt album launch gig.  I immediately fell in love with their swampy, psyche Doom with its perfect riffs and incessant grooves.  Froglord really put on a show too, there’s nothing in their approach that hasn’t been meticulously prepared – swamp noises between songs?  Masks?  These amphibious Dark Masters are a true revelation, and I seriously urge readers to check them out soon! 

https://www.facebook.com/Froglordband

Friday night’s headliners were Cardiff based Atmospheric Doom band, Pantheist.  This band enraptured the audience with an almost symphonic take on Doom, complete with ethereal, operatic female vocals.  They’re obviously exquisite musicians and put on a great performance.  However, it was too symphonic and operatic for my tastes – like Katherine Jenkins singing along to Ghost in her bedroom.  What do I know, though?!  Everyone else – and I mean absolutely everyone else – loved Pantheist, so you should ignore me and check them out. 

https://www.facebook.com/Pantheistuk

Saturday 11th April 2026 

Some of us kind of over did it on Friday night, socialising with other North West Doom Fest attendees and enjoying the karaoke in the main bar of the Saddle.  Well, it was Frank’s (from North East Wales Metal Productions) birthday, so no excuses needed.  Happily, I managed to make it back for the start of Day Two of the fest on time and with no trouble, which is highly unusual. 

Warming things up for Day Two were Warlockhunt, festival organisers Mark and Lorraine’s Doom Pop band.  Their dual lead bass sound was now augmented with a new drummer, who had the unenviable task of filling out the sound with apocalyptic, post punk tribal rhythms.  Drums are front and centre in this band, right up there with the bass and dreamy vocals – so there’s nowhere to hide.  The sound was meticulous, no need to worry – an accomplished start to the day’s proceedings. 

https://www.facebook.com/warlockhunt/?locale=en_GB

One of the amazing things about this festival is the sheer variety of music evident within the genre of Doom.  Cruel Mother was a great example: they looked at first like people LARPing Robin of Sherwood, but they delivered a magnificent set of Doom based on Olde English (and Scottish) folk songs.  Brilliantly performed and utterly captivating.  I would’ve loved a lyric sheet to read along and explore the stories and themes!  They’re London based, if Cruel Mother are playing near you – go see them and enjoy the magick.  The outfits were cool, by the way. 

https://cruelmother.bandcamp.com/music

Helve were up next – a five piece from Leeds who unleashed a set of very heavy, sludgy Doom metal.  The performance was intense and unforgiving, with harsh, growled vocals over crushing riffs and huge soundscapes.  They reminded me a little of last year’s headliners (and one of my fanboy faves), Son of Boar.  Absolutely no complaints from me, a winning set from a great band. 

https://www.facebook.com/Helveband

I had no expectations at all regarding Sleeping Mountain, and so I was very pleasantly surprised to witness a superb band that I can add to the favourites list!  They’re a three piece, London based, and extremely effective at creating enormous Stoner Rock grooves with psychedelic and progressive overtones.  There’s some classic 70s inspiration here, with a foot planted firmly in the now, as well.  Like a grinding, cinematic early Monster Magnet.  I loved them, and made sure I picked up a copy of their excellent self-titled album on vinyl. 

https://www.facebook.com/sleepingmountainband

When Goat Major were announced on this bill, I practically shit my shoes off in excitement.  I’m already a massive fan, having reviewed their debut album, “Ritual”, for Ever Metal a while back – awarding it a solid 9/10 score.  Getting the chance to see them live was a big draw for me in attending NW Doom Fest.  And Goat Major did not disappoint, their awesome Occult Doom dripped thunderous and powerful riffage with eerie, spectral undercurrents.  Absolutely unmissable and a true highlight of the weekend! 

https://www.facebook.com/goatmajorband/?locale=en_GB

And then we had Goblin Smoker, another band I was really enthused to experience firsthand!  With releases on Sludgelord and APF Records, these guys have a quality pedigree.  Their music is classic Sabbath based Doom, with raspy, Death Metal vocals that set them apart from other bands this weekend.  This was an epic, brutalising set, taking the intensity of Death Metal into slower and fuzzier realms.  I’m just glad I was there. 

https://www.facebook.com/Goblinsmoker

Mage are a band I’ve seen live previously, they played Pentre Fest a while back.  They were amazing last time I saw them and they were even better this time around.  Seriously, Mage are the perfect Stoner/Doom Metal band, as far as I’m concerned: they cover it all, from in-you-face rockers to tripped out psyche-athons.  They remind me of a British Corrosion of Conformity, and I can think of no higher praise than that.  Their performance was riveting, even in the restricted space of the G21.  If you’re not following this band like a hungry dog, you need to be. 

https://www.facebook.com/Mageband/?locale=en_GB

And finally, then – our Saturday headliners, Old Horn Tooth: a three piece proudly representing the London Doom Collective.  Musically, this power trio deliver slow and heavy yet mesmerising Doom metal, unhurried in their approach they create something not far removed from a soundtrack to a supernatural, occult thriller.  When the riffs crash in, they are utterly devastating – and the whole experience is pulverising, yet hypnotic.  Thrilling stuff and a fitting end to a weekend of pure, definitive Doom Metal.    

https://www.facebook.com/oldhorntooth/?locale=en_GB

Well done to Lorraine and Mark, and thanks to the staff of G21/The Saddle for a spectacular festival.  There’s a one dayer planned for this summer, so keep your eyes peeled – otherwise, I’ll see you at Noth West Doom Fest IV!   

https://www.facebook.com/Thesaddleinnchester/?locale=en_GB           

Liverpool Comic Con 2026

Posted on by
Reply

Liverpool Comic Con

Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd May 2026

Exhibition Centre, King’s Docks, Liverpool

Last year, I only made it to one Comic Con, which was of course this fabulous event in Liverpool. 2026 was a no-brainer in terms of attending again, so we made a family day trip out of it. Here’s a brief over view of our time at the convention, with a bunch of photos to give it some flavour.

On a personal note, this was a big event for me: it was the first time that I actually dressed up as a character. Yes, I made my Cosplaying debut (if you don’t count that time I went to Wales Comic Con dressed like Tony Stark).

And what was my choice of character? Well, after seeing them live recently, and acquiring some of their gear – what else could I go as, but a member of The Aquabats??!!

It was good fun dressed as an Aquabat all day. I thought the outfit was a bit niche and no one would know who I was, but quite a few people “recognised” me, and even asked for a photo! I was very happy – and honoured – to oblige. After all, it was kind of nice, in a way, to repay all the photos of Cosplayers I’ve taken in the past.

I wasn’t as popular as Daughtertron, however: she was dressed as Applejack (from My Little Pony) and she had many more photo requests than me!

There were plenty of other people attending the Con in fantastic and extremely clever costumes, some of which I managed to photo and include here. There were many I glimpsed but missed the opportunity to ask for a photo, as well. Far too many. If you posed for a pic, thank you!

Great to see lots of Star Wars outfits too, with May 4th the very next day!

Other than that, there were many celebrity guests on site, though I didn’t get any autographs etc this time. There were quite a few interesting guests, but no one I wanted to splash the cash for. I did get some pics of several of the props, vehicles and so on that were on display, however. Some great photo ops there.

The rest of the time was all about perusing the many stalls, reviewing the merch and spending money. There were several stalls selling comic books, so I was able to fill some gaps in my Marvel collection. The only let down was a distinct lack of action figures – gone are the days when I could increase my vast Star Wars collection with convention purchases.

The day was a great success, and we all had a great time. I think we’ll try and attend more conventions this year – maybe including the next Liverpool event later in the year.

The question is – do I dress as one of The Aquabats again…?

Halloween Horror Fest of Frankenstein

Posted on by
Reply

Groovy title, eh?  I know “Son of Halloween Horror Fest” would’ve made more sense, but I’ve used that title already.  I could’ve gone with “Son of Halloween Horror Fest 2025”, but that’s boring.  So we are where we are.  Here are the reviews…

Son of Frankenstein (1939)

Classic Universal horror, and what a cast!  Following on from Bride of Frankenstein, in this story the studio attempt to spin the franchise out with another sequel.

Wolf von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone), son of the legendary baron and obsessed scientist, returns with his family to their ancestral home after years in exile.  The locals give them a somewhat frosty reception, as the memory of the carnage wrought by the elder Frankenstein’s creature (Boris Karloff) still haunts them.

Wolf is concerned with saving the family reputation, but when he stumbles across Ygor (Bela Lugosi), a revenge crazed outcast, things can only go downhill.  Old Ygor knows where the creature is, and despite clashing objectives, he and Wolf will attempt to revive the creature again…

Although the narrative is becoming very obvious by this point in the series, this sequel is watchable for many reasons.  It looks fantastic in black and white, the shadowy sets full of secrets and menace.  And the cast are superb, though Karloff’s creature is outshone by Lugosi in a very memorable roll.

Not a patch on it’s predecessor, Son of Frankenstein is still a thoroughly enjoyable old school horror yarn.

8.5/10

Casper (1995)

More family friendly fun now, but this film really is a stinker.  Based on the old comic strip about a friendly ghost and his three horrible uncles, it starts off as well intentioned before going off the tracks.

An obnoxious, rich brat has been left a rundown, haunted mansion in her father’s will.  It’s the haunted mansion occupied by Casper and chums, obvs.  A “paranormal therapist” played by Bill Pullman is eventually tasked with sorting out the spooks, so that the vile new owner can claim some lost treasure that’s apparently hidden away there.

Bill brings along his daughter Kat, played by Christina Ricci.  Both of them have unaddressed issues following the death of Kat’s mother.  Casper has a crush on Kat (of course) and hilarity ensues (not) as they try to tame the spooks, and other stuff.

The CGI animated Casper looks really cute, and there are some amusing moments occasionally (Eric Idle, in a supporting role, is great).  But the tone is ruined by some truly ghastly additions like a machine that brings spirits back to life, and a completely unnecessary back story for Casper.

The attitude to death in this film is just plain weird, and distasteful.  Don’t worry kids, people die and become ghosts, then become people again!  This mash up of cutesy characters and flippant attitude is both odd and disrespectful.

3/10

Halloween Horror Fest 2025

Posted on by
Reply

Welcome, guys and ghouls, to another festival of frightful fun, with our annual Halloween Horror Fest!  I’ll pour you a Bloody Mary and you can put your hairy feet up, you’re just in time!

Now, I may enjoy viewing macabre movies all year round, but every October, we take things up a notch.  I like to watch some Halloween appropriate films, and share a review or two with my fiends. 

Let’s kick off 2025 with these two creations…

White Zombie (1932)

We’ll get things started with a bona fide, cult classic.  White Zombie is set in Haiti, and sees a reunited couple planning to be married, visiting a wealthy plantation owner.  The plantation owner also has designs on the bride-to-be, however – and arranges a local voodoo dude, Legendre (Bela Lugosi), to assist.

Legendre operates a sugar mill that is worked by zombies.  He agrees to use his evil magic to transform our bride-to-be into a zombie, and she soon appears to expire.  Not long after she is reanimated, but will her groom be able to discover what’s happened, and put things right?

White Zombie is possibly the very first full length zombie movie, and though it’s very dated, it’s still a great watch.  This is mostly due to Lugosi, resonating menace with his piercing eyes and forked goatee.  A sinister performance and iconic appearance.

I’ve wanted to see this film for years, and though it’s pretty basic, I really enjoyed White Zombie.  I mean, how can it not be cool if a 90s metal band was named after it?!

7.5/10

White Noise (2005)

A rich architect dude (Michael Keaton) with an annoyingly perfect life and house, is left distraught with the unexpected death of his wife.  Then this other dude shows up and claims he’s been receiving messages from Mike’s dead Mrs via electronic voice phenomena (static, in other words).

Turns out the fuzzy babble and images are on the money, and Mike becomes deeply involved in EVP communication from beyond.  He starts receiving recorded messages and decides to stick his foot into other people’s business.

I think that about sums things up, though there is some nonsense about a serial killer shoe-horned in.  Honestly, when I saw this film twenty years ago, it seemed to have a few creepy elements to it.  Watching again, the only creeply thing in White Noise was the sickly, mawkish forced air of grief and misery.  The story itself was far too obvious and contrived.

The White Noise DVD has gone to haunt the local charity shop.

3/10

Acid Mammoth – Album Review

Posted on by
Reply

Acid Mammoth – Supersonic Megafauna Collision

Heavy Psych Sounds

Release date: 05/04/2024

Running time: 41 mins approx

Review by: Alun Jones

9/10

Your scribe is beleaguered. Beset by enemies on all fronts, every step forward an excruciating endeavour that may only force me further back than when I started. Such is life as my trusty steed, my desktop PC, has been sabotaged by scurvy knaves, and died at the side of the track. This unfortunate scenario has resulted in yours truly patching together a network of ancient laptop (unused these last four years); a dodgy Word type program that might not even be recognised by the notoriously fussy Ever Metal website; and an iPod to complete this review.

Because I’m a professional, goddamnit. I don’t quit. Not when I could actually finish a review before the album release date and avoid yet more scorn from my EM peers. This review is on, mofos – oh yes, it is on.

And what is this review? Why, none other than a spanking new release from the mighty pachyderms of Doom Metal, the wonderful Acid Mammoth. Hailing from Athens in Greece, this four piece trample everything else under their hefty hooves, with just over forty minutes of heavy riff based, crushing rock music.

Acid Mammoth consist of Chris Babalis Jr (vocals and guitar) and Chris Babalis Sr – Junior’s dad – also on guitar. So it’s an unusual, but obviously well functioning, band of family members. Rounding out the Mammoth are Dimosthenis Varikos on bass and Marios Louvaris on drums. This is their fourth full album, and it won’t disappoint any previous fans.

Thundering tribal drums open our first track, the brilliantly named ‘Supersonic Megafauna Collision’ (also the title track, obvs). Fuzzy guitars are soon added to the mix, with a pulverising pace that’s set at head nod/foot stomp. It’s a template that the album sticks to, but then this Doom Metal is of the true kind – with riffs this good, progressive excursions aren’t required.

“Come feel the fuzz”, then, on ‘Fuzzorgasm’: where the band throw in a groovetastic riff that will get your body moving like a caveman in an itchy loincloth. Great lead guitar too. The behemoth lumbers on through the ‘Garden of Bones’, where an ominous bass takes the front of the herd. The vocals remind me of Tobias Forge of Ghost, which is no bad thing.

‘Atomic Shaman’ provides more Sabbath worship, though with a slightly faster approach. ‘One with the Void’ adds a melancholic, ethereal feel that actually gave me early Soundgarden vibes. Finally, ‘Tusko’s Last Trip’ is a nearly twelve minute long opus that takes all the heavy drama we’ve already encountered and dials it right up, with some of the most crushing playing yet.

Huge is the word to describe this album. Just like the bands namesake, “Supersonic Megafauna Collision” is a gigantic, powerful beast from another age that could flatten all that stand in it’s way. Another great release for 2024, I’ve got the vinyl copy on order and Acid Mammoth look set for a high end of year Top Ten placing.

I can’t believe I’ve managed to get this review finished. In the end, the worst part was that little paper clip guy popping up. Thought he was long gone? Not on this ancient Antikythera device.

Check out Acid Mammoth on their website, Facebook, Bandcamp, Instagram and Spotify.

This review is presented to you by Platinum Al and Ever Metal.

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub #31

Posted on by
Reply

Gather ye round, Hot Tubbers! Tis time once again to dip our toes into the warm waters and enjoy another Singles Night.

What am I babbling about? Regular readers will know that Platinum Al likes to spend an evening playing through my collection of 7″ singles, both sides, one after the other. I have a large unplayed pile of 45 rpm records that need spinning, so sometimes I like to blitz through ’em, accompanied with a few drinks (or several).

Why? Because it makes a fun evening! You never know what’s crept in to the “play me” pile: old or new, good or bad. And when the night is over, these discs can be safely added to my collection.

Let’s check out what I played this time:

  1. Boney M. – “I’m Born Again” / “Bahama Mama”
  2. Sounds EP: The Perfect Disaster – “55 Miles” / “Mega City Four – “What We’ve Got” / Cerebral Fix – “Eternal Winter” / Killdozer – “New Pants & Shirt” / Pussy Galore – “SM57”
  3. Men Without Hats – “The Safety Dance” / “Security”
  4. Third World – “Now That We’ve Found Love” / “Night Heat”
  5. Bomb the Bass – “Beat Dis” / “Beat Dis (Dub)”
  6. Phil Collins – “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” / Mike Rutherford – “Making a Big Mistake”
  7. Hale & Pace and the Stonkers – “The Stonk” / Victoria Wood – “The Smile Song”
  8. Bob Geldof – “Love or Something” / “Out of Order”
  9. The Whispers – “And the Beat Goes On” / “Can You Do The Boogie”
  10. Queen – “It’s a Hard Life” / “Is This the World We Created…?”
  11. Bob Marley & The Wailers – “Jamming” / “Punky Reggae Party”
  12. Sweet – “The Six Teens” / “Burn On The Flame”
  13. Belinda Carlisle – “La Luna” / “Whatever It Takes”
  14. Baccara – “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie” / “Cara Mia”
  15. The Stranglers – “Bear Cage” / “Sha Sha a Go Go”
  16. Bucks Fizz – “One of Those Nights” / “Always Thinking of You”
  17. Rod Stewart – “How Long” / “Jealous”
  18. Ghost – “Kiss the Go-Goat” / “Mary On a Cross”
  19. The Beach Boys – “Darlin'” / “Here Today”
  20. ZZ Top – “Gimme All Your Lovin'” / “If I could Only Flag Her Down”

A mixed bag, as always – with a few left overs from my “100 singles for a fiver” car boot sale purchase. But this is what Singles Night is all about – you take the rough with the smooth, learn to appreciate stuff that you might’ve previously written off.

There are a couple of stinkers in that list, but surprisingly the Comic Relief single ” The Stonk” isn’t one of them. Daft it may be, but it features Brian May, Tony Iommi, Dave Gilmour, Cozy Powell and Roger Taylor in a Quo-esque rock boogie that I quite enjoyed.

I love the Boney M. single, as the B-side reminds me of being on holiday in Greece. “Safety Dance” is brilliant, Bomb The Bass is class, and I even enjoyed the Phil Collins song!

Obvious highlights in this set came from Queen, Bob Marley, Sweet, The Stranglers, Beach Boys and ZZ Top. Always wanted to hear that Bob Marley B-side, as he name checks several punk bands such as The Damned, The Jam and The Clash.

I was a surprisingly cool dad, thanks to the Ghost single (coloured vinyl, nice). Apparently the B-side is a social media craze, so my daughter was impressed!

Great tunes, fun times exploring music – that’s Singles Night. More soon!

Platinum Al’s Top 10 Rock & Metal Albums of 2022

Posted on by
Reply

2022 was a fantastic year for new music. Bands that are old favourites, and new discoveries, made my musical journey through the year a great one. Of course, reviewing albums for my compadres at Ever Metal helped in my explorations – a gig that I’m very happy and proud to continue.

I was prompted to compile this list of my Top 10 Rock and Metal albums of the year by Ever Metal. This list has already appeared on that site, but why not share it at the Virtual Hot Tub too?

So here we go, the official 2022 countdown:

10. Brant Bjork – “Bougainvillea Suite”

A laidback, trippy journey through Brant Bjork’s sixties record collection.  Ideal for summer evenings.

Brant Bjork Facebook!

9. Captain Caravan/Kaiser – “Turned to Stone – Chapter 6”

Fantastic split album from Captain Caravan and Kaiser, which crept up on my unexpectedly and quickly became a favourite.

Captain Caravan Facebook! Kaiser Facebook!

8. Earthless – “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons”

Outrageously good album created by amazing musicians, Earthless are nutritious energy for the ears, mind and soul.

Earthless Facebook!

7. Stoner – “Totally…”

It’s Brant Bjork again, here with Nick Oliveri in their stoner rock super group.  Does exactly what you’d expect, and features one of the best album covers I’ve seen in a long while.

Stoner Facebook!

6. MWWB – “The Harvest”

Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard don’t disappoint with this heavy yet progressive album, brimming with new ideas and sci-fi experimentation.

MWWB Facebook!

5. Nebula – “Transmissions from Mother Ship Earth”

Glorious heavy psych rock from Nebula, showcasing their savage riffs and outer space vibes.

Nebula Facebook!

4. Battalions – “King of a Dead World”

A monster of an album!  Heavy, sludgy – that’s all you need to know.  Brutal and brilliant!  They’re from Hull!

Battalions Facebook!

3. Crobot – “Feel This”

The most exciting hard rock band around deliver another energetic slab of groovy rock’n’roll.  Unmissable!

Crobot Website!

2. Clutch – “Sunrise on Slaughter Beach”

It’s Clutch, what can you say?  Clutch are legendary and they always come up with the goods.  This latest feels slightly darker than previous releases, but has all the required Clutch-ness necessary.

Clutch Website!

  1. Sergeant Thunderhoof – “This Sceptred Veil”

A worthy triumph at the top of my 2022 chart.  An album that has it all: heavy riffs, powerful playing, melody and invention – it’s an experience that the listener can truly immerse themselves in.

Sergeant Thunderhoof Facebook!

All awesome albums and I recommend you check them out immediately. And what a winner! You can read my review of the Sergeant Thunderhoof album on Ever Metal, and I’ll re-post it here soon.

Not long after I compiled this Top 10, I received a package in the post. It was a vinyl copy of the “This Sceptred Veil” album, which was a nice surprise. What made it even more special, was an excerpt from my Ever Metal review appearing on the hype sticker plastered to the front! I was super stoked to see this – hope my words help shift a few copies of this superb record!

The cover
Hype sticker

Honourable mentions this year for quality releases from Ghost (should’ve been a Top !0 entry?); plus my old chums The Cult and Red Hot Chili Peppers (both continuing to release great music after all this time); amongst many others.

There’s lots of more new music to look forward to in 2023. The fun thing is, I don’t even know what some of them will be yet…

Stay tuned to Ever Metal and Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot tub for the reviews that mattter!

Halloween Horror Fest By Night

Posted on by
Reply

Eloise (2016)

Eloise is a haunted asylum movie, with some time travel bumpf thrown in. The reason I wanted to see it, is because my daughter’s name is Eloise. The DVD case had stared up at me on more occasions than I can remember, and eventually I could resist no more. The film didn’t look great, but the title amused me far more than it should do.

There’s this dude – The Deep from The Boys – who stands to inherit millions, but he needs to sneak into a spooky mental hospital to get some info to help his cause. He recruits an old pal, plus Eliza Dushku and her autisitic brother to help him. Oh, and T1000 used to run the place. High jinks ensue.

To be fair, the Cert 15 should have warned me way-the-fuck-off this escapade. Eloise would have been better as a Scooby Doo straight-to-DVD movie – all they needed to do, was add a dog to The Deep’s gang. Lazy, stereotyped characters (in particular the black best friend and the autistic guy) are just insulting.

The DVD nearly went on the charity shop donation pile. The only reason I’ve kept it, is because if my daughter is naughty, I’ll threaten that she’s going to be made to watch it. Cruel.

4/10

Werewolf By Night (2022)

Technically, Werewolf By Night isn’t a movie – at 53 minutes, it’s a TV Special. But I just had to chuck it in for Halloween Horror Fest anyway.

Way back when I started reading comic books – around 1980 – Werewolf By Night was one of the first issues I ever picked up. Superheroes were great, but they had monster comics too? Take my money!

This latest reiteration of WBN stars the Jack Russell character (ha ha, yeah) mixing with a bunch of monster hunters to determine who will become the next chief monster hunter. Except two things: Jack is actually trying to help the hunted creature, and Jack is a monster himself – the werewolf of the title.

Shot for the most part in Universal style black & white, Werewolf By Night is a great mix of moody, visceral horror action and fanboy Easter Eggs. It might help if viewers are familiar with this corner of the Marvel Universe, but if not, it’s still a stylish thriller. I loved it and relish the potential of exploring the more macabre world of Marvel comics on screen.

9/10

Liverpool Comic Con 2021

Posted on by
1

Exhibition Centre, Liverpool

13/14 November 2021

How long is it since the last time I went to a Comic Con? Any Comic Con? It must be pretty much exactly two years. The pandemic ruled out mass gatherings of this type completely over that time. Now, we’re back – a long overdue visit to the wonderful city of Liverpool and it’s excellent convention.

Our only initial bad luck was arriving to find massive queues snaking back for what seemed like miles. We had purchased early bird tickets for a 9am start, however arriving on schedule at nine left us in a long line with hundreds of other punters. It took an hour before we were finally inside the exhibition centre, which wasn’t a great start.

This was a case of Queue Hard, with several sequels including Queue Hard 2: Queue Harder – and finally, Queue Hard with a Vengeance.

When we were in the building, however, all was swiftly forgiven. I think we can accept some teething troubles in getting this event back up and running. It was great to finally be indoors at a Comic Con, and we gleefully threw ourselves into the experience with enthusiasm.

There were many guests signing on the day, but none that were of particular interest to myself. So, I braved the throngs of convention goers to view the treasures on sale at the stalls, purveying all type of nerdy goodness. As always at Comic Cons, there was far too much merch for me to buy it all – though I made some fine purchases, there were oodles more a timely lottery win would’ve made mine.

I picked up a couple of Star Wars The Vintage Collection figures that I needed, and a Mego Wolfman action figure that I couldn’t resist. Plus, the Christmas shopping commenced with some unusual items I wouldn’t have been able to pick up elsewhere. The only disappointment was a total lack of ReAction figures.

Of course, the main highlight of the day was the varied and spectacular costumes worn the attendees. Cosplay was alive and well, which was great to see. Hopefully these photos will give you some idea of the skill and splendour that was on show.

Despite a dodgy start, Liverpool Comic Con was a great day out. We came, we saw, we took photos and bought tat – a fine time was had by all. I’d recommend this convention as one to visit, and I’ll definitely be back.

Have a look at the Liverpool Comic Con webnet here.

Halloween Horror Fest on Wheels

Posted on by
Reply

Well that’s it, it’s November – and my month of watching spooky movies for Halloween Horror Fest 2020 is at an end. Yet don’t be distraught, dear reader – here are the mini reviews of the movies I’ve watched, but not written up till now. Starting with something truly shocking…

Poltergeist (1982)

Shockingly bad, that is. I remember seeing this film in my teens, it scared the crap out of me. I was looking forward to revisiting Poltergeist, widely regarded as a classic horror film – but it was absolutely terrible.

The story centres on a pleasant, well-off family living in a new Californian housing development. It’s all lovely and cutesy-pie until the youngest child starts communicating with ghosts through the TV screen. Then it’s unbelievable jeopardy time, as the little girl is kidnapped by the spirits and taken away to ghost land.

Poltergeist starts well, with some interesting supernatural phenomena in the first 20 minutes. But it quickly abandons any subtlety in favour of big, dumb Hollywood spectacle: and the sheer ridiculousness of it renders the film not scary at all. In fact, I was bored 45 minutes in. A couple of jumpy moments, but very silly and very disappointing.

Compare Poltergeist to The Exorcist, and the latter film – though employing some shock tactics – is far more believable: it seems more real. The Exorcist is still a damn scary movie, and Poltergeist just isn’t.

All very strange, you may think, knowing that Poltergeist was directed by Tobe Hooper, who made the genuinely terrifying Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Unfortunately, someone Spielberged all over this film, leaving a twee load of nonsense and small town USA schmaltz. Old Stevie was involved as writer, producer, possibly even director and tea lady – and his influence shows.

You’d be better off watching the old BBC gem Ghost Watch, that’s far better.

4/10

The Howling (1981)

Another early 80’s horror – and although this one is also somewhat dated, The Howling is actually a pretty cool film.

Karen White (Dee Wallace) is a news reporter, who has a too-close for comfort encounter with a serial killer she’s investigating. To aid her recovery from the trauma, Karen’s therapist Dr Waggner (Patrick Macnee) recommends she recuperates at the The Colony, a remote health resort. Little does Karen realise that the other residents are hiding a secret…

Directed by Joe Dante, The Howling is a very entertaining film. Despite the werewolf transformation scenes now looking a little dated, the overall design and atmosphere are excellent. It also has some humour, a bit of raunch, and plenty of tension to keep everything rolling along quickly.

Released the same year as An American Werewolf in London, The Howling is sadly nowhere near as good as the John Landis classic. American Werewolf is still more terrifying by far. But The Howling is a great popcorn horror for a Halloween evening.

8.5/10

Werewolves on Wheels (1971)

More lycanthropic fun next, with this uber cult horror movie that does exactly what it says on the blood stained tin. Seriously, do I need to summarise the plot for this one?

Here goes: a gang of rowdy bikers – The Devil’s Advocates, no less – have a run in with a Satanic cult, which results in one of them becoming a werewolf. Much bloody carnage ensues. And that’s it.

Cheap and cheesy, this grindhouse exploitation flick is one of my recently discovered favourites. Like a horror version of Easy Rider, it’s certainly a product of it’s time – don’t watch this if high production values and modern Hollywood set pieces are your thing. Tom Cruise fans, walk away now.

The soundtrack is absolutely brilliant however, and the satanic ritual looks pretty grim. If you can forgive the atrocious wolfman make-up, you’ll find a lot to love here. Werewolves on Wheels is a low quality B-movie genre mash up that’s a work of art for any freaks like me.

9/10

And there you go, horror fans – another batch of movies with bite for this year’s Halloween Horror Fest! I’ll be back next October, so long as this pandemic doesn’t blossom into a full-on zombie apocalypse. See you then!