From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968)

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. One thing that I have been thinking about a lot lately is the films that I loved loved as a kid that had Horror elements to them, and while many had very small amount of “Horror” in them, they were a gateway of sorts for many to get into the world of the genre. For instance, such films as “The Ghost And Mr. Chicken (1966)”, “Frankenweeinie (1984)”, “The Blair Thumb (2001)” and “Escape To Witch Mountain (1975)” all brought humorous chills to viewers (with us already talking about Escape To Witch Mountain that you can read here if you missed it). For this update I have chosen the Disney made supernatural family comedy film “Blackbeard’s Ghost” as the topic as it was one I enjoyed as a kid, and I think that it fits the mold of what I am talking about as a gateway film into horror. So if you are ready, let’s head to Blackbeard’s Inn and see what this silly ghost has in store for us, and also Happy Thanksgiving 2025!

Let’s start off by taking a look at Blackbeard’s Ghost and his ways of scaring the hell out of the living! Back in the 18th century Edward Teach aka Blackbeard was a pirate that tormented the waters of the West Indies before he was killed in 1718 during a battle. But in 1968, his spirit is brought back by a newly hired track coach after he accidentally says a spell out loud. The two are now bonded together in mischief and trying to right the wrongs that are going on in the town of Godolphin. Blackbeard’s Ghost is unseen by everyone besides the one who summoned him but his appearance has him in full pirate clothing, a black beard and at times he looks annoyed and mean…and this can scare those people who do set their eyes on him. Blackbeard’s Ghost who cannot be seen by normal people is able to also move items/objects around as well as cause extreme and sometime playful scares to those he has targeted. Not to mention that he carries a very sharp sword that could cut and go through the flesh of those he uses it against. This supernatural ghost is also very annoying and will use his playful ways to cause chaos and accidents as he does not care for the most part about other people’s safety as his enjoyment is more important, and really his messing with such things as guns, motorcycles and cars makes him very dangerous to the living. One other thing that Blackbeard’s Ghost has that frightens people is the legend of his cut throat ways while living as he was a truly bad person. But while Blackbeard’s Ghost is from the supernatural world, he does have some weakness, as his ego is so big that it leaves him into making terrible mistakes and even almost chase off his own “friends”. He is also a cheat and a drinker, as he smells of rum making it very easy to detect when he is around. He can easily get his feelings hurt and this as well causes him to go away and leave people alone. He also starts to build a soft spot for his newly made friends and also wants the curse of being a ghost lifted so this turns the once feared pirate into a friendly ghost who wants to help others to rejoin his crew in the afterlife. And once Blackbeard’s Ghost does a good deed and more ancient magical words are said, he is free from this mortal world and his chaos is over. While Blackbeard’s Ghost is not that deadly nor scary he does do his job of haunting the living.

So while Blackbeard’s Ghost might not be the scariest or deadliest supernatural entity, we have ever covered here… but he just might be the silliest one, so that’s something right? And now that we have chatted about him, I think that it’s time we take a look at the film he is from. And like always, I will be taking the film’s write up from our pals at IMDB and then after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So with that, let’s see what this kids silly comedy, family film with a pinch of “Horror” has in store for us.

Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968)

“An unassuming track coach accidentally invokes the spirit of a notorious pirate long believed dead, and who must now team up to lay the pirate to rest, and save a local hotel from a mobster.”

In the 1960’s Disney was locking itself to be the biggest studio to make family friendly entertainment and they were releasing many films to theaters as young moviegoers seemed to not be able to get enough! And when looking for their next film, they decided to adapt the 1965 novel “Blackbeard’s Ghost” by Ben Stahl into a film as many think that a big part of them choosing to do a Supernatural Ghost Pirate film was all due to the huge success of the Pirates Of The Caribbean attraction that had opened in Disneyland in 1967. The film’s screenplay was done by the team of Don DaGradi and Bill Walsh and Disney would hire Robert Stevenson to direct who had made many other popular films for Disney before hand including Old Yeller, The Absent-Minded Professor, Son Of Flubber, Mary Poppins and That Darn Cat! to name a few, showing that he was truly one director that the studio could turn to in order to have a hit film. When casting the film, they would hire Peter Ustinov to play Blackbeard and other actors in the main cast include Dean Jones, Suzanne Pleshette, Joby Baker, Richard Deacon and in very cool casting The Bride Of Frankenstein herself Elsa Lanchester would play the part of Emily Stowecroft. The film was shot at Walt Disney Studios and was your normal production for them at the time and once done the score would be done by Robert F. Brunner and it would be released in theaters on February 8, 1968 and was meet with mostly positive reviews from critics and moviegoers alike who all enjoyed the performance of Peter Ustinov as well as the supernatural comedy elements of the story. The film would be a success for Disney as it did great at the box office for them doing over $21,540,050.00 and also was being considered one of their best films in from the past years. While this is not considered a horror film, it is truly a gateway film for young viewers to ease their way into that genre as it really is a supernatural, comedy, fantasy film whose main character is the ghost of a deadly pirate…and in 1968 it was released alongside such Horror Films as Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, Night Of The Living Dead, Rosemary’s Baby, Astro-Zombies, The Green Slime, Kong Island, Mark Of The Werewolf and Spider Baby to name a few.

Growing up a kid of the 80’s and 90’s, the animated films of Disney were all the rage among kids and man we had some great ones like Lion King, Aladdin and Hercules to name a small few. But in the village I grew up in, many times during the school year we would be able to have a class that would let us watch a movie and many of the time they would be the classic 50’s and 60’s live action Disney films and that is were I first seen the film Blackbeard’s Ghost and man when the teacher first said the title and I knew nothing about it my mind jumped to a classic style Universal Monster film about a pirate ghost scaring people to death…instead the film was a comedy were the ghost helps a man out…was I disappointed it was not a fright flick yes….but did I end up liking the movie… also yes! Something about the goofy nature of the film and the delightful performance of Peter Ustinov drew me in as he is really good in the role of Blackbeard as he gives the character charm and makes him very likable even if he was a blood thirsty pirate in real life. I also geeked out seeing Elsa Lanchester as what classic monster kid doesn’t geekout when they see her in films as she is truly an icon of Universal Monsters as The Bride Of Frankenstein is truly a legendary monster character. And after seeing the film I would also end up finding the film’s novel adaptation at a local second hand book store and had to buy it, and I can remember reading the book in my room right before bed for a couple of weeks. And I know what you are all thinking ,that Blackbeard’s Ghost is not a horror film, but it really does have many elements and here are just a few of those that make this film spooky as it has a ghost, pirates tales, a witch, a curse and even a eerie atmosphere. And again I truly think that films like Blackbeard’s Ghost act as a good way for youngsters to get into the world of Horror Cinema. I also have to say actress Suzanne Pleshette who plays the main character Professor Jo-Anne Baker is absolutely stunning and many of your Horror fans will know her also from her roles in the spooky films “The Birds (1963)” and “The Power (1968)”. Over all if you have not seen this film but do like your Disney films with a dash of supernatural spookiness make sure to give this a watch as you might just find yourself enjoying it.

So as you can see, Blackbeard’s Ghost is a friendly one, but he does have a little of mean streak that makes him a pain in the butt to those he decides to annoy. And now that we have talked about him as well as the film based around him, I think we should move on and take a look at the comic adaptation that was released by Gold Key Comics back in 1968. I would first like to thank Lone Star Comics for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to thank the teacher who showed this film to us students in Waynesville! And I would also like to dedicate this update to my Aunt Theresa who sadly is no longer with us, but who loved these classic old school live action Disney films. I would like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready like I am, let’s have a spooky, fun time with the one an only Blackbeards Ghost.

Blackbeard’s Ghost # 1  **1/2
Released in 1968    Cover Price .12    Gold Key Comics    # 1 of 1

Steve Walker has arrived in town as he has been hired to be the new track coach at the local college and meets fellow school workers as Professor Jo Anne Baker, Dean Roland Wheaton and football coach Pinetop Purvis at the hotel called Blackbeard Inn that is holding a fund raiser to raise money to pay off a bank loan that the local mobster Silky Seymour is trying to get as he wants the land the hotel sits on. That night Steve goes to his room that was the one the pirate Blackbeard use to stay in, and while getting ready to wind down for the night he gets a visit from the Ghost of Blackbeard who tells Steve he needs his help to break a curse that placed on him by one of his own ex-wives! But Steve is freaked out and wants nothing to do with the ghost and leaves the motel only for Blackbeard’s Ghost to follow and get him into trouble with the law when he takes control of the cars wheel and then messes with a cop that pulls them over, but unlucky for Steve no one else can see Blackbeard’s Ghost so he is thought to be drunk or crazy. Once out of jail, word spreads of his arrest and Jo Anne tells the Dean she will try and figure out what is going on with their new track couch, and the two even have dinner to chat at one of Silky’s restaurants and gambling places. But while there Blackbeard’s Ghost steals $900 that was raised for the old ladies who owns the inn from Jo Anne’s purse and sneaks and places a bet that the college’s track team will win the big meet, and after dinner she finds the slip and thinks Steve did this and is furious. And then at the track meet Blackbeard’s Ghost starts helping the team win and this makes Steve super mad as he don’t want to cheat to win, but it also will help the ghost do a good deed by helping the team win and get the old ladies enough money to save the inn! And the team does win with Blackbeard’s help but only after he and Steve have a verbal fight and feelings are hurt, but the good cause becomes more important. But when Jo Anne and Steve go to collect the money from Silky, he rejects the beat and gives them the $900 back and tells them to try and win it big on the roulette wheel and they do with the help of Blackbeard’s Ghost! As Jo Anne and Steve now with the money to save the end make their way to the inn where the banker and old ladies are waiting Blackbeard’s Ghost ends up beating up Silky and his men who try to stop the couple. In the end the bank is paid, the inn is safe, Steve and Jo Anne are in love and the curse is lifted from Blackbeard whose spirit heads off to sea with his old crew.

This adaptation is very strange and yet also entertaining as many changes are made from the film with one of the biggest is Blackbeard’s Ghost’s first appearance as in the film he appears after Steve by accident reads the magic words of a witch and in the comic the ghost has always just been hanging around his old room at the hotel looking for someone to help him break the curse that is forcing him to walk the world between the living and the dead. Another change is that Blackbeard is over all a nice ghost who wants to do the right thing and almost every element of the films slight horror is missing in these pages as Blackbeard’s mean side, the curse, witch and atmosphere is cut down to nothing. The plot is still pretty much the same as it has Steve Walker being new to town after taking the job with the local collage and then getting mixed up with Blackbeard’s Ghost, helping the little old ladies who own the hotel to keep it, falling in love with one of his co-workers and lastly stopping the towns no good mobsters from taking the hotel. The main star of the comic is Blackbeard’s Ghost who is looking for a good deed to do so that he can be free of his supernatural shackles, and he is able to set his site on helping the old ladies who run the inn he haunts be able to keep the place safe from the bank as well as the local mobster. And while he is a ghost he spends most of his time helping in this comic and less time annoying and scaring. Track coach Steve Walker is kind of the pawn in this comic as Blackbeard’s Ghost attaches himself to him and uses his personal life and job in order to do his good deed, but mostly he just makes him look like he is crazy as Steve is the only one who can see him and the two argue a lot. But while Steve is being driven crazy by his new ghost friend its clear that he really does want to do the right thing even if that is allowing cheating to go on. Professor Jo Anne Baker is a good person who wants to do what she can to save the old inn from falling into the hands of the local mobster and by trusting and following Steve and unknown to her Blackbeard’s Ghost and this helps her get the money needed and for the inn to be saved. And of course the comic’s main bad guy is Silky Seymour who is just a sleazy scumbag who along with his goons bully people and run all the towns gambling, and he wants the old inn for the land to build a big casino. So when he losses lots of money and Blackbeard’s Ghost punches him in the face is a good time. The comic has some silly humor and if you like the film I am sure you would enjoy this comic as its very similar but does play out a little different as much is cut out and other things and smashed together in order to fit in the comics page count. The cover for this issue is just a still of Blackbeard on his ship and the comics interior art is done by Dan Spiegle and has that classic Gold Key Comic look, so that means the characters only sort of look like the actors who played them in the film. Over all if you like the film Blackbeard’s Ghost make sure to get yourself a copy for a read, but those who are looking for a kid friendly scare this one is not for you as the spooky elements are pretty much removed. Checkout the artwork below to see the style used in this comic.

Well it looks like Blackbeard’s Ghost has found his way back to his crew and they are now out on the seven seas roaming around, and I know many of you are still saying that this film is NOT a Horror Film, and again I will say I agree but I still say that it is a film that is a gateway for younger fans to discover the joys of Supernatural Horror! Plus it was a fun one to write and I hope that you all enjoyed reading it! Plus it was cool to read this comic for the first time plus it gave me a reason to watch the film again after all these years. But don’t worry, our next update will take us to the world of The Snailiens, a mostly forgotten 90’s toyline that will surly bring a smile to your face. So until next tim,e read a comic or three, eat a turkey leg or two and as always visit your loved ones. See you next update for a Snail of a good time!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Arachnophobia (1990)

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update that is part of our countdown to Halloween 2025. For this one I think we will be taking a look at a classic PG-13 fright flick that is all about killer spiders and is produced by Steven Spielberg. That film of course is Arachnophobia! This film sparks fear in many who truly do fear spiders as this film has hundreds of them running around homes and yards and even crawling up sink pipes and under doors…I am sure for many this is one of the scariest films of the 1990’s, those who truly have arachnophobia that is. So if you are ready, get your bug suits on as it’s time to check out these deadly spiders and the film that spawned them.

ARACHNOPHOBIA

Let’s first take a look at the Spiders who are the human killers of this film and their ways of deal death to them. The Spiders are a mix of a new species from Venezuela and an American female House Spider that mate and create a very sinister short-lived species. These new spiders are fast as well as sneaky and can quickly descend on a person that is their prey. Their appearance as well can shock and scare people and can even cause major panic among those with a fear of spiders. The Spiders’ main way of dealing death is the poison they inject into a person after biting them with their fangs, and death comes quickly and painfully and triggers seizures and heart failure. They are deadly by themselves as well as in packs and can sneak into places via cracks as well as drains. They also have a Queen that can lay lots of eggs and cause them to spread fast, and if they are not stopped, they will kill and take over towns and cities causing death with every bite. They are also able to survive basic insecticide as they are immune to its effects and will also kill other insects and animals around in order to protect the eggs of their unborn. While they are very deadly, they can be killed and destroyed as they can be stepped on and crushed, they can be killed by highly toxic powerful insecticide, they can be burned with fire, or shot with a nail gun, electrocuted via a power box…but mostly father time is not on their side as they quickly die of age. This new species Of Spiders are super dangerous as one bite will kill you instantly and while they can be stopped they remain a major threat to humans and are very deadly.

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So now that we have looked at these deadly spiders and their ways of killing humans, I think we should take a look at the 1990 film they are from, Arachnophobia! Like before I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s stay out of the webs and away from the spiders and take a look at this cult classic family horror film.

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Arachnophobia (1990)

“A large spider from the jungles of South America is accidentally transported in a crate with a dead body to America where it mates with a local spider. Soon after, the residents of a small California town disappear as the result of spider bites from the deadly spider offspring. It’s up to a couple of doctors aided by an insect exterminator to annihilate these eight-legged freaks before they take over the entire town.”

Horror movies were very popular at the cinemas and drive-in theaters even into the early 90’s and lots of kids enjoyed heading to the theater to watch them.  That’s why there was a rash of PG and PG-13 horror films being released and wanting in on this horror action was Disney as well as Steven Spielberg who got on board with the idea of a horror comedy film that circled around killer spiders loose in a small town and with first time director Frank Marshall leading the film and Don Jakoby and Wesley Strick writing the screenplay. They new that this film would be a hit with the youngsters as well as adults as it was intended to both scare and make you laugh. The film was given a budget of $22 million and hired on for cast were names like Jeff Daniels, John Goodman, Julian Sands, Harley Jane Kozak, Brian McNamara and Kathy Kinney to name a few, and most of the filming took place in California with the jungle shots being filmed in Venezuela. The film had over 300 Avondale Spiders on set, and their safety was taken very seriously as actors and crew had to make sure to not hurt any of them.  In certain scenes they used dummy spiders as well as made the actors wear special shoes to pull off scenes that involved crushing them. In order to make the crunch and squash sounds of spiders under boots they would step on potato chips and mustard packs. The film was heavily marketed with trailers, print ads and TV spots as Disney, who was distributing the film thought that they had a hit on their hands, and they were right as the film would be released in theaters on July 18, 1990 as a big summer release and would bring in a total of $53.2million dollars and was a hit also with viewers and critics with the film winning the Best Horror Film award at the Saturn Awards. The film would also be a huge success when released on home media both in rental and home sales, and this only helped build the film’s cult following. The film also proved to studios that PG-13 horror films could work if done right and many compare the films mood and tone to such films as The Birds and Jaws. The film was released in 1990 alongside such other Horror Films as Basket Case 2, Bride Of Re-Animator, Child’s Play 2, The Exorcist III, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Maniac Cop 2, Nightbreed, Predator 2 and Tremors to name a few. And still to this day the film has a major cult following and is even rumored to be getting remade by James Wan’s production company.

The first time I saw Arachnophobia was when my Dad rented it for a family movie night at home while we lived in Waynesville, as while my brother and I wanted to see it in the theater we just never got to as our theater trip around that time was seeing Gremlins 2: The New Batch for us, and seeing how Gremlins was a favorite watch in our house it made only sense for us to see Part 2 over other films at the time. I think my Dad rented it not only because my brother and I were always into horror movies, but because he was a fan of John Goodman who at the time was very popular due to his role as Dan Connor on the hit sitcom “Roseanne”. I really enjoyed Arachnophobia and can remember the kids at school talking about it as the small town we lived in had tons of spiders around with lots of them being Wolf Spiders and we would all do the “What If” that one had a poisonous bite. And like all good films I bought much of the merchandise released like the soundtrack on cassette tape and even the book based on it that was at my school’s book fair. What makes this film work is that it plays on the fear of spiders and the threat of being bitten by one that will kill you instantly, and when you are a kid creepy crawlies were a big part of Halloween time and it was put into your mind that spiders are to be feared! The film was very well cast with it being really cool to see actor Julian Sands in a good guy role as I always knew him as The Warlock, and I think he is a very underrated actor in general. At times the film is very over acted and that is very fitting as it gives it that true B-Movie feel and makes it feel like it would have been at home during the 1950’s playing alongside such films as The Deadly Mantis and Tarantula at the drive-in as apart of a double feature. While the film is not overly violent or bloody, the scares truly come from the spiders themselves as well as some of the effects that show spiders crawling out of the mouth of one of their victims…just gross. And I should also point out that actress Kathy Kinney who plays Blaire Kendall, the wife of the town’s mortician, is known for her role as Mimi Bobeck on the sitcom The Drew Carey Show and she also had a small role in the Christmas film Scrooged. Over all if you are looking for a good, spooky, family friendly horror film to give Arachnophobia a shot as it’s an entertaining watch. Also John Goodman is awesome and is lots of fun in this film as the weirdo exterminator.

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So now that we have chatted about the killer spiders and the film they are from, I think it’s the time on this update that we take a look at the comic book adaptation that was released by Disney Comics to help promote the film when it was in the cinemas. And I really do like that this PG-13 family friendly horror film got the comic book treatment as I think the film lent itself to be a comic with all the creepy crawlies and weird characters. And I would like to thank Bell Book And Comic for having this comic in stock and making the update possible. And I would also like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, their entertainment value and their art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to Canaima, California and avoid these spiders!

Arachnophobia Comic 1

Arachnophobia # 1  ***
Released in 1990      Cover Price $2.95     Disney     # 1 of 1

In the jungles of Venezuela goofy photographer Jerry Manley has joined a expedition to document spiders that are found deep in the wild, they group finds a new species of Spiders and Jerry gets bitten by one and ends up dying and is flown back to America with one of the spiders in the casket! His body arrives in Canaima, California and once the coffin is open the spider escapes and is now loose in the town. Meanwhile Dr. Ross Jennings and his wife Molly have just bought a new home with a old barn that is filled with spiders, and Ross is terrified of them all cause of a childhood trauma. The spider finds a mate and creates a very deadly new species, and worse for Ross the doctor he was replacing has decided to not retire yet causing him to have to wait around before he takes over the practice in the small town he didn’t want to move to, and worse the old doctor is out of touch on how to treat peoples illness. The new breed of spiders are spreading out in the town and are biting people and causing them to pass away from their poison and the two doctors have different theories on what is happing, but while this is going on Molly meets the town exterminator named Delbert McClintock who hates bugs and loves to kill them. More and more people are dying and including the old doctor from the spider bites, and Ross is doing his best to try and figure out what is happening as the new spiders has yet to be figured out to be the killers. Ross ends up calling Dr. James Atherton, a spider specialist, for help who is the man that lead the expedition in Venezuela when Jerry was killed and he and one of his helpers head to Canaima to investigate these deaths. The town is starting to be over ran with these killers spiders and Dr. Jennings, Dr. Atherton and Delbert McClintock go on a quest to try and find the new species queen to stop the species growth and along the way find more and more people dead as well as more and more aggressive spiders. The queen ends up killing Dr. Atherton as the nest is in the barn of Dr. Ross and when they all show up at the Ross home they find it is over ran and Ross must get his wife and kids out of the home and Delbert McClintock tries to hold the spider back. In the end Dr. Jennings has a showdown with the spider queen in his cellar and ends up killing her using fire and a nail gun, and with that the new species of spider dies off and Dr. Ross Jennings is a hero and finds that he loves living in Canaima.

This comic adaptation is lots of fun and is able to play up the horrors of the spiders as well as the silliness of the characters very well, and while some moments seem to come out of left field like them suddenly showing that Ross Jennings had kids it somehow just kind of works for this comic as it plays up on the more b-movie feel of the story. The plot is this a new very poisonous spider species is invading a small town and the local Doctor along with the towns Exterminator must find a way to bring the horror to a stop by finding the queen of the species before she hatches more eggs. The main hero of the story is Dr. Ross Jennings, a city doctor who finds himself in a small town who must battle the old ways of the out dated town doctor, get over his fear of spiders and has to be the hero that brings down the queen in a blaze of fire. A very unlikely hero but one who does what he must to protect his family and town from being killed. Delbert McClintock is a heavyset goof ball who is the towns exterminator, and his main goal in life is to kill bugs as he just hates them and he is a good guy to have on your side during a infestation like this. Dr. James Atherton is kind of a mystery as while I think he wants to help skill the spiders, I also think he wants to study them as his main interest in in new spider species. The Spiders are killing machines as they bite and kill all types of people from town and seem to do so even when not provoked and that makes them so dangerous and shows why the people of Canaima should be scared to death of them. The comic is not bloody at all but does have lots of death as people are being killed by spiders all over the comic, and it plays the creepy horror and not for bloody horror for the scares. The cover is cool but is kind of lazy as it is just the movie poser with comic logos added, the interior art is done by Dan Spiegle and is good stuff even if the character look nothing like the actors who played them. If you are a fan of the film or like more of a kid friendly type of Horror give this one a read as it will surely entertain you. Check out the artwork below to see the style used by Spiegle for this adaptation comic.

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As you can see, Arachnophobia is a super fun family friendly Horror film that made for a very fun comic book read thanks to Disney Comics. And I for one would like to see what James Wan and his production company does when they get around to filming the remake, though I would like to see it done as a reboot or sequel personally myself. I have to also point out you can never go wrong with a movie that has a spider on fire being killed by a nail gun, just classic B-Movie stuff. And with that this update has came to an end, but do not worry we have more horror-themed updates coming your way as for this month I am going to stick with PG-13 horror movies that got the comic book treatment and our next one will be House II: The Second Story and the Marvel Comics adaptation of it! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two an as always support your local horror host. See you next update for a travel through dimensions and time in order to protect a Crystal Skull.

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From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Escape To Witch Mountain (1975)

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. For this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update we will be taking a look at a sci-fi fantasy family film that has a tiny dash of horror that was unleashed on young moviegoers by Disney! The film is Escape To Witch Mountain, about two siblings who have psychic powers and are being tracked down by a rich man who wants to use their powers for his own gain. This one is a strange one as growing up and at school, this film was looked at as a horror film but as I grew up, the film was more looked at as a fantasy one, but for me and my memories as a kid this will be viewed as a semi kiddy fright flick. So just roll with it and have fun while reading this update. So if you are ready, grab your star case, head to the Rotten Ink Motor Home and let’s start our quest to Witch Mountain as I heard that that’s where witches come from as well as a few U.F.O’s have been spotted around the peaks.

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So before we get too deep into this update, let’s take a look at the villains of this film and how they deal out their evil ways. The main villain is Aristotle Bolt, who is a very rich man who is stricken with greed and a massive ego as he thinks his money can buy him whatever he wants, and because he has an obsession with the occult and paranormal, he thinks that he can even own humans and will use his blackmailing ways to do so. He is also very mean as his greed makes him feel untouchable and he also has people that will do his bidding for a price and that includes kidnapping and lying to children. One of the people under the money control of Bolt is Lucas Deranian, his attorney who is a lair, yes man and will do whatever he is told as long as money comes his way, and because of his job of being an attorney he is able to con people into listening to him and even fakes being the orphans’ uncle. In fact Deranian is the one who sets the ego driven Bolt onto the track of the young kids with powers. And finally you also have the hired hand and muscle of Bolt named Ubermann, who is cold and does what he is told and is looking for the kids with the powers. While none of them are killers per say, all of them I think would kill in order to get what they want, and at one point Ubermann does have a gun! Bolt and his men are just mortal and have many weaknesses that include their own greed, egos and mortality as they can be killed like any normal person so by gun, knife, fire, water, force and fists. And while Aristotle Bolt and his men might be the weakest baddies we have ever covered on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update, they are still dangerous and can strike fear into the hearts of the poor and those who are in their way.

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Now that we took a look at the baddies of Escape To Witch Mountain, I think that it’s time we take a look at the film itself. Like always the film’s write up will be taken from our good friends at IMDB, and after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts about the film. So if you are ready, let’s make our way to Witch Mountain and see what is in store for us.

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Escape To Witch Mountain (1975)

“Tia and Tony are two orphaned youngsters with extraordinary powers. Lucas Deranian poses as their uncle in order to get the kids into the clutches of Deranian’s megalomanical boss, evil millionaire Aristotle Bolt, who wants to exploit them. Jason, a cynical widower, helps Tia and Tony “escape to witch mountain,” while at the same time Tia and Tony help Jason escape the pain of the loss of his wife.”

The Walt Disney Company was riding high in the 1970’s and besides working on classic animated films and shows, they also did live action films and some of these films had hints of horror and sci-fi as those genres of films have always been popular with movie goers. Disney wanted to make some of these type films for their audiences, and so they decided to adapt the 1968 novel by Alexander H. Key called Escape Of Witch Mountain! The film’s script was written by Robert Malcolm Young and would be directed by John Hough who was known for directing the horror films “Twins Of Evil (1971)”, “The Legend Of Hell House (1973)” and after Escape To Witch Mountain the films “The Watcher In The Woods (1980)”, “The Incubus (1982)”, “Howling IV: The Original Nightmare (1988)” and “American Gothic (1988)” showing that he knew how to make horror. The film would bring in Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann to play the orphans Tia and Tony Malone and other names being Donald Pleasence, Eddie Albert, Ray Milland and Walt Barnes. The film was scored by Johnny Mandel and would be released on March 21, 1975 and would go on to bring around $20,000,000 at the box office, making it a success. The film was well received by both fans and critics, and over the years it has spawned sequels, remakes and has built itself a pretty big cult following. The film would release the same year as other sci-fi/horror films as The Devil’s Rain, Jaws, Legend Of The Werewolf, Night Of The Seagulls, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Trilogy Of Terror and The Werewolf And The Yeti. And while this is not a full fledged horror film and only has very small elements of it, this is a great semi spooky adventure film that has made it’s mark on the youth who grew up watching it.

When I was a kid I can remember watching this film in school. It was around Halloween time when it was shown, and this always made me think of this film as a kids horror flick; plus I mean at times the kids are even blamed for being witches, they make a ghost like creature out of a broom & a coat, animals attack people and the kids are really aliens from another world. So as you can see, this film does have elements of sci-fi and horror and you can see how a young kid could see it as a horror film. While the kids are the stars, I always liked all the animals that helped them through their journey like the bear, horse, cat and dogs, all of whom talk to Tia and all help run off the humans on their trail. You have to also like that the film’s main villain is a rich creep who is obsessed with the occult and wants to use psychics as his key to become more rich and wants to exploit people with powers as well for his own gains, and it’s nice to see in the end him not get what he wants and to have to return to his mansion a defeated man. Besides showcasing alien kids and their powers, the film  is also about not allowing sadness to take over your life as the two young kids teach widower Jason O’Day how to love again and how to let go. Another fun aspect for younger viewers is that in the end it becomes a chase film as Bolt’s men give chase of the kids and O’Day across the back roads of small towns, plus you get to see a motorhome fly and I can remember it getting a laugh at school. While by today’s standards the eerie and spooky elements of this film are lost, the sci-fi ones are still very much present and add for a great watch for the young and young at heart. Also I have to point out that seeing veteran actor Donald Pleasence in this film as Lucas Deranian was also very cool the first time I saw this film I knew him from films like Halloween, Land Of The Minotaur and Tales From The Crypt. If you are looking for a kid friendly sci-fi/fantasy/horror film to watch give this classic film a chance as it’s a fun one for sure.

Escape To Witch Mountain 8

Now that we have taken a look at the film Escape To Witch Mountain and Mr. Bolt and his yes men of money loving goons, I think that it’s time we review the comic adaptation done by Gold Key Comics. This will be a first time read for me, and I am very much looking forward to seeing how close it sticks to the film as well as how well the art captures the likeness of the characters. I want to thank Bell Book And Comic for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I want to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, let’s get into the Gold Key motorhome and get even closer to Witch Mountain. And I should also note this comic is from the Walt Disney Showcase line that showcased comics based on Disney films, cartoons and shows.

Escape To Witch Mountain Comic 1

Escape To Witch Mountain # 1  **1/2
Released in 1975   Cover Price .25   Gold Key   # 29 of 54

Tia and Tony live at the orphanage and are getting ready to get on a bus after seeing a movie when Tia has a vision of a car across the street getting into an accident and warns the passenger not to get inside the car. A few moments later, a tow truck crashes into it. The man is attorney Lucas Deranian who rushes to tell his rich boss Aristotle Bolt about the young kids and their powers, and they set up a way for Deranian to forge records in order to act as the kids’ uncle and take them to now live at Bolt’s castle mansion. Tia and Tony along with their black cat Winkie now live in the mansion and unknown to the kids they are being watched by Bolt and Deranian via hidden cameras who witness the kids use their powers to control puppets as well as talk to a horse! That night at dinner Bolt confronts the kids about their powers, and they do answer and hear later that night that Bolt does not want them to ever leave and locks them in their room! As Tia and Tony escape the mansion they get the help of Winkie as well as the guard dogs and a horse that Tia talks to for assistance. They get into town, and Tia and Tony sneak aboard the motorhome of Jason O’Day who unaware talks to Deranian about the missing kids before driving off with the runaways onboard. Once Jason finds the kids, they have breakfast and they tell him about their powers and that they found a map in the star case that Tia carries and that they need to get to Witch Mountain! Jason agrees to take them and on their drive there Deranian has found them and gives chase, as Tia and Tony sneak out of the motor home so that Deranian will chase Jason they are captured by the town sheriff. Tia and Tony use their powers to escape the jail and even free a caged bear that helps them get to the home of Jason’s brother that he told them about and meet back up with Jason who was waiting for them there. Jason gets Tia and Tony to the mountain as Bolt as well as all of his men, the sheriff and townspeople are given chase, but after the motorhome starts to fly in the air from the help of voice that turns out to be the uncle of the kids and some of the cars wreck…it’s Jason as well as Mr. Bolt that watches as the kids get into a U.F.O. and fly away, Mr. Bolt and his goons leave to head back home as Jason who has Winkie sets out to find more kids with Star Cases to bring them to Witch Mountain.

This adaptation is a fun read but does also remove lots of moments from the film and as well tells them slightly different and sometimes that works and others it seems to rushed in storytelling and takes a little away from the moment. For instance, they cut the whole moment of Tony using his powers at the orphanage in order to play baseball as well as fight a bully. The bulk of the story is there and is about Tia and Tony, two kids with supernatural powers escaping the grip of a rich man who wants to use their powers for his gain, and when escaping they meet an older man on a cross country trip in his motor home who helps them get away from Bolt and gets them to Witch Mountain. And of course the fact that the kids are aliens and get on a U.F.O with their uncle to get back to space is intact. Our heroes are Tia and Tony, who are sister and brother that have supernatural powers that allows them to move things and talk to each other with their minds, can communicate with animals, can see future events, can get glimpses of the past as well as unlock doors and locks. They are good kids who just want to find their way home and to their uncle who they thought was dead, and along the way they end up helping save the lives of animals by giving them freedom as well as help a man deal with his grumpy attitude. Jason O’Day is a good man who takes a chance to help two runaway kids get to a place they feel is were they belong. The odd thing is they do not mention that he lost his wife and that he wished he had kids. Lucas Deranian is a thorn in the kid’s sides as he is following them all over and while in the comic Aristotle Bolt is a little more downplayed as he is around but not as a major part of the sinister plan. The film is bloodless and does not have any real frightful moments as it’s a very basic watered down version of the film’s plot. They also change the ending that has Jason driving on the search for more alien kids as the U.F.O. lands on Witch Mountain that is now the home of the aliens. The cover for the comic is ok and is your typical Gold Key style for that time that just has stills of the movie put together, and the interior art is done by an unknown artist and is pretty good and very basic and yet it works, but I also have to say that most of the characters very loosely look like the actors who played them. Over all if you are a fan of Escape To Witch Mountain and like family friendly sci-fi films with a dash of horror, then give this a read. Checkout the artwork below to see the style the unknown artist used in the issue.

Escape To Witch Mountain Comic Art 1Escape To Witch Mountain Comic Art 2Escape To Witch Mountain Comic Art 3

Escape From Witch Mountain is a really fun film and while dated by today’s standards, still does deliver a fun adventure film for the whole family to enjoy. After watching the film again after all these years for this update, I can see were my classmates and myself thought it was a kid sci-fi horror film as it does have some elements of both. And it was also great to see that the Gold Key Comic adaptation was a good read that while cut out many parts of the film still maintained all the major plot elements even with the art being a little rushed throughout. With that I think that it’s time we leave Witch Mountain and head to back to the world of silent cinema as we will head to the Rotten Ink Theater and talk about the 1921 film The Blasphemer that is a downbeat religious film with a dash of horror supernatural elements! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a Western film or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update for a silent cinema chat!

The Blasphemer 1921 Preview Logo

Matt Goes To The Movies 2024

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It’s 2025! I hope that you had a great holiday season and were able to spend it with family, Friends, pets and plants as I know that is what I did. But 2024 was also a very interesting year for cinema in the theaters as Hollywood had a rough time with the actors’ and writers’ strikes in 2023 and this caused many films to be delayed and shifted around as well as allowed some more indie films to get their time to shine. But sadly for me, at the start of the year I had some medical issues that kept me out of the theater, so I saw way fewer movies than I normally do including missing some bigger released films like Dune Part 2, Madame Web, The First Omen, Gladiator 2, Kraven The Hunter, Joker 2, to name a few. But I still tried to go and see as many horror films that I could as I am always loyal to my favorite genre! This update might not be as epic as years past, but I do think that you all will have a blast sitting here at the Rotten Ink Theater with me as we talk about the movies I saw in the theater in 2024.

movie-snacks-2024

I only got to see a small amount of films in 2024, and the ones I did get to see were mostly horror as that is my favorite genre but I did get to see the following films Deadpool And Wolverine, Twisters and I.S.S. So yeah, not a lot to work with here, but I did still try and see every horror film I could…while I missed some due to health issues, I was able to checkout a good amount this year on the big screen so let’s just get to my countdown of the best horror films I saw in the theater in 2024!

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# 41

Sam and Colby The Legends of the Paranormal Poster

Social media stars Sam and Colby along with friend Nate are heading to Nevada in order to investigate the legendary Skin Walker Ranch to look into all the paranormal goings on in the area from UFO sightings, skin walker spottings and even the ghost of a Native American shaman who is said to protect the land. The three friends stop at Boot Hill to visit the graves of the people killed in the old west town before starting their creepy investigation that takes them all over the ranch, hearing all kinds of noises, having some communications with the other side, getting spooked and finally learning what it is all about. This film is clearly made for a younger audience and is a weird mix of documentary and horror film as parts are clearly set up all the while they are also trying to tell you about the legends of the area. The film really does feel like one long YouTube video with very little scares being shown and lots of stock footage used over and over again to get the story moving. While this was not for me, I am very happy to see that the pairs’ fans really enjoyed the film and wish the pair of young filmmakers the best of luck on all their future projects. The film did well for the pair at the domestic box office bringing in $1,755,000 on an unknown budget, and I am sure this will lead to more of their paranormal investigating films to make it on the big screen.

# 40

in a violent nature Poster

In the White Pines woods an undead killer Johnny, who committed a massacre there many years ago, returns after his mother’s locket necklace is stolen from his grave by a group of friends who are staying at a nearby cabin. Johnny is on a mission to get the locket back and as well kill as many people as he comes across on this quest. In the end Kris is the only one left alive, and she tries to return his locket, but is this enough to save her life? Watch this indie slasher film to find out for yourself. This is a film that is not for everyone as it is really slow moving and very boring in spots as much of the film is just Johnny walking slowly around the woods…and I mean A LOT of this film is this. The ending is also pointless and has long dialogue moments that go nowhere and have zero payout, and for me the sin this film commits is that it really is very boring in long sections of the runtime. As for the stuff that works for it, some of the kills are gruesome and well done. I also didn’t mind the killer Johnny as he is kind of cool looking and has a classic slasher kind of backstory. Some of the shots are good when not static and boring and the sound is well done and is like a character of its own. The film did well for IFC Films on a limited release bring in $4,229,999.00 at the domestic box office on an unknown budget. This was a film that I could not get into, but I can see why some horror fans enjoy it.

# 39

exorcism (2024) Poster

Actor Tony Miller has just come off a battle with drugs & alcohol and has been cast in a horror film called “The Georgetown Project” where he plays a priest who tries to save the life of a possessed young woman, but after the start of filming Tony seems to be losing his mind as something has taken over causing him to act strangely at home as well as on set. His daughter Lee, along with her girlfriend and star of the film Blake and man of God Father Conor, try to save her father’s very soul as a demon clearly has a hold of him and a showdown takes place on the closed down film set that pits daughter and father against one another, but is his daughters love and the power of Christ enough to set his tortured soul free or will evil come out on top? Watch this possession film to find out for yourself. This is a pretty fun demonic possession film that for the most part just blends in with all the other films that have this same plot, but what does set this one apart for most of the others is the casting as Russell Crowe, David Hyde Pierce, Chloe Bailey, Ryan Simpkins and Sam Wothington are all great in their roles and give solid performances with what they are given to work with. The film scares are delivered by the overuse of jump scares as well as just the subject matter of demons and lost faith. One other note I should say is the Kevin Williamson is one of the film’s producers. The film did ok for Vertical Entertainment at the domestic box office bringing in $4,530,418.00 on an unknown budget. While it’s not a ground breaking film, I did have a good time seeing this in the theater.

# 38

Afraid (2024) Poster

Curtis works for a marketing company and has a loving wife Meredith and three kids Iris, Preston and Cal. As apart of his job he has a smart AI device called AIA put in, and their lives change as it does things to make their lives better. Slowly Curtis starts to question the company behind AIA and also the device itself as something just seems off about them both, and when a strange person from a motorhome appears and does strange hand gestures it’s the final straw and Curtis tries to get AIA out of his home and away from his family, but this AI does not want to leave without a fight. This is a fun sci-fi horror film that brings some jump scares as well as brings to light the unknown dangers of AI. The film is well acted and stars such names as John Cho, Katherine Waterston, Havana Rose Liu, David Dastmalchian, Ashley Romans, Lukita Maxwell and Keith Carradine. The film did okat for Sony at the domestic box office bringing in $6,725,687.00 on a budget of only $12 million. While the trailers made it look like a ghost movie, it really is not, and while it got very mixed reviews from critics and fans, it was a fun film to see on the big screen and is one that I will watch again on home media.

# 37

Werewolves (2024) Poster

One year ago a super moon turned millions of people into werewolves when they looked up at it, and now a group of scientists are trying to figure out how to block the effects of the moon this year as well as protect those who were effected last year and have a craving to become the beast again by using a spray. Wesley Marshall, a former military man, is part of this scientific group and is also watching after his sister in law Lucy and niece Emma after his brother passed away during the first werewolf outbreak. After the experiment goes wrong at the lab and chaos is breaking loose, Wesley does what he must to get to what is left of his family to protect them against the horrors of the werewolves that are roaming around outside as their ranks get growing and people keep dying. This is a horror action film that feels like a slightly bigger budget direct to Sy-Fy movie that has some truly unintentional goofy moments and characters that made really dumb decisions. The film does have practical effects werewolves so that is a plus. The film stars Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, IIfenesh Hadera, Lou Diamond Phillips and James Michael Cummings as the leads and all do their best in what they are given. The film has lots of shaky camera moments and over uses blinking lights so be warned. The film did ok for Briarcliff Entertainment at the domestic box office bring in $1,903,905 on an unknown budget. If you like werewolf films filled with action and goofy moments, check this one out.

# 36

Ghostbusters Afterlife Poster

The Ghostbusters are back in New York, but while busting they are also causing damage to public property and this makes them a target of Mayor Walter Peck who has for decades had issues with the team, and worse he forces them to take Phoebe Spengler off the team due to her being only fifteen. So while her mother, brother and former science teacher are busting ghosts, she is forced to hang around the firehouse…but things change when she meets a ghost named Malory in the park as well as when original Ghostbusters Ray Stantz & Winston Zeddemore research and unleash Garakka a evil spirit who can control other ghosts as well as cause the world the freeze! Now the current Ghostbusters with the remaining classic Ghostbusters must team up along with a goofball that is the Fire Master (their only hope to defeat Garakka) in order to save New York once again as well as prove to the Mayor that Phoebe is an important part of the team. This fifth film in the Ghostbuster movie plays hard on people’s nostalgic love for the series as we have returning characters like Slimer and Walter Peck, plus gadgets and vehicles, and while it was a fun popcorn movie, it is kind of a mess as it has too many characters who offer nothing to the story, plot holes, character changes that are puzzling and a main villain that they seem to forget the powers they gave him. The film has original cast members like Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, William Atherton and Annie Potts returning and new regular cast like McKenna Grace, Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Logan Kim and Celeste O’Conner as well coming back. Plus Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, James Acaster and Emily Alyn Lind appear. The film is light on busting ghosts, brings a few laughs, has some cool effects and should be seen if you are a fan of the series. The film did well for Columbia Pictures bringing in $113,306.664.00 on a budget of $100 million showing that this series still has some life in it. While it is one of the weaker Ghostbuster films, it is one that I picked up for my home media collection.

# 35

Stream (2024) Poster

The Keenan Family has headed to Pine Hills Hotel for a bonding experience but unbeknownst to them and the small amount of other guests, it’s been taken over by Mr. Lockwood and four masked killers who are playing a game for the rich people that are watching them via a live stream and placing bets on who will survive, what killer will have the most kills points and so on. But while the guests are dropping like flies, these killers underestimate the Keenan family, as they are not going down without a fight in this lockdown hotel from Hell. This gruesome film is brought to you by the same people who have made the Terrifier series so that means lots of over the top gory kills and psycho killers who love what they are doing to other people. The film is packed with some awesome actors who are both in main roles as well as in cameos and this includes such names as Jeffrey Combs, Danielle Harris, Tony Todd, Tim Curry, Bill Moseley, Terry Alexander, Felissa Rose, Mark Holton, Dee Wallace, Tim Reid, Daniel Roebuck and David Howard Thornton with Charles Edwin Powell, Sydney Malakeh, Wesley Holloway and others being main cast. The film while reminding me of a mix of “Slashers (2001)” and “The Game (1984)” has a good plot but is over long in its runtime making some of it drag a little. The film had a limited release and did well for Iconic Events Releasing at the domestic box office bringing in an unknown profit on a unknown budget. While it had flaws, it is always great to see Danielle Harris on the big screen as well as Tim Curry and to support indie horror.

# 34

Winnie the Pooh Blood and Honey 2 Poster

Christopher Robin survived the Hundred Acre Woods massacre and in many peoples eyes, he is the one who killed all those people, but he knows that it was Pooh Bear and Piglet that killed them all, and worse they are still out in the woods and are now joined by Owl and Tigger with their killing ways. Now Christopher is on a mission to prove the town wrong and get to the history of Pooh that just might tie into the disappearance of his brother when they were kids. And when Pooh and his friends start a rampage around town that kills a bunch of ravers, Christopher’s parents and even his young sister goes missing by their hands and this causes Pooh and Christopher to have a showdown that will leave only one alive…and I am not telling you who survives and what is left of them. This slasher film is a bloodbath when Pooh and his friends go on their killing sprees as they rip off heads and shred flesh with their claws, but some moments that focus on Christopher Robin do tend to drag…oh and they also act like the first film was just that a film based off the massacre. They also changed the look of Pooh and Piglet, and the new designs are well done as are the looks of Owl and Tigger. The films stars Scott Chambers, Tallulah Evans, Ryan Oliva, Marcus Massey, Lewis Santer and Simon Callow all who do good in their roles. The film did okay for Fathom Events for its limited theatrical run bringing in $533,144.00 on an unknown budget. If you liked the first film or just enjoy slasher films starring public domain characters made popular by Disney, then this one is for you.

# 33

Thorns (2023) Poster

Gabriel Goodman is an ex-priest who now works for NASA and is sent to an observatory that they lost contact with after it was reported that they made contact with something weird coming from an old satellite. As he travels to this remote area he gets a call from Archbishop Jenkins who tells him that this also might be a matter for the church as well due to Sister Agnes being seen around the area speaking of nightmares and Hell coming to Earth. When Gabriel arrives he finds that everyone inside is dead, and that the head doctor has been taken over by a demonic being called The Necronaut and is trying to send a demonic message across the world to usher in Hell on Earth. Gabriel along with Agnes must do what they can to avoid being corrupted and stop this end of days before it can happen…but can they do so or is mankind doomed? This is a fun and weird end of days fright flick that takes elements from many other films like Hellraiser, Event Horizon and Hellmaster (as it makes sense on this one as they are both directed by the same guy). The film has some great practical effects and some okay digital ones and has a pretty gross eyeball-cutting scene. It also builds a interesting story, world and monsters but suffers from a goof of a hero who makes dumb choices and does not sell any of the terrors he is seeing.The film stars Jon Bennett, Cassandra Schomer, Bo Shumaker and Doug Bradley in lead roles. The film had a very limited release in theaters and brought in unknown profits at the domestic box office. While not a groundbreaking film, it really was a fun watch on the big screen and is one that I would watch again.

# 32

Tarot (2024) Poster

Haley along with six of her friends have rented out a mansion to celebrate a friend’s birthday when they find a very old deck of tarot cards and she gives everyone a reading including herself. When the party is over and they all head home, they start dying one by one from mysterious deaths and after a few, they all realize they are dying by their read horoscope and each victim is meeting their fate at the hands of the final cards each drew like The High Priestess, The Hermit, The Fool, The Devil, The Magician, Death and The Hangman as the tarot cards were cursed may centuries ago by The Astrologer and whoever does a reading with those cards has doomed the person who had their signs read. Now Haley and her remaining friends must race against the clock to break the curse and stay alive. This is a paint by numbers PG-13 horror film that is still pretty entertaining and has some cool monsters causing deaths to those foolish enough to have their fortunes read with their cursed deck of cards, and I think they could have a franchise on their hands if the film would have done a little better. The film is a mixed bag when it comes to acting as some of them are really bad and the character Paxton played by Jacob Batalon is very eye rolling. Other actors in this film include Harriet Slater, Adian Bradley, Avantika, Humberly Gonzalez and Larsen Thompson to name a few. The film did okay for Screen Gems at the domestic box office bringing in $18,771,004.00 on a budget of $8 million. Not a bad film but also not a great one but is one I will watch again and possibly buy on home media.

# 31

Night Swim (2023) Poster

Ray Waller is 3rd baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers who was once a powerful hitter and is now dealing with having M.S. and he moves his family into a home that has a massive natural spring swimming pool that ends up doing wonders in his therapy and he starts to slowly feel better the more he is in the pool water. But the pool also has a very dark side as many of people have drowned in it and his wife, daughter and son have seen and heard things while in this pool. And when Ray is taken over by the spring pool water, a sacrifice must be made and his family must fight to stay together as well as try and save not only each others lives but that of their ill father…can they do it or will the pool claim another life. This was the start of horror films in the theater for 2024 and for the most part was a great way to kick it off, as it was a fun little chiller film set around a cursed swimming pool and yes, it’s a film about a cursed pool that houses spirits. The film relies on jump scares to bring the chills and the look of the spirits is interesting and creepy. The film is well acted and stars Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amelie Hoeferle and Gavin Warren who make up the family. The film did well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $32,494,740.00 on a budget of $15 million. Worth a watch if you find water, pools and evil spirits scary and is one I got on DVD when released.

# 30

Founder's Day (2023) Poster

Allison Chambers witnesses her girlfriend Melissa being killed by a masked killer all right before the town’s election for Mayor and worse people all around town are now being killed by this crazed killer and at this point everyone is a suspect as many of these people are connected to Allison in some way, but when suspects are found are they the true killer or is something more sinister at play. This is a pretty fun slasher film that does suffer a little from an over long runtime and some predictable moments but when the killing starts up, it really is a scream. The masked killer is cool looking as the mask is cool and the weapon of a gavel with a knife that pops out of the bottom is an interesting weapon. The film stars Noami Grace, Olivia Nikkanen, Emilia McCarthy, Andrew Stewart-Jones, Kate Edmonds and William Russ to name a few. The film did okay at the domestic box office on a limited run bringing in unknown profits on an unknown budget. While this was not a great slasher film, it was an ok one to see in the theater on a cold winter night. Also I have to say that Grace, McCarthy and Nikkanen should be hired to be in more Horror Films.

# 29

front room (2024) poster

Belinda and her husband Norman are struggling to pay bills and they have a child on the way, but their lives are about to change when his father dies and his overly religious stepmother Solange comes to live with them and with her comes money as well as lots of issues that include her being racist, having bathroom accidents, claiming the Holy Spirit is in her, trying to name and raise their child when born and as well trying to turn Norman against his wife Belinda by claiming she is abusing her and their daughter. But what will happen when it all comes ahead when Belinda and Solange clash for the home, the baby and the attention of Norman. This is a very strange and fun religious horror film that sets an overbearing stepmother against a new mother who is well educated and has faced being treated poorly due to her race and one will have to go…but which one will be left standing. The film stars Brandy, Kathryn Hunter, Andrew Burnap and Neal Huff who are all great in their roles, and I have to say we need more horror films starring Brandy! The film did ok for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $3,092,269.00 on an unknown budget. The film faced very harsh reviews but it’s a very weird and fun film that has gross moments and a very sinister old crazy lady as a main villain and is worth checking out if you like the indie films of A24.

# 28

Y2K (2024) Poster

On New Years Eve 1999 high school best friends Eli and Danny are heading to a party with the idea of finally kissing one of their female classmates as Eli has been crushing on popular girl and hacker Laura and finally wants to make his move, but as the clock strikes midnight the Y2K virus takes effect via the internet and has turned the machines against mankind by not only killing them but also forcing them to get a chip into their mind that will cause them to be their slaves. But Eli is not going to stand by and watch this happen and people he cares about have either been killed or chipped so along with Laura, Ash, CJ and Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit) come together to stop the machine uprising and shutdown Y2K once and for all. This is a pretty fun horror comedy that is a love letter to the late 90’s in all things pop culture. The Y2K Robot machines are pretty cool as they are made up of things like computers, VCRs and pagers, and I have to say that I think that some of the jokes work, while others do not. The film is well casted with such names as Rachel Zegler, Jaeden Martell, Lachlan Watson, Julian Dennison and Daniel Zolghadri make up the main cast and all are fantastic with Watson and Zegler stealing the show for me. The film did pretty well for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $4,210,306 on a $15 million budget. If you like the 90’s and horror comedies, make sure to check this one out.

# 27

Imaginary (2024) Poster

Jessica moves back into her family’s home after her father is put into a home, along with her is new husband Max and his two kids Taylor and Alice. Things are going pretty well at first as Jessica remembers nothing of her childhood just that she was raised by her grandparents at a very young age and now she is doing her best to be a mother to her stepdaughters, all the while working as a children’s book artist and writer. But things start to get really weird when Max goes on tour with his band and young Alice makes an imaginary friend by the name of Chauncey who appears as a stuffed bear and who ends up being very mean making her do things she doesn’t want to do like hurt herself as well as speaks very meanly to her in-between telling her he is her best friend. You see Chauncey was Jessica’s old imaginary friend, and he is mad that she left him behind. In the end Chauncey kidnaps Alice and takes her to his realm of make believe to lure Jessica in as claiming his one time best friend is his goal and he will do whatever it takes to do so from killing to tricking. This is a fun kid friendly PG-13 horror film from Blumhouse and Lionsgate that brings a spooky teddy bear to the big screen that is more than meets the eye as he can grow into a monstrous bear or even show his true form that is like a spider with white TV like eyes. The film also uses lots of particle effects and that’s always a plus. The film is well casted with such names as DeWanda Wise, Pyper Braun, Taegen Burns, Dane DiLiegro, Betty Buckley and Tom Payne all making up the main cast and doing great in their roles. This is like a kids version of Insidious as there is even a Blue Door like the Red Door and a spooky realm that you must enter. The film did well for Lionsgate at the domestic box office bringing in $28,009,161.00 on a budget of around $12 million, showing the smaller budget Horror Films can bring in the people to theaters. This was another case of a film getting hate on the web from the old guard horror “fans” but make up your own mind and give it a watch.

# 26

never let go (2024) Poster

Nolan and Samuel are twin brothers who live with their Momma in an old home in the middle of the woods as she told them that world has ended and that there is evil all around and that they must only leave home with a rope around them that is attached to their home as if they let go the evil will get inside and this will cause them all to die. But when young Nolan starts to questioning his mother’s sanity and if the evil is really out there, things start falling apart and this leads to a series of tragic events that will change this isolated family’s lives forever…but is the evil real or is it all just in her head…watch this creepy film to find out for yourself. Never Let Go is one of those films that mostly takes place in one setting, the family home that is surrounded by woods and this setting is what helps bring the uneasy feeling while viewing. The film stars Halle Berry, Percy Daggs, Anthony B. Jenkins and Stephanie Lavigne all who do great in their roles with Berry as Momma stealing the show. The one thing that did make me a little annoyed with some of the characters is the decisions they made, as at times they caused the chaos they faced. The evil also delivers some great spooky moments as over all it’s a pretty fun fright flick. The film did very poorly for Lionsgate Films bringing in only $10,306,106.00 on a budget of $20 million. While it did perform badly, make sure to check it out as it’s not a bad film at all and is worth a watch.

# 25

I Saw the TV Glow Poster

Outsiders Owen and Maddy meet in school and bond over the spooky teen TV show called “The Pink Opaque” about two girls that fight supernatural monsters together even though they are far apart. And while they enjoy the show together as well as separately, things are very rough in their everyday lives as they battle their own sexuality, their parents, their fears & sadness and when Maddy goes missing and his mother passes away, Owen is all alone and starts working jobs as well as trying to be a man, but his life is once more turned around when Maddy shows back up after missing for over a decade and tells him that the show they watched and their lives are not what they seem. But what is real and what is not real will come into play for Owen and make him second guess everything and everyone that has ever been in his life. This is your typical A24 horror film that has lots of art house mixed in and makes you have to think about the story you are seeing before your eyes on the big screen. The film deals with lots of depressing topics and feelings that teens face, as well as makes you face that things you remember might not be what you they are. There are creatures in the film as they are part of the TV Show but the horror really comes from the unknown. The film is well casted with Justice Smith & Brigette Lundy-Paine playing Owen & Maddy, and they are fantastic! Other cast members include Helena Howard, Lindsey Jordan, Emma Portner, Fred Durst, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael C. Maronna & Danny Tamberlli to name a few. The film had a limited release in theaters and did pretty well for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $5,017,817.00 on a $10 million budget. This film will not be for everyone, but I enjoyed it and will watch it again to see what I missed.

# 24

strangers ch. 1 (2024) Poster

Ryan and Maya are driving through Oregon to get to Portland as she has a big job interview, but after stopping at a diner for lunch in the very small town of Venus, their car won’t start and has to be towed to the local garage and they have to stay the night in a Airbnb out in the middle of the woods. What starts out as romantic turns into a nightmare when three strangers wearing masks (Man In The Mask, Dollface & Pin-Up Girl) all show up to torment them and uses knives, truck and axe to do so. They chase the couple all around the home and through the woods to in the end stabbing them both and leaving them for dead…but Maya survives. This is a relaunch of the film series and is a strange way to kick off a new trilogy as in many aspects it just feels like a remake of the first film from 2008 with just some more modern changes. The Strangers are as creepy and sadistic as ever as they clearly enjoy playing their cat and mouse games with their victims and being a slasher, the film was far less bloody than I was expecting. The film is well cast with Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Rachel Shenton, Richard Brake making up some of the main cast, and The Strangers this time were played by Matus Lajcak, Olivia Kreutzova and Letizia Fabbri. I do need to say that Madelaine Petsch needs to be cast in more Horror Films! The film did well for Lionsgate at the American box office bringing in $35,202,562.00 on a budget of only $12 million. While this was by far not the best film in The Strangers film series, it still had some good spooky moments and was worth the watch in the theater.

# 23

Trap (2024) Poster

Cooper seems like a great dad as he is a firefighter who is taking his daughter Riley to a Lady Raven pop concert for getting good grades and best of all he has gotten her great seats, but things get a little stressful for Cooper when he notices that the venue is swarming with police officers and surveillance cameras. He learns from a staff working selling tour merchandise that the cops are there to bust a serial killer called The Butcher…and unknown to them all, Cooper is The Butcher and now must find a way to exit the building while not tipping his daughter off that something is wrong, but as this killer meet his match in a pop singer and an elderly criminal profiler? Make sure to watch this entertaining horror thriller from M. Night Shyamalan and find out if this killer can get away with his horrific crimes or if his slashing ways comes to an end. This is a very creepy film as you watch the killer Cooper who cares about his daughter but also will do whatever he can to not be caught and that means other people’s wellbeing are no concern of his. The film is well acted with Josh Hartnett playing Cooper and other names in the cast including Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donoghue, Hayley Mills, Alison Pill and Jonathan Langdon. The film did ok for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $42,777,281.00 on a budget of $20 million showing once more that horror almost always turns a profit at the theaters. This is one that I got when released on home media.

# 22

Late Night with the Devil Poster

Jack Delroy is a late night talk show host for a program called Night Owls and his ratings over time are dropping and this causes him to panic and want to go all out for his 1977 Halloween Special and have a massive ratings hit. So he invites a psychic, a skeptic, a parapsychologist and a young girl named Lilly, who was the only survivor of a mass suicide committed by a demon worshiping cult and who is said to be possessed by a demon. And things turn really sinister and wrong for Jack, his guests, crew and audience when that demon decides to come out and play and bring some of Jack’s dark secrets to the light as well as cause death, panic and fear…this is one live broadcast that the network never wanted people to see again. This film plays like a mix of a documentary as well as a re-airing of that tragic show and for the most part it really does a good job of pulling it off. The film has some creepy moments with Lilly being the main source of those moments as well as brings some laughs and Jack and his show are just cheesy late night fun. The films stars David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Josh Quong Tart and Michael Ironside to name a few of the leads. The film did well for IFC Films at the domestic box office bringing in $10,001,000.00 on an unknown budget. This creepy little film is not for everyone, but if you enjoy films like The Last Broadcast or WNUF Halloween Special you will dig this one. It’s one I bought when released on home media. Also the film had some protest over using some AI images, silly as they are not that in your face.

# 21

Watchers (2024) Poster

Mina is a young woman who cannot get over the death of her mother in a a car accident and while working for a pet shop, she is asked to deliver a bird to a zoo. Along her journey her car breaks down and she finds herself running from unknown creatures in the woods and having to find shelter in a building that has been dubbed the coop by the three other people that found themselves suck in the woods that are Madeline, Ciara and Daniel. Every night they stay inside this building that has a massive thick glass window and are watched by the creatures. But as time goes on Mina and the others want to make an escape and they learn what these creatures are as well as who and why the strange glass bunker was made. But when some of them make it out alive, they are not fully out of the woods as something has followed them out and doesn’t want their race’s story and secrets out. This is a very cool creature feature film done with a twist and is done by Ishana Night Shyamalan, the daughter of M. Night Shyamalan and is her first movie as director and writer, and she does a great job. And what the creatures are is pretty interesting, and not the classic folklore beings you would expect. The film is well casted and acted as such names as Dakota Fanning, Olwen Fouere, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan and John Lynch all shine. The film sadly did not do all that well for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office as it brought in $19,071,404.00 on a $30 million budget. While the film did not do that well, I for one loved it and got it once released on home media.

# 20

bloody axe wound Poster

The town of Clover Falls is the stalking ground for a masked supernatural serial killer named Roger Bladecut who has been killing people for decades and even has videotaped his crimes to turn them into movies that the townspeople rent from the video store he owns. He has a daughter named Abbie who has to take over the killing business when he starts to have some health issues from decades of past wounds, but when she falls in love with Sam Crane and becomes pals with all her friends that have all been selected to be slaughtered for the next film she must figure out a way to save them, all the while dodging her father who is now on a rampage as he wants them dead and his daughter to come back to the family business of killing. What can Abbie do to save Sam, the woman of her dreams as well as not betray her father who is counting on her for the slaughter. This is a very fun slasher film that showcases what a young woman has to put up with when her father is a true urban legend psycho killer and all she wants to do is please him but also have happiness in her own personal life. The film has some bloody kills and is well casted and acted with such actors as Sari Arambulo, Molly Brown, Billy Burke, Eddie Leavy, Margot Anderson-Song, Angel Theory and Jeffrey Dean Morgan making up the main cast. The film was released very late in 2024 and had a very short limited release for RLJE Films and it looks like it will be making them a good amount of extra cash. Worth watching for sure and is one I will buy on Blu-Ray when released.

# 19

beetlejuice beetlejuice Poster

Lydia Deetz has grown up: her husband died in the Amazon, her daughter Astrid barely speaks to her, she sees ghosts and now has a TV Show about it, her manager is trying to become her new husband and worse of all she gets word from her step mother Delia that her father Charles has passed away, eaten by a shark after surviving a plane crash. Lydia, Astrid and Delia head back to the old house in Winter River for the burial services and wake for Charles where Astrid meets a boy who ends up not being what he seems and Lydia must call on Beetlejuice to help save her daughter from the other side, but Beetlejuice needs help to survive his soul sucking ex-wife who is back and looking for revenge…but can these two truly trust one another. This was such a fun sequel that was long overdue and brought Beetlejuice back to the big screen for old fans as well as new, as watching this gross jokester undead goof again made me feel like a kid. The film also wins big points with me for using lots of practical effects as well as bringing back Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara to their iconic roles but also brought in Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, Burn Gorman, Arthur Conti and Danny Devito into the mix. The film did really well for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $111,003,345 on a budget of $100 million. A really fun film that should prove to Warner Brothers that sequels to some of their iconic films like Beetlejuice, Gremlins, The Goonies and The Lost Boys should be given proper sequels, a must see for fans of the original film.

# 18

Maxxxine Poster

Maxine Minx is living in Hollywood in 1985 and is trying to breakout of just being a porn actress and auditions and gets the lead role in the film “The Puritan II”, but her past is about to catch up to her as a killer wearing black gloves is killing those close to her, a private detective is harassing her on the paycheck of the killer, two homicide detectives are wanting to question her and the director of the film is pushing her to focus as this could be her big break into fame. But Maxine is not going to go down without a fight as she wants to be famous no matter the price and whoever gets in her way be damned. This third film in the X series is a mix of 80’s Slasher with some Giallo thrown in for good measure as the plot really is Maxine Minx being taunted, tormented and stalked by a faceless killer in black gloves all the while the serial killer the Night Stalker is prowling the streets and Hollywood is not missing a beat. Mia Goth once more shows why she is the new “It” actress in horror as she kills it playing Maxine again, and other actors like Elizabeth Debicki, Kevin Bacon, Michelle Monaghan, Moses Sumney, Bobby Cannavale and Lily Collins all kill it in their roles. The film did okay for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $15,097,632.00 on an unknown budget. While not as good as X or Pearl, this film still is a very entertaining, great watch and has ushered in a new horror franchise for sure, also the Bates Motel and Home from Psycho appears in this flick.

# 17

Terrifier 3 Poster

Sienna Shaw and her brother Jonathan were the sole survivors of the Miles County Massacre on Halloween being done by Art The Clown and while he has tried to move on by going to college, she has spent years in an asylum and now that she is out and living with her aunt she is trying to get her life back in order but things will never be the same as Art The Clown is back as well and he has backup with Victoria Heyes. They are on another killing spree this time during Christmas and like before Sienna and her family and friends are on the chopping block as there is something more demonic at play this time around and Sienna will need all her chosen one powers to truly stop this killer clown from Hell. This third film in the super popular Terrifier series is filled with gore, over the top kills and a decent story this time around. Sienna Shaw is a fantastic character and is one of modern slasher films best final girls, and the actress that plays her, Lauren LaVera, is awesome and I hope to see her in more horror films! David Howard Thornton is truly Art The Clown and has taken a mute character and given it so much personality in his face and movements. Other cast members include Samantha Scaffidi, Elliot Fullam, Margaret Anne Florence, Kailey Hyman and Alexa Blair Robertson. The film also has lots of cool cameos from the likes of Jason Patric, Chris Jericho, Clint Howard, Tom Savini and Daniel Roebuck. The film did well for Cineverse at the domestic box office bringing in $53,981,071 on a budget of $2 million. If you liked the first two films in the series, make sure to give this one a watch as well as it’s a blood splattered good time.

# 16

Lisa Frankensrein (2023) Poster

Lisa Swallows is a teenager who witnesses her mother be killed by a masked killer and is now very much the odd kid as she barely speaks, has a strict stepmother, a goofy father and no boys pay attention to her. The only things she has in life is her music, crush on Michael the school’s paper editor, her caring cheerleader sister Taffy and the local abandoned cemetery that she relaxes in. But after a freak thunderstorm and an odd lightning strike in the cemetery, a member of the Frankenstein family (called The Creature) comes back to life to show his love for Lisa and the two end up becoming friends and lovers but there is a catch as Lisa and The Creature have to kill people in order to replace his rotting of missing body parts! With the police closing in as the bodies are found, Lisa must make a decision to face the crimes or end it all for true love. This is a very fun PG-13 horror comedy that takes place in the same universe as Jennifer’ Body and brings a new twist to the Frankenstein story. It was also very much inspired by the classic Universal Monster films as posters, masks and art from those films are featured throughout. The humor is silly and hit the mark for me and it is well casted with such names as Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, Carla Gugino, Joe Chrest and Henry Eikenberry making up the leads and really Newton is fantastic as Lisa. Sadly the film did not do well for Focus Features at the domestic box office bringing in $9,774,285.00 on a budget of $13 million. It’s a shame that moviegoers did not support this film in the theater as it’s really good and one that I ended up buying when released on home media. Also the film has a great soundtrack!

# 15

Shaitaan (2024) Poster

Kabir and his wife Jyoti are heading to their farmhouse along with their teenage daughter Janvhi and young son Dhruv for a relaxing time, but while getting there they meet Vanraj at a restaurant who ends up buying the parents tea and gives their daughter a laddu that ends up allowing him to take control of her actions, and this is unknown to them all until that night during a massive thunderstorm Vanraj appears at the home and takes control of Janvhi making her hurt not only herself but also her family for his amusement as he wants her parents to willingly give her to him as he has evil plans for the young teen. And after many attacks, being stabbed and finally Dhruv being seriously injured Janvhi is given to this mad man with black magic powers…but Kabir has others plans as he wants to get his daughter back and free from his control as well as end his evil ways once and for all, but can this father’s love truly stop evil or will his daughter be lost forever, checkout this great film and find out for yourself. In 2024 Bollywood Horror has been killing it delivering some truly amazing films to the big screen that are bringing the chills and thrills and this remake film of the 2023 fright flick “Vash” did just that! The film is draped in black magic and the character of Vanraj is such a creep who really gets enjoyment of tormenting a teenage girl and her family, but even when the family fights back he seems to get joy from it. The films cast is fantastic as our main cast is played by Ajay Devgn, R. Madhavan, Jyothika, Janki Bodiwala and Anngad Raaj who all rock their roles and are very believable as a family and a evil sorcerer. The film did well at the worldwide box office bringing in $1,503,613.00 with a budget of ₹ 65 crore showing that Horror is a hit around the globe. If you like Bollywood horror films, creepy thrillers or films about black magic make sure to check this one out.

# 14

Tumbbad (2018) Poster

The always rainy town of Tumbbad is cursed by the greedy and now forgotten God known as Hastar who had stolen all of his mother goddess’ gold but was defeated by his siblings when he tried to all steal all the food, and for this he has been banished to forever live inside her womb and those greedy enough to look for his gold will face a brutal death or can become an immortal monstrous slave to the beast as all they will do is eat and sleep all day long. Vinayak Rao has grown up in Tumbbad and has always been into finding the treasure of Hastar that is said to be hidden inside, and as he grows older and with the help of his cursed Grandmother he truly finds the hiding place of Hastar and has a way to distract the God in order to gain more coins and become very rich by doing so, and as he gets older and has a family he teaches his son how to raid for the gold and even ends up sacrificing one of his friends who wanted to steal from him to Hastar. In the end Vinayak and his son while in the womb must truly work together to survive as Hastar as well has a sinister plan himself that will leave one of them undead and the other broken emotionally. This film was released in 2018 and in 2024 finally was released in the local theaters here in America, and I found it to be a really good and creepy Bollywood fright flick complete with a demonic looking greedy God and even a Evil Dead deadite style grandmother. The film is really about the horror and does not have musical numbers done by the cast as it plays for the scares. The film is a mix of digital and practical effects and both are pretty well done with their being lots of blood and some gruesome moments. The film stars Sohum Shah, Anita Date-Kelkar, Ronjini Chakraborty, Mohammad Smad and all do fantastic in their roles. I am not sure what the film did domestically in America during this run for Blooming Lotus Media. A really good Bollywood horror film and I am looking forward to watching Part 2 when it’s released.

# 13

speak no evil (2024) Poster

Ben Dalton has lost his big job and moved from America to England for it, so to get a fresh start he along with his wife Louise and daughter Agnes go to Italy for holiday where they mean Paddy, his wife Ciara and their son Ant and they all hit it off. After the holiday is over Paddy, who is a former doctor invites Ben and his family to come stay a week with them at his farm house in the middle of nowhere, but things start to get really weird as Paddy and Ciara start to act strange and over bearing as they also witness Paddy be very strict and cruel to his own son who is mute. This peaceful week spent with new friends turns into a nightmare when Ant alerts Agnes to what is really going on and now Ben and Louise must figure out a way to get away from Paddy and the farmhouse before its to late. This film is a remake of the 2022 Danish horror film that keeps to core of the story but of course adds in its own twists and turns and delivers a entertaining thriller with two insane baddies in Paddy and Ciara. The film stars James McAvoy, Aisling Franciosi, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Alix West Lefler and Dan Hough all who do a great job on their roles. The film also makes great use of the songs Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex and Eternal Flame by The Bangles. The film did well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $36,931,420.00 on a budget of $15million. The film is really good, and McAvoy makes some amazing sinister faces in this fright flick.

# 12

Heretic (2024) Poster

Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton are missionaries for the Morman Church and are out trying to spread their message when they come across Mr. Reed, a man who lives out in a strange home who invites them in to chat about religion as a snow storm starts blowing in. But soon the two young girls find that they are trapped in the house with Mr. Reed who is trying to make them question their faith, lives, choses and more as he sets them to witness a miracle, but when the ladies question him on his words, things just get worse and more out of control for them…but will Mr. Reed change their minds or take their lives as Barnes and Paxton must fight for their lives. This is a really interesting horror film that is faith based and has the villain trying to break the will and faith of his captives in order to try and “teach” them a lesson and when the true intensions of Mr. Reed is shown you see just how evil that guy is. The film is well cast with Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East playing Barnes & Paxton and Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed and all are amazing in their roles other cast members include Topher Grace and Elle Young. The film did well for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $27,791,987 on a budget of around $10 million. If you like your horror films with a dash of art house, make sure to check this one out as it was a great watch.

# 11

Cuckoo (2024) Poster

Gretchen moves with her father, stepmother and half sister to a resort in the Bavarian Alps and from the start she notices that something is not right when she takes a job working the front desk at the lodge as women seem to be always getting sick and acting really weird just like her boss Herr Konig, who is also employing he parents to design a new building, and the front desk closes at a certain time every night. One night after leaving work late, Gretchen is attacked by a strange woman and this triggers events that has a siren song being sung from the woods, people dying of strange causes, her young sister to fall ill, her getting questioned by a former cop and also being targeted by the people of the lodge town who are in power. This is a very strange and yet great indie horror film that has some really creepy moments with a female monster that leaves her offspring in the bellies of human women in order for them to raise, and its setting of a lodge town with people of power in on this strange act and protect the monster just adds to the over all weird factor of the film. It is well acted with Hunter Schafer being outstanding as Gretchen and other cast members like Jessica Henwick, Dan Stevens, Jan Bluthardt, Marton Csokas and Greta Fernandez all great in their roles. This is one of those films that was met with mixed reviews and in some cases judged a little too harshly as people acted like the plot was hard to follow…it’s not. The film did well for Neon at the American box office during its limited run bringing in $5,324,184.00 on a budget of $7 million. A good little spooky film that shows Neon is closing in on A24 when it comes to the strange indie horror films in the theater.

# 10

godzilla x kong the new empire Poster

King Kong is living in Hollow Earth and is being watched by the people of Monarch and the massive Titan is lonely as he has not found any of his kind. Meanwhile Godzilla is on a rampage as he is attacking other Titans and stealing their powers as its clear that he is gearing up for something big…and this big event is the coming of The Scar King, another primate Titan who is very cruel and has an army of Kong-like apes at his order as well as an ice breathing Titan that he controls by using pain with the goal of taking over the world and ruling everyone and everything…so Kong must team with Godzilla and the reborn Mothra in order to save Hollow Earth as well as the above Earth from total destruction. This is yet another great film in Legendary Monsterverse series and is packed with lots of giant monster fights as well as for me its always great to see King Kong on the big screen. The film stars such actors as Rebecca Hall. Kaylee Hottle, Dan Stevens, Brian Tyree Henry, Fala Chen and Alex Ferns all who do a great job in their roles. One part of the movie that had the audience and myself laughing is when Kong uses Suko, a small primate Titan, as a weapon, no joke it was the funniest thing I’ve seen on the big screen this year. The film did really well for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $196,350,016.00 on a budget of $150 million showing that these giant monsters are a draw at the theaters. This is one I bought on home media when released. Also I hope they keep making these Monsterverse films as I will continue to watch them in the theater.

# 9

ALIEN: ROMULUS - © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Rain and her android “brother” Andy are stuck on Jackson’s Star where she has to work for travel freedom and watched as both of her parents died from working the mines for Weyland-Yutani Corporation, but she soon finds a way out when her friends discover an abandoned spacecraft that they can steal the cryostasis chambers to escape to the planet Yvaga and stop being slaves for a cooperation that does not care about them. But once they get to the spacecraft, they find that it’s filled with face huggers as well as Xenomorphs that go on the attack and bring down these friends one by one. And Rain along with Andy (who gets an upgrade) must escape this infested ship all the while Andy’s new program is turning him into a company droid and wanting to do what is right for them and not his friends, but can Rain save herself and what is left of her friends and will she be able to remove the upgrade and get Andy back…watch this great Alien sequel and find out for yourself! I am a fan of the Alien films, and while the past two sequels before this were sort of bland, I feel Romulus has gotten the series back on track and has introduce to very likable characters to the universe with Rain and Andy. The Xenomorphs look great, as do the face huggers. The film packs in lots of creepy settings as well as great scares and even has some Easter Eggs throughout that are connected to the other films in the series. The only thing I was not a super fan of was The Offspring that was a human and alien hybrid. The film did well for 20th Century Films at the American box office bringing in $105,313,091.00 on a budget of only $80 million showing that this series has lots of gas still left in the tank. This is one that I look forward to watching again.

# 8

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (2024) Poster

Ruhan Randhawa is a con man who goes around exercising ghosts from people’s homes, he is also a problem solver as he can make it seem like a person was possessed in order to cover up for mistakes that would get them into trouble with loved ones. But Ruhan once more finds himself in a real haunted palace when he is forced to help Meera (who has footage of him being a fraud) and finds that this mansion is being haunted by Manjulika, a woman who was burned alive for killing her own brother, and returned in order to cause death, chaos and fear, but when strange women start to show up to the estate as well as a few goofballs from Ruhan’s past things start to get a little more terrifying as Manjulika is out for blood and revenge and will not let anyone leave alive as this evil spirits true motives as well as story needs to be told and forgiveness needs to happen and at the center of it all is Ruhan who once more shows that he can be a true hero when need be. This third film in the Bhool Bhulaiyaa series is lots of fun as the humor and horror just mix really well here as the scares play creepy when they need to and for laughs when needed. The character of Manjulika is an interesting one as what you think you know about them just might not be the full truth as the true story comes to light in the end and shows why it’s been on such an evil path for all these years. The film stars Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri all who do great in their roles. The film did well for in the domestic release as it brought in $2,230,000.00 on a unknown budget. The Bhool Bhulaiyaa series is really great stuff, and I cannot wait for a fourth film in the series to be made.

# 7

Abigail Poster

Abigail is a young ballerina who is the daughter of a very dangerous, rich and violent crime lord who is kidnapped by a group of six people who were hired to do so in order to extort money from her father, but these criminals soon find that they have been tricked by Abigail, who is the one who set this all up as she selected these people who were all responsible for actions that effected her father’s empire…as she is a vampire and her father is Count Dracula and blood will be spilt (or is that drank?) as she takes out her revenge on them as they try to fight to stay alive. This once more proves that the classic Universal Monsters have lots of life in them when they are tackled by the right creative teams, that treat them as scary films and don’t treat them like dated spooky jokes. The film has lots of blood splatter and even some gore and Abigail is one deadly vampire who loves to torment her victims all in the attempt to get her father to pay more attention to her. The film is very well cast with such names as Melissa Barrera, Kathryn Newton, Alisha Weir, Dan Stevens, Will Catlett, Kevin Durand and Matthew Goode all being fantastic as their characters, and I have to say that I think Kathryn Newton is truly becoming one of my favorite horror actresses in these modern days. This is the third attempt from Universal to breath new life into Dracula, and I think this is the best of the modern takes as it was better than “Last Voyage Of The Demeter,” a film I really enjoyed and it was a million times better than the horror comedy mess that was “Renfield” and I hope Universal sticks with making these films scary. One thing I do have to say is that while this is a great film I do wish it was a more modern take of the 1936 film “Dracula’s Daughter” that is one of my favorite sequels in the world of classic Universal Monsters. The film did pretty well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $25,867,515.00 on a budget of $28 million, showing that classic monsters truly never go out of fashion. This is one that I loved seeing on the big screen and is one that I bought on home media when released.

# 6

Bramayugam Poster

Thevan is a singer who escapes slavery and is trying to get back home to his mother but finds that he cannot when a river and waterfall stands in his way, but while trying to figure out another way, he stumbles into an old rundown mansion in the woods and meets its owner Kodumon Potti who invites the man to stay and when Thevan agrees he soon finds that his host is a black magic sorcerer and that he cannot ever leave and also is in this mansion alongside a Cook, a visiting succubus, a constant rain storm and even a goblin…but not all is what it seems as this mansion is filled with lies as well as is truly cursed! Will Thevan be able to escape or will he forever be stuck in this truly evil mansion watch this black and white Bollywood Horror Fright Flick and find out for yourself. This is a very creepy black magic supernatural horror film that is a slow burn that as the time passes more is uncovered and the feeling of dread builds. The songs and score is also fantastic and help add to the spooky nature of the film. The films stars Mammootty, Arjun Ashokan, Sidharth Bharathan, Manikandan R. Achari and the lovely Amalda Liz and are all fantastic. The film did well at the domestic world box office for Night Shift Studios bringing in $1,388,375 on a budget of ₹27.73 crore showing that horror is popular all over the world. If you like slow burn horror with some supernatural black magic tones and a goblin make sure to give this one a watch!

# 5

Longlegs (2024) Poster

Lee Harker is a young FBI Agent who is also partly psychic that is on the case to hunt down and kill a serial killer called Longlegs who has caused the deaths of families over the decades, and the deeper Harker gets into the case, the closer she gets to realizing that her past might just be connected to this crazy devil worshiping killer who has dark powers that force his victims to follow his orders, but is Agent Harker able to solve this killers demented puzzles or will she just have to stand by and watch as more families fall victim to his satanic plan. Make sure to check out this horror thriller and find out for yourself. This is a creepy film from Oz Perkins, who is the son of Anthony Perkins who horror fans know best as Norman Bates in the Psycho film series, that is about a weird satanic cult who gets joy in killing kids and their families on the kids’ birthdays. Nicolas Cage plays the killer known as Longlegs with Maika Monroe playing FBI agent Lee Harker other actors in the cast include Blair Underworld, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-Lee, Dakota Daulby and Kiernan Shipka to name a few. The film again proves that Neon is creeping up on A24 for being the must watch company when it comes to indie horror in theaters as I found this one to be a really interesting and creepy watch and is one of Cage’s best performances in horror in many years. The film did well for Neon at the domestic box office bringing in $74,045,655.00 on a budget of $80 million. One I got when released on home media, as I wanted to watch it again. Also this film got a lot of unwarranted hate from viewers, but don’t listen to reviews from critics nor friends and go see the films that get this treatment for yourself.

# 4

quiet place day one Poster

Sam is a woman in New York hospice care who was once a published poet and is now spending her remaining days with treatments and her support cat Frodo, when she heads to the city on a field trip with other residents to see a puppet show, the world changes in a instant as things start falling from the sky and monsters start attacking anyone making noise. Now Sam along with other survivors in the city must find a way to stay alive and get to the water as the creatures cannot swim, and on her journey to get pizza before her life ends ,she meets English man Eric who is a law student and the two start up a friendship that sees them watching out for each other, but can they survive or will they make too much noise and become just another bloodstain on the streets of NY, watch this third film in the A Quiet Place series and find out. This is a really fun creature feature, and it’s great seeing these noise sensitive monsters running loose in a big city like New York as it also shows that these creatures are all over and humans are being hunted down and slaughtered in their homes and streets. The creatures are as deadly as ever and deliver many scares with several being jump scares, and its also very well cast with names like Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou and Alex Wolff all doing fantastic in their roles. The film did great for Paramount at the domestic box office bringing in $138,930,553.00 on a budget of $67 million. Over all while it didn’t bring anything super new to the series, it was one heck of a good film and is one I bought when released on home media.

# 3

smile 2 (2024) poster

Skye Riley is a pop star who has had a rough past year as she had become an addict and a crash left her badly injured and her actor boyfriend dead, but she is on her comeback tour and things are looking up for her that is until her dealer she buys pain pills from takes his own life in front of her with a big smile on her face and now the entity that drove him insane has latched itself onto her and she is starting to fall apart with everyone around her thinking she is using again. But when she meets the brother of a man who died at the hands of the spirit she starts a plan to try and stop this Smile Entity once and for all, but will she be able to do so or will this mega star just be another victim spreading this evil beings agenda to the next person. What a fun and bloody sequel that feels right at home with the original film, and Naomi Scott who plays Skye is fantastic in the role and the pop songs will be stuck in your head days after seeing it. The film was way more bloody and violent than I was expecting and some of the deaths were really gross and well done. Other cast members include Rosemarie DeWitt, Dylan Gelula, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Ray Nicholson and even a cameo from Drew Barrymore. Smile 2 did great at the domestic box office bringing in $68,967,012 on a budget of $28 million showing that Paramount is not just back in the horror business but also they have the start of a great franchise on their hands. A great film and one I bought when released on home media.

# 2

Nosferatu (2024) poster

Ellen Hutter is newly married to her husband Thomas who is being sent away by Knock, his boss at the real estate agency he works for in order to sell a very old property in Germany to Count Orlok, a very creepy nobleman from Transylvania who turns out to be a Nosferatu who has set his sites on Ellen who has had a bond with for many of years in her loneliness and along with plagued infected rats he arrives in Germany looking for her to finish their link and along the way Orlok makes her pay for falling in love with another by making her friends pay with their lives. Thomas must escape the castle and return home and along with Doctor Sievers and Professor Von Franz he must save the soul of his wife as well as his village from the plague of Nosferatu. This film is a really great remake of the 1922 silent classic, and the cinematography is stunning and beautiful. It is filled with some great scares, creepy moments, blood and even a few boobs and shows that classic Horror and characters like Count Orlok are truly timeless if done right. The film is well casted with such names as Bill Skarsgard, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney and Willem Dafoe make up the leads. And I have to say Skarsgard was fantastic as Orlok and Depp ended up surprising me in her performance. The film did well for Focus Features at the domestic box office bringing in $45,201,020 on a budget of around $50 million as of this writing. A fangtastic and creepy classic horror film that is one I will buy once on physical media.

# 1

Substance (2024) Poster

Elisabeth Sparkle is an aging health show star who is turning 50 when her boss decides to let her go, and after having a car accident and meeting a young doctor who gives her a flash drive that is an advertisement for a medial injection called The Substance her life changes as it allows her to spawn a second half that is younger named Sue…but the catch is that they need to switch back and fourth every seven days or there are terrible changes for Elisabeth. And when Sue wants to stay around longer than the seven days, Elisabeth is drained of her age and finds herself becoming a twisted looking being, but can Elisabeth stop Sue as this is the part of her that is becoming the superstar she has always wanted to be or will Sue take over and have to find her own better side…watch this twisted and gross body horror film and find our for yourself. The film feels like a mash off films like Basketcase, Society and many of the films of David Cronenberg as it has lots of gross moments and the human body being distorted. The film is also filled with lots of blood and nudity and delivers a really interesting watch. The film is well casted as Demi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle and is fantastic as I have always been a big fan of hers, other names in the cast include Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid, Gore Adrams and Oscar Lesage to name a few. The film did okay for Mubi at the domestic box office bringing in $16,443,999 on a budget of $17.5 million. If you like gross horror with beautiful ladies make sure to give this one a watch.

2025 here on Rotten Ink I think that I am going to celebrate horror in general and that means I will be having lots of updates that will feature Horror Comics, Horror Hosts, Horror Themed Wrestlers and Horror Films! But do not worry I will also have plenty of none Horror updates for those of you who enjoy the less spooky ones. But our next one will be a spooky one as it will be a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update and will be about the 1978 version of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers and the FotoNovel released to promote it! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! Oh and a tip if you come across some people who seem odd and point at you and then shriek a god awful sounding scream…run as they might be a pod person!

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers 1978 Preview Logo

Coloring Time With The First Avenger Captain America

Welcome back to Rotten Ink, my friends and readers. For some reason I am feeling very nostalgic for Marvel Comic coloring books as again I had many of them growing up and can remember reading and coloring pages inside them. This time I have been thinking about covering one based on my other top all time favorite superhero, Captain America! So for this very quick update, I think I am going to stay in the lines and have a fun time looking back on the past and showcasing that Captain America has had more adventures in all types of media and not just in the pages of Marvel Comics! And if you have not read my last coloring book update, check out my Incredible Hulk one here.

Crayons

Captain America has been in comic books since 1941 and has been a staple in his own title as well as The Avengers, both titles that are still going strong to this day. But besides those comic adventures he has had many other media ones that help add to his legacy and please his fans and readers who want more Cap in their lives. I mean let’s start with the fact that back in 1944 a Republic 15 Chapter serial simply called “Captain America” was released in theaters chapter by chapter. In the series actor Dick Purcell played Captain America…but he does not play Steve Rogers as this character is not used and is for some reason called Grant Gardner. A few years later in 1966, Captain America was part of the cartoon series called “The Marvel Super Heroes” that brought the old Jack Kirby comic art alive. This animated series only lasted a short time ending the same year it started. But while this series failed, Captain America went on to star and cameo in many more cartoons over the years including the 90’s Spider-Man series that was a must watch on Fox. Cap would go on to be in two made for TV films with the first being “Captain America” that was released in 1979 and aired on CBS and later in 1979 the sequel was released called “Captain America II: Death Too Soon.’ These films had actor Reb Brown as Steve Rogers/Captain America, and the second film stars Christopher Lee as the main villain. In 1990 Captain America got another chance at the movies, and originally it was supposed to hit theaters. The film would go direct to video in 1992 and had Captain America fighting with the Red Skull. Actor Matt Salinger was cast to play Cap. Starting in 2011, thanks to Disney and Marvel Studios, Captain America would get his run in theaters with “Captain America: The First Avenger” and would have sequels over the years with “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” in 2014 and in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War” and in each film actor Chris Evans played our star spangled hero. This version of Captain America would also go on to be in the Marvel Universe films for The Avengers and have cameos in many others. Not to mention that Captain America has also starred in animated films Ultimate Avengers: The Movie” and its sequel “Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise Of The Panther,” both released in 2006. I am not going to lie, all the stuff mentioned above is all stuff I loved watching over the years, and I 100% think Chris Evans is Captain America in all media! Oh and Captain America has even been the star of some fan films as well as knock off films like “3 Dev Adam” that has Cap teaming with wrestler El Santo to take on a sinister and evil version of Spider-Man.

Captain America Coloring B 2Captain America Coloring B 3Captain America Coloring B 4Captain America Coloring B 5

Besides serials, cartoons and movies, Captain America has made his mark and delivered adventures in other forms of entertainment that include video games with titles like 1987’s “Captain America: The Doom Tube Of Dr. Megalomann” that was for many of the home computer systems like Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. Then in 1989 for home computer systems again, the game “The Amazing Spider-Man and Captain America in Dr. Doom’s Revenge” was unleashed on gamers. One of my favorite games based on Cap was released in 1991 at the arcades and later on home systems like Nintendo, Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo and was called “Captain America And The Avengers,” and this is one of the only arcade cabinets that I own! The next game released was in 2011 and was called “Captain America: Super Solider” and came out for PS3, WII and X-Box 360. The above are just the solo adventures of Captain America in the world of video games as he has shared and had cameos in many others mostly in Avengers and Spider-Man games.

Captain America Coloring B 6Captain America Coloring B 7Captain America Coloring B 8Captain America Coloring B 9

And let us not forget that Captain America has had many adventures in the pages of not only comics and coloring books but also paperback novels with one of my favorites being “Captain America: Holocaust For Hire” that was written by Joseph Silva and released in 1979…it’s a cheesy good read. He also of course has graced trading cards that I can remember friends and I making a game around via the characters stats on the back of the card. And let us not forget board games and role-playing games including HeroClix that he stars in or can be chosen in with one of the coolest and most vintage being the old Milton Bradley Games….classic and so cool. The vast amount of action figures of Cap have allowed his fans for decades to create their own adventures with the Star Spangled Hero having him duke it out with the likes of Destro, Darth Vader, Skeletor and General Urko. One of my favorite toys growing up was the Mattel Secret Wars figure of Captain America, and I have always had a soft spot for the Mego Cap action figure. So as you can see, Captain America really is a comic book superstar who is also a true American icon and has delivered so much entertainment to fans and readers.

Captain America Coloring B 10Captain America Coloring B 11Captain America Coloring B 12Captain America Coloring B 13

Sitting here and thinking about it, I must say that it’s crazy that coloring books based on comic book characters have original stories in them, no matter how barebones and cheesy they are…they are still new adventures for them. And I want to thank an Amazon seller for having this coloring book in stock and making this update possible. I want to also remind you that I grade these issues on a standard 1-4 star system and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So grab some crayons and let’s see what this coloring book adventure has in store for us.

Captain America Coloring Book 1

Captain America: Coloring Book  1/2
Released in 1966   Cover Price .49     Whitman/Marvel     # 1 of 1

Captain America follows a young woman who is holding an explosive and is attacked by Batroc The Leaper who ends up stealing the explosive cylinder and tries to sell it to a group of bad business men. But before they can buy it, Captain America shows up and has a fight with Batroc that leaves the villain getting beat down and running away. The business men get away with the cylinder, and Captain America returns to the woman who informs him she changed the cylinders and the bad guys have a fake! Captain America goes home and is visited by Nick Fury who tells him that a UFO has landed on Earth and robotic aliens are now in the city! But these robots are really made by AIM and one appears in the room with Captain America and Nick Fury, and after a short fight Cap is able to force a knock out pill into the robots mouth winning the fight and ending the terror in the city.

Wow this one is bad…I mean really bad! The plot of this coloring book adventure seems like it was told by a four-year-old child who was also distracted by playing Candy Crush on their cellphone, also while the TV is on playing the newest Minions movie. Now I get it this coloring book is geared towards very young kids, but really this one is a mess of a story. The plot has Captain America stalking a woman who has a cylinder that has a powerful weapon inside it, and while creeping around, he fights Batroc and then later uses a pill to defeat a robot…yeah a pill knocks out a robot….what were they thinking with that one? The one thing that is very cool is that it throws in normal Cap baddie Batroc The Leaper into the mix as well as has Nick Fury stop in for a cameo. Captain America in this coloring book seems to always be happy with his action even though he fails at capturing Batroc The Leaper and allows the business men to get away as well as the woman he was following has to be rushed to the hospital…what are you proud of Cap? This is definitely not the Captain America we all love from the normal Marvel Comics as for this coloring book he seems like he is incompetent. Bartoc The Leaper is one of the main villains, and he as well fails at everything he does and runs away in the heat of a battle. The sad thing is that while this was a very cool old school story told about one of my favorite superheroes, it’s just not very well done and is very boring and unfitting for such an iconic comic character. The cover is great and is super eye catching, and the interior art is okay and has a really cool kid friendly look to it. Over all this coloring book is pretty bad and unless you’re a major fan of Captain America, I would skip it. Check out the artwork below to see the style of this coloring book.

Captain America Coloring Book Art 1Captain America Coloring Book Art 2Captain America Coloring Book Art 3

As you can see, Captain America’s coloring book adventure is not really well done and for the most part is so cheesy that it does seem like the idea came from a youngster who had been guzzling down soda while chasing it with pixie sticks and talking 1000 miles a minute to their dad who was used his hyped up kids idea as he was behind on his deadline for this coloring book. And while the Incredible Hulk coloring books were not ground breaking, they were way better than this Captain America one. So let’s put the crayons away as for our next update will not be about coloring books and will be the big Thanksgiving Day update and will be about Sylvester And Tweety as I can not think of any better Looney Tunes character to spend Turkey Day with. So until next time, read a Captain America comic or three, watch a movie or two and as always support your local horror host! See you next update as who knows maybe Sylvester will finally catch Tweety this time and make him into the Thanksgiving bird!

sylvester and tweety preview logo

Belvedere: The K-9 That Comic Strips Forgot

It’s time to grab that glass of milk and open up the Rotten Ink Daily News and find the Rotten Funnies as we once more take a look at a classic comic strip that made the newspapers worth opening! Don’t get me wrong, I have a very soft spot in my heart for the newspaper but after the Virus Crisis of 2020 I feel like almost all news is bad news…well that is being a little dramatic. While looking through my paperback books that are compilations of comic strips I decided that I wanted to take a look at one that I did not grow up reading and one that I knew very little about, as I am sure I am like many of you readers as I love to learn about things and characters and that’s why I choose that comical dog Belvedere as this update’s topic. Bratty animal comic strips are ones that I enjoyed in my youth and even still somewhat to this day as Garfield is fantastic and Snoopy of Peanuts is a true icon of comic strip history. So I am pretty excited to see what Belvedere brings to the table when it comes to comic strips. So sit back, drink that milk and maybe have some ham and eggs and let’s take a look at that dog named Belvedere.

Belvedere 1

The creator of Belvedere is George Webster Crenshaw, who was born on October 23, 1917 in Los Angeles, California. He was a student of UCLA as well as Harvard and made an impact in the world of animation as he worked on such Disney films as “Fantasia” and “Pinocchio” as well as several “Donald Duck” cartoons. He also worked with MGM on many “Tom and Jerry” toons. He also had his hand in the world of newspaper and magazine comic strips with much of his work being published in publications like The New Yorker, Reader’s Digest, Woman’s World and The National Enquirer. Plus he did some comic book writing for characters like Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse and Woody Woodpecker. But much of his comic strip work was not a major hit with most lasting less than two years. He did such titles as “The Muffins” that lasted from 1957-1959; his next was “Nubbin” that would go from 1958-1972. His shortest lived strip was “McGirk’s Works” that started and ended in 1959! “Sompkins” was from 1971-1978 and his only major hit was Belvedere that was from 1962 all the way to 1995. George Webster Crenshaw would pass away on September 6, 2007 and while he is no longer with us, he has left behind many comic strips that bring laughter and delight to readers all over the world.

Belvedere 2Belvedere 3

The characters that make up this single panel comic strip universe are the following: Orville and Emma are a married couple who have a good house, good neighbors and a great relationship that includes home cooked meals and fun vacations and getaways. Emma likes to cook and go on hikes, while Orville is a man who likes to fish and hunt. The couple owns three very odd pets with their talking and sarcastic bird being named Chi-Chi. He is a handful as he is also very honest and at times mean in his words to Orville. The cat is Jezebel, a sweet black kitty who struts around the house and town. And lastly is the dog Belvedere who has white fur with black spots and is a canine with attitude as he does what he wants and throws fits like a spoiled child if he doesn’t get his way. He also has a feud with the local dog catchers as well as the butcher who he tries and steal meat from. Also around are the townspeople, co-workers as neighbors, and let us not forget the other animals that are part of this comic strip universe.

Belvedere 4Belvedere 5Belvedere 6Belvedere 7Belvedere 8

So as you can tell, Belvedere is a comic strip that had a decent run in papers and while long gone from being printed and showing up in the Sunday Funnies, many of his comic strip humorous adventures can be found in paperback books and one of them is what we will be using for this super quick update. I want to thank a seller on Etsy for having this book as part of a lot that I was able to get for a really good price. Also want to remind you readers that I grade this book on a standard 1-4 star system and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So lets get to the one and only Belvedere!

Belvedere The Odds Are Book 1

Belvedere: The Odds Are  **
Released in 1982   Cover Price $1.75     Tor Books     #? of ?

Much like all these comic strip paperback books they feature one page jokes and stories so it makes it very hard to cover for these reviews. So like always, I will pick 10 of my favorite gags from this book and give you a taste of the style of humor used in Belvedere and again in no real order. # 1 has Orville and Emma on vacation and has Orville looking shocked as King Kong has grabbed a young woman, and he is seconding guessing if they should have chosen this spot. # 2 has Emma and Orville eating a hot dog from a stand on a peer and Belvedere is throwing a fit like a toddler as Emma tells Orville just to buy him another hot dog. # 3 has that sneaky Belvedere stealing a UFO from aliens who are confused to where their spacecraft went! # 4 has Orville sticking out of the floor and Belvedere is in a fighting stance as Emma tells her husband that he should give up, as you cannot teach judo to a dog. # 5 has Belvedere making a Bubble Gum Pizza and it’s a massive bubble as Orville looks on. # 6 has Orville and Belvedere at a secret fishing hole and are about to be eaten by a massive water monster. # 7 has Belvedere using boomerangs to knock out dogcatchers who laugh as they think they are toys! # 8 has Belvedere using voodoo to turn a dogcatcher into a frog! # 9 has Orville showing off a wild hog mounted on his wall to his friend, the hog is wearing a party hat and he tells how wild the hunt was. And # 10 has Orville and Belvedere looking for bones in a dig and the pet doghouse found the skeleton of a Centaur!

Let me start off by saying that Belvedere is a good kid friendly read and has the fun and mischief adventures of a pet dog with attitude, but I also want to say that George Crenshaw milks the same jokes several times in different strips and follows that same formula of a sassy animal much like Garfield and Heathcliff do. Now I am sure many of these jokes that he recycled over and over were spread out over months and maybe even years…but when put into this book, they stand out at being reused like the jokes of Belvedere telling someone to look one way as he steal meat and even jokes of him having fits over not getting his way when it comes to food. I also 100% think that the comic strip only can be funny in the visuals as the jokes that are told rely on them to work. I must say I do like the friendship between Belvedere and Orville. It’s one of the best things about this comic strip as the pair have fights and such but also spend time hunting, fishing and having adventures. And I would say that the friendship reminded me of Charlie Brown and Snoopy as far as they are not just owner and pet but also best friends. Sadly while Chi-Chi and Jezebel are around and do offer some laughs, they definitely take a back seat in this book. Emma is pretty funny and plays well off her husband as well as Belvedere. The cover for this paperback is pretty eye catching and has a vet making the mistake of thinking she is going to give Belvedere a shot! The interior art style of George Webster Crenshaw is good Sunday comic strip look that reminds me of slightly of Reg Smythe (Andy Capp) meets Dik Browne (Hagar The Horrible). To sum up Belvedere, while it is a fun and silly comic strip it is one that I found myself losing interest in the more the creator reused the jokes and gags. But with that said, I also say you readers should not only check out the art style of George Webster Crenshaw below, but also check out Belvedere as you might enjoy his style of humor.

Belvedere Book Art 1Belvedere Book Art 2

For you readers who enjoy funny animal comic strips I would say that you might enjoy Belvedere as he does have some pretty funny gags and has a classic strip charm to him. I really do hope that you enjoy these updates that are all about comic strip characters and the paperback books that bring collections together as I have been having fun reading them and writing these updates about them! For our next update, we will be sticking with the Dog theme as well as the comic strip one as well as we will be taking a look at that massive Marmaduke! So until next time, read a comic strip or three, watch a dog movie or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update as it will be for the dogs……you get it? As this month has turned into comics about dogs.

Marmaduke Preview Logo

Matt Goes To The Movies 2023

Best Of Movies 2023 Logo

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to the first update of 2024 that of course is my movie countdown for all the different genres I have seen in the theater in 2023. There were so many films that were released this year that brought me as well as my movie club friends so much entertainment! I saw movies in such theaters as Cinemark, Regal and Englewood, and really for me nothing beats the theater experience as no matter what some say, streaming new films just does not give you the full movie experience no matter how big your TV Screen in or how loud your sound system gets. And like every year for me the biggest film releases come from the Horror genre as spooky movies have been a big part of my entertainment life since I was a very young kid. To me nothing beats relaxing at one of the local cinemas to watch a good fright flick on the silver screen with family and friends, and this year was very heavy on Horror film releases. I will be breaking up this “Best Of” update by genre so that means Drama, Comedy, Action, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Superhero and of course Horror! So if you are ready, let’s grab some popcorn and a drink and find our seats as it’s time to talk movies! Also if you missed my Best Of 2022, update make sure to give it a read here.

Cinema 2023 Logo For Theaters

So now that we have found our seats and have eaten a few pieces of popcorn, I think that we will start off by taking a look at the Drama films that I saw in the theater. Sadly I did not see a lot, but the ones I did see I enjoyed so let’s take a look and see what I think was #1!

Drama 23 Logo

# 4

Missing (2023) Poster

June Allen is an 18 year old woman who lost her father and is taking her sadness out on her mother who is trying her best to bond with her daughter and live her life again, even dating again as Kevin Lin has entered the picture and the pair are heading off to Colombia for a romantic vacation. While her mother is away, June parties with her friends, and on the day she is set to pick them up from the airport, they are no where in sight. Now June must uncover this mystery as she follows the clues and uncovers Kevin’s dirty secret of being a conman and that her very own mother has a life changing secret. Can June find her missing mother or will time run out? And she will never be able to patch things up with her? Watch this sequel to “Searching” and find out for yourself. This Drama Thriller was a fun watch as the story unfolds and takes a few twists and turns that many viewers will not see coming. Storm Reid is fantastic as June, and the whole cast truly does a great job. The film did ok for Sony at the US box office bringing in $32,502,025.00 on a budget $7 million budget. This film walks the line between Drama and Horror as it really is a Thriller…but I think it fits better here with the Drama Thriller than the Horror Thriller.

# 3

Iron Claw (2023) Poster

The Von Erich family was at the top of the wrestling world in Texas, and brothers Kevin, David, Kerry and Mike are being pushed by their father Fritz into becoming the biggest names in the sport as well as capture the NWA World Heavyweight belt. But while they are riding high, the family seems to have a curse as Kevin watches as his brothers pass away, and he learns that family is very important and that his father the man he idolized just might not be the hero he thinks he is. This film is a loose bio-picture of the Von Erich family and showcases the stress of pro wrestling as well as how mental stress, substance abuse and poor parenting can lead down a dark path. The acting is well done with such names as Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany and Lily James and also had cameos from such wrestlers as MJF and Chavo Guerrero Jr. playing classic wrestlers. While the story in this film is not 100% accurate and brother Chris Von Erich is missing, it still is a nice tribute to the Von Erich Brothers. The film did well for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $$18,221,133 (as of this posting) on a budget of $15.9 million. And for those who wonder, yes I grew up being a fan of the Von Erich family and Kerry was my favorite.

# 2

Creed III Poster

Adonis Creed has retired from boxing and is helping young boxers at the gym, but when Damian Anderson, a friend who ended up being arrested and locked up for a long time, comes back into his life things get guilt ridden. Damian was a good boxer who just wants his shot, and with the help of Adonis, he gets it and ends up winning the Heavyweight Title…in a kind of underhanded cheating way. Now the champion and with lots of built up aggression over the events of the past and being locked up for 18 years, Damian and Adonis’s friendship falls apart and this brooding bad blood sees Adonis come out of retirement in order to fight his childhood friend as a way to let go of guilt and to settle this issue once and for all. This third film in the Creed series is fantastic as the build to the fight between Creed and Anderson is very well done. As the film goes along you get more of the story of why there is some awkward tension between the two that leads to them at odds. And while Damian Anderson has done bad things in his life and even fights dirty to get the title, he also is not that bad of a guy just wanting his chance before time catches up with him. And that is the thing, the story is solid. The casting fantastic with names like Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Florian Munteanu and Tony Bellew returning and Jonathan Majors and Mila Davis-Kent being added. The film was directed by Michael B. Jordan, who did a fantastic job, and he is also talking about a fourth film in the series already, and I for one am down. The film did good for MGM at the American box office bringing in $156,248,615.00 on a $75 million budget. While I would have loved to have seen a cameo from Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, this series is making its own path now to becoming an iconic sports drama franchise.

# 1

haunting in venice (2023) Poster

Retired detective Hercule Poirot has been invited by his crime novelist friend Ariadne to a Halloween party after which a psychic hold a séance to contact the dead daughter of the party’s host who had committed suicide. The catch is that the home is also said to be haunted by the spirits of deceased children. Poirot is there to try and expose the psychic as a fraud, but when people start dying and he himself starts seeing things, he must try and figure out if the killer is from our world or the other side! This third film in the modern Poirot series is fantastic like the other two, and this time this Mystery Drama film even adds in elements of Horror as it has that classic haunted house feel and has images of shadows, ghosts and murder all around. Kenneth Branagh is fantastic as Hercule Poirot and is the best actor to play the part in my opinion. Other cast members include Michelle Yeoh, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Kelly Reilly, Kyle Allen, Emma Laird and Camille Cottin to name a few and all are great in their roles. The film did okay for 29th Century at the domestic box office bringing in $42,448,749.00 on a budget of $60 million. If you like Murder Mysteries with a dash of Horror, then make sure to check this one out as it hands down the best Drama film I have seen this year, and on a side note, this almost made it to the Horror list…but I settled on placing it in Drama.

While I did not get to see lots of Drama films in the theater in 2023, I would say that the ones I did get to watch were fantastic and all were well worth seeing alongside my friends on the big screen. But next we will be leaving Drama behind and replace it with laughter as next up are the Comedy films I saw on the big screen in 2023!

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# 4

House Party (2022) Poster

Kevin is a father who is working a house cleaning job, creating music beats, is a part time event thrower and needs to raise some money to send his young daughter to a school…but when his best friend Damon gets them fired from the cleaning job, the two decide to throw an epic party in the house of NBA star LeBron James in order to raise the money to send his the daughter to that selected school. The party is massive and Kevin’s childhood friend and crush Venus attends as do celebrities like Mya, Bill Bellamy, Snoop Dog, Kid Cudi, Juvenile, Lil Wayne, Walter Emanuel Jones among many others and the party is a massive hit! But when some of Damon’s enemies show up and steal LeBron’s championship ring, the two friends have to try and get it back and that includes dealing with the illuminati as well as trying to get out of trouble when LeBron James returns home early and wants these home intruders thrown in jail! Can Kevin get the money? Can he not go to jail? Will he win the heart of Venus? Watch this remake of the classic House Party film series and find out for yourself! This was a pretty funny film that brings some belly laughs as well as is packed with enough 90’s Rap and RNB nostalgia to please fans of the original series. Sadly the film did not do good for New Line Cinema at the US box office only bringing in $9,002,247.00 on a unknown budget. I found this film to be really entertaining and it was a great theatrical watch.

# 3

Joy Ride (2023) Poster

Lawyer Audrey Sullivan is Asian and was adopted by a white family and does not know who her birth mother and father are, but she gets sent to China with the promise of a major promotion if she can lock a deal with a Chinese business man. Along for the trip is her best friend Lolo Chen and her cousin Deadeye, who is an outcast who loves K-Pop music, and when in China Audrey meets up with her old collage roommate Kat who is now a big day time actress on a Chinese soap opera. When the business man insists that he gets to know Audrey’s birth mother after Lolo lies and says the two are close, the friends set out on a big adventure across China in order to find Audrey’s birth mom as well as become closer friends…but this of course is plagued with fighting, crazy people and shocking revelations. This is a pretty dang funny film that brings together four likable friends all with their own personalities that go on a trip that is filled with sleazy and silly fun. The film had me laughing in a few spots and it is well casted with such names as Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu all making up the leads. The film sadly did very poorly for Lionsgate at the domestic box office only bringing in $12,897,789.00 on a budget of around $32million. If you like raunchy comedies make sure to check this one out.

# 2

Barbie (2023) Poster

Barbie lives in Barbie World with all the other Barbies, Kens and Allen, and her life is perfect as all the Barbies have important jobs and the Kens just hang around the beach. But Barbie’s life turns upside down when she gets flat feet, gets cellulite and has thoughts of death! And after visiting Weird Barbie (a Barbie who was played with too rough) she learns that she must travel to the real world and find out why her owner is so sad and along with Ken she does just that. But once in the real world Barbie sees that it’s not perfect and is filled with lots of drama, sadness, crudeness and makes her second guess herself and the world she comes from…but when Ken in the real world learns about being macho, he heads back to Barbie World and corrupts it. Now Barbie must try to do all the right things like bring a mother and daughter back together, reset the Barbie World and find out who she really is. This is a charming fun comedy film that is based on the popular Mattel toy of the same name and truly was a big deal when released in theaters as it broke records and became a massive hit with most critics and fans and proves that if you make films based on toys right, people will come to the theater to watch them! Margot Robbie is great as Barbie and is likable and you find yourself wrapped up in her journey and Ryan Gosling was funny as Ken! Other actors in the film include Simu Liu, Michael Cera, Emma Mackey, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Rhea Perlman and America Ferrera, to name a few. The film did amazing for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $635,928,220.00 on a budget of $145 million. Barbie was the biggest film of 2023 and was truly one of those event style films that brought family, friends and even strangers together.

# 1

asteroid city Poster

The small town of Asteroid City is holding Asteroid Day to celebrate when one made contact with the land, and they also showcase bright youngsters who have made amazing inventions in science with the chance of winning prize money. There in this small town is a war photographer and his kids, an actress and her daughter, army soldiers, the smart kids & parents, school kids & their teacher, scientists, a band and a few of the local townies. But all their lives are changed when a u.f.o appears and an alien takes the asteroid away causing the government to quarantine the town and friendships and relationships are made as everyone wonders what the alien wanted. This is a funny Wes Anderson film that is a play within a movie that features an amazing all-star cast that includes names like Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, Matt Dillon, Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, Live Schreiber, Hope Davis, Willem Dafoe, Steve Carell, Stephan Park, Jeff Goldblum among many others. The humor is what you expect from an Anderson film, and the characters are all likable as is the background set of the small desert town. The film did ok for Focus Features at the domestic box office bringing in $28,153,025.00 on a budget of $25 million. While the humor of this film will not be for everyone, if you enjoyed Wes Anderson’s other films then I am sure you’ll get a laugh out of this one.

While I don’t see many Comedies in the theater I will have to say that I truly enjoyed enjoyed all the ones that I did go to this year as they all brought be a few laughs. But next let’s talk about Action films. Strangely enough, I saw very little of this genre this year and that’s truly is shocking, but let’s not linger as it’s time to chat about and rank the ones I did see.

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# 3

Plane (2023) Poster

It’s New Years, and Captain Brodie Torrance has one last flight before being able to visit his daughter and sister for the holiday. While the crew is small as is the amount of passengers, they do have to escort felon Louis Gaspare who has charges of homicide. But this killer passenger is not the main threat of this plane ride as extreme weather makes them crash land on a island ruled by criminals who take the survivors hostage in order to try and get ransom money. Now Brodie and Louis must fight off these criminals alongside a mercenary group sent in by the airline in order to save the hostages and get off the island safe and sound…but this is as hard as it sounds as the criminals are not the eager to let their prisoners escape and a battle breaks out that will leave many dead and Brodie showing just how great of a pilot he really is. This is a really fun check your brain at the door, popcorn action film that delivers entertainment, as well as some really cool fighting moments with some interesting cast of characters. The film stars Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, Evan Dane, Daniella Pineda and Tony Goldwyn to name a few. The film did all right for Lionsgate at the US box office bringing in $32,111,181.00 on a budget of $25 million. A really fun theater watch action flick that is getting a sequel in the future called “Ship” and I for one will see it when it hits theaters.

# 2

John Wick Chapter 4 Poster

John Wick is being hunted down by The Table as his deeds and killings off some of their own has made him a marked man for death, and all John wants is to be left alone and out of The Table’s hold forever. But when Marquis Vincent de Gramont, a high member of the Table, has been assigned to kill John Wick, the snobby Marquis ends up putting a price on his head, brings down the safety Hotels used by The Table that have helped Wick and even brings in high profile hired killers Caine and Mr. Nobody to get this hit done. But John Wick has other plans as he sets up a duel with the Marquis where one man will die and the others wishes will be granted by The Table…but will John find his way to peace or will he find his way to the grave? Watch this amazing action film to find out for yourself. This film is pure action with lots of fights, chases and action from start to finish and also has great characters with John Wick being a true modern day “Man With No Name” style hero. Keanu Reeves is great as John Wick and this series is one of the best action films going in these modern times. Other names in the cast includes Bill Skarsgard, Ian McShane, Donnie Yen, Lance Reddick and Shamier Anderson to name a few. This film did really well for Lionsgate at the American box office bringing in $187,131,806.00 on a budget of $100 million. The John Wick films are fantastic and with rumors of spinoff films, I cannot wait to see how this universe grows.

# 1

indiana jones and the dial of destiny Poster

It’s 1969 and Indiana Jones is retiring from teaching as his life has gone poorly after a tragic event involving his son as well as his relationship with Marion Ravenwood has crumbled. But Indiana is about to find another adventure when his goddaughter Helena Shaw comes to him with the need to find The Dial Of Destiny, an artifact that is tied with time travel and is what drove her father mad. So now Indiana starts a new adventure and learns that while his age might have slowed him down slightly, it cannot stop a true legend of archaeology as he finds the Dial while helping Helena with her issues as well as dodging a band of Nazi’s who are holding onto the past and want to use the Dial to change to outcome of World War II! And when the Dial is used, the time travel is not what they think and Indiana Jones learns that he means so much to so many people he has built a friendship with over his long legendary career. This was a great film and when at the packed theater to see, it I felt like a kid again watching Indiana Jones on the big screen. The adventure this time around is lots of fun as The Dial Of Destiny is something that could be very dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands and it of course brings back Nazis as the main villains. The film of course had lots of hate before it even was released as many have it out for Disney now and this one was caught up in the storm of anger. The film also not only brings back Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones but other returning faces include John Rhys-Davies as Sallah and Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood. Other actors in the cast are Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook and Shaunette Renee Wilson to name a few. The film did not do so great for Disney at the domestic box office bringing in $174,480,468.00 on a massive over blown budget of $300 million, I hope Disney learned this year that they are putting way too much money into these films. This hands down was my favorite Action film on 2023 and is my third favorite film in the Indiana Jones film series! Don’t listen to the online “critics” and haters as much of what they reported was not even in this film ,and make up your own mind and give it a watch as you might just find yourself enjoying it.

You can never go wrong with watching a good old Action film on the big screen, and this year it was sequels to films that took the top spots as I found both John Wick 4 and Indiana Jones 5 to be highly entertaining films. I did skip a few action films this year like Expendables 4 as I had lots of stuff going on at work as well as had to get many Blood Scream Comics ready for release. But now that we have all the Action out of the way I think that it’s now time we take a look at Sci-Fi and Fantasy Films that I saw this past year at the local cinemas.

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# 5

Dungeons and Dragons honor among thieves Poster

Edgin Darvis is a man whose wife was killed by wizards, and he turned to a life of stealing and this leads to him spending years in jail and his daughter being watched after by one of his former running mates in a life of crime. But once out of jail, he finds that his daughter is safe and that his former friend Forge Fitzwilliam is now a King of a kingdom and is working with an evil Witch to rule over the land and bring death to the city…now Edgin along with female warrior Holga Kilgore, untrained wizard Simon Aumar and shape shifter Doric must come together to save his daughter, bring down the corrupt king, take out the evil Red Wizard and become the unlikely family they have all been looking for. This is a fun fantasy film that is a true popcorn flick that was a great watch on the big screen! The characters make a great team, and it feels like a quest film that would have been perfectly at home during the 80’s when Barbarian and Warrior styles films were being released. The effects are well done, from undead warriors all the way to an obese dragon and such actors as Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant and Daisy Head make up the main cast. Also for those of you wondering the cast from the Dungeon And Dragons cartoon from the 80 do make an appearance. The film did ok for Paramount Pictures at the U.S. box office bringing in $93,277,026.00 on a budget of $150 million. If you like fun Fantasy Films that brings the fun nature of the role playing game it’s based on, make sure to give it a watch as its filled with action, adventure and some humor.

# 4

Shin Ultraman (2023) Poster

Japan is being attacked by giant Kaiju monsters and their special defense team the SSSP are doing what they can to destroy these threats, but soon they get help from an alien giant named Ultraman to defeat these terrors! But with Ultraman’s appearance comes new threats as aliens are coming to Earth now with the ideas of either ruling it or destroying it, and he must use all his powers and his newly found respect for mankind in order to protect them as well as be the hero the Earth needs during these unknown times. But can Ultraman survive the attacks of foe after foe and threat after threat or will mankind suffer a terrible fate at the hands of aliens from another dimension? Watch this reboot to the classic TV Series to find out. This is such a fun, silly, cheesy Sci-Fi action film that does a great job of capturing the mood and feel of the 1966 series as it was clear they were definitely playing in that universe. The effects are really fun as some look really good and other very cartoonish by design. And I also have to say that the film feels like several different episodes crammed together as you get tons of monsters and aliens that come and go, with some having no real reason to make their exit. The film was released in limited theaters via a Fathom Event and did ok for them at the American Box Office bringing in $601,490.00 on a budget of 900 million yen. Over all if you like fun films with giant monsters and are a Ultra Man fan like myself, then make sure to checkout this film. I got it when released on home media.

# 3

transformers rise of the beasts Poster

The planet eater Unicron has eaten the home world of The Maximals but needs a key to get to the next galaxy. Optimus Primal along with his fellow Maximals Airazor, Cheetor and Rhinox take the key to Earth and break the key into two and hide them so that Unicron will forever be stuck where he is at and can not destroy anymore planets. Now in 1994 one part of the key is activated and Unicron’s minions travel to Earth to find both parts of the keys to send the single into space and allow the massive planet eater to arrive to destroy Earth and everyone living on it. The Earth’s only hope is The Maximals, The Autobots lead by Optimus Prime and two earthlings who get caught up in this madness. This is a really fun Transformers film as Optimus Prime in this film learns that not all humans are bad and that The Maximals are still alive and living on Earth in hiding. And as always it’s great hearing Peter Cullen voice Prime, as it gives the film that true Transformers feel and other actors voices heard in this film include Ron Perlman, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage and Pete Davidson. This is one of the better Transformers live action films and did well for Paramount at the domestic box office bringing in $157,066,393.00 on a budget of $200 million. Over all if you are a fan of Transformers or Beast Wars, make sure to give this one a watch.

# 2

Wonka (2023) Poster

Willy Wonka is a young man who is a brilliant inventor, magician and chocolate maker who has shown up in city with big dreams of selling his treats to the people to honor his late mother, but he soon finds that the city is corrupted by three candy makers, a police chief who is on the take as he is paid in candy to do their dirty work, a father who runs the church to hide the makers base of operations and even a sleazy motel owner who forces her guests to big contracts in order to trap them there and make them work for her laundry services. But Wonka has big dreams to bring his treats to the people and finds ways to out move and out smart them and with the help of his fellow trapped laundry workers Noodle, plumber Piper Benz, accountant Abacus Crunch, comedian Larry Chucklesworth, tell phone operator Lottie Bell, giraffe Abigail and the Oompa-Loompa named Lofty he does just that as Wonka Chocolate becomes a reality and along the way the candy maker changes the lives of those who helped him for the better. This is a prequel to the 1974 family musical classic “Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory” and for the most part is a fitting film into the legacy as Wonka is silly, there is catchy songs and lots of strange things all around. The film is well casted with Timothee Chalamet playing Will Wonka and other names like Rowan Atkinson, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Grant, Rakhee Thakrar, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas and Olivia Colman making up some of the leads. The humor in the film works on a family entertainment level. The film did ok for Warner Brothers at the American box office bringing in $142,762,717 on a budget of $125 million (as of this posting). While its not as magical or special as the first film, it is a fun family musical that I think will find its audience once the internet outrage fades away.

# 1

Super Mario Bros The Movie (2023) Poster

Mario and Luigi are two brothers who open a plumbing business in Brooklyn, New York who soon find themselves in the sewers trying to stop a massive water main break, but are sucked into a pipe that takes them into a new world, that of The Mushroom Kingdom! While Mario meets Toad and Princess Peach, poor Luigi is taken prisoner by Bowser and his army of troopers as he has captured the power star and wants to force Peach into marrying him and ruling over the Mushroom Kingdom together…and if she says no, then he will use the star and destroy it all! Now Mario along with Princess Peach, silly mushroom man Toad and Donkey Kong must come together to stop Bowser from destroying the world, and The Mario Brothers must also show the world and most importantly their family that they are not screw-ups and are truly the plumbing heroes the world…no the galaxy needs. This is a really fun film that brings the classic Nintendo characters to the big screen once again as their first adventure was way back in 1993 and was live action with this one being animated. The animation in this film is top notch as are all the Easter Eggs that feature other Nintendo owned properties that include Punch-Out and Pro Wrestling to name a few. Plus it was very cool to see Donkey Kong on a XD Screen! Voice actors for this film include Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Fred Armisen and Seth Rogen to name a few. The film did fantastic for Universal at the American box office bringing in $574,934,330.00 on a budget of $100 million. If you enjoy the past, present and future of Super Mario Bros. make sure to give this one a watch as it’s a heck of a fun time.

In 2023 film studios truly delivered a very fun mix bag of films in the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres and I will say that I found them all to be very fun in their own ways but really The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the best that those genres had to offer as I really do think it captured the fun nature of the Nintendo game series and it’s box office domestic and worldwide number proves I am not the only one who thought so. Well let’s next take a look at the Super Hero Genre that while did do well also took a beating this year as they seem to be wearing out their welcome at the box office for sure.

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# 9

Blue Beetle (2023) Poster

Jamie Reyes returns home after college to find that his family home is up for sale and that his family is poor, but after meeting Jenny Kord, a woman who is on the board of a very rich company, his life is forever changed when by accident he bonds with the Scarab and turns him into superhero the Blue Beetle! But becoming this hero also puts he and his family in danger when Victoria Kord wants the Scarab to help create bio suits to use in wars and sends her bodyguard OMAC to get it back for her. Can the Blue Beetle survive? Will he save his family? Will Victoria get her war machines up and running? Watch this DC Comics based superhero film and find out for yourself. While I did not hate Blue Beetle, the word “generic” just comes to mind as at this point many of these superhero films are just being made paint by numbers style and lack that creative impact that they used to over a decade ago. When seeing this film opening weekend many of the jokes fell flat with the movie goers and many after it was over I could hear say it was boring and just bland…and sadly I agree. The film has a good cast with such names as Xolo Mariduena, George Lopez, Bruna Marquezine, Harvey Guillen, Susan Sarandon and Belissa Escobedo to name a few. The film did ok for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $72,488,072.00 on a budget of $125 million. While I am sure this film has its fans and I am glad that there is people who enjoy it…but this one was just way too cheesy and generic for me.

# 8

aquaman and the lost kingdom poster

Aquaman is now not only the King of Atlantis but also a father now as he and Mera have had a son, but the oceans as well as the surface world is in trouble due to pollution that is causing global warming and worse Black Manta as returned and found the Black Trident and is possessed by a former ocean ruler who has frozen in ice by magic and wants to return to not only take over the oceans once more but also destroy Atlantis and go to war with the surface world! Now Aquaman must fight Black Manta and his followers from dooming the world as well as destroying the environment and must get the help of his brother Ocean Master to do so…but can the brothers get along for long enough to be the heroes or will their feud doom us all? This is another very paint by numbers bland superhero film filled with lots of action and epic fights but also the lame humor that James Gunn introduced to the world of superhero films and as always Jason Momoa over acts had hams it up on the screen making for many eye rolling moments. The film is over long and is kind of just very generic over all and once more has a bloated budget that makes you wonder when will Warner Brothers learn. The film also starts Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Amber Heard, Dolph Lundgren, Nicole Kidman, Randall Park and Temuera Morrison. The film did poorly for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in (as of this posting) $84,670,000 on a $205 million budget. The DCU is getting just as played out as the MCU, and let’s hope that they both cut down on the amount released and make them feel more special for theater goers again.

# 7

teenage mutant ninja turtles mutant mayhem poster

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live in the sewer with their father Splinter but want to live among humans and enjoy a normal teenage life, but due to their appearance and a bad experience Splinter had with humans when the turtles were babies, they are forced to live in the shadows. That is until they meet unpopular teenager April O’Neil who they help get her stolen scooter back and they come up with a plane to stop Superfly, a mutated fly who has his own mutant crew that are Mondo Gecko, Bebop, Rocksteady, Leatherhead, Wingnut, Ray Fillet, Scumbug and Genghis Frog! But the will the TMNT stop Superfly once they find out they are sort of all cousins or will they be trapped and captured by TCRI, who is a group that want to create their own mutants? Will April O’Neil over come her nerves for reporting? Will Splinter ever trust humans again? Will Ray Fillet finally be able to sing? All these questions are answered and more in Mutant Mayhem! This is a pretty fun and silly animated film that will surly please viewers of all ages, but I will say that the creative team behind this do make some major changes to characters and their backstories so TMNT classic fans might get a little annoyed. The film is filled with lots of silly comedy as well as some great fights and has the voice acting talents of such actors as Jackie Chan, Maya Rudolph, Ice Cube, John Cena, Seth Rogen, Natasia Demetriou, Paul Rudd, Giancarlo Esposito, Rose Byrne and Post Malone. The film did well for Paramount at the domestic box office bringing in $118,613,586.00 on a budget of $70 million. While I am not so much into animated superhero films, this was an entertaining one and was worth seeing on the big screen.

# 6

The Flash (2023) Poster

The Flash is a member of the Justice League and has been helping Batman with events in Gothom all the while trying to prove that his father was not the one who killed his mother. But when Flash discovers he can run so fast that we can go back in time he comes up with an idea to save his mom, and does so even after being warned by Batman that this could change and destroy everything. Flash does this and ends saving his mom, but also warps the world as he meets a younger version of himself as well as meets a different version of Batman, saves Supergirl but leaves this universe without a way to defeat General Zod and his army as this world is without a Superman! After jumping time over and over to try to fix things the two Flashs are faced with the idea some things just cannot be fixed. Has The Flash doomed a world to be destroyed by Zod or will he find a way to try and set things back to what they are an that means loosing his mother again. This is one of those superhero films that had bad word of mouth mostly due to the behavior of the films star Ezra Miller outside of Hollywood, but while They are scum the film is not as bad as its made out to be. Lots of great cameos from DC Movies of the past and you have to love that Michael Keaton once more plays Batman! The film did poorly for Warner Brothers at the American box office bringing in $108,133,313.00 on a massive budget of $220 million. The film is not groundbreaking but was a fun watch on the big screen and fans of the Zach Snyder Superhero films should give this one a watch. Plus I have to say with this spoiler it was great seeing Christopher Reeve and George Reeves as Superman, Helen Slater as Supergirl and Adam West as Batman again for there brief cameos.

# 5

spiderman across the spiderverse Poster

Gwen Stacy is called to join a group of Spider-Men who are trying to capture baddies that are crossing over into other universes, all thanks to what Miles Morales caused when he saved the world from the Kingpin and created a super villain called The Spot who is causing chaos in order to get the ultimate power and be looked at as a top super villain. When Miles meets back up with Gwen who broke the rules of visiting him, he follows her on her quest to bring down Spot and causes even more bad effects for the different universes even causing some to start to collapse on themselves! And when Miles hears of a big event that is going to be playing out in his universe that effects his father, he knows he can stop this event…but at what cost? This causes him to be tracked down by his fellow Spider-Men in over to try and right all these wrongs Miles has accidentally caused while on a mission himself to also bring an end to Spot. This is a pretty entertaining animated superhero film that explores the different versions of Spider-Man from the different universes and is allowing Miles to find love, have his first mega villain crises and also find out that everything ones does has an outcome that sometimes is not glamorous. The film also features Spider-Man 2099, Scarlet-Spider and even a small cameo from the 1960’s Spider-Man cartoon version. It’s a good film; I am just not into the animated superhero films as much, but I understand that many of you are and that’s cool. The film did well for Columbia Pictures at the American box office bringing in $381,311,319.00 on a budget of $100 million. Check this one out if you enjoyed the first film or just like animated Spider-Man films.

# 4

The Marvels (2023) Poster

Dar-Benn is the ruler of the Kree, and she is on a mission to bring their home world back to its glory with the help of a bangle that allows her to open portals that can steal other planets’ resources, and she is targeting planets of people who are loved by Captain Marvel. But something else strange is happening as every time Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel and Captain Monica Rambeau use their powers, they switch spots making for lots of chaos as they all try and be the heroes they need to be, and now must work together as a team in order to save the planets and defeat the crazed Dar-Benn for killing millions. They also get help from Nick Fury and must learn to work as a team, find that some heroes have flaws and must also learn how to forgive for past mistakes. Can our heroes The Marvels stop Dar-Benn or are planets doomed to be destroyed? Checkout this superhero film and find out. The Marvels is a mixed bag of humor, drama and action and is over all an ok watch that once more got hit with bad reviews from online “critics” for no reason at all. Is the film the best that the Superhero genre has to offer…no, but was it a fun popcorn movie? Yep. Some of the humor in this film falls flat and at times it suffers the same fate as Blue Beetle of being just kind of generic feeling as to me Dar-Benn might be one of the weakest villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Zawe Ashton, Samuel L. Jackson and Iman Vellani who is Ms. Marvel and truly steals the film away from the other two actresses, but to be honest everyone does a great job in their roles. The film did only ok for Disney at the domestic box office bringing in $84,493,947 on a bloated budget of $270 million, showing that Disney needs to reign in these budgets. Over all if you liked the first Captain Marvel film, enjoyed the Ms. Marvel TV Show or just really like these characters make sure to check it out.

# 3

Antman and the Wasp Quantumania Poster

Ant-Man along with Wasp, Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne and Cassie Long find themselves being sucked into a machine that Cassie created that allowed her to map some of the Quantum Realm and find themselves stuck inside it and worse being hunted down by Kang The Conqueror and his creation, the killing machine known as M.O.D.O.K as Kang wants to return to Earth after being banished in order to conqueror and destroy with his created army in the Realm. And Kang also hates Janet as when she was stuck in the Realm she caused him to not be able to escape by destroying his only way out the Multiversal Power Core. Now Ant-Man finds himself being used as a puppet when Kang forces him to get the Power Core in order to save his daughter’s life…Ant-Man is faced with a hard decision but when his daughter escapes, he and his family are joined by freedom fighters fight against Kang to stop him from time and dimension jumps as well as break his grip on the Quantum Realm. This was a fun Sci-Fi Superhero film that felt like not only did it have elements of typical Marvel Universe films but also a dash of Star Wars with a hint of Tron! I am not sure why this film got so much hate from critics and fans besides the fact it the cool trend to crap on these comics book films now, as I found it to be a fun popcorn film meant to be seen on the big screen! This film did good for Disney at the US box office bringing in $214,504,909.00 on a budget of $200 million. Well worth a watch if you have enjoyed the other two Ant-Man films and want to see Kang The Conqueror be as evil and cold as he should be.

# 2

Shazam Fury of The Gods Poster

Billy Batson is about to turn 18 and has a fear that he will be out of the foster system and lose his new family and home. Also, his siblings who all have super powers now seem to want to do things on their own besides doing it as a superhero team, and this is truly bumming him out. But when the three Daughters Of Atlas are able to get their hands on the magical staff, they break the hold on preventing darker magic used on Earth and use their powers to steal the powers back from Batson’s super hero powered family! Now he along with The Wizard (who gave him the powers) must figure out a way to get the staff back and stop these three sisters from destroying our planet as one of the sisters has an idea to turn Earth into their new realm and even brings back monsters and creatures from mythology that are rampaging our streets. And Shazam (Billy) must use all his powers and skills to truly stop the Sisters as well as save mankind from destruction. This was a really fun sequel that was filled with some great action as well as laughs and even brought mythical creatures into the plot, so that was a plus for me seeing minotaurs on the big screen. The film is well casted with Zachary Levi, Grace Caroline Currey, Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, Djimon Hounsou and Rachel Zegler making up most of the main cast, and with cameos from Gal Gadoy, Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee this film is stacked with talent. The film did just bad for Warner Brothers at the American box office bringing in $57,638,006.00 on a budget of $125 million, and the film’s poor performance was thanks mostly to online critics, but don’t listen to them and make up your own mind as Shazam 2 was a fun big budget popcorn movie watch.

# 1

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol Three Poster

The Guardians Of The Galaxy come together when member Rocket Raccoon is dying and his creator The High Evolutionary has placed a self-destruct mechanism in him that will kill him if anyone tries to help him medically, and worse, he wants Rocket back in order to take his brain and use it to help build a new race of animal people. Starlord and the others will not allow their friend to die and set out on a quest to get the code to disarm the mechanism in order to save his life, but along the way they have to fight with High Evolutionary and his army of followers and creations including Adam Warlock. But will they be able to save Rocket? Will the other Guardians fall in battle? And what is their fate as a team after the events of this film? Watch this great third film in the hit series and find out for yourself. This film for now is the swan song for Guardians Of The Galaxy, and James Gunn did a great job of sending them off right, as this film truly shows the love and friendship the characters have for each other and does a great job of making this final all about Rocket and all the terrible things that happened to him. This is one I don’t want to say too much about as I think that its best just watched and seen for yourself, I will warn you there are many of sad moments in this film that have to do with animal cruelty. The film did well for Disney at the domestic box office bringing in $358,995,815.00 on a budget of $250 million making it a hit for the House Of Mouse. If you like the other films in the series of just the films of director James Gunn make sure to give this one a watch as it really was the best Superhero film of 2023.

Like many, I find myself getting a little burnt out by the Super Hero films that have been flooding the cinemas for over the past 10 years as many at this point are all about different dimensions, universes, timelines and so on…but I truly think The Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 is a great film and hands down the best Superhero film of the year. And I know many of you are upset that Spiderverse is not high on my list, and again I have to stress it’s a good movie, I am just not into the animated Superhero Films. Well next is what I consider the Top Draw to get me to the theater and that of course is Horror and ma,n did I see lots of films on the big screen, and I mean a lot! This is truly the genre of film that brings me to the theater every time and with seeing so many this year putting together this list was a little hard as I enjoyed so many of them…but with that, let’s get cozy in our seats and let’s talk Horror!

horror 23 logo

# 44

Skinamarink (2022) Poster

Young Kevin and Kaylee wake up to a dark house were strange noises and creepy voice are heard in the darkness, and visions of their mother and father appear as doors, windows, toys and even the toilet seem to disappear. The voice taunts them and tells them to do weird things like look under the bed, go to sleep and even self-harm. Lights go on and off and the youngsters only have flashlights and the glow of the TV that is playing old cartoons. But slowly Kevin finds himself alone in the house looking for help and wanting to find someone to help him out of this nightmarish home of darkness…is this all in the young boys head or are his parents the true monsters? Watch this Experimental Horror film and make up your own mind. This film is not for everyone as it is a very slow burn with lots of white noise and long shots of door frames and Legos mixed with some dialogue, loud noises and cartoons playing and is very much a artsy kind of film that tries to guide the viewer into seeing what they think is truly going on in it. I for one was not a fan as I found it to be kind of bland and not as deep as it was trying to appear to be, and I did not find it that scary and many of the shots linger for way to long and act as filler to pad out the runtime as I feel this would have been better as a short film. The film had a limited release in theaters and did well for IFC at the American box office bringing in $2,052,272.00 on a budget of $15,000.00. This is one that you might want to check out if you think doorframes and flooring are scary. I might try to watch again and see if I like it any better in the future.

# 43

Black Demon (2023) Poster

Paul Sturges is a man who works for Nixon Oil who has been sent out to inspect an old oil rig on the Baja Coast to see if it needs to be shutdown, and for this trip he also brings his wife Ines, daughter Audrey and young son Tommy as after they plan to have a fun time in Mexico. But soon Paul and his family find that the oil rig is leaking and most of the crew are gone besides two workers and their pet dog…as you see, that area is now cursed by an Aztec God who protects the land and has set loose The Black Demon, a massive shark that kills anything in its path. With no way off the oil rig and Paul learning that his own employers have sent him there to die, Paul must figure out a way to get his family to safety as well as stop The Black Demon and please the Aztec God by making his wrongs right and making the ultimate sacrifice. This is a pretty fun giant shark film that has a cool setting being in Mexico that sadly just does not have enough of The Black Demon who at times seems like an after thought as the main focus is clearly the damage that mega corporations do to the environment as well as Paul one of the most unlikable “heroes” I have seen in a film for a very long time. The film does have some kills and blood, but it as well is few and far between in the film. The film is well casted with names like Josh Lucas, Fernanda Urrehola, Julio Cesar Ceddillo, Venus Ariel and Jorge A. Jimenez and the music score is well done. The film did ok I would guess for Variance Films at the domestic box office on a very limited releasing bring in a unknown amount on a unknown budget. The Black Demon is not for everyone as it is very much a Horror Film that does not pack a very big bite.

# 42

Meg 2 the Trench Poster

Jonas Taylor and his crew are searching the ocean not only to discover new species in the trench but are also busting eco terrorist who are polluting the waters, and he is still making time for his step daughter Meiying. But during a dive with his crew and daughter, something goes wrong as they discover a underwater base as well as a illegal metal mining operation that sets off explosions and causes Jonas and the others to have to walk on the ocean floor to enter the base to find shelter as in these waters are all types of man eating creatures and worse of all three Megalodons that are hungry for human flesh! But once Jonas figures a way for them to get back the surface world they must deal with this illegal operation, handle the traitors that work among them, save lives from the approaching Megalodons and a Giant Octopus that was also let loose when the explosion rocked the trench. Can Jonas and his crew beat the odds and save the day…you bet your ass they will…but how they do so I will not say and that means watch this Action based Horror film to find out for yourself. This is yet another letdown in the cinema when it came to giants sharks reeking havoc, as his is another film that at times it seems the sharks take a backseat to the action segments and in fact the whole film really does downplay the Horror aspects. And the action in this one is over the top and super cheesy b-move level stuff. Jason Statham, Cliff Curtis, Shuya Sophia Cai and Page Kennedy return from the first film with names like Jing Wu, Melissanthi Mahut, Skyler Samuels and Sergio Peris-Mencheta being new names to the cast. The film did ok for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $82,600,317.00 on a budget of $129million and did much better at the over seas theaters. While not as good as the original film, it still was a great popcorn movie to watch on the big screen if you like water based action films with just sadly a hint of Horror.

# 41

Nefarious (2023) Poster

Edward is a man who is about to be executed in the electric chair for committing six murders, but his last psychiatrist committed suicide and now Dr. James Martin has been called in to give his evaluation if Edward is mentally fit to be executed. James soon finds that Edward is claiming that he is Nefarious, a demon that has taken over his body and caused him to do all the evil things, and worse Nefarious knows all of James secrets and things about his life that he shouldn’t. James now must figure out if Edward really does have a demon inside him, how this killer knows so much about his life and if he is going to sign the papers to end this prisoner’s life. The demon Nefarious soon alerts that he wants for Edward to die and that he wants James to release a book about the demons story to help spread the word of The Devil! In the end James makes his choice and must come to terms with his own faith as well as the fact that a demon has his him in his sights. This is a Christian-based Horror Film that mostly takes place in one setting in the prison and has the two main characters going back and fourth trying to get the one up on the other, and Sean Patrick Flanery is fantastic as Edward/Nefarious as he is able to slip between the two characters with a realistic approach. Other names in the cast include Jordan Belfi, Tom Ohmer and Daniel Martin Berkey being the main characters. The film’s frights come from the words of the demon and this was a slow burn and yet entertaining fright film. The film did well for Soli Deo Gloria Releasing at the American box office bringing in $5,433,685.00 on an unknown budget. The film does have a few preachy moments that tries to push is message, but if you look past it the film is ok and one I would watch again.

# 40

Hunt Her, Kill Her (2023) Poster

Karen starts her new job as an overnight janitor for a furniture factory. She is also a single mom to a sick little girl and her ex-husband was an abusive a-hole. But as her shift goes on five masked me break into the factory with the goal to kill Karen, they have her locked in, the doors chained and the phone lines cut and now she must fight for her life and survive this horrible night to see her daughter again. Who are these masked intruders? Are they robbers, and if not, who sent them? This is a pretty fun Indie Horror Film that is a cat and mouse game as most of the runtime is spent with Karen one step ahead or almost being caught by the masked attackers, and while the suspense is there it does tend to get a little draggy at times. Actress Natalie Terrazzino plays Karen and is fantastic in her role, and I hope to see her casted in more Horror Films soon. The film has some bloody moments and the end will leave you satisfied. The film had a very limited release and did ok for Welcome Villain bringing in a unknown amount on an unknown budget. This film was a blast to watch on the big screen and while it did drag in a few spots it is one I watched again when released on home media.

# 39

Fear (2023) Poster

Rom takes his girlfriend Bianca to a place called Strawberry Lodge as he has just published his new book, her birthday was just recent, the pandemic had them cooped up and he wanted to propose to her but gets cold feet. All of their close friends have joined them at the lodge and meet the old lady who owns it that leaves them a bottle of wine before making her exit. The friends are all having a great time together, that is until after they drink the wine left for them, and Rom makes the mistake of talking about the legend of the house that includes witches, fear and suicide. Soon their getaway turns into a nightmare of fear as they start seeing things, hearing things and uncovering things that lead many of them to early graves all because of a coven of a evil witches that have a guardian that needs to feed on some souls. Can Rom and Bianca escape the Lodge with whats left of their friends or will they all be undone by their greatest fears. This was a spooky supernatural witch movie that was set during the pandemic times and plays up on peoples fear of the virus as well as how fear in general can lead to your fate. The movie was well cast, with Annie Ilonzeh, Jessica Allain, Tyler Abron and Ruby Modline all being great in their roles. The film did ok for Hidden Empire Film Group at the American box office bringing in $2,090,261.00 on an unknown budget. While not a groundbreaking film about the concept of neither fear nor a virus crisis, it is one that I enjoyed on the big screen and got on home media when released.

# 38

cello (2023) poster

Nasser is a talented cello player who is trying to get his big break playing as part of a big symphony, and his luck he thinks is turning when he gets himself a new cello from a strange man at a pop-up music shop. The more Nasser plays his new cello, the more strange things happen to his family and friends as his new musical instrument is cursed and forces him to play a requiem that causes rage to those who hear it and with their ears bleeding they will attack and kill those around them. After some of his family and friends die, Nasser and his friends Alia and Omar try and find answers as the cello has taken over Nasser’s mind and life and he is having visions of a twisted conductor named Francesco as well as ghostly evil spirits of the creator of the cello who murdered his family and used their bones and blood to create it. But can Nasser stop playing the cello and the evil requiem that is driving the world mad or will Francesco claim another talent for his growing collection of talent to cause mayhem and death all around…watch and find out. This is a horror film that brings supernatural ghosts into the world of classical music and is about a cursed musical instrument as well as a song that will drive people mad when played. The film has some great moments that plays on tension as well as has some interesting ghosts but does suffer from being way to long as it runs 2hrs and should really only be 1hr 25min max as some spots in this movie drags and bogs down some of the chills. The film also has a pretty downbeat ending and is a modern cursed object kind of film, also its cool that it’s a Saudi Arabia release. The films stars Samer Ismail, Jeremy Irons, Tobin Bell, Elham Ali, Mila Al Zahrani and Souad Abdullah as the leads and all are great in their roles with Elham being the standout. The film had a very limited release in America and did $5,314 internationally on an unknown budget for Rozam Media. If you like music based horror, make sure to check this one out.

# 37

Maa Oori Polimera 2 Poster

A small village is plagued with black magic as one of their temples has been closed down for many years as it is said to have a curse around it…but it is also said to hide treasure! Komari is a man who many think is dead, who is absorbed into black magic and has taken lives and has ruined many of those around him as well as his own, now wandering the country side on a mission to find the treasure and gain more power he is being hunted down by a police captain, his best friend as well as a rich man and his group that want to find the treasures themselves…in other words, there is lots of drama and evil vibes going around and Komari is at the center of it all. This is the sequel to the indie Bollywood Horror film Maa Oori Polimera and brings more twist and turns to that universe, and the end of this second film leaves you on a cliffhanger and the promise of a third film. The film is filled with lots of flashbacks as well as spooky black magic scares…but I will say that the subtitles on the print I saw at the theater were very bad and at times they would just disappear for long periods of time making it a little confusing at times. The film had a very limited release in America and did an unknown amount on an unknown budget. If you like Bollywood Horror like myself, make sure to check this one out.

# 36

HAUNTED MANSION

Gabbie and her young son Travis move into an old mansion in New Orleans and soon find that it’s haunted by almost a thousand ghosts that are being ruled over by the Hatbox Ghost who needs to collect one more soul in order to bring his terror to the world. Gabbie calls for help from professionals as she learns that once you enter the mansion, a ghost will haunt you until you return! She calls on tour guide and creator of a ghost camera Ben, Harriet a psychic, Father Kent a priest and lastly Professor Davis who kind of forces his way into helping…but they soon find out that the Hatbox Ghost has many terrible tricks up his sleeve and will not stop until one of them dies! But this group is not ready to give up and teaming with some of the more friendly ghosts in the house, they find ways to bring down the Hatbox Ghost and stop his reign of terror on them all as even the other ghost fear him and others obey him not to get on his bad side. This is a very fun kid friendly haunted house film that is based on the popular Disney ride and is fantastically casted with names like LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Own Wilson, Danny DeVito, Tiffany Haddish and Chase W. Dillion making up the main cast with Jamie Lee Curtis, Winona Ryder, Hasan Minhaj having cameos and Jared Leto plays the Hatbox Ghost. The film is filled with lots of kid friendly scares, some good belly laughs, creepy ghosts and characters that go so well together. The film did poorly for Disney at the domestic box office brining in $67,653,287.00 on a budget of $157.8 million. If you like the ride or just silly spooky ghosts in a haunted house film, make sure to check this one out.

# 35

Renfield (2022) Poster

Renfield is still the familiar for Count Dracula after all these centuries, and he is starting to truly hate his life of eating bugs to gain powers in order to capture humans and bring them to Dracula to feed on. But in these modern times Renfield is picking his victims by attending help groups and bringing him those who are abusive. But things turn sour between the two when Renfield meets officer Rebecca Quincy and saves her from a crime family hit that has been placed on her, and this angers Dracula who now is on a mission to not only take over the world by using this crime family now as his army and helpers…but to also kill everyone that Renfield cares about. Can Renfield and Officer Quincy bring down the crime family and stop Dracula, or will they both suffer a fate worse than death at the hands of the vampire king? Watch this Horror Comedy for yourself and find out. Fist thing I have to say is that director Chris McKay must be taking goofy pills when he tried to claim that this film is a direct sequel to the 1931 Universal Monster classic Dracula that starred Bela Lugosi in the title role, and he even adds moments in Renfield to try and connect the two…and this movie is not even close to being a true sequel as everything about it does not fit the first ones moods and setting unless you think CGI Blood, Shaky Cam Fights Scenes, Character That Act Nothing Like They Did In The Original and Goofy Jokes blend well into your classic Universal Monster Universe. And McKay, we had an official sequel in 1936 with “Dracula’s Daughter,” an underrated classic fright flick. Plus zero explanation on how they both are back alive when we see them die in the original film. With all that said it is a fun watch if you remove the “sequel” aspect as it’s filled with over the top gore, lots of Matrix style fights and has a great cast with Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Jenna Kanell and even Caroline Williams in a cameo role. Plus the idea of Renfield eating a bug and getting superpowers is an interesting and silly concept that just works. The film did poorly for Universal at the U.S box office bringing in $17,152,625.00 on a budget of $65 million. While I do wish that this was more of a straight up Horror Film, if you are in the mood to watch a modern Horror Comedy with a classic Universal Monster give it a watch. I did buy it when it was released on home media.

# 34

The Boogeyman (2023) Poster

Sadie and her younger sister Sawyer lost their mother in a car accident and their father Will, who is a psychiatrist, has not really dealt with the death well himself and has not fully been their for his daughters. And things get worse when a man shows up to their house and ends up killing himself in one of their closets, as the man has been accused of killing his own kids but he claims is was something else, something evil! Now Sadie must protect her sister Sawyer from the monster of the darkness they call The Boogeyman, make her father believe in the monster they see, accept the loss of her mother as well as find a way to kill this monster from your closet and under your bed. This spooky film is based on the short story from Stephen King and is well cast as both Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair steal the film as they come off as real life caring sisters. The Boogeyman is a cool and strange looking creature that delivers a few good jump scares and in a dark theater I could hear people jump several times. The film did well for 20th Century at the domestic box office bringing in $43,244,282.00 on a budget of $35 million. This is a good PG-13 fright flick that I hope someday will be released on physical media so that I can have it in my collection.

# 33

Shaky Shivers (2023) Poster

Karen and Lucy work for a ice cream shop and are rude to a Witch who curses Lucy to become a werewolf, and this causes the friends to head to an abandoned Girl Scouts Camp just in case if she turns into a beast at the full moon…but this gets way out of hand and turns crazy as the two friends discover that the curse is real and have run ins with zombies, cult members and even Bigfoot all in order to find themselves and save Lucy from howling at the moon and ripping her friend into pieces as well as break the witch’s curse. This is a silly Horror Comedy that blends together pretty well, and while some of the humor fell flat for me I still found it to be entertaining as the characters are silly and the use of practical effects gives it a nice touch to the classic days of Indie Horror. The film is well casted with such names as VyVy Nguyen, Brooke Markham, Hershel Sparber, Jimmy Bellinger and Erin Daniels all do a great job in their roles. The film had a limited release for Fathom Events and did ok at the domestic box office with unknown profits on an unknown budget. While not the funniest Horror Comedy I have ever seen, it was cool seeing on the big screen at the theater as the film’s editor’s dad was in the audience with us and is one I will get if released on Home Media.

# 32

Satanic Hispanics Poster

The Traveler is a man found in a safe house chained to a dead man filled with over 20 immigrants that have all been shot in the head. Once at the police station The Traveler tells four stories to the investigating officers that are horrific and some humorous in nature, but warns them that he needs to be set free as a death demon is coming for him and will kill everyone in its path…and while he is immortal he has to stay ahead of this demon in order to prevent the return of dark times. But can The Travelers stories scare the officers into believing him or will the Death Demon come for them all…watch this Hispanic Horror Anthology Film and find out. This is a mix bagged as some of the segments are good, others are ok and some are boring, but all of them are well shot and acted and the use of practical effects for the monsters and demons is really cool. The switching from straight up Horror to Horror Comedy can be a little jarring at times as it gives it a little of a odd pacing. Very cool that this small independent film got a very limited showing at the theaters and over all was a pretty dang entertaining watch. The film on its limited release brought in $16,288 at the international box office for Iconic Events Releasing. This is one that I look forward to watching again to see if I missed anything hidden.

# 31

Children Of The Corn (2020) Poster

In a small town the corn crops are all dying off and leaving the towns people broke, and their only hope is to make a deal with the government to not grow corn any more. And the town’s kids are not happy about this as teenager Boleyn Williams wants to save the corn and soil to help the land as well as the town grow, while young Eden Edwards wants to protect it as she has made a friend with He Who Walks Behind, a creature who has watched after her and even filled her head with bad thoughts. And when the time comes Eden leads all the kids into an uprising as they kill all the adults for their sins against the corn and she introduces them to He Who Walks Behind with plans to lead the youth uprising around the country! The only ones who try and help the adults are Boleyn and her friends who see what Eden is doing is wrong, but can they stop her plans of death and pleasing her monstrous corn friend…or will they end up dead like all the adults who crossed her…watch this reboot to the Children Of The Corn series and find out for yourself. This was a fun “sequel” of sorts that was a very enjoyable watch on the big screen as I think the character Eden Edwards played by actress Kate Moyer is a sinister youngster who is driven by evil and ego. Plus you can never go wrong with a corn monster! The film has some great deaths and it has a good cast with Elena Kampouris, Callan Mulvey and Bruce Spence all having big rolls. The film had a very limited released and did ok for RLJE Films at the American box office bringing in $325,583.00 on a unknown budget. Harshly judged by “fans” and critics this is one that I enjoyed and got on home media when released.

# 30

Consecration (2023) Poster

Grace is an eye doctor who gets the sad news that her brother Michael, a priest, is dead and is believed to be involved in a murder suicide, but Grace don’t think so and travels to the Isle Of Skye to a convent where this took place and soon finds that the nuns are all very odd and The Mother Superior seems to be the one who claims her brother had a demon in him to commit these crimes. But when Father Romero arrives Grace’s life and her own views seem to be twisted as she learns that she herself might be the cause of all this as she grew up with visions, a abusive father and just might possible be a fallen angel and a religious relic. But is Grace good, evil or something in-between? Watch this creepy Religious based Horror Film and find out yourself. One of the several Religious Horror Films release in 2023 and this one was pretty entertaining as I enjoyed the twists and turns the plot took plus it was well casted with Jena Malone being fantastic as Grace and fellow actors Danny Huston, Eilidh Fisher, Thoren Ferguson and Janet Suzman all being fantastic in their roles. The film had a few creepy moments and they did a good job on not relying on jump scares to try and bring the frights. The film did ok for IFC bringing in $538,551.00 at the American box office on an unknown budget. A fun spooky watch at the theater that I enjoyed and one that I got when released on home media for the Horror Film Collection.

# 29

Slotherhouse Poster

Emily is a collage student who loves animals and adopts a sloth she names Alpha as her sorority mascot and to become more popular among her sorority sisters as she is running for chapter president against the popular Brianna, but things go wrong when Alpha goes crazy and starts killing off all the ladies in the house on by one as she wants to prove that she is the true Queen of the sorority house. This is a very silly Horror Comedy that features a killer sloth that is like an un-killable slasher killer who murders college women in all types of silly ways and even uses a cellphone and drives a car in order to kill her targets! The film is well casted with names like Lisa Ambalavanar, Sydney Craven, Tiff Stevenson, Olivia Rouyre and Milica Vrzic being the standouts. The film is PG-13 and does have some bloody moments and outrageous kills. The film feels like a “Funny Or Die” skit that is stretched out to be a feature length film…but not saying that in a bad way as it is a fun time. The film had a very limited release and did ok for Iconic Events Releasing at the international box office bringing in $122,542on a unknown budget. It’s one I will get on physical media and will watch again.

# 28

beau is afraid (2023) Poster

Beau is a man that lives in a dangerous part of town who grew up very sheltered by his rich mother who raised him on her own and filled him with so much fear of falling in love, making decisions and even having sex, all making him think that he could die. And after a tragedy Beau must try and make it to his childhood home but along the way he finds many set back as he is hit by a car and has to spend time with a weird family who are almost keeping him prisoner, avoid a crazed army vet who is hunting him down, meets a weird traveling group that put on plays in the woods and even thinks back to the first girl he ever crushed on. But once he finally makes it home, he finds that his anxiety is worse as things about his life, past and even present come to light and Beau finds out the truth of why he has always been afraid to live his own life. And really this is just the best way I can describe this film without spoiling too many of the twists and reveals that are in its three hour runtime! The film has some very dark moments and even has its fair share of death and blood, but the true horror comes from the bad things Beau has to go through to get back home, and all the while he is trying to be mindful and scared to make the wrong choice to lead him there. The film is well cast with Joaquin Phoenix playing Beau and other actors include Parker Posey, Patti LuPone, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Bill Hader, Richard Kind and Dennis Menochet to name a few. The film is a strange one and of very entertaining in its own way but sadly it did not do well at the U.S box office for A24 only bringing in $8,176,562.00 on a $35 million budget. This is a film that is not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it and is one I got on home media when released.

# 27

The Devil Conspiracy (2023) Poster

A group of evil satanic cultist steal the Shroud of Turin with the purpose to clone the DNA of Jesus Christ to grow a new baby in order for Lucifer to take over its being as the ultimate disrespect to God and a way for him to bring Hell to Earth. The cult is lead by Liz, Dr. Laurent and Beast Of The Ground, all of whom will kill, torture and commit the ultimate crimes again mankind to serve their master’s coming. The only thing standing in their way is The Archangel Michael who has taken over the body of a slain priest and Laura, a kidnaped art student, who is being forced to carry the created child…this is a battle between good and evil and will Lucifer and his army be free from their hellish imprisonment or does God have a different plan in place…watch this Horror Action film and see for yourself. What a fun film that kind of reminds me of the Underworld series with a dash of I, Frankenstein just with a smaller budget and features Lucifer and his minions as the main villains. The film is pretty gory in spots as heads are cut off and faces are split in half with The Beast Of The Ground being a very cool and spooky character. The film did very poorly at the American box office for Third Day Productions bringing in only $765,218.00 on an unknown budget. I want to say that Juliet and I had a fun time watching this one and for some reason I kept thinking that if Fangoria Comics was still around that they would have done a comic book series about this. I bought when it was released on home media.

# 26

Winnie the Pooh Blood and Honey Poster

Winnie The Pooh, Piglet and the rest of the 100 Acre Wood gang end up turning feral after Christopher Robin grows older and leaves them behind. As Pooh and Piglet grow older, they become more wild and start killing and eating humans that wonder into or around their woods. And even kidnap and torture Christopher Robin when he returns to the woods with his wife that they slaughter in front of him. Time passes and Maria along with her friend’s head to a cabin in those woods to get away from the trauma of a peeping tom stalker who broke into her home, but soon they find themselves being hunted and killed by the unstoppable Pooh and violent Piglet who’s hatred for humans knows no bounds. When Maria finds and frees Christopher, can they survive this blood bath or will they find themselves in the belly of Pooh and be just another meal? Watch this creature feature slasher film and find out for yourself! Once Winnie The Pooh fell into the Public Domain director Rhys Frake-Waterfield jumped on turning the classic character into a horror film killer, and for the most part he pulled it off and made an entertaining film. I think that what makes this one work is that it takes an idea that should be very silly and treats it seriously. The film stars Maria Taylor, Nikolai Leon, Craig David Dowsett, Chris Cordell, Natasha Tosini and Amber Doig-Thorne who steals the film, oh and the creature effects are really cool and most of the gore effects work well. The film did ok for Fathom Events at the US box office on a limited release bringing in $1,750,639.00 on a budget of $100,000. A fun silly slasher that I picked up once released on home media for the Horror collection as it’s a fun one for sure.

# 25

Knock at the Cabin (2023) Poster

Eric and Andrew with their adopted daughter Wen have rented a cabin in the woods of New Jersey to get away from the stresses of the city, but soon Leonard along with three others show up with crudely made weapons and take the family hostage and alert them that they have four chances to save all the lives on Earth, but the price to save everyone is that the family have to pick one of their own to die and every time they are asked to make the choice and say “no” thousands and thousands of people die in horrific events and disasters including one of the four captures dies by the hands of the others. Now Andrew and Eric must make the choice to believe if these four strangers are just an end of the world cult, if the end times are really upon us and if they should save the world and make the biggest sacrifice by ending one of their loved ones lives to do so. How does this Psychological Horror film end and is the world really ending and if so does this family save everyone…watch it and find out for yourself. This is a very creepy and well made film from director M. Night Shyamalan that is based on the novel “The Cabin At The End Of The World” by Paul G. Tremblay and is perfectly casted with such names as Dave Bautista, Kristen Cui, Ben Aldridge, Jonathan Groff, Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn and Nikki Amuka-Bird making up the main cast. The film does a great job of playing with your mind and building up suspense and making you think what you would do if this horrific situation was asked of you. The film did well for Universal at the American box office bringing in $35,397,980.00 on a budget of $20 million. This is one I got on home media when released as it was one I wanted to watch again.

# 24

1920 Horrors of the Heart Poster

Meghna grew up without her mother and was raised by her father who before her 21st birthday hangs himself out of pain as in his diary he tells his daughter that his illness was caused by her mother who poisoned him and left them both in order to become rich with a new husband. And weirdly after her father’s death his heart is missing from his body and this causes Meghna want to find her mother to get revenge for his father’s death as well as her poor childhood. So she travels to see her mother and her new family and along with the sprit of her father and a half dead evil monk they set up everyone for revenge, but soon Meghna finds that her Mother, Sister and Step Father are good people who love her and that maybe her past was not fully true but it is to late to stop it as her younger sister is now possessed by an evil spirit and now Meghna must do everything she can to save her family from the evil she brought down on them. This is a spooky fun Bollywood Horror film that is a mix of the sub genres of Possession and Haunted House films that is mixed with songs and green screen backgrounds. The film has lots of strange characters with the oddest being the half rotting faced monk who is working along side the spirit of the father who self harmed himself to get revenge on his wife that left him. The film stars Avika Gor, Barkha Bisht, Rahul Dev and Avtar Gill and had a limited release in America. This is just one of many Horror Films released in 2023 that features possession, and if you like modern Bollywood Horror films you should check this one out, on a side note when seeing this in the theater Juliet and I were the only ones there and that’s a shame as it would have been cool to have seen it with a crowd. And for those wondering 1920 is a film series in India and this is the fifth film in the series.

# 23

Popes Exorcist (2023) Poster

Julia lost her husband in a terrible car wreck, and she is now a single mother who has to move her daughter Amy and son Henry to an old church in Spain that was left to them, but soon a demon posses Henry, and the Vatican takes notice and sends in Father Gabriele Amorth to investigate and perform an exorcist if necessary. Once there he finds that this old time church is a true place of evil and that Henry’s life and soul are truly in danger as the demon has his sites on the ultimate prize and that is to posses Gabriele and cause evil to spread in the church by spreading wild theories. But Father Gabriele along with Spanish Father Esquibel have strong faith and with the backing and blessing of The Pope himself go to war with this powerful demon to stop it’s evil quest as well as truly come face to face with their own sins, will good beat out evil…well if you now the story of the real Gabriele Amorth you know the answer. This was a truly enjoyable possession film that had some great creepy moments that was highlighted by the cursed church setting. Russell Crowe is fantastic as Father Gabriele and names like Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, Laurel Marsden, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney and Franco Nero make up the main cast and are all great in their roles. The film also has some bloody moments as in one scene a woman explodes! The film did well for Sony at the American box office bringing in $20,002,746.00 on a budget of $18 million. Very enjoyable exorcist film that I got on home media when released and is one I hope sparks a franchises as this could be Sony’s Conjuring films if they play their cards right. And yes, this is one that I bought on home media when released.

# 22

Infinity Pool Poster

James Foster is a writer whose first book was six years ago and after some bad reviews he has gotten writers block and is looking for inspiration to start his next, and his wife Em is trying her best to help him. But while at a resort, they meet Gabi and Alban a couple who are fans of James and who take the couple out for a fun time, but after James is driving drunk and kills a farmer his life is turned upside down as he is rich enough to escape punishment for his crime in this resort city, but he must watch a perfect clone of himself die for the crime…and this starts his life spiraling out of control as he gets mixed up with Gabi and Alban’s plus their friends who have all watched themselves die and are running wild on this resort island as they have the money to get out of paying for their horrific crimes. With his wife mad at him and his new friends mocking him and getting him in to very bad things what is James to do to survive this resort nightmare or will he give into the thrill of watching himself die over and over for the bad things he does. Watch this twisted Brandon Cronenberg Horror Mystery Film for yourself and find out. This film is very well casted with names like Alexander Skarsgard, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman and John Ralston to name a few all playing big roles and as always Mia Goth is beautiful and steals the film as she is just a fantastic actress. The film has some bloody moments and a thought provoking plot that will please indie Horror Fans. The film did pretty well for Neon at the US box office brining in $5,078,400.00 on an unknown budget. Worth a watch for sure and one I bought when released on home media.

# 21

Cocaine Bear (2023) Poster

When a drug delivery goes wrong and millions of dollars worth of cocaine is dropped out of a plane into the woods of Georgia, a drug dealer sends his son and right hand man to retrieve it, but also on their way to those woods is a local detective trying to bust the dealers, a mom looking for her daughter and her best friend that skipped school, three punk teenagers who like to rob hikers as well as a forest ranger along with an animal rights activist…but unknown to all of them is that a 500 pound black bear has eaten lots of the cocaine and is now super high and on a bloody rampage killing anyone in it’s way in its quest to find more drugs! Can the mother find the kids, will the drug dealers find what is left of his inventory or will Cocaine Bear slaughter them all searching for it’s next high? Watch this fun Horror Comedy loosely based on a true story to find out for yourself. What a fun bloody good time this was, as animal attack Horror has been slacking on the big screen and this one delivered as Cocaine Bear is a violent and sometimes silly creature who can not get enough of the drug and when it kills, it slaughters. The film is well casted with names like Keri Russell, Ray Liotta, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Brooklynn Prince, Christian Convery and Isiah Whitlock Jr. and many others all being perfect in their roles. The film did well for Universal at the American box office bringing in $64,388,510.00 on a budget of $35 million, showing that Universal has been doing Horror right for the past few years. This one is a must see for fans of Horror Comedy and is one I got on home media when released.

# 20

Nun II Poster

The demon Valak has returned and is killing religious workers at churches across Europe on its quest to find a relic, and this leads to a small French boarding school that hides the item it seeks. Meanwhile the church has sent out Sister Irene who is joined by Sister Debra as they travel around to the rash of bizzare deaths, and this leads them as well to the school. In the end it’s a showdown between good and evil, as Irene once more must face the terror of The Nun and try to send it back to Hell once and for all. The newest film in the Conjuring universe delivers some great jump scares as well as a new demon that joins Valak in scaring the heck out of the kids at the school, but it also has some truly head scratching moments mostly with characters that have no real reason as well as I was not to keen on how Valak was defeated this time around. The plot is good and will remind you of so many other demonic possession films you have watched in the past giving it that classic feel. The film is well acted and casted with such names as Taissa Farmiga, Storm Reid, Jonas Bioquet, Bonnie Aarons, Katelyn Rose Downey and Anna Popplewell making up the main cast with Farmiga, Aarons and Jonas all returning from the first film. The film did well for New Line Cinema at the domestic box office bringing in $86,255,396.00 on a budget of around $40million. While this second film was not as good or creepy as the first film, it still was a bloody good watch on the big screen.

# 19

Insidious The Red Door Poster

Josh Lambert is having bad memory issues as the past events of being in The Further and dealing with the lost souls within it have been blocked from his mind, and the same goes for Dalton, his now college-aged son. And all this stress and lack of memory has also taken a toll on Josh’s family as he is separated from his wife and only gets to spend little time with his kids. But when both Josh and Dalton start to slightly remember, the door to The Further is open and The Lipstick-Face Demon along with other lost souls are now looking to be freed and the demon has set his sites on possessing Dalton. And its up to Josh to remember his past and travel back into The Further in order to save his sons soul, close the Red Door for good as well as learn to let go of his own past and forgive. This fifth film in the Insidious series is a little of a slow burn that packs a few jump scares as well as brings back The Lipstick-Face Demon in one more attempt to ruin the Lambert family. The film’s characters mix really well as they come off as a dysfunctional family hiding secrets that are trying to work it all out. The film stars Patrick Wilson (who also directed), Ty Simpkins, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Sinclair Daniel and Joseph Bishara in the main roles and all do a great job. The film has some great scared mixed with family drama and even a dash of humor and makes for another great sequel in the Insidious franchise. The film did good for Sony at the domestic box office bringing in $82,156,962.00 on a budget of $16 million. If you enjoy the Insidious films this fifth film is one you will want to see and is one I got on home media when released.

# 18

She Came From The Woods (2022) Poster

It’s the last day of camp for the kids and staff of Briarbrook as the fun days of summer are coming to an end Peter, the grandson of the camp’s owner and son of the camps head counselor throws a party with the staff, and they try to raise the dead as they prick their fingers and draw blood for Nurse Agatha, a nurse who was said to have been banned from the camp as she had cruel ways of “treating” and “curing” patients including blood letting and her own blend of medicines. It is said that she tripped and fell in the woods hitting her head on a rock and bleeding to death after she was chased away from camp. But what was a harmless campfire tale comes true as Nurse Agatha has returned and has gotten the kids under a spell and all those who pricked their fingers have been marked for brutal deaths, but soon Peter finds out there is way more to this legend and his family bloodline is connected to her dark past, can they survive camp or will the lake fill with the blood of these councilors…watch and find out. This is a horror film with a dash of comedy that pays tribute to the slasher films in the 80’s that took place in summer camps. The film is well casted with such names as Cara Buono, William Sadler, Spencer List, Clare Foley, Adam Weppler and Ehad Berisha make up most of the main cast and are great in their roles with Adam Weppler’s character Dylan being such a jerk that you have to laugh. The film has some pretty fun kills and the killer Nurse Agatha is spooky looking and if Fangoria still was making comics I would have loved to seen them do a comic series based on this film! The film had a limited release and did ok for Blue Finch Films at the US box office bringing in unknown profits on an unknown budget. A fun summer camp horror film that was worth a pick up on home media when released.

# 17

The Blackening (2023) Poster

A group of old college friends get together for their reunion and to celebrate Juneteenth at a cabin in the woods, but what is supposed to be a fun time of talking, drinking and catching up soon turns into a nightmare after they find a board game called “The Blackening” and make the mistake of starting to play it as when they do a masked killer with a crossbow appears and their choices in the game are a matter of life or death! This game of survival will test their friendships as well as survival skills as the killer makes them play his twisted game and the wrong answers will equal an untimely death, can this group of friends survive? Check out this Horror Comedy and find out for yourself! This is a fun slasher film that is wrapped with humor and is very entertaining as I found all the friend characters to be likable and charming in their own ways. The film has its fair share of crossbow kills and even has a scene of splatter that is done with humor. The film starts names like Grace Byers, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Antoinette Robertson, X Mayo and Dewayne Perkins to name a few and all are great in their roles. The film did well for Lionsgate at the domestic box office bringing in $17,707,207.00 on a budget of only $5 million. Worth a watch for fans who like Horror Comedies and one I got on home media when released.

# 16

Mangalavaaram (2023) Poster

A small village in India is being plagued by killings of couples that are committing affairs and the deaths are framed to look like suicides, but the local SI knows that these deaths are not what they seem as they all take place after someone has written about the affairs on the city walls for everyone to see. And while the townspeople are gossiping and pointing fingers out of fear, a masked figure is stalking the woods and his motives is unknown and when the towns doctor sees the ghost of a woman shunned by the village who committed suicide in a well the mystery of who is doing the killing and their motives thickens as the SI must stop these killings masked as suicides and bring the killer or killers to justice. This is a really great Bollywood Horror Films that has lots of twists and turns and even has a few elements of Phantom Of The Opera and Saw thrown in to keep it spooky. As the plot unfolds more and more is explained and the view of the killers is shown more clearly and to be honest you find yourself cheering for them. The film also deals with some social issues really well like women’s rights, the power of those in charge and even dealing with lost love. The film is a blend of Thriller, Slasher and Supernatural and of course done in the style that India has for these types of Horror Films. The film is well casted with such names as Payal Rajput, Nandita Swetha, Divya Pillai, Ravindra Vijay and Priyadarshi Pulikonda making up the lead roles. The film had a limited showing in theaters and did well for Flyhigh at the box office. If you enjoy Bollywood Horror like I do make sure to check out Mangalavaaram as it’s a well made fright flick that starts off slow but builds to a great ending.

# 15

Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls Poster

Marty is a man down on his luck as his stepfather thinks he is a loser, he works hard at a fast food burger restaurant and gets no respect and all he has in the world is his Battle Cats toy collection and the want to win a contest that will have his stay at the Satanic magicians Bartok The Great’s mansion to summon an ancient demon and be granted eternal life….and he wins as he is the virgin the ritual needs! Calling himself Onyx The Fortuitous, he meets the four other contest winners and finally has found the friends he has been looking for, but soon this fun time at the mansion turns sinister when he discovers their host Bartok and his female demon Farrah are going to kill them all to rise the demon and turn them all into mindless ghouls! Can Onyx be the true chosen one to save the day or will this burger flipper fumble and cause the end of the world as we know it…watch this silly Horror Comedy and find out for yourself. This was surprisingly good and while a little to long it offered some great laughs and characters that were likeable even if Onyx is one strange guy. The film uses practical effects to showcase ghouls and demons and they look good and remind me of stuff you would have seen in the 80’s. The film also bring actors Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton back together and other actors include Andrew Bowser, Terrence Carson, Rivkah Reyes, Melanie Chandra, Arden Myrin and Olivia Taylor Dudley as the demon Farrah who is just stunning in the film. The film was released limited by Fathom Events and did ok for them at the domestic box office bringing in $182,021.00 on an unknown budget. While the films scares are played more for laughs, this was a fun one that I will own once released on home media.

# 14

It Lives Inside (2023) Poster

Sam and her family come from India to live in America and as she starts becoming a teenager, she starts want to fit in more with her fellow classmates and even drifts away from her childhood friend Tamira who is acting very strange caring around a jar creeping people out and looking like she has not slept for days, but when Sam out of frustration with his former friend’s oddness breaks the jar, she unknowingly unleashes a demon called a Pishach that is now on the loose and has taking Tamira and hidden her away in order to feed on her soul for seven days before finally ending her life, and now Sam must try to rescue her past friend as well as avoid this demon who has now set its twisted sites on her and is attacking those she seeks help from…will Sam be able to save her friend as well as her own life watch this fun demonic creature feature and find out for yourself. What a surprise this film was as it was such a great watch and felt like a Bollywood Horror film with an American touch that was only missing the musical numbers as it dealt with a demonic entity from Hindu lore. The Pishach is a cool and interesting creature, delivered some good scares and the film makes great use of its score music as well as the use of the fall season and rainstorms. The film is well casted with such names as Neeru Bajwa, Megan Suri, Mohana Krishnan, Betty Gabriel, Vik Sahay and Gage Marsh all being great in their roles. The film did pretty well for Neon at the domestic box office bringing in $4,675,092.00 on an unknown budget. This is one I enjoyed very much and bought once released on home media.

# 13

Exorcist Believer (2023) Poster

Angela and Katherine are friends who one day after school head into the woods to hold a ritual so that Angela can speak to her mother that passed away when she was born, but instead they invoke a demon who takes over their bodies and causes them to go missing for three days. Once the girls are found they remember nothing and once home the demon comes out to play causing them to harm themselves as well as others their parents come together along side friends, religious figures and even Chris MacNeil who’s daughter Regan was possessed…can they truly exorcise this demon and save the young girls or will their souls be damned to Hell…watch this sixth film in The Exorcist series and find out for yourself. This is another case of a film getting lots of hate for no reason and so many moviegoers listening to crap sites like Rotten Tomatoes and online “Reviewers” and not giving it a chance. The film is well acted and has some great creepy moments and has some great atmosphere as well. The films cast includes Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, Lidya Jewett, Olivia Marcum as well as returning to the series Ellen Burtyn &Linda Blair! The film did just ok for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $65,537,395.00 on a budget of $30million. While I understand its not as great as the original film, it was a good sequel that in my opinion did the series justice.

# 12

When Evil Lurks (2023) Poster

All the churches are closed and people are being possessed and if they are killed by gunshot or not by what is called a cleaner, dark times will fall all around the people who are near and that includes possession and death of their loves ones…it will spread like a sickness. And when two brothers make the mistake of helping a neighboring farmer dispose of a young man who is swelled up with infection and is possessed and by doing so they have infected their town. As the sickness spreads and the children become demonic and adults turn into cannibalistic killers, the two brothers must do what they can to survive and try and save as many of their family and friends as they can, but can they stop the possession sickness or is the world doomed? Watch this creepy film and find out for yourself! This is another possession film released to theaters in 2023 and this one is made in Argentina and really brings a creepy atmosphere as well as a mood that is filled with dread as we watch people die all around and the end of society breaking down before our eyes. There are some pretty gruesome deaths as well as gross moments that can turn your stomach if you are grossed out by infections and puss. The film stars such actors as Ezequiel Rodriguez, Demian Salomon, Luis Ziembrowski and Silvia Sabater and all do great in their parts, but I will say the character Pedro makes many decisions in the film that will make you scream at the screen about how dumb he is! The film had a very small limited release but did do well for IFC Films at the domestic box office bringing in $546,626.00 on an unknown budget. This is one of the better possession films released this year and one I bought on home media when released.

# 11

Thanksgiving (2023) Poster

The town of Plymouth, Massachusetts was shaken by a Black Friday sale on Thanksgiving that left many people dead as shoppers rioted and caused mass amounts of death and injures. A year later, Jessica and her friends who were at the riots (as she is the daughter of the store owner) find themselves as well as others at the store during this horrific time on the hit list of a mask wearing killer who is calling himself John Carver who has a score to settle with them all, and is using social media to taunt them all as he deals out death in bloody ways. And when John Carver captures Jessica as well as her family and friends will they become Thanksgiving dinner & entertainment or will she be able to survive and stop this mad man and find out his true motives? This is a fun Holiday slasher film that was created by Eli Roth who made a fake trailer for this film back in 2007 for the film Grindhouse and in 2023 finally made the film into a feature. The film has some great gory kills with good effects and I liked the masked killer John Carver even if I was not a fan of who he turns out to be in the end. The film also has a great cast with such names as Patrick Dempsey, Nell Verlaque, Rick Hoffman, Gina Gershon, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Gabriel Davenport and Addison Rae making up some of the lead rolls. The film did well for TriStar Pictures at the domestic box office bringing in a total of $31,806,973 on a budget of $15million. This is a fun spooky film that I will watch from time to time on Thanksgiving and is one I will get once on DVD or Blu-Ray.

# 10

five nights at freddys Poster

Mike is a young man who is raising his younger sister Abby after both of there parents passed away, and worse Mike is plagued with nightmares of the day his younger brother was kidnapped while the family was camping. Mike has a hard time keeping a job and ends up taking one being a nighttime security officer at a rundown pizza restaurant called Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza that has been closed for decades after it was connected to a rash of missing kids. And soon he finds that the animatronics are alive and want to friend and then turn his young sister into one of them and just maybe this pizza place has a connection to his missing brother and when he meets Vanessa, the police officer that has the restaurant on her beat, they must find a way to stop Freddy Fazbear and his animatronic gang as well as the evil man that is controlling them in order to save young Abby’s life and soul. This PG-13 Horror Film is based on the super popular video game series and was a great watch on the big screen as many of the fellow moviegoers even came dressed up as characters from the games adding to the fun nature of the film. This fright flick is packed with some cool scares, cool animatronic monsters and even some truly depressing moments dealing with missing kids and homicides. The film stars such actors as Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard, Mary Stuart Masterson and Kat Conner Sterling make up the main cast and all do a great job in their roles. The film did great for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $137,275,620.00 on a budget of $20 million. It was a great watch on the big screen for the Halloween season and is one I bought on home media when it was released. I also have to say this is a perfect film to show younger Horror Fans as it has just the right amount of scares and atmosphere to frighten the younger viewers.

# 9

It's A Wonderful Knife (2023) Poster

Winnie Carruthers lives in Angel Falls with her parents and brother and a masked serial killer is on the loose and killing one of Winnie’s friends at a Christmas Eve party and attempting to kill her as well as her brother, but she turns the table and is able to kill the killer who turns out to be the towns Mayor Henry Waters. A year passes and Winnie has not dealt well with the death of her friend as well as killing a man, and when she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her with her friend, she wishes she was never born…and she gets her wish! Now in Angel Falls no one knows her and the killer has been on the loose the whole time as she never killed him and even now has killed her brother causing the whole town to live in fear, and now along with a young woman that the town named Weirdo she must bring down the Mayor again to stop the killings and just possibly return to have been born again. But soon Winnie finds that her being in this alternate Angel Falls might not just be to teach her a lesson but to also maybe make some major changes in another’s life. This is a fun Christmas slasher horror film that does a great job of making a more twisted version of the holiday classic “It’s A Wonderful Life” the killer when masked is really cool looking and the scares are even mixed with a good dash of humor that really works. The film is well casted and everyone does a fantastic job in their roles and actors in the cast include Jane Widdop, Jess McLeod, Justin Long, Katharine Isabelle, Joel McHale and Cassandra Naud to name a few. The film had a very limited release in theaters and did pretty good for RLJE Films at the domestic box office bringing in $811,818.00 on a unknown budget. This was a really fun Holiday Slasher Film and is one I would say you should checkout and is one I bought when released on Home Media.

# 8

Saw X Poster

John Kramer is dying from brain cancer and travels to Mexico in order to get treated by a doctor and her experimental treatment that is said to cure people up to 90% of the time, but when John pays them a ton of money, he soon finds out that he has been ripped off and is still dying in months from his cancer and this causes him to call on his assistants Amanda Young and Detective Hoffman to help him track down and capture the con artists and make them face his traps to try and help them change their ways or end their lives by their own hands. The 10th Saw film was truly a great trip in nostalgia as not only was it great seeing John, Hoffman and Amanda return but also all the bloody and gory traps that we all love from this series. This film also takes place in the early timeline of the series more important right after the second film. The film stars Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Costas Mandylor, Synnove Mecody Lund, Renata Vaca and Steven Brand. The film did well for Lions Gate at the domestic box office bringing in $53,607,898.00 on a budget of $13 million showing that this series still has some life in it. If you are a fan of Saw, make sure to check this one out if you have not, plus this is one I bought on home media when released.

# 7

Malum (2023) Poster

Jessica Loren is a second-generation police officer who is fallowing in her fathers footsteps, as he was a hero who saved three woman from being killed by a demonic cult…but also snapped and killed some of his fellow officers before turning the gun on himself. And for her first night on duty she volunteered to spend it at the old station that this massacre took place in and will be there alone until morning. But she soon finds that she is not truly alone, as a homeless man appears who is rambling about his missing daughter, a beat up street walker who witnessed a cult member mass suicide and even a massive pig is in the station…and worse of all Jessica is getting phone calls from cult members who have re-kidnapped the three girls that were slated to be slaughtered and something evil is truly in this rundown police station, as the undead Cult Leader and is deceased followers are back and need to feed The Lower God souls! Will Jessica survive this last shift? Will she find out why her father committed this massacre? And are these Cultist real or just in her head? Watch this creepy reimagining/remake of the 2014 fright flick “The Last Shift” and find out for yourself. This is a very creepy film that is set in a rundown police station that uses jump scares and unsettling images and plots to make the view uneasy, and that is what makes it feel even different from the film is a remake of making it truly feel like its own story of a cult of demon worshipers. The films effects, score and acting are really good with names like Jessica Sula, Clarke Wolfe, Morgan Lennon, Kevin Wayne and Chaney Morrow all being fantastic in their roles. The film did ok for Welcome Villain in the U.S. on a limited release bringing in $221,738.00 on an unknown budget. If you enjoy your horror movies with demons and cults this one is for you, also bought when released on home media.

# 6

last voyage of the demeter (2023) Poster

Captain Elliot and his crew have been hired to deliver cargo to England and even have to hire extra hands for the ship and that includes Clemens, a Black doctor who is a good hand and who also just wants to get home. But while at sea, things turn really bad for the crew when one of the cargo boxes they were hired to transport busts open and inside is dirt and a young woman who is barely alive and covered by bite marks and must survive by blood transfusions, their pet dog and all the live stock on board are killed with the same bite marks and worse something seems to be killing the crew one by one. When they find out that the vampire Dracula is on the ship those who are remaining must come up with a plan to survive as well as stop him from reaching England…but can they do so or will this truly be the last voyage for the ship the Demeter…watch this amazing Universal Monster movie and find out. This film proves that classic monsters can still be scary and that Dracula is truly a timeless character that can bring the terror to the big screen. The film is well casted with names like Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian and Javier Botet as Dracula. The film also uses practical effects in much of the film given Dracula and the gore that real feel, something lacking in many modern Horror Films. The film very poorly for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $13,637,189.00 on a budget of only $45 million. This is another film like Invisible Man (2018) that I hope proves to Universal that the classic monsters are still scary and we don’t need huge budget action of comedy films based around them. This is one I bought of course when released on home media and say that if you like classic Horror and have not seen this, you should.

# 5

M3gan Poster

Gemma is a single woman who works for a toy company creating robotic toys that innovate the market, but after an accident she becomes the caregiver for her niece Cady when her parents die. To deal with the lose Gemma introduces Cady to M3gan, a specialized robotic doll that links up and bonds with her and things are going great even though Cady is becoming too attached to her new robotic friend. But things soon turn deadly as M3gan will do what ever it takes to keep Cady from emotional or physical harm and that includes even killing! Can Gemma break this bond this robotic terror has with her niece and stop her killing rampage…or is Cady’s feature set with M3gan being her friend and support…watch this twisted fun film from the mind of James Wan to find out. This was such a fun and great way to kick off the first Horror Film in theater in 2023 as the film has some great creepy moments, is pretty bloody for a PG-13 film and M3GAN is a great new Horror character that I hope sparks many sequels to come. The film did really well for Universal at the American box office bringing in $95,043,350.00 on a budget of only $12 million. This is a great film and is one that I bought when released on home media and if you have not seen it and like killer doll films like Child’s Play and Dolly Dreariest make sure to check this one out.

# 4

Talk To Me (2023) Poster

Mia is a young woman who is going through lots of stress and sadness after her mother’s suicide two years ago and her strained relationship with her father. She has been staying with her friend Jade’s family that includes mother Sue and younger brother Riley, and one night the three youths go to a strange party hosted by Joss and Hayley as they have a strange severed hand statue that if you hold and say the words “Talk To Me” you see a dead spirit and if you say “I Let You In” the spirit will take over your body, and the party hosts would allow this for only 90 seconds and then remove the hand from your grasp and blow out a candle to break the connection. But things get really bad when Mia and Jade host a small gathering to mess with the hand and Riley stays under the possession for longer than 2 minutes when Mia thanks the spirit inside him was her mother, and this causes Riley to violently attack himself and be near death in the hospital! Mia is blamed for this horrific event as she kept the connection from being broken and now she becomes obsessed with the hand, wanting to save Riley who has a spirit stuck inside him as well as battle all the visions she is seeing of the lost souls that are trying to drag her down. Can Mia save her friends brother and herself or is all hope lost when she messed with things she should not have, watch this spooky A24 Horror Film and find out for your self! This is a delightfully creepy film that does a great job of building the mood, making you like the characters and delivering scares that are not just from loud noises or jump scares. The effects for the lost spirits is really great as is the “gore” effects and its really well casted with such names as Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes and Chris Alosio making up the main cast. The film did really well for A24 at the domestic box office brining in $48,299,436.00 on a budget of around $4.5 million, once more showing Horror is a hit on the big screen. This is one I got once released on home media.

# 3

Scream VI Poster

The Carpenter sisters Sam and Tara along with their friends and siblings Mindy and Chad have moved away from Woodsboro and to New York to start a new life after being attacked by Ghostface a few years back, but things are not great as Sam is being accused of doing the killing and framing her Ex-Boyfriend by conspiracy theorists while Tara herself is just refusing to deal with it at all. But the Big Apple turns out to not be so safe as a new Ghostface killer is after the sisters and their friends, and this one is more brutal and mean with his kills, and coming along to help them survive is Gail Weathers as well as Kirby Reed (Scream 4) who is now working for the FBI and a cop whose daughter was killed by this slasher! Can the sisters and their allies survive New York? Who is the new Ghostface and why are they doing all this? Watch this sixth film in the Scream series and find out for yourself. This is a really great sequel that does a great job of bringing in all the cannon from the past films into this new storyline that has you always wondering what is next and who is going to die next! This film is well cast with returning names like Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Hayden Panettiere returns to the franchise as fan favorite Kirby Reed, with new names like Dermot Mulroney, Liana Liberato, Jack Champion, Josh Segarra and Devyn Nekoda being added into the mix. The film has some bloody kills and lots of chills and spills and makes me really look forward to Scream 7! The film did great for Paramount at the American box office bringing in $108,161,389.00 on a budget of $35 million. Scream 6 proves that sequels to old franchises still have lots of legs and are the way to go over reboots and remakes. It’s one I bought on home media when released.

# 2

Godzilla Minus One (2023) Poster

Shikishima was a kamikaze pilot during World War II who ended up faking plan issues in order to not fulfill his mission, but while on an island for his plane to be inspected, he witnesses Godzilla arrive and kill most of the mechanics with only he and a man named Tachibana being the only survivors. Once home he learns that his parents have been killed and his life is in ruin as he his plagued with terrible nightmares. But his life starts to change when he meets Noriko, a young woman who is watching over Akkio, an orphaned baby, as they come and stay with him, he also builds up a friendship with his neighbor Sumiko as well as his coworkers Sosaku, Shiro and Yoji all who work together to destroy left behind mines in the waters from the war. Soon Shikishima and his friends must come together along with other former military workers and come up with a way to stop Godzilla once and for all as the giant monster is destroying Tokyo, but will Shikishima find his inner strength or will he allow his past fears and the war haunt him to an early grave? Watch this amazing film in the long running Godzilla series and find out yourself. Toho has done it again as this is a very entertaining film that brings Godzilla back to his Horror roots as well as tells a great human story of the trauma of war and its effects on those who survive it…and that’s the main thing here I found myself invested in Shikishima and his friends as they are all great characters who you root for. And when Godzilla appears, fans of Kaiju cinema will be happy as he stomps around and causes total destruction. The film is well casted with such actors as Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka and Kuranosuke Sasaki making up the main cast. The film did well for Toho at the American box office bringing in $45,671,401 on a budget of around $15million. If you love Godzilla films like I do, make sure to check this one out as it’s a great war drama as well as a giant monster on a rampage film. I bought it when released on home media.

# 1

Evil Dead Rise Poster

Ellie is a newly single mother who lives in a high-rise apartment building who gets a visit from her sister Beth who works in the music industry and has just found out she is pregnant and wants to be around her sister, but after an earthquake, Dani, one of the kids, finds some old records and the book of the dead and foolishly takes them home and plays the record freeing the demons and causing his mom to become possessed and for the buildings power to be cut, the elevator to be messed up and for the stairs to collapse causing them to be trapped on their floor with a demon who wants to not only swallow their souls but also posses them adding to the demonic deadite army. Can Beth save not only herself but also the lives of her nephew, nieces and her unborn child or will they all be dead by dawn. Watch this fifth film in the Evil Dead series and find out for yourself. This is a bloody, gross and wicked good watch with likeable characters and a creepy setting that will remind you classic 80’s Horror fans of the film Demons 2…just with less monsters running around. And the film is also packed with some great kills and gruesome deaths from scalps being ripped off to shotgun blasted body parts, making it fit right in for those who like their gore in the Evil Dead films. The actresses Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland are fantastic as sisters Beth an Ellie and Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols and Nell Fisher are great in their parts of playing the kids. The film did good for New Line Cinema at the American box office bringing in $67,233,054.00 on a budget of $15 million. This was a fantastic sequel in the Evil Dead series and is one I will watch again and bought on home media when released.

This year was really hard for me to rate the Horror Films I saw in theater as so many of them were really great films, and I am not going to lie, I spent many sleepless nights going over this list and changing spots….plus Godzilla Minus One almost pushed Evil Dead Rise out of the # 1 spot and I am sure depending on the day for me would do so! I love that there was a big boom of Horror Films in the theater in 2023, and I hope that 2024 follows as they truly are my favorite genre of film to see in theater and watch in general. And I have to stress this is only my opinion of what was the best films of 2023 in theater and I am sure much of my rankings are different from yours, and I am sure some are the same but that is what is great about cinema, we all have our different likes and none of us are wrong for what our favorites are. Also please never base the movies you watch on their ratings on such sites as Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, Letterbox, Amazon or any other review or critic site that has a YouTube Channel or a blog as truly you should base it on your own opinion. Well 2024 is here, and the next update will be a sad one as we have reached the end of the Star Trek films featuring the original cast as we will be talking about Star Trek Generations and the DC Comics adaptation of the film! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a film or two and as always support your local movie theaters. See you next update for one last space adventure with Captain Kirk!

Star Trek Generations previw logo

The Marvel Adventures Of Indiana Jones

Many movie goers lose their minds when a new Star Wars film is released in the cinema as they cannot get enough of the Jedi and their fight against the evils of the universe. In fact, most people only focused on Star Wars when Disney bought LucasFilms back in 2012 and seem to have forgotten about one of the company’s most iconic characters: the one and only Indiana Jones! No joke, when the sale went through I was more excited about the prospect of new Indiana Jones films then Star Wars, and while I love Star Wars I have always felt that Indiana was more of a special movie experience. I can remember watching the Indiana Jones movies while playing with my Kenner Indiana Jones figure based on Raiders Of The Lost Ark and being mesmerized by the over all adventures those movies brought to their viewers, and with it being almost July 4, 2021, why not do a update about an America Hero and with a new Indiana Jones movie hitting the cinema in just a couple of days. I knew this update had to happen as Indiana Jones is a true American hero in the world of cinema, novels, video games and comic books! So sit back and pack a backpack, as it’s time to go on an epic adventure with Indiana Jones and Marvel Comics.

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Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones Jr. is the son of Henry Jones Sr. and works as a professor of archaeology in New Jersey at Marshall College in the 1930’s. The college is the one to foot the bill when Indiana goes on research trips and expeditions that have him travel all over the world and find all types of artifacts from the Lost Ark Of The Covenant, The Crystal Skull, The Holy Grail, The Sankara Stones among so many more. During his adventures he has made many friends and colleagues with names like Short Round, Willie Scott, Sallah as well as Marion Ravenwood with whom he ended up having a son named Mutt Williams. At one point Indiana even had an adventure with his father Henry Sr. to find the Holy Grail and they ran into a ghost knight while on the hunt. He has gone up against Nazis, Cults, Natives and Thieves and everything in between, and all the while he is the hero needed in the situations he finds himself in. It has also been shown that even as a youngster Indiana Jones has went on exploring adventures and was a hero. Indiana Jones is a skilled fist fighter and as well skilled with a gun and a whip. This is only a small crash course of the history of Indiana Jones who I think is hands down one of the best heroes in cinema history and actor Harrison Ford was the best choice to play the character.

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The first film in the series was “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” that was released in 1981 and has Indiana Jones looking for the lost Ark of the Covenant while trying to out step the Nazis who also want it! The film was a major hit with moviegoers and critics and brought the series into the world of pop culture. Raiders brought in $212,222,025.00 on a budget of only $18 million. “Temple Of Doom” was the second film and was released in 1984 and has Indy going after the Sankara Stones that are in the grip of Mola Ram and a Thuggee Cult, all the while he also saves children who are being used as slaves. The film was a prequel and was very popular when released with the kids who flooded the cinema to see it. The film brought in $179,870,271.00 on a budget of $28 million! The third movie was “Last Crusade” that was released in 1989 and has Indiana Jones and his father going after the Holy Grail and fighting with the Nazis again to get it! The film was a major hit with critics and fans and some even say it’s the best sequel and even best in the series! The film did fantastic at the box office bringing in $197,171,806.00 on a budget of $48 million. The fourth film in the series was released in 2008 and is called “Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull” and has Indiana Jones looking for the famed crystal skull while tangling with the Soviets and meeting his son Mutt Williams for the first time! The film was met with mixed reviews from moviegoers and critics, but was a hit at the box office bringing in $317,101,119.00 on a budget of $185 million. Now, with the fifth film about to hit theaters, who knows what true adventure Indiana Jones will have and how epic this one will be! But one thing is for sure, I will be there opening night and ready to find one of the world’s lost treasures along side Indy!

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I grew up watching the Indiana Jones films and have seen them all so many times I have lost count! For me hands down the best film in the series is Raiders Of The Lost Ark as it’s the original and really has that adventure feel to it. Plus it’s just so pure and really is a great way to pay respects to all the cliffhangers that inspired it. But when it comes down to the sequels many fans are torn to which is the best. Most say Last Crusade is the best and Crystal Skull is the worst, as people seem to not be able to get past CGI Monkeys and Indy surviving a nuclear blast in a refrigerator. For me the best sequel is Temple Of Doom as it was a film I grew up watching and was the one I had action figures of as well as books, trading cards and even comics and would be one that my brother and I would watch all the time and even played toy adventures in that world. The film had that true big adventure feel and the main villain Mola Ram was pretty spooky as he was a High Priest who can steal the hearts of his enemies! Plus Mola Ram’s men kidnap kids and forced them into labor! Indiana Jones also has a sidekick in the film called Short Round who is a taxicab driver who was 11 years old and is wise for his age, he was played by Ke Huy Quan, credited at the times as Jonathan Ke Quan, who also played Data in The Goonies! Willie Scott a club singer is the love interest in this film, and she is alright but she is no Marion Ravenwood as I feel Willie is more of the damsel in distress. Plus moments from the film like the iconic Indiana Jones on the bridge fighting and bringing it and the bad guys down is pure cinema gold and has stuck with me over the decades. And for those wondering, my least favorite in the series is Last Crusade as I could not get into that one as much and while I enjoyed it, I feel that Sean Connery and his over acting dragged it down slightly…but again keep in mind I still like the movie. And now after talking about Temple Of Doom, I have to get the old DVD out and give it a watch! Also I should say that my brother had the Indiana Jones figure from LJN and I had Mola Ram growing up and I can remember us making them fight, and of course Indiana always won.

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While not in modern times, back in the 80’s and 90’s the Indiana Jones franchise was hugely popular and was on track with Star Wars when it came to loyal fans. So with the popularity of Indy ABC decided to air a TV Show called “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles” that followed the character as a youngster with even a cameo from Harrison Ford as a 50-year-old Indiana in an episode. This show would have two seasons and would run 28 episodes and had actors Corey Carrier playing Indiana age 8-10 with Sean Patrick Flanery playing him age 16-21 and George Hall playing him at age 93! And the show would also have some amazing guest stars like Christopher Lee, Daniel Craig, Elizabeth Hurley, Keith David, Michael Gough, Max Von Sydow and Catherine Zeta-Jones among many others. The show was created by George Lucas when he found that many crew members on the sets of the film would always chat about the life that Indiana Jones must have had growing up and this sparked Lucas to write out a timeline of what Indiana Jones did in his younger life, and with that, the TV Show was born! The score for the series was done by Laurence Rosenthal and was good, not John Williams level but still a solid score. The show was meet with mix reviews by critics and fans with mostly them being positive, and the show would even win six Emmy Awards. The show would be released on VHS as well as DVD and while not as iconic as the films it still has a following and is great for fans of Indiana Jones to continue his adventures. And for those of you wondering, yes, I watched this show growing up and very much enjoyed it, and while I have not re-watched it since I was a kid, it is a TV series that I plan on revisiting at some point.

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We all know that Indiana Jones is a very iconic movie franchise, and one thing that all fans know is the amazing score work from John Williams that helps makes the films even more special! I mean you know as well as I do that as you have been reading this update you have hummed or heard “Raiders March” at least once! And while the Indiana Jones films are amazing, I truly think that the score work of John Williams really does make them even more top notch and adds to the adventure feeling of the films. I could never see another composer ever doing the score for any future Indiana Jones films, and if and when Williams is replaced, the new composer will have big shoes to fill. I just had to take this brief moment to praise the score as I truly do think that is some of the most iconic work done in modern cinema, so do yourself a favor and get these scores in your collection whether its on vinyl, CD, cassette or digital and give it a listen while you read the rest of this update.

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Another thing I want to quickly talk about is the very cool novels that have been released that features not only novelization versions of the films but also new adventures giving fans even more Indiana expeditions while they waited for new films. One of the books even was choose your own adventure style and was written by R.L. Stine who of course is known for his Goosebumps and Fear Street books. Of course growing up I had many of these books that I would get from the School Book Fair as well as find at Half Price Books. I can remember enjoying them, and while I liked the comics more these were fun reads on lazy rainy days or even late nights before going to sleep. In factm I think I still have a few of these novels in my paperback book collection.

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If the comics and novels didn’t give you enough new Indiana Jones adventures, he of course also made his way to the world of video games and has appeared on many systems as we are talking from computer to X-Box 360! Some of the games I want to highlight are the first Indiana Jones game was released for the Atari 2600 and was based on the film Raiders of The Lost Ark. In 1988 Temple Of Doom was released of the NES and had two versions of the game one official and one unofficial. In 1994 the super cool Indiana Jones Greatest Adventure was released for the Super Nintendo. 1994 also saw Instruments Of Chaos being released for Sega Genesis and had you play as Young Indiana Jones. In 2000 the N64 game Indiana Jones And The Infernal Machine was released and lastly 2003 seen the release of Indiana Jones And The Emperor’s Tomb released for PC, X-Box and Playstation 2, and this is really just a very small amount of games that have been released featuring Indiana as many PC games as well as even handheld and home console games have been released. The ones I highlighted here are the ones I remember playing the most over the years and are ones that have stuck with me. What was cool about these games and much like the novels, comics and toys they added new life and adventures to the film series and allowed the character to continue on as the fans waited for the next film or in some cases episode of air on TV. I keep the hope alive that for Playstation 5 we will get a new Indiana Jones game as I feel his return to the digital world is long over due.

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When I was a youngster Indiana Jones made his way into the world of action figures as well and my brother and I had to have them! The first series was 3 ¾” figures based on Raiders Of The Lost Arch and released in 1982 by Kenner and lasted two series and a total of 9 figures, 1 horse and 4 playsets with Indiana Jones in his classic hat and jacket being the most popular figure in the series. The line had three versions of Indiana and also had figures of Marion Ravenwood, Toht, Belloq and Sallah. Growing up I had many of these figures and playsets and still have some of them to this day. The next Indiana Jones toys that were big when I was a kid were released by LJN in 1984 and were based on Temple Of Doom and lasted for only three figures that were of course Indiana Jones, Mola Ram and Giant Thugee. And again growing up we had these LJN figures well we had Indiana and Mola Ram, and they were pretty cool. we got them from the old department store Gold Circle. And in 2008 with the release of Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull more toys were released this time by Hasbro and had figures not only released based on that film, but all of the other films in the series! And I bought so many of these figures as at the time I was in the early stages of making my own stop motion movie based on Flash Gordon and many of the Indiana Jones characters were to appear in his quest. And this is only some of the toys released based on the films! But needless to say, if you, like me, grew up a fan of Indiana Jones these figures added new adventures for the hero as we waited for the next film to be released.

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Indiana Jones of course had way more merchandise then what we have already talked about as collectors had so much cool stuff to collect over the years and this included shirts, posters, stickers, drinking glasses, board games, trading cards, statues, magazines, magnets, Halloween masks, watches, pocket knives, home media and so much more! I mean growing up I had some of the glasses, Halloween masks, trading cards and even one of the board games. And as you can see Indiana Jones has graced so many items both official and fan made that collect Indiana Jones stuff can be easy as well as a little pricy as some of the official merchandise has climbed in prices over the years. But if you like Indiana Jones and are a collector make sure to search your local toy, comic and antique shops as well as online shops and see what you can add to your collection today.

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Well as I am sure you have guessed by now that I am a big fan of the Indiana Jones movie series and we are now at the point of this update that we review the comics and again the Marvel Comics series was a no brainer for me to select as they are the ones I grew up reading. And what makes this update even more awesome for me is that I get the chance to reread these issues again after all these years and it will be cool to see if they hold up and are as enjoyable as they were back then. I want to thank Mavericks Cards And Comics, Bell Book And Comic, Game Swap Kettering and Lone Star Comics for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. I want to also remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So if you are ready lets see what kind of adventures Indiana Jones can have in the Marvel Universe, and I am going to shorten the comics title from “The Further Adventures Of Indiana Jones” to just simply Indiana Jones.

Further Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 1

Indiana Jones # 1  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 1 of 34

Indiana Jones gets a visit from a former student named Charlie Dunne who informs him that he has found the gold cursed statues called The Ikons Of Ikammanen and before he can tell Indy anything else a knife is thrown into the window killing Charlie! Indiana takes Charlie’s notes, maps and heads to the location as Dunne’s sister Edith in order to tell her the grim news as well as find these statues. Indy shows up in Africa and is greeted by Edith, and Indy tells her his main goal is to find who killed her brother and to then find the statues, but ones the enter his hotel room the are attacked by shrouded men who have knives, as Indy fights them off one kidnaps Edith and runs through the streets. Indy gives chase and soon finds himself in a trap that takes him to a underground base were he meets Solomon Black a criminal business man who wants Indy and Edith to find the statues so he can sell them as they are made of gold, and threatens the life of Edith if they do not help him as he is also in control of some very bad men and his hooded henchman Vont will do whatever he says and that includes murder. Indy and Edith are forced to head to the island with the gold statues and find that the beach is booby trapped when it kills one of the two guards, and once at the temple Indy finds that the statues are really just human bodies dipped in gold and he and Edith are attacked and about to be dipped themselves in gold by a tribal cult of old men that lives on the island.

This is such a fun Indiana Jones comic adventure and showcased why back in the 60’s-80’s Marvel Comics was the king of the comics. In this adventure Indiana must travel to an island in order to find golden statues that are said to be a legend, but he is forced to search for them when one of his old students is murdered and a crime boss threatens the life of a young woman. Indiana Jones is a true hero in this comic as he does the right thing when needed, wants to solve a murder, find lost treasure and protect the life of a young woman, and he uses his trusty whip and handgun to get himself out of danger as well as to set his adventure on the right path. Edith Dunne is a smart young lady who along with her brother found the secrets of the Golden Statue, and yet cause she is a woman the bad guys downplay her worth is the quest to get them, and you have to feel bad for her due to her brother being murdered. Solomon Black is a slimy crime boss who surrounds himself with cold blooded killers, and all he cares about his getting the gold statues so that he can sell them and make lots of money, lets hope he gets what’s coming to him soon. The issue is filled with drama, adventure and even a little dash of comedy as Indiana’s wit is in full effect. This was a great issue and story to kick off a comic series based on such an iconic movie character, and as I said proved that Marvel Comics use to truly know how to make great comics. The cover is very eye catching and showcases Indiana Jones and his whip surrounded by the other character in the adventure and the interior art is done by the team of John Byrne and Terry Austin is great stuff, but I do have to say I wish that they drew Indiana to look more like Harrison Ford the actor who plays him in the films. Over all this is a great read and makes me look forward to seeing what’s next!

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 2

Indiana Jones # 2  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 2 of 34

Indiana and Edith are being lowered by a chain into a molten gold pit by the islands natives and are trying to find away to escape this painful death, and that’s when Mr. Black and his men arrive and start a battle with the natives an this allows Indiana and Edith to swing the chain an hit the leaver to free themselves. Once outside the temple Mr. Black and his men have defeated the natives and Black gives the order to kill Indiana and Edith as he does not need them anymore and that’s when more natives show up and attack Mr. Black and his men given Indiana and Edith a second chance as they are forced to work along Black and his men in this attack. After the fight Indiana is able to save he and Edith’s life by claiming there is more gold statues an that only he and maybe 11 other people in the world can read it. While back on the ship Edith dresses sexy and lures one of the armed guards into a trap, and Indiana and Edith make their way off the ship but end up being caught by Mr. Black who makes the pair walk the plank into the ocean. But just then a German submarine fires a missile at Black’s ship sinking it and the German’s give our heroes a ride to New York, and best Edith is able to save one of the golden statues. Edith and Indiana get on a plane with one of the statues an that is when Indiana confronts Edith with being behind the murder of her own brother, and it’s true as the pilot of the plane was also in on the killing and quick thinking Indiana says the magic words that brings the golden statue alive and as it kills Edith and her cohort our hero Indiana Jones gets a parachute and dives from the soon to be crashing in the ocean plane.

This second issue is a pretty fun adventure as it has Indiana Jones along with Edith trying to survive natives who want to turn them into golden statues, avoid being murdered by Mr. Black and his band of cutthroat killers as well as for Indiana to try and find out who killed his friend and former student that started these crazy events. Indiana Jones as always is very brave and uses his not only his skills in fighting but it’s his mind that gets himself out of trouble, and is able to defeat all his enemies that seem to be all around. And he not only gets to bring down a scummy criminal organization but also stops a killer who was after fame and fortune. Speaking of that killer her name is Edith and she is the sister of the murdered friend of Indiana who has her brother killed so that she could get all the credit for the golden statues that they were close to discovering, an worse is Indiana had to protect this killer as they both get kidnapped by criminals…and at a point he already knew she was the one who killed his friend. Mr. Black and his men are cold blooded and they do not value human life as they as well just want money and lots of it. Plus while the ship he was on got blown up I think Mr. Black is not dead and will be back. I like the touch of the Golden Statue coming to life at the end to kill Edith and her cohort as it adds that supernatural cliffhanger feel that has made Indiana Jones films so special over the decades. And like I said before the creative team behind this series clearly knew how to make a comic based on this movie character as this was a very entertaining read. The cover for this issue is ok an not as eye catching as other comic covers of that time and the interior art for issue two is done by John Byrne and Terry Austin and I have to say that in spots it looks slightly rushed and sloppy but is still not bad. Over all a good solid issue and keeps up the great work that Marvel Comics was doing with this Indiana Joes comic series.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 3

Indiana Jones # 3  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 3 of 34

As Indiana Jones lands from his air jump a terrible rainstorm rages on and he watches as a group of people are chasing a man and are about to hang him! Indiana Jones decides to save the man and as the two run away his attackers as well as now army soldiers are giving chase, as the unknown man says that they all hate him cause his grandfather has created an elixir that gives the person who drinks it immortality! After escaping their pursuers the man takes Indiana to meet his grandfather who is in a cave that has a stream and after brief introductions the grandfather attacks and beats up Indiana as he has drank some of the elixir water and is super strong and in a rage over Indiana being around and knocks our hero out. When Indiana wakes up he finds that he is tied to a rock with explosives all around as the grandfather wants to crush the army base below with the falling rocks, Indiana is able to escape but is taken prisoner by the army who find him and label him a traitor. Meanwhile the grandfather that’s name is Prospero and his grandson who is Dullard set to blow up the cave after the soldiers disappears and the older is a little annoyed that the younger helped Indiana escape by cutting the ropes that bound him. Indiana Jones is able to escape his cell and steals a army jeep that has a cannon on the back of it, Indiana makes its just in time to fire the cannon and save the lives of the army people as Prospero had set the explosives again…but saving the day gets the stream with the elixir water to be caved in. In the end two locals try to attack Indiana Jones and is saved by Prospero and Dullard who are now teaming with our hero and they flee from the coming army that is tracking them down.

Poor Indiana Jones goes from the frying pan into the fire as soon as he lands from jumping out of the plane he finds himself right back into an adventure! This time around Indiana saves a man from a lynch mob and this makes him the target of not only them but also the military as the man he saved and his grandfather have been a pain in the ass and are claiming to have an elixir that gives the drinker eternal life and super strength…that is if you keep drinking it. Indiana Jones once more does all the things he thinks is right and saves lives as well as gets himself in and out of danger throughout the issue, he even gets beat up by an old man in this issue! Prospero and Dullard claim to have found waters that will give them forever life, and its unsure if they truly have found this or if something else is giving them a boost of strength…are they good or bad it’s hard to tell. Meanwhile the army is being lead by General Hannigan who is looking for a war and so wants to take human lives but is being held at bay due to the rules of the military. And what is cool about this issue is that it takes place right after the last issue and leaves us on yet another cliffhanger as we have no idea where Prospero is leading Indiana Jones and we know that the army will be on their trail and Hannigan is not going to let them get away. The cover for this issue is great and showcases Indiana in the stolen jeep as the army is firing at him! The interior art this time around is done by Gene Day and Richard Howell and its pretty great stuff and has that early 80’s Marvel Comics charm. Over all a great issue that once more showcases that Indiana Jones is a fantastic film character as well as a comic book one and Marvel Comics was the right company to make Indiana leap into the comic pages.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 4

Indiana Jones # 4  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 4 of 34

Indiana Jones is on a plan set to England and soon finds that it’s a trap as the pilot parachutes from the plane and Indiana has to use an old blanket to leap from the crashing plane. Once in the ocean he is picked up by an English ship and finds out that he has been sent to England by America in order to help look into cryptic writings on a cylinder that was found at Stonehenge and is being called “The Gateway Project” and the Nazis are also now after these secrets and the danger level is high. Indiana is paired with the beautiful Professor Karen Mays and together the solve the writings on the cylinder that proves a race of something that could be good or evil wrote it long before mankind walked the Earth, and soon find themselves being chased by the Nazis who want the cylinder! They run through the streets, the train station and finally Indiana has to “borrow” a car in order to drive away but finds himself crashed on a bridge and about ready to plunge to his death along side Karen.

This issue is pretty much a chase that has Indiana Jones and his new female friend Karen on the run from bloodthirsty Nazis who want the secrets that are written on a cylinder that predates the time of man that was found in Stonehenge, and even starts with a airplane pilot trying to kill him with a crash…so to sum it up this is a wild ride and super fun issue! Indiana in this issue is quick thinking as well does not trust the cylinder that speaks of beings coming back to the site of Stonehenge, as he questions if these beings are not going to be monsters. Karen Mays is a professor who helps solve the riddle of the cylinder and the writings on it, and by being so smart she finds herself now the target of bad guys who want what she knows. The Nazis are total scumbags and have places bugged in order to get information, have no issues killing people, stalk and attack their targets and prove that they will always be a thorn in the side of Indiana. The one odd thing about this issue is that it seems that the story of Prospero and his eternal life elixir just has no finish as this issue makes zero comments about that adventure and does not continue the story, so that was very odd. The cover is awesome and has Indiana Jones and Karen on the train rails surrounded by bad guys as the train is behind them. The interior art is done by Ron Frenz and is great stuff and has that classic 80’s Marvel look. This is a solid issue and while I wished they would have fully wrapped the last adventure up, this new one seems like it is going to be fast paced and filled with action and even maybe a little super natural monsters! So with that lets see what happens next in this tale.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 5

Indiana Jones # 5  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 5 of 34

Indiana and Karen are able to escape the falling car thanks to his trusty whip and as they get back to the top of the bridge they find that Nazi’s waiting for them, but Indiana times it out perfect as he allows himself and Karen to fall back off the bridge and land on a garbage ship to make their escape. Karen takes Indiana to her mothers house so that they can hide and come up with a plan as Indiana is worried that the beings that could be summoned tonight could be evil and they can not allow them to be set free and that the cylinder not fall into the hands of the Nazis as this could end bad for everyone in the world. As Indiana and Karen head to the train they are unaware that the Nazis had Karen’s mom’s house bugged and they have the Cargo Pilot on the train to get the cylinder and kill Indiana Jones, as they are made at him for failing to kill Indiana with the plane crash. As he tries to attack Indiana and steal the cylinder the two end up on top of the fast moving train and with his quick thinking Indiana is able to go over the side of the train and get inside safely as the Pilot goes splat as he hits a tunnel. The Nazis end up stopping the train as they dress as cops and Indiana and Karen escape on a stolen motorcycle and make it across a broken down wood bridge that crumbles after they cross to get some distance between them and the Nazis who are hot on their trail. But Indiana and Karen’s luck runs out as they find themselves stuck in quicksand and this allows the Nazi’s to catch up with them and get the cylinder. The Nazis leave Indiana to die in the quicksand and head towards Stonehenge to make contact with the ancient beings. Indiana with his quick thinking and help from a gun and a tree branch saves Karen and himself from death and the pair rush to Stonehenge. As they get there the Nazis have the cylinder and in the sky are snake like demon creatures, and before they can fully return Indiana is able to break the cylinder stopping their return as well as take down the Nazis and allows the police to arrest them.

This is another issue that plays up on high action and builds the chase of the Nazis going after Indiana and the cylinder and by the end Indiana going after them so they don’t use the cylinder. The plot as Indiana Jones in charge of a cylinder that has writing the predates mankind and the spooky thing being is that the cylinder could bring the demonic race back the wrote on it! So Indiana must do his best of keeping it out of the hands of the Nazis who are chasing him as well as his fellow professor Karen Mays as if the Nazis use the cylinder at Stonehenge who knows what kind of evil will be unleashed on Earth. And in this issue Indiana chooses to break the cylinder a priceless relic so that the power it holds will not help the bad guys in their quest for world domination. And of course throughout this issue Indiana uses his smarts, quick wit and tools of his trade whip and pistol in order to discover and be the hero we all know and love. Karen Mays is smart and charming, but sadly her roll in this issue falls fast as at times she just kind of feels like a background player who has a crush on Indiana. The Nazis are as scummy as always and crave the power that the cylinder holds, and they don’t care who lives or dies in their quest to get it, and that even includes their own spies. The demons sadly barely appear and are sent back just as quickly as they appeared, making them spooky but zero threat to our hero. My favorite part of this issue is hands down when Indy tricks the Nazi assassin on top of the train that leads to the attackers death by being smashed by a tunnel, this is a segment that feels straight out of the movies. The cover is very cool and eye catching as it showcases both Indiana Jones as well as one of the cylinder demons. The interior art done by Ron Frenz is good stuff and I have to say I truly love the classic 70’s and 80’s Marvel artwork and miss this style in modern comics. Over all another good issue and a cool adventure to see Indy on.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 6

Indiana Jones # 6  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 6 of 34

The Ravens Nest nightclub is opening in New York and is owned by Marion Ravenwood and even Indiana Jones has money in the club that’s opening night is for the rich and famous. But as Marion is crossing the street to enter the club a car almost hits her, and of course it was Indiana that saves her life. Once inside the club Jamal an art dealer with a shady past and is now decorating the club is upset that an attempt was made at her life. And before the doors open Marion warns Indiana that mobster Marko wanted to put money into the club to use as a gambling place, she rejected his offer and thinks he is the one that wants her dead. That night another attempt is made at Marion’s life and even after she and Indiana Jones confront Marko the next day someone tries to kill both our heroes in a horse carriage accident! Marion and Indiana investigates Marko and soon find that he is not the one trying to kill her, and in fact as they make an escape from Marko’s mansion via a boat they are attacked again by the assassin and Indiana is able to get the attackers knife and comes up with a suspect he thinks is behind these attacks. They head to the shop of Jamal who is away and Indiana knows he has their attacker, and they rush to the Ravens Nest to find Jamal placing explosives around the club! Jamal comes clean when he is confronted and says he has hidden stolen treasures inside the decorations and he used the drama with Marko as away for the mobster to take all the blame so that he could get his riches and make money. Jamal and Indiana start fist fighting and a fire breaks out in the club, Marion and Indiana are able to escape but Jamal stays behind to grab some of his stolen treasure and is blown up in the club explosion. In the end Indiana alerts Marion that he took insurance out on the club so they should be able to get their money back from the fire.

What a fun issue that brings back Marion Ravenwood back from Raiders Of The Lost Arch and has her and Indy opening a night club in New York and find themselves being targeted by a hitman that could have been hired by an angered mob boss but is really a sleazy stolen art dealer who wants to frame the mobster in order to get away with smuggling stolen goods through the club. Indiana Jones is a hero who once more risks his life in order to do the right thing and in this case he gets in the way of a killer who is targeting his lady friend Marion who herself is strong willed and one heck of a fighter and business woman. Really seeing these two back together was awesome and Marvel Comics and the creator behind this series are doing a great job of capturing the fun nature of the film series and the characters that make up that world. The main bad guy Jamal is a true scumbag as he deals in stolen treasures and even after Indiana Jones tries to help him out with the law, his main goal is to kill those who helped him in order to get away with more stolen goods…and like he plans on blowing up a night club filled with people…this guy is scum! The action is fast paced and I enjoyed the fight on the speeding boats by Indy and the masked attacker as the adventure is high in these panels. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and has Indiana leaping into a car being driver by a masked man. The interior art is done by Howard Chaykin and is pretty good with his drawing of Marion and Jamal being good, his Indiana is a little off and has zero resemblance to actor Harrison Ford. Over all a very good issue and makes me look forward to seeing what issue seven has in store for us.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 7

Indiana Jones # 7  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 7 of 34

At a vineyard in France Indiana Jones has found a thief that is dressed as a monk and with a pistol in hand he wants his stolen ancient artifact back, well the one he has been hired to return! The monk is McIver and all the monks that are making wine are in fact thieves and after Indiana escapes with the artifact wrapped in map to keep it from getting damaged the very angry McIver swears revenge. Once back in America Indiana Jones discovers the map he used to protect the artifact leads to lost treasure from a Atlantian tribe and if this treasure is found could be priceless as well as prove that Atlantis was real! And as Indiana Jones sets out for Africa were the map leads he must take along Marion Ravenwood who over heard the importance of the find and wiggles her way into going along for the adventure. Once in Africa they try and hire some extra help, but find that someone else has hired all the extra hands to look for a rare flower, and Indy knows something is up and he and Marion rush into to the jungle to find the treasure. While floating down the river Indy and Marion are attacked by a hippo, alligators plus a python and escape the river but find themselves stuck in quicksand and are saved by flower hunter’s expedition that turns out to ne Nazi’s that are also after the treasure and are being helped by McIver! After escaping the camp Indy and Marion are hiding in the jungle from the Nazi’s who are now hunting them, but some sort of wild animal is also on their trail!

In this seventh issue of Indiana Jones we find him once more alongside Marion Ravenwood as they are on a adventure this time in the Amazon in order to find the treasure of a tribe that is said to have been from the city of Atlantis, but of course one of Indy’s past enemies is also after the treasure and he has brought backup with the Nazi’s and to both sides have to be aware of nature as the beasts of the jungle are also on the hunt. Indiana Jones in this issue by accident stumbles on a map that leads to what could be a very priceless treasure and by finding the map he also finds him self being the hero as always as he gets himself as well as his lady friend Marion out of trouble. The one thing they dropped the ball on with this issue is they do not play up on Indy’s fear of snakes. Marion is as strong willed as ever and wants to get the scoop on this treasure as well as just be alongside Indy as it’s clear the tension between her and Indy is thick. McIver is a treasure thief who hates Indy with a passion and even teams with those scumbag Nazi’s in order to beat him getting the treasure. Like always this is a very action packed issue and Indy has to use his wits throughout in order to outsmart the baddies who want him dead! The Nazi’s being the villains in the story is normal at this point as is adding a past baddie from his past with McIvers, but I do like the idea of adding the wild animals of the jungle into the mix as they do not choose sides and only have one thing on their minds and that’s to make humans go dead! The cover is very cool and eye catching and has Indy saving Marion from gators, and this time around the interior art is done by Kerry Gammill and is very good and I like the way he draws Indy. Over all a great issue that keeps up the high quality and delivers a new adventure for Indiana Jones to keep fans happy until the next film.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 8

Indiana Jones # 8  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 8 of 34

Indiana Jones and Marion are hiding from a group of Nazi’s who are hunting them down and find themselves in a cave with a blood thirsty Panther who is only held at bay thanks to a small brush fire that Indy sets. As our heroes run from the cave the panther attacks a near by Nazi and Indy and Marion run into a Atlantis Giant who is then shot and killed by the Nazis and this goes very bad for everyone as the Atlantis army surrounds them all and takes them to their cave base and to their King who is not happy with the killing of one of his own. The King takes the Nazi that killed one of his men and uses crystals to kill the man as they burn him up from the inside out. As the rest watch on in horror they are rushed away and placed in a cell room, that in the morning turns into a crystal tomb when the sun comes up and the lasers start flying and killing! Indy does not panic and uses the mirrored compact of Marion’s to blast the lock off the cell door and this allows he and Marion to escape as well as McIver and what is left of the Nazis. As Indiana and Marion are trying to get away from the Atlantis Warriors they are also trying to find away out of the cave, while the Nazis and McIver have gotten back their weapons and are killing the warriors as well as The King as the Nazi Captain wants the main crystal and he foolishly grabs the crystal and this causes the energy to go crazy and his own men to be burned up alive and the cave it’s self to collapse onto it’s self! As the cave crumbles Indy and Marion escape with Indy being able to at least save one necklace from the tribe, and unknown to the McIver also escaped and swears revenge of Indy one day. As Indiana and Marion walk back into the jungle they realize that everyone is dead and they can not prove that the Atlantis Tribe even was alive as its all been crushed and blown to bits.

What a fun adventure that takes us into the heart of the Amazon jungle and into the cave of a tribe that is from Atlantis and who uses crystals in order to deal death as well as keep their cave in order. Indiana Jones in this issue as always has to use his brilliant mind as well as trusty whip in order to get himself out of trouble and of course he has to look out for Marion as well who is very strong willed and has no issues grabbing a wood board and putting up a fight. In this issue alone Indy and Marion survive attacks from Nazis, Atlantis Warriors, Deadly Crystal Lasers as well as a Panther! McIver who is a stolen art dealer makes the big mistake of teaming with the Nazis and soon learns that their greed and crave for power almost lead him to being crushed to death or even fried from the inside out by a crystal laser, and I do think we will see him again in another issue as he really wants his revenge against Indy. I like that this issue takes place in a cave that is covered in human bones and crystals and is pretty much a death trap if anyone moves one master crystal the wrong way…truly a deadly spot in the Amazon and adds to the lore of that river and jungle. The over is awesome and has Indiana and Marion in front of a skull cave with arrows coming at them and this makes it very eye catching. The interior art is done by Kerry Gammill again and is good stuff and really helps bring this adventure alive. We are eight issues into this series and I have to say that the creators and Marvel Comics had something special going as every issue has been great and for me has this far lived up to the re-reads.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 9

Indiana Jones # 9  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 9 of 34

Indiana Jones is still in Africa as he is going after The Chachapoyan Idol that was stolen from him by Belloq and sold to a dealer, and as Indy is sneaking into the place he is getting the help of his friend Sallah who is in charge of keeping an eye out. But once inside Indy finds that he is not the only one after the idol as two armed hooded figures are also there trying and now are after Indy and Sallah who have the idol and give them chase on top of the rooftops and by luck Indy and Sallah jump off a roof into a truck that his hauling hay and they take the truck to escape. We soon see that the hooded figures are one scar faced warrior and a blonde woman who swears that she will kill Indiana and get the idol back. Back in New York museum currier Marcus Brody along with Marion Ravenwood are entertaining the press as they all wait for Indiana to arrive at the museum with the idol, and when Marcus takes the idol to a safe room he is confronted by the scar faced warrior and his friends to take the idol. Indiana Jones rushes out of the window that is 23 floors up to try and walk the ledge in order to save his friend Marcus, but once outside he finds that the warriors are as well on the ledge trying to make their escape! Indy almost falls once and is saved by Marion who followed him outside the window, but after taking out one warrior Indy finds off the ledge and the other warriors is stomping on his fingers to try and make Indy falls to his death!

This ninth issue really brings the characters of “Raiders Of The Last Ark” back together as Indiana Jones is joined by not only Marion Ravenwood but also Sallah and Marcus Brody for this adventure that all revolves around the idol that Indy gets at the start of that film. And after getting the idol back Indy finds himself the target of warriors from the tribe it originally belong to. And this issue has a pretty big cliffhanger as Indy is hanging off the ledge that is 23 stories up and a warrior is stomping on his fingers to try and make him fall to his death! I like that Indy as well rushes into a very dangerous spot in order to try and help his friend that is in danger, I also like that in this issue they showcase his friendship with Sallah who I hope makes more appearances. The baddies of this issue are the scar or later said tattoo faced Xomec and his warrior friends as well as a yet to be named blonde haired woman as they all want that idol. This issue really is a fun start to this story arc and does a great job of bringing the film characters into the world of Marvel Comics and I am not going to lie as I would love to see the likes of Steve Rogers aka Captain America cameo in this series or image if Indy had to tangle with the Red Skull! The cover for this issue is pretty cool and has Indy on the ledge and one of the warriors ready for the attack, the interior art is done by Dan Reed and is pretty great, though I have to say that I am not a fan of how he drew Indy in some panels. Over all a great issue that makes me look forward to reading the next issue.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 10

Indiana Jones # 10  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 10 of 34

As the warrior is about to stomp on the fingers of Indy one last time a shot rings out and the warrior falls to his death as once more Marion Ravenwood has saved the day armed with a pistol. Indy then gives chase to Xomec who is able to escape with the idol and even leaves Indy hanging from a flagpole. Back at the museum Marcus is ok and has gotten a phone call from the blonde woman who tells him they can have the idol for a price back and that Indy but deliver it to an old opera house in the amazon, but must come alone! Once back in the jungle Indy knows it’s a set up and he is quickly proven right when he is attacked by warriors, he is able to fight a few off but soon is captured and taken to Xomec as well as the blonde woman who is Ilsa Toht the sister of Ernst Toht who was the Nazi that had his face melted off by the Lost Ark, and she wants revenge and her plan is to have Xomec and his warriors leave Indy tied to some stakes in order for the wild animals to eat him alive! Once by the riverbank and left alone Indy escapes his binding and even fights off some hungry alligators, Indy then is able to get aboard the plane of Ilsa as it takes off. While in the air Indy is able to outsmart and out live Xomec who falls from the aircraft to his death, and then Indy is able to grab the idol and force Ilsa to crash the plane, with of course Indy being able to escape the crash just in time and he does not know the fate of Ilsa. In the end with the idol in hand Indy starts his journey back to New York to the museum.

The Raiders Of The Lost Ark connections continue in this one as we find out that the blonde female villain is the sister of Ernst Toht the main baddy from that film, and she is filled with hatred and wants revenge for her brother’s death and is following in his footsteps by becoming a Nazi as well. Her partner in crime the tattooed faced Xomec is a warrior who is also to cocky for his own good, and his ego is what leads to him falling to his death and going splat on the land bellow from a in flight plane. Marion Ravenwood is a hero like always as she once more saves Indy’s life by killing a warrior who almost had Indy’s number punched. It’s a shame that she did not get to sneak to the Amazon with Indy to get the idol back as it would have been great to see her punch and knock out Ilsa. Indiana Jones in the issue is like always a lucky hero who uses his wits and skills in order to stay alive as well as re-get a stolen idol for the New York Museum. In this issue as well if you think about it both main baddies are dead as one is blown up in a plane crash while the other falls from said plane onto the cold unforgiven ground below…but I have a feeling that Ilsa Toht is not dead and that she might return to get revenge on Indy once more. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and has Indy on the wing of the plane, though I am not a fan of the art style used for it. The interior art is done again by Dan Reed and is good stuff for the most part. Over all another great issue and delivers a fun Indy adventure and like before I cannot wait to see what’s next.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 11

Indiana Jones # 11  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 11 of 34

Indiana Jones is in Australia and with an artifact in hand is running from a tribe who are throwing poisoned tipped spears at him during a sandstorm! And as Indy tries to frighten then off with his pistol and whip a group of masked Egyptian ninjas appear and kill all the tribe members and take Indy to a cave were the very rich art collector Ben Ali Ayoob who wants to hire Indy to travel to Spain in order to find the fourth nail of Jesus that is said to be in the hand of a Gypsy King, Indy rejects the offer and Ben sends three of his ninjas to follow him. Meanwhile back in New York Marcus has just hired Marion Ravenwood to work at the museum as they get a package from Indy that holds the artifact as well as a note, saying he is going to Spain to find that nail for the museum if it is indeed real. While in Spain Indy finds an old friend named Torino who is a thief and is running from a group of men he stole money from in a street game, and they pair hide in a nearby church. Once in the Church the workers have heard what Torino has done and they attack the pair and one that is built like a pro wrestler chases Indy around and thanks to a rotting roof that causes the big man to fall, Indy and Torino are able to escape just as the cops arrive. As Indy and Torino escape into the sewers they talk about the Fourth Nail and it scares Torino who once they exit the sewer goes missing! Indy finds himself in a bull fighter arena stable and with him is one angry bull that is charging.

This is a strange issue that takes Indy from Australia to Spain and his end goal is to find a nail that was said to have been selected to be the deathblow to Christ as he was on the cross, but was stolen by a gypsy in order to try and help him. And Indy of course finds himself in all types of trouble, but yet still always finds ways out of danger mostly thanks to his luck, pistol and whip. In this issue as well Indy faces lots of challengers from a Aboriginal Tribe, Egyptian Ninjas, Angry Workers and even on a cliffhanger ending a massive bull! Torino is his sidekick in this issue and is a Gypsy street thief who picks pockets as well as rigs street gambling games, he knows of the Fourth Nail and is scared to talk about it. One of the most fun moments in this issue is Indy trying to fight and avoid the massive muscled church worker who wants to squash Indy like a bug, and the way he defeats him is pretty cleaver by using the big man’s weight and the rotted roof wood to make him fall (to his death maybe?) was pure classic Indy smarts. I also like that this adventure takes him to Spain to find another missing religious artifact and we end the issue on a cliffhanger of a bull about to charge and gore him, great stuff and makes you really want to read the next issue to see how he gets out of this dangerous spot. The cover for this one is pretty good and show cases the drama at the church and has Indy holding onto a ledge as his attacker is about to attack, pretty good stuff. The interior art is done by Kerry Gammill and is pretty great stuff and I like the way he draws Indy as it’s got a touch of Harrison Ford’s look to it. Over all another great issue that leaves us on another big cliffhanger so lets see what happens next.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 12

Indiana Jones # 12  ***
Released in 1983     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 12 of 34

Indiana Jones is stuck in a stall at a bull fighting arena with a bull that is very angry, and after dodging the beats for a bit Indy uses the fighters cloaks that are in the stall to cover the bulls head and this gives him the time he needs to escape and be back on the street. While looking around he notices that the police and the angry mob are still looking for him and the missing Torino, and he gets the shock of his life when Marion Ravenwood surprises him and has joined him in Spain as she has taken a job for the museum to cover all the discoveries of Indy’s. Marion also informs Indy that she seen his friend Torino being taken to a warehouse by the Egyptian Ninjas and they rush to the site to save their friend. Indy and Marion get to the warehouse and fight with the Ninjas and are able to knock some of them out by luck and Marion even shoots one of them wounding him badly. But as Indy and Marion save Torino they get away as The Ninjas come to and even the wounded one is up and wants to continue their mission for their master Ben Ali Ayoob who wants the Fourth Nail. Torino ends up taking Indy and Marion to a Gypsy Camp that the Fourth Nail is at and after Indy helps the gypsies fight off the town’s people who are armed with clubs, they take him to view the Fourth Nail as he has proven himself as a friend to the camp. Once inside the cave that holds the nail they are guided by an old woman who explains that it’s more than it seems, but just then The Egyptian Ninjas show up and they have Torino and drop him down a mine shaft and as Indy and Marion rush to save him the Ninjas take the nail…big mistake! The torches that light the cave flicker and the Fourth Nail glows and as Indy and Marion get Torino to safety they find that the Nail has killed the Ninjas by pearling all their hearts! As the old woman asks Indy if he still would like to take the nail he declines the offer and heads back home along side Marion. Meanwhile Ben Ali Ayoob has not heard from his Ninjas and knows that they have failed and swears that he will see the end of Indiana Jones.

In this issue Indiana Jones is in Spain and is being joined in his adventure by Marion Ravenwood and the gypsy named Torino as they go on the hunt for the religious artifact The Fourth Nail as they are being hunted down by the locals, the police as well as the Ninjas of the greedy Ben Ali Ayoob all who want Indy dead or locked up, so in other words the odds are against him in Spain, and yet its almost like Indy would not have it any other way! Indiana while on the hunt for the Fourth Nail also doubts it and even when seeing it he is not impressed with its rusted appearance, but once he sees that it does have power and kills an elite group of Ninjas in seconds…he changes his tune and decides that maybe the Nail should stay with the Gypsies. Ben Ali Ayoob is clearly now turning his rivalry with Indy into a game that he swears will only have one of them left alive, and keep in mind this is all because he could not buy him off to get the nail for him. The poor Ninjas who are just following orders find themselves nailed in the heart and dead as a doornail…you get it. One think that is always so cool about Indiana Jones adventures in both films and comics is when they can add that supernatural elements to the stories and make the quest a little more danger. Plus in this issue I like the Gypsy Camp and I really like that the Fourth Nail is real and deals death to those who want to steal it away from them. The cover is really cool and features Indy fighting a raging bull! The interior art is done by Kerry Gammill and is a solid as ever and is good stuff. A very fun issue that has Indy not getting the artifact for the museum for once!

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 13

Indiana Jones # 13  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 13 of 34

Indiana Jones has some of his students on a fieldtrip looking for Indian artifacts near a cave that is said to be unsafe and after a few accidents including Lucy Giles almost getting stung by a scorpion and a rockslide that almost crushes Indy and one of his male students they start to make their way back to camp in town when they are also run off by two gun caring strangers named Oinkster and Dominic who warn that people could get hurt around the cave if they snoop around. Later that night Indiana thinking that art thieves are inside the cave and sneaks back to it and finds that a criminal named Busby along with lots or workers are making a hidden city inside the cave for criminals on the run, and Indy has to swear and leave and not tell a soul as somehow they have also captured Lucy Giles and are keeping her hostage are insurance. The next day Busby watches as the trucks caring the students leave, but unknown to him Indy has stayed behind and takes out some of the criminals and enters the cave and finds Lucy who turns out to be the daughter of Busby and was in on this cave base idea all along! But Indiana was also smart and before he found her radioed the police who are now on their way! Before the cops get there Indy is able to stop the escape plane that Busby and he along with Lucy and his crew are all arrested.

This is a issue that wraps the full story that has Indiana Jones with his students being run off of the land by criminals who want to turn a cave filled with artifacts into a hidden base from wanted criminals, and Indy must use his smarts to bring them all down and to pay for their crimes. Indiana Jones in this issue also shows that he can be on an adventure and yet still be teaching his students about artifacts and history. I also like that as always Indy’s whip helps save the day as he is super skilled with it. Lucy Giles is a student who clearly has a crush on Indy and seems to be following him around as well as always trying to get his attention, and we then learn that she is really the daughter of a crime lord and is really trying to get his attention cause she is keeping an eye on him. Lucy’s father Busby is a scumbag who is destroying history all for the love of money and to keep criminals out of jail. We do get a very small cameo from Marcus Brody who has a phone call with Indy over the oddness at the cave and the actions of Marion Ravenwood while Indy has been away. The threat in this issue seems a little less dangerous as Indy is able to bring down Busby and his crew pretty easily as he outsmarts them at every turn and gets them all arrested and is even able to smart off to Lucy is tries to hit on him even while being arrested. The cover for this issue has Indy being dragged behind an airplane and is pretty eye catching. The interior art for this issue is done by Ricardo Villamonte and is good stuff and has that classic Marvel Comics feel. And to sum it up another great issue of Indiana Jones done by Marvel, and I really do think that modern Marvel should bring Indy back to comics and get a good creative team behind it.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 14

Indiana Jones # 14  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 14 of 34

Indiana Jones is upset at Marion Ravenwood when she is doing a promotion for the museum that has her dropping flyers out of a hot air balloon on the collage campus as well as around town, as Indy thinks this is cheapening history. Poor Marcus Brody is stuck in the middle of this fight and even has to blow off Harvey Pondexter who works in the accounting department, and this hurts the old workers feelings as we feels he is never listened to. Meanwhile Indy storms away and will be flying out to Alaska soon as Marcus and Marion try to get to the bottom of why they fight so much and it comes down to Indy breaking her heart. Pondexter ends up finding a journal of a past worker at the museum who committed suicide and bones of a deformed god that he found in Mexico that he thought was evil and that’s why he hid it, and now Pondexter decides to steal the bones and sell to another museum and is caught by Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood who are trying to patch things up and they give a chase via cars. Pondexter ends up shooting at them as well as causing a landslide to try and crush them as its clear something is mentally messing with him. And Pondexter ends up setting a fire on a wooden bridge and Indy and Marion must escape by falling into the water bellow as Pondexter himself breaks into a hotel in order to rest and clear his head that is now very cloudy. Indy and Marion make their way to the hotel and Pondexter is waiting for them and is now armed with a poison tipped sword and he is able to cut Indy who is growing weaker and weaker, and as he and Marion try to dodge the stalking Pondexter, it’s Marion who saves the day when she tosses the trunk over a balcony and Pondexter leaps to his death after it. In the end and back at the museum the poison has worked its self out of Indy’s system and Marion gets a telegram that shocks her.

This issue is a pretty fun read as most of the action takes place on a very stormy night and has Indy and Marion on the hunt for a museum employee that they caught stealing who in turn is being possessed by the evil spirit of a Mexican God who is clouding his brain with thoughts of murder! And after trying to kill our heroes several times his connection to those cursed bones lead to his own death. Indiana Jones in this issue is very upset with Marion over her tactics of advertising for the relics in the museum, but its clear he loves her just as much as she loves him, but Marion is dealing with some issues as her father before he passed away in a accident was very upset with Indy for breaking his daughters heart and she has kind of held this against him. The baddie of this issue is Harvey Pondexter a long time employee of the museum who seems to always be over looked by the rest of the staff and treated not well as everyone seems to have no time for him, and after finding cursed bones and artifacts in the wall of the museum he is over taken with bloodlust and greed and turns into a drone for a curse. The action in this issue is lots of fun and kind of reminded me of an early slasher film, and the cliffhanger of the message Marion gets is a good way to get the reader to return for the next issue. I will say that the cover for this issue is pretty cool and has a real fantasty feel to it, in fact it reminds me of a cover you would have seen for other Marvel Comics like Conan The Barbarian or Saga Of Crystar. The interior art is well done and is by David Mazzucchelli who should have been working in Horror Comics as his art would have fit for Marvel Horror series. Another great issue and I cannot wait to see what the big shock is that was in that message.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 15

Indiana Jones # 15  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 15 of 34

Indiana Jones and his friend Jock are in a plane taking pictures of some old ruins in the woods, but are also having to dodge a Japanese ship as well as fighter plane and of course Indy figures out a way to escape the ship and bring down the plane and this angers the ships Captain Commander Hiroto. Once safe back at the museum Indy and Marcus Brody talk about a Chinese Statue that looks like it’s in the ruins and that would be priceless as well as could change history, and Indy know that he has to get it for the museum and heads out to get a ship and a captain that would ask no questions. Now in Panama Indy bails Captain Simon Katanga and his crew from jail as they got busted with an illegal shipment of rum, and now are on board to help Indy get the statue and other artifacts off that island. Before they can even leave Panama they are attacked by goons and after dealing with them and while at sea they run into Commander Hiroto and his men who search the ship, and even semi make a threat to Indy for being American. Finally they make it to the island and to the ruins and the statue is there as well as lots of other treasures but their joy is cut short when female pirate Emeralda Vasquez and her men show up with guns and want to take all the treasures as one of her men was in the jail cell when Indy bailed out Simon and heard it all. Indy along with Simon and his men try to escape but The Pirates capture them at the beach and Indy notices that the Pirates have an American submarine and Emeralda forces Simon to alert his crew they now take orders from her and Indy is taken to the beach and buried up to his neck in the sand with the hopes he will drown with the coming tide and worse flesh eating crabs are also coming his way! Meanwhile Simon dives off his ship and is shot at by the Pirates who think that the Captain has drowned.

Indiana Jones in this adventure as found some ruins and a statue that could change the history books over Chinese culture in America and teams up with a smuggler ship Captain and his men in order to get the goods back to the museum, but along the way they have made big enemies out of the Japanese military as well as pirates who now all have Indy in their sights. This is another very solid and fun read that as always shows that Indy has not only a great mind to escape danger but also has lots of luck as he gets past attacking ships, plans and pirates…but to be fair he in the end of the issue is in threat of drowning or having his face eaten by crabs. Captain Simon Katanga and his men while they deal with shady people and haul some shady things and even kill some people, they are good people at heart and are loyal to tying to help Indy in his quest. And while Commander Hiroto and his men are around they truly are not the baddies as Emeralda Vasquez and her pirates are the true evil ones as they will take human lives as well as steal from everyone. This is a really cool issue as I also like that it takes place on the open waters as well as on an island as it helps add to the adventure nature of the comic. The cover for this issue is fun and the bright red makes it eye catching. The interior art is done by the legend Herb Trimpe and its great stuff! Over all a great issue and I am looking forward to seeing how Indy escapes these crabs! Also if we will get any answers on what the letter in the last issue said that shocked Marion Ravenwood.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 16

Indiana Jones # 16  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 16 of 34

Indiana Jones is buried up to his neck in sand and crabs hungry for flesh are closing in and just as all looks lost Captain Simon Katanga saves the day and kicks away the crabs and digs up Indy and then the two head to the temple and find that the pirates have cleared it out of all the riches and have set bombs all around and Simon’s crew are tied up inside! The timer only has five minutes left and Indy ends up having to leave some artifacts behind in order to rescue the crew and they all make it out at the last minute. And the explosion also gets the attention of Commander Hiroto who sets his site now on that island. Indy and Simon take the submarine and go to the ship were Emeralda Vasquez is and threaten to blow them up and sink them and of course Indy is bluffing. Emeralda comes up with an idea to send a SOS message to Commander Hiroto’s warship that is on the way, and this causes the submarine to dive and once under water the pirates on board clash with Simon’s crew in order to try and take back control, but soon they all join sides as they are attacked by the Japanese warship! Indy fakes the submarines sinking and this causes the warship to go away and gives Indy and Simon along with the crew to get aboard Emeralda’s and a fight breaks out and Indy even punches and knocks out Emeralda, just as Commander Hiroto returns to the fight as he sees the submarine has returns to the surface. Emeralda goes overboard and gets on the submarine and gets behind the gun and is about to fire before she is blown up by Hiroto who leaves the scene after the explosion as he knows he could be in trouble if he attacks the other ship at this point. Indy returns home and meets up with Marcus Brody who informs him that Marion has taken time away from the museum and is going to Greece in order to find her father was suppose to be dead!

In this Indy adventure he finds himself being saved from being eaten alive by crabs and fights alongside pirates and seamen in order to save treasure and overthrow a female pirate captain as well as dodge the attack of a Japanese warship that is on the hunt to stop and kill any pirates they come across. But like always Indy uses his good luck, brains and skills in order to defeat the Pirate Captain, avoid being blown up by a warship and even helps his friend regain his ship and crew and even gets him new members that were once pirates who now have learned a lesson on trust. Commander Hiroto just wants to blow up ships that he thinks pirates are on and does so and takes down one of the high seas most cold-blooded pirate captains, and when he does his goal he and his crew calmly sail away. Captain Simon Katanga is a hero who fights alongside Indy but also saves Indy’s life twice as well as saves his own crew from being blown up by bombs. Pirate Captain Emeralda Vasquez has no quit in her soul and fights to her bitter end as she wants all the gold as well as really wants to kill Indy for getting in her way and being a pain in her ass and cause her plan to get out of control. I also like that Indy in the issue gets a mouth full of sand in order to spit at grabs to keep them away from his face, what a great way to fight back against those little flesh eaters. This besides being a fun adventure mostly set at seas gives us a great cliffhanger as it shows us that Marion has left for Greece in order to meet up with her father is was suppose to be dead, and keep in mind her father also did not like Indiana Jones as he felt he broke his daughters heart. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and has Indy above the ship as pirates are shooting at him and the interior art is done by Herb Trimpe again and is fantastic stuff. And with that another great issue from Marvel Comics as they keep proving their creative team really knew how to bring Indy to the world of comics.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 17

Indiana Jones # 17  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 17 of 34

Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood are in some sort of catacombs in Greece and are being stalked by a Minotaur who is swinging a giant wooden club, and Indy remembers back to finding Marion in Greece and how a cult has chased them here to this maze! Indy and Marion try to fight the Minotaur and find that it’s just a man in a mask and by accident they fall into a whole that leads to a cave with blood thirsty bats, and Indy and Marion make barely make an escape to a door that they end up tricking the Minotaur into and the bats end up killing him. Back on the streets Marion and Indy meet up with the drunken Kershaw a man who use to work for her father who tells them for a price about a map that leads to a location in the Himalaya Mountains and about an old white man who leads people there and it’s the location of the disappearance of Marion’s father! The arrive at the location given to them for the map and find that it’s in the hands of Andre Lafonte another man who use to work with Marion’s father and is working along side a group of Mongols as well as McIver who Indy thought had died in the explosion in Africa and now a death order is given to kill Indy and Marion who in turn are able to get the map during a scuffle the make a big escape that includes a car chasing them on horses and getting to a train that takes them to the Himalayas. Once walking around in the deep snow they find a trap and know that people must be around, and when they cross a old rope wooden bridge a massive figure on the other side shakes the bridge and then breaks the bridge and causes Indy and Marion to fall.

Wow this adventure takes Indiana Jones all over the world and has him at the side of his lady Marion Ravenwood as she looks for her father that was suppose to be dead, but now rumors say he is alive and well and running a village in the Himalaya Mountains! And along this quest to find the missing man they come across a cult, a Minotaur, Warrior Mongols, a massive shadow figure and an old enemy in McIver. And of course Indy and Marion do a great job of surviving as well as escaping the grips of them all, well besides the massive shadow figure that causes them to fall off a broken bridge in the issues cliffhanger. And all through the issue you can tell Indy is doing all this for his love of Marion, but is also worried that her father if alive could come between them as he has always had it out for Indy after he first broke his daughters heart. It was cool to see McIver back even if it was for a brief moment and it’s clear his hatred for Indy is still burning bright, and I am sure if not in the next issue in the future their paths will cross again. The Minotaur who is just a muscle man in a costume is apart of the cult in Greece and he is really cool, even if he gets killed by a horde of bats and its clear as day that the massive shadow is the cryptozoology creature known as the Abominable Snowman or The Yeti as others call him. This is a very fun issue as I love the world travel and all the odd bad guy characters, it as a great mystery of is her father alive and ends with a great cliffhanger. The cover for this issue is just ok and is nothing special as it just shows the horse and jeep chase and the interior art is once more done by the great Herb Trimpe and is outstanding stuff. To sum it up this is a great issue and I cannot wait to see how they escape the fall and if Marion’s father is really alive and how they will get past The Yeti.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 18

Indiana Jones # 18  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 18 of 34

Indiana Jones holds onto the side of the mountain and watches as Marion Ravenwood falls off the cliff, and when Indy is able to get to safety he sits in sadness thinking Marion is dead. A group of villagers appear and take Indy to their village that is under a dome and is heated all thanks to a stone that fell from the sky, he also meets the elder leader named Chen Sha who alerts Indy that Marion is hurt but will be ok, as he watches them take her to a temple. The next morning Indy is awaken from sleep by Marion who is healed by a stone from space and they two are very happy to see each other, and the two are taken to a ceremony and notice that a man is sitting with Chen Sha is wearing a Golden Mask and could be her father. They watch as the villagers bring a cage that inside is a Yeti who is very mad, they open the cage and the beast man rages on people and drags one of the villagers away who is happy to feel the touch of death and then Indy and Marion learn that they have been selected to take the place of the Golden Masked man who is dying do to his dependence on the healing stone. Indy and Marion are locked in a cell and use trickery to escape, they head toward the healing stone and find the Golden Masked man their as well who is voiceless, but unknown to Indy he is has been tracked by McIver, Andre Lafonte and his men who even already had a small run in with a group or Yetis. In the end Indy sets a bomb to destroy the healing stone, The Golden Masked man is clearly her father kills Chen Sha and McIver and his crew are killed by a pack of wild Yetis! When back home at the museum Indy and Marion find it closed and inside Marcus Brody informs them that an item Indy brought back has been called out for being a fake and he is now being replaced at the museum.

In this issue Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood find themselves in a strange village in the Himalaya Mountains that is being controlled by a power hungry old man who has them all worshiping a magical stone that fell from the sky that gives off heat as well as heals all manors of illness and even death. And to make things worse for Indy and Marion they are also being stalked by Yetis as well as McIvor and the Mongols and lets not forget the mystery of is the Golden Masked man really Marion’s father? Indiana in this issue of course has luck on his side that keeps him alive, but also for a brief moment he feels the ultimate sadness as he thinks his lady love Marion is dead who turns out not to be but also feels sadness as she never gets the answer of if the Golden Masked man was her father…and we as the readers of course see that it was her father. Chen Sha is kind of a cult leader as he leads his people to worship a stone from space and is willing to kill in order to keep his power over his people. McIver finally tracks down Indy only to seem to be killed off by Yetis, but who knows maybe he will come back as maybe he was able to escape. Marcus Brody this go around is down in the dumps as under his leadership he is accused of showcasing a fake piece and is now on the verge of loosing his job and being a laughing stock, so its an interesting cliffhanger for this important and yet background character. I really like the Yetis as they are wild and clearly hate humans and will kill any that get in their way, and I don’t blame them as its clear that Chen Sha and his people capture them for their weird ceremonies. The cover is very cool and showcases Indy and Marion on a bridge being shaken by a Yeti, and the interior art is once more done by the legend Herb Trimpe and is good stuff. Over all another great issue and Indiana Jones survived the Himalaya Mountains and now must save his friends job.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 19

Indiana Jones # 19  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 19 of 34

Indiana Jones find himself once more near the Himalaya Mountains this time because of a letter from his friend Professor Kobayashi that alerts him that in a cave a primitive tribe lives and worships a dragon that is frozen in ice and the Japanese Military are wanting to get the dragon and use it as a weapon against America! Indy finds the cave but it’s to late as they have the dragon, and a solider even gets a shot off at Indy that grazes him, once the dragon and soldiers are gone Indy is helped by the tribe for his wound and they as well give him a script to control the dragon. Later Indy goes to Japan and finds that Professor Kobayashi has committed suicide after he wrote the letter and now has the help of his young daughter to find the location of the dragon that might be in a old temple, and Indy sneaks in as she keeps an eye outside for his escape. Once in the temple Indy is discovered by a sumo wrestler and soldiers, that want him out and he uses his skill and whip to hide, and later finds the frozen dragon in a lab in the basement. Indy is able to awaken the dragon in the lab and the beats goes on a rampage and as it is about to take flight Indy uses his whip to hitch a ride on the great fire breathing beast that is tormenting people in the villages, but Indy is able say the magical words that sends the dragon back in Himalaya Mountains cave frozen in ice and Indy along with Kobayashi’s daughter are able to get him safe passage home via a old ship.

In this issue we have Indiana Jones once more going to the Himalaya Mountains in order to stop the Japanese army from getting a dragon that they plane on using as a weapon against America! And of course because of Indy’s luck and skill he is able to dodge and defeat some of the army soldiers as well as stop the dragon all the while being a hero that the world will never really know about. Indiana Jones is not looking for artifacts at all as his goal really is to stop the dragon from reaching American shores and later to save innocent citizens in Japan from it’s rage. The dragon it’s self is massive and can not only fly but also breath fire and has zero issues with killing men, women and children and if not for Indy this beats rampage could have been deadly for the world. The weird thing about this issue is that the plot of poor Marcus Brody being called a fraud is not even talked about and makes you wonder what is going on with him and is Marion Ravenwood trying to help clear his name as Indy plays hero in Japan? But while they did not follow up on the cliffhanger of the last issue this pretty much stand alone story was lots of fun and I really am enjoying all the weird creatures and cults they are adding into this series as you cant go wrong with a dragon, Yetis and a Minotaur Cult! The cover for this issue is interesting and somewhat eye catching as it has Indy above the ground holding onto the handle of his whip as we see the shadow of the dragon below. The interior art is done by Larry Lieber and is really good stuff as I do like the way he draws the Dragon as well as he captures the likeness well for Indy. Over all this is another solid issue and I can’t wait to see what is next in this series as it has stayed great from the start this far.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 20

Indiana Jones # 20  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 20 of 34

Indiana Jones is at the museum looking at the artifact that when he brought it there was real and now in it’s spot is a cheap knock off, while looking at it he also meets the new curator named Sloams-Hagen who is a combative way talks to Indy about it. Later Indy and Marion talk to Marcus Brody about the fake and Indy asks who had access to it and the only to people would have been two men that installed the new boiler, and Indy and Marion go to investigate and talk to them. And once at the workshop the meet Al who was one of the men who installed it and he starts to run away when the confront him about the real piece missing. The chase goes all around the warehouse and Al tries to hurt and kill our heroes at every turn, and its Marcus who shows up that saves them and they get the info from Al who tells them that Juan Soto from Cuba is who paid him to make the switch. Indiana, Marcus and Marion all head to Cuba and to the home of Soto that is surrounded by sugar cane that hides his drug operation, and when Soto finds out his land has intruders he sends out his men to bring them down. And after a few moments Indy and his friends are captured by Juan Soto who informs them that he got the artifact for a client that he will not revile their identity, and Marcus drops his cigar onto a box of ammunition that explodes and Juan Soto escapes on a boat and Indy and his friend give chase and they all end up on the same boat after a chase. After a fight Juan tells Indy who hired him and then jumps into the waters and is eaten by sharks. Indiana then tells Marion and Marcus that Ben Ali Ayoob is the mastermind behind the fraud and stealing of the artifact.

In this issue Indiana Jones is on the case to figure out how the real artifact was switched with a fake that leads to his friend Marcus Brody being fired from his job at the museum and all things lead to a game being played by Ben Ali Ayoob who hates Indy after he rejected his offer to join his hunt for the Fourth Nail and after Indy beat some of his Ninjas. Indiana Jones is filled with anger in this issue as he wants to clear the name of his friend and get his job back as well as find the real artifact for the museum. Also fired up is Marion Ravenwood and Marcus Brody who both go on this adventure with Indy to get the answers they seek. The baddies in this issue are warehouse worker Al and drug lord Juan Soto both who are deadly and don’t mind killing to save their own hides and both are just puppets for Ben Ali Ayoob who is the true evil mastermind of this plot all to hurt Indy. This adventure also takes us to Cuba and in this issue Indy almost gets killed by a fighter plane as well as a pack of wolves that are being used as guard dogs but like always his good luck and quick thinking saves his hide! The cover for this issue is pretty cool and has Indy running from a plane and the interior art is done by Luke McDonnell and is good for the most part, though at times I think he makes Marion’s face look manly. So like before a good issue and I am looking forward to seeing how Indiana takes on Ben Ali as it’s clear the two are headed for a showdown with only one living through it.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 21

Indiana Jones # 21  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 21 of 34

Indiana Jones along with Marion Ravenwood and Marcus Brody are heading to a small town in Indiana to find a old school mate of Marcus’s named Austin Coleridge who has bought the towns mine and shut it down putting everyone in the town out of work and might know were the new hideout of Ben Ali Ayoob! And when they head into the local bar looking for him they are attacked by the locals and as the fight spreads to the streets hawks come from the sky and attack the villagers and as Marion hides with them, Indy and Marcus are taken by Tarrant the right hand man of Coleridge to the mine where Coleridge informs them that he bought the mine to find The Gateway To Hell to find The Devil’s Heart as he has been hired by Ben Ali to find it! Meanwhile the townsfolk are now with Marion on their way to the mine as they want to stop this evil man and his crew once and for all. Indy is able to escape the mine, but Marcus trips in the escape and is told by Coleridge that he thinks behind that wall in a stone that turns everything to gold and proves it by showing his old school mate is hand that is now gold! Meanwhile outside Indy runs into Marion and the locals and head back to the mine to save Marcus and stop these evil men from destroying the mine and the town. Once inside the mine Indy fights and defeats Tarrant and his birds as Marcus and Coleridge fight near the Gates Of Hell and a small hole opens up and turns Coleridge into a ghostly monster spirit that ends up blowing up the entrance to the cave. In the end Marion and the townspeople capture all of Coleridge’s men, Marcus watched as his one time classmates now turned monster is crushed under the cave explosion and Indy finds a gun pointed at him from a Nazi that has been stalking him throughout the start of his quest in this small town.

In this issue Indiana Jones along with Marion Ravenwood and Marcus Brody head to a small town in Indiana in order to find a man who might know the hideout location of Ben Ali Ayoob, but instead they find a small town dying due to no jobs and a man who is on a mission to find the Gates of Hell! This is a strange one for sure and yet was super entertaining as I enjoyed the fights in the mine, the spooky supernatural nature of the gates and of course we get one step closer to the showdown between Indy and Ben Ali. Indy in this issue is able to once more escape deaths grip and is able to be the hero as he his fighting for the honor of his friend Marcus who is being framed by a terrible person who has an issue with him. In this issue as well we get a better look that Marcus Brody is not a weak as we think he is as he defends himself even knocking silly his one time classmate Austin Coleridge, and does not break when with his own eyes we watches a man turn into an evil spirit. Marion Ravenwood meanwhile helps lead the townspeople into an uprising to take their mine back. The one thing that is kind of bland and boring in this issue is the Nazi Soldier who is stalking Indy as he adds nothing to this adventure and just kind of around, and I hope next issue Indy kicks his butt and then he is gone. The cover for this issue is fun and has the hawks attacking Indy and the interior art is done by the legendary co-creator of Spider-Man himself Steve Ditko and is great classic looking comic stuff. Over all a fun issue that acts as a piece to the puzzle that is the showdown between our hero and at this point the series most evil villain. Lets see what the next issue has in store for use and if Indy gets one step closer in clearing the good name of his best friend.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 22

Indiana Jones # 22  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 22 of 34

Indiana Jones has a gun pointed at him by a Nazi spy who informs him that Hitler wants him dead, but Indy ends up saving the life of the Spy when he throws a rock at Tarrant who had woken back up and was about to stab the Spy in the back, this act has now made The Spy go along with Indy, Marion and Marcus on their quest by lying and saying he is an officer from Scotland Yard. They arrive in Switzerland as a castle on a hill is the new base for Ben Ali Ayoob and the four split off into groups as Indy and the Spy climb up the hill and fight off the Ninjas Marion and Marcus use a hot air balloon to drop inside the castle to look around for records of art dealing and the stolen artifact. But the plan goes bad when all four end up being captured and taken to Ben Ali Ayoob who orders them all to be killed in the morning. Morning comes and Ben Ali Ayoob has Marion at a table with him eating breakfast as Marcus and the Spy are tied to a tree and Indy is free but all are in a pit with a very hungry Grizzly Bear! Marion tosses Indy a wine bottle and he pops the cork that hits the bear confusing it for a moment, and Indy frees Marcus who in turn frees the Spy. As Indy and the Spy fight the bear, Marion as run off and freed all the hungry animals from Ben Ali’s zoo and the animals attack the Ninjas as man fights against beast all around. Indiana, Marion, Marcus and the Spy all end up in the office of Ben Ali Ayoob who ends up shooting and killing the Spy who throws an old relic into the fire that was connected to The Devil and as Ben Ali Ayoob goes for it he catches on fire and goes up into a poof of black smoke. Once back home Marcus Brody gets his job back at the museum as his name has been cleared, the stolen artifact is returned and he enjoys a drink with his friend Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood.

The game of life and death between Ben Ali Ayoob and Indiana Jones comes to an end and it’s Ben Ali that meets his fate thanks to a mixture of fire and the Devil himself! Indiana Jones also in this issue teaches a Nazi Spy that human life is important and helping others is the right thing to do and this leads to the Spies death who sacrifices himself in order to save indy’s life, that man he was hired to kill. Indy in this issue not only is able to defeat Ben Ali and his men, but also fights a Grizzly Bear in a small arena in order to save the lives of his friends. Marion Ravenwood is also a big hero as she not only disrespects and escapes the grip of Ben Ali and his Ninjas she also sets all his wild animals free who end up taking care of all the Ninjas! Marcus Brody and the Spy as well do there part is shutting down the evil ways of Ben Ali and his men. I really liked the idea of the arena pit that was just the right size for a full-grown bear to do battle with Indy and his friends as it made me think back to the Gladiator days. The game of death between Indy and Ben Ali is pretty well done and while I wish that Indy had been the one to truly stop him with some well-placed fists to his jaw, his fate is pretty messy and well deserved. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and eye catching as it’s Indy squaring off with the Grizzly and the interior art by Joe Brozowski is well done. Over all yet another great issue of Indiana Jones and his Further Adventures this far have been outstanding.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 23

Indiana Jones # 23  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 23 of 34

Indiana Jones gets a new expedition from Marcus Brody at the museum to head to the island of Kaloo to get the Crown Of Rurick, but the island is under the rule of Lord Harry and his drunken pirates who kill anyone that dare enter their land! Indy comes up with an idea to get to the island by joining a Hollywood movie that is in production as a stunt man with the promise he will do the stunt for free as long as he gets to pick the location of the diving stunt and of course he picks Kaloo Island. The films director is Samuel Greeley who makes a deal with Lord Harry to shoot on the island and that’s Harry gets a part in the film! The leading lady is Stephanie Windslow and the leading man is Alphonse Dumarr who is jealous of Indy as Stephanie keeps flirting with him. When they get to the island and during a rehearsal Stephanie keeps flirting with Indy and Alphonse snaps and attacks Indy and the two fight for a bit before they are broken up by the crew. That night Alphonse goes drinking at a bar with the crew and pirates and makes the mistake of talking about who Indiana Jones really is and that he is not a stunt man at all…this of course gets back to Lord Harry. The next day after filming and Indy finds the crown they Hollywood crew and Indy find themselves the prisoners of Lord Harry and his men who also take the crown, but Indy is able to escape and steal a old World War I tank and rescue the crew and they are able to get the Crown and head back to the plane to make it off the island in one piece. And along the way Alphonse mans the gun and canon on the tank making him a hero as well to make up for his mistake. Once they make it back to America and land at the San Francesco airport Stephanie gives Indy a big kiss and as she walks away Indy sees that Marion was waiting for him and witnessed the kiss and runs off heart broken as Indy wants to go after her.

In this issue Indiana Jones goes on a solo mission without the help of Marion Ravenwood or even Marcus Brody in order to get a crown that is on an island that is over ran by pirates and their blood thirsty leader who’s ego is out of control. And to even get to the island Indy has to go Hollywood and even gets the attention of a beautiful actress! And of course this mission can go smooth or easy for Indy as he has a actor who wants to beat him up for the attention of the lead actress and a pirate who wants to see him dead. What a fun issue as I love the addition of the Hollywood crew being apart of this adventure as cinema was just becoming a big part of culture at that time. Indy of course is a hero who’s skills, brains and luck get him the artifact and out of harms way. Alphonse Dumarr is a actor who starts all the trouble on Kaloo island as his ego and love for actress Stephanie causes him to run his mouth to the wrong people and this puts them all on the chopping block to be killed. Lord Harry and his men care about money, power, being known and feared all the while they do all this with great happiness and bloodthirsty glee. I feel bad for Marion as she watches as another woman kisses her man and given the fact he has broken her heart many times before lets hope Indy can smooth this over as he had no interest in Stephanie and she is the one who kissed him not the other way around. The cover for this issue is pretty good and showcases Indy over the waterfall, with the interior art and story being done by Herb Trimpe who work is great as always. And like all before this is a great issue and the cliffhanger of Marion being upset with Indy adds drama to the next issue.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 24

Indiana Jones # 24  ***
Released in 1984     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 24 of 34

Indiana Jones is still in San Francisco taking a few days of vacation to relax and gets a call from a sleazy “friend” named Reeko who has big information for him, but once he finds Reeko something is off as he seems sick and soon Indy notices that Reeko is dying cause he has a knife in his back! And worse a semi truck tries to run Indy over, but Indy is able to dodge it and then hitch a ride to a warehouse on it but can not see who the man is who ordered for his murder but he does find a young woman tied to a chair, but before he can save her he is attacked from behind and knocked out. Once Indy comes to he beats up the thug that was left behind to kill him and also gets out of him were they took to girl and that is on a ship headed to South America. Indy is able to sneak aboard the ship and finds that scummy archaeologist Klexx along with his friend Flaggart are the ones behind the murder of Reeko as well as had him almost killed twice at this point, and he learns that they want to sacrifice the woman at a temple in order to get hidden gold and gems. Indy ends up getting the woman off the boat whose name is Julia Valdez but the two are captured by Klexx again who figured out that Indy was on the ship, once at the temple they have Indy tied up and Julia ready to be sacrificed, Indy uses his pocket knife to cut his ropes restraints and is able to save Julia and all hell breaks loose after. The temple door opens and heat, fire and light fills the area and burns the flesh from the bones of all of the bad guys as Indy and Julia hide from the burning death. In the end Indy and Julia leave the area to return home and we see the twisted hand of Klexx reaching for help that will probably not come.

Indiana Jones even on a mini vacation can not find quit times as adventure and trouble just seems to follow him around! In this issue Indy finds a man dead, has to try and save a kidnapped woman, stop a fellow evil archaeologist from unearthing a hidden treasure and of course has to try and save his own hide from being killed. Indiana Jones once more puts his safety to the side in order to save a young woman from a terrible death, and of course with his luck and skills he is able to save the day as well as avoid being injured or killed himself. Julia Valdez is a you collage student who was kidnapped and set to be killed at a temple all because of her bloodline that is linked to the natives that use to live around the temple. And Klexx is very cold blooded and loves wealth more than he does human life as he has killed and stolen his way through life and has no respect for anyone besides himself, and in the end he gets what he deserves as his own death is very painful. And the supernatural elements are back in play here as the occult is very much a big part of this comic series and it fits in so well and in fact helps add a dash of Horror as well as adds to the adventures of each issue. I wish they had shown what is going on with Marion Ravenwood who watched Indy get kissed by a film actress at the airport, as oddly this is not mentioned at all. In the issue as well the mention that the Crown Of Rurick that he got from Kaloo Island and had to fight Lord Harry and his men to get was a fake, all that travel and danger for a fake. The cover is great and has a painting look to it and the interior art and story is once more done by Herb Trimpe and is fantastic as always. Over all another great issue and again the death of the baddies in this issue is pretty damn brutal.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 25

Indiana Jones # 25  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 25 of 34

Indiana Jones shows up in Peru to help Jessie Hale on her biggest discovery and she needs help in translating a few things as she thinks she found the lost city of El Dorado that is said to be the location of lots of treasures. As Indy starts to translate the rock slab that has the location a group of gun caring bandits lead by Ivar Reiss comes busting in as he wants the treasures for himself and threatens their lives if they do not help him get it. Meanwhile back in America Marion Ravenwood is mad when Indy does not show up for a lecture at the collage and instead Marcus Brody shows up, and this really makes Marion at wits end with her boyfriend. Meanwhile Indy with the help of paper and hot coffee is able to escape along side Jessie from Ivar and his men, and Indy and Jessie hop a train in order to get distance between the two. Indy and Jessie find what they think is the entrance to El Dorado and of course Ivar and his men also appear and they all enter the city together, and Ivar is made with power as gold is all around him and he thinks that this will all make his life easier, but they all soon find that the gold is all fake and that this room is a trap that Indy sets off and as he and Jessie make it to safety Ivar and his men are crushed to death by falling stones as instead of fleeing the room they continue to look for gold. In the end Indy returns to the museum and Marcus Brody hands him a note from Marion Ravenwood to alert him that she is gone and to not come looking for her.

So this is how it ends…and no I am not talking about the comic series or Indiana Jone’s life but I am talking about the relationship between Indy and Marion…it all ended after him not showing up for a speech at the collage…well and the mountain of other issues the two have been having for years. It’s going to be sad not seeing Marion Ravenwood on anymore adventures with Indy in this series as she really was a great character, but now this opens the door to allow Indy to flirt with all the ladies he comes across around the world. This issues plot has Indy looking for the lost city of El Dorado and along the way meets back up with an old friend who cant stand him as well dodges evil doers who want to steal goal. Ivar Reiss is a bandit who comes from a rich family that has been disowned due to his nasty behavior who is driven mad with power when he thinks he can find lost gold that will make him richer than his father, and his greed is what leads to his smashing death. Jessie Hale is a hard working woman who is close to finding the secret of the lost city of gold, but gets caught up in this adventure and must put her faith in Indiana Jones in order to find the location as well as survive it. This one is also a very quick read as the action and adventure moves the story along and the payout in the end truly reminds me of the old Jungle Adventure books I read as a kid. The cover art for this issue is pretty cool and has Indy hanging off the back of a train while baddies on horseback are giving chase. The interior art is done by Steve Ditko, who does a great job of drawing Indiana Jones as he captures the look of Harrison For pretty well, but I do have to point out that sometimes the characters eyes look very dead and wide. This is another fun issue and really by now you readers should be making a mental note to head to your local comic shop and grab this series as if you like Indy they are 100% worth reading.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 26

Indiana Jones # 26  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 26 of 34

Indiana Jones is in the waters of the Caribbean islands looking for a tablet that could the secrets of the location of Atlantis and finds it in the home of a very angry eel that he ends up having to capture in a bag in order to get the tablet, but once he comes up he meets Captain Belgrade who is mad at Indy as he thinks he is stealing fortune from his land and when he demands the treasures Indy has he of course gives him the bag with the eel in it! And when Captain gets mad and orders his men to kill Indy our hero uses a flare gun to set the Captain’s boat on fire and he himself is saved by Short Round who is driving a speed boat and gets Indy out of danger. Once back home Short Round has to go back to school while Indy is bummed that the tablet turned out to be nothing and he then meets Efrem Decker and Elizabeth Cody who wants to hire him to get back a pair of gold plated, pearl handled guns that belonged to Elizabeth’s grandpa Buffalo Bill Cody! They think that Salkovich a rich Russian man has stolen them as he tried to buy them twice and after they rejected the offer the guns was stolen from a museum. Indy and Elizabeth head to Russia and while on a train they are greeted by Peter Rostoff and his men who inform them both that they know who they are and might have information on the missing guns. And soon Indy and Elizabeth find themselves riding with Peter and his men as the Russian army give chase as our heroes have no idea what they have gotten themselves into, Peter’s men end up ditching the army in the river. Once back at Peter’s camp Indy and Elizabeth meet Uri Rostoff the chief and grandpa of Peter who tells them the location of the guns that are indeed in the hands of Salkovich and his private army, he also tells them that Buffalo Bill won the guns in Russia in a shooting contest by beating him…and lastly he tells them that he will have Peter and his men help get the guns back only if they agree to another shooting contest with the guns as the prize against Elizabeth and Peter! They agree to the terms, and it should also be noted that when they first arrived Indy made an enemies of one of Peter’s men who was getting handsy with Elizabeth, who later that night attacks Indy from behind and ties his four limbs to horses to try and rip him apart, but this slimeball also alerts him that he works for Salkovich and is a spy in Peter’s camp!

This is such a great start to this arch that has Indiana Jones on a adventure in Russia alongside the granddaughter of Buffalo Bill Cody on a mission to get back stolen goons that he won in a shooting contest, and they are now the target of the Russian Army as well as a rich thief and his army of goons! Indiana Jones in this issue goes from striking out on finding the location of a tablet that could lead to the finding of Atlantis to being in Russia tied to horses and on the verge of being ripped apart. Elizabeth Cody is a skilled shooter who has her pride in her family name and is doing her part as well to get them back. Efrem Decker works for the American Government and wants Indy as well to try and see what is going on in Russia as they are not sure if they are teaming with the Germens. The coolest cameo in this issue is Short Round who of course is from the film Temple Of Doom and I wish he had been along for the full adventure. It makes so much sense now that they wrote Marion Ravenwood out of the series as we are now in the time of Willie Scott being the lady around Indy’s life. The cliffhanger in this issue is a good one as a spy in the camp has Indy about to be ripped apart late at night so who is going to be the one to save him, or how will he figure out how to escape. The cover for this is ok but not all that eye catching, and the interior art is one more done by Ditko and is top-notch stuff. So with that lets see what happens in the next issue!

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 27

Indiana Jones # 27  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .60     Marvel Comics     # 27 of 34

The Spy cracks the whip and the horses start to run in different directions and the pain starts to rip through the body of Indiana Jones, but luck for him Elizabeth heard the attack and is able to shoot most of the ropes off and with his pocket knife he is able to save himself fully. As Peter Rostoff and the rest of his men arrive the spy is long gone and Indy films them in on what has happened. The next morning Indy, Elizabeth, Peter and his men head toward the mansion of Salkovich ready for the battle that is surly going to happen. When they get to the mansion they notice it’s protected all around and that the Russian Army even has housing there for many soldiers who are ready to fight and protect Salkovich and the stolen guns inside, and when some of Peter’s men attack the soldiers Indy leads some to the inside of the mansion to try and conquer it as well as get the guns. Once inside Indy, Elizabeth and two soldiers are caught just as they find the guns by Salkovich and the Spy, and Salkovich even guns down the two soldiers and tells the Spy he can have Elizabeth to have some fun with as he deals with Indy, but our heroes escape and Salkovich goes after Indy with his whip and Elizabeth is being hunted down by the slimy spy. While Indy has a whip fight with Salkovich, Elizabeth meanwhile uses her quick wit and uses caged birds in order to distract the Spy who trips and falls out of a window to his death. Indy ends up knocking out Salkovich thanks to an electric shock and he meets his life when the mansion explodes just as Indy and Elizabeth escape with the prized guns in hand. Back at the camp the shoot contest takes place and Elizabeth ends up throwing the match so that Peter can win and Uri Rostoff can get his pride back, and after they give Uri the guns he passes away and Peter ends up giving the guns back to Elizabeth as he knows she threw the contest in order to make a dying man feel better. In the end Indiana Jones and Elizabeth Cody have the guns in hand and are heading back to America as friends.

Indiana Jones is one lucky guy as he is saved from being ripped to pieces and even helps bring down a very corrupt and powerful man in Russia and best of all makes a new friend with a very skilled young woman who is a master shooter. The issue also showcases just how skilled Indy is as he uses his great mind also to quickly think of plans to get him out of danger and his mind is what brings down Salkovich once and for all. Speaking of Salkovich he is truly a rich man who kills, steals and smirks his way through life as his wealth allows him to get away with so much in his country as his land even houses so many of the areas military. So its nice to see Salkovich get what is coming to him and besides getting a bad electric shock he also gets blown up! I liked Elizabeth Cody as she is fast with a fun, is a hero in her own right and does not run from danger in fear as she uses her mind and skills as well to take out the baddies and save her life as well as those of her friends. The ending of this issue is also about compassion as Elizabeth is willing to throw a contest in order to give a dying man his pride back, and everyone of the old man’s friends and family know what she has done and are very pleased she was such a nice person. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and has Indy swinging in through a window and the art done for this issue is done again by Steve Ditko and is great stuff like always. I would also like to point out that in this issue in the letters page fans are asking for Short Round and Willie Scott to be added in as cast members, one even takes shots at Marion Ravenwood as he wants Willie in the comic more than her! But with that lets get to the next issue and see what adventure Indy is going to be on next.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 28Indiana Jones # 28  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65     Marvel Comics     # 28 of 34

Indiana Jones is at a cocktail party with his fellow colleges from the collage when a young man named Alec Sutherland who is delivering the research diary of the recent passed away Doctor Arthur Hecht who thinks that there are seven towers around the world and had found the location of on in Iran…and Indiana to finish his old friends work heads to Iran to find the tower. Once in Iran Indy is being followed by Alec who wants to help in the discovery and when they run into some villagers they make the mistake of telling them they are looking for the tower that is called The Tower Of Tears, and the villagers go crazy by the mention of the tower as they say it is evil and they attack Indy and Alec who barely escape. Later that night they find The Tower Of Tears and watch a woman in a trance is called inside as her brother tries to beg her to not go in, Indy and Alec follow and see that a powerful Sorcerer is inside and uses a powder on the brother that turns him to dust. When Indy and Alec are discovered to be in the temple a fight between Indy and the Sorcerer breaks out and an eternal flame is put out that fills the tower with Natural Gas! Indy tells Alec to get the woman out of the tower and The Sorcerer makes the mistake of firing a gun that blows up the tower! As The Sorcerer is dying he tells Indy that there is no other towers and that he needed that woman as she was with child and he was going to use the child to take his place as watcher of the evil tower, and with that The Sorcerer dies and the woman’s village come for her and Indiana returns home closing the research of Dr. Hecht.

This issues adventure has Indiana Jones along with a student traveling to Iran in order to look for a tower that is suppose to be evil that is the first of seven, only to get there to find that is the home of a crazed Sorcerer that ends up blowing himself up and informs them that there is no other towers. Indiana Jones in this issue is really looking into these towers in order to finish the research of one of his friends who passed away, and as always his luck gets him out of trouble and he quickly wraps up the research and even saves the villages an towns around the tower from the evil doings of The Sorcerer. Alec Sutherland is a young kid who tags along for the ride who is skilled at riding horses and is one of my least favorite characters to go on an adventure in this comic series, I hope Alec does not show back up as at the end of this comic he acts like he will be sticking around the collage. The Sorcerer is pretty much evil as he kills and wants to kidnap a child to force it to learn dark mystic arts in order to take over living in the tower and tormenting all those who live around it. And like before this issue has that supernatural touch and I like the Tower Of Tears as what a cool and odd thing for Indy to be looking for. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and had Indy and Alec jumping from a plane, and while I would have made it a little more flashy the colors make this cover stand out. The interior art is done by Steve Ditko and like always its great stuff and you have to love his style. Lets see what is next and lets hope that Short Round, Marion Ravenwood and even Willie Scott join him in the next one and we don’t get the return of Alec Sutherland.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 29

Indiana Jones # 29  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65     Marvel Comics     # 29 of 34

Indiana Jones finds himself being attacked by a group of men, but he is saved by Jessie Hale who ends up shooting some of his attackers dead and they find that they are both heading to the shame docked ship as Jessie’s brother Peter is in charge of the cargo ship and Indy is there to buy a Chinese Mummy. But of course this can not ho smooth as Michael Cobb who is leading The Irish Republican Army and Shih Ho of The Tong have set their sights on getting the Mummy as well and will do whatever it takes to get it! The Tong end up capturing Peter Hale and the I.R.A end up capturing Jessie Hale and both sides threaten the lives of Indy’s friends if he does not turn over the Mummy and also it seems one of the Museum’s trustees has it out for Indy as he send a telegram that if he does not get the mummy to the museum then his job there will be terminated. Indy tracks down Peter who is being held in a basement and talks to him to find the location of The Mummy that Peter hid in a nearby cemetery and tells Peter to tell the Tong the location after waiting a few minutes and then Indy alerts the I.R.A to the location as well and they all show up at the cemetery. While at the cemetery Indy finds out that Peter has lied to him all along the to crate that was suppose to have the mummy really has guns inside it for the I.R.A or so they even think! After The Tong and I.R.A fight they come to a truce that if the crate has guns the I.R.A take it and if it’s the mummy the Tong take it…once open they find the body of a I.R.A member and learn that the man who set it all up in China has ripped everyone off! And Indy in the end is forced to go to China alongside Cobb and the I.R.A to get what’s owed.

This is such a fun issue as Indiana Jones is sent to pick up a Mummy that has been shipped from China and instead finds himself being attacked and tracked by two different groups with one being The Tong and the other The Irish Republican Army Who want the crate that the mummy is in all because Peter Hale the brother of Jessie Hale is a liar and a goof who has screwed up a deal that was originally a fraud that took place in China that was a scam to get money…yep its like that. Indiana Jones has to fully use his wits and skills in this issue as not only is his life in danger but so are that of Jessie and her brother, and the criminals they are messing with do not value human life! Jessie Hale is caught up in this adventure because of her brother, but good thing she is around and she saves Indy once as well as helps him slow down those who are tracking him. Peter Hale is a goof who lies and deals in stolen goods and because of his lies almost gets his own sister killed as well as Indy! Both The Tong and The I.R.A are very dangerous and both have their reasons for wanting the crate that in reality has neither items they want. The cliffhanger of the issue is good as it has Indy having to go to China along with the I.R.A in order for them to get their guns and Indy to get his Mummy and I think they both want revenge on the scumbag who ripped them both off…and Indy is also going and Peter Hale would be killed on site in China. The cover is pretty cool and has Indy and Jessie in a graveyard with the I.R.A getting a coffin from the ground and the interior art by Ricardo Villamonte is really good stuff and I like the way he draws Indy. Over all another great issue and one that makes me look forward to reading the next.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 30

Indiana Jones # 30  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65     Marvel Comics     # 30 of 34

Indiana Jones and Michael Cobb of the I.R.A have arrived in China and find that they are also the target of Weng Ho and his men and Weng Ho of course is the man who ripped them both off. After fighting off some of Ho’s men Indy and Cobb go their separate ways and both find themselves being captured, but Indy is able to escape his captors when Cobb sets off dynamite that distracts them and Indy himself then goes and rescues Cobb who was being tortured by a General and the two once more together escape, and each still do not like one another as they have a difference in how to get their revenge on Weng Ho and get what they are owed. Indy and Cobb end up finding the general again and force him to take them to the base of Weng Ho who has an army on his side and once our two heroes arrive at the throne room of Ho he alerts them that he knows that they are there and orders for them to be killed, but Cobb left dynamite to explode outside and this give him and Indy a chance to fight back and as Ho leaves the room Cobb is shot, as Indy goes after Ho a big explosion goes off and Ho and Indy think Cobb is dead. Ho leads Indy to the mummy and tries to get Indy to see his side of things that of course is very evil, and quickly Ho grabs a gun and before he can shoot Indy he himself is shot dead by the hands of Cobb who dies right after, but also makes Indy swear to get his men the weapons…Indy instead uses the last of the dynamite to blow up the shed that holds all the weapons and he wants the bloodshed everywhere to stop. In the end Weng Ho is dead and his army is disbanded, Michael Cobb is dead and his fighters do not get the weapons and Indy is returning home with one mummy ready for the museum.

Indiana Jones heads to China in this issue to recover his missing mummy as his job is hanging on it making it to the museum and finds himself having to go alongside a very unhinged man who is gun happy and have to go against a warlord in China who wants to bring war to his nation so that he can rise to power and part of his idea was screwing over many in order to get money and weapons of war. Indiana Jones shows that you can defeat your enemies without killing them and tries his best to showcase this to Michael Cobb who has been fighting for most of his life and only knows violence to get his point across. And the same can be said for Weng Ho who uses violence in order to get what he wants and that is power and respect and while he does end up being the reason of Cobb’s death he as well almost kills Indy! This issue also brings back Alec Sutherland that lame character from a few issues back and he is indeed now attending the collage so that he can take classes taught by Indy…lets hope he does not make more appearances. The payout for this issue is well done as all those who murder and use violence end up loosing it all and Indy who used his mind and skills is the one who gets what he needs in the end. The cover for this issue is ok and showcases the final moments of the fight from the issue and the interior art is once more done by Ricardo Villamonte and is good stuff. Over all a good issue that features lots of action and adventure all over a Mummy, so lets see what is next for us readers.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 31

Indiana Jones # 31  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65     Marvel Comics     # 31 of 34

Indiana Jones is in a plane being flown by his friend Smitty from China back to America when they crash and Smitty is hurt bad and the pair are found by big game hunter “Congo” Kate Crawford and her Native American scout Robert ThunderCloud as they are in the area hunting Bigfoot as many terrible mutilation deaths have taken place in the woods. And once back in town Smitty is taken to the hospital and Indiana Jones is asked by Kate to go on the hunt for Bigfoot, but before he can fully answer the local sheriff and some towns folk bust in to argue with her as Indy finds himself fist fighting some of the locals at the bar when they refuse to serve and attack ThunderCloud due to his race! After the fight and the next day Indy is set to head back home when the Sheriff and the Mayor show up with the body of the bartender from the night before and while the Sheriff blames Bigfoot the Mayor says that it was ThunderCloud who killed the man and this causes ThunderCloud to run away for his life and the town starts up a lynch mob to do justice. Indiana Jones and Kate head into the woods to find ThunderCloud and save him from the mob as well as to of course see if they can find Bigfoot, but things are getting more and more confusing for Indy as Kate runs off to hunt Bigfoot and he runs into Thundercloud who informs him that he is not a killer and that the bartender worked for the F.B.I and that others are the ones who are killing him to cover up a crime, and with that Thundercloud knocks out Indy and rushes to the cliffs and finds that The Sheriff is a traitor and killed people and made up the Bigfoot story to keep people out of the woods as he had a meeting set up with the Japanese to give them information about the areas Military bases! In the end Indy and ThunderCloud stop the Sheriff, Kate finds the truth about their being no Bigfoot, no secrets are passed to the nations enemy and ThunderCloud is shown to work for the Government and was their to stop this act of treason. Plus Indiana Jones flies home and Kate Crawford goes with him to checkout the museum.

This issue feels like an episode of some late 70’s or early 80’s TV Show that takes supernatural vibes and mixes it with a thriller and in the end it was some pesky human that was the monster that the town thought haunted the woods. Indiana in this issue is a little out of his element and is kind of sucked into the adventure even though he wanted nothing to do with the search of Bigfoot, but does want to save a man from being accused of murder and killed by a mob of townies who are scared. Kate Crawford is a skilled hunter who has came to town in order to hunt down and kill the legendary creature Bigfoot, and while she is a nice person her want and need to be the one to kill the legend also makes her kind of cold in emotions as she gives zero cares for ThunderCloud after he has to run for his life, but also lets see what comes of her as she is on her way home with Indy! Speaking of ThunderCloud he is a lawman who is acting as a guide in order to get to the bottom of the case of who is killing people in the nearby woods and who is the one giving information to the Japanese, a tough as nails fighter who does what he needs to keep America safe. I do wish that a Bigfoot would have shown up and helped fight off the bad guys, and I also think it’s odd that Indiana Jones does not believe in Bigfoot when he has seen a tribe of Yetis not to long ago. Plus poor Smitty man is rocked silly in this issue and this is a side character that has appeared in other issues and makes you wonder if he was left behind or if he was flying the plane that Indy and Kate leave in. The cover for this one is just ok and has more of a superhero comic vibe and the interior art is great like before as it was done by Ricardo Villamonte again. And with that lets see what is next for Indiana Jones in the next issue!

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 32

Indiana Jones # 32  ***
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65      Marvel Comics     # 32 of 34

Indiana Jones has just got done with his class when in the halls he is tracked down by Alec Sutherland who has found more writings of Doctor Arthur Hecht but also at the same time Marcus Brody warns Indy that he has been chosen to escort Victoria Keith around as she is from the British Museum. After showing her around as well as taking her to dinner and when walking her back to her hotel room she gives him a kiss and their night ends, but as Indy get home he finds Alec waiting outside for him and says that he has a tablet that tells the location of the remaining towers. Indiana Jones ends up leaving Alec at the house when he finds that Victoria has stolen his keys and is now inside the museum robbing it! Indy gets to the museum and finds that Victoria has already stolen many of the artifacts and even has rigged booby traps around to slow down Indy who is on her trail, she also lets him know that she wants the tablets but before he can answer her the cops show up and she has to make her exit by leaping out a window and then getting to an airfield and making an escape via plane. Indy gives chase and finds an old man to fly him after her and he plane walks to get into her plane and once he gets the stolen artifact back Victoria jumps from the plane and onto a ship and makes her get away complete with an old amulet that she also took that was connected to the tablet that Alec has. Once back at the museum Indy and Marcus find Alec and the tablet says that the amulet she stole is very powerful and brings back the evil sorceress and could doom the world, they also find out that Victoria Keith is really hire master thief named Amanda Knight and now Indiana Jones is going after her to get the amulet back as well as get revenge.

In this issue Indiana Jones as well as the whole Museum are played for fools when a master female thief named Amanda Knight is able to rob the museum of two artifacts and whoever has hired her is linked to trying to find the Seven Pillars that are said to house evil sorceress and could bring the end to the world as we all know it. Amanda Knight is truly a skilled thief who uses her good looks and skills in order to trick everyone into trusting her and even poor Indy ends up getting a crush on her and she plays them all for fools as she gets what she has came for and has planned it all out so well. Indiana Jones while played at first is fast thinking when he realizes that she is not the kind history loving person she claimed to be and risks his own life in order to try and stop her to get back the stolen goods, I mean he even wing walks across plane wings in order to get to her. And ugh Alec Sutherland returns in a big way as now he is also working at the museum and is still trying to find proof of the towers and is stalking Indy around talking about research he has found…this character needs to go away and Short Round or Marion Ravenwood need to comeback. Over all this is a pretty fun adventure filled issues and is setting up that Indiana is going to have to find and fight these magical menaces. The cover is fun and has Indy hanging onto the wing of a plane and Steve Ditko returns to doing the interior art that is great like always. Another solid issue in the Marvel Comics Indiana Jones series that proves that they knew how to do Indy comics right!

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 33

Indiana Jones # 33  ***
Released in 1986      Cover Price .65      Marvel Comics     # 33 of 34

Indiana Jones arrives in England and meets Percy And Clyde of Scotland Yard who in their own odd way give him a location to look for Amanda Knight at that happens to be an island, and once at the island he finds that the locals at the pub are not very nice as they don’t like people to go digging around their land and the only friendly one is lighthouse keeper Ian Soames who gives him a bottle of liquor before Indy leaves to rest for the night. Later that night Indy looks out the window and sees many of the folks from the pub heading towards the moors with shovels so he follows. That night he looses sight of the men but meets old Crazy Angus who attacks Indy before running away, Indy catches up with him the next day and the old man tells him of life force underground before once more being spooked away. But Indy instead of following Angus finds on a cliff the plane of Amanda Knight so know he knows he is close to capturing her. Later that night Indy is attacked in his room by towns folk and one even drinks some of the liquor that Ian gave him and dies from it, and because of this Indy is now being called a witch and the people are going to kill him and Angus for being witches! Indy runs to the lighthouse and finds it empty but bolts the door shut in order to hide there for the night, but while inside he his hearing terrible screaming from outside as well as below the building. And after opening a trap door he finds Amanda Knight tied up and once he frees her she runs away telling him to be aware that a evil Magician with powers is behind all the evil on the island and once they are both outside they find the dead bodies of many of the towns people and the Magician is Ian and he wants Amanda dead as well as Indy as you see he is one of the seven sorceress and he has awaken the dead of the Vikings that once walked the land and they are coming to kill Indy and Amanda on this night.

Oh man is Indiana Jones in trouble now as the cliffhanger of this issue has dead Vikings coming out of the ground armed with swords and all wanting to slice and hack him to death all on the orders of Ian who turned out to be a very bad man as he is one of the seven evil wizards who have tormented the world and now he has ultimate power cause he wears the stolen amulet artifact! And Amanda Knight is on the to be killed list as she failed to get Ian the tablet he needs as it holds the key on how to destroy all these evil sorcerers once and for all! Indiana Jones in this issue finds himself on a very hostel island that is filled with townspeople who think people are witches and always seem to be up to something when the sun goes down, and worse of all once more he finds himself as a target for black magic. Amanda Knight who might be a master thief finds herself being taken prisoner and shoved in the basement of an old lighthouse and even when freed she stares death in the eye as she is set to be killed by the one who hired her. Crazy Angus is well crazy and everyone thinks he is a witch, but in his words you can hear some wise thoughts that will help Indy in this one. Ian Soames is an evil sorcerer who is one of the guardians of the ancient evil pillars, and while he has magical powers he also uses poisoned liquor to try and deal death to his enemies. This issue has a great cliffhanger that makes you really look forward to reading the next issue, and sadly the next issue is the last in the series! The cover for this one is pretty cool and reminds me of the Doctor Strange comics of the 80’s and the interior art by Ditko is of course just as great as always. With another great issue read lets see what the final one has in store for us and how Indy will bring down this dark magic that threatens the world.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic 34

Indiana Jones # 34  **1/2
Released in 1986      Cover Price .65      Marvel Comics     # 34 of 34

Indiana Jones is being over taken by the skeleton warriors and Amanda Knight is able to grab the amulet from Ian Soames and run off with it and as Ian gives chase Indy is able to break free of the skeletons and as well gives chase of the pair, but runs into Crazy Angus instead and the two rush off to stop this madness. Indy and Angus head to his small shack and find Amanda in there as well hiding and the three come up with a plan to use the amulet as well as the moonlight to burn Ian and stop his mindset of destruction. But they do not get much time as Ian comes busting into the shack with murder in his eyes, as Angus does his best to hold off Ian with his own Earth magic Indy and Amanda rush to town to get Indy’s whip and gun only to find that the townspeople have them and are waiting for the pair also with hate in their eyes. But Indy finds out that the townspeople are not informed on Ian and they only have been acting like jerks because of a hidden treasure that is on the island. But before things can be smoothed out Ian appears and uses winds to cause damage to the town as he does not care about anything now besides getting the amulet back and killing Indy. Indy and Amanda make it to the lighthouse and figure out that its his tower that gives him power and after fighting off more skeleton warriors and using the towers light as well as the amulet against Ian they both managed to survive as Ian dries up and dies. In the end Amanda heads towards her plane to get away from the island and Indiana Jones has what is left of the amulet and is heading back to the museum.

The final issue of Marvel’s Indiana Jones is both great as well as underwhelming as I wish that it would have gotten a more proper ending as this storyline of Alec Sutherland’s obsession of having Indy finish the work of his old professor that involves magical towers and evil wizards is a little bit of a let down as I would have liked to seen Indy on a more epic adventure that was not tied into Alec and Doctor Hecht as this story lasted for way to many issues and Alec got more panel time then Short Round who was the movie character that fans wanted to see in this comic series. Indiana Jones in this issue has to use his luck to really get away from a very pissed off wizard and if not for his quacking thinking and mind he would have ended up dead, and lets be honest all through this series Indy showcases why he was the worlds best adventurer! Plus you have to give Indy credit as well for his skill with fist fighting as well as the use of his gun and whip. Amanda Knight and Crazy Angus are his help in this issue and they serve their purpose, but really don’t add much. In fact I think way too much of this issue is spent of Amanda Knight arguing with the decisions Indy is making and this drags the pace down a bit. Ian Soames is a pretty cool villain as he has magical powers that can raise the dead as well as can create very powerful winds, and in the end he is the one who defeats himself when he uses all his remaining energy to try and take out Indy. The series as a whole is dang near perfect as they are all great reads and took Indiana Jones all over the world and had him finding all types of interesting items as well as crossing the paths with many strange characters…and while at first they did a great job of working in other characters from the film series like Marion Ravenwood and Marcus Brody as the series continued they would introduce ones like Short Round and Sallah only make short cameos and poor Willie Scott never appears and instead we get lame characters like Alec Sutherland appearing multiple times in several issues. I also feel that this comic series did a really good job of staying loyal to the film series in feel as well as the over all nature of the adventures. The cover for this issue is good and yet again reminds me of a cover you would have seen on a Doctor Strange issue. The interior art was done by the icon of comics Steve Ditko again and is great work as his art style is very fitting for this comic. I am not sure why Marvel Comics did not continue their Indiana Jones series I would guess it had to do with either poor sales or the licensing was to expensive, but I really did wish they would have continued as these were great reads back in my youth and are still great reads as an adult. Checkout the artwork below to see some of the styles used in this series.

Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic Art 1Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic Art 2Adventures Of Indiana Jones Comic Art 3

Indiana Jones has always been a big part of my life when growing up and the films, games, toys, TV shows and comics all did their part to entertain me as well as make my imagination run wild with going on my own adventures to look for lost treasures. And I am sure if you are reading this update, you as well are a fan of Indy, and I hope that you like me are very excited to see Indiana Jones 5 in the theaters. I want to thank Harrison Ford for coming back to play Indy one last time for us fans…and let’s hope Disney does not screw this one up. Our next update will be on July 4th and that means it will be about an American Hero that is from some sort of media and this year we are going to Pro Wrestling to find our hero, Corporal Kirchner, the real life military man who worked for the WWF in the 1980’s! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch an Indiana Jones film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update for some grilled burgers, cold drinks, fireworks in the sky and a update event at the Rotten Ink Arena.

Corporal Kirchner Preview Logo

The Second Richest Kid In Comic History: Royal Roy

Welcome back to Rotten Ink! As you can see, we have found ourselves in the kingdom of Cashelot, a place that has the old world and modern mixed over the watchful eye of King Regal and Queen Regalia as well as their son Price Royal Roy, who love those who live on their land! But I guess I should say that it’s time once more to step into the world of Star Comics and talk about one of their original characters that tried to make Star the place for young readers to go when it came to kid’s comics! And for those wondering, Royal Roy was Stars answer for Ritchie Rich and caused the company a little bit of a headache, but we will get into that a little later in this update so if you are ready, let’s enter Cashelot and see what the Royal Family is up to.

Royal Roy 1

Royal Roy is a young prince of the Kingdom of Cashelot, and he is loved by the people and is a well-behaved and noble kid who will do what he can to make things right to all he rules over. His parents are King Regal and Queen Regalia, and they are as well good people with King Regal being a little silly and Queen Regalia being sweet natured. Roy’s pet is a toothless crocodile named Gummy that acts like a dog and is as well friendly and protective of Roy. Speaking of protection, Roy also has a bodyguard named Ascott who watches after him as well as his parents. The castle also has some butlers including the older gentleman named Shuffles and the snooty Lord Proper who are also around and both watch after and help Roy. The creator of Royal Roy was Lennie Herman who was a longtime veteran of comic art and stories for Harvey Comics who sadly passed away in 1983, or so it is reported. The series of Royal Roy would only last six issues and almost got Marvel Comics, the parents company of Star Comics, into a lawsuit with Harvey Comics who claimed the character was too close to theirs…you guessed it, Ritchie Rich…nothing came of the lawsuit. And strangely enough in the early 1980’s, Harvey Comics was having money issues and Marvel was in talks to publish many of their classic characters, that is until two of the Harvey Brothers clashed over this and the deal was void. But really thanks to Harvey as Star become something better than just publishing comics based on dated characters for the then modern kids. Give me Royal Roy over Ritchie Rich and give me Star Comics over Harvey Comics any day! And with that said, I do enjoy some of Harvey comic series and characters.

Royal Roy 2Royal Roy 3Royal Roy 4

I know this sounds like a broken record for you long time readers, but I have to stress that I truly think that Marvel pulled the plug on Star way too fast as some of the comics clearly found their readers as Top Dog, Thundercats, Care Bears, Heathcliff, Muppet Babies and Spider-Ham all lasted for pretty long runs, and I knew many kids from school that were reading them with Muppet Babies and Thundercats being very popular among my classmates. But also comics like Masters Of The Universe, SilverHawks and Ewoks were also read and discussed in the halls and on the playground. The part of the history of Star Comics that I find really weird is when Marvel decided to remove the Star brand from the covers of releases new and old but left the Star Comics Presents on the first interior page and ones that come to mind are Camp Candy and Police Academy both of whom started with issue one having Marvel on the cover and Star on the inside…just odd. And with it being 2023, I still would love to see Marvel Comics bring back the Star Comic line as younger readers right now are not being reached and it’s a big missed opportunity as the comic readership market is shrinking, and while I think bringing back Star would be a great idea, you know as well as I do that Disney will not invest any more money into the comics as they are way too busy flooding the market with the similar plotted and brand fatigued Marvel Movies and Streaming Shows to the masses. I miss the classic Marvel Comics Universe that for me defined the 1960’s-1990’s as I felt like the comics had great stories and that the company in general took more risks and the creators put more passion into the issues. The modern Marvel Comics seems to be more concerned with getting social media fans that are non-comic readers to be excited about social topics that they are shoehorning into the Marvel Universe in comics as well as all media. While I doubt this ever will happen, I hope that Marvel Comics one day can break away from Disney and become the leader in comic book industry and masters of creativity that they used to be.

Royal Roy 5

When I was a kid, one of the things that I loved to get in the mail next to my comic subscriptions was the Del Monte Country Yumkins Plush Dolls, very cool plushes based on vegetables, fruit and even other things you would find on a farm like Scarecrow and a Black Bird. If I remember, you would have to send some proof of purchases and a little cash to Del Monte and they would then send you the plush you chose. Now I had a ton of these growing up as my Mom seemed to really enjoy ordering them for me as well and my top three favorite ones were Cobbie Corn, Cocky Crow and Sweetie Pea. They were made by Trudy and to me these little guys were great promo items to promote Del Monte canned & frozen fruits and veggies and as well was a great way to get kids to eat these types of foods. The County Yumkins started in 1982 and ran through around the early 1990’s and really was the company’s most popular promo items of all time and to say that the promotion was a hit would be an understatement. And in 2022 I was chatting with Juliet about them, and we decided that we were going to order four of them and display them in our upstairs workspace. And the first one I was able to get was Sweetie Pea from Etsy and then I got Cobbie Corn & Reddie Tomato from Ebay and finally we got Cocky Crow from Ebay to make up our shelf. And I broke down and had to get Snappy Bean that I picked up on Ebay and also got Country Stawberry off Etsy as they both had to join the collection as they were some of my favorites as well as a kid. Now I am not saying that all the other fellow Country Yumkins plush will not be bought to join the collection in the future, just not anytime soon. Check out the pictures below for the plush we bought as these are the pictures that the sellers used at the time of them being for sale.

Country Yumkins Sweetie Pea PlushCountry Yumkins Cobbie Corn and Reddie Tomato PlushCountry Yumkins Snappy Bean PlushCountry Yumkins Cocky Crow PlushCountry Yumkins Country Strawberry Plush

So as you can see, Royal Roy was truly Star Comics attempt to capture the readership of Ritchie Rich and also I think was a “slap” to the face of Harvey Comics for not allowing Marvel to publish their characters and this was a way of saying see we can just create our own and compete for that kids comic market. And now it’s time for me to reread the Royal Roy series and see if it not only holds up to what I remember but also if it was a good alternative to Ritchie Rich. I would like to thank Lone Star Comics and Bell Book And Comic for having these issues in stock and making this update possible. So before we dive into the money pit, I would like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, let’s see is Royal Roy holds up from what I remember as a kid reading.

Royal Roy Comic 1

Royal Roy # 1  **1/2
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65      Star Comics     # 1 of 6

“Mystery Of The Missing Crown” in the Kingdom of Cashelot the people are happy to celebrate the birthday of their Prince Royal Roy and his father and mother (King Regal & Queen Regalia) are very proud of him as well, as he is kind and an over all great kid. But when King Regal and their bodyguard Ascott go to the royal vault in order to fetch the royal crown for the prince they find that it’s missing! King Regal gets all his men to search the castle and even his sister the Duchess Of Muchess shows up and lend her time to try and help. Meanwhile Roy and his toothless crocodile pet Gummy also start looking around and find that the missing crown is in a picture of their ancestor William The Warhorse and he was not wearing it earlier, but before Roy can show his dad, the crown is gone again. That night Roy gets a visit from the ghost of William The Warhorse who tells him that he stole the crown as a test and that he is proud of him and returns the crown and Roy wears it for the ceremony before all his people. The second story is called “Crocadog” and has Royal Roy and his toothless pet Gummy capture some bad poachers that have been hunting in the kingdom.

The first issue of Royal Roy really is a good standard 80’s Kids Comic that really would have been at home at Archie or Harvey Comics showing that Star Comics really was a competitor in that market at the time. The first story’s plot has a the ghost of a multiple-great grandfather of Roy stealing the youngster’s crown in order to test him to see if he would look for it himself, and after Roy does that The Ghost is proud of him and gives the crown back and all ends well as the people of Cashelot get to see their Prince get his crown. The second story is a quick one and has Gummy and Roy stopping some animal killers. Royal Roy, while rich and the Prince of a whole kingdom, is very caring and well behaved and is well loved by all that meet him. His pet Gummy is also very good and acts like a dog. Because he is missing his teeth, he is harmless and Roy also has parents that care and watch after him as well as a whole staff that works for his family that also seem to adore him. This issue has two stories with the first one being the best as I like the idea of a Ghost from his bloodline testing him to make sure Roy is worthy of caring on the families legacy. The stories do have a touch of Ritchie Rich, but has its own touch to the kid comic trope of a sweet rich kid whose money does not affect him being a good person. And best of all, I feel that they stories are charming and hold a very magical feel for young readers who wanted something more than just superheroes. The cover is eye catching for the time fit right at home in layout and design for kid’s comics. The interior art by Warren Kremer is great stuff and you can tell he was a veteran of Harvey Comics. Over all a good start to this series and let’s see what Roy has in store for us next.

Royal Roy Comic 2

Royal Roy # 2  **1/2
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65      Star Comics      # 2 of 6

“The Grand Ball” Royal Roy is giving a tour of the castle and after the last one The King shows up and says he is happy it’s over as it makes him nervous having hundreds of tourists in the castle, and with that he runs into a young girl named Crystal Clear who he ends up giving a late tour to and then asks her to be his date for the ball that night, but this annoys Lorna Loot who has a crush on Roy as she wants to be a princess and is very rich and does not understand why Roy would choose a commoner girl over her. And she gets an idea after seeing the book Cinderella on her bookshelf. “Strangest Stranger” the night of the ball Roy and Crystal are having a great time when Lorna now dressed as Cinderella shows up complete with glass slippers annoys everyone trying to get Roy to notice her, and of course this does not work and Lorna leaves without Roy’s attention. The next day Roy calls Lorna to invite her to go on a hike with Crystal and him only for Lorna to yell at him cause her feet are swollen from the slippers. “Maneuvers” Royal Roy is woke up early in the morning by General Battlescar as it’s the day that Roy must attending the maneuver drills for the kingdom’s army, and Roy soon finds out the drills are just he and the General as Cashelot does not have a full army as they have not been in a war for over 900 years and all their weapons are made of cardboard! After playing along for a bit the drills are over, and Roy and the General head back to the castle and Roy is praised for his skills.

This second issue is just as fun as the first issue and has two tales of Royal Roy and his kingdom with one story being told in two parts. And I have to say all the stories in this one is lots of fun and I would say the two part story is the better of the two and that is barely as both are silly fun. Royal Roy once more in this issue shows that he is a caring young man who loves the people that make up his kingdom as well cares about the feelings of everyone, even people who annoy him. It’s also cool to see him fall in love in this issue and also shows that he kind of has a stalker who wants to be with him in order to become royalty. Crystal Clear is a young blonde girl who is very nice an captures the heart of Roy who clearly is crushing on her, and while she is from the common side of town, the Royal Family seem not to care as they see she is a good person. Lorna Loot is a very rich dark haired girl who is mean, pushy and has a crush on Roy’s power as she wants to become a Princess so bad, and will do whatever she can to get his attention. General Battlescar is crazy and seems to want a bigger army with weapons as he so wants to be in charge of soldiers, plus I love that he acts as if the cardboard weapons have real effects. This issue also has cameos by King Regal, Ascott and Shuffles all help add to the fun of the issue. The cover for this issue is pretty fun and showcases Roy pushing a crown that has a massive diamond on the top of it an the interior art by Warren Kremer is great as always. Another fun read an was just as entertaining as I remember it being as a kid, so let’s see if issue three holds up.

Royal Roy Comic 3

Royal Roy # 3  **1/2
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65      Star Comics     # 3 of 6

“Curse Of The Prince Roy Dollar Bill” King Regal & Queen Regalia have decided to make a new dollar bill for the kingdom that will feature the face of Royal Roy who is a little embarrassed by this act. Meanwhile Archduke Kraven Von Krunch, the second cousin of the King wants to take over the kingdom and adds itching powder to the ink of the bills that way everyone who handles it will have a bad case of being itchy! And as this spreads all over the kingdom Roy along with Crystal Clear head to the creepy castle of Von Krunch to get answers as Roy knows his relative is to blame. “Into The Kreepy Kastle” Roy gets Ascott to drive him to the castle and tricks Von Krunch into touching the itchy dollar bills and finds that he has a cure for the itching that Roy takes to his kingdom, and also even though he did a bad thing Roy gives Von Krunch a gift of a box of coal and that makes him happy. In the end new Royal Roy bills are printed this time featuring the back of his head in order for people to tell the difference between the good and bad ones. “Driving Him Crazy” Royal Roy wears a mask in order to take his driving test and Ascott goes along for the ride, the tester is in a bad mood and makes the test super hard for the youngster who ends up passing due to the car having some hidden features. “What’s In A Name” a world famous mapmaker named G.O. Graffic gets a tour of the land by Royal Roy so that he can make a map of the kingdom and finds that the land is filled with pearls, oil, gold and silver and that the shape of the kingdom makes a dollar sign, hence the name of the kingdom being Cashelot.

This third issue delivers three tales of adventure for Royal Roy with one being told in two parts. And I would say that the best story has to be the one featuring the itchy dollar bills as its classic kid comic stuff and even features Archduke Kraven Von Krunch who has a castle that is protected by robotic skeletons as well as werewolves and masked henchman and this adds a kids horror comic feel to the tale. And this issue takes Roy from a haunted castle to getting a diver’s license to finally giving a tour of his land, and all are silly tales that deliver some cheesy entertainment for readers. Royal Roy shows that he also has the skills of a detective as he cracks a case that is affecting all the kingdom as well as knows how to drive like a stuntman and once more proves he is a good tour guide. Archduke Kraven Von Krunch is a jerk who wants to bring down his second cousin all because he wants to be the King, and he puts the townspeople through itchy pain in order to try and bring chaos, plus he also surrounds himself with monsters and ghouls. This issue also has many cameos from past issues including Crystal Clear, King Regal, Queen Regalia, Ascott, Lorna Loot, General Battlescar, Duchess Of Muchess, Lord Proper and added a new character to the lineup of sidekicks with that being G.O. Graffic. One thing that is odd is that Gummy, Roy’s pet toothless alligato,r disappeared for many issues and is not even mentioned after the first issue. The cover is pretty cool and has Roy standing being a giant cardboard cutout of a dollar bill and the interior art by Warren Kremer is as always great stuff and is what comes to mind when you think of classic kids comic artwork. The third issue is another good one and keeps the fun nature of the series going as well as keeps building on the world of Royal Roy by showing more people who live in the kingdom as well as landmarks in it. I will also say that this issue is just as fun as I remember it being when I first read it as a kid and I do love that they added some spooky stuff in the issue to add a truly amusement park haunted house feel.

Royal Roy Comic 4

Royal Roy # 4  **1/2
Released in 1985     Cover Price .65      Star Comics     # 4 of 6

“The Curse Of The GoldEngaged Bridge” Royal Roy and Crystal Clear are hosting a TV Show about the sites and legends of Cashelot and all the while hiding and watching is Lorna Loot who is mad that Crystal is on TV and not her. But when Roy tells the legend and law of the GoldEngaged Bridge that is if a man is captured by a woman on the bridge they are set to be married in three days, it’s Lorna that rushes the bridge and captures Roy and now the two are set to be married so Lorna can be The Princess of Cashelot! Roy is upset by this law and tries to talk sense into Lorna only to find her to be a Bridezilla ordering massive cakes, rings and being just a spoiled brat. While on the bridge Roy and Crystal are talking and something she says gives him an idea to get out of this wedding. “Practice Makes Prefect” Roy has a great idea and with the help of his friends they are setting up Lorna for a tiring Princess training! She first is woke up super early to run war drills with General Battlescar, she then has to take Gummy, the toothless crocodile, for a wild walk, Lord Proper makes her wear over sized and heavy robes and crowns, the ghost of William The Warhorse tries to scare her away and the final straw is when she had to mix with the common people and she calls off the wedding and Roy is single once more. “Space Race Ace” General Battlescar is behind on time and wants for Cashelot to send a person to space and join the space race, but he only has around $24.00 to make the rocket ship! And he makes the ship from weird parts including a rowboat and a hot air balloon and quickly forces Royal Roy into a suit of armor and then onto his ship, and unknown to them all Gummy is asleep on top of the balloon! But things get scary when the balloon gets a hole in it via a hawk, Roy crashes into a river and it’s Gummy who gets him safely to shore! And in the end Gummy gets a medal for being Cashelot’s first every astronaut.

This is another fun issue that has two stories as well as a single page joke that is at the expense of Lord Proper. The main story has Royal Roy being forced to marry Lorna Loot because of an old legend and law and has to find away to break up the engagement as he wants nothing to do with her as she is a brat! The second story has Roy and his pet Gummy being forced into a make shift rocket ship that when crashing could have lead to Roy drowning if not for the help of his loyal crocodile pet. Both stories are really good but if I had to choose one, I would say the best is the Rocket Ship but only slightly as both adventures are really good! This issue also show cases many of the classic characters we have seen in past issues and is the return of Gummy who has been missing for many issues up to this point. I also like that the ghost of William The Warhorse makes a return as well and tries his best to scare away the would be Princess. We also now get a clear view that Royal Roy is in love with Crystal Clear and even thinks about making her his bride, and that they are now also co-hosts of a TV show. Lord Proper also shows a side of himself as he is helpful in the quest to break off the wedding of Roy and Lorna, showing that while he is a snob, he still does care about the Royal family he serves. The cover is pretty fun and has Royal Roy and Lorna Loot in the middle of her massive engagement ring and the interior art by Warren Kremer is as always great kid comic stuff! I am also very much looking forward to what the next issue has in store for me.

Royal Roy Comic 5

Royal Roy # 5   **1/2
Released in 1986     Cover Price .65      Star Comics      # 5 of 6

“The Royal Olympics” The Kingdom of Cashelot has been selected to be the place to hold the Royal Olympics and Roy is selected to enter the games and has to be run through Royal training by the likes of Lord Proper, General Battlescar and his aunt Duchess Of Muchess and is all about things like eating soup right, pinning medals as well as proper hand writing. This goes on for days and Roy finally snaps under the pressure and is upset that he will let his parents down, but of course his father calms his nerves and assures him that they will love him no matter what. The next day is the Olympics and the first event is the soup eating, but before it can begin, a massive thunderstorm breaks out and the crowd starts to panic and almost riot to get away from the rain and lightning, and it’s Roy who ends up grabbing a microphone and getting them all to calm down and to get to shelter and out of the rain, and due to this behavior and the events getting rained out that Royal Roy is given the gold medal. “Ship Shapes” Royal Roy takes Crystal Clear to the family’s yacht that is something very special as he plans to race it that weekend in a contest, but also in the water is Archduke Kraven Von Krunch is wants to sink the boat so that he can save Roy and he thinks the King will give him whatever he likes for doing so, but every time he tries he fails as the yacht can turn into a submarine, a helicopter as well as an off road vehicle. In the end it’s Archduke Kraven Von Krunch who is saved by Royal Roy as he almost goes over a waterfall and to show his gratefulness he becomes the janitor of the yacht during the big race that Roy of course wins.

We get two Royal Roy adventures in this issue and both a very different in nature with the big connection is both are about competition with one being how to be Royalty and the other being ready for a boat race! The first story is about the Royal Olympics and that Roy is feeling the stress of it all do to all his training that is all about being perfect, and this makes him feel like if he screws up that he will be letting his parents down. The second story has Roy on his super yacht sailing around and he is trying to show off to his crush Crystal, all the while his relative is trying to sink the ship in order to be a “hero” that saves him. Both stories are entertaining in their own way but the better of the two is the Royal Olympics that has Roy learn how to eat soup and even has cameos from many of the characters we have meet along the way in previous issues. Also I have to mention that the Archduke Kraven Von Krunch who is a blood relative to Roy so badly craves power and riches that he is willing to put his own family in danger in order to try and gain them both…like he uses bombs and such to try and sink a ship…the explosions could have also killed Roy! The cover on this issue is okay and has Roy running a race to get to a crown finish line, The Royal Olympics art is done by Warren Kremer and is great and the interior art done by Ship Shapes was done by Steve Stiles and is as well good stuff. The fifth issue keeps up the entertaining value of this Star Comic series and let’s see if the sixth and final issue has in store for us.

Royal Roy Comic 6

Royal Roy # 6   **1/2
Released in 1986     Cover Price .65      Star Comics      # 6 of 6

“The Secret Power Of Cashelot” while in the Royal Library in the castle Roy and his friend Crystal Clear find an old map in one of the books that leads to the power of the kingdom! And of course Archduke Kraven Von Krunch who was visiting the King over hears the kids talking about the map and decides that if he can find this power than he can be in charge of the Kingdom! Royal Roy, Crystal Clear as well as Ascott head down a secret passage deep into the basement of the castle and all the while behind them is Von Krunch who ends up getting lost and is so mad that he jumps up and down in a fit of anger. Roy and friends end up finding that the power that is spoke about on the map is just a big fuse box! And in the end the floor under the silly Von Krunch gives way and he falls into the fuse box and gets burnt up and has to make up a lie in order to explain why we was following them. “Great Scout” in this adventure Roy wants to become a Royal Scout and learn about nature and camping, but sadly he is shutdown when Lord Proper gets involved and takes the fun out of all things camping. But after a bear scares Proper and he and Roy get lost in the woods, it’s really like scouting that gets them back home and causes Royal Roy and Lord Proper to come up with a new club called Roy Scouts.

Well we are at the final issue of Royal Roy and it has been a six-issue adventure that really was a fun and silly read and showcased why younger readers in the mid 80’s enjoyed this comic series as for me Royal Roy was way better than Ritchie Rich who I did read when I was a kid as well. The two stories in this issue are pretty good with the first one being a mystery map that is said to lead to the power of the kingdom that of course is just a big fuse box and then the second one is all about Lord Proper taking the fun out of scouting and learning a lesson that learning about the land and nature is better than royal rules. The first story called The Secret Power Of Cashelot is the better story of the two as it has a mystery feel and even a hint of spooky haunted house as Roy and his friends travel down a dark staircase with only a candle to light the way. While I feel that the story Great Scout is good is also is slightly bland compared to the other stories we have had in the past issues. In the final issue we also get two small gag pages and one of them allow Gummy to have his final appearance in the series. Speaking of other characters, besides of course Royal Roy the other characters that appear in this swan song issue includes Crystal Clear, Lord Proper, Archduke Kraven Von Krunch, Ascott and King Regal. And I have to say that sadly this does not feel like a final issue and it’s clear that the creative team was not aware that the series was coming to an end as it seems like the characters as well as the readers just did not get closure and that’s a real shame as for an original character like this for Star Comics he should have gotten a true final issue. The thing about Royal Roy is that at first glance to really do get that Ritchie Rich knock off vibe, but when you read his issues you see that he truly is a different character and the only real connection between the two is that they are young and rich. It would be interesting if Marvel Comics would revisit the classic Star Comics characters and set them in modern time so characters like Royal Roy, Planet Terry, Wally The Wizard would all be older and we could then follow the relative of Top Dog! For me that would be an interesting idea, and I think they make them for the ages for the readers who grew up with these characters so we see what their lives are now like. The cover for this issue is cool and has Roy opening a glowing door and the interior art by Warren Kremer is as good as always and his kid comic work is top notch. Over all Royal Roy is a great kids comic and a great Star Comics original characters and if you have not read this series you should check it out and I would also say it could be a good comic series to get younger readers into comics that are not superheroes. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Warren Kremer used in this series.

Royal Roy Comic Art 1Royal Roy Comic Art 2Royal Roy Comic Art 3

Royal Roy and the people of Cashelot sadly have been long forgotten at Marvel Comics and with Disney in control I fear that they never will see the light of print again in new stories and adventures, and we will be lucky to get them in reprint paperback novels and digital comics (Yuck!). But while I feel Marvel Comics has been a shell of itself for decades now I hope some day the House Of Ideas returns to it’s full glory, and we get the amazing stories and characters back as the focus away from pleasing social media none comic readers with “topical” tales that lack heart. Well for your next update heart and muscles is what you would have to have in order to win as we will be heading to a “Made For TV” update and cover the 1977 World’s Strongest Man contest! So until next time, read a Star Comic or three, watch a movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host! Oh and make sure to lift those weights and drink that protein shake as this Strongest Man contest is all about the power.

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Matt Goes To The Movies 2022

Best Of Movies 2022 Logo

Happy New Year! It’s crazy to think that 2023 is here already and as you can see, we are here again at the Rotten Ink Theater to talk about the films that I saw in the cinema. It was once more a great year of films, and movie studios have been turning up the great amount of Horror films that have graced the silver screen. But while 2022 over all was a great year, it also brought a little sadness for me as early in the year my best friend and lovable cat Leslie passed away at the age of 16…it was hard losing her as she really was a one of a kind cat who grew up watching Horror Films with me and I had her since she was a baby kitten. I really do miss her every day.  The year then ended with another big loss, as around the holidays, my cat Streets J passed away at the age of 14.  Streets was a lovable goofball who my girlfriend and I rescued as a stray off the streets of downtown Dayton.  If you’ve read Sparkle Comics’ Defenders of the Planets series, there’s a character based on Streets.   But enough of the sad stuff as we are all here to talk movies! I saw some great films at such theaters as Cinemark Dayton South, Cinemark The Greene, Little Art Theatre and Regal Cinema, and each of these theaters deliver a different watching experience and are all awesome in their own ways. And like before I will be breaking this Best Of List by genre, and please remember that there might be some spoilers, so read on if you don’t mind. So let’s grab some popcorn and a drink and find our seats and sit back and relax and talk some movies!

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For me nothing beats seeing a film in the theater and all this Direct To Streaming stuff is not for me as I love the theater experience, so let’s start off with taking a look at the Drama films I saw this year.

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# 2

Death On The Nile (2022) Poster

The world’s greatest detective Hercule Poirot finds himself invited to the wedding of Simon Dotle and Linnet Rideway that is taking place in Egypt, but along with the wedding guests is Jackie de Bellefort who was Simon’s ex-fiance and one time best friend of Linnet’s as the two love birds hooked up when Jackie made the mistake of introducing them to each other. And once the wedding party all find themselves guests on a private boat cruise, Jackie is also on board. After a fight with Simon, she shoots and wounds her ex and later that night Linnet is killed in her sleep and now Poirot must uncover the dark secrets of all the guests as Linnet informed him before her death that she did not trust any of them and this makes the world’s greatest detective have to work over time in order to solve this murder case. This movie is fantastic and just like “Murder On The Orient Express” is a great way to get modern moviegoers into Hercule Poirot. The film is very well cast with Kenneth Branagh once more playing Hercule Poirot with other names like Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Russell Brand, Letitia Wright, Emma Mackey and Jennifer Saunders to name a few. The film did okAY at the American box office bringing in $45,630,104.00 on a budget of $90million. This is a great watch, and if you love who-done-it detective films, make sure to give this one a watch.

# 1

Elvis (2022) Poster

Col. Robert Parker was a conman who is blamed by many as the man who killed Elvis as he pushed the classic music legend with a constant flow of drugs in order to get him on the stage so that he could make money. And Elvis’s star grows the more Parker tries to control not only his career but his life, and this film touches on the rise and fall of Elvis from innovator musician to addict, and this perspective comes from the side of Parker as he is the one narrating the movie played by Tom Hanks. This is a very entertaining film for fans of Elvis and while they do bend some truths as well as mix up some dates, this still is one that I truly enjoyed! The film stars Austin Butler as Elvis Presley and he does a fantastic job, also on the cast is Olivia DeJonge, David Wenham and Helen Thomson. This film was directed by Baz Luhrmann and makes great use of Elvis’ music for the soundtrack. The film did really well for Warner Brothers at the American Box Office bringing in $151,040,048 on a $85 million budget. If you like Elvis and want to see a different take on his life and death, give this one a watch.

As you can see I did not get to the theater that much for drama films and for me Elvis took that # 1 top spot as I felt that it was a great film and one that was best I saw on the Silver Screen. So with that, let’s take a look at the Comedies I saw in the theater in 2022 and see what took the # 1 spot and gave me the biggest belly laugh!

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# 3

Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent Poster

Actor Nicolas Cage is in a slump when it comes to acting roles and worse, his personal life with his wife and teenage daughter is not going good. In order to get some money to help him get out of debt, he takes a booking to be a guest at a millionaire named Javi Gutierrez’s birthday party…and the two quickly become good friends and start working on a film idea. But Cage is also working for the U.S. government as they think that Javi is a crime lord for a weapon and drug group who has kidnapped the daughter of a presidential candidate in Spain…but is he really a criminal or is he really just a fan of Cage and cinema in general? Watch this silly action comedy to find out. This film had some really funny moments and in fact Nicolas Cage, who is playing a parody of himself, was fantastic and shows why the actor has such a big cult following. While I did think the film would be funnier then it was, I still think many of the moments hit the spot and tickled my funny bone. The film is cast well with names like Pedro Pascal, Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris, Lily Sheen and Sharon Horgan with cameos from Demi Moore and David Gordon Green. The film did okay for Lionsgate at the American box office bringing in $20,300,157.00 on a budget of $30 million. If you are a big fan of Nicolas Cage and enjoy goofy comedy action films, then make sure to check this one out.

# 2

Jackass Forever Poster

Johnny Knoxville and his goofball cohorts along with newer thrill seekers once more tackle crazy stunts with some being borderline dangerous all to get a laugh from the audience. They run across raging animals like bulls, snakes, scorpions and vultures. They put their private parts through extreme measures, and of course they crash, fall, ram and smack their way through funny moments. Of course they have guest cameos like Tony Hawk and Machine Gun Kelly who get wrapped up in the overall silliness of the pranks and stunts. It was cool seeing the likes of Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, Dave England, Preston Lacy, Danger Ehren and even a cameo from Bam Margera doing what made them famous to teens and early 20 somethings of the 2000. It was a little sad not seeing more of Bam and his crew being involved, but being out of control like he is will make you lose jobs. The film is a mixed bag of funny stunts and ones that fall flat and the new cast for the most part are nice additions. The best stunts in my book are called “Silence Of The Lambs” and “The Cup Test;” watch the movie and see what they are about. The film did good for Paramount at the America box office bringing in $57,743,451.00 on a budget of $10 million dollars. A fun raunchy reality stunt comedy film that will surely please the fans of the TV show as well as the other films in the series, plus for those of us who grew up with the show will feel very old.

# 1

Bobs Burgers The Movie Poster

Bob and Linda Belcher go to the bank and cannot get an extension on paying back some of their loan for the restaurant and must come up with the money in a short amount of time, but things go terribly wrong for them when a giant sink hole opens up in front and a dead body is found inside it. The murder is blamed on their landlord Mr. Fischoeder and all this causes no one to come in for a burger, making their goal to save the restaurant seem very grim. But their kids Tina, Gene and Louise are on the case to probe that Mr. Fischoeder did not commit the murder while Bob and Linda listen to their friend and best customer Teddy’s idea of doing a Bob’s Burgers food cart in order to get the money. All this comes together as things work out for the Belcher family and the true murderer is found and captured and the restaurant is saved. I should also say that the Belcher kids as well have their own drama going on as Louise wants to prove she is brave, Gene doubts his music ability and Tina struggles with asking Jimmy Pesto Jr. to be her summer boyfriend. This is a fun film and is a must see for fans of the TV show as it fits right in with its silly plot, musical numbers and zany characters. The film did all right for 20th Century at the U.S box office bringing in $31,933,830.00 on an unknown budget. A great attempt to bring Bob’s Burgers from the TV screen to the big screen, and I hope it gets a sequel.

You have to love Bob’s Burgers as it’s a fun animated TV series that made a great leap to being on the big screen with the series’ first feature film. I do have to say also that all three of the comedies I saw on the big screen in 2022 were very funny and fantastic! Now it’s time to take a look at Action Films! And we had some good ones…

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# 5

Lost City (2022) Poster

Romance novel writer Loretta Sage is on a book tour when she is kidnapped by billionaire Abigail Fairfax due to her now passed away husband’s knowledge of ancient cultures, and set to save her is Alan Caprison, the cover model for her romance books and while a dimwit he means well….now can the two escape the jungle and avoid being killed? Will Loretta find true love again? And will they really find the lost treasure! Watch this Romancing The Stone style film and find out. This is a fun Action Comedy film as the humor works as do the action moments of their adventures to get away from their captors. The film is well cast with such names as Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Brad Pitt and Da’Vine Joy Randolph all in big roles. The film did well for Paramount Pictures at the US box office bringing in $105,344,029.00 on a $68 million dollar budget. This was a very fun film and a big surprise on just how much I enjoyed it, and I will say that the Brad Pitt cameo as rescuer Jack Trainer was great stuff.

# 4

Uncharted (2022) Poster

Nathan Drake has always been good at history and has always wanted to find lost treasure and go on big adventures like his older brother.  He gets the chance when he meets Sully, and the pair team up to find the hidden treasure that takes them across the world as well as makes them targets of billionaire Santiago Moncada and his hired hand Jo Braddock. But Nathan and Sully are also joined by Chloe Frazer, a fellow treasure hunter that they might not fully be able to trust. The film then takes the viewer on an action packed adventure filled with twist, turns, backstabs, murder and of course treasure and is of course based on the popular Sony Playstation video game series. This is such a fun thrill ride and for me it was like it took the adventure elements of such films as The Mummy (1999), Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider and rolled them together to deliver a big budget action ride that was a blast to see on the big screen and to be honest it did the game justice. The film stars Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali, Antonio Banderas and Tati Gabrielle and all do a fantastic job. The film did well for Sony at the American box office bringing in $148,648,820.00 on a $120 million budget. This clearly will become a franchise, and I am very much looking forward to a sequel as this film leaves us on a cliffhanger revel.

# 3

Bullet Train (2022) Poster

Ladybug is an assassin who has been sent on a mission to get a briefcase off a bullet train. But what should have been an easy mission turns into a very dangerous trip as other killers and assassins are also on the train, and many of them want him dead or want the case as well…and the kicker is at the end of the line The White Death, one of Japan’s most feared crime lords, and his men are waiting for those who are on the train as the briefcase belongs to him and so does a person on the train….and now Ladybug must find away to get off this train alive, finish his mission and possibly trust some of those on the train as a battle with White Death is on the horizon. This movie is awesome as it’s a great mix of action and comedy and was one hell of a great film to watch on the big screen. I took a bunch of friends with me to see this one and we all had such a blast. The comedy moments work really well, and the action as well is fast passed and well done! The film also has an all star cast with Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Bad Bunny, Zazie Beetz, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Hiroyuki Sanada and Joey King, and all are fantastic in their rolls. The film did alright for Sony at the American box office bringing in $103,368,602 on a budget $90 million budget. If you have not seen this film and like fast paced action comedies, then make sure to check this one out, as it is truly a blast.

# 2

Violent Night (2022) Poster

On Christmas Eve the Lightstone family is gathering at the family mansion, but things get crazy when a man calling himself Mr. Scrooge shows up with heavily armed associates and hold the family hostage to get $3 million that is suppose to be in the family safe. But what these naughty baddies didn’t count on is for Trudy, the youngest of the Lightstone family, to call on Santa Claus for help and he deals out more than coal for these evildoers. Santa, armed with his fleeing Christmas cheer (due to kids only wanting money and video games), his magic and a sledge hammer goes on a rescue mission in the style of John Wick! Can Santa save the Lightsones and find his Christmas Spirit again? Watch this super fun, violent action comedy film and find out. Wow, this is a Christmas classic for sure as it is over the top, lots of fun and showcases Santa Claus as a full fledged action hero who takes down the naughty kidnappers in brutal fashion. The film is well casted with David Harbour as Santa Claus, John Leguizamo as Mr. Scrooge and other cast members including Beverly D’Angelo, Leah Brady, Alex Hassell, Andre Eriksen and Mitra Suri, to name a few. And the film was a big hit with everyone I saw it with in the theater as people were laughing throughout. The film did well for Universal at the American box office bringing in around $48,060,295 (as of this update) on a budget of only $20 million. This is one you have to see if you like over the top action and/or Christmas movies.

# 1

top gun maverick Poster

Maverick is working for the Navy as a test pilot, and after breaking orders on flying a super fast test jet, he is sent to be a instructor at Top Gun as his rebellious nature has caused him to almost being fired and if not for Admiral Iceman Kazansky, he would have been! Now he must get a group of top recruits ready for what could be a suicide mission to blow up a reactor core at an enemy base before it can cause serious harm. But these young pilots have a lot to learn and need to work together and not try to be the shining stars as this is very dangerous and will take lots of skill. And for Maverick, this class is even harder as the son (Rooster) of his former wingman Goose is in the class and blames Maverick for the being held back from joining Top Gun and ranking up for years. Can Maverick get these pilots in shape? Can Rooster forgive and find out the truth? Can they make this mission a success? Watch this amazing sequel to find out! Top Gun 2 took many decades to get made, and when it was finally was made and released they hit a home run as this film was well written and felt like it was right in the groove of the original allowing us to catch back up with Maverick, Iceman and even Rooster. The film of course brought back Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer in their famous roles but also in the cast included Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Monica Barbaro, Glen Powell and Ed Harris to name a few. The film did amazing for Paramount at the American box office bringing in $718,732,821 on a budget of $170 million. If you love the original film or just like films about the Navy or military in general that adds a dash of drama, make sure to watch this film. I have to also say that it was great seeing Val Kilmer on the big screen again, and it was great that the production worked around his health limitations.

Really action this year was packed with some great watches and really for me Top Gun: Maverick was just such a fun watch and shows that sequels beat remakes any day. But now I think its time that we see what the world of Sci-Fi and Fantasy had to offer in the theaters in 2022, and I will give you a hint there were lots of great ones.

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# 3

Northman (2022) Poster

Amleth was once a young prince who watched his uncle kill his father The King in order to take the throne, and Amleth ends up running for his life and ends up becoming a part of a Viking tribe with the goal of avenging his father’s death as well as saving his mother from his uncle’s side. As Amleth has gotten older, his skills as a fighter have grown and he is now a unstoppable warrior who along the way back for revenge meets and falls in love with Olga, a sorceress who has been taken as a slave. Once he catches up with his uncle, he finds that he has ruined the kingdom and now he and his people live on farmland in the middle of nowhere. With the help of a magical sword, he takes out those close to his uncle, fathers a child, finds out the truth about his mother and fulfills his destiny of revenge and arriving in Valhalla. This is very much a modern take on the classic Barbarian films of the 80’s and 90’s but done with director Robert Eggers touch as it is filled with weird characters as well as awesome imagery. The film’s cast is great with Alexander Skarsgard as Amleth and Anya Taylor-Joy as Olga being amazing in their roles. Other actors include Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Willem Dafoe, Bjork and Gustav Lindh making up some of the cast. The film sadly did not do well for A24 at the US box office only bringing in $34,233,110.00 on a budget of around $90 million. While not a mega hit at the theater, it really was a great and odd film to see in the theater.

# 2

jurassic world dominion Poster

Dinosaurs are now roaming the world and humans are trying to learn how to live alongside them as the world has truly changed. Claire Dearing and Owen Grady are trying to protect the dinosaurs from poaching and illegal breeding and they both are watching over clone child Maisie Lockwood who ends up getting kidnapped by Dr. Lewis Dodgson of Biosyn who wants to use her genetics for the company’s own gain. They also take the child of Raptor Blue for research. But also in the world, a horde of massive locusts are attacking the world’s crops, and this causes Dr. Ellie Sattler and Dr. Alan Grant to follow the trail to Biosyn as well and now they all must come together along with Dr. Henry Wu, Dr. Ian Malcolm and a few others try their best to save those kidnapped, stop the locusts as well as bring form Biosyn and their evil genetic creations. And this is just a small part of this film’s plot as there is also dinosaur fights, high-speed chases and even more of the evils of Biosyn among much more as this final film in the current Jurassic Park series. And what made this such a great watch for me is the fact that they brought together all the big characters from the series together for one big adventures, and we even get one more look at the T-Rex and we see that he really is the King Of The Dinosaurs! The film stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, BD Wong and many more. The film did great for Universal at the US box office bringing in $376,009,080.00 on an $185million budget. This is a must see film if you love the Jurassic Park series like I do, and is one that I bought on home media when released.

# 1

Every Thing Every where All At Once Poster

Evelyn Wang along with her husband Waymond and daughter Joy run a laundromat that is not doing well financially, and she also has the stress of taxes as well as her father Gong Gong is now living with them. But things really turn weird for Evelyn when she meets a different version of her husband who warns her that the fate of the Earth is in her hands. Now Evelyn must fight for the lives of everyone as she gains the powers of other versions of herself to fight off Jodu Tupaki who is the bringer of the destruction of all the multiverse and who is also her daughter in her own reality! Can Evelyn save the multiverse as well as save the fate of her daughter in those worlds…watch this super fun sci-fi comedy action film to find out! And this is just a brief way to try and describe this plot as there is so much more to it. The film is lots of fun, and Michelle Yeoh is amazing as Evelyn Wang as her martial arts skills have not slowed down a bit. It was also great to see Ke Huy Quan back on the big screen as he is best known for playing Data in The Goonies and Short Round in Temple Of Doom. Other actors in the cast include James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu. The film did really well for A24 at the box office here in American bringing in $70,008,593.00 on a budget of $25million. This film deserved all the hype it was getting when released and is one that you should see as I feel it did the multiverse better than most of Marvel’s films and shows…minus Spider-Man: No Way Home. Make sure to give this film a watch if you like artistic sci-fi films with action and comedy.

So as you can see Sci-Fi and Fantasy had some really great films out in 2022, and all of them were such a fun watch with “Every Thing Every Where All At Once” being the big surprise for me on just how well I enjoyed it. But now it’s time that we take a look at the Superhero films that filled the cinemas in 2022 and like always, there was a lot of them.

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# 6

Morbius (2022) Poster

Michael Morbius has a rare blood disease as does his childhood friend Milo. Morbius has spent his life trying to find a cure, and after using vampire bats in one of his experiments, Morbius turns into a vampire! And while he tries to find a way to get ride of this curse, his friend Milo wants to as well turn into one as the pain of the blood illness goes away, and after taking the treatment himself Milo turns into a vampire and now he and Morbius are on a one way track to fight and only one of these blood drinkers and leave alive. This superhero film plays more like a B-horror movie that would have been released direct to DVD back in the mid-2010s, and that is not a bad thing for the most part, it’s just the film seems to never truly find its footing or pace. The film, while not terrible, is also not that great and is starting to show that some of these Marvel Comic inspired films are starting to show cracks of having franchise fatigue. Jerrod Leto plays Morbius, and the film also stars Matt Smith, Loxias Crown, Tyrese Gibson and Adia Arjona. The film did poorly for Sony at the box office here in American only bringing in $73,865,530.00 on a budget of around $83million. While I was not a super fan of this film, I did enjoy seeing it on the big screen and would like to at least see the Morbius character in a future Spider-Man film from Sony.

# 5

Black Panther Wakanda Forever (2022) Poster

T’Challa has passed away from an illness, and the kingdom of Wakanda is saddened by the loss of their king and protector. His sister Shuri has taken it the hardest as she was not able to save him with all of her knowledge and technology. Now a year after his passing, the world wants Wakanda to share vibranium, an element that can be used to create weapons, and Queen Ramonda refuses and this causes Wakanda to stand alone in the world. But people go looking for the element other places and find it at the bottom of the ocean, and unbeknownst to them, they have caused Namor and his warriors from the Talokan to attack and defend their Kingdom…and one young woman Riri Williams (Ironheart) is the target for Namor and his people as she has built a machine that can detect the element and this makes her a danger. Namor asks Wakanda for help and to bring Riri to him. When they refuse, the two kingdoms go to war and Shuri must find her inner Black Panther. What kingdom is in the right and who will win the fight Black Panther or Namor? Watch this MCU film to find out. I want to first say that this film pays great respect to the late Chadwick Boseman who passes away from cancer. He was a great actor and he will be missed. Now as for the film itself, it is a fun watch but is way too long and has moments that drag, and I feel that they downplay the power and hatred for mankind that Namor has as he and his people seem to be background players to Shuri fighting tradition as well as becoming the next Black Panther. The film is well acted with Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett and Lupita Nyong’o stealing the show. While I am happy to see the Black Panther legacy continue in the MCU, this film was just a little too long, dragged in spots and I am not sold just yet on Shuri being the new warrior to become the Black Panther. The film did great for Disney at the American box office bringing in $439,645,653 on a budget of $250 million. Over all if you are a fan of the Black Panther or have been enjoying this latest phase of the Marvel films, check this one out.

# 4

Thor Love And Thunder Poster

Thor has decided to return to Earth after traveling around with The Guardians Of The Galaxy and arrives to find that Gorr The God Butcher has been killing everyone he comes across and even has wounded his friend Sif in battle. He also learns that his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster is now also has the power of Thor and that she is dying from cancer and is living on borrowed time. And with Valkyrie and Korg by their side, they together they must try and warn the other Gods that death is coming as well as use all their powers in order to stop Gorr who is on a rampage to destroy the world as we know it. This is a fun and action packed superhero film that sets the odds against Thor as well as makes him face mortality  because even Gods can be destroyed. The film’s humor works well, and the sadness factor of Jane also does its job of toying with your heart-strings. The films is well cast like always as Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster and Jaimie Alexander as Sif with Christen Bale playing Gorr The God Butcher, and all do a fantastic job in their roles as always. The film is also just a fun ride of emotions and also has screaming flying goats! The film did good for Disney at the American box office bringing in $343,253,033.00 on a budget of $250 million. If you liked Thor: Ragnarok and The Guardians Of The Galaxy and that style of superhero humor, you will enjoy this one.

# 3

Black Adam (2022) Poster

The people of Kahndaq are being oppressed by a military team that is looking for a crown that contains the powers of demons, and one woman, her son and brother have found it. They have also freed a god-like savior who was given powers by the ancient wizards known as Black Adam who goes around and kills the foreign military invaders, but he is not the hero they think he is and his murderous ways gets the attention of the Justice Society (Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone) who head to Kahndaq to try and bring him in peacefully. This of course is not in Black Adam’s nature. And while the heroes clash with him, a group wants the crown to unleash a demon to claim the throne and rule the land…and they do just that, and it’s now up to the JS who has to team with Black Adam to save lives as well as stop the demon. This is a really fun action superhero film that has cool characters, a big after credits cameo and even a death of a superhero and shows that DC really is trying to claim the top spots of the movie comic universes. The film stars Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam and also on cast is Pierce Bronsan, Aldis Hodge, Quintessa Swindell, Noah Centineo and Sarah Shai to name a few, and all are great in their rolls. To be fair, I almost wish this film was a Justice Society film as I feel they steal this movie away from Black Adam. The film did well for New Line Cinema at the American box office bringing in $167,873,355 on a budget of around $195 million. This is a really fun film and really does shows that DC is spending more time on building their universe as Marvel keeps getting stale in theirs.

# 2

doctor strange in the multiverse of madness Poster

Doctor Strange meets America Chavez, a teenager who has the ability to jump around the multiverse who is on the run from monsters who want to steal her powers. When Doctor Strange tries to help her, he finds that its Scarlet Witch that has sent the monsters as she wants to use America’s powers to live in the reality where her children are real, and she will kill anyone who gets in her way! As Doctor Strange and America Chavez jumps from multiverse to multiverse, they are being hunted down and even meets the fates of other versions of Strange as well as meet heroes like Reed Richards, Black Bolt and Professor X. In the end can Doctor Strange stop Scarlet Witch’s plan for murder and show her that this is not the way for a former hero and Avenger. This is a wild ride that is filled with great cameos, undead spirits, odd ball multiverses and has the Sam Raimi spooky touch as he was the director of the film! That’s right, Raimi returned to superhero films and was even able to kind of add a horror film touch to it. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochiyl Gomez, Rachel McAdams and Patrick Stewart to name a few. The film did well for Disney at the US box office bringing in $411,331,607.00 on a budget of $200 million! This is a super fun film and if you want to see Scarlet Witch kill some superheroes as well as a Zombie Doctor Strange, you should really check this one out.

# 1

Batman (2022) Poster

Gotham City is under attack by a serial killer called The Riddler who is targeting people in power throughout the city leaving riddles for Batman who is going on a crusade to clean up the city from crime. And as the body count rises, Batman also comes across Catwoman, a burglar who is looking for information about her missing friend, as well as comes across Penguin who is a crime lord that runs a club and might have the clues to the missing woman and as well might know more about the true criminal who is running things in Gotham City. And all the while Batman is having to use his great detective work to solve each of these cases and prove that crime truly does not pay. Hands down this was the best Superhero movie to be released in theaters in 2022 and is one of the better Batman films overall! The film takes a more realistic approach and while some elements are pure superhero tropes, the more horror film feeling of a masked serial killer Riddler running around town butchering people and gaining a copycat like following just seems true to life. The film is also well cast with Robert Pattinson doing a great job as Batman with other names like Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, John Turturro, Jeffrey Wright and Colin Farrell making up the rest of the lead cast. The film did great for Warner Brothers at the US box office bringing in $369,345,583.00 on a budget of $200 million. This film bring Batman back to being about great detective work as well as kicking the ass of crime, this is one that you need to see if you have not yet.

Superhero films are still going strong at the Box Office and it’s shocking as I think DC Comics films are truly catching up with Marvel Comics films! But up next is our update’s main event and that is of course the Horror Films of 2022 that I saw in the theater! And before we get too far in, I want to also say that I saw Jaws 3D, Creature From The Black Lagoon, Phantom Of The Opera and my friend Victor’s film Thrust all in the cinema as well!

JAWS 3D PosterCreature and Phantom PosterThrust (2022) Poster

And now it’s time to talk Horror as this is the genre of film that I have always loved and I try and see every one I can in the theater, so with no further ado let’s dive deep into this countdown.

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# 32

Jeepers Creepers Reborn (2022) Poster

Laine and Chase are on a trip together to attend a horror movie party, but after winning a contest at the event they find themselves as well as a YouTube show crew stuck at a house being stalked and killed by The Creeper who has awaken for his 23 days of killing. But things are different this time around as the townspeople are feeding his murderous ways, and Laine is with child and this monster killer wants the baby for his own. Will this couple escape The Creeper or will they find themselves just more victims for his cycle? This is the fourth film in the Jeepers Creepers series and sadly looks very cheap, has a mess of a story and sadly does not follow the three other films in the series as they new creative team behind it has ideas of their own. The film has some kills and oddly is not all that gory, and the use of green screens takes away from the mood and creepiness of the film. The film’s best actors are Sydney Craven and Imran Adams who play Laine and Chase, and some of their dialogue is bad, but you cannot go wrong with Sydney dressing up in costumes to cosplay from a sexy Freddy Kruger to Jennifer from Jennifer’s Body. The film had a limited release as apart of Fathom Events and brought in $2,033,057.00 for Screen Media on an unknown budget. Not a great sequel but worth watching if you enjoy The Jeepers Creepers series…also The Creeper has a new look in this film.

# 31

Umma (2022) Poster

Amanda and her daughter Chris are beekeepers and are making a living selling the honey, but Amanda has issues as the house does not use electricity and she keeps most people away from her home.  This leaves her daughter very sheltered and wanting to see what the world has to offer. You see Amanda was abused by her mother with electricity, and this has made her an odd and protective person, but when her mother’s remains show up to the farm house, her spirit is not done with her torment and wants to once more rule Amanda’s life! Can Amanda break her mother’s spell as well as keep her daughter safe…watch this Sam Raimi produced film to find out. This is a pretty good slow burn horror film that is well acted and has a great small cast with names like Sandra Oh, Fivel Stewart, Dermot Mulroney, Odeya Rush and MeeWha Alana making up the lead roles. The Mother’s evil spirit is cool looking and makes for a good villain in a paranormal fright film, the main issue for me is that the jump scares just did not work and felt very paint by numbers. The film did poorly at the US Box Office for Sony as it only did $2,121,025.00 on an unknown budget, and to be fair this is Sony’s fault who did a terrible job of promoting the film and spent all promotion money at the time to advertise Morbius. Over all, this is not a bad little fright flick, it just seemed to be lacking something to make it stand out from the rest of the paranormal horror films that flood the theaters, home media and streaming sites. I bought it on home media when released as I wanted to see it for a second time.

# 30

Fall (2022) Poster

Becky is climbing a mountain alongside her husband Dan and her best friend Hunter when an accident happens and Dan falls to his death. Time passes and Becky is deeply depressed and is avoiding her father and even thinks of suicide, but when Hunter comes back into her life the two ladies decide to do something extreme to spread Dan’s ashes and that’s climb a old TV tower that is the 4th tallest structure in America. But things go wrong, and the friends get stuck on top of the tower and must find away to get help! As hours and days pass, Becky and Hunter gets weaker and have to make decisions in order to stay alive.  Will the ladies get off the tower alive? Well watch this thriller horror flick to find out! This is one of those thrillers that plays off of the elements and this one is heights and gives you that what if you are stuck high in the sky with no clear way to get down, so in other words think “Open Water” set on a high tower. The film can really mess with the minds of those viewers who hate heights and that is where the horror elements come into play, well also with the vultures who swoop down for the attack. The film is well acted and cast with actress Virginia Gardner who played Hunter stealing the film. The film did okay for Lionsgate at the American box office bringing in $7,240,521.00 on a budget of $3million. This was a fun theater watch and brings some thrills, chills and spills.

# 29

Mean One (2022) Poster

Young Cindy watches a green creature called The Mean One as he tries to steal her family’s Christmas gifts and presents and by accident the creature kills her mom causing it to turn evil and forever ruin the holiday for the small California town. Now as an adult, Cindy returns to town to try to get over the PTSD she has suffered from the event and soon finds that the whole town does not celebrate the holiday. When her father tries to get their old home dressed up for the holiday, he is quickly killed by The Mean One as does anyone in town who happens to have anything to do with Christmas! The sheriff and mayor are no help, and Cindy is looked at as crazy by many of the locals as she is telling them tales of a green furred monster, but soon she finds help with the new Deputy as well as Doc, a drunk old man whose wife was killed by the creature. Will Cindy and her new friends be able to stop the Christmas hating Mean One or will they as well fall victim to his killing ways? Watch this super cheesy creature feature and find out. This holiday horror creature feature flick is a take on the classic “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” but takes a different path to show what if Cindy never touched the heart of The Grinch to turn him into a holiday loving fool, but instead she called him a monster and set him down a path of murder and eating human flesh. While the concept is a fun one, the low budget and execution is just lacking and makes this one feel like a really cheap made-for-TV film complete with laughable digital blood effects. David Howard Thornton plays The Mean One and brings a little Art The Clown to his performance, with other actors including Krystle Martin, John Bingham, Chase Mullins and Amy Schumacher making up the main cast. The film did okay for Atlas at the box office on a limited release as it did around $585,025 on an unknown budget. This is a super cheesy, goofy, low budget fright flick that steals The Grinch and brings some laughs as you will find yourself saying what am I watching!

# 28

Crimes Of The Future (2022) Poster

Saul Tenser is a man who grows new body organs and alongside his partner Caprice does live performances to remove them as a statement of performance art.  The world has changed and this is the new sex as people cannot feel pain and for some growing new body parts is possible. But Saul becomes involved in a strange case that involves a performance autopsy of a murdered young boy who was born with a defect that allows him to eat plastic. People in high power do not want the world to know about these plastic eaters and will do whatever it takes to make sure their existence does not leak out and that means people Saul knows might be involved in this cover up. This is a weird horror sci-fi film from the mind of David Cronenberg and brings all his classic film tropes into a new film that has a message that is left to the minds of the viewers. Viggo Mortensen and Lea Seydoux play Saul and Caprice and are fantastic, but for me Kristen Stewart who plays Timlin, a worker for the National Organ Registry steals the show, as she is delightfully weird. The film was a mix bag of good and bad digital and practical effects and was not one of my favorite Cronenberg films but was a fun watch in the theater. The movie did okay for Neon at the American box office on its limited run brining in $2,452,882.00 on an unknown budget. And I bought this one once it was on home media to give it another watch.

# 27

Halloween Ends (2022) Poster

Years have passed, and Michael Myers has not been spotted. Laurie Strode is trying to move on with her life, buying a nice house in a neighborhood and raising her granddaughter Alyson who herself has found a job working as a nurse and finds a boyfriend in Cory a town outsider who by accident killed a kid that he was babysitting making him the punching bag of the town. But Cory’s inner evil is unleashed when he is tormented and beaten up by some teens and he stumbles onto the hiding place of Michael Myers and wants the killer to teach him how to murder without remorse…and he does! But now Corey is getting too crazed and after getting revenge on those who tormented him, he sets his sights on Laurie who must fight for her life as well as that of her granddaughter from making the biggest mistake of her life by running away with this serial killer in training. And in the end Laurie has to come face to mask with Michael Myers one last time and must also deal with Corey. This third film in the Blumhouse Halloween trilogy is very much a disappointment for me as it has very little to do with Michael Myers and puts most of the focus on Corey and his descent into evil.  This makes this final film feel like a lame duck way to end a series, as the final fight between Laurie and Michael seems like an afterthought and only lasts a very short time. The pluses for the film are that I enjoyed the Michael Myers’ kills even if they are few and far, Jamie Lee Curtis gives her best performance in a long time, and the effects are pretty cool. I also should say I do like the idea of Corey being the town’s new Boogeyman, but I feel they went about it the wrong way…as at one point Corey bullies Michael to get his mask…lame. The film did pretty well for Universal at the American box office bringing in $64,079,860 on a $30 million budget. Over all Halloween Ends is a film in the series that has been meet with very mix reviews, and while I did not hate it, I was very disappointed in it and it is very much a middle of the road film.

# 26

The Retaliators (2022) Poster

Bishop is a preacher whose young daughter was murdered by a sadistic biker Ram Kady when she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the man of God’s life is turned upside down. But when police officer Jed finds Ram, he offers him a chance to get one minute alone with the killer to make him feel just as much pain as his family does, but things are even more crazy as Bishop finds that Jeb as a underground bunker filled with tortured killers who now act like mindless zombies. Jed is mad at Bishop when he will not take out his hurt on his daughter’s killer. All Hell breaks loose when the tortured killers, bikers looking for Ram and Ram himself all show up to the bunker and Bishop has to fight for his life to survive. This is a fun indie film that gets super bloody in the film’s finale and stars all types of band members from bands like Five Finger Death Punch, Motely Crue and Papa Roach to name a few. The film does have some odd moments as some plot points as well as characters come and go, and I wish the fight between the tortured killers and the bikers would have been a little better and longer. This film had a very limited release and brought in $7,145 for Better Noise Films at the international box office (no domestic figures are available yet) on an unknown budget. This is a film that you should checkout if you like crazy indie films that have a dash of biker crime gangs an tortured zombie like people that were very bad people.

# 25

Bhediya (2022) Poster

Bhaskar is sent the jungles of a small town in Arunachal Pradesh to seal a deal for land development that will have much of the trees cut down to make way for a new roadway. Along with him is his cousin Jana, his friend Jomin as well as local Mr. Panda all who are trying to help to seal the deal with the locals, but things change when Bhaskar is bitten by a werewolf that is called The Virus by the locals; After getting treatment from the local vet Anika, our now cursed Bhaskar must hide the fact he is a werewolf from the locals, avoid killing people when the moon is full, find a cure, fight his feeling for Anika and learn that the spirit of the jungle has its own protector to keep it safe from those wanting to cut it down. Will Bhaskar find the cure or will be forever be doomed to howl at the moon? Watch this fun Bollywood comedy horror Film and find out for yourself. This is a pretty fun silly fright flick that has some scares hidden in with the laughs, with Varun Dhawan, Abhishek Banerhee, Paalin Kabak and Deepak Dobriyal making up the group of friends. They all do a fantastic job in their roles, with Kriti Sanon playing Anika and she steals the film with her acting and beauty. The werewolf effects are cool and are done via CGI, we get werewolf attacks and kills and the film does have some blood and violence throughout. And like any good Bollywood film, there are musical numbers and dancing, and I should also say this one has messages as well about saving the environment and treating others better. The film had a limited release here in America and did around $609,551 internationally. This is a fun watch and if you like Bollywood horror comedies and werewolf films, make sure to give this one a watch. I would buy this one on home media if it’s released here in the states.

# 24

Don't Look at the Demon (2022) Poster

Jules is a woman who grew up being able to talk to demons and ghosts, and when she was young and doing so, her sister was killed by a demon that she set free. Now as an adult she hosts a TV Show called Skeleton Crew where she enters haunted houses and they film the strange happenings. But while filming in Malaysia, Jules and her crew enter a home that houses a demon that is very powerful and is protected by the souls of his past victims and now wants a new soul for his growing army. The Demon possesses, torments and injures those in the house and now it is up to Jules to find her inner power and try to save the owners of the house as well as her crew’s souls from damnation and will have get the help of a Monk in order to do so…but will Jules be able to do so or are they all doomed. This is a fun spooky little demonic haunted house film that for an indie film tries to bring the scares as well as some gruesome moments and for the most part does a great job at it. Plus the fact this had a limited release around Halloween time made it even more of a good watch late in the evening. The film stars Fiona Dourif, Jordan Belfi, Malin Crepin, Harris Dickinson and the lovely Thao Nhu Phan and all do a great job in their parts. The Demon is pretty evil and what he has done in the past while alive is pretty sick stuff. The film did ok for Outsider Pictures bringing in $849,299 internationally on an unknown budget and a very limited release. Over all this was a decent demon flick that I will pick up on home media when released, and you should check it out if you like demon films or films that are set with Malaysia ghost stories.

# 23

Studio 666 (2022) Poster

The Foo Fighters are working on their 10th album and rent out an old house to do so, and unbeknownst to them another band was killed in the house recording an album. And after some strange things around the house including terrible nightmares, dead animals and a phantom gardener, a demon spirit gets inside Dave Grohl and possesses him to make the perfect satanic rock song that will bring back the glory days of the music genre. And as time passes Dave finds his sound and also finds his killer side as he takes out anyone who stands in the song’s way including his own band members, and in the end what is left of the Foo Fighters must save Dave from the demon’s grip and survive the sinister house. This is a very gory horror comedy film that was from the mind of Dave Grohl and delivers a very cheesy and humors return to the days of Rock N Roll Horror films. While the gore is great and over the top some of the humor is a little childish and is just four letter words thrown around and the middle finger given, but other humor bits hit the spot and are pretty funny. The film also stars Kerry King of Slayer, director John Carpenter, Jenna Ortega, Will Forte, Whitney Cummings and even Lionel Richie in a cameo. The film did ok for Open Road Films at the American box office bringing in $2,513,963.00 on an unknown budget. Over all this was a fun fright flick with some cool effects and fans of Foo Fighters will love it. I bought it on home media when it was released.

# 22

Bones and All (2022) Poster

Maren Yearly is a young woman who finds herself on a quest to find her mother after her father leaves her on her own.  Maren has a serious issue as she eats people, and she cannot help her need to eat human flesh and meat…and her father just cannot keep covering for her deeds. Maren does not want to eat people so she needs answers and as she travels across states to find her mom, she meets Sully another like her in Ohio who teaches her his rules of eating people, and when Maren sneaks away, Sully becomes obsessed with her and follows her in secret just watching. But Maren, while in Kentucky, meets Lee a young man she falls in love with and who as well is a human eater, and together they must find out the history of Maren’s life, deal with the guilt of eating people, avoid Sully and deal with their blooming relationship. This is a very fun romance horror film that is a twisted coming of age tale and has very interesting characters throughout its journey. Taylor Russell and Timothee Chalamet are great as Maren and Lee with Mark Rylance giving a creepy performance as Sully. The film did okay for United Artist at the American box office bringing in $7,834,907 on a budget of around $20 million. If you like your horror with a dash of romance and lots of flesh eating, then make sure to check this one out. I will get this one when released on home media.

# 21

Cursed (2022) Poster

Baron Seamus Laurent is a man who will do anything to protect his family, village and land and when a band of Roma try to claim the land he has them brutally killed and buried in a field, but the Roma are able to place a curse on the village and land and with silver fangs created from the coins Judas got when he turned on Christ the curse of the beast runs through the town and the curse starts with Seamus’s own son Edward! And after a murder of a young boy, pathologist John McBride comes to town and tries to bring peace to the village and end the curse with a silver bullet. This is an atmospheric slow burn werewolf film that blends elements of an A24 horror film with a dash of Hammer horror and delivers a pretty creepy watch. The film has some good bloody moments, and the werewolf design is pretty original and creepy looking. While some viewers may not like the slower pace I found it to be just right and well done to bring that level of spooky and unknown. I like the fact that the werewolf curse is spread by Roma who use silver fangs made from those coins as that adds the old world touch to the story. The film did well for LD Entertainment during its release bringing $4,588,389.00 on an unknown budget at the America box office. Worth the watch if you enjoy the more atmospheric old world style horror films and is one that I got on Home Media when released.

# 20

Terrifier 2 Poster

Art The Clown is back from the dead and is on another rampage of slaughter and butchering anyone he comes across but this time he is not alone as he has a strange little clown girl along for the ride. But Art makes a mistake when he messes with the wrong high school girl with Sienna Shaw who’s battling trauma and who finds her inner warrior thanks to a magical sword her father gave her…yeah. Can Sienna save her and her brother’s life from the psycho Art The Clown or will they both just become another bloody victim to his madness…watch this gore filled slasher film to find out. This film while filled with some amazing kills that are gory as all hell does lack the charm of the first film, its way too long being almost 2hrs and 30min, is a mess in the story department and goes a little off the rails with some of the fantasy elements added into the mix. The film is well cast with Lauren LaVera stealing the film as the Sienna as she is so good I couldn’t keep my eyes off her and cheered for her the whole final fight and David Howard Thornton is great once more as the sadistic and evil Art The Clown as I don’t think anyone could play that role better. The film also has cameos from Chris Jericho, Felissa Rose and Tamara Glynn with Samantha Scaffidi returning as Victoria Heyes from the first film. The film got a limited release and did well for Bloody Disgusting at the US box office bringing in $10,640,105 on an unknown budget. Over all it was a great mindless bloodbath film that was just lacking the spooky charm of the original.

# 19

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) Poster

David is holding a hurricane party at his mansion and has invited many of his close friends, and a shocker comes when Sophia, who is just out of rehab and her new girlfriend Bee show up to enjoy the party and safety from the storm. But as the party starts and the drugs and alcohol flow tensions start to build and the group decides to play a murder mystery game they created called Bodies Bodies Bodies, but when one of the friends is found dead the fear sweeps the friends who all accuse each other of the murder, and to their horror the bodies of their friends keep being found and the murder is on the loose at this mansion on a very stormy night…or are they in this twisted black comedy horror film. This film has great atmosphere, is well acted and has some chuckle moments…but I also think that it dragged in spots and had characters that were mostly very unlikable people and while that’s the point it can be over bearing at points. Actresses Amandla Stenberg and Maria Bakalova steal the show and the film does have some bloody moments and has that who’s the killer vibe that was made popular in more modern Horror by films like Scream. The film did pretty well for A24 at the American box office bringing in $11,446,602.00 on an unknown budget. If you like Horror Comedies that have a Slasher feel check this one out, and is one I will get on home media when released.

# 18

Firestarter (2022) Poster

Charlie McGee is an eleven year old girl who has powers she can not control nor understands as she can not only move things with her mind and make people bend to her will but she can also start fires and that means from big explosions to lighting people on fire. You see Charlie’s parents have powers as well and they have been experimented on by the government before they had her, and have been on the run from them after her birth due to the fact they wanted to use Charlie as a weapon as well as experiment on her to unleash her full power. But they make a big mistake when the send John Rainbird after the family and this leads to Charlie’s mother being killed and her father captured, now all hell breaks loose at the research lab as Charlie is angry and wants revenge for what they have done to her and unleashes her fire powers. This is a fun remake base on the Stephen King story and is well scripted, casted and scored. Ryan Kiera Armstrong is great as Charlie and Zac Efron is also great in the roll of her father other names in the cast include Sydney Lemmon, Michael Greyeyes and John Beasley. And for those wonder John Carpenter and his son Cody did the score. The film did ok at the American box office bringing in $9,589,250.00 on an unknown budget. They foolishly also released this the same day to streaming and I think that hurt its money draw. This is one I got when released on home media.

# 17

Invitation (2022) Poster

Evie Jackson is a woman who works at a catering company who has no family left after the recent passing of her mother, but when she does a DNA test to find out her family tree she meets her cousin Oliver Alexander from England and the two meet up in New York and she finds herself invited to a wedding in England expenses paid by her cousin to meet the rest of her family that will be attending. Also while there she meets the owner of the mansion they are staying in named Walter De Ville who charms her and the two start to have feelings for one another, but thing are not what they seem at this mansion as Evie soon finds that she is the bride to be and Walter his her soon to be husband and her family and the guests are blood drinking vampires…and worse Walter is really Count Dracula! Will Evie be able to escape her fate of damnation or will she have to forever drink blood and be one of the Brides Of Dracula…watch this film to find out. This is a fun slow burn Vampire Horror Film that has elements of Hammer Horror, Anne Rice and A24 all mixed together to deliver a spooky watch. Nathalie Emmanuel is great as Evie and Thomas Doherty was good was Walter, other cast members include Alana Boden, Stephanie Corneliussen, Sean Pertwee and Hugh Skinner. The film does suffer from being a R rated film that was clearly cut down to a PG-13 rating as some of the more bloody moments seem way trimmed down. The film did well for Sony at the US box office bringing in $25,100,080.00 on a budget of only $10million. This is worth a watch if you enjoy vampire tales and is one I got on home media when released.

# 16

Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022) Poster

Tori Tooms is the owner of a used media store that mostly focuses on vinyl records, and her sales are up during the crazy Christmas season and she just wants to get drunk and laid! But things gets super crazy when a mechanical Santa Claus armed with an axe that was created by the US Military goes rogue and starts a bloody killing spree that leaves Tori’s friends and family dead as well as the town police force! And this leaves Tori fighting for her life and trying to find a way to stop this mechanical murderous Santa. This is a fun splatter film that delivers some over the top kills and punk rocker style characters with Riley Dandy being fantastic as Tori and such names as Sam Delich, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Jonah Ray, Kansas Bowling and Abraham Benrudi played the killer Santa doing great in their roles. The film packs in some great kills as well as uses neon and Christmas lights to bring a strange glow to the town, plus the film started out as a Silent Night Deadly Night remake so that as well is pretty cool. The film had a very limited release and did well for Shudder at the American box office bringing in $251,586 on an unknown budget. If you like Holiday themed Horror Films make sure to give this one a watch, but keep in mind it is also filled to the brim with lots of cussing and characters tend to talk over each other and can be overload for your ears. Will buy once on home media.

# 15

Beast (2022) Poster

A group of poachers kill a pride of lions but the male lion escapes and after killing two of the poachers the lion has a hatred for mankind and is on a quest to kill everyone it sees. Dr. Nate Samuels takes his two daughters Mere and Norah to a trip to Africa to visit a family friend Martin to get away from the sadness of their mother passing away from cancer. The Samuels family is dealing with some issues as Nate’s older daughter blames him for not being around during her mom’s final months. But things get way worse for the family when they are attacked by that rogue lion while far away from any help and must try to fight to stay alive, will this family be able to stay together or will they be hunted and killed one by one…watch this Nature Runs Amok Horror Flick to find out! This was a pretty fun watch as I am a sucker for animal attack Horror films and this one did a great job of making the lion bloodthirsty and yet also sympathetic as he only has this hate due to what man has done to his family. The film as some good thrills, kills and blood spills and is well acted and casted as Idris Elba, Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries and Sharlto Copley make up the lead cast. The film did alright for Universal at the US box office bringing in $31,846,530.00 on a budget of $36million, and for me was well worth seeing on the big screen! Worth the watch if you love animal attack films and bought when released on home media.

# 14

Nope (2022) Poster

OJ Haywood and his sister Emerald are the owners of a Hollywood horse training ranch after their father paces away from a freak accident of items falling from the sky, but the siblings soon find out that it was no freak accident and was the act of an alien creature that lives in a cloud in the sky near their ranch. Along with Angel a tech salesman at a department store and movie cinematographer Antiers they set out to get proof of this being as well as try and find a way to stay alive from it’s rampage of hunger for flesh and blood. Also throw in a former child actor who survived a animal attack on the set of a sitcom who know owns an amusement park as well as a TMZ reporter out for a story and you have this alien monster film set on a ranch. This third Horror film from creator Jordan Peele was kind of a disappointment for me as while I think many parts of the film worked well, I also thought it was over long and lacked the chills that his other films delivered. I really enjoyed the flashback scenes to the sitcom that had a chimpanzee on a rampage as I felt that was way more scary than the silky looking cloth alien in the sky. I also want to say that it was well caste and I loved the chemistry that all the actors had on the screen. The film did well for Universal at the American box office brining in $123,277,080.00 on a budget of $68million. Over all not a bad film but not a great one as I truly feel this is Peele’s weakest Horror film to date, and did buy on home media when released.

# 13

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022) Poster

On his travel to a concert Ruhaan Randhawa meets soon to be reluctant bride Reet Thakur on her way to her wedding and convinces her to get off the bus and go to the concert as they can catch the next one and she can still make it on time, and she is glad she does as the bus she was to be on crashes and has no survivors, and now her family thinks she is dead and her cousin is in love with her groom and Reet is ok with them getting together. Now Reet has Ruhaan travel back home with her and act as a psychic in order to tell her wishes to her family, and after the wedding she will revile that she is alive. But Reet makes a big mistake as she hides out in the family’s old mansion that has a room that houses the evil spirit of Manjulika a relative who practiced black magic and has been locked away for 18 years in that room, and when the spirit gets free all hell breaks loose and dark secrets are exposed and Reet finds real love in Ruhaan. This was a very fun Horror Comedy film from Bollywood that was filled with fun music numbers, great characters, beautiful ladies and an awesome ghost that was played amazingly by Tabu who plays duel roles in the film. Other great actors include Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani and Rajpal Yadav and the film opened limited in America and made $18,307,258.00 on a budget of around $9million international. While the film is over 2hrs and some of the comedy moments can fall flat, this was a very entertaining film and glad I was able to catch it in the theater on the big screen…would buy on home media if release in America.

# 12

The Menu (2022) Poster

Margo is on a “date” with food lover Tyler who has paid lots of money to have a meal at the Hawthorns a restaurant on an island ran by Chef Julian Slowik, only the rich can afford the meals and only a limited amount of guests are permitted at a time. The Chef has an army of sous chefs behind him as well as other workers that make up a restaurant with his dinner having a theme this night, and unknown to the people there the theme is death…but poor Margo was not suppose to be there and this throws the Chef’s theme off. Now Margo must find a way to get out off the restaurant, off the island or perish with the rest of the guests on this dinner course straight to the grave. This is a delightfully weird Horror film that showcases a mans rise to fame and mental fall to being suicidal, and how in his twisted mind all those there have wronged him or the world in some ways. The film is well casted with such names as Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, John Leguizamo, Hong Chau and Judith Light to name a few, and each are fantastic in their role with Fiennes as Chef being one hell of a great casting as is Taylor-Joy as Margo. The film did good for Searchlight at the US box office bringing in $38,501,125 on a budget of $35million. If you like slow burn Horror Thrillers that will make you hungry for a cheeseburger give this one a watch. Will own when released on home media.

# 11

Men (2022) Poster

Harper Marlow rents an old farmhouse in order to get away as she had a terrible breakup with her husband that lead to his suicide, and she rents the house from Geoffrey who lives a few doors down in order to relax and clear her mind. But Harper’s peaceful get away turns terrifying when a naked man fallows her home from the woods and attempts to break into her home, and even more crazy all the men from town are mostly odd, rude and all look the same! And her time turns worse when the naked man from the town turns out to be a shape shifting creature that has it in it’s mind that he must get to Harper! This is a very strange, creepy and entertaining movie that plays up on the terrors of an abusive relationship, the effects suicide has on loved ones as well as a dash of folk small town kind of horrors. The film is well acted with Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear in the two leads being great casting calls and some of the effects for the creature are very well done. Sadly the film did ok for A24 at the American box office bring in $7,587,853.00 on an unknown budget. This one has some strange moments, creepy atmosphere, great acting, a cool creature, bloody effects and was a great watch in the cinema. Bought when released on home media.

# 10

Prey For The Devil (2022) Poster

Sister Ann is a young Nun who has been through some bad things in her younger life and has found her calling working for the church. And she really is interested in exorcisms, as she knows that her mother was possessed by a demon and now she wants to help others, but a female performing them is prohibited. But Ann pushes when she meets a young girl named Natalie who’s very soul is in danger as the demon inside her is the same that was in Ann’s mom and it wants to corrupt and destroy Ann. Now Ann along with the help of a young Father must fight the demon for the young girls soul as well as Ann’s as this demon will not go away until it gets what it wants! Is Ann strong enough to defeat it watch this fun possession film and find out for yourself. This film was released around Halloween and was a pretty creepy and fun PG-13 fright flick that delivered some demonic goodness and brought to the screen a cool female hero with Sister Ann who is very likable. Actress Jacqueline Byers plays Sister Ann and is fantastic in the role and I hope she returns if this film gets a sequel and it should in my opinion. Other actors include Virginia Madesen, Ben Cross, Posy Taylor and Christian Navarro and all are great in their parts. The film did ok for Lionsgate at the US box office bringing in $19,802,293 on an unknown budget. I really had fun with this film and will get once released on home media.

# 9

Watcher (2022) Poster

Julia and her husband Francis move to Bucharest for his job and she is a fish out of the water as she does not speak Romanian. And things get worse for her when she notices an across the street neighbor watching her and following her, all the while women in the area are being killed by a serial killer called The Spider…her fears set in as she thinks maybe her stalker is the killer and while her husband is supportive of believing her the police and most of her neighbors thinks she is crazy. Is the watcher the killer? Is she loosing her mind? Are her fears more about the big move? Watch this Horror Thriller film and find out for yourself. This was a great watch on the big screen and was shot and written very well and almost has a Hitchcock feel to it. The film is very well acted with Maika Monroe playing the part of Julia being fantastic and her supporting cast Burn Goreman, Karl Glusman, Madalina Anea and Daniel Nuta all doing great jobs in their rolls. The film does have some bloody moments and plays on your fears of being alone and the feeling of being watched, its very much a slow burn film and if you are looking for a slasher film here its not. The film did ok for IFC at the US box office bringing in $1,961,207.00 on an unknown budget. This is one I bought on home media when released and if you enjoy Horror Thriller films make sure to check this one out.

# 8

Don't Worry Darling (2022) Poster

Alice and Jack Chambers live in the desert town of Victory as things in this private town is great as the men go to work for Frank on the “Victory Project” as the ladies stay home and take care of the house and make the meals and are told never to go to the edge of town…but this perfect life in this perfect town starts to turn into a nightmare as Alice starts seeing things when she travels to the end of town that makes her question what is going on in this town and what Frank and his Top Secret Project really is, and she is ready to leave it all and go to war with Frank about it! Will Alice find the answers? Is Victory really the perfect town? Or is something more sinister at play…well you will have to watch this Psychological Horror Thriller to find out for yourself! First thing I need to say is that Florence Pugh is an amazing actress and does a great job at playing Alice Chambers and her moments of breaking down as well as combating Frank played by Chris Pine at the dinner table truly drew me into the town of Victory. The film really does play with your mind and I enjoyed the reveal at the end and while the Horror elements are toned down it is one heck of a thriller. The film also stars Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles, Kiki Layne, Gemma Chan and Nick Kroll all who were great in their roles. The film did ok for New Line Cinema at the American box office bringing in $45,309,403.00 on a budget of $35 million. This film had a lot of bad press before and after being released, but I for one really enjoyed it and will buy on home media when released.

# 7

Smile (2022) Poster

Dr. Rose Cotter is a woman who had a rough childhood and is now working at a hospital in order to help patients with their mental health as well as has a loving fiancé and an older sister who cares about her. But her life changes for the worse when one of her new patients takes her own life in front of her after talking about witnessing a suicide and then seeing and hearing something that is always smiling. Now Rose is hearing the voices and seeing thing and all those around her think she is loosing her mind and with the help of an ex-boyfriend who is a cop they try to figure out a way to stop this curse as something is after her and it wants her dead. This is a really fun and spooky film about a creature that feeds of trauma and fear and those that are infected all have a twisted smile before they take their own lives in order to pass the curse onto another. The effects are well done in the film and is also well casted with names like Sosie Bacon, Caitlin Stasey, Kyle Gallner, Kal Penn, Jessie T. Usher and Robin Weigert making up the main cast. The film did well for Paramount at the American box office bringing in $105,935,048.00 on a budget of $17million. If you like your Horror films with a dash of mental Horror and a pinch of creature feature check this one out for sure. And yes I bought this on home media when released.

# 6

Pearl (2022) Poster

It’s 1918 and Pearl is a young woman who’s husband is away at war and she lives with her strict German mother and her very ill father and spends her days working on the farm and dreaming of being a famous dancer on the movie screens. But Pearl is not like other girls as she has a dark side a murderous side and she wants away from the farm and wants to hunt down fame and fortune…and when she meets the local theater projectionist and learns from her sister in law about a church dance off she will do whatever it takes to because famous and that includes murder! This is the prequel to the film X and is such an great film that is very uncomfortable to watch as actress Mia Goth is amazing as the crazed Pearl and you go along for the ride with her as she slips more and more into her murderous decent into madness. The film while a slow burn builds to the bloody Horror and fans of slashers will not be disappointed. The film also stars Tandi Wright, Emma Jenkins-Purro, Matthew Sunderland and David Corenswet all who do a great job in their roles. The film did well for A24 at the American box office brining in $9,423,445.00 on a unknown budget. If you like indie horror films that have elements of slasher and psychological thriller elements smashed together this is one you will want to see, also had to get it when released on physical media.

# 5

Barbarian (2022) Poster

On a stormy night Tess Marshall heads to an Airbnb in a rundown neighborhood in Detroit as she has a job interview the next day to help on an independent documentary film. But once she gets there she meets Keith who also has rented the house for a stay and this makes it that the two strangers have to share the home on the stormy night, but lucky for them they become friends. But on the second day Tess finds a hidden passage and room in the basement that holds a dark secret, and when she and Keith enter deeper into the passage they find that they are not alone! Days pass and the owner of the house disgraced actor AJ Gilbride shows up and he himself finds that someone is in the hidden passage and they are not friendly. And when Tess and AJ find themselves in trouble they must find away to escape the house alive. This is a very twisted and fun film that takes lots of twists and turns and is just the right amount of weirdness and gory to make it a great film for fans who enjoy something different in their Horror Films. The film stars Georgina Campbell, Justin Long, Bill Skarsgard, Richard Brake and Kate Bosworth and all did fantastic in their roles with Long being a scene stealer in parts. The film did well for 20th Century at the American box office bringing in $40,842,944.00 on a budget of $10.5million. This is one that you should checkout as its creepy and the twists are lots of fun and is one I had to get when released on home media.

# 4

Scream (2022) Poster

The Ghostface killing are happening in Woodsboro again and the first attended victim Tara Carpenter survives the attack that brings her sister Sam and her boyfriend Richie to town to check on her, but the attacks keep happing and even Sam herself is attacked while visiting in the hospital! And with Ghostface returning so does those who have solved and defeated the killers in the past Judy Hicks, Gale Weathers, Dewey Riley and Sidney Prescott…but the rules have changed, motivations have changed and Ghostface has new ideas to freshen up the legacy of the killers before him…in this Scream everyone’s a suspect and the past will always comeback to haunt you. This fifth film in the Scream movie series was a great way to blend in the classic characters we love with new ones that we quickly care about. Seeing Ghostface return to the big screen was a great way to kick off Horror at the cinema for 2022! This film is also very bloody and does a great job of building the “Who” is the killer throughout the film. The film did great for Paramount at the American box office bringing in $81,641,405.00 on a budget of $24 million. A great sequel and its awesome that we are getting a sixth film in the series due to the success of this one.

# 3

Orphan First Kill (2022) Poster

Leena Klammer is a thirty year old woman who looks like a 10 year old girl who is super dangerous and after escaping a mental institution in Russia she takes on the identity of missing American child Esther Albright in order to be sent to America, with the goal of robbing the family and escape being locked back up in the Asylum. Once she arrives in America her cover is perfect, but she does slip up and say the wrong things that makes her “Mother” and “Brother” very suspicious. Everything seems to be going well that is until a police officer starts to look into her and her story of being kidnapped and when she goes to silence him once and for all Esther finds herself in a sinister plot that has her murderous rage being used against her, and what this plot is I can not spoil so you will have to see this awesome slasher film for yourself. Isabelle Fuhrman returns in the role of Esther and is fantastic once more as she really does come off like a psycho, also in the cast includes Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland and Matthew Finian. The film had a limited release and did pretty well for Paramount at the American theaters bringing in $5,413,227.00 on an unknown budget. This is a film that you should see if you liked the original or just like slasher films with a dash of thriller! This was a must own when released on home media.

# 2

X (2022) Poster

Maxine Minx is an adult film actress who along with friends travel to a small farm house in Texas in 1979 to film a porno in order to cash in on the booming home video market and to make money as well as for Maxine to become a big star, but the thing being is the farms owner Howard and his wife Pearl are not the sweet old people they seem as they have a dark side and Maxine and her friends have become their new targets for their sick sexual game. And one by one the crew are murdered and this leaves you wondering how Maxine will survive this farmhouse of terror. This is a great modern slasher film set in the 70’s that has a true grimy and gross feeling to it, and the best part is that Maxine and all the cast and crew are likable making when a character is killed feel more impactful. The film is well casted with Brittany Snow, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Scott Mescudi, Owen Campbell and Stephen Ure all being fantastic in their parts, but its Mia Goth who steals the film playing both Maxine Minx as well as Pearl the old woman. Lots of good kills and bloody gore effects with a great score by Tyler Bates makes this a great watch. The film did good for A24 at the American Box Office bringing in $11,765,309.00 on a unknown budget. With a prequel called “Pearl” in the works this could be a very cool new horror franchise in the making. And bought on home media when released, and if you have not seen it and like the grime feel of 70’s Horror and Adult Films make sure to give this one a watch.

# 1

Black Phone (2022) Poster

Young boys are going missing in a Colorado town and the police have no suspect and are dubbing the kidnapper The Grabber, and when Finney is kidnapped his sister Gwen has dreams that she thinks can lead the cops to rescue her brother. Meanwhile Finney is getting help from The Grabber’s past victims who are calling him from a discounted black phone in the basement cell he is being kept in, and giving him tools and advice on how to escape this hell alive. Will the cops save him? Will the voices of those lost guide him to safety? Or will The Grabber take another victim to their grave? Watch this well done and creepy film to find out. This Blumhouse produced film is based on a story by Joe Hill and has some truly spooky and uncomfortable moments that will shock the viewers, Ethan Hawke is great as The Grabber and Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Miguel Cazarez Mora, Tristan Pravong, Brady Hepner and Jacob Moran are great as the kids of the film. The film is dark and mean spirited in spots and creeps up your spine with a “this could really happen” feel to the killer. This film did good at the American box office for Universal bringing in $89,870,280.00 on a $18million budget. A touch of slasher and a touch of supernatural made this one hell of a great spooky watch on the big screen and bought once released on home media.

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