From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Humanoids From The Deep (1980)

Posted on August 4, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. This update is going to take us to the depths of the deep waters where humanoids dwell just looking to kill men and take the woman…and of course I am talking about the 1980 film “Humanoids From The Deep” that was a sleazy creature feature that was made for Roger Corman’s then owned New World Pictures. In 2010, this film got the comic book treatment from a strange indie publisher and fans were delighted to get more slime and creepiness from their Humanoids. And for me Humanoids From The Deep makes for the perfect “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update and is one that had been a very long time coming. So let’s get to the boat and hit the blue waters looking not only for genetically enhanced salmon but also mutant humanoid fish creatures!

Let’s start off by taking a look at The Humanoids from this film and their ways of killing humans. The Humanoids are fish creatures that were created when a company called Canco by accident let out a batch of salmon that had been given an experimental growth hormone that caused the bigger fish that ate them to become these creatures, and they are bloodthirsty and have a lust for human women. They are very monstrous in appearance and look like green fish men with oversized heads, sharp teeth, have tails and are slimy covered with muck from the water and this alone drives people into pure madness. They are big in size as well and this makes them very intimidating as their look and size is a combo for terror. The Humanoids are very strong and can kill a person or animal with their bare hands as well as toss them around like a rag doll. The Humanoids also will attack solo as well as in packs and can do so both in water as well as land making them even more dangerous. The Humanoids have giant webbed clawed hands that they use to rip apart flesh and most of the time when using their claws they can remove large parts of flesh down to the bone. They also will pull you into bodies of water where they can attack faster than you can defend yourself and this could lead to your drowning. They also have massive razor sharp teeth that they can use to also rip away at your flesh and cause you to die of blood loss or instant death depending on what artery is munched on during the attack. They are very violent and have a goal to make men dead and ladies to carry their offspring. While The Humanoids are very dangerous, they are living creatures and can die as they can be killed by multiple gunshots, being stabbed, bashed in the head and they truly hate fire. They are also very much driven to attack and mate and this leads them to make mistakes and be taken out. The Humanoids are very dangerous and are creatures with no remorse and only live for their own purpose.

Now that we have taken a look at The Humanoids and their ways of dealing death, I think that it’s time now that we take a look at the film they are from and that is “Humanoids From The Deep”! Like always, I will be getting the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts of the film. So if you are ready, let’s at least get near the water and see if we can spot any Humanoids!

Humanoids From The Deep (1980)

“Humanoid sea creatures start killing a fishing town’s residents, and raping their women. It’s up to the townsfolk and a visiting biologist to fight back and fend them off.”

Humanoids From The Deep was a film that was made for Roger Corman’s company New World Pictures in 1980 as the master of the B-Movies was looking to beef up his company’s horror releases. The film’s script was written by Frederick James and originally Corman wanted Joe Dante to be the director, but he turned it down so Barbara Peeters was hired instead. When casting the film, such names as Vic Morrow, Doug McClure, Ann Turkel, Anthony Pena, Lynn Schiller and Denise Galik were brought in with filming starting in late 1979. The film has a budget of around $2.5 million dollars with a big part going to the creature effects that was created by Rob Bottin. As it was filming, it seemed like Roger Corman and Barbara Peeters started to kind of clash as they both clearly had different visions of what the films violence and sleazy parts needed to be. Peeters would focus on the bloody attacks on the male characters, but would not showcase the more sleazy attacks on the females that Corman wanted as he thought would bring people to the theaters to see it, so she would be let go. This also caused Jimmy T. Murakami to step in to film some scenes as well as second unit director James Sbardellati filming the more sleazy attacks from the monsters on the women. The film was shot in California and once done James Horner would do the score. The film would be released on May 16, 1980 and would be met with negative reviews from critics. Most fans of horror seemed to enjoy it as it did make money at the box office. But the film’s two biggest haters were director Barbara Peeters (who was let go before the re-shoots) and main actress Ann Turkel as they hated the added in nudity and attacks on the females, plus the names change as when filming was going on the title was “Beneath The Darkness”. The film when then build a bigger cult following once it was released on home media and continues to build on its legacy. The film would get a remake in 1996 that was made for the paid cable station Showtime and would also get a home media release. The film in 1980 was released alongside such other horror films as Friday The 13th, The Shining, The Fog, Maniac, Motel Hell, Mother’s Day, The Gates Of Hell, Cannibal Holocaust, Antropophagus, Nightmare City, Hell Of The Living Dead, The Children, Prom Night, Toxic Zombies, Alien Dead, Terror Train, Mama Dracula, Fiend and Doctor Butcher M.D. to name a very few showing that 1980 was a great year for horror movies!

Humanoids From The Deep is one of those films I first saw on VHS when my brother and I rented it on one of the weekend horror movie marathons we used to always have when we moved to a new town and school and good old spooky movies were old friends that were always around and filled that void until we both made new friends. I can remember liking the film as who doesn’t love strange humanoid creatures coming out of the water and attacking anyone in their way all in a quest to get the ladies of the surface world. The Humanoid creatures were very cool and weird looking and with the tapes grain they looked even more creepy and them attacking for me was like a mix of those beach party horror films as well as a dash of classic Universal Monster flick Creature From The Black Lagoon! The film also had many lovely ladies in the cast, but I will say that I am not a fan of all the sexual assault stuff in the film. The film has a charm for me because it was part of the early days of New World Pictures, a movie company that was created by Roger Corman and his wife that delivered so many amazing horror films to over its life, heck after Corman sold the company it would go on to even own Marvel Comics for a time! Humanoids From The Deep is a film that I learned about thanks to the books The Gore Score by Chas Balun and The Splatter Guide Movie Guide by John McCarty and their write ups made me have to see it, and like I said when I finally did I was not disappointed as it was a very fun creature feature! And for those wondering, the late great Chas Balun gave it an 8 on the Gore Score. If you have not seen Humanoids From The Deep but like sleaze in your horror, make sure to give it a watch.

So now that we have covered The Humanoids and their film, I think that its time that we take a look at the comic based on it that was released by Bluewater Comics, an indie publisher who for a while was making some great comics based on some horror and sci-fi films that should have gotten the adaptation treatment back when they were originally released. Sadly now Bluewater is called Tidal Wave and pretty much only do online comics based around celebrities. I would like to thank Bell Book And Comic for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. 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, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, I think it’s time that we spend some time with these blood thirsty humanoids of the deep in this blue water.

The Humanoids # 1 ***
Released in 2010 Cover Price $3.99 Bluewater # 1 of 1

After the attacks of 1980, Canco was sued out of business or so the world thought as they really just changed their name to NACO and set up shop in Canada where they still experiment with the DNA growth hormone as well as research the Humanoids it created, and they have made progress as one they have named Graham can now talk! But an accident at the plant lets all the Humanoids free and they kill everyone in sight, but Graham is not like the others and is upset over the killings and the others do not expect this more advanced species of themselves. Meanwhile on a small island, a party is going on and friends Ann and Cindy are attending, but things get really bad when The Humanoids crash the party and start attacking killing the men and grabbing the ladies. Ann armed with a hatchet and Cindy armed with a rock make a stand against The Humanoids killing as many as they can as well as try and save people being attacked, and as the two friends get separated and things look grim for Cindy she is saved by Graham who rips apart her attacking Humanoid! Cindy thanks Graham for saving her and he tells her to run, but sadly is shot and killed by the arriving police…and as Cindy looks around she is the only one left alive on the little island as even her friend Ann is gone.

This comic is a very quick read and does the film its based on justice, but also adds more to the lore as I love the idea of a smart Humanoid who knows the difference between right and wrong and has got a friendship with humans and does not wish to slaughter and mate with them like the others of his species. The plot is very basic and has Humanoids escaping from a lab after an accident, and they attack a high school island party with two friends being our heroes and wanting to stop this attack and try and save lives. Cindy and Ann are those friends who are attending the party, and when the attack starts, they decide to fight back and do a great job of doing so as they kill many of The Humanoids as they were smart and armed themselves. Ann is almost assaulted by one of them so she makes it her mission to save any of her fellow classmates that are about to be mated with as Cindy just swings her hatchet and tries to kill as many as she can…sadly Cindy is the lone survivor of this massacre. Graham The Humanoid is also a hero as he arrives just in time to save Cindy from being attacked, and he is such a kind creature that is why when he is shot and gunned down it kind of hits you in the gut. The Humanoids are as dangerous and mean as ever as they truly just want to kill and mate and go after anyone they see on this island. One of the cool aspects of this issue is that they do tie it into the 1980 film and while none of those characters appear, you know that they are out there still. I also like that we get to see a Humanoid fight as watching Graham rip apart one of his fellow Humanoids in a fight to the death is pretty badass. The comic has lots of blood and gore with lots of blood and goo splattering all over. The comic does not have any nudity and truly focuses on the slaughter. The cover is pretty cool and shows a Humanoid with a woman in his arms, so people who knows this film it would be very eye-catching for. The interior art is really cool and done by Benjamin Hall as I really like the way he draws The Humanoids as well as all the gore. While not as sleazy as moments of the film are, this comic is a great way to keep The Humanoids From The Deep alive in media and delivered a entertaining read to all us horror comic readers. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Hall used in this comic.

Humanoids From The Deep is one of those cult classic films that was a perfect fit for comic books and I have to say that Benjamin Hall and Bluewater Comics did a great job here, and to be honest I wish this had been more than just a one shot. In fact I wish that Roger Corman’s very short-lived comic publisher company he owned called Cosmic Comics had lasted longer as many of this films he was producing or even had made would have made for great comics. But as you can see, this update is coming to an end and that means we will be leaving The Humanoids behind as the next update will take us to The Valley Of The Rage as we take a look at the indie horror movie The Rage and the Fangoria Comics based on it. So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror comic or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update as we RAGE!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Alien 3 (1992)

Posted on April 2, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. For this update we are going to travel to the outreaches of space and where no one can hear you scream and the terrors of Xenomorphs are all around you! And for this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update we will be talking about Alien 3 and the adaptation comic series done by Dark Horse Comics who did a great job of delivering great comics based around the Alien series as well as many other movies when they had the licenses. To be honest, I was really torn on what Alien film to choose to cover for this update as I could have gone with Heavy Metal’s graphic novel adaptation of the original 1979 film, or the Aliens adaptation done by a Turkish publisher or lastly Alien: Resurrection that of course Dark Horse Released…but I chose Alien 3 as this was the one series I had when I was younger so it holds a special place with me. So if you are ready, get into your space suit and let’s head out to see what terrors and chaos this Xenomorph has in store for us.

Let’s start by taking a look at the Xenomorph (also called Dragon) from this film and its way of dealing death to those who cross its path. This Xenomorph was born when a face hugger attached itself to a Rottweiler dog on a planet that is filled with prisoners who have turned religious, but some are truly still bad people. This alien takes on the characteristics of the dog host the birthed it and walks on all fours and moves very fast when charging at its prey. This Xenomorph is also very stealthy and can hide in the shadows as well as small places in order to sneak up on its prey. Let’s not forget about its strange and monstrous appearance that can frighten a person to death as its blackish, grey in color has a skeleton looking endoskin, long fingers and a small mouth that extends from his normal mouth that it can used to puncture the skin of a person putting a whole right through them. This Xenomorph also has sharp teeth that, if it chooses, could bite and rip flesh, and it will use them and its claws to shred a person like a wild animal. It also has a long tail that it can uses to impale a person as well as can whip it around causing injury. The Xenomorph can also spit acid and its blood is also made of acid and this will burn the flesh of humans straight through and will also burn through metal. The Xenomorph is also very strong and can lift a person up into the air very easily and it can also climb on walls and ceilings. It can also make weird hissing noises and when attacking sometimes will go into a frenzy slashing and biting its human prey. But while this dog Xenomorph is very dangerous and deadly, it is still a living thing and that means it can be hurt and killed with being shot being a big way to end its life, you can also drop boiling hot lead onto it and then cold water as this will cause it to explode. But while it can die, this Xenomorph is very dangerous as if it is able to breed and create more of its kind worlds could truly end and become overrun with its species.

So now that we looked at this canine infused Xenomorph, I think that it’s time we took a look at the film that spawned him and that of course is Alien 3 that was released in 1992 from Fox. Like always, 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 run around this isolated planet and see if we can stay one step ahead of this Alien.

Alien 3 (1992)

“Ellen Ripley is the only survivor when she crash lands on Fiorina 161, a bleak wasteland inhabited by former inmates of the planet’s maximum security prison. Once again, Ripley must face skepticism and the alien as it hunts down the prisoners and guards. Without weapons or modern technology of any kind, Ripley leads the men into battle against the terrifying creature.”

20^th Century Fox was very much behind making more sequels to the 1979 hit Alien and with the 1986 film Aliens being a big hit for them a third film in the series was put into motion, but that was after going through a ton of scripts and ideas as they could not find the right one they felt would take the story to a new place and not just repeat the actions of the previous two films. Some of the ideas pitched would have had the Xenomorphs being used as weapons to keep people in line by the Weyland Corporation with Ripley and Hicks having to fight them in a epic battle. Another idea would have the Aliens invading Earth with another being that it would take place on a prison world…the latter is what Fox ended up choosing. So with many rewrites and drama, the film’s screenplay would be written by many writers that include David Giler, Larry Ferguson and Walter Hill ,and after a big search and rehires the directors chair ended up going to David Fincher, who was a music video director. The casting would see Sigourney Weaver and Lance Henriksen return to play Ellen Ripley and Bishop and new names to the cast included Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, Pete Postlethwaite, Tom Woodruff Jr. and Holt McCallany to name a few. Fox would give the film a budget of $60 million and would be shot in England, and the film had a stressful shooting schedule and time, but once done Elliot Goldenthal would do the film’s score and it would be released in theaters on May 22, 1992 and would do well for Fox as the worldwide box office bringing in $159.8 million and would end up being #28 for the year out of 200 films. The film was meet with very mixed reviews from critics and movie goers and it would gain its following over the years, mostly thanks to home media releases. In 1992 Alien 3 was released alongside such other horror films as Army Of Darkness, Candyman, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Dr. Giggles, Demonic Toys, The Lawnmower Man, Hellraiser III, Dust Devil, Mindwarp, Tale Of A Vampire, RAAT, Critters 4, Waxwork II, Severed Ties, Stepfather III, Split Second, The Vagrant and Buffy The Vampire Slayer to name a few. Alien 3 is a film that still gets some hate over all these years but has found its fan base as well and is worth a watch if you enjoy the Alien film franchise.

I am going to start off by saying that I am a fan of Alien 3 and have never understood the hate that the film would get from critics and viewers who trashed the more dark tones and complained about the downbeat mood of the film. I do understand one complaint about the film and that’s the death of Hicks and Newt in such a lackluster off screen way from the start, as we all would have liked to seen them continue on, but instead we got to watch Ripley once more be the hero she is and help a group of prisoners try and survive as well as sacrifice herself in order to kill the baby alien that was growing inside her. The film also gives us one more scene with android Bishop played masterfully by Lance Henriksen who also appears briefly as Michael Bishop Weyland, a man who clams to have been the creator of the androids. But one thing that I noticed that stands out like a sore thumb in this film is many of the digital effects look bad, and I mean really bad now as sometimes the alien looks like clip art made into a gif and placed in the film. But while the digital effects are questionable, the practical effects look really good and the Xenomorph looks as scary as ever. Speaking of the Xenomorph, I really like that they hint that the alien takes on much of its hosts traits and in this case a dog as the alien behaves at times like a wild dog! One thing that kind of stinks is that the film’s own director David Fincher is said to hate this film as do many of the past cast who think Fox did the whole series dirty with this one mostly by killing off the characters from the second film early all with off screen deaths. I saw the film when released on home media and at this point had already played and beat the Sega Genesis game based around it, read the adaptation novel and had talked about the Alien films with family and friends all the time…and after seeing it the first time, I really enjoyed it, a feeling I still have about the film to this day. While I get that the film is not as scary as Alien nor as epic as Aliens, it was a nice follow up that pushed the story forward and try something new with Ripley and the universe this series was building. Don’t just follow the trends of hating on films before you even see them, and check this one out and make up your own mind as you might just find yourself enjoying it.

So now that we have taken a look at the Xenomorph as well as the film Alien 3, we should get to the adaptation comic of the film that was released by Dark Horse Comics who for many years made some very cool comics based on films and shows as besides Alien they had comics based on Predator, Godzilla, Starship Troopers, The Terminator, The Thing, Gamera, Pumpkinhead and Darkness Falls to name a few. I would like to thank Bell Book And Comic for having these issues in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you all 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 if you are ready, let’s walk around the passage ways of the foundry located on Fiorina and see if we can stay out of the reach of the alien lurking around in the shadows.

Alien 3 # 1 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 1 of 3

A spaceship floating through space crash lands on the prison planet called Fiorina 161 with Ellen Ripley being the only survivor as Corporal Hick and Newt died, but an alien has also arrived on the planet via the crash. Mr. Andrews runs the prison planet and is not happy that a woman has arrived on the planet and order Doctor Clemens to keep her in the sick bay and not let he roam among the prisoners. A group of prisoners are sent out to retrieve the bodies and the wrecked ship, and their pet dog acts strange after making some noises. When Ripley wakes up, she finds out about the deaths of her friends and has Clemens take her to the ships wreckage and then learns that there are only 25 prisoners and one dog on the planet and they just work maintenance at the Weylend factory they all live in. Ripley asks Clemens to perform an autopsy on Newt as she tells him that it’s cause she wanted to make sure of the cause of death claiming it could have been from a sickness, but really she fears that the young girl could have an alien inside her as the wrecked ship had marks of acid blood being split. After the autopsy she finds that Newt really did pass away from the wreck and Andrews allows the Doctor to cremate the bodies and all the prisoners attend with one named Dillon saying the prayer. But while they all pay respects to the dead, the pet dog is sick and an alien is born from its torn apart body! Ripley shaves her head and finds that the prisoners really do not want her around as many of them in the past were killers and sexual predators of females, and she also has a bond with Clemens who is called out to look at a body of a prisoner that was knocked into a giant fan by the Xenomorph who spit acid in his face unknown to all of them. As Ripley goes to the scrapyard to find the body of android Bishop who would have the flight recorder of the crashed ship three prisoners on repair duty are attacked by the Xenomorph and only one is able to make a escape.

This adaptation comic from Dark Horse Comics starts pretty strong as it does a good job of staying true this far to the films plot and yet speeding up some of it in order to not only fit the film into three issues but also to keep it a little faster paced. The plot for the first issue to sum it up has Ellen Ripley waking up in a prison planet after the ship she was on wrecked and killed her friends, now she is stuck there with convicted killers and attackers who have now turned religious. But unknown to her the convicts are not the only threats that she has to worry about as a Xenomorph that was born inside a dog has also arrived and is looking to kill. While Ellen Ripley is tough, she is around some very dangerous men who nearly all have a history of violence towards women, so she really needs to be on her toes. Doctor Clemens is clearly a prisoner as well who seems to have changed his ways, but is not yet ready to share his dirty little secrets with Ellen who he has been treating. Clemens also seems to be respected by the fellow prisoners but also is on the annoyed side of Andrews who seems to not be filled in on all the goingson in the prison. And while Dillon is a dangerous man, it’s clear that he is trying to stay very loyal to his religious oath, and while he don’t like Ellen being there, he clearly has no want to hurt her. The Dog Xenomorph is very mean and quick and in this issue claims three lives that we see with one getting acid spit into his face! The issue does have some blood being spilt and violence making it a fun spooky read. The cover is really cool and eye-catching as it showcases a Xenomorph, and the interior art is done by artist Christopher Taylor and is good stuff and truly has that 90’s Dark Horse Comics look, and I have to praise his ability to draw the Xenomorph…and for those wondering the characters do not look like the actors who played them. A good issue for sure and is your average horror comic read based on a film, so if you are ready, let’s head to issue two and see what scares await us.

Alien 3 # 2 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 2 of 3

Ripley heads to the junk pile and finds the body of Bishop, but before she can get it back to the medical bay, she is attacked by some of the prisoners who are looking for a good time…but she is saved by Dillon, who beats up his fellow inmates with a crowbar and sends Ripley out of the area. Meanwhile Clemons is getting yelled at by Andrews for spending to much time with Ripley and not sharing any information with him as they have gotten a call that members of a very powerful corporation are on their way to get her. While at the medical bay Ripley learns from Bishop that a alien was on board the ship when they crashed and that all this information as been sent to the Weyland Corporation, he then has her terminate his life. The surviving prisoner of the Xenomorph attack is blamed for the murders of his fellow inmates and Ripley tries to warn Andrews and his assistant Aaron of the horrors that is roaming their prisoner factory, only for her to be mocked and ignored, as Andrews does not respect her at all and can not wait for the Weyland company to get her. Ripley goes back to Clemons and he comes clean to her that he was a drug addict doctor for years and that is what landed him there, but out of nowhere the Xenomorph attacks knocking Clemons’ head off and Ripley runs away to the mess hall where Andrews is holding a prisoner meeting and is his grabbed up into the ceiling by the Xenomorph. Ripley takes control and gets all the prisoners to set up a trap tat will seal the Xenomorph away from them all, and during this time she also learns that she has an Alien Queen in her chest! And also the crazed prisoner is free and thinks the Xenomorph is his friend.

The second issue has Ripley being attacked by some of the prisoners, being hated by the warden, finding out that a Xenomorph is in the prison factory, finds out that a company has interest in her, she is feeling sick and she watches as her only friend on the planet gets his head knocked off…so in other words she is having a very bad time on this planet! While Ripley is having a rough time, she is also a fighter as she does what she can to survive as well as try and warn the others of what kind of terror could be waiting for them around every dark corner. The one bad thing is that she also learns that the planet does not have any weapons as they do not want the prisoners to get ahold of them, leaving her pretty much defenseless against the alien. And when things get really bad Ripley also steps up and becomes the “leader” of the prisoners when they have to find a way to bring down the Xenomorph. Speaking of the Xenomorph, this alien is on a killing spree and is taking down the prisoners one by one and is doing so in such bloody ways, as that’s right this issue brings the blood and violence with the best kill being Clemons getting his head knocked off. The Prisoners seem very lost when their warden and boss Andrews is killed, and while some are for following Ripley others are not, but when Dillon puts his foot down that she is the one with leadership skills they all fall in line. The issue ends on a cliffhanger as Ripley discovers that she has an Alien Queen growing inside her, not to even mention that the Xenomorph is now on the attack causing panic with the prisoners. The cover for this issue is my favorite of the series as it really is a great cover that features the comic/movies monster. And like the last issue the interior art was done by Christopher Taylor, and again is good stuff if you like that Dark Horse Comics art style of the 90’s. And like before this, comic does a good job of staying close to the source material of the film and has some changes that makes it seem like a slightly new experience in that film’s universe. With that, let’s get to the third and final issue in this adaptation comic mini series.

Alien 3 # 3 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 3 of 3

Ripley discovers a message from the Weyland Company that alerts that they want the Xenomorph alive, and worse the Xenomorph has been captured but is set free by the crazed blamed prisoner who gets himself as well as another prisoner killed! The remaining prisoners all rush to the cell block and talk if they want to try and fight the Alien or just hide for the next 10 hours until the rescue ship arrives. Ripley meanwhile finds the Xenomorph and learns that it will not kill her cause of the Queen growing inside her, she makes a deal with Dillon that when they kill the alien he will in turn kill her to end this things bloodline…he agrees. After some harsh words with the fellow prisoners they come up with a idea that would have them trap the Xenomorph again and this time drop molten lead on it! The plan starts off smooth but soon goes into chaos as the Xenomorph starts catching and killing the prisoners until only Ripley, Dillon and one other are left alive…they are able to trap the alien and drop the lead on him, but during this time it is able to kill Dillon. The team from Weyland show up just in time to see Ripley drop water onto the melting Xenomorph and it explodes! And as the Weyland people try to convince Ripley to follow them to the ship so they can help her, she does not trust them and as the Queen in being born she leaps into the molten lead ending her life as well as the new Queens.

The saga of Ripley comes to an end…well at least until the next film and comic based on that film was released. In this issue’s plot Ripley and the remaining prisoners come up with an idea to kill the Xenomorph before the rescue team can arrive as they all know that the company wants to save the aliens life to use it as a weapon in wars. And while most of them all die they are able to kill the creature and Ripley is able to end her own life and destroy the Queen that was being born, ending the terror for now. Ripley really does want to die in this issue as she fears what will happen if any of the aliens are taken to Earth and knows that her death is the only thing that can stop it from happening as if they get their hands on the Queen growing inside her they could have an armor of them in no time. Dillon becomes a hero for sure as through this series he is the one who stops the other prisoners attack on Ripley, gives his life to try and bring down the Xenomorph and seems to truly be one of the prisoners who have found religion. The Weyland people are very much liars as they even send the creator of the android Bishop in order to try and get Ripley to follow them to their ship to “save” her and get ride of the alien baby…its clear they do not care about the people on the prison planet and really just want the power of the Xenomorph. And speaking of the Alien it really is a killing machine as it makes quick and bloody work out of many of the prisoners and while it is very dangerous it dies a painful death as hot lead and cold water don’t mix! The comic stays pretty close to the film and does change Dillon’s death as here he is dragged into the molten lead as in the film he is trapped with the alien and demands they drop the lead to try and kill the alien. The issue has lots of blood and kills and this helps add to the Horror of the comic, but to be honest lots of the scares comes from the dark mood and atmosphere. Like before artist Christopher Taylor does the interior art and its good stuff and the cover like before as well is really cool and eye-catching. Over all if you like the film Alien 3 or just the Alien films and comics in general, you should check this one out. Take a look at the artwork below to see the style used by Christopher Taylor in this comic mini series.

Alien 3 really is one of those films that you either love of hate, with much more being very negative about it…but if you like a more dark mood outing for the Aliens, then this is one I think you will enjoy. Plus once more I have to stress that I miss the days of Dark Horse Comics when they would make some amazing comics based on horror films, they seem to be lacking in that department lately. But with all that said our time with Alien 3 is coming to an end so I think that before we head our separate ways I would like to tell you that the next update of course will keep us in the world of horror films as we will be talking about the 1965 film Two On A Guillotine and the Dell Comic adaptation of the film. So until next time, read a horror comic of three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next time for a evil magic show in a haunted house!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: I Come In Peace (1990)

Posted on February 12, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update as this one we will be taking a look at the 1990 hybrid genre film I Come In Peace, a film that for some reason kids I know and myself were obsessed with when it was released. We will also be taking a look at the indie comic adaptation of the film that most horror comic readers didn’t even know existed. And it’s very cool that this film got the comic book treatment as I feel that so many classic horror and sci-fi films over the years that should have never did so its nice when some of these cult b-films do. So if you are ready, let’s dive into I Come In Peace aka Dark Angel and see if the comics are as entertaining as the film.

Let’s start off by taking a look at Talec, a massive 6’5” alien who likes to kill and steal the endorphins of his victims to sell as a street drug on his planet only after he pumps them full of drugs to overdose them to make his task easier. Talec besides being very tall has long blonde hair, blue milky eyes, wears all black and has a straight forward intimidating face making his appearance alone scare the hell out of the humans he is tracking as he is not like any other person on Earth. Talec is super strong and can kill with his bare hands if he choose to and is skilled in hand-to-hand fighting. It takes a lot to hurt Talec as he is built for fighting and has a strong pain threshold. He is a fast runner as well and does not run out of energy making him a threat to any person he has set his sights on. He also can speak as he can say “I Come In Peace” with a raspy voice, he also growls and snarls when angry and this as well can scare your basic human. He also has many tools of dealing death at hand as he first has a rapid firing gun that when bullets hit things they explode and the gun itself has levels you can turn up for more impact, he has a arm gadget that fires off blades that are attracted to humans and will cut and kill very fast as it can jump from person to person in a room, he has a tube that fires from his wrist gadget that enters the chest of his victim and injects them with a drug to induce a overdose and lastly he has a knife like object that he rams into the skull of his victim to steal their bodies endorphins! He is very cold and does not care about the lives he takes and almost gets joy out of the killing. He as well is a drug dealer on his planet and a wanted criminal. While Talec is one mean mother from outer space, he can be injured and killed like any living thing as it seems being shot, blown up and impaled will truly stop Talec once and for all and make his white chunky blood flow. He also becomes very sloppy and fights with anger if you mess with his drug supply and this leaves him open for attacks and to make mistakes. Talec is a truly deadly alien and looks to get his drug supplies for his planet by taking the lives of people on Earth.

So as you can see, Talec is a very dangerous alien who truly knows how to deal death to any human that he chooses. And I am sure we all agree that if a massive 6’5” alien with white eyes and an arm blade was coming after us it would be a pretty scary and crappy day! But now I think that it’s time we take a look at the film he is from I Come In Peace! And like before I will be taking the film’s plot from our pals at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production and then will write about my thoughts of the film. So if you are ready, let’s see why this alien truly didn’t visit Earth in peace.

I Come In Peace (1990)

“A Renegade Cop is forced to work with an FBI Agent in order to bring down a group of Drug Dealers with sinister plans.”

I Come In Peace, or Dark Angel as it is known outside of America, is a film that was written by David Koepp and Jonathan Tydor that was released by Triumph Releasing Corporation that was slated to be a big sci-i, horror and action film hit. It was directed by Craig R. Baxley who was just coming off filming Action Jackson and would go on to direct such other films as Stone Cold (1991), Storm Of The Century (1999), Rose Red (2002) and The Diary Of Ellen Rimbauer to name a few. When casting the film such actors as Dolph Lundgren, Matthias Hues, Betsy Brantley, Brian Benben, David Ackroyd and Sherman Howard who horror fans would know as Bub from Day Of The Dead. When filming it would go over two weeks beyond the filming schedule that took place in Texas with a $7 million budget and was supposed to be called Dark Angel but the production company for the American release didn’t like the name so it was changed. Jan Hammer was brought on to score the film and it would get a theatrical release on September 28, 1990 and would do very poorly only doing a little over $4 million. The film when first released was panned by the critics as well as fans and would not build its cult following until after it was released on home media and aired on cable. The film would be released in 1990 alongside such other horror films as Arachnophobia, Tremors, Nightbreed, The Exorcist III, Child’s Play 2, Predator 2, Blood Salvage, Maniac Cop 2 and Silent Night Deadly Night 4 to name a few.

I Come In Peace is one of those weird hybrid movies that does a entertaining job of blending sci-fi horror with action and every kid I knew who saw the film all quoted the lines “I Come In Peace” “And You Go In Pieces Asshole” as I can remember my cousin Norman saying it all the time after he saw the film…what a fun memory. And at the time of this release Dolph Lundgren was a big action film star and he had already done the films Rocky IV, Masters Of The Universe and The Punisher so of course the youth of the time wanted to see I Come In Peace! Really it was odd as when this film was released it kind of was like “A Nightmare On Elm Street” as kids on the playground would brag if they had seen it. Matthias Hues who plays the alien drug dealer Talec was prefect in the role as he was creepy looking and he as well already had many roles under his belt that made him a favorite of the youth at the time like No Retreat No Surrender 2, Big Top Pee-Wee and Cage. I first saw the film thanks to it airing on HBO or Cinemax as my parents had no interest in seeing it on the big screen and cause of its R rating they would not allow us to go on our own. Think about this, the main baddie in the film was a drug dealer from outer space who came to earth to sell his deadly goods…all the while a space cop is also on the case to try and bust him…weird and delightful. While the film is very cheesy and not for everyone, if you enjoy some action in your horror you should check this one out as you might find a new favorite cult classic for your collection. Oh and on a side note for several years a sequel had been spoke about by actor Matthias Hues, but it never was made.

So now that we have chatted about that intergalactic drug pusher Talec and the film he is from I Come In Peace (Dark Angel) I think that it is time that we take a look at the comic book based on them…and to be honest in 1991 when this comic was made I had zero clue about it and it would be many several years before I found out about it. I would like to thank both Lone Star Comics and an Ebay Seller for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. I would like 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 comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s see if this alien really does come in peace or if he is just one mean dark angel.

I Come In Peace # 1 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Greater Mercury # 1 of 2

Evil alien and drug dealer Talec arrives on Earth looking to harvest his raw materials for his drugs and wanders around the big city looking for it. Meanwhile members of a drug ring called White Boys ran by Victor Manning have gotten into a police station and stolen lots of drugs and even killed a few cops and even set off a bomb injuring many others. Detective Jack Caine and his partner later are trying to set up Manning by booking a meeting with him to try and buy, but as Caine is listening in via his partner’s wire he also has to stop a store robbery and is late to save his partner who is discovered to be a cop and is killed by Manning’s men who are in turned killed by Talec who uses a metal flying disc to slaughter most of them and then steals the drugs, and later he also attacks a shop owner and kills him in his own business. Caine is in trouble with his boss and is forced to take a vacation but is quickly back on active duty when he is paired with Agent Smith of the FBI in order to crack this case and find Manning as well as who killed many of his men. And after shaking down a criminal at a strip club he Caine finds out that Manning thinks that he is the one that killed his men and stole his drugs, and Caine and Smith even return to the scene of the crime and find the disc stuff in a stereo speaker. We also learn that Caine is dating the city coroner Diane Pallone and the two have a very rocky relationship due to Caine’s obsession with his job and busting criminals. Also arriving on Earth is Azeck, an alien police officer who is hunting down Talec to arrest him and bring him back home to face the punishment for his crimes. Talec continues his killing ways and ends up running into Caine at one of the scene of the crime and they two start fighting in a dark ally with Talec getting the upper hand.

This comic adaptation of I Come In Peace is awesome but also very much a big mess as the story is kind of all over the place and nothing links the change of “scenes” together as things almost seem to be randomly happening. The comic also starts off with a very weird fight on a alien planet where Azeck and his father have a small and quick chat, its weird and really is out of place. The plot has a drug dealing alien coming to Earth and killing people to get supplies for his drugs and is being hunted down by both a alien police officer as well as a tough as hell earthling and his FBI Agent partner. Detective Caine is a officer who truly wants to bring down crime and even breaks the rules to do so as he goes outside the box to crackdown on them and that even includes killing them. He is also very skilled not just with his gun but also in fighting as it’s clear he knows martial arts and that the crime world hates him. Agent Smith is a young agent for the FBI who is trying to do everything by the book, and seems to be taken back by the antics and ways of Caine. Diane Pallone the city coroner and lady of Caine is the one who has to be the one who is seeing the bodies of the victims of Talec and figures out that some one is stabbing into their brains as well as making them overdose on heroin. Drug lord Manning and his goons are a major annoyance and are causing issues for the city as well as the cops, but are also in the path of Talec and that means death could be coming their way. Talec is a very massive and dangerous alien who says “I Come In Peace” as he is murdering you, he does not care who he kills as long as he gets the supplies he needs for his drugs that he will sell on his home planet…and here is a spoiler, the supplies come from his human victims! He also does not care if the people he kills are good or bad and nor does he seemed bothered that he is being hunted down by the police of his home world as well as Earth. The fight between our hero Cain and drug pusher Talec thus far is very one sided as the cop is out powered by the massive alien, but you have to give him credit as he is still fighting back. The comic has some blood and the horror comes from Talec wandering around the city and massacring people as a massive alien with a sharp blade object on his arm is pretty scary! The cover is very cheesy and yet eye-catching and shows Detective Caine, Agent Smith and Talec letting you see the main cast of characters. The comics interior art is done by Darryl Cobbs and is very odd as it looks very much like a indie comic from the late 80’s and early 90’s and the characters look nothing like the actors who play them and I am sure his style will not be for everyone. Over all a entertaining first issue even though its confusing and sloppily put together, so let’s see what the second issue has in store for us and how Caine escapes the attack of Talec as they leave us on a true cliffhanger.

I Come In Peace # 2 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Greater Mercury # 2 of 2

As Talec is choking the life out of Detective Caine, our hero seems powerless against this massive alien and his life is saved by Azeck who arrives and has a shoot out with his bounty and the two run off into the night just as Agent Smith shows up confused by everything as he notices a hand print around the neck of Caine. Once they are both safe Caine explains to Smith that he thinks that they are up against an alien drug dealer and that another alien is there to help stop his path of death and destruction, but when talking to the Chief about getting extra help Smith does not stand by his partner and Caine is told he has to take a long overdue vacation. That night Talec attacks again killing people inside a store and Azeck shows up once more and the pair have another exchange of gunfire, but Azeck is shot and injured badly. The crime scene is cut off from the police as Secret Agents are looking around and will not let Caine nor his girlfriend and city coroner Diane Pallone enter, and this causes Caine to embrace the vacation idea and he tells Pallone to go home quit her job and get ready for a long vacation…as she leaves Caine and Smith get into it over being bad partners and as they enter their car Azeck is in the back seat dying and passes his gun to Caine as well as tells him who Talec is and warns them that they must kill him before he leaves the planet, and with that Azeck dies and even explodes as he fades away. Smith ends up taking the gun and turning it over to his boss at the FBI who is corrupt as he is going to kill Smith and later Cain as they want to save the alien to learn from him! But Caine saves Smith when he shoots his boss and the pair then head off to do the right thing and that’s track down and take down Talec and when they track him down they are also joined by members of The White Boys we are taken out really fast by Talec, and in the end after a dangerous fight Caine uses the alien gun to blow up Talec with a single shot and then heads out to start his vacation with his lady.

In this final issue of the adaptation of I Come In Peace, the plot has Caine and Smith finally being on the same page and heading on a great manhunt to bring down the alien drug lord before he can return home and turn Earth into a bloody battlefield as his drug selling buddies would come here to harvest people to make their drugs. And they have to do so alone as the police force does not believe the story of aliens and the FBI are wanting to collect the alien in order to study and learn from it. Detective Cain is truly a hard ass who plays by his own rules in order to get things done and bring done the criminal filth that plagues his city, he is also while at times it does not seem it very loyal to his girlfriend and partners as his harsh demeanor causes those around him to think he is a total jerk. But when he push comes to shove, he is the kind of friend you would want on your side. Agent Smith is very loyal to his job and bosses at the FBI and at times clearly plays everything to by the book, but when he finds that sometimes you need to think outside the box in order to save lives and bring bad guys down. Poor Diane Pallone is around and is caught up in this alien invasion and it’s clear all she really wants to do is spend some time with Caine. Azeck does his best to save the earthlings from being killed and turned into street drugs on a alien planet, but his best was not good enough as he finds himself dying from a gunshot wound and has to trust two earthlings to save the planet. Talec is cold blooded and truly just wants to kill people to get their endorphins to sell on his home planet, and all he can say is “I Come In Peace” as he murders people very violently. But while he is a massive alien with raw power and lots of tools to deal death, he as well ends up meeting his maker by a well placed gunshot. The comic does a pretty good job of staying true to the film with some changes being in the pacing as well as the cut back panels of Azeck’s home planet and these changes do make the read seem like a new experience based around the story we the fans of this film all know. The comic’s horror elements come from Talec and his killing ways and the issues does have some blood being spilt, but noting to major. The cover is pretty cool as it shows Talec and Caine and the interior artwork done by artist Darryl Cobbs and is pretty good stuff, but keep in mind it is very indie in style and the characters look nothing like the actors who played them in the film. Over all this is a enjoyable adaptation that I would say is not for everyone but if you are a fan of the film I would say make sure to track it down and give it a read. Checkout the artwork below to see the style used by Cobb in this comic series.

I Come In Peace really is a cult classic film and many people never knew that it got the comic book adaptation treatment, and while the comic might not have been perfect, it was a fun read and if you’re a fan of the film, it might be something that you would want to checkout as it is very weird and does make some slight changes to the film’s plot. So with that our time with Talec has come to an end and it’s clear he did not come in peace as almost all those he said that to ended up in a body bag. But don’t worry, we will be staying in the world of horror and our next update will have us looking at The Fallen that come during the end of days as we will be talking about the 2014 faith based horror film The Remaining. So until next time, read a horror comic of three, watch a horror film of two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update for a scary good time!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Black Demon (2023)

Posted on February 2, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another spooktacular “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update as this time around we will be heading to the waters of Mexico to talk about the massive shark that is called The Black Demon! This 2023 indie horror film had a limited theatrical release and. also had a comic mini series based around it thanks to indie comic publisher Scout Comics. And as I have said many times in the past, I wish these horror filmmakers would team more often with horror comic makers to do releases like this as horror comic readers eat them up and it’s a great way to promote your film. So with that said, let’s get in this tiny rotting boat and hope that we don’t get chewed up by the massive Black Demon Shark who is hunting these ink waters.

Lets start off by taking a look at The Black Demon and its ways of bringing death to foolish humans that enter its cursed waters. The Black Demon is a massive megalodon shark that is very supernatural in nature as it is a creature that is set free by an Aztec God to punish people who do the environment harm in the Baja Coast in Mexico. Black Demon is massive in size and is scarred up from all the years of roaming the waters and eating up humans on boats, and his appearance brings terror to those who see it…let alone just saying its name strikes fear. The Black Demon is a fast swimmer and can also make his prey hallucinate by seeing things that are horrific like body parts floating or even give them a false look as something that will give them safety like rescue boats, but these mind tricks are just a way to scare you and leave you open for death. It’s main way of killing humans comes from its massive razor sharp teeth and big mouth that can swallow up a boat and the people on it with ease. But The Black Demon, while a supernatural creature, can be hurt and or killed as being blown up with explosives seems to do it in for good, its size as well seems to work against it when it comes to being able to squeeze into spaces to get to its prey. The Black Demon is a true terror of the waters that strikes fear and spreads death in the waters of Baja and is a creepy killing machine.

So as you can see, The Black Demon is a massive shark that is truly looking to end some lives and make people live in fear! And now I think that it is time that we take a look at the 2023 film that it’s from and like always, we will be taking the films plot from our good pals at IMDB and after that I will write a little about the film’s production as well as my thoughts of the film. So with that, let’s head a little deeper into the water and see what The Black Demon is all about.

Black Demon (2023)

“Paul Sturges takes his family on a trip to Mexico to inspect an oil rig his company owns. Once they get out there, he finds the place almost abandoned with only a few terrified workers left who tell him that the rig has been repeatedly attacked by a monstrous shark that is part of a Mexican legend. With the rig sinking into the water and the shark hunting them, he must find a way to get his family to safety and stay alive.”

Film director Adrian Grunberg along with scriptwriters Carlos Cisco and Boise Esquerra came up with the idea to turn the Mexican legend of the giant shark known as The Black Demon into a film in order to bring its tale to horror fans outside of Mexico as well as to deliver a frightful watch much like Jaws, Orca The Killer Whale, Sharknado and Meg before it. The film would be set around a family stuck on a crumbling old oil rig in the ocean as the Black Demon attacks and waits for them to enter his water so he can make a snack out of them. The film cast such names as Josh Lucas, Fernanda Urrejola, Hector Jimenez, Venus Ariel, Julio Cesar Cedillo and Raul Mendez, to name a few. The film was shot in the Dominican Republic and shooting would be last for a few months, and the craziest part is that for the longest time the creators of this film kept the plot very quiet and all anyone knew was that it was a shark movie! The film once done would be scored by Ricardo Acasuso and would get a limited theatrical release on April 28, 2023. The film did not do great at the box office and was pretty much panned by both critics and viewers leaving it to have to try and truly build it’s following once released to home media. It would bring in $3,446,755.00 for its run in the theater worldwide. The film was released in 2023 alongside such other Horror films as Scream VI, Cocaine Bear, Fear, Infinity Pool, Evil Dead Rise, Winnie The Pooh Blood And Honey, Skinamarink and Grandma to name a few.

The Black Demon was one of those indie horror films that I saw the trailer for and wanted to see on the big screen as I thought you could not go wrong with a giant shark movie! And lucky for me one of the local theater chains ended up picking it up and showing it a handful of times and so on a lazy Sunday afternoon my lady and I checked it out, and while we had a good time at visiting the theater, the film was sadly a slight letdown as it had a surprisingly lack of The Black Demon and was more about what we as humans are doing to our bodies of water and how greed and fear will cause people to turn the other cheek even when they know something is causing major damage to the world as well as those workers in the unsafe environment. I also have to say that in the film the main character is a man named Paul Sturges who works for the oil company and is one of the most unlikable “heroes” that I have ever seen as he is just a jerk who is very self serving and endangers people and animals for his own greed, and even when he tries to right all his wrongs I still feel that he is a jerk. I do think that most of the acting in the film was good and it was great to see Hector Jimenez in the film as most viewers will know him from the 2006 film Nacho Libre where he played Esqueleto, and here in Black Demon, he plays a boat driver that works for the oil company. I also think that actress Fernanda Urrejola who plays the wife Ines does a good job in what little she was given, and viewers would know her from the 2021 film Cry Macho. But over all Black Demon is one of those horror films that could be an ok watch on a boring night, but for those looking forward to giant shark attacks, this will be very disappointing. And for those wondering, I did end up buying the film on DVD that was strangely released by Paramount Pictures.

So now that we have taken a look at The Black Demon, the supernatural megalodon shark and its ways of killing humans as well as the film it’s from, I think it is now time to take a look at the comic mini series based around the indie film. I would like to thank Game Swap Kettering for having the comics in stock and making this update possible. I would like 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 comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, let’s make some noise and see if we can draw The Black Demon out!

Black Demon Tales # 1 **1/2
Released in 2023 Cover Price $4.99 Scout Comics # 1 of 3

In 1984 a Mexican Navy boat is giving chase to a smaller boat that has protesters and researchers are going to leak to the press about the Black Demon, but unknown to these whistleblowers they are heading toward their deaths as the massive sharks appears and kills them all leaving wreckage and carnage behind. The Navy Captain is being yelled at by his crew member and daughter Bella Gonzalez who is upset that they knowingly lead these protectors to their death, but before things can be settled, their ship is also attacked by the Black Demon who destroys their boat, leaves all the crew dead besides Bella who makes it to shore with a seriously injured arm. Years pass and in 1986 Bella lost her arm and it is replaced with a metal prostatic and she now is building a weapon that she hopes will kill The Black Demon who not only took her arm but the life of her father. Bella heads to the Baja Coast with her new weapon in hand as a giant squid has washed ashore and inside it is the remains of a man, these deaths are the doing of The Black Demon! She then heads out on a boat to try and use her weapon on the shark and is able to do so but it does not stop the supernatural shark that destroys her boat and knocks her out cold. She wakes up on the beach and a fisherman is holding his hand out to help her up.

The first issue of Black Demon Tales is a cool start to the series as we learn that The Black Demon has been roaming the waters in the 80’s and has made an enemy out of Bella Gonzalez, a Navy researcher who was the victim of one of The Black Demon’s many attack that left her missing an arm and worse her fellow crew members with one being her father dead! Bella Gonzalez is clearly a woman who wants to do the right thing as she does not like that her father lead the protestors to their death, and she is all for revenge as she wants to kill the demon shark and is using her smarts and science to try and do so. Sadly at this point it appears that she has failed as even with her special bomb she finds herself once more injured and on the beach defeated. And as for the stranger who comes to her aid, I am sure we will get to know him in the next issue. The Black Demon is a killing machine as in just this issue he kills a boat full of protesters as well as a navy men as its quest to kill to right the wrongs of mankind against nature is truly what drives it. The story is a fast read and as of this first issue The Black Demon shark is pretty badass and I can not wait to see what more mayhem and terror it causes in the rest of this mini series. The comic is not bloody and the horror comes from the giant shark attacks themselves as well as its massive appearance. The cover is pretty cool and shows a lady about to be swallowed up by The Black Demon, and for fans of the film or even just shark attack entertainment it would be eye catching. The interior art is pretty good stuff and is done by Vincenzo Sansone who I think draws The Black Demon shark very well. Over all not a bad start for this mini series based on the film that is based on a legend in Mexico, so lets see what issue two has in store for us.

Black Demon Tales # 2 **
Released in 2023 Cover Price $4.99 Scout Comics # 2 of 3

Father Mateo sits near the ocean in Mexico and tells the tale of female warrior Erendira who would not allow her people to be taken over by the rule of Spain. Erendira has taught herself to ride a horse and has trained many other warriors in her group to do the same as they are ready for a fight, she also goes and visits an old wise woman who lives near the beach who tells her of a God that watches over the waters, fills it with many fish for eating and also has a very evil protector. Meanwhile a ship of Spanish soldiers are on their way to Mexico and come across some native fishermen and they decide to kill them as they think they are savages, and this pisses off Erendira and the old wise woman who ends up summoning The Black Demon to get revenge! The massive sharks kills so many of them and as the Spanish Soldiers get to the beach they attack the Aztec Warriors who end up fighting back and in the end the Soldiers are killed as is the old wise woman who puts the curse of being the watcher of The Black Demon on the Father that was with the Spanish fleets and that man was Mateo who has been alive now for over three hundred years keeping an eye out for wrong doings in the ocean so that he can free Black Demon to get revenge.

This second issue at this point has zero to do with the first issue and is kind of a boring tell of a female Aztec Warrior who watches as The Black Demon kills off most of there peoples enemies in the waters, and then she kills off the remaining once they touch land. And the “big” part of the story is the old Aztec wise woman who gets killed in this fight passing down the watcher label and curse to the Spanish Father that was washed ashore who is still doing that job to this very day. The main character is Erendira, an Aztec female warrior who learns how to ride a horse and gets a group of other warriors to help her fight against the Spanish who are trying to claim and take over their land, she is skilled fighter and while she does take out many soldiers she also fails to protect the wise old woman who gets killed right in front of her. Speaking of the old wise woman she loves the open water, but she also seems to hate unleashing The Black Demon as she understands that this massive shark is a protector…but it also seems a little evil. And poor Father Mateo was just in the wrong place at the wrong time as he is pleading with the Aztec’s for help, but his own people being blood thirsty and attacking the warriors makes him become cursed, and now he is force to please Aztec Gods and be the keeper of The Black Demon. Speaking of The Black Demon he does his job as he kills many Spanish soldiers and is doing what he does best and that is chomp down on ships and people. The issue has some blood and kills the Horror comes from The Black Demon’s attack on the boats, but sadly the story and pacing is just kind of bland and is not a great Horror Comic at all. The cover for the issue is pretty cool and shows Erendira with The Black Demon creeping up behind her. The interior artwork for this issue is done by artist Armando M. Zanker and I like it for the most part as it has a dash of cartoony look and the way he draws Black Demon is good. Over not a great issue but I do feel that if you like the movie you might enjoy this issue as it goes back in time to show kind of how the Aztecs used The Black Demon during a hostile time.

Black Demon Tales # 3 *
Released in 2023 Cover Price $4.99 Scout Comics # 3 of 3

Joseph Stalin is sick and sends one of his most trusted man to the South America waters to search for a cure, and along the way this hired Russian also crosses the path of Americans as well as locals who are caring on rituals to protect the waters from outsiders. And he finally finds the cure that can even cure dismemberment! But seeing the Russian ship in the waters one of the natives dives in and summons The Black Deamon that destroys the ship and kills the crew and makes it that Stalin never gets his cure.

I first have to say this comic series got worse with every issues as the stories became a mess and in the case of this third and final issue it was just boring and very lackluster and lacks any true Horror. The plot is very simple and as a man is sent to find a cure for a ill Russian leader only to find it and then be killed by The Black Demon. None of the characters in this issue are interesting as they are all just kind of around and barely move the plot along. The cure that can cure people even in death is never explained and the reason for The Black Demon being sent to kill a ship full of people is also very clumsy and kind of confusing. The Black Demon shows up at the very end of the issue and massacres the bot and it’s crew adding in some blood being spilt, and I guess the Horror as well. And that is one of the big issues with not only the film but also this comic series is that we want to see The Black Demon as this massive shark is the star and we don’t need every issue in the case of the comic to be tied into a person or a group that is summoning it by the end only for it to appear in a few panels. All three issues as well never connect besides for the waters and The Black Demon and really I just did not dig this series at all. The cover for this issue is kind of cool and shows The Black Demon in the water doing what he does, and the interior art in this issue is done by artist Jose Esteban Urabayen and his work is good and the highlight of this issue as I do like the way he draws Black Demon as well as all the death carnage. Over all not much too talk about here, as this series really was a letdown and one that I would not recommend unless you’re a mega fan of the film. Check out the artwork below to see the style used in this series. Oh and on a side note by the third issue they do not acknowledge the film at all, almost like the distanced itself from it.

Black Demon is one of those horror films that had lots of great potential, but it just never got going and spent way too much of its time on family drama and not enough on the giant shark who truly felt like an afterthought. And with this comic series from Scout Comics it was a great idea to showcase the shark during different time periods and use this comic to help promote the film, it’s just that many of the Tales are just kind of chugging along and don’t pack the terror they should. And with that I think that it’s time that we leave The Black Demon behind and I tell you that our next update will be about that sci-fi, horror and action films known as I Come In Peace and the indie comic series based around it. So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. Do you think that a drug-pushing alien with a blade on his arm that steals brain fluid really does come in peace?

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Island Of Dr. Moreau (1977)

Posted on January 13, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. Our “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update themed year is in full swing and for this one we will be taking a look at the 1977 film version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau that was released by American International Pictures and got the comic book adaptation treatment by Marvel Comics. I am sure many of you readers are fans of this story that was written by H.G. Wells in 1896, and most of you have also seen this film version of the story that use to play all the time on TBS in the 80s and 90s! Like so many others that we have done and are doing for this year’s overload of horror comics based on horror films, this update is long overdue, and I am very much looking forward to once more entering the Island Of Dr. Moreau, both the film and the comic! So with that, let’s get in our little boat and row ourselves to this island filled with animals that are also part man!

Let’s start first by taking a look at the Beast People who live on The Island Of Dr. Moreau and their way of dealing death and having order. The Beast People are animals that have had their DNA altered with that of a man causing them to be a mix between the two. While they talk and partly look like a human being, they battle their primal instincts of being an animal and have the lust to hunt and kill but also live by the law that is set for them by their creator Dr. Moreau. And when they no longer live in fear of Moreau’s law, they truly become wild and allow themselves to let their animal sides loose. The Beast People have many ways of dealing death to humans, as they are strong, fast moving and some have a true hunting nature. They come in all different species as you have such ones as Bullman, Lionman, Hyenaman, Boarman, Catwoman, Bearman, Chimpman among others and each have a wild look (with some being more fearsome than the others) and this easily chills the blood of their target and puts true fear in their hearts. The Beast People’s main attack is pure frenzy as they use their hands and teeth to rip apart flesh and do so with anger, hate and instinct. Once also in frenzy, their speaking is more primal and savage and they are only focused on bloodshed and murder. They are both pack and single killers as they don’t seem to mind killing alongside each other in their attacks. The Beast People can be killed like any normal man or animal as they can be shot, stabbed, burnt, crushed, blown up are mauled to death by a wild animal. They also do live in fear of their creator and this causes them issues as they obey his words out of pure terror, but on the other hand, when they are no longer under his law, they lose their smarts and act out in a mindless fury and this leaves them open to mistakes that will cause them their lives as they make very poor choices. While The Beast People might not be the most dangerous killers we have covered here, they are truly a killing breed when they are no longer living under man’s law.

So as you can see, The Beast People or the Humanimals are truly wild and pack killers that are clearly more beast than man. But now that we have chatted about them and their ways of killing, I think that its time to talk about the 1977 version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau that they are from. Like always, I will be taking the films’ plot from our good friends at IMDB and then after that I will write about the film’s production and then my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s avoid The House Of Pain and just cite the law and take a look at this classic 70’s film.

The Island Of Dr. Moreau (1977)

“A ship-wrecked man floats ashore on an island in the Pacific Ocean. The island is inhabited by a scientist, Dr. Moreau, who in an experiment has turned beasts into human beings.”

In the late 1970’s American International Pictures were making films based on the works of H.G. Wells as they wanted to find their next big book author to based films around as they had found big success with doing ones based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe. They had already done “The Food Of The Gods” in 1976, and their next one was slated to be “The Island Of Dr. Moreau.” The film was able to get a $6 million dollar budget on the script by Al Ramrus and John Herman Shaner that of course was based on the book by Wells. The film would cast such names as Michael York, Barbara Carrera, Nigel Davenport, Richard Basehart, Nick Cravat, Fumio Demura and Burt Lancaster as Dr. Moreau. The film was directed by Don Taylor who had directed such films as Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971) and Tom Sawyer (1973) to name a few, with filming taking place on the Virgin Islands. The film had a 12 makeup artists on call who had to work fast, hard and cheaply pulling off the looks of the Animal People and would have to spend roughly five hours on the makeup on the actors. The film was a stressful shoot, and once done, Laurence Rosenthal was brought in to do the films score as he was not stranger to doing music for horror and sci-fi films. American International Pictures truly thought that they would have a big hit of their hands with this film as it was released to theaters on July 13, 1977, and with this release date it would come right after the July 4^th weekend. It was said that the film did poorly at the box office and barely did over its budget, and was met with very mixed reviews from critics and viewers. The film would later gain a cult following thanks to showing on TV as well as being released on home media. The film was released in 1977 alongside such other horror and sci-fi films as Orca The Killer Whale, Day Of The Animals, Empire Of The Ants, Tentacles, Kingdom Of The Spiders, The Hills Have Eyes, The Incredible Melting Man, Exorcist II: The Heretic, Return To Boggy Creek, Shock Waves and Suspiria, to name a few. As you can see, 1977 was a good year for animal themed fright flicks.

Growing up I was always a big fan of The Island Of Dr. Moreau, both the book and the films based around it with the first film version I ever saw being the 1932 one called “The Island Of Lost Souls” that starred Charles Laughton as Dr. Moreau. The first time I saw this 1977 version was when Grampa Munster hosted it on his TBS show Super Scary Saturday, and I was a fan as I liked the look of the animal people and I thought the jungle island setting was super cool. The Beast People are always the highlight of any film version ,and while many would think the special effects for The Beast People in this film is dated, I still really like the look with the Lionman being my favorite in the film. I also liked Bullman as he looks truly like a monster man; plus he fights a tiger near a pond! The acting in the film is good as I do think that Burt Lancaster was the right casting as Dr. Moreau, Barbara Carrera is stunning as Maria the cat woman and while Michael York slightly over acts I still find his performance to be good for the most part. The film really also plays up “The House Of Pain” being the place that none of the animal people want to go and that makes sense as who wants to be tortured in order to follow the rules of one crazed man. As a kid I always thought that this film was bigger than it was and can remember talking to my fellow classmates about it as we all liked the idea of animal people, and I can remember one time drawing pictures of them for art class and getting a good grade! Over the years of course I owned the Marvel Comics adaptation but I have also owned the film on VHS and DVD, not to mention have the film’s score on CD. For some reason this classic film has always been a big part of my life from a youngster to adulthood. If you have never seen this version of Dr. Moreau and really enjoy 70’s sci-fi horror films, you should do yourself a favor and give it a watch as you might just find yourself being a fan of the film like I am. Before we move on there are also many rumors that this film had many different endings filmed as they had a happier ending, a downbeat one and even one that saw Maria give birth to a baby kitten…not sure if it’s true as this mostly comes from actress Barbara Carrera.

We are now at the point of this update where we take a look at the Marvel Comics adaptation of the film, and this is a comic that I had as a kid and is one that I have read many times over the years…but it has been a very long time since the last time I did so I am very much looking forward to seeing if it still holds up for me. I want to first thank Mavericks Cards And Comics for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I would like to also say that I wish Marvel Comics would still do these cool adaptations of horror and sci-fi films as they were always a big part of my youth reading comics. And like always 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 if you are ready, let’s head fully into this island and see what terrors await for us.

The Island Of Dr. Moreau # 1 ***
Released in 1977 Cover Price .50 Marvel Comics # 1 of 1

Andrew Braddock has wrecked at sea and has been in the ocean on his lifeboat the Lady Vain for a very long time, but he is filled with joy when he sees an island and quickly rows to get there. As his looks around the island for fresh water he is being followed and falls into a trap and is rescued by Dr. Moreau and his employee Mr. Montgomery who take him in and tend to his injuries. Braddock learns that Moreau has been on this island for eleven years and that he is very much happy here and that he does not get much visitors as boats do not pass by very often he also meets a little later Maria who was rescued as a child from being sold, meets M’Ling who is a weird looking servant, learns that Montgomery is a mercenary and heavy drinker who don’t like to answer questions and learns that the jungle is filled with wild animals and that he should not wonder around at dark and even during the day stick to one part of the compound that is not his temporary home. Late that night Braddock is scared when he sees a wagon appear and chained in the back is M’Ling who now looks more beast like and is acting crazy, and he soon sneaks into Moreau’s lab and finds people inside that look like animals and in shock again Moreau appears and tells him of his experiments that blend both animal and man together creating a new race of Humanimals and over the next nights Braddock both hates what is happing but also is very fascinated by it, he also finds himself falling in love with Maria and also witnesses how cruel Moreau can be to his created life as he whips a poor Bearman before Braddock’s eyes causing him to stop the attack, and during all this he is able to leave the compound with a rifle in hand to explore the near by mountain and what Braddock finds is a society of Humanimals that are not as happy to see him! He listens as The Law Giver says their laws, but the Lionman has heard enough and attacks Braddock who is saved by Moreau and Montgomery, and Lionman is taken away to The House Of Pain for breaking the law. Braddock watches as Moreau keeps his beast men in check and also learns that he might be stuck here forever, and with this he starts to think of a way to get himself and Maria off the island and away from this madness. But things go wrong when Bullman breaks the law and attacks and kills a tiger and is hunted down to be taken to The House Of Pain and during this he is injured and Braddock ends up shooting him to end his suffering…and this causes a major uproar with the Beast People. Moreau ends up being very upset and uses Braddock as an experiment to learn more about his drug that turns animals into man by turning a man into an animal, and this causes Moreau also to fight with Montgomery who ends up being shot and killed and the Beast People witness this murder, causing them to question the law! The Beast People end up killing Moreau and attack the compound to destroy it and the lab and only by luck is Braddock and Maria able to escape as M’Ling is not as lucky as he is killed by a tiger that got loose from the lab, while the rest of The Beast People are killed by the freed wild animals or the fire they started by accident. At the small Lady Vain lifeboat Braddock and Maria are confronted and have to kill Hyenaman before they can make their escape. Days pass and on the ocean Braddock returns back human and as they are about to be rescued by a approaching ship he turns to see that Maria is turning into a cat person.

This comic version of the 1977 film version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau is a really fun and creepy read, and Marvel Comics did a great job of bringing the film to comic pages and doing it right as the comic makes just enough changes to make it feel different but yet the same. The plot is about a shipwrecked man finding safety from the ocean he was lost on in a island that is ran by a scientist who has turned animals into people, and now he must survive this twisted new land and get himself and a young woman he meets off the island before they are torn to pieces by the Beast People who are revolting against the laws laid out for them. The main changes from the film to this comic is the ending as in the film Maria only has cat eyes and in the comic she turns full feline, another change is that at the start of the film Braddock has a fellow survivor who is attacked by the Beast People before he can find help and in the comic he just not shown. Also The Bullman trying to run to escape being punished in the House Of Pain, only to be shot and killed after a short time by Braddock is truly trimmed down to a few panels. But even with these changes I would truly say that Marvel Comics did this film justice with the adaptation that has held up for me after all these years as I was a fan of it when I was a kid and now as an adult I still find it to be a great read. The comic captures the uneasy horror of The Beast People turning savage after learning that they are not fully man and that the law they lived by was all a lie, plus the comic has some cool deaths that are not bloody but done effectively. My favorite kill is when Hyenaman is killed with a spike through his body by Braddock in order for him to truly get away from the island. The cover for this comic is really cool and eye catching as it shows the Beast People, Dr. Moreau and Braddock with Maria running away from them all. The interior art is done by Larry Hama is great stuff, and I really love the way he drew the Humanimals with once more the standouts being Lionman and Bullman! If you love the classic art style of 70’s Marvel Comics then truly Hama’s art will draw you into this story. Over all if you like this 70’s film classic and enjoyed the old comic adaptations of films make sure to give this one a read and add it to your collection.

The 1977 version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau is a great film that had some great creepy moments that featured Humanimals learning how to once more embrace their animal sides and fight against the laws and the man who created them and caused them so much pain and fear. But I think that it is time that we ourselves leave this island as it seems the Humanimals are not pleased that we have stayed so long. So as we make our way back to the boat, I should let you know that our next update will take us to The Black Hills Forest as we going looking for The Blair Witch! And as I said last update, 2026 is truly going to be the year of “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” updates, so strap in for a very spooky year! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update as we take a hike in some very haunted woods, I just hope the witch doesn’t make us stand in the corner!

Matt Goes To The Movies 2025

Posted on January 1, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Happy New Year! And man was last year a great time for seeing films at my favorite local theaters, but to be honest, every time I go to the cinema to see a film on the big screen, it makes for a great year as there is just something so amazing about the theater experience, sitting in the seats with your family and friends with a drink and snack and being taken to a new world in so many different genres. The cinema is a great escape from the stress of the real world and is a great way to unwind. And this year I mostly once again went to see as many horror films as possible but did also watch The Day The Earth Blew Up, Fantastic Four, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts and Karate Kid, all of which I enjoyed in their own ways.

So like last year, I will be sharing my countdown of the best horror films that I saw in the theater, and man, did I see a lot! But again, due to a few ongoing health issues, I did miss a few that I did want to see like Frankenstein, Self Help and Dies Irae to name a few. I also want to thank many of my friends and family that joined me in watching films at Cinemark and Regal Cinemas this year so Juliet, Jeff, Theresa, Dave and Stephen thanks for watching many of these flicks with me on the big screen in ’25.

Let’s dive into the horrors I saw in 2025 in the theater. I was a good year for horror in my opinion as we had many great original scares, foreign frights as well as some franchise returns that brought new life into the legacies. So with that, let me present to you my Countdown of Horror Films I saw in theaters from worst to best, and really besides the film in last place, most of the others that ranked lower are not terrible, they just had lots of competition this year.

# 54

A tourist town in Japan known for their hot springs is under attack by sharks that are living in the springs and are coming through the pipes and killing people! The sheriff fails to stop them and is bitten by one and falls very ill with the only cure being from one of the hot springs sharks’ fins. The Japanese government now wants to bomb the town in order to kill the sharks and not allow them to spread. But a wacky female doctor, the town’s Mayor, and Macho a strange body builder get inside of a 3-D printed submarine to go on the attack and save the town from the sharks and being bombed and are also able to get the fin to save the sheriff’s life…they even have a fight with a massive King Hot Spring Shark in order to win the good fight. This is a very silly and low budget horror comedy film from Japan that had a very limited release in America as it showed only once at the local chain theater. The film is very cheesy and the shark attacks are a mix of bad CGI and shark dolls being moved around by actors. The jokes fell flat for the viewers at the theater I saw it with as no on laughed at all. The film stars Shoichiro Akaboshi, Masaki Naito, Mio Takaki and Shigeo Osako to name a few of the film’s cast. The film did okay for Utopia at the domestic box office bringing in $26,260.00. I am not sure but I think that this film might have been crowd funded and for me was just sort of an unfunny, cheesy dud.

# 53

In 1928 Emma Schmidt has been possessed by demons and is in need of help and the church of Father Joseph Steiger has been selected to house the young woman’s exorcism that will be done by Father Theophilus Riesinger. But this small Iowa church is not ready for the evil that has arrived as nuns are getting injured, the townspeople are getting scared and Father Joseph is losing grip on his mind and faith. But when the church comes together, they are able to defeat these demons who are many from Judas to Beelzebub to save this woman’s soul. This film is based on the real story of Emma Schmidt, who had one of the biggest and well documented true exorcisms in American history that spawned many films in the horror genre, but the issue is that it brings nothing new to possession films and truly has a been there and seen that feel as even the jump scares have a familiar feel. The film stars such actors as Al Pacino, Dan Stevens, Patricia Heaton, Ashley Greene, Patrick Fabian and Abigail Cowen with many being good in their roles…Pacino not being one of them. The film had a limited release and did okay at the domestic box office bringing in $527,118.00 on an unknown budget for XYZ Films. Over all this was not a bad film, just a very middle of the road one that brings some cheap scares and another possession films to cinemas and home media for fans of that sub genre in horror.

# 52

Abraham Van Helsing, along with his wife Mina and two sons Max and Rudy, has moved away from England to America to escape as he thinks that the vampires are after them and that Dracula might have returned and wants revenge. Along the way he has also left a trail of dead bodies, all of whom he claims were vampires. But when Mina passes away, his son Max starts to question his father’s sanity and if there really are vampires or if he has been killing innocent people for all these years. When Abraham sets his sights on killing a camp of railroad workers that he claims are infected, Max must make a decision to join his father’s quest or put a stop to him once and for all. This vampire film is based on a short story by Joe Hill and is a weird twist on the Dracula story and makes you question the acts and ways of Van Helsing, and while an interesting concept, this film is a very slow burn with a middle of the road twist that I was able to spot very early into the film. The film is well acted with such names as Titus Welliver, Brady Hepner, Judah Mackey, Jocelin Donahue and Aurora Perineau being the main cast. The film had a limited release and did ok for RLJE Films at the domestic box office bringing in $212,706.00 on an unknown budget. If you like slow burn horror films with a dash of vampire lore surrounding mostly one location with a twist to the Dracula story, then check this one out.

# 51

Kris and Celina have a internet show where they visit haunted locations along with their camera man Jay. As a surprise, Kris does not take the group to a haunted cemetery that they thought they were going, but instead takes them to a haunted house in the middle of woods that no one has covered yet called the House On Eden. They discover that the house is in perfect shape with no dust on the furniture, but it does not have electricity or running water and once inside strange things start to happen like Kris blacking out and Celina talking in strange ways. Finally Kris learns that she is not alone as Celina and Jay go missing and that she is in the house of Lilith, who is looking for be reborn and claim her unborn child as her own, and she has a cult of followers to help her claim what she wants. This is a found footage horror film that is written, directed and starring YouTuber Kris Collins as well as fellow social media stars Celina Myers, Jason-Christopher Mayer and even has cameos from Sam Golbach and Colby Brock and is clearly influenced by The Blair Witch Project as well of the story of the Garden Of Eden and Lilith. The film has some good jump scares, cool old house setting and a likable cast of characters. I would like to see Kris do more horror films in the future and see how she will grow as a genre director and creator. The film had a limited release and did well for IFC Films bringing in $455,830.00 on an unknown budget. A cool first film that should please fans of found footage paranormal films as well as those of you who like ghost hunting shows on social media as this is a mix of scares as well as a dash of humor at the start before going full horror by the end.

# 50

Actress Lauren Lane is loved by the American people as she has grown up before their eyes on one of the most popular sitcoms on TV, but she is finding herself in some controversy when her personal accounts are hacked and sexy images as well as a picture of a positive pregnancy test have caused her to be the target of the media who wants answers as to who the father is. To get away from it all, she, along with her pet dog, head to a remote Air BNB in the woods to get away from the drama, only for her to find herself in danger as the baby’s father has hired a man to kill her so as to not ruin his career as he is connected to the young actress via the TV Show. She has three thieves that have broken in to try and steal, her dog is injured and rescued by a store clerk and the cops are trying to figure out what is going on…oh and poor Lauren is trapped in a room that has bad wiring and it is filling up with water. Can Lauren survive or will this be her final curtain call. This is a pretty average and yet entertaining thriller that has a bunch of characters that all end up in the same location and all hell breaks loose and the bad people get what is coming to them and the good survive…well, mostly. The film is well cast and stars such names as Sophie Turner, Katey Segal, Peter Mensah and Billy Campbell to name a few. The film had a limited release and did okay for Republic Pictures bring in $368,186.00 on an unknown budget. If you like Sophie Turner or enjoy thrillers where your lead is in lots of trouble then check this one out.

# 49

Scott is a comic book artist who lives in a big fancy home in Hollywood with his wife Liv and daughter Chloe, and things get really bad for them as they have rats in the walls and have to call in a creepy exterminator, the next door neighbor Trip has ladies of the night come visiting, a massive storm has came through and knocked out their power and worse they are no trapped inside their home as a wild pack of coyotes are on the attack and killing any person or animal that is getting in their way and the house next door is on fire with the flames spreading! Scott must get over his weakness of seeing blood and must do what he can to save his family in this horror comedy that stars the likes of Justin Long, Kate Bosworth, Mila Harris, Brittany Allen and Norbert Leo Butz. The film is an animal attack one with the coyotes ripping into human flesh and even hunting people down in their own homes and is filled with some fun bloody effects. The downside is that some of the humor falls flat, it should have been a little shorter and the ending is a little silly. I also have to say the exterminator is supposed to be a big part of the comedy, but I just found him to be a jerk and annoying. The film had a limited release and did ok for Aura Entertainment at the domestic box office bringing in a so-far unannounced amount on an unknown budget. If you like animal attack films with a dash of humor and Justin Long, give this one a watch.

# 48

As a kid, Blake Lovell lived on a farm with his father in the middle of nowhere. His father was very strict with him as the woods around their placed seemed to have been stalked by a missing hiker who got a disease called Hills Fever that turned him into an animalistic ravenger that acted like a wild wolf. Decades later Blake must return to his fathers farm after he has gone missing and been declared dead by the state. He brings along his wife Charlotte and daughter Ginger, only for them to be attacked by a strange beast man who infects Blake with a scratch giving him Hills Fever. Now he must fight not only to stay alive and keep his wits but also to get his family away from the farm house and to safety. Will Blake be able to save them or will the beast man outside rip them apart or will Blake become a beast himself? Watch this Universal Monster remake and find out for yourself. I’m not going to lie, this was very much a big letdown for me as I am a fan of the Universal Monsters with The Wolf Man being my favorite, not to mention I really liked writer and director Leigh Whannell’s take on the Invisible Man in 2020, but his version of The Wolf Man is a mostly boring lackluster fright film with only a few moments of creepiness and even some bland acting in spots. The Wolf Man in the film is not so much a werewolf as it’s a person infected with a disease that makes them into a beast like person who takes on some elements of a wolf, and while the effects of the “werewolves” are not great, they are not as bad as others have said. The cast was all right with actors like Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Matilda Firth and Sam Jaeger being the leads, and while I don’t mind actress Julia Garner, at times in this film her acting was like a cardboard box. The film did not do well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $20,707,280.00 on a budget of $25 million. Word of mouth hurt the box office of this film and I hope that it does not also hurt more Universal Monster films being reimagined in the future as I really do think Whannell and Blumhouse dropped the ball here. While not a totally bad movie and it is one I will watch again, I would just say I wish it was better and less of a letdown.

# 47

Cam Cade has been pushed into football by his late father and grew up idolizing Isaiah White, the quarterback for the Saviors who has won 8 rings and has overcome many injuries to become the greatest of all time. Cam is now slated to be the next big QB in football but is attacked before the draft and left with a brain injury and is passed on, only for White to take a chance on him wanting to privately train with him to give him a chance at playing for the Saviors as he might be retiring. But soon Cam finds that this is more like a cult and weird things are going on all around him with some pushing him to go forward and others telling him to run away as people are being hurt, he is cut off from his family and keeps getting strange injections. Will Cam become the next big football star or will he get away from this strange group that are being the Saviors franchise? Watch this weird Jordan Peele produced film and find out! This really is a horror film that blends football, a cult, having a message, being a little silly, arty shots and some blood splatter all together to make a weird hybrid that was meet with mix reviews from viewers and critics. The film has a good cast with such names as Tyriq Withers, Marlon Waynes, Julie Fox, Jim Jefferies and Don Benjamin making up some of the leads. This film did okay for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $25,009,605.00 on a budget of $27 million. I enjoyed the film for the most part but did find it also a little boring in spots as well as goofy as a character screaming “I Am Football” during a fight to the death really is one of the goofiest bits of dialogue I had heard in 2025.

# 46

Eva is a young woman who is in charge of a fishing outpost as well as the ship and its crew after her husband passed away during a fishing outing, and worse the season has been rough with food and catching being very low. One day Eva and the fisherman make a grim decision to not rescue any survivors from a boat they see that is sinking in the distance, and only after a day passes do they journey out when they find a barrel of salt pork washed ashore…but once near the wreckage the crew of the sinking ship appear and try to get aboard looking for help but they are beaten and left in the water by Eva and her crew…killing them as their bodies wash ashore later and this causes superstition to run wild at the fishing outpost of a creature of the sea who would be looking for revenge for the sins they committed and things start to get worse when what food they do have goes missing and members of the outpost are dying. This leaves Eva and what’s left of her fishing crew fighting for their lives and a way to kill this creature that has marked them for death, that is if the creature is real at all and their minds are not just turning on them. This was the first horror film I saw on the big screen in 2025, and it was a very slow burn fright flick that used atmosphere and jump scares to bring the terror. The film is really well shot and the snow covered fishing outpost and the beautiful bay helped add to the dreadful feel of the story. It is also well acted with Odessa Young playing Eva and she was fantastic with other actors as Joe Cole, Lewis Gribben, Michael Og Lane making up some of the other cast. The film had a very limited release and did okay for Theatrical Film Distribution at the domestic box office bring in $1,371,951.00 on an unknown budget. While it’s a slow watch, fans that like folk style horror should enjoy this one.

# 45

Eddie Barrish is a man that is down on his luck as he is a repeat criminal who is trying to get his life straight for his daughter, but finds himself short for cash when it comes to getting his car repaired and decides to go and rob cars to find items he can sell. He soon enters a very expensive looking car only to find himself trapped inside it as he is taken prisoner by the car’s owner William who has rigged the car to teach thieves a lesson. Eddie is surrounded by smash proof one way glass with William being able to control the heater, the radio, the AC and more from his phone. He torments Eddie with no food and water and even controls the car to commit a few hit and runs that leaves people dead. As Eddie is injured and weak, he must use his street smarts in order to outsmart William whose end game is the death of Eddie to truly teach him a lesson to honor the memory of his daughter. This is a wild horror thriller that mostly takes place inside of a car where a man is being tortured for trying to steal from it all the while the cars owner is hell bent on watching him suffer in order to teach some sort of twisted message that crime never pays. The film stars Bill Skarsgard as Eddie and Anthony Hopkins as William with other cast members being Ashley Cartwright, Michael Eklund and Navid Charkhi all who do well in their parts. The film did okay for The Avenue Entertainment at the domestic box office bringing in $1,632,758.00 on an unknown budget. This film was produced by Sam Raimi, and fans who like their horror a little claustrophobic should check it out.

# 44

Liz is going to a cabin in the woods with her boyfriend Malcolm, who is a doctor and treats her very well. She is having a good time as they have a nice dinner, she meets his weird cousin and his new girlfriend and even has a piece of cake that was made by the caretaker of the cabin…but after eating that cake is when everything seems to start to go wrong for her! Liz is starting to have terrible nightmares, is seeing and hearing things and even has been left alone in the cabin, as Malcolm has to get to the hospital to check on a patient. She soon learns that her perfect relationship might not be so and that she is being prepped for something not so wonderful…what terrors await her in this cabin in the woods and what does Malcolm have to do with them…watch this folk horror film from Osgood Perkins and find out for yourself. This is a slow burn fright film that builds to a pretty cool and creepy ending, but while the ending was good, I did feel the build up was just lacking a little something to make it a true must see classic for me. The creature effects are well done and the setting in the woods adds to the folk horror feel but I for one just did not like the characters as none of them I felt connected to in any way. The film is well casted with such names as Tatiana Maslany, Rossif Sutherland, Birkett Turton, Eden Wiess and Tess Degenstein in the cast. The film did well for Neon at the domestic box office bring in $4,200,165.00 on a budget of $6 million. If you like slow burn folk fright films or just enjoy the work of Osgood Perkins, make sure to give this one a watch.

# 43

Dre is holding a drag rave party in New York when all hell breaks loose and a zombie outbreak happens leaving her trapped inside the club with her performers, staff and brother in law as they try and survive the night…but she is also worried about her wife who works at the hospital when she cannot get ahold of her, as in reality she and a patient are on their way to the club, but can any of these members of the LGBTQ+ community and the brother in law survive this night of the undead or will they all be eaten and join the ranks? Watch this horror comedy by Tina Romero, daughter of George A. Romero, and find out for yourself. This is a pretty fun fright film that has likable characters and the classic slow moving zombies that were featured in her father’s films. It even has some nice throw backs to those films in the music and dialogue. The film is a mixed bag of humor with some parts making you laugh with other parts falling flat. The main flaw it has is that at times it drags a little and the zombies are very much a second thought as the focus is the characters and a message about acceptance and the different groups that make up that LGTBQ+ community. The film is well cast with such names as Katy O’Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Jack Haven, Riki Lindhome, Nina West, Tomas Matos and Margaret Cho being some of the main cast. The film did well for IFC at the domestic box office during its limited run bringing in $113,123.00 on an unknown budget. If you enjoy zombie horror comedy films or just want to see a film done by Tina Romero, give this one a watch.

# 42

Rosario is a very successful stockbroker who finds out that her grandmother has passed away and during a massive snow storm she must go to her apartment and wait for the ambulance to take the body away. While stuck inside this small apartment, she soon learns that an entity named Kobayende is after her soul as someone in her family may have placed a curse on her that is causing her to see visions of her own dead mother who is hunting her around the apartment. Rosario must dive into the faith of Pola and figure out why and or who has cursed her and find a way to survive until morning as this entity wants what is owed to him. This is a pretty entertaining supernatural fright film that is mostly set inside of a run down apartment building complete with a few weird tenants and a creature that can shape shift into looking like the dead body of a loved one. The film relies heavily on the isolation of the apartment and the bad snow storm outside to make you feel like Rosario really is in a dangerous spot with Kobayende after her very soul. The film is well cast with Emeraude Toubia as Rosario. She is fantastic as are David Dastmalchian, Paul Ben-Victor and Jose Zuniga. The film had a limited release and did ok ayfor Mucho Mas Releasing bringing in $866,466.00 on an unknown budget. Some cool effects, a creepy creature and Emeraude being beautiful is just some of the reasons you should check this one out.

# 41

Chloe is a teenage girl who has lost two of her friends to drug overdoses, and while her father is understanding of her pain, her mother and brother are a little less so. When they move into a new home, a presence is around and watches the family as they have personal issues. It also seems to be watching out after Chloe. When a young man keeps coming around who might not have pure intentions towards her, it becomes clear that its not there to harm the family but watch after one of them. But who or what is the presence and what will it do to truly keep Chloe safe? Well watch this Neon horror film that takes place from the point of view of the presence. This is a slow burn horror film that is not about the scares as it’s about the pain of loss as well as how cruel people can be to one another as it also touches on being there for your family during the hard times. The film is well casted with Callina Liang as Chloe being the standout and other cast including Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland and Natalie Woolams. The film also does something very interesting as it all takes place from the view of the presence so we see what it sees and know what it knows. The film did well for Neon at the domestic box office on its limited release bringing $6,900,044.00 on a budget of $2 million. This movie is not for everyone as it really is more of a arty style slower paced film, but I found it entertaining and am glad to have seen it on the big screen.

# 40

Violet is a single mother who survived an abusive husband and is finally going on a first date with a man named Henry Campbell (a photographer for the mayor) at a very posh restaurant called Palate, but her date turns deadly when an unknown person keeps dropping her messages that is ordering her to kill her date. She also finds that a masked killer is in her home and if she looks for help, word will be given to kill her son as well as her sister that is babysitting! Violet must play this sick game, all the while trying to figure out who is behind these threats as well as not alerting others to her dilemma as if she fails then those who mean the most to her will die. This is fun thriller horror film that plays sort of like a modern Hitchcock film as it builds the suspense and dread for our main character as she does not want to kill her date but also does not want to lose her son. The film is well cast with such names as Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Reed Diamond, Gabrielle Ryan Spring and Jeffery Self making up the main cast. The film did pretty well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $16,600,805.00 on a budget of $11 million. If you like thrillers that is the right amount of suspense as well as a touch of humor, make sure to give this one a watch. Also a cool bonus: when we saw this film, in attendance were the cousins of the film’s writers.

# 39

As a child, Bruce Tucker survived a shark attack and now gives swimming with the shark experiences, but he has a truly dark side as he will kidnap two women and then take them out into the ocean and film as he feeds them to the sharks! He is able to capture surfer Zephyr and young lady Heather, and after feeding Heather to the sharks, Zephyr fights to survive. Her new love interest Moses comes looking for her, and they both find themselves at the mercy of Tucker who wants to feed the sharks and make his videos, but will Zephyr become chum in the water or will this surfer girl fight back and let the sharks finish what they started with Tucker those many years ago…watch this horror thriller and find out for yourself. This is a weird and twisted film that is mostly set out at sea as the killer is obsessed with sharks as well as filming the painful deaths of his victims as they are munched on by sharks. It’s almost like he gets off on their screams and the fear in their eyes as he watches the death tapes as he eats his meals. Another weird thing he does is snip off some of their hair in order to use them on lures. The film is well cast and acted with such names as Hassie Harrison, Josh Heuston, Jai Courtney and Ella Newton making up the main cast. The film did well for IFC Films at the domestic box office bringing in $2,733,481.00 on an unknown budget. While this is an entertaining film, it is one that sort of just runs middle of the road that does have an interesting story as well as a crazy killer. I do think you should see it at least once as who knows, this might be the next Wolf Creek for you when it comes to horror set in Australia.

# 38

Sergeant Ryan Baker leads a platoon called The Vultures in the Vietnam war with them being sent on high risk rescue missions. When they get sent out to find some missing Green Berets, they soon find themselves in big danger as deep in the jungle they are under attack by a group of Russian soldiers as well as even more deadly dinosaurs and now Ryan and his men must fight for their lives against these deadly beasts as well as try and finish their mission and stop a crazed plot of time portals being done by a crazed Russian general whose motivations are unclear. This is a fun action packed horror film that is like a war film meets Jurassic Park with lots of dinosaurs eating people and soldiers blasting things with their guns while all your typical music used for Vietnam War films (like CCR) plays in the background. The film does have some cool blood deaths, and The Vultures are all likable characters and you can never go wrong with t-rex’s and raptors on a rampage. The film is well cast with such names as Ryan Kwanten, Tricia Helfer, Nick Wchsler, Anthony Ingruber and Jeremy Piven, to name a few. The film did ok for Fathom Events at the domestic box office in a limited run bringing in $1,005,222.00 on a unknown budget. If you like killer dinosaur films or weird war ones, make sure to check this one out.

# 37

Maya and her fiancé were attacked by The Strangers, a trio of masked killers, and she is the only survivor who barely escaped with her life. While she’s in the hospital, the trio end up arriving and try to finish her off but Maya is a fighter and ends up escaping the hospital, fleeing through the woods, being attacked by a wild boar, and meeting some locals who may not have her health in mind. All the while she is being stalked by The Strangers who are killing anyone that tries to help her, but in the end Maya is able to take out one of their members, the Pin-Up Girl, as the film leaves us on a cliffhanger for Chapter 3, the final film in this new trilogy. This film is pretty much one big chase scene as Maya is always on the run while the killers are tracking her down wanting to make her dead meat, and it also adds in elements that just maybe The Strangers are connected to a church or religious cult of some kind. But we will not get that answered until the next film. The film is your normal slasher film where the killer(s) play cat and mouse games with their victim and some moments will make you wonder why they’re happing, like the attack and killing of a wild boar. The film stars Madelaine Petsch, Ema Horvath, Rachel Shenton and Gabriel Basso, to name a few and was plagued with bad reviews when released. The film did so-so for Lionsgate at the domestic box office bringing in $15,153,346.00 on a budget of around $8.5 million. While it is a flawed film with some cool kills as well as head scratching moments, it is one that you should check. out if you like the other films in the series.

# 36

Riley Brennan is the host of a paranormal YouTube show. Since she was a kid, she has had terrible nightmares and saw a demonic figure through her window always watching her. When she goes missing for 12 years and her crew is found dead, her sister Mia is part of a documentary about the killing and disappearance when a man shows up to her house with a tape from her sisters show and shoots himself dead. Now Mia travels to Shelby Oaks, Ohio to find her missing sister and unfolds a sinister trail that has a demonic being named Tarion that has followed the sisters since their youth, the reason for the man’s suicide, and the reason for her sister’s disappearance.Mia must face her own fears…will she find her sister and if so will she still be alive? Check out the film and find out for yourself. This is a good fright flick that blends both found footage and supernatural horror together and adds some twists as well as turns as well is set in Ohio. The film has a cool demon character in Tarion who lurks around and at times is even played by Derek Mears and it also is well casted with such names as Camille Sullivan, Sarah Durn, Brendan Sexton III, Robin Bartlett, Charlie Talbert and even an appearance by Keith David. Shelby Oaks did well for Neon at the domestic box office bringing in $4,500,051.00 on a budget of around $2.8 million showing that movie goers really do enjoy seeing scares on the big screen. If you like films about found footage as well as a demon who just wants his chaos to continue on by using the young, make sure to check this one out.

# 35

Clover and her friends are looking for her missing sister Melanie who has went missing, and the last location she was known to be around is Glore Valley, a strange place that’s town center is surrounded by raging thunderstorms and appears to be deserted, but when a hourglass on the wall turns over on its own, all hell breaks loose as Clover and her friends are killed over and over again by monsters, killers and spirits only to wake back up and repeat the night only gaining some small clues on how to survive as they need to last until dawn on the eleventh night as well as find a way to stop Dr. Hill who is responsible for this hellish nightmare. Will Clover and her pals be able to survive or will they just become more lost souls trapped in this loop of terror, and also will Clover find her sister and discover her fate? This film is based on the popular Playstation video game, but those who are the fans of the game might be a little annoyed as the fright flick swerves very far away from the game’s plot. The film has many gruesome kills and many cool creatures, as they are the highlights for this entertaining fright flick. The film is well cast with such names as Ella Rubin, Odessa A’zion, Ji-young Yoo, Michael Cimino, Belmont Cameli and Peter Stormare making up the main cast. What works for this film is the setting of a strange town surrounded by bad weather that is populated by a crazed doctor and supernatural killers all looking to kill and strike fear on those foolish enough to enter this cursed forgotten town. The film did ok for Sony at the domestic box office bringing in $20,172,192.00 on a budget of $15 million. While the film got lots of hate from critics on horror news websites, it really was a fun watch in the theater and is one I bought on home media when released.

# 34

Elliot Kintner and his daughter Ridley are guests at the Leopold estate that is in the middle of a nature reserve. While driving up they accidentally hit and kill a unicorn and out of fear they hide it in their car and try to act normal, but they also find out that the creature’s blood cures them of small ailments like sinuses and acne. When the unicorn wakes up and the Leopold family find out about the healing properties (that even cures Odell Leopold of his cancer), they want to harvest the creature’s blood and horn shavings as a way to help cure people…well those who can pay lots of money for the limited treatments. But they all soon find themselves in trouble as the unicorn they have is a child and its two very pissed off parents are on a rampage to heal it back to life and get revenge on those who have been keeping it and with Ridley being the only one besides the family butler to see how wrong this all is. She must find a way to save herself and father from the deadly horns of the Unicorns in this A24 horror comedy creature feature. This is a pretty silly and bloody film as the Unicorns impale bodies with their horns as well as use their teeth to rip out the guts of their victims, and the humor is dark at times it brought a few laughs to the almost filled theater. The films unicorns are CGI and are pretty cool looking in my opinion even thought some critics slammed the effects. The film is well cast with such names as Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, Richard E. Grant, Tea Leoni, Will Poulter, Jessica Hynes, Sunita Mani and Anthony Carrigan making up the leads. The film did well for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $12,899,252.00 on a $15 million budget. While this horror comedy might not be for everyone, I found it to be an enjoyable, bloody creature feature that had a few good laughs.

# 33

Ambi has lost her husband and has to return to his home town to get his last wish of selling his family manor done, along with her daughter Shweta they face a town that has been plagued with missing young woman who are taken into the jungle and return a few days later very much different as there is talk of a demon that is transforming the girls into his demonic army in order to fight the Goddesses and take over the world! And when this Demon takes Shweta, it is up to Ambi to get the power of the Goddess Kali in order to save her as well as the other girls of the village from his evil clutch as well as end his reign of terror in the village as well as the whole world once and for all. This is a spinoff film from the 2024 Bollywood fright flick Shaitaan and continues the world of demons and black magic and for the most part is a pretty interesting and entertaining film…just not as good as Shaitaan. The Demon whose name is Ambika has a tree like appearance and is creepy, the film does have some deaths and gruesome moments and is well casted with such names as Kajol, Ronit Roy, Indraneil Sengupta, Kherin Sharma and Roopkatha Chakraborty all being great in their roles. I will say that I think the film does start off a little slow and builds to a battle between mother and demon that was well done.The film had a limited release in America and for the screening I went to the theater was almost fully packed! This is one I enjoyed and was a demon film that also had some Evil Dead like moments.

# 32

A small fishing village in India has been cursed since the 1980’s as any time fishermen head out to sea, they are found washed ashore dead. Now in 2025 the village is getting their money from Thomas, a smuggler from a neighboring village who pays them to work for him. He tells the villagers that they need to sacrifice ladies once in awhile to the spirits in the ocean who are angry. King and his friends once worked for Thomas, but when their young crew member Benji is killed and they find out that they have been smuggling drugs and not sea cucumbers like they were told, they fight against their former boss and set out into the cursed ocean to find out its deep dark secrets that includes a razor teethed zombie ghost, the zombie ghosts of the ladies that have been sacrificed, waves filled with bones and skulls and the true secret of why these waters are cursed and who holds the power to stop it all. Kingston is a cool Bollywood Horror film that has elements of The Fog mixed in to deliver some scares in-between a crime plot that is unfolding and once the film’s setting is switched to a boat on the ocean the pace for the terror really picks up. The zombie ghosts effects are a mix of practical and digital, and they are effective when they appear. I really liked King as well as his crew and lady Rose; they made for a team that I found myself cheering on to make it through this deadly journey. The film is well cast with such names as G.V. Prakash Kumar, Divyabharathi, Chetan, Nithin Sathya and Sabumon Abdusamad making up some of the main cast. The film had a limited theatrical release in America, and I am not sure how well it did at the domestic box office, but seems to have done well overseas. If you like your horror films set in the ocean with evil zombie like spirits on the loose and some musical numbers that will get stuck in your head, give this one a watch.

# 31

Riya wakes up injured and with no memory in a space station on another world and finds the bodies of her fellow crew members that all have been murdered with one of them missing. She soon is joined by Brion who claims that she sent out an SOS, but as the stations oxygen levels drop and her memories start coming back, she does not trust her own mind as she thinks she might have been the one that killed them all…but also that there might be an alien life form loose on the ship that might have infected the missing crewmember…but will her memories return in time for her to save herself from the lack of oxygen and the alien…or is she doomed to die like all the others. This is a weird sci-fi horror flick that is a slightly slow burn but does a great job of presenting a mystery that unravels a little at a time as the plot moves forward, and it’s also shot really well and makes great use of lighting and its score. And Spoiler…the alien once inside the body of Brion is really cool a creepy as his head is split and tentacles are flying around. The film is well casted with such names as Eiza Gonzalez, Aaron Paul, Flying Lotus, Kate Elliot, Iko Uwais and Beulah Koale all doing great in their roles. The film had a limited released in America and did okay for RLJE Films bringing in around $1,083,743.00 on an unknown budget. This was a really well done fright film and it was great seeing Juliet jump out of her seat at least three times during the screening, and it’s one I bought when released on home media.

# 30

Hank was a high school football star who’s home town is being overran by a plant like organism called Ick that ends up the reason Hank breaks his leg and is forced to stay in the small town and become a science teacher as he lost his cheerleader girlfriend Staci, is battling alcoholism and his father dies of a heart attack. The Ick has now turned deadly and is attacking the locals, and Hank learns that Staci’s teenager daughter Grace could be his and does what he must to save her from The Ick as well as fight back against The Ick who ruined his life and is once more trying to take everything from him. This sci-fi comedy horror film is very much inspired by The Blob and has some pretty gruesome deaths as well as likable characters making for a very fun watch. The film is also filled with songs from 2000’s bands like Creed, Blink 182 and All American Rejects and is well casted with such names as Brandon Routh, Mena Suvari, Malina Weissman, Jeff Fahey and Taia Sophia all who do great jobs. The film had a limited release and did well for Fathom Events at the domestic box office as it brought in unknown profits on a unknown budget. If you like sci-fi horror that has comedy mixed in, make sure to check this one out.

# 29

Max is a 15 year old girl who has a hard time fitting in as she is quiet and into performing magic tricks. On Halloween night she is mocked by her fellow classmates and ends up being entwined with The Jester, a demonic being that is going around collecting souls that he shows a magic trick to, and after Max gets him with a trick, he has to have her with him to pull off the collecting as they both have to do so before a candle runs out or they are doomed to burn. Max must play his game and lead people to their deaths via tricks, all the while trying to figure out how to beat The Jester at his own game. This is a fun indie slasher film that takes place during Halloween, and this makes it feel like a more bloody version of a Goosebumps or Are Your Afraid Of The Dark episodes. The Jester is very much cut from the same villain cloth as Art The Clown from Terrifier as he is a mute killer that pantomimes his sinister deeds, and I will say I really liked the Max character as I felt bad for her as so many people were just mean to her for no reason. The film is well casted with such names as Kaitlyn Trentham, Michael Sheffield, Dingani Beza and Jessica Ambuehl in main roles and all doing a great job. The film did alright for Fathom Events during its limited run in the theaters bringing in unknown profits on a unknown budget. If you liked the original film or just enjoy modern slashers, give this one a watch.

# 28

Quinn Maybrook and her father have moved to Kettle Springs after her mother passed away from a drug overdose, she soon starts a friendship with Cole and his friends who make horror themed internet videos based around Frendo, the clown mascot for the town’s old corn syrup brand called Baypen. But one night Quinn and her friends become the target for a batch of masked Frendo killers who are out to slaughter them as this town’s mascot is not to be mocked as it has it crazed followers who want things to remain the same…can Quinn and her friends survive this clown massacre or will she be just another victim of this town’s dirty little secret that has been going on for decades? Give this slasher film a watch and find out for yourself. This is based on the book of the same name that was written by Adam Cesare and does a good job of following it. It’s rated R and packs in some bloody kills as well as clown masked killers that I am sure will chill some viewers’ blood. The film is well cast with Katie Douglas, Cassandra Potenza and Verity Marks stealing the show and Carson MacCormac, Vincent Muller, Aaron Abrams, Will Sasso and Kevin Durand all being fantastic as well. The film did well for RLJ Entertainment bringing in $7,251,799.00 at the domestic box office on a budget of only $1 million. If you like the book, like slasher films with masked killers, like horror films geared toward young adults that still have a R rated bite, then check this one out.

# 27

Kids are going missing being taken by Peter Pan who claims that he is taking them to Neverland, a place they will never grow up as he will also call and taunt their families. It’s clear that Peter is targeting LGBTQ children who are little boys and to get some of them, he will kill their family as well as other children that do not fit his requirements. When Peter ends up kidnapping young Michael Darling, he learns that his older sister Wendy will not stop until she finds him, and the two have a massive fight in Peter’s drug den home as this scared up killer does not want his delusions and fantasy to be disrupted. This is part of the Poohverse and is an off shoot of Winnie The Pooh Blood And Honey as at some point the two will crossover. Peter Pan is a creepy slasher villain who is clearly insane, as he likes to kill and be around small children and will even make weird voices at time. The film also has a trans drug addict Tinker Bell and a tortured victim in the basement with a hook for a hand that is this twisted world’s version of Captain Hook. The film is also pretty bloody and does borrow some elements from Black Phone and Terrifier. The film is well cast with Martin Portlock as Peter Pan, Kit Green as Tinker Bell and Megan Placito as Wendy Darling who is a pretty cool final girl, and I for one would love to see Placito in more horror movie roles. The film did pretty well for Iconic Events Releasing at the domestic box office for its limited release bringing in around $230,515.00 on a budget of around £250,000. While not a groundbreaking fright flick, it was a fun one to see on the big screen.

# 26

Jason is 24 years old and is returning to be a counselor at Camp Pineway. He is the oldest one and is pretty much considered a dork by his team and that is only by the ones who remember him! But things get really bad for the counselors when a killer in a devil mask starts killing them off one by one and poor Jason is blamed for being the killer and must find the courage to be the lead counselor and save the lives of his fellow co-workers as well as clear his name of being the killer. But can Jason be the hero he wants to be and will be able to stop the killer of killers on the loose? This is pretty fun horror comedy that has some silly laughs mixed in the slasher kills and while it does have some blood being spilled, it’s really not that gory of a fright flick so don’t expect a Friday The 13^th style body count or amount of splatter. The film is well acted and the cast is great that includes Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard, Julia Lalonde and Pardis Saremi being only some of the talents in the film. The film did well for Neon at the American box office bringing in $3,182,678.00 on a budget of $3 million once more showing indie horror is a draw at theaters. If you like horror comedies, make sure to check this one out. It is one I got on home media when released.

# 25

The Long Walk has 50 boys from all the United States walking for hundred of miles nonstop while being televised to bring up the American spirit. The walkers are given no breaks and must keep a pace of 3 miles per hour, and worse they have the military following them and The Major giving them pep talks…and if a boy gets three warnings or breaks the rules, they are shot dead as only one can win the prize. All the boys have their reasons to want to win the walk and among them is Ray who ends up making friends with a boy named Peter as the two watch out for one another as others are dying around them. Who will win this long walk and in the end what will be their big wish? Watch the film and find out. This is a good thriller film that is a character piece as along this walk of death and glory, we get to meet a group of boys who all come from different backgrounds who end up becoming friends, having bonds and then having to watch as members are killed off one by one and each death seems to bring on more dread as the numbers drop and you as a viewer realize that your favorite character could be next. The film is well cast with such actors as Cooper Hoffman, David McVries, Ben Wang, Garrett Wareing, Joshua Odjick, Mark Hamill and Judy Greer to name a few. The film did not great for Lionsgate at the domestic box office bringing in $35,163,573.00 on a budget of $20 million. If you like the more character driven thriller stories of Stephen King as this film is based off his novel of the same name, check this film out.

# 24

Billy Chapman lost his parents at a young age when they were killed by Charlie, a man dressed as Santa Claus on their way home from visiting his grandpa who lived in a retirement home. When the killer is also killed and Billy touches the dying man, he becomes a killer himself as the voice of Charlie drives him to hunt and kill selected people that are killers themselves! Billy ends up meeting Pamela and falls in love with her and is torn between continuing his bloody work or settling down, but his secret to her exposed when killer The Snatcher kills her father and Billy takes her with him to get revenge. This film is lots of blood splattered fun and is like if you mixed Silent Night Deadly Night with Dexter and Venom as our killer Billy only kills the bad people and also has a inner voice that guides him. And it’s weird, this version of Billy is more grounded and just knows that he has been selected to kill bad people via the month of December and also his own parents were killers and he has no brother Ricky. The film is well casted with such names as Rohan Campbell, Ruby Modine, David Tomlinson, Mark Acheson and David Lawrence to name a few and all who do well with what they are given. The film did ok for Iconic Events Releasing at the domestic box office on its limited release bringing in $1,495,324 on an unknown budget. If you are looking for a straight up slasher, you might be a little annoyed by the more goofy supernatural elements, but if you are looking for something goofy to watch or love the other Silent Night sequels, check it out!

# 23

Doug and his friends Griff, Kenny and Claire made and watched many horror films growing up and now all of them have hit a rut in their lives, and they decide to remake one of their favorite films Anaconda and even raise a small budget and head to the jungles and waters of the Amazon! But the friends soon find themselves being hunted by a truly massive anaconda snake as well as being involved with some gold smugglers who are being tracked by the police, and all the while all they want to do is survive and make their movie. This is a really fun, silly, action packed fright flick that did a fantastic job of bringing this film franchise back to the big screen and introduce it to a whole new audience. And while there are some that have grumbled that the film is a comedy with horror elements, it really is an entertaining film with likable characters, plus the story of friends making movies together hit home for this aging SOV filmmaker. The film has a great cast the includes Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior and Selton Mello with cameos from Ice Cube and Jennifer Lopez the stars of the original film. The film did well for 20^th Century Films at the domestic box office bringing in (as of this update’s posting) $29,571,097 on a budget of around $45 million. If you like giant snake films that packs both laughs and scares give this one a watch.

# 22

Young Charlotte saves a boys life in 1982 who was going to be killed by William Afton while at Freddy Fazebear’s Pizza, and she ends up being stabbed and killed and her death ruled an accident by some. Her spirit is inside the animatronic The Marionette where it has been asleep sense the crime and the restaurant was closed down, and when The Marionette is awakened, she wants revenge of parents who she blames for her death and uses Abby who befriended the animatronics in the past to help truly free them and allow them to roam free in the town to kill all those Charlotte deems as being bad as she is the one controlling them now! As things get bad, Abby her brother Mike and ex-cop Vanessa, the daughter of William, must find a way to stop this slaughter while trying to make contact with the original animatronics that had the souls of the killed children in order to fight these more advanced killer bots. Will they be able to stop The Marionette or will the town be doomed for crimes of the past done by one madman who ran a pizza parlor and served murder on the side? The film did well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $121,162,630.00 on a budget of around $51 million showing that Blumhouse had a few good hits this year. This is one I will pick up once released on physical media.

# 21

Indy is a dog whose owner Todd that is very sick with a terminal lung illness that has him deciding to live in his grandfathers old home in the middle of the woods. His sister does not agree with this move and she even teases him about it being haunted. As time passes, Indy starts seeing a black shaped figure as well as the ghost of Todd’s grandfather’s missing dog. As his master keeps getting sicker and sicker, Indy does what he must in order to try and save Todd from the unknown all the while having to face that nothing can stop death. This is a haunted house film through the eyes of a dog and is filled with some spooky jump scares as well as some sad and depressing moments. The fact that a dog is the main actor in the film and is not a trained actor dog makes this even more of a fun watch as he does such a great job, as does the human cast who are the following actors Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, Stuart Rudin and Larry Fessenden, and I also want to say Max ,who played the Grandfather’s dog Bandit also did fantastic. It has a short run time that makes it move along pretty fast and the use of typical fright backgrounds like thunderstorms and a graveyard help build the creepiness. The film did well for IFC during its limited release bringing in $6,624,062.00 on an unknown budget. If you like your horror films with dogs as lead characters make sure to check this one out.

# 20

Millie and Tim are a couple that end up moving to a small town, as she is a teacher and found a job and he is a musician who is dealing with some issues after he found his father dead and rotting and his mother mentally broke. During a hike in the woods around their home, they get stuck in a storm and end up falling into a cave that is odd as it is filled with church likes vibes, and when Tim drinks some water from the cave, the two find themselves sticking together as well as being drawn to one another in painful and trance like ways. As their bodies start merging and melting together, the couple has to figure out a way to stop it as well as why it’s happing, but will they be able to stop it or will two become one? This is a weird and entertaining body horror film that has interesting characters and some cool effects and once more shows that Neon is a player in the world of Indie horror. The film stars Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Damon Herriman and Mia Morrissey all of whom are fantastic in their roles and help add to the strange events of the film that is unfolding. The film did well for Neon at the domestic box office bringing in $21,273,159.00 on a budget of $17 million. If you like body horror that also has a weird religious cult, make sure to check this one out.

# 19

Ramona lives out on a farm with her kids Taylor and Ramona, and things are a little sad as David, the father, has passed away in a car wreck, but things get spooky for them when a woman dressed in all black and her face covered appears in their yard. As time passes she keeps getting closer, and strange things start happening in the house as Ramona and Taylor clash over what to do as his mother’s behavior is off and its clear that this woman in the yard is up to no good. Soon the family is tormented by this dressed in black woman who can use her shadow to slay animals, cause destruction and sneak into places where it can be cast to torment the family as she is on a mission to get to Ramona and cause her to do a life altering act that will change the course of the family forever. This is a pretty good horror thriller that deals in many deep subjects like grief, depression, suicide and trust and ties it around a supernatural element with The Woman In The Yard who on this day is the source of all the families issues coming to the surface. This film is well cast and the short list of actors that appear include Danielle Deadwyler, Peyton Jackson, Estella Kahiha, Russell Hornsby and Okwui Okpolwasili as The Woman, and they all do great jobs in their roles. The film has a few jump scares but really plays off the fear of events that you cannot change. The film did well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $22,405,985.00 on a budget of $12 million. This film again deals with dark subject matter like suicide so it will not be for all viewers, but it is one I bought when released on home media as I thought it was a spooky little PG-13 fright film.

# 18

Vyom is a paranormal investigator, who is hired to look into strange suicides that are taking place at a medical collage as the deaths are very gruesome and the bodies show signs of fast decay and rumors of an evil spirit starts to spread around the campus and town. During his investigation, he gets the help of Anthony, a worker at the collage, and meets Avanthika, a PHD student teacher who seems to be a target for this paranormal madness that is tied into the collages library, its past as a church, medical experiments done with sound, hidden secrets, lies, torture, disabled youth, music and bats! Can Vyom crack this case and find out what this spirit or spirits want, or will more deaths happen until their from beyond message is heard? Watch his fun Bollywood fight flick and find out for yourself. This is a really fun and spooky film that brings in ghosts, bats, black magic and a haunted location together to deliver its story of tragedy and sadness with a pretty good hero who is strong willed and keeps at his task until he can solve the case. The film is well cast with such names as Aadhi Pinisetty, Lakshmi Menon, Simran, Redin Kingsley and Rajiv Menon all in featured roles and all do great work. The film does have some musical numbers but they are not ones that feature the characters as are more used to push along the story in almost montages, and many of the effects are done by digital with the colony of bats being the most obvious. The film had a limited release in America ,and I am not sure how well it did her at the domestic box office. If you like supernatural horror films from India, make sure to give this one a watch as it was a fun one.

# 17

Ariel Ecton is a young journalist who is working for a magazine and is looking for her big break in order to get the fame in order to write books and novels, and she is shocked when she is selected to attend a listening party for iconic musician Alfred Moretti, who disappeared 27 years ago and is back with a new album. Ariel is joined by her boss as well as other journalists of all types from TV to social media and she soon finds that this is going to be one weird experience as Moretti is living in a compound with a cult that are called the Levelists. And the journalists start to go missing, Moretti and the cult keep getting weirder and it’s clear to Ariel that this gathering is much more that just a listen party as something sinister is going on and she must find a way to escape this cult in order to tell her story to the world. This is a strange and fun horror film that has a dash of comedy that really works well together as it brings a celebrity twist to the idea of a cult and the quest that people who are creative strive to make their masterpiece. The film is well casted with Ayo Edebiri who plays Ariel being the standout and rest of the cast including John Malkovich, Amber Midthunder, Juliette Lewis, Murray Barlett, Stephanie Suganami as well as the others all being outstanding as well. The film also has a great score and some fun songs done by Malkovich as the Moretti character that will get stuck in your head. The film did ok for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $1,993,397.00 on a budget of $10 million. This is one that for some reason was met with mix reviews, but is one that I really enjoyed and bought even when released on home media.

# 16

Ally is having a rough time as she has broken up with her boyfriend and her job is in trouble for a jewelry company as her ad campaign has caused bad responses. It’s Valentines Day and she meets Jay Simmons a man who has been hired to help her get things back on track, and the two end up being the target for the Heart Eyes Killer (HEK) who goes around killing couples on this holiday in different states every year. While Ally and Jay are not a couple, they are mistaken for one and must fight back against this masked killer, confront their growing feelings for one another as well as just survive this terrible night filled with love and slaughter. This is a fun romantic comedy horror film that is brought to you by some of the same people who made such films as Happy Death Day and Werewolves Within, and it does a great job of blending all the genres together. The masked Heart Eyes Killer has a cool look and is pretty menacing with his knives and mini crossbow, and it does have some pretty gruesome deaths that spill blood on the scenes. The film is well cast with such names as Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Jordana Brewster, Devon Sawa, Gigi Zumbado and Latham Gaines all who did great in their roles. The film did well for Sony at the domestic box office bringing in $30,415,738.00 on a budget of $18 million. A fun slasher with some romance that is worth checking out if you enjoy your horror with some laughs.

# 15

Gemma is now spending her time to try and rope in AI and robotic usage among companies as well as kids, and this is causing her niece Cady lots of annoyance. But when a combat robot made from the same designs for M3GAN named AMELIA goes rogue and is committing murder and killing all those who were responsible for her production, Gemma must rebuild M3GAN who is the only one that might be able to defeat this was machine. But can Gemma trust M3GAN who is still very loyal to Cady and protecting her? Has M3GAN learned from her past programed mistakes? And who or what is behind AMELIA? Well I am not going to tell you as you need to checkout this fun sequel for yourself and find out! I really enjoyed this film and found it to be a good mix of horror, sci-fi, action and comedy and the character of M3GAN shows growth and goes from a robotic terror to a robotic hero of sorts. The film has some cool kills as well as some weird moments that should please fans of the original who don’t mind that the horror aspects are being shared with other genres. The film is well casted with many returning faces like Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Arnie Donald, Jenna Davis, Jen Van Epps and Brian Jordan Alvarez with new names like Ivanna Sakhno, Jemaine Clement, Timm Sharp and Aristotle Athari all doing great in their parts. The film did well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $24,101,280.00 on a budget of around $25 million. I am looking forward to a M3GAN 3 and also got on home media once released, also for some reason this film faced lost of negative vibes before it was even released, but as always, don’t listen to critics or online views, check it out for yourself.

# 14

Winston Gooze is a man that is down on his luck his girlfriend passed away and he is raising her son Wade as his own, he is a janitor for an enhancement drug company, the place that he lives is being bullied by a crime lord to sell the property and he also has found out he is dying from a brain ailment! And when he finds that the companies insurance will not cover his medical treatments, he tries to steal money from them and ends up being shot, killed and dumped in water along with his radioactive mop where he becomes mutated and is called the Toxic Avenger as he runs around defeating crime as well as tries to bring down his old boss who himself becomes a hideous deformed monster of superhuman size and strength and also must save his son who has been kidnapped as well as work alongside an activist who is trying to also expose the drug company for the liars and killers they are. This is a super fun and gory remake of the Troma cult classic film that brings a new character into the Toxic Avenger name and allows him to try and clean up his city from the crime and greed of big business. The film would have such names as Peter Dinklage, Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Taylour Paige, Jacob Tremblay, Julia Davis and Luisa Guerreiro in the main cast. The film had a limited Unrated release in theaters and did pretty well for Iconic Events Releasing bringing in $2,866,783.00 on an unknown budget. While not as good as the original film, this splatter funfest holds its own and is one that I say you should check out if you like your horror films mixed with humor and over the top violence.

# 13

Iris is a companion robot to Josh and they are invited to stay a weekend at his friend Kat’s boyfriends Sergey house in the woods near a lake and miles away from people. But things get crazy when Iris ends up killing Sergey after he comes on to her forcefully and she is quickly shutdown and tied up so that the police can be called and she can be arrested for her crime…but soon Iris finds that she has been set up by Josh as he hacked her programing and caused her to kill to defend herself, and now Iris must get away from the crime scene and her one time lover and his friends before she is shutdown for one final time. This film has lots of bloody fun moments, as it’s a horror sci-fi film that has some gruesome kills, a likable main character even if she is a robot and some caring and humorous moments. The idea of a companion sex robot finding her inner strength and joy of being a living being and fighting back against her abusive, controlling and greedy ex-owner is something to behold. Sophie Thatcher is fantastic as Iris and the rest of the cast that includes such actors as Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Gullen, and Rupert Friend. The film did pretty well for New Line Cinema at the domestic box office bringing in $20,809,101.00 on a budget of around $10 million. If you like weird horror films that feature a robot as the main character who is both beautiful and likable, make sure to give Companion a watch.

# 12

Ava and her friends Danica, Teddy, Milo and Stevie are hanging out on the 4^th of July in 2024 when at a Dead Man’s curve in the road they pull over to watch the fireworks and goof around and by doing so they cause an accident that has a man named Sam Cooper to wreck and die as his truck goes over the cliff. And they swear to cover it all up with the help of Teddy’s father who is a very rich man. But the next year Daniaca gets a card that alerts her that some one knows what they did last summer during her bridal shower, and now the friends have to come back together to figure out who is threatening them and later killing them off one by one! And they end up getting the help of Julie James and Ray Bronson who survived killing very similar back in 1997, but who is this killer and why are they wearing a fisherman coat and armed with a hook and spear gun and why are they killing the friends as well as others around town? Well watch this fourth film in the series and find out for yourself as the killer might just shock you. This was such a fun throwback film as I feel that the “I Know What You Did Last Summer” films are in the same league as “Scream” when it comes to iconic horror film franchises that were spawned in the 90’s. The film as some good kills, and I have to say it was great seeing Jennifer Love Hewitt as Julie James on the big screen again as it was nice seeing actors like Freddie Prinze Jr., Brandy Norwood and Sarah Michelle Gellar return as well as new faces like Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline and Sarah Pidgeon being wonderful fresh new faces to the series with Cline having a Florence Pugh charm to her and for me that’s fantastic. The film did well for Sony at the domestic box office bringing in $32,165,634.00 on a budget of $18 million. The film leaves itself open for a sequel and more Julie James, and I am here for it and am looking forward to it if it happens.

# 11

Alok is a reporter who has became an online joke over a segment gone wrong who goes for a hike in the woods and is attacked by a bear. He is saved by Tadaka a female vampire who ends up breaking the rules to keep him safe from her fellow kind who never want him to leave the woods, and she goes into the city to be with him. After a terrible auto accident, she is forced to bite him and this makes him a target of Bhaskar, a werewolf who needs his blood to become stronger as well makes him and her wanted by the fellow vampires for her tasting human blood as its in their rules now that they just feed on animals. And this also allows the vampire master Yakshasan to be freed from his fire chains that has held him prisoner for 75 years as Tadaka is having to take his place! Can Alok and Tadaka’s love bring peace and a new balance to the blood drinkers or will they be a tragedy at the hands of Yakshasan and his followers? Watch this super fun horror comedy and find out for yourself. Thamma was truly one of my favorite Bollywood Horror Films I saw this year as it had lots of cool vampire moments, catchy songs as well as truly was funny in spots as the moviegoers as well as myself laughed out loud several times. The film is well cast with such names as Rashmika Mandanna, Ayushmann Khurrana, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Paresh Rawal and even cameos from Varun Dhawan and Adhishek Banerjee from Bhediya (2022). And I have to say that actress Rashmika Mandanna is absolutely beautiful and I could not take my eyes off her in this film. The film had a limited release in America and did well. I wish this one as well as several other Bollywood Horror films would get released on DVD and Blu-Ray.

# 10

Ed and Lorraine Warren have stepped away from investigating hauntings and possessions after Ed’s heart attack and are spending their time together as well as giving lectures while their daughter Judy, who is having visions like her mother, is gearing up for her wedding with her fiancé Tony. But the Warrens are sucked back into the supernatural game when the Smurl Family from Pennsylvania are experiencing a very violent haunting that ends up even taking the life of one of their friends as this spirit is using three other spirits to get at the family as well as lure the Warrens back as this spirit has unfinished business with them and wants Judy that it has tagged since her birth. Can The Warren’ finish this final case and come out alive? Will the Smurl Family survive this haunt? Will this evil demon get what it wants? Watch this fourth and final film in the Conjuring series and find out for yourself. What a nice ending to the story of The Warrens as they come together as a loving family to defeat a very dangerous spirit and its minions in a battle of good and evil. Plus it was great to see many returning faces from the series past both human and demons making it feel like a twisted family reunion. The film has a few good jump scares, some cool bloody effects and mean looking demons. The film is well cast with Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy, Beau Gadsdon and Steve Coulter all who are fantastic in their roles. The film did great for New Line Cinema at the domestic box office bringing in $177,753,512.00 on a budget of $55 million. While New Line Cinema will forever be the House That Freddy Built, in more modern times The Conjuring Universe have made upgrades and keep the lights on. This is one I bought when it was released on home media.

# 9

Spike is a 12 year old boy who is about to leave the safety of his island home with his father Jamie who is a scavenger for the town bringing back supplies, and his poor mother Isla has an unknown illness that leaves her confused and with terrible headaches and nose bleeds. And on his first time off the island Spike is able to kill one slow moving infected but chokes when he and his father are chased by a pack of them. But he and his father do make it back to the island after being chased by an Alpha infected, and Spike seeing a massive fire set off in the distance showing life is still going on in the mainland. And when Spike finds out that his father might be lying to him about things on his mother’s illness and that the fire that he seen was made by a doctor, he sneaks himself and his mom off the island to get her help. But Spike learns that the mainland is a very dangerous place filled with the infected, scared & crazy people and that some illnesses just cannot be cured. This is the third film in the 28 Days Later series and the first in a new trilogy and brings another intense virus infected scares and gross moments to viewers while showing how the living would have to adapt to this new cruel world. I really enjoyed the mood and feel of this story with my only big complaint being the silly ending of flipping and flopping cult members fighting the infected. The film did well at the domestic box office bringing in $70,446,897.00 on a budget of $60 million showing that these classic film series still have lots of life left in them. I am looking forward to the second part of this new trilogy that will be released in early 2026. This is a film I bought when released on home media.

# 8

Stefan Mortensen is a judge who suffers from a massive stroke and is forced to live in a old folks home in order to try and rehabilitate, and he is placed in a room with a old Rugby player who had messed up his hip and knee named Sonny, but soon Stefan learns that the old folks are being tormented by a fellow resident named Dave Crealy who carries a puppet around named Jenny Pen. Dave is a twisted man who has all the staff fooled as he goes around injuring, torturing, setting up and in some cases killing the others around him all the while making them pledge their loyalty to Jenny. Stefan is wheelchair bound and must find a way to fight back against the psycho Dave and avoid the rule of Jenny Pen. This is a really great fright flick that not only has some creepy moments thanks to Dave and his puppet Jenny but also just the horrors of growing old and having health issues. And truly Dave is a evil and sadistic man as he makes those he is tormenting pledge to Jenny and degrades them the whole time. The film is amazingly casted with John Lithgow as Dave Crealy and Geoffrey Rush as Stefan Mortensen, both of course stealing the show with other cast members including Nathaniel Lees, Ian Mune, Irene Wood, Maaka Pohatu among others rounding it out. The film had a limited release and did well for IFC Films at the domestic box office bringing in $43,817.00 on an unknown budget. A very cool indie horror film that I bought once released on home media.

# 7

Dek is a runt Predator whose father wants him dead and when trying to kill him, his brother fights for his life and ends up dying and Dek is forced off planet to do a hunt to deem himself worthy as well as for the memory of his brother. But during this great hunt he ends up making some friends, battling synthetic beings and getting even with his hateful father. This is a very exciting sci-fi, action, horror Film that makes a Predator the main star of the film who along this dangerous hunt ends up learning that the ways of his race might not be fully right and that being in a clan might not have to be with those who don’t accept you but with your true friends & family who like you for who you are. Who would have thought a Predator film would have a message! The creature effects in the film are really good as is the pacing and musical score. It is well casted with such names as Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Mike Homik and Cameron Brown being some of the main cast. The film did well for 20^th Century Studios at the domestic box office bringing in $90,946,639 on a budget of $105 million. This is a Predator film that is a mix of action, humor and drama and is a fitting sequel to this long running franchise and is one I bought when released on home media.

# 6

Hal and Bill are two twin brothers whose father has disappeared and after finding a strange toy monkey in his closet of junk he collected as a pilot and when they twist the toy monkey’s key and he plays his drum people around them start to die, and Hal even tries chopping the toy up with a cleaver and the brothers drop it down a well after their mother and uncle die in freaky painful ways. Now as adults the brothers are estranged, and Hal is not being a good father to his teenage son Petey and worse The Monkey has returned and their town is being plagued by crazy over the top deaths as the brothers are truly at odds with one another as one of the siblings wants the other dead, but can they survive The Monkey and its death curse and if they do, what will be left of their mental wellness. This is based on a short story by Stephen King and is a bloody horror comedy that is filled with lots of splatter and laughs as many of the deaths are gooey and so over done they will make you laugh as people explode and heads look like dropped pizza, and what is great is most of the gore effects look great. The film is well cast with such names as Theo James, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell, Tatana Maslany, Christian Convery, Elijah Wood and Osgood Perkins who also wrote & directed. The film did well for NEON at the domestic box office bring in $39,724,909.00 on a budget of $11 million. If you like the work of Stephen King or like horror comedies with splatter, make sure to give this one a watch as its one I got on home media when released.

# 5

In 1968 Iris Campbell saved the lives of over a hundred people when she had a premonition of a tower restaurant blowing up and collapsing and for decades she has kept herself safe and locked away in a cabin in the woods. She has gotten really good at spotting Death’s tricks to get her and because of all this, she has driven her own children away who think she is mentally ill. But in 2025 he granddaughter Stefani is having terrible nightmares about the accident in 1968 and learns that Death is after all of those relatives of Iris that came after the accident as they should not be as Death does not like to be tricked and will take what is owed and when her grandma dies a strange death before her very eyes to prove this theory, and soon Stefani watches as her family start dying off one by one while she tries to find a way to stop this madness and save her bloodline. This is the 6^th film in the Final Destination series and proves that this extreme kills and body count fright flick series has lots of gas left in the tank as this one was lots of fun as it has its fair share of smashing and mutilating bodies for the viewers enjoyment. And like most of the films in this series, it really is a “event” film as groups of family and friends gather at the cinema to see how the creators will kill off the characters in bloody ways. The film has a great cast with such names as Tony Todd, Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Rya Kihlstedt, Brec Bassinger, Richard Harmon and Anna Lore making up just some of the main cast. The film did amazing for New Line Cinema at the domestic box office bringing in $138,130,814.00 on a budget of $50 million, and I am sure they are glad they went to the theaters with it as the original plan was for it to be only on HBO Max, their terrible streaming service that loses money. With the future of A Nightmare On Elm Street up in the air and The Conjuring universe slowing down, it’s clear that Final Destination is going to be a franchise that helps New Line Cinema claim the crown for horror films from other major production companies, and yes I bought it when released.

# 4

One night 17 children go missing all at once as they walked out of their house and ran into the darkness. These kids were all from the class of Justine Gandy, who is being blamed by many of the town for this as only Alex remains, who as well has been questioned by the police. Soon things start getting more and more weird around town as Justine is being harassed, her cheating lover is a cop who has a short temper, Archer one of the fathers of the missing kids is trying to solve the case and young Alex seems to be hiding a secret as his parents are not around and his strange aunt is around and is being seen around town as the people who do see her start acting strange and like they are in a trance and will become violent towards select people and will not stop until they are dead. Where are the kids that went missing? What the Hell is wrong with Aunt Gladys? Will Justine and Archer find them? Will they end up dead or missing themselves? Watch this strange and highly entertaining fright flick for your self to get those answers! This Zach Cregger film is his follow up to Barbarian and is another fun and twisted tale that unfolds for the viewers. The film has some bloody deaths that will gross out some viewers and the film has an amazing cast that includes Julie Garner, Josh Brolin, Cary Christopher, Amy Madigan, Benedict Wong, Austin Abrams and Alden Ehrenreich. The film did well for New Line Cinema at the domestic box office bringing in $151,550,044.00 on a budget of $38 million once more proven horror is a great money maker. This is one I bought when released on home media.

# 3

Finney and his sister Gwen are still dealing with the emotional fallout of him surviving and killing the serial killer The Grabber as he is still being plagued by phone calls or deceased kids looking for help and Gwen is being tormented by nightmares that are plagued with The Grabber as well as their mother who died by suicide. And all this leads them to a camp where their mom use to be a counselor and where three young boys were killed and their bodies never found some of the first victims of The Grabber who is the one that lead them there as he has returned from the grave in their nightmares and wants revenge for his death. This was such a spooky and great sequel to Black Phone as it turns The Grabber into this generation’s Freddy Kruger as if New Line Cinema is not going to deliver a new A Nightmare On Elm Street, the folks at Blumhouse and Universal gave us a good alternative. I really liked the setting of the camp that is surrounded by snow and ice as it helped add to the creepy feeling. Returning to the cast is Madeleine McGraw, Mason Thames, Jeremy Davies, Miguel Mora and Ethan Hawke with such names as Demian Bichir, Arianna Rivas and Anna Lore joining the cast. The film did well at the domestic box office for Universal bringing in $77,378,880.00 on a budget of $30 million, showing horror is a genre that almost always turns a good profit. If you like the first film, enjoy supernatural terrors or like nightmare slashers, give this one a watch. This is one that I got when released on home media.

# 2

In 1932 the Smokestack Twins (Smoke and Stack) have returned to Mississippi from Chicago with the idea to open up a juke joint inside an old sawmill they have bought with cash. They want their cousin Sammie to play the blues at the grand opening and go around town to get their friends to help get it ready including the brothers estranged ladies Annie and Mary as they all want this place to work and give them a place that makes money as well as give the Black community a safe place to let loose. But things soon turn really bad when the music draws in Remmick, who is a vampire musician and sort of a cult leader arrives with a band of vampires and slowly starts turn the guests and the friends of the Twins into bloodsuckers with the goal to get his claws on Sammie and his musical talent. This is a really cool vampire flick that reminded me a little of From Dusk Till Dawn if it was set in the 1930’s and the plot was based around music as well as had the interesting characters like in The Lost Boys as the Smokestack Twins and their cousin Sammie are all likable in their own ways, even if the Twins have done bad things. The film is a slow burn before it gets into the vampires attacking, the character work as well as the soundtrack and score just work so well that you find yourself being drawn into the story. The film has an amazing cast that includes Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Jack O’ Connell, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo just making up some of the leads and all who are fantastic. The film did well for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $278,578,513.00 on a budget of around $100 million, once more proving that horror is a hit at the box office. So if you like horror films that feature vampires, blues music, set in the 30’s and or just enjoy a good fright film make sure to check this one out. I bought this one once it was released on home media.

# 1

Andy and his vision impaired stepsister Piper lose their father in an accident that had him slipping in the shower, and now placed in foster care they are being watched after by Laura, a single mother who lost her blind daughter by drowning. She is also watching after a mute young boy named Oliver. While things at first are odd but okay, Andy starts to see that Laura is not what she seems and neither is Oliver as they are doing some odd things that includes Oliver being a little weird with animals and being locked in his room, while Laura seems to be obsessed with Piper who reminds her of her deceased daughter. Things start to unravel when Laura has really lured Piper to live with her, as she needs to kill her in order to have the spirit of her daughter to take over her body by a weird ritual as a murderous and flesh-eating spirit is inside Oliver needs to consume the flesh in order to bring back life. Can Andy save his sister or will Laura be able to have her lost child return? Watch this awesome indie fight flick for yourself and find out. This film from the brothers who brought you Talk To Me shows that they understand and could be the next faces in horror that will take the genre into a new direction filled with blood, developed characters and brooding atmosphere. The scenes of the demonic Oliver mutilating himself as he eats things like knives and wooden table tops is pure nightmare fuel. The film is well cast with such talent as Sally Hawking, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips and Sally-Anne Upton making up the main cast. The film did well for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $19,323,752.00 on a budget of only $20 million showing that indie horror is always a hit. Bought when released on home media, as I needed it for my collection.

What can I say, I just love going to one of the many local theaters and seeing a horror film on the big screen as it is a genre that has been with me pretty much my whole life through both good and bad times and has brought me so much joy as well as helped push my imagination to the limits. Well as you can see the projector has been shut off and the lights have been turned on here at the Rotten Ink Theater, but do not worry I am pretty sure that the workers here that are the ticket taker, the concession worker, the usher and the projectionist will not mind if I take a few moments to let you all know that our next update will be all about the 1977 version of Island Of Dr. Moreau and the Marvel Comics adaptation of the film…but also it will be the start of a multiple year event that will be going on here at Rotten Ink as every update will be a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update! It has been something that I have been thinking about doing for awhile now and after talking to some of my family and close friends who thought it was a great idea, I think 2026 is the year to start it. So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a film or two and as always support you local theaters, horror hosts and wrestlers. See you soon as we learn the law of Dr. Moreau as told to use by Marvel Comics and the animal people force to live by these laws.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Predator 2 (1990)

Posted on March 12, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update as this is one that has been on my list to cover for a while now as it is a film that I grew up a fan of and even had these comics shortly after it was released in my collection. The topic is Predator 2, the cool sequel that takes our alien hunter out of the jungle and into the concrete jungle of a big city! And in this one he takes on a strong willed cop and not a mercenary. Predator 2 is one of those films that got a comic that could have also been covered on a “Alien Invasion” update, but I feel it’s more fitting for a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” on as this film brings on the kills, blood and scares as The Predator stalks the streets and makes anyone armed the prey, and that means good guys and not just the bad guys! So if you are ready, let’s head out into the city heat and not only avoid the everyday criminals but also one that has came from outer space and wants to collect skulls as trophies.

Let’s take a look at The Predator from Predator 2 ,and his ways of dealing death to those he is hunting! The Predator is a massive alien from outer space who is using the city of LA, California as his hunting ground and he has the means and weapons to make many people dead. First he has the ability to cloak and become invisible to the human eye, making it possible for him to stalk and kill you without even seeing him. And when you do see him, his massive monstrous appearance strikes fear into the hearts of those unlucky to lay eyes on him as he is one ugly creature. He also is very smart and wears armor and a helmet with the helmet making him able to see body heat, bright lights as well as mimic the voices of humans, making his helmet a very important part of his arsenal. The weapons he has are his arm blades, two razor sharp blades that are on his wrist that can shred human skin and cut through bone, Combistick a spear with a blade at the end of it, Netgun a gun that fires a net at high speed that can capture as well as kill as it cuts through skin, Energy Flechette a missile that he can fire from his wrist, Smart Disc a circle blade weapon that he can throw and it finds its target can cut a person in half, Self-Destruct Device that he wears on his write that once activated and goes off is like a mini nuclear bomb, and finally he also has his Plasmacaster a shoulder cannon that locks on a target and can blow a massive hole through them. As you can see, his weapons are all tools to kill and can make short work out of almost all he comes across. The Predator stands well over 7 feet tall and is also very strong as he can kill a person with his bare hands in seconds; he is also skilled at hunting and messing with his prey in other words The Predator is one mean killing machine who if he wants you dead…you are. While the Predator is an alien, he can be hurt and killed like any other living being as guns, sharp objects, extreme cold and falls can kill or injure him and make his green blood spill. His pride in hunting can also do him in as even when hurt his passion to keep going kicks in and can cause him to make some mistakes that could lead to his death. But while he has weaknesses luck is the only thing that will help you if you come face to face with The Predator as he is one dangerous killer and is one of the more dangerous killers we have showcased on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update.

So now that we looked at The Predator from the second film in the series, I think it’s now time that we take a look at the film itself. I would like to remind you that I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and then will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts. So let’s try and avoid being hunted and chat about Predator 2.

Predator 2 (1990)

“LAPD lieutenant Mike Harrigan and his cocky detective partner Jerry Lambert (soon realize that what seemed a bloody feud between voodoo high priest King Willie’s Jamaican gangs and Ramon Vega’s Colombian drug gang is actually the work of a scary third party. Peter Keyes’s federal team shields the crime scene even for the LAPD, but after forensics proves it must be an alien, who keeps making victims, the chase brings them all together.”

The 1987 film Predator was a big hit for 20^th Century Fox and this sparked them having interest in doing a sequel and had screenwriters Jim & John Thomas to come up with ideas and after many failed pitches it was the idea of having The Predator hunting in a urban setting that got the green light. The producer of the film was Joel Silver and his first action was to bring Stephen Hopkins to direct, and he worked closely with the Thomas Brothers to try and get the film as epic as they could, and Hopkins was no stranger to horror as in 1989 he was the director for “A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child” and he was a good choice to helm this film. When casting the lead role of Lieutenant Mike Harrigan names like Steven Seagal and Patrick Swayze was brought up but Danny Glover ended up with the role, others actors brought in for key parts included Gary Busey, Bill Paxton, Maria Conchita Alonso, Adam Baldwin, Ruben Blades and Robert Davi and Kevin Peter Hall returned to play The Predator and in small cameo rolls was TV talk show host Morton Downey Jr. and adult film actress Teri Weigel. And while Arnold Schwarzenegger was supposed to return as Dutch, a pay dispute seen him leaving the film but Elpidia Carrillo returned in a very small cameo as Anna Gonsalves from the first film. The look and suit of The Predator had some minor changes and they even made the decision to have a skull from a Xenomorph as s set piece. The film has a normal stressful production and was released in theaters on November 21, 1990 and did well at the box office in American brining in $30,669,413.00 on a budget of around $20 million, placing in at # 38 for the year and beat out such other Horror Films as Child’s Play 2, Jacob’s Ladder, The Exorcist III, The First Power, The Guardian, Tales From The Darkside The Movie and Tremors. The film was also scored by Alan Silvestri and is a great follow up to the original and over the years has built up a cult following.

I am going to say this first thing I am a fan of Predator 2 and have been since it was released and behind the original film, it is my second favorite in the series! I had not only the film on VHS but also had the comic adaptation, the novel adaptation and had the video game for the Sega Genesis and I have never understood why this film over the years has gotten so much hate from critics and fans of the series. The film has an amazing cast with Danny Glover being fantastic as the badass cop Lieutenant Harrigan who is a great hero for as he really goes after and takes the fight to the Predator. I also like his fellow officers and team Danny Boy, Leona and Jerry as they all make such a great team and are played by some topnotch actors Ruben Blades, Maria Conchita Alonso and Bill Paxton. Plus it stars Gary Busey who was an actor I liked at the time and before he truly became all crazy and touchy to female fans at Horror and Comic Conventions. Plus I really liked that the second film took The Predator out of the jungle and dropped him into a big city and having it take place during a heat wave was a smart move as the hot climate mirrored the jungle, and doing like this made it not seem like a rehash of the first film. I also think that the film had some really cool and impactful kills as the deaths of both Jerry and Danny Boy are sad and the brutal killings of the drug pushers have you cheering as the Predator shows no mercy. Also the film is very quotable as I cannot count how many times I have done the speech given by one of King Willies men to one of their victims about voodoo and taking souls. It’s truly a great line, and I have also done the “Want Some Candy” line with a robotic sounding voice. The film when released as well I can remember the TV ads, the poster in the paper for screening times at the local theaters as well as it being on the cover and covered in Fangoria Magazine. Again to sum it up, I am a fan of Predator 2 and do not understand the hate the film gets and I think that if you are one of those who hate it and have not watched it in awhile, go back and re-watch it and remove the “its not like the first film” from your mind and I think you just might enjoy it.

So now that we have talked about The Predator as well as the film Predator 2, I think we are now at the point of this update that we review the comic based around said film! And to be honest, this is one that I have had on the list of comics that I wanted to do an update about and it has taken me way too long to get to it so I am really glad that the time has come for me to do so. I want to thank Mavericks Cards And Comics for having these comics 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 comics stay to the source material, their entertainment value and their art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to L.A. as I hear they are having a bad heat wave and that The Predator has returned as he really has developed a taste for fresh beef straight out of the slaughterhouse here on Earth.

Predator 2 # 1 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 1 of 2

The year is 1997 and with the temperature reaching 109 degrees, a shoot out between the cops and some of the El Scorpios drug gang has broken out in the street leaving a cop bleeding to death and both sides exchanging gunfire. But when Lieutenant Harrigan shows up he is able to use his own car as a battering ram and gets the officers a chance to save the dying officer as well as take out a few of the gangs members. But Harrigan and his team that consists of Danny Boy and Leona are told to stay out of the building that the rest of the gang is hiding in as a special unit team has been called in, but Harrigan and his men don’t listen and go in and end up finding the bodies of many of the gangsters as they have been slaughtered and one member even falls from the roof to his death after seeing the outline of The Predator who was in the building and killed all the gang members. Back at the station Harrigan and his men are in trouble for disobeying orders, learns that a Federal Task Force has been called in to tackle the drug war and it will be run by an Agent Peter Keyes and he also gets a new part of his team with Jerry Lambert. Later that night the Predator attacks a group of the rival gangs member that are lead by King Willie who is a voodoo priest, and once more Harrigan and his men don’t listen to orders and get in big trouble when after Danny Boy is killed while looking into the murder scene. And Keyes and his men threaten Harrigan if he keeps interfering in their crime scenes. But after Danny’s funeral, Harrigan is on a personal mission to find the killer and even lets Keye’s know that his words mean nothing to him as Leona and Jerry stay with Harrigan and come up with a plan to find out who Keyes really is, what he knows about this killer on the loose and to find and track said killer to pay him back for taking out their fellow officer and friend. Later that night Harrigan meets with the drug lord King Willie to find out if he knows who this killer of his men as well as all the others is, and Willie tells him that the killer is from the other side before they part ways. The Predator then comes for Willie and ends the voodoo man’s life.

This is really a fun read, and if you are a fan of Predator 2 like I am this comic adaptation does the film justice as well as adds its own touch to the story as it takes away element from the film in order to speed up the story and make it fit into two issues. Like while much of the violence is around it is not as bloody as the film, the comic also has the events pretty much taken from the side of Harrigan as he acts as the narrator and moves the story along and moments that are cut from the panels are showcased in his words. The one part that I wish that was not cut from the story so much was Jerry Lambert joining the team as in the film it’s a really cool scene as they all kind of bust his balls, but in the comic he just kind of joins. The plot is very simple and has the city of L.A. in big trouble as a drug war is going on and the temperature is so high that tempers are out of control, and worse the cops are now having to find a killer who is killing people on all sides and that means the drug dealers as well as the officers…and things get worse when the government send a team in to take control and they are full of secrets and are hiding the truth from the cops. Lieutenant Harrigan is the hero of our story and is a cop who does not take crap from anyone, he breaks the rules all the time but it cause he wants to bring down the bad guys and do his job right and that is to serve and protect the innocent as well as watch the backs of his fellow officers. He is super skilled when it comes to shooting and his never back down attitude is what makes him the target of The Predator as he see’s Harrigan as the ultimate hunt in L.A. and he ain’t wrong. Harrigan’s team are much like him great cops who break the rules but get the job done and they are all very great characters and make a great team as Danny Boy, Leona and Jerry are the kind of partners you would want on your side if you were a cop. Keyes and his team are slimey as they threaten and use intimidation to try and get people to fall in line to what they want them to do. And while the feuding drug pushers are around they are a non-factor once The Predator enters the city as he makes quick work of them all including King Willie, who is a very powerful boss as well as a voodoo priest. I do wish that the comic was a little more bloody but I do think fans of the red stuff will not be let down by this comic. The cover is pretty cool and is a still from the movie and shows The Predator in all his glory, and the interior artwork is done by Dan Barry and is great stuff as he was working on many of Dark Horse Comics Predator series around this time. This is a great read and leaves us on the cliffhanger of King Willie being killed by the alien hunter, and makes me want to see what the second issue has in store.

Predator 2 # 2 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 2 of 2

Lieutenant Harrigan is visiting the grave of his friend Danny Boy when he finds apart of his friends necklace hanging from the tree and he knows that the killer is playing games with him. Once back at the station Harrigan meets up with Leona and Jerry who he tells to take the subway towards the slaughterhouse as a tip found on the body of Danny Boy leads them to the killer might be using it as a hideout and at one point Jerry confirms that while tracking Keyes he lost him around that area. But while on the train the Predator attacks and kills many of the civilians as well as kills Jerry and steals his skull as a trophy. And the Predator only let Leona live because she was pregnant, but when Harrigan arrives on the scene he see’s the Predator and gives chase for the alien through the streets of L.A. but losses him. As Harrigan keeps tracking The Predator he runs into Keyes and his men who finally inform the officer that the killer he is looking for is an alien who is the ultimate hunter and he is killing people in the city due to the high heat and the high crime rate as this is the perfect hunting ground for him. Harrigan then watches and Keyes and some of his men head into the slaughter house with the idea to capture the Predator in order to study its technology…they fail and are all killed by him. But Harrigan once more goes after the Predator and even is able to cut off one of the aliens hands! Harrigan tracks the Predator to his own ship and the two have a final showdown and Harrigan is able to kill it with his own Smart Disc, and as the Predator dies more of his kind appear on the ship and take their fallen friend away as one gives Harrigan a dueling pistol and allows him to leave the ship alive. The Predator’s ship takes off back to space as Harrigan looks to the sky and knows that they will return someday.

The second issue in this adaptation of Predator 2 does the film justice as well and is a great read for fans of the film as the plot of this second issue has Harrigan and the remaining members of his team going on the hunt for the one who killed their friend only for them to be the ones being hunted and Harrigan must come face to face with The Predator and have a showdown that will leave only one of them alive and the alien hunter learns he messed with the wrong cop! Lieutenant Harrigan in this issue has had enough as he totally goes against orders and even stands up to Keyes and his men letting them know that they don’t scare him and that he will do what he has to do to bring down the killer, and he does just that as even after finding out the killer is a massive alien he still goes after it full force and is able to cut the alien down to size using the hunters own weapon to end it’s life! Poor Jerry ends up getting killed in this issue and his skull and spine removed as Leona is left alive but is very much left in shock on what she has seen. The Predator himself is very skilled and also a little cruel as he seems to enjoy trying to bait and anger Harrigan throughout as he leaves Danny Boy’s necklace for Harrigan to find as well as removes Jerry’s skull right in front of him, but while The Predator is skilled I think he was also a little to cocky and that is why he ends up getting taken down in the end. Keyes and his men as well are way to cocky and think that they can just freeze and capture the Predator and they learn very quickly they are out skilled and out smarted and are left as dead as the meat hanging in the slaughterhouse! The second issue has some blood and cool kills and I have to say both human and alien blood is spilled. The cover for this issue as well is a still from the movie and is pretty great as its one of the most iconic images from the film, and like before Dan Barry is the interior artist and his work is great stuff and has the early Dark Horse Comics style and those who grew up reading such comics as Terminator, Pumpkinhead and Aliens from them will know what I mean. This is a very cool adaptation and while as I said moments from the film are missing or are condensed down it still is a very solid read and one I enjoyed back then and still do now. Checkout the artwork below to see they style of Dan Barry as I really do like the way he draws The Predator. Oh and I should also say for those wondering, the characters in the comic do not look like the actors from the film so those wanting to see Danny Glover, Gary Busey and Bill Paxton might be a little disappointed.

The film Predator 2 made for a great comic adaptation as the film is filled with lots of action and some great kills that are just perfect for pages in a comic book. The one thing is the first film from 1987 never did get the comic book treatment and that’s crazy as it really should have, as imagine seeing a drawn Dutch doing battle against the Predator in the jungle…that would have been awesome. And what is cool for fans of the Predator films is that over the years many different comic series have been made featuring them, and while Dark Horse Comics has the most released, even Marvel Comics more recently has released some issues. But as you can see, this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update has come to an end as we have survived the heat as well as the Predator, and I think that it’s time for me to tell you that our next update will take us to the Rotten Ink Arena as we take a look at another Indie Luchador File! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update as this Luchador was a true legend on the indies and really likes the color Blue!

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

Posted on February 12, 2025 by bloodlinematt

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 # 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 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!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)

Posted on January 13, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. This time around we will be taking a look at a Sci-Fi Horror film, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, from 1978 that was a remake of the classic 1956 film of the same name! This is a truly classic film and was one that I can remember watching when I was a young kid and being freaked out by the Pod People and their weird screams as they pointed at people that were not one of them yet. And while Marvel or DC Comics did not give the film the comic book treatment, the mad geniuses at FotoNovel sure did. This is the third FotoNovel we have covered here on Rotten Ink with the first being Love At First Bite that you can read HERE and the second being Nightwing that you can read HERE. This is one that I have been looking forward to doing as I am fan of this remake and this will be a first time read for me, so if you are ready let’s dive into the world of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers and see what this photo comic novel has in store for us.

Let’s start off by taking a look at The Pod People and their ways of dealing death to humans! The Pods are from outer space and once they get a person in their grip, they clone a version of that said person that acts with the others in a hive mind state of being. They travel from planet to planet as seeds and once on the planet can spread very quickly, as at first they attack the plant life on the planet before moving onto the humans. The Pod People act very strange and not like themselves, they stare and watch the normal people and are gathering in meetings to gain more people into their ranks with plans to take over the world. They chase follow and attack people in groups and they do secret strange business all around under the noses of the normal people. Their odd behavior is very unsettling to people and makes them feel confused, scared and can cause them to make mistakes that can lead to their deaths. The Pod People clone living people and once they go to sleep they do not wake up and the Pod Person will take over their lives, and the Pod Person is a perfect clone besides when it comes to behavior, but even then some have mastered even that. The Pod’s themselves use vines and flower buds to create the clones, and they can grow very quickly and take over the life of the person they appear as. The bodies of both the humans and the failed Pod People are crushed in a garbage truck in order to cover up the invasion. The real versions also cave in on themselves and turn to dust. The Pod People can use such things as guns, knives and other tools to deal death if they choose, and because they have a hive like mind they will also attack in packs. The Pod People also have a shrieking screaming that they will let out that will chill the blood of the people they are after, they also will use this shriek to alert the others to the whereabouts of a normal person. The Pods can also create weird hybrids of animal and human and these oddities cause shock in those who see them. Those who are aware of The Pods and The Pod People are often very paranoid, as they do not know who they can trust as family, friends and strangers could all be out to turn you. The Pods and The Pod People are very dangerous as they spread across the land very fast, but they can be killed like any living thing so being bashed, shot, stabbed, burnt and crushed will do them in. Super deadly and super wide spreading the Pod and the people that come out of them are very dangerous to the survival of mankind.

As you can see, The Pods and The Pod People are very dangerous to humans as they could easily wipe out towns, cities, states on continents very quickly. Now it’s time that we take a look at the film that spawned them, and like always, we will be taking the film’s plot from our 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, try and avoid the pods and be aware of the people they spawn, as you don’t want to be apart of this hive mind.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)

“When strange seeds drift to earth from space, mysterious pods begin to grow and invade San Francisco, replicating the city’s residents one body at a time.”

The 1956 film Invasion Of The Body Snatchers was a huge cult classic as viewers really enjoyed its creepy nature and a fan of that film was director Philip Kaufman who jumped at the chance at directing a remake or reimagining of the film for United Artists in 1978. The film of course was based off the novel “The Body Snatchers” by Jack Finney with W.D. Richter doing this versions screenplay with Robert H. Solo coming in to produce the film that has a modest sized budget. This newer version would take place in San Francisco, California and would be set in the then currant time, and the film would play up on the Horror elements and would bring a very uncomfortable feel to the mood. The film would cast some amazing talent that include Donald Sutherland, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, Brooke Adams and would have a cameo from Kevin McCarthy the star of the original film as well as it’s director Don Siegel. The film was your normal and yet stressful shoot with Russ Hessey and Dell Rheaume doing the special effects and once done Denny Zeitlin was brought in to score. The film was released in theaters on December 22, 1978 and was a hit at the box office bringing in a total of $24.9 million and was a hit with both viewers and critics (well most of them) and over the years has found even more of a fan base and respect. Like Complex ranked it as one of the best Sci-Fi Horror Films of all time, Rolling Stone Magazine named it as one of the greatest remakes of all time and The Chicago Film Critics Association ranked it # 59 out of 100 for their Scariest Films Of All Time. The film would be released on home media and would find even a bigger audience of new viewers and still to this day is a well respected and loved remake that adds its own spooky touch to an already spooky classic. The film in 1978 was released along side such other Horror and Sci-Fi Films as Halloween, Jaws 2, Mardi Gras Massacre, Toolbox Murders, Patrick, Laserblast, The Curse Of Bigfoot, Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes and IT Lives Again to name a few. If you have not watched the remake of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers make sure to do so as it can easily be found on DVD, Blu-Ray and some streaming sites.

This is a film that I can remember my Dad trying to scare my brother with when we were kids as he acted like the Pod People were real, and as he had my brother and I going of course my Mom made him stop…but what a fun memory that was as he did this right before I seen the film for the first time. I can also remember him telling us that Spock was in the film as we all use to watch reruns of Star Trek. The film had me glued to the screen as I was really drawn into the world it was created and the freaky screaming and pointing that the Pod People did really creeped me out! And I am pretty sure that for weeks after seeing the film my brother and I would mimic the point and yell at each other, and that is one of the best part about this film is the memories like these that I have. When I was a kid I had already seen the original 1956 film and was shocked when in the remake Kevin McCarthy showed up warning people of the Pods, and I always wondered was he playing Dr. Miles Bennell again? And was Donald Sutherland’s character of Matthew Bennell related to Miles and is this film really a sequel and the events of the first film covered up by the government hence why the people were not ready for this invasion…makes you think don’t it. While the film is only PG it still packs some spooky moments into the film and the atmosphere adds for some tense and creepy parts that will surely make you jump. Plus you cannot go wrong with watching a naked Brooke Adams playing a Pod Person shrieking at the site of Donald Sutherland. I feel that this remake often gets over looked when people talk about remakes of Sci-Fi Horror Films as most are so hung up on The Thing directed by John Carpenter being the best, but I feel they over look this one badly as it is a great take on its source material, brings spooky moments with cool special effects and adds its own scares and charm like The Thing did (I also think The Blob remake is great). If you have never seen this version of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers make sure to check it out as it’s a great slow burn that builds to a flame by the end and is one heck of a watch.

So now that we have talked about the 1978 film Invasion Of The Body Snatchers as well as The Pods and the People it creates we should now review the photo comic paperback based around it that was released by those creative minds at FotoNovel. I would like to thank the Etsy seller who had this paperback in stock and made 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, let’s see if this FotoNovel does the film justice.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers # 1 ***
Released in 1979 Cover Price $2.50 FotoNovel # 1 of 1

In space seeds float across the galaxy on their quest to Earth and they land in San Francisco, California and like a parasite they attach themselves to the plants as a light rain helps them grow into little pods with flowers. Elizabeth Driscoll on her way home picks one of the pods and takes it home, were her boyfriend and dentist Geoffrey Howell watches basketball, and at bed time they talk briefly about the pod as she explains that it is something rare. Meanwhile at a very expensive restaurant health inspector Matthew Bennell who finds rat droppings in the food, and for this he returns to his car to find a worker has busted a cheap wine bottle on his windshield. Before bed he calls Elizabeth to ask her to come to work early in order to look into his finding, she agrees and heads to bed. The next morning her boyfriend Geoffrey is acting very weird, and once at work she tells Matthew about his strange behavior, who wants to be their for his friend. That night Elizabeth returns home and is once more blown off by Geoffrey who goes to a late night “meeting” and she finds herself having dinner with Matthew telling him how different her boyfriend is with him suggesting they meeting his psychiatrist friend Dr. David Kibner. The next day Matthew on his way to work notices strange things as even the old man at the dry cleaners tells him his wife is acting weird. And after trying to call Elizabeth all day she finally shows up at Matthew’s office with tears in her eyes, as the two start driving she tells her friend about watching her boyfriend meet with strangers and just how odd it all ways. While driving a man runs into the front of the car screaming about things coming and watch as he runs away and then be hit by a car. Matthew takes Elizabeth to a bookstore were his friend Dr. David Kibner is doing a meet and great for his newest book, and things are very strange as the police on the phone seem to have no care nor have any information on the man who was just hit for Matthew and Elizabeth watches as a woman is speaking to Dr. Kidner about her husband acting different…and this is what is going on with her and her boyfriend. Later Dr. Kidner talks with Elizabeth and Matthew and tries to smooth it all over and put her mind at ease that nothing is truly wrong. But after Jack Bellicec a friend of Matthew’s and Dr. Kidner arrives to the Mud Bath Spa that he owns with his wife Nancy they find a un-hatched pod person that looks like Jack, things get crazy as the body goes missing and it’s clear that the town is being over taken by these Pod People and Matthew, Elizabeth, Nancy and Jack all stick together to try and get out of the city when they find that they are all in danger with some of them like Jack and Nancy already having clones that are ready to hatch, and they will awaken if the real versions end up going to sleep! And when the Pod People find their hideout they must split up in groups of two to try and survive. And later Matthew finds that Dr. Kidner is a Pod Person and soon Jack as well as Elizabeth becomes one. Matthew finds a warehouse were the Pods are being harvested to be shipped all over the world and does what he can to destroy as many as he can, before having to run away for his life. In the end Matthew shows up to work like normal as everyone keeps looking at him strangely, and when his workday is over he starts his walk home and runs into Nancy who calls him over, but to her horror Matthew has became one of them.

First thing I have to say is that this was such a fun read and did a pretty good job of capturing the mood of the film on the pages. While in my opinion, it’s not as spooky this FotoNovel tried really hard to bring the scares. The one major complaint I do have about it is that at times the dialogue’s color blends in with the backgrounds and makes it hard to read in some panels. The plot is this a group of friends in San Francisco have to come together to survive when they find out that their city is being over ran by space pod created people clones that are hell bent of taking over the Earth one person at a time. The hero of this paperback is Matthew Bennell a health inspector who loves his job, crushes on a chemist he works with and must stay logical, quick witted and strong when he finds out about the aliens coming to kill them all. Matthew also does what he can to survive and will do whatever he can to protect the love of his life. Elizabeth Driscoll is that love of his life a young pretty chemist who is the first to really discover that something is wrong in their city when her boyfriend becomes a soulless shell, she tries what she can to survive and while prone to slow the group down she is very sweet and caring. Jack and Nancy Bellicec are a couple who own a mud bath health spa and who find a pod person in their spa and help Matthew and Elizabeth and are also the ones who get the ball rolling on becoming the target of the Pod People who want these troublemakers cloned and out of the way. The Pod People and The Pods that spawn them are all over the city and are looking to clone people and take over the world, they are creepy soulless, emotionless beings that screech and chase around those who are normal. The Photo Comic Paperback does not bring its scares from blood and gore but brings the Horror with mood and atmosphere. All of the nudity from Elizabeth Driscoll is cut from this FotoNovel as well and in one panel they have a well placed dialogue box to block her breasts. The cover for this FotoNovel is cool but also kind of puzzling as it showcases the cracked car windshield and the crazed face of Kevin McCarthy looking in, plus they added small pictures in the corner of three of the films main characters. The photos used in the paperback are cool, but I do have to say that some are a little blurry and as I said before some of the dialogue is hard to read due to color. Over all this is a really cool photo comic paperback book and if you are a fan of the movie you should check this out. I do also want to stress that Photo Comics are not for everyone as they don’t like that the panels are done with stills and not artwork. Check out the photo panel below to see the style use for this FotoNovel.

I truly think that Invasion Of The Body Snatchers from 1978 is one of the great remakes that was made in the 70’s and 80’s that spooked movie goers, and while I know that FotoNovels and Photo Comics are not for everyone, I still am glad that they are made and gave films like this a chance in the world of comic books. And while this FotoNovel could not capture the full spooky mood and atmosphere of the film it did do its job of delivering a creepy fun read. As you can see, this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update is coming to an end and for the next update we will be taking a look at a short lived Horror Host who aired his show Weird Web Theater on YouTube and his name was Mod Ghoul! So until next time read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update as you know its always fun to chat about Horror Hosts!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Ape Man (1943)

Posted on September 23, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update as these themed updates are so much fun to do and you readers really seem to enjoy them. For this update we will be taking a look at the 1943 B-Movie classic The Ape Man that stars horror icon Bela Lugosi as the title character and the Blood Scream Comics adaptation of the film that was done by Scott Scarborough who took the story of the film and added an Ohio touch to it as well as adds his own touches to make it more spooky as well as silly. Due to this comic being released by Blood Scream Comics I will not be giving the comic a star rating as that just feels gross to do as I am connected to Blood Scream and I am proud of everything we have released. I am a fan of the film Ape Man and really am looking forward to doing this update, so if you are ready, let’s dive into this From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update.

Let’s first take a look at Dr. James Brewster, the villain and killer of the film, and his ways of dealing death to his victims. Dr. James Brewster is a brilliant scientist who during a failed experiment turns himself into a half man and half ape being that is filled with anger and sorrow. Brewster has super human strength and can use this in order to squeeze and choke the life out of his victims, he can also use it to his advantage to keep them captive as well as at bay. His anger can fuel him into going into an almost berserk like rage and will cause him to rampage and during this time he can cause death as well as serious injury. His appearance as well can shock those that see him as his long jet back hair and crazed eyes as well a grunting noises and ape like walk is sure to strike terror in his victims. Dr. James Brewster also has the need for human spinal fluid in order to try and find a cure for his condition makes him dangerous, as he is desperate and will commit murder or have others do so for him in order to get it. Brewster also has a gorilla named Ape as a friend that he abuses as well as commands to do his bidding and that includes abducting and murder. Dr. James Brewster, while strong and brilliant, does have weaknesses that could lead to his death as while enhanced he is still a living breathing man creature. Brewster has temper tantrums that cause him to lash out and break things around him causing destruction and also make him very sloppy in protecting himself and this could lead to an accident or even him being killed by someone who is wise to his evil ways. Also his nasty temper and lack of respect for his gorilla sidekick Ape can lead to his death as if he pushes the primate to far the animal might just fight back and break his back or crush his neck. Dr. James Brewster can also be stopped by being shot, burned, stabbed, poisoned or crushed as well as could die from other natural things that kill humans. One of his biggest flaws that could lead to his destruction would be his slow decent into madness as it is mudding up his brain and causing him to truly become a savage animal. Say what you will but Dr. James Brewster aka The Ape Man is very dangerous and his rage and madness makes him a threat to anyone who gets in his way.

Now that we have chatted about Dr. James Brewster aka The Ape Man and his murderous and sinister ways of dealing death, I think we should now chat about the 1943 film he is from called The Ape Man. I would like to remind you readers that I will be taking the film’s plot from our friends at IMDB and after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So with that, let’s avoid Ape and try and sneak into the lab of Brewster.

Ape Man (1943)

“Conducting weird scientific experiments, crazed Dr. James Brewster, aided by his colleague Dr. Randall, has managed to transform himself into a hairy, stooped-over ape-man. Desperately seeking a cure, Brewster believes only an injection of recently-drawn human spinal fluid will prove effective. With Randall refusing to help him, it falls to Brewster and his captive gorilla to find appropriate donors.”

The Horror boom of the 1930’s continued into the 1940’s and during this time many smaller film producers as well as production companies got into the act of making spooky films to fill the theaters as movie goers seemed not to be able to get enough. Monogram Pictures was one of these companies and along with the producers Sam Katzman, Jack Dietz and Barney Sarecky they came up with the idea for a sci-fi horror film that would be called “The Gorilla Strikes” and would later have a title change to “The Ape Man”. The film’s script was written by Barney A. Sarecky and was based on the Karl Brown story “They Creep In The Dark” and they hired on William Beaudine to direct as he was a veteran of cinema as he had been making movies snce the 1920’s! When casting the film they brought in such names as Louise Currie, Wallace Ford, Henry Hall, Emil Van Horn, Minerva Urecal and the big star for the film was Bela Lugosi who would play Dr. James Brewster, the film’s main villain. At this time Lugosi was still working for Universal from time to time and was still a big name at the box office for Horror and that is why the indie companies tried to lock him in for these roles. The film began filming on December 18, 1942 and was filmed in only 15 days and was your typical fast paced indie production for that era. The film would be released in theaters on March 5, 1943 and was met with mixed reviews from critics and fans. The film was released alongside such other films as Son Of Dracula, The Mad Ghoul, The Return Of The Vampire, I Walked With A Zombie, Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman, Dead Men Walk and Phantom Of The Opera among others in 1943. The film would become a cult classic over the years once it was released on home media and new viewers discovered this fun and cheesy classic that has Bela Lugosi as a half man and half ape creature. The film would have a sequel in 1944 with “The Return Of The Ape Man” that was a very loose sequel and Bela Lugosi returns this time as Professor Dexter and the Ape Man is a Caveman. The film also starred John Carradine, George Zucco and Judith Gibson.

The Ape Man is one of those films that took me many years to track down and see as I had always read about it as I was a big fan of Bela Lugosi and had seen many of his films thanks to VHS releases as well as being aired on TV when I was a youth. But The Ape Man was one that seemed to not be carried at any of the rental stores my family had a card to and TV just seemed not to air it. But I finally got to see it when I was a teenager when I found a copy of the film on DVD released by Alpha Video at one of the local malls as my friend Josh Weinberg and I were on the prowl to find some classic Horror Films to watch while we scarfed down some fast food and talked about some shot on video movie ideas we had. And during that trip Josh bought the film “The Mad Monster” starring Glenn Strange and I have to say this made for a great double feature! When watching The Ape Man I was glued to it as I found it to be a very delightful cheesy z-grade film that showcased Lugosi doing what he does best and that was creep around all scary like and spook the viewers with his masterful performance. His appearance as The Ape Man was great as they gave Lugosi long black hair on his head, face and hands and the look of madness in his eyes made for some classic scares. After watching the film Josh and I even toyed with the idea of making a shot on video sequel to the film, that sadly we never did make, but man I wish we would have done that one as I am sure that it would have been a cheesy watch just like the original…and who knows maybe one day I will get the old Independent B Movie and Bloodline Video crews back together and make Ape Man 3 as I am sure the awesome company SOV Horror would love to release it! I feel that many of the Z-Grade Horror Films that Bela Lugosi made in the 40’s and 50’s are often over looked and tossed aside for being Golden Turkeys but I have to say many of these films are loads of fun. The Corpse Vanishes, Bride Of The Monster, Voodoo Man, The Black Sheep and Devil Bat are all great and entertaining films in their own right. In fact, if you have not seen Devil Bat make sure to check it out as it’s an over the top film that Lugosi shines in. But back to The Ape Man, I also have to point out that I really like the film’s score music done by Edward J. Kay as the opening them to the film is very exciting sounding and draws you in. I also have to say that actress Louise Currie who plays photographer Billie Mason is stunning and had worked with Bela Lugosi as well in 1944 in the film Voodoo Man. If you have not seen The Ape Man and love the films of Lugosi or just like 1940’s sci-fi horror, make sure to give this a watch as you can find the film on DVD as well as can watch it even on YouTube.

The Ape Man is truly a forgotten gem that blends horror, sci-fi, romance and even comedy together and was a fun film to watch Bela Lugosi act like an ape in as he would shuffle around the sets. And now that we have talked about the film as well as the main monster of it Dr. James Brewster, we are now at the part of this update that we will be taking a look at the comic book that is based on it! And I would like to thank Scott Scarborough for creating this comic for Blood Scream Comics and making this update possible. I would like to also remind you that due to this comic being released by Blood Scream Comics and by connection to this publisher I will not be giving this comic a star rating as that just seems very silly. So if you are ready, let’s head to the lab of Dr. James Brewster and see what kind of Ohio twist Scott put into this tale of classic terror. Oh and remember this review will have spoilers so read on if that does not bother you.

Ape Man # 1
Released in 2021 Cover Price $3.99 Blood Scream # 1 of 1

Dr. James Brewster is locked in a cage in his lab in Ohio, as he was trying to find a cure for polio as he had been diagnosed with the disease but instead of finding a cure has turned himself into a monster that is part man and part ape as he has to inject himself with the spinal fluid of apes in order to live. Dr. George Randall has called for Agatha Brewster, the sister of James who is also a scientist that is working in Africa, and the three are trying to find a cure. When there Agatha also meets the gorilla sidekick and friend of James named Ape who is very loyal as unknown to all James has been injecting Ape with human brain fluids to make him smarter as the two have plans to take over the world. Outside the Brewster estate, FBI Agent Richards as well as photographer Billie are watching as a newspaper reporter is peeking in the windows and this leads to Ape going outside and removing the head of the reporter! And Agent Richards calls his boss J. Edger Hoover for permission to investigate the Brewster Home as he and Billie saw Ape and The Ape Man. That night Brewster and Ape go after Wilber Wright at his home but things go wrong when FBI Agents bust in and wound Ape, the agents are both killed and Wilber escapes. But as Brewster and Ape are returning hope they run across Agent Richards and Billie and after Ape beats Richards bloody Brewster takes Billie to his lab as he wants to make her is bride and the mother of what will bring in the new race of super apes! Once at the lab Brewster is using his experiments on Billie and George tries to stop him only to have his neck slit, more FBI Agents also rush in and end up killing Ape with bullets as well as electrocuting him…as Brewster tries to get away with Billie he is as well shot and as he is dying he laughs as he knows that this is far from over as Billie is now half ape like he! And it was Agatha Brewster who had tipped off the FBI all along.

This is such a fun and creative take on the 1943 film Ape Man as when you read this issue it comes off more like an alternative universe version of what Dr. James Brewster could have been if he was in Ohio and working for the government to find a cure for polio when he was turned into The Ape Man. The new twists and turns for the story are also lots of fun as we get to see Ape Man and Ape be more of friends who have an idea to make Earth a true to life Planet Of The Apes. We get cameos from such historic figures as J. Edger Hoover and Wilber Wright, who of course is one half of the Wright Brothers who invented flight as we know it. Scott, the madman behind this comic, also takes away the humor and the newspaper reporter hero is traded in for FBI Agents and he adds in a good amount of blood and gore to make horror comic readers very happy. Dr. James Brewster is a madman who has turned himself into a Ape Man and instead of wanting to cure himself would rather stay this way and wants to make Apes smarter in order to run the world, he also enjoys killing and wants to use the fluids he takes from his victims to make his friend Ape smarter. Dr. Brewster is both sinister and smart and all signs of having human feelings are gone as he is truly a monster. Ape is Brewster’s gorilla sidekick and best friend who is super strong, smart and also very brutal as he takes human life with ease and will also die for his friend in order to protect him. Agatha and George are fitting parts who both want to help Brewster find a “cure” but also want to try and stop his killing ways to achieve it. The FBI Agents are brave and charge in to the rescue as the local cops are goofs and botch the capture of The Ape Man as the President wanted him taken alive, but instead he is shot and killed. In this comic as well it’s shown that Dr. Brewster did not start with apes but instead with wolves and one of his past assistants was injected with wolf spinal fluid and was turned into a weird wolf life creature that escaped into the woods, a very cool touch as I like the idea that Brewster tried other animals before the Gorilla and this makes him some what of a Dr. Moreau type mad scientist as we as a Dr. Jekyll as Brewster’s experiment gone wrong turned him into a cruel monster as well. The comic has two different covers both showcasing Ape Man as well as Ape and both are very cool and eye catching for fans of Indie Horror Comics. Scott Scarborough’s interior artwork is really great stuff and I love the way he draws both Ape Man and Ape and his gore is over the top and cartoonish that gives it a charm all of its own and for me that is awesome. Over all The Ape Man from Blood Scream Comics is truly an experience of it’s own and while elements of the film and characters are there it’s a whole new experience that will truly delight readers. Check out the artwork below to see the style used by Scott in this issue.

The Ape Man is a great comic by Scott Scarborough who brings the terror feel of the film more to the front and plays more on the sci-fi horror elements for his comic and that is one of the great skills that Scott as a creator has and that is he can bring out the scary elements but they truly have that b-movie feel that makes them very entertaining reads. And for those who are wondering, you can get a copy of Ape Man # 1 from HERE while supplies last and make sure to check out some of Scott’s other work that includes The Wolf Hunter # 1, The Cool Ghoul # 0 and Captain Scurvy # 1 with that last two being based on TV Horror Hosts and the first being the classic Shot On Video film by director Matt Hoffman. And with that this update has come to an end and before we head our separate ways, I would like to let you know that our next update will continue our countdown to Halloween 2024 and will keep us in the groove of another From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update as we look at Return Of The Living Dead! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a classic horror film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update as we party with the living dead!