American Summer Hero: Popsicles

Posted on July 4, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink! I don’t know about you, but I both love and hate Summer time! I am all about the bright skies and the lazy evenings but what I do not like is when it’s way to0 hot and muggy out and it just makes your day miserable! But you know what makes for a great treat and a way to cool down during the heat of the summer sun? You guessed it, a good old fashioned Popsicle, the classic frozen treat that has been a staple of American summers for decades! And today’s quick update is about Popsicles and the Marvel Comic based on them…that’s right, in 2015 Marvel Comics did a promo comic for Popsicles that had a superhero team of them fighting the summer heat. And this of course had to get the Rotten Ink treatment at some point. So sit back, relax and let’s take a fruity frozen treat trip with the Popsicles that saved summer…wait, I wonder if they could stop global warming? We need to call The Flavor Force and find out! Oh and Happy July 4^th!!

Popsicle started way back in 1905 when youngster Frank Epperson left a flavored drink with a stir stick still in the liquid outside over night and it froze over into a tasty treat! When Frank grew up he would in 1922 make some of his frozen treats for a fireman’s ball and they were a big hit and this caused him to start selling them at Neptune Beach an amusement park in California and they were called “The Epsicle Ice Pop” back then as Epperson was very proud of his tasty mistake. But after a short while he would name it Popsicle as they were being marketed as frozen drinks on a stick. But in 1925 Frank would find himself at odds with Good Humor a frozen ice cream like products who felt that some of Frank’s tasty snacks were to similar to theirs and this caused him to have to pay them a fee, and later Frank would sell the Popsicle to Joe Lowe Company who by 1989 sold the rights to Good Humor who would in the end be the rulers of Summer Time treats! As once Good Humor took over the classic Popsicle would spin off into such things as Fudgsicle and Creamsicle both that are just as iconic as the treat that spawned them. And Popsicle is still a very popular treat that is a staple item for most Ice Cream Trucks and Carts all over America and Canada. I should also say that in 1939 Popsicle had a mascot with Popsicle Pete who was just a normal kid who loved his Popsicles and made his first appearance on the radio show “Buck Rogers In The 25^th Century”.

We have to take a moment to also talk about ice cream and other frozen treats as the small village I grew up in did not see the ice cream trucks very much, and we would have to get our frozen treats from the grocery stores like Big Bear or hit up the Dairy Corner. But when we would go to Kettering, the place my grandparents lived, we would get some ice cream from the trucks and some of my favorites to get was the WWF Superstars ice cream bars that would feature a wrestler on the snack and would also come with a collectible trading card. I would also get the Firecracker Popsicle, the classic Baseball Glove ice cream bar and another favorite was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ice cream bar! Also while in town, we would sometimes get some ice cream from UDF (United Dairy Farmers) where I would want Superman Ice Cream and we would get milkshakes from Jet Freeze, one of my favorite ice cream shops that I still go to. But when chatting with my friend Marc Gras, who lives in Spain and is a comic book artist that has worked on such titles for Sparkle and Blood Scream Comics as Final Revenge # 1-2, Black Lion # 0, Don’t Look In The Basement # 1 and Bone Hill Road # 1-2 to name a few, about ice cream and snack food mascots, he brought up that in Spain they have Dracula ice cream….yes ice cream bars that are named and inspired by the vampire Count Dracula that is black ice cream with a red center….this is awesome, and I wish we had this brand of ice cream here in America! Way back when we had a similar ice cream bar called “Vampire’s Deadly Secret” that was made by Good Humor for ice cream trucks, but it was long gone before I was a kid, but ours was more of a cherry flavor while many of the European ones have a more strawberry flavor. Come on Good Humor, bring back the Vampire Secret bars, they would make a perfect treat for the Halloween season!

Man I really do hope that Dracula ice cream or Vampire’s Deadly Secret or whatever you want to call it does make a return to American stores and ice cream trucks as it’s about time we put a little scare into our ice cream again! But let’s get back on topic and talk about Popsicles and the Marvel Comic based around them as superheroes! I want to first say that I love when companies do promo comics and really do think that more fast food restaurants and other food products that have mascots should be doing this! And then I would like to thank Mavericks Cards And Comics who saved me a copy of this comic way back in 2015 and made this update possible. I would also like to remind you all that I grade this book on a standard 1-4 star system and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, let’s grab a Popsicle and sit back and see how The Flavor Force saves the world from a very hot summer.

Popsicle # 1 **1/2
Released in 2015 Cover Price FREE Marvel # 1 of 1

The issue starts with a brief history of Frank Epperson and how he created the first Popsicle in 1905, and the three Popsicle Heroes pay him respect! Next Cherry Popsicle is out hanging with some kids when Lord Weather Vane, the leader of the Anti-Flavor Foundation, strikes and is causing massive heat that melts Cherry! But thanks to his electric super powers he is able to freeze up again and cause all the air conditioners to work hard and help keep people cool and this angers Lord Vane! Some time later Lord Vane is in his hideout and is plotting more ways to try and ruin summer but his plot is over heard by Orange Popsicle who is super smart, and when he thinks he has frozen her, Orange makes a ice statue of herself and escape the hideout to alert her friends and it’s only sometime later that Vane figures out he has been tricked. We then join The Flavor Force on top of a building were Orange and Cherry ask Grape how he got his super powers and the purple hero mumbles about heat, humidity, and Lord Weather Vane and then coughs when he says what his power is as they others just go along with it as they fly around the city trying to save people from the summer heat. Lord Weather Vane meets The Flavor Force in the park with his own group of frozen treats that he calls The Freezer Burns that include Grass, Sea Water and Turkey Gravy and they are looking for a fight! And a fight they get when Cherry uses his electric powers to melt them and as they are puddles they thank them for saving them as they know that they were gross flavors! Lord Weather Vane then decides that he will attack a cruise ship next and this is quickly stopped when Grape knocks him over board and into the cold water below. Mad cause he keeps getting beat, Lord Weather Vane decides to make his robots build him a space ship so he can ruin summer in space, but Cherry stops him this time and throws a disco rave for the bots who stop working to party! The Flavor Force then travel to space as it appears Lord Weather Vane has made the sun even hotter trying to ruin summer, and Orange is able to use a cooling beam on their ship to make it cooler and saving summer for the time being. But Grape is finally the one who stops Lord Weather Vane as he asks him why he hates summer and is able to talk him down and leave summer alone! And then Grape showcases his power is laser eyes!

This is a very silly and basic kids promo comic that is used to promote a food product that most kids eat all the time for a treat during those hot summer days, and teaming with Marvel Comics to give away for free at Comic Shops was a very wise move to help spread the word even more that Popsicles are where it’s at! This comic’s plot is about three super powered Popsicles who are trying to save summer from blistering heat that is being created by Lord Weather Vane, a bitter man who can control weather who wants to ruin the summer fun for everyone! And of course by the end of this comic, our frozen pop heroes end up talking the baddies down and learn that he is doing this because his feelings were hurt by people who complain about the weather. The heroes of this comic go by The Flavor Forcem and while they do have names I just call them by their flavoring as I did not catch what the name of Cherry Popsicle was but he does have the power of electricity, while the female Orange Popsicle who is super smart is named Mandy and the Grape Popsicle who has laser beam eyes is named Pete. They all got their powers when facing Lord Vane and each use their powers to try and stop him and for good deeds. I think my favorite hero is Pete the Grape Popsicle as he is kind of a strange dude who does not share his powers nor how he got them with his friends until the end of the issue…and he is the one who really ends the summer heat as he just talks with their nemesis and learns to understand his sadness. The main villain is Lord Weather Vane, an older guy who can control the weather and seems to hate the happiness of others, he also clearly likes making things as hot as Hell and can even create his own beings that he tries to get to help him in his quest to ruin summer. But while he starts out evil it’s clear he is not a bad guy, just a sad one who feels people do not respect him and what he does. The Freezer Burns are a trio of gross flavored Popsicles that Lord Van created in order to fight The Flavor Force and also ruin the tastebuds of those who eat them! As who wants a frozen treat that taste like Turkey Gravy, Sea Water and Grass! But they are no match and our heroes take them down with ease. The action aka fights are more done with words with some time action as there is some melting going on and the jokes are as corny as you would think they world be, but I have to say I did really enjoy this as it made me think back to when I was a kid and read comics based on the Quik Bunny, Cap’n Crunch and Sugar Bear and brought some fun stories to the junk food I was eating. The cover for this comic is very eye catching and looks like a true kids comic that you would have found on your local comic shop shelves, and the interior art was done by Tom Grummet and is really good stuff and looks like a classic kids comic from the early 90’s. Speaking of classic kids comics, I wish that Marvel would have brought back the Star Comics brand to do this comic and would have continued making promo comics based on food mascots as well as cartoons to give away at shops and events…in other words bring back Star Comics! Over all this was a fun silly read and did it’s job as after reading it I wanted a Popsicle! Check out the artwork below to see the art style of Grummet used in this kids promo comic by Marvel.

While Popsicle the comic book was not Earth shattering stuff, it was a fun and quick entertaining read that did a great job of promoting the frozen treat and brought some life to a product that has been around for many decades and as well gave the company new mascots for a while as poor Popsicle Pete, the human version, had been in the mascot retirement home for many years…and you have to give them some credit as naming the Grape Popsicle Pete clearly was in honor of their first mascot. I would really like to see Marvel Comics do more promo comics like this in the future as items like this do help younger readers find their way to comic books and lord knows that the comic industry needs to draw in younger readers again. But now that we have cooled off and have had a Popsicle or two I think its time that I tell you readers about our next update that will take us away from The Flavor Force and back into the world of Horror as we will be taking a look at the 1896 Silent Horror Film “House Of The Devil” that is said to be the first horror film made as well as the first Vampire film! So until next time, have a great July 4^th, read a comic or three, watch a movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update for a spooky silent good time!

Matt Goes To The Movies 2024

Posted on January 1, 2025 by bloodlinematt

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

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

# 41

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

# 40

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

# 39

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

# 38

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

# 37

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

# 36

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

# 35

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

# 34

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

# 33

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

# 32

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

# 31

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

# 30

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

# 29

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

# 28

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

# 27

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

# 26

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

# 25

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

# 24

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

# 23

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

# 22

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

# 21

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

# 20

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

# 19

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

# 18

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

# 17

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

# 16

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

# 15

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

# 14

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

# 13

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

# 12

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

# 11

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

# 10

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

# 9

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

# 8

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

# 7

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

# 6

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

# 5

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

# 4

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

# 3

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

# 2

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

# 1

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

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

Forgotten Reels: The 3rd Alarm (1922)

Posted on July 25, 2023 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we are back at the Rotten Ink Theater for another Forgotten Reels update, celebrating the Silent Film era of cinema. As I am sure you all know Horror is my favorite genre of films as they have always captured my imagination and delivered chills, thrills and even blood spills. We will get to the Silent Age of Horror on Forgotten Reels, but before we do, I would like to take a look at other genres from the Silent era and that is why for today’s update I chose a film from 1922 that is a drama about an old firefighter. The film is called The 3^rd Alarm, and this will be a first time watch for me! So let’s grab some soda and popcorn and find our seats as it’s time to chat about some Silent Cinema!

The 3rd Alarm is a 1922 Drama film that was released by Film Booking Offices Of America and was the brainchild of the films director Emory Johnson who was with his mom at a Los Angeles street corner watching the Elk’s parade and see the LAPD’s fire horses in their final public appearance as they were being replaced by vehicles, and this trigged a story of how everything old has a passing down or a changing of the guard. And with this idea he had his mother Emilie Johnson write up the script as she had a history of working on Silent Films for Hollywood. Emory then went out and hired Ralph Lewis to play the lead character Dan McDowell, Lewis was an actor who had been working in Silent Films sense 1912 and was in such films as “The Birth Of A Nation (1915)”, “Macbeth (1916)”, “Dante’s Inferno (1924)” and “The Block Signal (1926)”. Also brought into the cast was Johnnie Walker, Ella Hall, Virginia True, Frankie Lee and Josephine Adair. Emory also bought a rundown five-story apartment building in Los Angeles in order to set it ablaze for the shots of fire in the film, and he even lived with the LA Firemen for a week just to see their life styles and get their actions down. And the film was originally going to be called “The Discard” before being called The 3^rd Alarm and released in movie houses. And once out the film got great promotion with Firemen help spreading the word and once in theaters it was meet with positive reviews from both critics and audience. The film was considered one of the best 40 films of 1922 and over the years it has been restored and released on DVD as well as on Digital Platforms, as the film has fallen into the Public Domain.

With The 3^rd Alarm being about firefighters and with fire being burning hot I decided that I needed a hot chip to cover with this review so I selected the “Ruffles Flamin’ Hot BBQ Potato Chips.” I have to say that growing up Ruffles was by favorite chips and I am looking forward to trying this flavor! And that’s the thing about choosing Potato Chips to go along with these Silent Films, the flavors to choose are many as are the brands. Check out the picture below to see what the chips look like in the freshly opened bag.

This will be a first time watch for me and one I am looking forward to watching and reviewing here for you friends and readers. And I will be grading both the film and the chips on a classic 1-4 star scale. I also want to say on my film ratings I am basing it on a scale that is for silent films of all budgets and eras. So sit back in your theater seat, grab some chips and a soda and let’s travel to the fire with Alpha Video.

The 3^rd Alarm
Starring: Ralph Lewis and Ella Hall Directed: Emory Johnson
Not Rated 1922 58min Alpha Video DVD Full Frame

A fire has broken out and a firebox is used to call in the firefighters who slide down the pole and get the horses hooked to the fire cart and are on their way as fast as the horses can run. Dan McDowell is the driver for engine seven and has been a firefighter for 20 years and has a bond with the horses, and even the neighborhood kids like to show up at the station to see the horses that pull the fire engines including his own daughter Alice and her friend Jimmy who is a newsboy for the city as today is his birthday and they let him ride Bullet the stations main horse. And the kids all have fun with the horses minus one little boy that’s candy apple was eaten by Bullet.

Mother McDowell is the wife of Dan and is at their home near the station making a birthday cake for Dan as it’s his birthday as well and the young girl comes home and watches as her mother ices the cake, as Dan takes the kids around the station all while they are ridding Bullet. Alice decides that she wants to make something for the cake. Meanwhile Johnny McDowell is Dan’s son who is away studying to become a doctor and it’s were he also meet his sweetheart June Rutherford as they are hanging around the lake and he shows her a horse charm that he bought as a birthday gift for his father, but she was hoping it was a engagement ring. And the happy couple head to the McDowell house for the celebration.

Back at the station the Fire Chief shows up in his motor car and is happy to tell them all that Engine Seven will be motorized soon and the horses will be retired, the firefighter are all happy and as Dan hitches Bullet on the post and says goodbye to the kids he enters the station and gets the news, his heart breaks as he knows that means the horses will be going away and he has a bond with them all. The rest of the department tries to cheer him up, as this is a good thing as the department is becoming modernized. June Rutherford returns home and her dad Dr. Rutherford and teases about leaving school forever, as back at the McDowell home Alice has made a cake topper of a horse that has Bullets names on it. Back at the Rutherford home her father is talking about no one being good enough to try and marry his daughter but promises that he will be nice to Johnny when he comes to dinner that night.

Johnny shows up at his father’s house and is greeted by Alice at the door, while at the station Dan is sitting outside feeling old and outdated as Bullet comes walking over to comfort his friend. Alice shows up at the station and tells her father its time to come home, and Dan fallows his daughter home and they run into Jimmy who gives Dan a free paper for his birthday, and Dan invites the youngster in to have some cake but he can not due to him having to sell papers. Johnny shows his mother the horse charm he bought his father and they hide it on his plate for him to find. Dan ends up buying all the papers so that Jimmy can come and celebrate his birthday along with his. Once inside Alice decides that she is going to help Jimmy wash his hair and causes a massive mess as water sprays all over the kitchen. Once they clean up the head into the dinning room and Dan’s eyes are covered and once he opens them he sees the room decorated and before he can see the cake the fire alarm goes off and Dan if off to do his job, and his family and Jimmy are upset that this special time was interrupted.

Nighttime falls and the McDowell family is standing at the window as off in the distance they can see something is on fire and the night sky is lit up by it. While Dan McDowell and his fellow firefighters have hoses in hand and are trying to get the blaze under control. And this lasts all night and his birthday was ruined and his family was left waiting for their father.

Time passes and the new motorcar engine is at the station and is there to retire the horses on Engine Seven, as the firefighters and neighborhood kids are all looking the vehicle over Dan is cleaning the horse straps and bits. And once the Engine fires up the animals around hate the sound and even a stray cat runs away in terror as the fireman laugh at the scaredy cat. And then someone comes to take the horses away, and Dan is heartbroken as he looks at his friends that he has taken care of for so long now and gives them hugs and stands in the street as he watches the horses be taken away, Jimmy joins him for their final farewell. The fellow firefighters notice how sad Dan is so they go to him and try and cheer him up. And they get him to get into the drivers seat of the Engine Seven and they cheer for him.

The following days Dan McDowell is not feeling the motorcar and is being forced to learn how to drive it, and he is not doing well with driving as he is hitting curbs and is awkward behind the wheel, and Dan realizes that he just can not drive the car. Dan comes home a defeated man and he has to tell his wife that he has been places into forced retirement due to not being able to drive the car, his time has passed and he fills down and out. He feels that he has failed his son Johnny who he is putting through medical school, his wife tries to lift his spirit by telling him there are other jobs he can do and that the Fire Department was not everything. As she leaves the room Dan starts crying as she does in the kitchen when Johnny comes over for a visit, and his mother informs him of his fathers discharge. Johnny enters the room to cheer up his father and tells him that not to worry as his girlfriends father is one of the top surgeons and that he only has one more year of school and he will be a full doctor himself! Dan then alerts his son that they have taken everything from him his horses, his job and now they have taken his son!

We then show a flashback to the McDowell home and a doctor informs Dan that his infant son is very sick and that the youngster’s only hope is Dr. Rutherford! And Dan rushes to get to Rutherford’s office and once inside a nurse tell him that the Doctor can not see him, but in the hallway the Doctor passes and Dan begs him for help to save his son. But Dr. Rutherford refuses to leave his office as in another room a patient is indeed of surgery to save their life, and he claims he cannot trade one life for another. And Dr. Rutherford leaves Dan in the hallway and closes the door to help save another life.

Johnny is shocked at what he has heard and asks if his father can look past this as he is in love with June, and Dan says he will never forget and forgive this action and that Johnny must do what he thinks is right. Johnny is now heartbroken and torn between the love of his life and his fathers anger. While at the Rutherford home June is talking to her father and showing him pictures of her and Johnny together. While back at the McDowell Home Johnny is in his room in distress and his haunted by his fathers disapproval of his girlfriend June, and almost writes her a breakup letter but crumples it up and hangs his head in sadness and thought.

The next morning Dan McDowell is checking the paper for job listings as its clear the fire fighters as well as the stations pet dog are missing him. Across the town the old retired fire horse Bullet is sold to a man for only $150.00, and back at the station the fire alarm rings and Dan even hears it and starts to leap from his chair, but the remembers that he sadly no longer is a fire fighter. And he watches as Engine Seven rushes off to the site of the fire. As Dan is sitting sad in his chair the fire house dog gets into the McDowell Home and comes to Dan’s side and even brings him his old fire hat. And Dan goes deep into thought and wants to figure out what to do for a job.

Dan the next morning applies for a driving job and all looks good, but he soon finds that its not for wagon driving its for a motor car and does not get the job. As he leaves the job interview feeling defeated he sees a sign for labor work and looks at his hands. We then join Johnny who is walking June to her car and she tells him that her father would like to see him tonight about maybe hiring him at his clinic. We then go back to Dan who has gotten the labor job and he and other men are digging holes, and the boss of the dig site shows up and Bullet is the horse pulling his wagon and when Bullet sees Dan he walks over to his old friend. The Boss gets mad and walks over and starts getting rough with Bullet, and Dan tries to stop him and take up for his old animal friend and ends up punching the man in the face! Dan and then man then get into a full fist fight and just in time Johnny is walking by and as Dan is knocked down Johnny and the man get into a fight! And Johnny drops the man with a good hit and then goes to check on his dad, and Johnny tells the man he will get Bullet away from him if it’s the last thing he ever does! Johnny then stops his father from going back to digging and Dan quiets the job.

That night the man who owns Bullet puts him into a stale and is still being mean to him, but as fire engines drive by Bullet hears the sounds of the fire bells and goes into action and breaks free from the stale and heads toward the fire. Johnny meanwhile goes and visits the office of Chief Andrews who is in control of the cities Police and Fire Departments and informs him that he has quit medical school and would like a job and he is given one. While back at the McDowell home the police have shown up with the Horse abusing man and they are questioning Dan and his wife about Bullet missing and they think Johnny might have stolen him. And as Dan walks them around his property Dan is shocked as Bullet is in his garage. And as the man takes Bullet back the police let Dan know that they want his son for the theft, but Dan tells them that he is the one who stole Bullet and he is put under arrest. Dan thinks he is protecting his son, but really no one is to blame as Bullet just escaped and went to the home that he knew he was loved at. Johnny shows up a very short time later dressed in his new uniform and sees his mom and sister crying on the porch and finds out why and rushes off to the police station.

At the police station Dan is being booked in for horse theft, and Johnny comes in and is told that the police cannot help him with the situation. While back at the Rutherford’s apartment home June gets a call from her father that he will be late home tonight and for dinner. But as June is talking to her father the housemaid comes in and alerts her that the home is on fire! June gets the servants to safety and then goes back to get her little dog and is now stuck inside a building that is on fire, and she is in panic as there is no way out of the inferno and she passes out from the smoke and heat. The fire department are on their way and from his jail cell window Dan can see the blaze at the Rutherford apartments.

At the Rutherford Apartments people are rushing out of the burning building as the fire department has shown up and start hooking up their hoses in order to fight the fire. While at the street corner selling his papers young Jimmy sees the story of Dan being arrested over Bullet and heads to the station and talks to Chief Andrews and tells him that he is the one who found Bullet wondering the streets and placed him in the old McDowell woodshed so the horse would not get lost, Chief Andrews tells Jimmy that they are going to get Dan out of jail. While back at the fire they are doing their best to put out the fire that is now out of control and they call in Engine Seven for help and on this engine is Johnny McDowell who is heading to his girlfriends house. While back at the fire June wakes up and gets the window and is spotted by the fire fighters bellow. And they send the ladder up and Johnny rushes up it to save his love from a burning death. As Johnny is up their trying to save June the building starts to collapse and the order goes out for Johnny to come down with our without June! But Johnny is able to get to June who he has climb on his back and together they climb down, just then Dr. Rutherford gets home and is scared as part of the building crumbles at the spot of June and Johnny! Dan McDowell is now out of jail and has rushed to the fire and has suited up to help get the blaze under control and to save lives. But the water pressure drops and the fighters are not able to combat the fire without water, but they find June and Johnny who are alive but cannot be saved just yet as a massive safe is on the rubble they are trapped in and the men are pulling but are not able to move it!

More fire engines with more firefighters are on the way, and Bullet once more hears the bells ringing and rushes off to the fire! While back at the fire Dr. Rutherford begs Dan McDowell to save his daughter and he tells him she is all he has in life, and Dan remembers back to the day he begged the Dr. to save his son. Meanwhile Bullet is now on the scene of the fire, and he and Dan work together and with Bullet they are able to move the safe and save the lives of June and Johnny! The other fire trucks are now on the scene and they have more water and are able to clear a path for all the heroes stuck to get out of the inferno safe. Dan McDowell learns to forgive Dr. Rutherford who in turn is very grateful for the rescue of his daughter. In the end The McDowell Family along with the Rutherford Family, Jimmy and even Chief Andrews are at a ranch and they have a surprise for Dan, and it’s all the old Fire Horses are now at this farm that Dr. Rutherford bought in order for Dan to be able to care and look after all his old friends. We also see that Johnny is now a Doctor and has cured Jimmy who no longer needs a crutch! And all ends well for everyone.

Review: The 3^rd Alarm was a silent film that really surprised me as this was a first time watch for me and at the start I was not fully sure what to expect as it was clearly a drama film and it started off a little show, but by the less then half way mark I was hooked and found myself drawn into this world and felt a bond with Dan McDowell and his family and extended family. As Dan was a hard working man who was working a tough job and was saving peoples lives as well as their homes all the while bonding with the horses that worked hard to pull the fire wagons to get them to the sites to fight the fires, and with technology coming in Dan and his horses were discarded as things of the past. The movie really brings to light how the work force views employees that have been loyal to them for decades but are getting older and are forced to retire or are fired as they think the newer and younger is better. But I do need to stress that Dan was loved by the fire department but could not get down how to drive the new motorcar and that’s why he was given his pink slip. And you have to give this film major credit as they really did set a massive apartment building ablaze and they told a great story of change, respect and the importance of family. And that’s the thing you as a viewer get to see is not only the change of times with more modern technology coming in to make things easier, but you also see a change of a man who had a grudge and learns to let it go and by doing so he changes as a person. I also like that the horse Bullet has a personality of his own and feels like he really is apart of the McDowell family, and when he escaped his abusive owner I cheered for him to get away and was glad that he and his fellow retired Fire Station Horses have a nice ranch to retire at. The love between Johnny and June is also a great layer as Johnny loves her very much but is also torn over his fathers hatred for her father, and in the end the true love between the two bring them together. I really enjoyed this drama film as I found all the characters interesting and likable and this one really did surprise me on how well I liked it.

Now let’s talk briefly about the chips and I have to say that it I was really surprised as I found myself liking these chips as well! The BBQ flavor was good and strong and had a bold flavor, and the Flamin’ Hot aspect brought some heat, but it was not as over baring like the taste can be such on the Cheetos. The burn of the chip sticks around a little after eating them, but it’s not too bad and does not feel like its coating your mouth like many of the Flamin’ Hot snacks do. And besides Ruffles just making a good basic chip the BBQ flavor is really what pushes this chip into the very tasty realm and made me buy more bags after eating them for this review.

Movie: ***
Chips: ***

The 3^rd Alarm is a great silent film and it nearly almost got three and a half stars from me as even days after watching it I found myself thinking about moments in the film and the characters themselves. I like the idea that Dan, his wife and young daughter lived on this ranch and took care of the horses while Johnny and June would end up married and have kids making Dan a grandpa and they lived out their lives as a very happy family…or at least that is what I think happened after the events of the film. But grab your bag of Ruffles as the Rotten Ink Theater has turned up the house lights letting us know that the film is over and that our time looking at Silent Films is over for now. So while we head out, let’s take a moment and chat about what our next update will be about as I am happy to say that we will be walking across the street to the Rotten Ink Stadium as I will be ranking Ohio’s Best Collegiate, Softball and Minor League Baseball Team Mascots! So until then, watch a Silent Movie or Three, read a comic or two and as always support your local Cinema. See you next update for some good old Baseball talk!

Forgotten Reels: The Island Of The Lost (1921)

Posted on November 16, 2022 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink! As you can see, we have a packed house here at the Rotten Ink Theater as the silent film that we will be discussing on this “Forgotten Reels” is a one time lost German Sci-Fi, Horror flick that was re-discovered in Germany and has not really made its way to America and sadly is really unknown by the masses here and for the most part has been forgotten by the world as well. The film is called “The Island Of The Lost” that was released in 1921 and is a unofficial film based on a classic novel written by H.G. Wells and when Phil of Creature Feature Video brought this film to my attention I knew I had to cover it here at the Rotten Ink Theater as this was a perfect film for “Forgotten Reels” as its one that will be a first time watch for me and this also could be the first time many of you readers even heard of this film! So let’s find our seats and grab a snack and a drink as it’s time for us to talk Silent Cinema.

The Island Of The Lost is a German film released by Terra Film in 1921 and is one part Sci-Fi and Horror and has a dash of Comedy and Romance. The films script was written by Hans Behrendt and Bobby E. Luthge and is very loosely based on the novel “The Island Of Dr. Moreau” by H.G. Wells who had no idea that this film was even made based on his work, and this was a common practice back in the early years of cinema that filmmakers would adapt famous novels into films and not get the permission of the writers who created them. They got Urban Gad to direct who had directed many films before this one with some of his well known ones being “The Abyss (1910)”, “Zapata’s Gang (1914)”, “Cinderella (1916)” and “What A Girl (1920)” to name a few. The film casted Erich Kaiser-Titz as Professor McClelland the films Dr. Moreau and other actors like Alf Blutecher, Ludmilla Hell, Hanni Weisse, Hermann Picha and Nien Tso Ling also made up the cast. The film mostly showed just in Germany and did not make the impact that the adaptation films of F.W. Murnau made the year before and after its release as it was sandwiched between the 1920 film “Der Januskopf” that was based loosely on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and 1922’s Nosferatu that of course was unauthorized based on Dracula. The film also had early effects of human and animal hybrids and was done with makeup and prosthetic effects and I can only imagine how moviegoers reacted to seeing these creatures in 1921. After its run The Island Of The Lost faded away and was misplaced and was forgotten by time. But a print of the film was found in Berlin and it was saved from decay. The film even made its way to America finally as it screened for the first time in 2014 at a Monster Bash Convention and was meet with mixed to positive reviews. The film while still not as known by fans of Silent Horror Cinema has made it mark on those who have watched it. The film can be found on grey market DVD.

The snack I choose to eat while watching this Silent Film for the first time is a classic for me and I picked an Andy Capp snack food and choose the BBQ flavor! Many of you remember my write up for Andy Capp when he went to Camp and I gave the history of the snack named after the comic strip Icon but for this update I will quickly give you a crash course on them. Andy Capp Snacks started in 1971 by Goodmark Foods Inc. and made corn and potato snack food that look like fries and featured the comic strip character Andy Capp as the products mascot and spokesman. In 1998 ConAgra Foods bought Goodmark and they still make this bard of snack food to this day! They had many flavors for their Andy Cap Firs line including over the years Salsa, Cheese, Ranch, Cheddar & Bacon, White Cheddar, Hot Chili Cheese and the most iconic being Hot. And while my favorite flavors are Cheese and Hot my third is BBQ and for some reason that sounded the most tasty to go with this film. So take a look below to see these BBQ Fries in their natural habit of a freshly opened bag.

I am very much looking forward to watching this one as it is a German Horror flick that I have never seen and I love the fact that its American premiere was at a Monster Bash Convention that is my favorite one to attend as I am a big fan of classic monsters as you long time readers know. The print of the movie we are looking at is from Creature Feature Video an amazing company that brings many of these Silent films to home media for fans to collect and own. I will be grading both the film and the BBQ Fries on a classic 1-4 star scale. I also want to say on my film ratings I am basing it on a scale that is for silent films of all budgets and eras. So sit back in your theater seat, grab some a snack and a soda and lets travel to The Island Of The Lost with Creature Feature Video. And yes the stills used in this review update are indeed taken from the CFV print and the DVD that I own.

The Island Of The Lost
Starring: Erich Kaiser-Titz and Alf Blutecher Directed: Urban Gad
Not Rated 1921 61min Creature Feature Video DVD-R Full Frame

Robert Marston reads about a bottle being found with a note inside that has coordination’s and a cry for help from a woman named Jane Crawford. He then heads to visit his fiancé Evelyn Wilkinson and the two walk for a few moments and catch up before Robert is off again, but drops his newspaper and Jane notices that a part has been ripped out. Meanwhile Dr. Ted Fowley a friend of Robert’s is putting up with two paid patients of his Jim and Jess that sit in the waiting room to look like the doctor is busy who are talking about how to get more money and Ted has an idea using ads in the paper about an artificial man.

Evelyn tracks down a newsboy and buys another paper so that she can find what part of Robert’s paper was missing while Robert has arrived at the practice of his friend Ted and even runs into Jim and Jess who are faking injuries. As Robert enters the office he alerts Ted of the note found in the bottle and they both agree that the handwriting looks like Jane who was Robert’s ex-fiancé who went missing while in London. Ted asks Robert if he is still in love with Jane and he says no that Evelyn is his love, but you can tell he is torn. Meanwhile people are lining up outside Ted’s office with the promise of the newspaper ad about an artificial man. Ted tells Robert he needs to go to Jane and tell her the truth of what is going on, but Robert does not want Evelyn to find out about Jane. While Ted along with Jim and Jess deal with the people who have gathered because of the ad while Evelyn shows up and Robert and they chat for a moment but Ted begs Robert to get him away as his ad has backfired and the people are getting rowdy and the two run out the back door and onto a submarine and sail away and set sail for the island that Jane is at. As the do so Evelyn has the article about the found message in the bottle that has the location and watches as her lover sails away. Robert and Ted on the submarine dive and the two friends and the crew chat and set sail for the long journey to the island to get to Jane.

Time passes and they are at the island and as Robert and Ted armed with rifles go ashore the submarine and its crew head to the mouth of a river to wait for the two to get back from this expedition. Robert and Ted explore the land and nothing is around at first besides trees, rivers and planets and then they spot an animal man that is a mix of ape and human and he does not seem friendly. The friends flee and reach another part of the river and find a massive hut and they take a makeshift boat to get to the hut and to get away from the strange things in the woods.

Once they reach the hut via a window they see the shadow of Jane and they rush inside with rifles at the ready and while looking for her the find lab equipment as well as medical books…as this hut is also some ones lab! And while looking around a man in a radioactive suit appears and introduces himself as George McClelland and wonders what they are doing in his hut as this island is were he does his experiments and they are clearly outsiders. Robert and Ted lie and say they came on a yacht and McClelland thinks they are just wondering lost friends and welcomes them and claims that an outbreak has wiped out all the natives of the island and that he is the only living person on it. Ted acts as if he is going to go back the ship to bring a bottle of wine back, but instead looks around and finds a steel door in the hut and behind it is Jane who is happy to see him and to be on the verge of being rescued. But Ted is caught by Fung-Lu who is the assistant to McClelland and when Ted demands the key to the cell Fung-Lu says that McClelland has it and Ted marches into the lab and demands the key!

McClelland agrees and leads Robert and Ted to the cell, but they make a big mistake as they leave the riffles behind and when they walk away Fung-Lu takes the guns away leaving them armless. Once inside the cell Jane is happy to see Robert and Ted but she is still very scared of McClelland who ends up stepping aside and Robert, Ted and Jane make a run for it and leave the hut and get back into the little boat and start heading toward the shore. And inside McClelland and Fung-Lu talk about opium, but they will not get any until these outsiders are dealt with.

As the boat gets to the bank and Jane tells them that she was attacked by three people and when she woke up she found herself on this island and that McClelland is a terrible person and she would always hear the screams of animals as she was locked in her cell. As Jane runs ahead of them Ted tells Robert that he must tell her that he is now engaged to Evelyn, but he cannot bring himself to do so. As the three friends run through the woods Fung-Lu is tossing bombs around the docked submarine spooking the crew and destroying the ship or so he claims when talking to McClelland in order to get some opium. McClelland denies his assistant the drug unless he signs a paper that gives McClelland all credit for the experiments that the pair have done on the island, and Fung-Lu does so just so he can get the drug he needs.

Robert, Jane and Ted arrive to were they left their canoe and find it missing so the follow the river to opening and see that the submarine is also missing and there is only on survivor and it was the ships butler. Jane says she knows a place that the four of them can take shelter in for the night and it’s an old tree house and before they climb up they take inventory of the supplies they have. Once they get Jane inside and safe they send the Butler out to get wood so that they can make a warm fire for the night and as the butler looks around for wood a Native is stalking him, while in the tree house Ted is getting mad at Robert for not coming clean to Jane that he has found another love, but Robert says he will not as he still cares for Jane. Meanwhile the Butler ends up running into the native who is female and they run off to her hut and they fall in love. While back at the lab Fung-Lu is smoking his opium and drifts away into his own mind.

Robert, Jane and Ted later that day make a fire and are sitting around it when Ted makes sure to ask Robert if he has thought about Evelyn and this makes Jane ask who Evelyn is, and this puts Robert on the spot and Ted then tells Jane that Evelyn is Robert’s fiancé in London and while both Jane and Robert look hurt good old Ted looks pleased with himself. The next morning they are now in grounded hunts getting ready for the day and Ted even goes outside and milks a goat for milk and brings it to Jane, and Robert is not pleased that his best friend is flirting with his lady. And when they ask Robert to join them for breakfast he gets pouty and refuses and walks off alone. Meanwhile Ted and Jane end up sharing the goat milk and continue to flirt with one another and finally they even kiss. As Robert is trying to build a raft to get them off this island and forget that his heart is breaking as he still has feelings for Jane who is now falling for Ted after she learns that Robert had moved on once she was kidnapped.

Meanwhile Fung-Lu is feeding one of the animal people that is one of the experiment of McClelland who informs Fung-Lu that they will allow Jane to have her freedom for now but when they need her they will go and get her. Once McClelland and Fung-Lu leave the office the animal man sneaks in and trashes the office in a rage and is caught and threatened to be whipped for his bad behavior and when McClelland asks the animal man who is his creator and God the poor soul points at Fung-Lu and this angers McClelland who corrects him and claims that he is his crater and then whips him one and the animal man crawls away. Then McClelland and Fung-Lu talk about how interesting it is that the animal people are starting to take on more traits of humans like even stealing.

Jane and Ted leave the hut and start looking around the land for food when the spot the a tribe King, but little do they know yet that the King is the butler who left them the night before and when they realize they have a good laugh as the Butler dances around as the female native plays a drum. Robert has finished his makeshift raft and is about to take off when he is caught by Ted who is upset that Robert was about to leave him and Jane on the island. Ted tries to remind him of Evelyn back in London, but Robert says that she is dead to him as Jane should be his lady again. Robert and Ted walk away from each other in anger and Jane then decides that she will talk to Robert and Ted talks a walk down the beach with his bow and a staff he has made. Meanwhile the talk between Robert and Jane does not help as he claims he still loves her and she questions why he found another woman so fast after she was kidnapped.

As Jane makes her way to Ted a boat is sighted in the ocean and they scream for Robert about the approaching ship, the butler hears the news as well and takes off his Tribe King outfit and puts back on his suit to join them as the native woman is not happy he ran off. As Robert is joined by Jane and Ted he alerts them that them being together is ok as he will return to London to be with Evelyn and the three run off to try and get the ships attention, and the butler catches up to them and tries as well. All four are happy as they think they are going to be rescued from this cursed island. They start a big fire and even wave a white shirt on a stick around in order to get attention and alert the ship that help is needed, but sadly the ship does not see them and keeps sailing away further and further. Robert returns to his raft, the butler returns to his native woman and Ted along with Jane return to the hut all now feeling heartbroken and defeated.

Back at the lab of McClelland it is decided that its time for them to get Jane back as they need her for the next big experiment and he sends out his animal man with a blow dart and tells him to bring Jane back to the lab, the beast man heads out to do what he is told. And while Jane is looking for roots the animal man hits her with the dart and as she is about to pass out Ted was alerted that something is wrong from her scream and goes rushing to find her and does so just in time as she passes out into his arms as the beast man looks on in anger as he has failed his mission.

Ted gets Jane to the hut and places her on a bed, she has a bad fever and he knows that he must get medicine from McClelland to save her life and he rushes to tell Robert what is going on. Meanwhile the animal man is in trouble when McClelland is mad that he did not bring Jane back to the lab when he was given orders to do so, he then sends him back out to get her. Ted rushes to the lab and swims across the river to get there as Robert rushes to the hut to check on Jane and picks her up and takes her away. Once at the lab Ted and McClelland talk and he asks for medicine to help with the fever, but before he answers he wants to show Ted what he has been up to on this island.

McClelland brings Ted into a room that is filled with lots of animal people and the mad doctor explains to him that all of these creatures use to be animals and his experiments are turning them all into animal people, and while they hate him they all fear him. Ted is shocked and saddened by what he is seeing as these creatures seem like they are in pain as he looks and sees creatures that were once rams, walruses and birds now these twisted mutations.

McClelland then takes Ted to another room and shows him more of his terrible experiments, and with this Ted figures out that McClelland is really Professor Thompson a man who was kicked out of London for his extreme work with artificial men. Ted then realizes that Thompson needs a heart for his new experiment and has seen and heard enough and attacks the Professor! Thompson mocks Ted for his attack and alerts him that he and Robert have only slowed down his work and not stopped it, and with that Ted runs from the lab and dives into the water to swim ashore and heads to the hut to find Jane gone! While Robert is caring Jane the animal man pushes over the tree that had the tree house in it! Showing that he is super strong and is on the trail of Jane and the places she has been as he must not fail and needs to bring her to the lab.

Ted hears the tree falling and rushes down towards the river and sees Robert who is going to put June on his raft and the two friends start fighting each other as Jane wakes up and looks confused and its Robert who knocks out Ted and notices that the animal man as appeared and kidnapped Jane and is heading back toward the lab. Robert catches up to the beast man and the two start to fight, meanwhile Evelyn has shown up around the island and along with a sailor and a friend of hers get into a rowboat and head toward the island shore.

Once Evelyn reaches the shore of the island her friend and her find Ted injured but being cared for by the butler and the native woman, he tells Evelyn of Robert and Jane and she decides that she is done with Robert but would like to see this woman Jane. The Butler takes them to the hut and informs them of the animal people as well as the evils of McClelland and his experiments. As Evelyn and crew head towards the lab we find that Robert is now a prisoner and that Jane is wanting to know if Ted is dead at the hands of Robert and all the while McClelland and Fung-Lu are figuring out what parts of what animal they want to use for the next animal man. And he then alerts Jane that her heart is needed for this next beast man and he wants Fung-Lu to get it for him. And as Fung-Lu takes Jane to an operating room, the butler has made his way to the lab and finds Robert in a cage, but before the butler can get help he is attacked by the animal man, but the butler stabs the beast man in the heart and wounds him deeply.

As the butler runs off its Evelyn who now goes into the lab and sees the animal people who are all worked up as Thompson’s new animal man is alive and as raised from the slab. The new beast man is crazed and we learn that Fung-Lu has given Thompson the heart of a tiger and not Jane’s and this has made the creation more animal than man. Evelyn finds and frees Jane who in turn finds Robert and sets him free and Evelyn then uses fire to keep the animal men at bay as the three escape, the animal people set their rage on Thompson and as the hut is filled with smoke they attack their creator with murder in their eyes.

The lab is fully on fire as Evelyn, Jane and Robert watch it burn the bank, they are later joined by Ted and the female native all who watch as Thompson, Fung-Lu and the animal people burn to death in the massive fire. And it’s clear that Jane wants to be with Ted as the two embrace and kiss as the film ends with the lab fire.

Review: This unofficial movie adaptation of The Island Of Dr. Moreau is a fun early German Sci-Fi Horror film that seems to have been forgotten by time and that’s a shame as I found myself really enjoying this one lots as it was a cool mix of drama, horror and even a dash of comedy. The performance of Erich Kaiser-Titz who was Thompson aka McClelland is really good and he looks like a madman at times and when he needs to be mean his face twists and his eye widen and you feel his madness. The shooting locations are very simple and very effective as the use of huts, woods and water is very fitting for the plot of this film and the locations the filmmaker choose to use were well selected. The friendship of Robert and Ted is an odd one as while its clear they have been friends for a long time their friendship will be tested when it comes to the ladies as Ted is kind of a drama magnet as he pushes topics that ends up causing issues when in the end it was clear he was doing this in order to try and win the heart of his friends ex-girlfriend, and for his action he even gets punched and knocked out. And while it looks like Robert and Ted are our heroes in the end the real hero is Evelyn who is the one who saves Robert and Jane from being killed and is even the one that sets the fire that kills the films villains, plus is the one who brings a ship that will allow them all to get off the island. Actress Hanni Weisse is stunning as Jane Crawford and is a great early actress who was also in the film “The Hound Of The Baskervilles” from 1914 as well as 1915, and when she is on screen she steels the show. The film does have some flaws and at times the story is a little weak and some of the characters actions are very unmotivated. The butler character that is played by a black actor and some of the humor around him is very dated and is a little cringe in spots. And for me the biggest letdown is that they very much downplay the Horror elements of this tale as McClelland and the Animal People should have taken more of the spotlight and not the love triangle of Robert, Jane and Ted…but with that even said I still really enjoyed this film! The Animal People are great and for the time look creepy even though they are just actors with fur and animal costumes on, they still hold a weird and creepy look to them that I am sure made movie goers in 1921 very scared by their weird appearance. The print of this film by Creature Feature Video is good and while the film it’s self has flaws like dirty frames and missing frames this is a very good print and made the film even more enjoyable. I say if you love German Silent Horror Films get a copy of this film and sit back one evening and have a great and spooky time with it.

Now for the quick look at Andy Capp’s BBQ Fries and I have to say they are a very tasty corn snack that has a very heavy BBQ taste they are a solid snack to munch on if you are looking for something cheaply priced that packs a good flavor. And I will say while they are good they are not as tasty as the Hot or Cheese Fries as they both have more of a flavor that is not as basic as the BBQ. The mix of corn and potato make these BBQ Fries look like French fries and if you are looking for something very cheap to munch on while watching Silent Films these are not bad.

Movie: ***
Chips: **1/2

The Island Of The Lost is a really interesting film that due to being “Lost” for so many years I think it really has been forgotten and is really a undiscovered Gem for fans who like early German Silent Horror Films, and I need to really stress that it is by no means a German Expressionist film and lacks those films eerie use of shadows and crooked structures. And while it’s not a good loose adaptation of the classic The Island Of Dr. Moreau story and it is not even the best film inspired by Dr. Moreau, what it is though is a great fun film that I am glad has been found so that it might be able to gain a following among fans of Silent Horror. And make sure to get a copy of this film from Creature Feature Video and see what you think of this film. Well the clean up crew is here in the theater so I think that is our sign to head on out, and as we make our way to the exit doors I want to thank you once more for talking Silent Cinema with me and also that the next one will take us to our big Thanksgiving update and will be about that Warrior Princess Xena! So until next time read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Silent Horror Film or two and as always support your Local Horror Host. See you next time as we have a Turkey Day date with Xena and Gabrielle!

Forgotten Reels: The Lost World (1925)

Posted on September 13, 2022 by bloodlinematt

Forgotten Reels is a new update theme here at Rotten Ink and will take us to the Rotten Ink Theater to sit around and talk about Silent Cinema! As I am sure you all know by now, I am a major fan of all types of films and genres, but did you know that I am a huge fan of Silent Films? And when it comes to Silent Horror Films as well as Silent Science Fiction films, I am a major geek for them and have been trying to figure out a way to cover them here on Rotten Ink and thanks to the success of the “Wild West Round Up” updates I have found the formatting that would work to share my love for them! When covering the Silent Films, I am also going to cover a different bag of my favorite kind of snack food and I am talking about potato chips! And like before, I will be given a star rating to both the film and the chips. For these Forgotten Reels updates I will be covering releases from companies like Alpha Video, Grapevine Video, Creature Feature Video and Madacy Entertainment. And yes, I know that Kino Lorber and Criterion a lot of the times has the way better prints that have been restored and re-mastered, I just feel that the companies above have the look and quality I remember seeing these types of films for the first time as a kid. I also want to give my friend and amazing artist Jason Gilmore a big thank you for the Forgotten Reels logo that will be used for these Silent Film themed updates. Oh, I almost forgot the first film we will be covering for Forgotten Reels is a real classic in cinema as it’s the 1925 film The Lost World! So let’s find our seats and get ready to talk some Silent Cinema!

The Lost World is a 1925 film that was based on the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and was released by First National Pictures and had a budget of $700,000. Harry O. Hoyt was brought on the production to direct as he was the man in the director chair for such films as “The Moth (1917)”, “The Rider Of The King Log (1921)” and “Sundown (1924)” to name a few, and they had screenwriter Marion Fairfax in to adapt the novel for screen as she had a long history of being behind the pen for many classic silent films. The film brought in classic actors like Wallace Beery, Bessie Love, Arthur Hoyt and Bull Montana to fill roles, and the film is considered one of the first in cinema to use stop motion special effects. Willis O’Brien, the godfather of this style, was the man behind these amazing dinosaur effects, and he is one of the all time great effects masters and would go on to work on the 1933 King Kong among many other iconic films of cinema. The dinosaurs of the film were based on the artwork of Charles R. Knight and decades after the film, it’s said that Forrest J. Ackerman had many of the O’Brien models in his private collection. Ackerman was a true lover of classic Horror and Sci-Fi cinema and saved many items like them from being lost to time. The river scenes of the film were said to be shot behind MGM studios in an open sewer area, or so the Hollywood story goes. Another great story about The Lost World is that in 1922 Conan Doyle showed a ton of magicians including Harry Houdini test footage of O’Brien’s dinosaurs and would not tell the origins of the footage while they all viewed it and they as well as the press was said to have been blown away by the effects. The film over the years is said to have made $1.3 million dollars and was the first film to be shown on a flight in 1925 via a nitrate film reels and is as well what kicked off the dinosaur movie craze that is still going to this day. Over the years some prints of the film have fallen into the Public Domain and have been shown on many Horror Host programs as well can be found on many budget VHS, DVD and on YouTube. And over the years Lost World has had some lost footage found as well as has been re-mastered.

The chips I chose to pair with this film are “Grippo’s Bar-B-Q,” a chip that I have loved since I was a young kid and a potato chip company from the great state of Ohio. Growing up as a kid, popcorn, Andy Capp’s Hot Fries and potato chips were the snacks of choice for my brother and I as we watched USA Saturday Nightmares or WWF Monday Night Raw, and one of our favorites hands down when it came to chips was always Grippo’s! You see my father has always worked in the grocery business and he would from time to time bring home different styles of snack food for not only him to eat but also for my brother and I to try, and Grippo’s was always a popular eat at our house during movie and TV watching. Grippo’s started in 1919 and is based out of Cincinnati, Ohio and was founded by Angelo Grippo. The company over the years has made all types of snack foods from Pretzels, Sugar Cones and their most popular item is Potato Chips that comes in many flavors from the overly popular BBQ as well as Cheddar, Salt & Vinegar as well as a few others. Grippo’s is still going strong to this day and so many of my friends love these chips. Below is a shot of a freshly opened bag so that you can see these BBQ Grippo’s in their natural habitat.

Forgotten Reels is a themed update that will be sticking around for a very long time here on Rotten Ink as being able to share my thought and the wonders of Silent Films is something that I really like to do! And I will be grading both the film and the chips on a classic 1-4 star scale. I also want to say on my film rating, I am basing it on a scale that is for silent films of all budgets and eras. So sit back in your theater seat, grab some chips and a soda and let’s travel to The Lost World with Alpha Video. And yes, the stills used in this review update are indeed taken from the Alpha Video print and the DVD that I own.

Lost World
Starring: Wallace Beery and Bessie Love Directed: Harry O. Hoyt
Not Rated 1925 63min Alpha Video DVD Full Frame

We open in the office of the London Record Journal, and the Editor is upset as he has just gotten word that Professor Challenger is going to sue them over the paper doubting his story of living dinosaurs, and they are also worried, as Challenger has attacked three reporters just that day! In order to get the interview with Challenger, they send eager reporter Edward Malone who stumbles into the editor’s office and has to hurry to Zoological Hall to cover a lecture that Challenger is giving and try to score the sit down interview for the paper, as well as sneak in as reporters are banned from the lecture. At the Hall many people are in line for the lecture including Sir John Roxton who is an explorer and hunter who wants to disprove Challenger’s claim of dinosaurs. And it seems like many of those attending are there to mock Challenger and his claims. Malone is able to easily get into the lecture thanks to Roxton who brings him in on his pass. As he starts the crowd mocks Challenger, who in turn wants to get a committee and a group together to head to the Amazon and to this Lost World with him! And some in the crowd who believe and disbelieve take him up on this chance to see the Dinosaurs and they are Professor Summerlee, John Roxton and Edward Malone. But when Malone alerts Challenger of his profession, the Professor goes into a rage and tries to attack the young man and chaos breaks out. And Challenger, mad that a reporter got in, returns to his home.

As Professor Challenger gets home for the night, still mad over the lecture, he soon finds that Edward Malone has entered his home via a window, as he would like to talk to the Professor and says that he really needs to go on the expedition in order to impress his fiancé who will not marry him until he faces a major challenge, and this means nothing to Challenger who attacks Malone and they two fight and struggle so much that they end up in the street! A Police Cop witnesses the fight and when Malone refuses to press charges and even takes blame for the fight, Challenger ends up listening to Malone when he finds out that he is also close friends with Sir John Roxton. Once inside the parlor, Challenger has his butler call upon Miss Paula White, and also Roxton comes to the house and they talk about the diary of Maple White and as Paula shows up the story of the Lost World that is populated with Dinosaurs is discussed. Paula explains how her father discovered a plateau in the Amazon alone as she was back at camp sick from a fever, and as she speaks Malone flips through the pages of the diary and sees the explorers drawings of Dinosaurs that he said he saw! And then Paula claims that she has seen them herself and that her father is lost on that plateau as his crew left him behind in fear of the beasts. And as they talk, Mrs. Challenger enters the parlor and is upset that her husband has kicked out everyone up to this point has come to the house to help. Edward Malone then comes up with the idea to get the paper to pay for the rescue mission as he can pass it off as a good human-interest story as they might think that the talk of Dinosaurs is fake but saving an explorer in a exclusive story they would bite on. Challenger agrees to this pitch and everyone is happy. Malone asks Roxton to go talk to the editor with him, and before they leave Roxton tells Paula that he is going on this mission for her. Paula looks both happy and taken back by this, but is happy they help is on its way for her father.

The London Record Journal funds the rescue mission and Professor Challenger, Sir John Roxton, Professor Summerlee, Paula White, Austin and Edward Malone meet up with some natives and boat down the river to the secret location deep in the Amazon. Once they reach the plateau they all make camp and Malone is writing to his editor as everyone else is enjoying the rest and wildlife around the area. But watching them is a strange apeman who is monstrous in nature and watches and Roxton talks of how Paula said her father used a fallen tree in order to get to the plateau and Challenger says in the morning they will knock down another tree and get across. The apeman then pushes a bolder off the cliff and tries to crush the rescue party, his attack fails and causes the men to look around and they see a massive Pterodactyl flying around and then landing and eating, and Challenger then declares that everything in Maple’s diary is true.

The next morning Challenger leads them to the top of the plateau and chops down another tree to make a bridge across a cliff and while doing all this dinosaurs start to pay attention to the noises being made by these human invaders. One by one they cross the fallen tree and then watch as a Brontosaurus feeds on leaves. They are scared and yet also so amazed by this sight. The massive creature then does the unthinkable and knocks their tree bridge off the cliff and causing them all to be stuck now. All the while back at the camp native Zambo with his pet monkey Jocko and Austin, the butler of Challenger watch on and are helpless to save them from being stranded.

As night falls, the group starts a fire to stay warm and try and come up with a plan, and unknown to them the apeman once more is watching them this time from the trees. Malone heads to Paula and tries to find out what is on her mind. She tells of the worry she has that something bad has happened to her father as she feels he would have made his way to the fire if he was still alive. Malone tries to comfort her as Roxton watches on and is not pleased that someone else talking to the woman he loves. But before anything else can be said, the whole group gets a scare as a T-Rex appears and attacks and kills another dinosaur before their eyes. They then watch as the T-Rex’s path of murder doesn’t stop as it goes after a Tyrannosaurus and its baby. He fails in his attempt to kill and gets a horn would to his side that makes him even more mad as he heads out into the jungle and into the camp! Challenger and Roxton armed with rifles open fire on the T-Rex and Malone throws a lit torch at it scaring it off and back into a battle with a Tyrannosaurus. As the group then finally spots the apeman and Roxton shoots him in the arm scaring him away. Meanwhile the T-Rex kills the Tyrannosaurus as well as then kills a Pterodactyl. Meanwhile at the base camp, Zambo and Jocko are drinking water when Austin has an idea that they can make a giant rope from the hammocks and have Jocko climb the mountain plateau to give it to them.

After all the excitement of the T-Rex attack, Challenger and the group find a cave to seek shelter in from the craziness of the jungle. They decided that this cave would be their home until they are saved or for the rest of their lives and then Challenger tries to design a catapult weapon out of bent down trees in order to fight off dinosaurs. While in the cave Roxton is looking around and finds a skeleton of a human that has a locket, and inside that locket is a picture of Paula…the hunter thinks he has found the remains of her father Maple White, he then also finds an open at the back of the cave that leads straight down the mountain and fires his gun and gets the attention of Austin and Zambo who yell back and fourth with Raxton that they will be turning the rope into a ladder and will send Jacko up with it in the morning, but the monkey needs to see Paula to make the climb. Meanwhile alone in a part of the cave Malone tells Paula that he loves her, and is breaking his promise to his fiancé as he wants to be with her. Roxton walks in on the two embracing and sharing loving words, Malone informs his friend that he and Paula are going to marry each other in the cave as Summerlee was once a minister before he was a professor and goes off to find him. As Roxton says he needs to tell Paula something very important.

In the jungle Challenger and Summerlee are watching a Brontosaurus feed and are following it, as back in the cave Raxton gives Paula the locket and tells her the bad news of her father’s death. The T-Rex shows up once again and this time goes after the Brontosaurus and knocks the massive creature over the cliff, the T-Rex is mad that he did not get to eat his victim and wonders off into the jungle. Meanwhile in another cave the apeman along with his chimpanzee friend sulk over the humans being around and him being wounded by a bullet. Paula and Raxon are waiting for the others to return as they have been gone for hours now and they are worried, but Raxton tells her they must wait for them in order to lead them to the cave opening so they can all escape. And also a volcano on the plateau is about to erupt adding more danger for Challenger and his crew as the lava starts to flow the dinosaurs start to stampede and it’s making it hard for Challenger, Summerlee and Malone to get back to the cave for shelter. The T-Rex is attacking his fellow fleeing dinosaurs as fire is breaking out all around in the jungle! And they are finally able to make their way to the cave as the volcano calms down and the fires stop and the dinosaurs go back to their normal lives.

Back in the cave Raxton shows Paula the opening as she calls for Jocko, the little monkey, who with the ladder makes his way up the mountain to get to her, and does so delivering their way to escape the Lost World. The Brontosaurus who fell from the cliff is shown to be alive and stuck in mud, and it’s the mud that spared its life and cushioned the landing. With the ladder now in place Paula White starts making her way down the mountain, Jocko the monkey is next, then Professor Summerlee, Professor Challenger, Edward Malone and lastly Sir John Roxton gets on the ladder. But the apeman and his chimpanzee friend and a score to settle with Roxton and they start to pull the ladder up with him still on it as his friends below try to pull it back down, but the apeman is just too strong. They fire a rifle up at the mountain and hit apeman in the chest and Roxton makes it down to land safe. As they are heading away from the mountain, Challenger spots the wounded Brontosaurus and with the help of Major Hiddard of Brazilian Geodetic they get the dinosaur out of the mud in a month’s time with a one-way ticket to London.

In London Professor Challenger is giving another lecture to a roomful of people and he tells them that they are brining a living Brontosaurus to London and that reporter Edward Malone is on the ship that is bringing the creature to them in mere moments. Challenger then gets a phone call from Malone who informs the professor that during unloading at the dock the straps on the cage broke and now the Brontosaurus is loose in the streets and causing panic and chaos. In the streets people are running and driving away in fear as the dinosaur is on a rampage. Challenger tells the crowd at the lecture to stay inside as his dinosaur is free in the streets, and the crowd starts to think that this is a scam and begin to boo and turn on Challenger who they think is a liar. All the while the Brontosaurus is stomping around the city causing destruction and ends up on the London Bridge and it ends up breaking under its weight and it falls into the water and swims away. After the dinosaur is gone Paula and Malone come together and Roxton pushes his feelings for her aside and is happy for the couple. And Professor Challenger sits on the bridge and watches as his dinosaur fades away into the horizon.

Review: The Lost World is a truly amazing early cinema film that allowed the team of Harry O. Hoyt and Marion Fairfax to truly bring the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to life on the big screen and offered thrills, chills to movie goers who left the theater wondering if they had just seen footage of real dinosaurs! The film really focuses on reporter Edward Malone and his quest to cover the big story of the lost world as well as him falling in love with Paula White who his own friend famed hunter Sir John Roxton also is crushing on. And all three of these characters are great and their story is interesting and helps add more drama to the story and also adds a good amount on tension to a group that is already stuck in a land of dinosaurs who want to eat them for dinner. But I think like most people who have read the book as well would agree that the real star of the film is the eccentric Professor Challenger whose anger, passion and personality sets him apart from the rest of the cast of characters and Wallace Beery was the perfect actor to cast in that role. The Dinosaur effects were done by the true legend and godfather of early day special effects Willis O’Brien and this film was a great warm up for him as in 1933 he would bring us the masterpiece of cinema King Kong. And the T-Rex in this movie is such a jerk and gets his jollies in just killing other dinosaurs as well as trying to kill our heroes. And let’s not forget to point out the awesome Brontosaurus rampage in London, a scene that influenced many Kaiju and Giant Monster movies over the decades. One thing I have to point out is that actor Bull Montana played the Apeman on the Lost Planet and he is one of cinema’s early creature actors as he would wear that suit or one just like it in the 1920 Horror Comedy Film “Go And Get It” and had the movements of creatures down, but that I am sure this is due to his years of being a Pro Wrestler. This film is also very much the inspiration for the Jurassic Park book and film series, and The Lost World is one of the world’s best Silent Films from that era as it brings so many emotions with it and best of all its super entertaining from start to finish. If you have not seen this film, do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy from Alpha Video or another home media copy and give it a watch.

Now let’s briefly talk about the Grippo’s Bar-B-Q Potato Chips, a snack food that has always been a favorite in my family’s household growing up. When eating this bag I can see why I loved them as a kid. The BBQ seasoning on these chips is very flavorful and have a nice spice taste that makes it so easy to eat a full bag in one sitting. They have a taste like no other BBQ chip and that is why those who have tried Grippo’s always put them at the top of their shopping list for snack food. And they are not afraid to coat the chip in the seasoning and hands down these are some amazingly good potato chips!

Movie: ****
Chips: ****

The Lost World really is a fantastic Silent Film. The effects that they pulled off in 1925 are amazing and set the guidelines for special effects to come in Hollywood, and really the film is a mix of Adventure, Sci-Fi and Horror and really was one of the early versions of a Giant Monster movie as the end of the film has a Dinosaur running wild in a big city that would go on to be a staple of the kind of films. And as you can see, this first Forgotten Reels update starts off with a perfect Silent Film as well as a perfect bag of chips. But the house lights have been turned on and that is our cue to head out, but before we do, I would like to let you all know that our next update will take us to New York and the time that Dracula visited it as the topic is the 1979 film Love At First Bite and the photo comic book based on it! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a Silent Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you soon as we continue our countdown to Halloween 2022 and spend some time with Count Dracula.

Amazing Wiggly Jiggly Jell-O Man!

Posted on March 11, 2019 by bloodlinematt

Who doesn’t like eating a big old bowl of Jell-O for dessert after a good meal? It’s been around for over 120 years, has been enjoyed by billions of people in that time and has become a food product that is a major part of American pop culture. When working on blog updates this year, I needed a quick and fun update to fill a small time frame and looking through my comic collection I found my copy of the promo comic The Adventures Of Jell-O Man and Wobbly and knew that I needed to talk about it as it’s a perfect quick update topic about something very weird and yet very fitting for Rotten Ink. Why don’t more companies make promo comics based on mascots of their products? Like why aren’t comics based on say The Burger King, The Green Giant and Chuck E. Cheese? I also always question why Indie Horror Filmmakers don’t make comics based on their films, as many of them would make amazing reads and are a prefect way to promote the fright flick. But let’s not harp on what should be, and let’s talk about what is and that’s Jell-O Man! So if you’re ready for this quick update, I am ready to talk all about this fruit flavored snack.

Pearle Wait created Jell-O in 1897 as he and his wife May found out a way to add fruit flavors to powdered gelatin. In 1899 they sold it off to Genesee Pure Food Company owner Orator Francis Woodward, and thanks to new ways to make, package and store food, he was able to get his new product onto store shelves. At first it was not a hit with shoppers. In the early 1900’s they really started to push the product more, taking out ads and adding new flavors to the line even making cookbooks to hand out that used Jell-O making it increasingly a household name and a must eat for after family meals. And from there it really did become a hit with shoppers. When Genesee Pure Food merged with Postum, they became General Foods and started to add more products to the Jell-O line as well as more flavors and kept really pushing it as a brand that was in many cupboards all over America, and for years this was the case. But starting in the 1960’s and all the way to the 80’s, sales for Jell-O started to decline, and they had to once more use ads and celebrities to bring sales back and to try and bring in a younger clientele…and once more it worked! Over the years Jell-O has had many ups and downs in sales and has lost many of the flavors they used to make, but one thing is for sure, they are not going anywhere soon and still remain a very popular dessert that is now added to all types of other meals. Jell-O has now also become a very iconic brand and has sparked all types of merchandise based around the brand as well from molds all the way to shirts and even a comic book.

When I was a youngster, I can remember that if I was not feeling well my mom would heat up Jell-O and make a hot drink for me that was suppose to help settle my stomach as well as deliver a shot of energy. I can of course remember eating classic Jell-O from time to time and can safely say my favorite flavor was Lime. To this day I get cravings for it! My mom used to also make this multiple layer Jell-O dessert, and man was it fantastic and something that was a joy to eat. It’s very odd to think about, but when I was a kid Jell-O did seem like a very big brand and like it was made just for us kids, but it was also something adults enjoyed. The way this product was marketed was very smart as it made kids crave it and adults think it was a great treat for youngsters. Next I will talk a little about the commercials shown when I was a kid and the celebrity they used.

Growing up Jell-O was everywhere from snack packs that kids in school had while eating lunch, all the way to TV ads that were played during cartoons and kid shows, and at this time, the spokesman was comedian Bill Cosby! Way before he went to jail, he was considered on of the world’s top comedians who entertained young and old alike with the likes of The Cosby Show and cartoon series Fat Albert. Growing up I was a big Bill Cosby fan as I watched not only the two aforementioned shows but also liked him on “The Electric Company” as well as his movies like “Ghost Dad”, “Leonard Part 6” and “The Devil And Max Devlin” and even when I got older, I bought many of his stand up routines on CD. When he was the spokesman for Jell-O, I can remember seeing the commercials and finding myself craving it as a snack as well as wanting to try such things as Jell-O Jigglers that allowed you to eat it with your hands. Plus having Bill Cosby sell the product gave it credit to parents when they wanted to treat their kids to a tasty treat. I don’t want to go too much into it, but let’s just say that I was really disappointed in Mr. Cosby when the terrible things he did came to the light, as he was always an American Icon and was considered Americans’ Favorite TV Dad. But while he turned out to be who he was, the memories of trying to sell me Jell-O when I was watching cartoons will always be a fun, silly and will bring a smile to my face.

Back in 1981, a comedy metal band was created and called themselves Green Jello and toured around performing silly and heavy songs and building a small following. Their big break came in 1992 when they released the song “Three Little Pigs” and metal fans as well as fans of pop rock music went crazy for it! The song was off their Cereal Killer album and because of the popularity of the song, Kraft Foods swooped in and filed a lawsuit against the band as they claimed a trademark infringement on the name Jell-O. Of course the band lost and had to change their name to Green Jelly and all their music releases as well as their merchandise had to have the name change. While the band’s name is one of the factors that made Kraft mad, it was the slogan they used “Green Jello Sucks” that really set them off. The band was a one hit winder with Three Little Pigs being their claim to fame, but keep in mind, they are still a band to this day and still have a cult following. I also want to say that the band was also sued by Metallica for stealing a rift from the song Enter Sandman as well as Kellogg Company for the use of Toucan Sam that they used in art and video and called him “Toucan Son Of Sam”.

So as you can seem Kraft is very protective of their Jell-O brand and have always tried to keep up their family friendly image safe and untarnished, but they cannot stop culture. The rumor going around the campfire is that they dislike the popular party drink called Jell-O Shots that takes the product and mixes it with mostly vodka. This “drink” is very popular at college bars, parties and even Horror, Comic and Anime Conventions. But the thing that bothers them the most is Jell-O Wrestling, a sports entertainment activity that mostly has young women in skimpy cloths rolling around an inflatable pool filled with Jell-O as men cheer. This event goes hand and hand with mud wrestling and is played up as a sexy sport and has even spawned many leagues as well as websites. I just wanted to touch on both of these things as they do go hand and hand with the legacy of Jell-O and is part of American culture.

From Bill Cosby to alcoholic drinks to a comedy metal band, we have talked about many different things connected to Jell-O, and now I feel it’s time we talk about their short lived mascot named Jell-O Man and his trusty dog Wobbly and their comic book adventure. And I think while I read this comic, I am also going to eat some lime Jell-O and enjoy this promo issue. I want to remind you readers that I grade this comic on a 1-4 star scale and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you’re ready, let’s see what Wobbly and Jell-O Man are all about.

Adventures Of Jell-O Man # 1 **
Released in 1991 Cover Price FREE General Mills # 1 of 1

“The Outrageous Origin Of Jell-O Man And Wobbly” Dr. Goodtaste along with his friend Snackens and robot Grabby are watching a computer that helps stock all the world’s stores with Jell-O products and this is upsetting Grabby who wants to also be able to eat some of this tasty snack and has an idea to do so and uses the energy from a experimental hologram laser cannon to super power his own robotic energy! Grabby traps his one time human friends in the lab and reroutes all the delivers of Jell-O products to be delivered to him as he wants it all for himself. But in the lab Goodtastse and Snackens watch in wonder as the hologram of the Jell-O logo transformers into to two beings made of the tasty snack, Jell-O Man and his dog Wobbly! Jell-O Man helps the humans escape the lab and returns and tricks Grabby into self-exploding and allowing Goodtaste to set the delivers back on track. “The Natural History Mystery” this story has Mrs. Sherman and her fourth grade class on a field trip to the museum when someone steals all the Jell-O snacks that were for dessert! But one young man calls up Jell-O Man who, along with Wobbly, vows to get their snacks back, and after wandering around the museum, he finds that the dinosaur called Snackosaurus has stolen them and after tripping the beast up is able to take back the snacks and save the field trip. “The Outer Space Case” has Jell-O Man and Wobbly on the planet of Gumongo to introduce them to Jell-O, and unbeknownst to them the evil Shoveler has followed them and steals all the snack from their refrigerators while the aliens sleep. The next day Jell-O Man comes up with a plan to capture The Shoveler and uses Jigglers to do so, as Shoveler bounce around on the giant Jell-O Jigglers the aliens and Jell-O Man bring him down and save their tasty treat from being stolen ever again.

This promo comic features three silly stories featuring Jell-O Man and his dog Wobbly and does its job of making readers think that Jell-O is a tasty treat that all kids love to eat. The three stories are pretty normal, kids comic stuff and has Jell-O Man’s origin as well as takes him to a museum and space to show that people all over the universe love pudding and gelatin. Jell-O man is a cool as ice hero who only worries about making sure people have Jell-O snacks to eat! He also sports cool whip hair and can detach his head and use it as a weapon to take down his enemies. He also talks like a cool hipster of the time and even at one point seems to be hitting on the school teacher as I think he wanted to show her his wobbly jiggler…yeah, I know that’s a cheesy joke. Speaking of Wobbly, he is pretty useless and only runs around and says “Yeah, Yeah” lots, so in other words he is a useless sidekick. Our villains in this comic are the robot Grabby, the purple dinosaur Snackosaurus and the shovel handed freak named The Shoveler, and while they are all bad dudes, none of them are major threats to mankind as all they really care about is stealing Jell-O…but if I had to pick one that I would say could more easily turn rouge and bring down mankind, I would choose Grabby as he seems very power hungry. The over all feel of this comic is fun and upbeat but spends most of each story really hammering home the idea that Jell-O is what we all need to be eating at all times and if you don’t have it, your life is depressing. None of the adventures seem that dangerous nor do the stakes really feel that big making it really just one big commercial ad for the Kraft products. The cover for this one is pretty eye catching and showcases our hero Jell-O Man and his trusty sidekick dog Wobbly. The interior art is done by Richard Howell and has a very simple style to it and yet also very cartoonish in spots and is perfect for this style comic, you long time readers will also remember that Howell did the artwork for The Shadow War Of Hawkman that I covered sometime back. Over all this is a fun promo comic that is nothing special but serves its purpose in delivering a goofy good read for kids and promote the product it was based all around. Check out the artwork below to see the style Howell used for this comic.

Jell-O Man was not a major hit in the world of mascots, and while he starred in some commercials, his main claim to fame is this promo comic as over the years of comic book shopping at stores I have seen this comic in many of .25 and $1.00 bins. And doing this update about a promo comic makes me look forward to covering more of them in the future. My next update will take us away from the world of Jell-O and place us into the world of Horror as for Saint Patrick’s Day we will be re-looking at the one and only Leprechaun! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next time for a green beer good time!

Andy Capp Goes To Camp!

Posted on June 4, 2015 by bloodlinematt

Here is a quick summer time update for all you Rotten Ink readers. Growing up, I used to love to eat junk food from time to time, and one of my weakness when it comes to this style of “food” is potato chips and other snacks like them. I can remember eating Mike-Sell’s chips while watching USA Saturday Nightmares and enjoying every bite. But I also have many great memories of watching WWF Wrestling or reading a Marvel comic while munching on some Andy Capp Hot Fries, and with that, this update will be about a comic based on Andy Capp. While he didn’t have a full comic series based around him, he did have a comic that helped teach people about the do’s and don’ts of camping at a National Park! So let’s get ready to talk about snack food and the great outdoors!

When it comes to Andy Capp Fries, I can safely say that I am a fan of this corn based snack and have eaten many bags in my life time thus far. In fact, for the longest time when it came to junk food all my brother and I wanted to eat was hot fries. In late 2014, my dad even teased me about it, saying every time they went grocery shopping I would ask them to get me a bag of fries! To this day I get craving for them and will snack on them at work and very rarely at home. Andy Capp Fries come in many different flavors from the classic hot all the way to BBQ, and the best part about them is the very cheap price tag for a bag. The company that made this snack was Goodmark Foods Inc in 1971, and they licensed the character to make the snack based around him and would feature a comic strip of the character on the back of the package. But in 1998 ConAgra Foods bought out Goodmark and is now the company releasing the tasty snack to your local stores. The downside to ConAgra being the parent company to Andy Capp Fries is that it’s a company that’s been surrounded in negative vibes and press from things such as environmental issues from the factories. In 2004 five workers lost their lives when a shooter entered the Kanas City plant; they got caught weighing down grain with water to make more profit from buyers. They tore down historic structures to build plants, and they have even had outbreaks of sickness from some of their products…so yeah, they are not that good of a company. But man are the Andy Capp Fries so good! These are the flavors I like in order Hot Fries, Cheese Fries, Hot Chili Cheese Steak Fries, White Cheddar Steak Fries, Salsa Fries and in last, BBQ Fries. So let’s all go get a bag of Hot Fries and enjoy the goodness that is this cheaply made snack.

For those of you who don’t know who Andy Capp is, let me take this moment to introduce him to you. Andy Capp is a comic character created by Reg Smythe who is an unemployed/slacker bloke who lives in Hartlepool and spends most of his days at the pub drinking as well as playing darts, pigeon racing and football. Andy loves to sleep on the sofa and also puts a lot of stress on his wife who works and pays the bills as well as takes his threats of abuse if she doesn’t do what he wants her to do. Most of the time things don’t go well for Andy, and he ends up getting hurt in the likes of the football games he plays. Andy Capp is known for his flat cap and his black jacket and slacks, the hat always blocks his face never giving the readers a chance to see his appearance. He speaks with a thick English accent and loves to drink and can be seen with a glass of beer or booze most of the time. Love him or hate him, Andy Capp is who he is and he doesn’t care if you like him or not!

How I first came to know about Mr. Capp was via the Sunday Funnies in the Dayton Daily News. While he was not my favorite comic strip as that honor at the time would have went to Peanuts or Garfield, it was still one I enjoyed reading. I can also remember cutting out Andy Capp himself from the paper and feeding him to our bird Roxanne just like I did to Freddy via the Freddy’s Dead ad (for those who remember I spoke about that in my update for Innovasion’s Freddy’s Dead movie adaptation series in the update called “ Was Freddy Really Dead?”). Around this time I was also picking up old paperback versions of Andy Capp that collected the comic strips. I would get them from garage sales, The Paperback Rack and Half Price Books.

One very cool thing that I should also point out is that in Hartlepool, England in 2007 a cool statue was made to honor Andy Capp and was placed for tourist and townspeople to visit. So think about that, in England a statue for a character who’s a lazy bum and mistreats his wife is on display for the world to see. I for one can stand by this cause; while the character does do some bad things, he still is iconic and a staple for Sunday newspapers around the world. So if you’re ever in Hartlepool, make sure to visit Andy Capp….and bring him a beer if you remember.

One other thing I should mention is that Andy Capp had a video game for the Commodore 64 that was released in 1987 and was made by Blitter Animations. The game was released on Christmas and was thought to be a huge seller for the company, and has Andy Capp having to find money to give to his wife after he spent his unemploment check on booze. One goal of the game is to not get arrested after you fight a cop or punch your wife! The game was praised by fans of the comic strip, and if you have a C64 maybe you should check it out…sadly I have not played this game.

So now that our fingers are stained red from the powder of the Hot Fries and the heat of the summer sun is shining down on us, I think it’s time for us to go to the park with the one and only Andy Capp and see what kind of outdoor adventures we can have. I should also note that I voted that we visit John Candy at Camp Candy like we did last year but Andy vetoed that idea! I want to thank my pal Jason Young and his mom for getting me this comic to review and I must remind everyone that I grade these on a standard 1-4 star rating and base it on how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So get that backpack on and get ready to hit the trail with Flo and Andy.

Andy Goes To The Parks # 1 **1/2
Released in 1975 Cover Price Free National Park Service #1 of 1

Flo and Andy Capp are on vacation, and they are staying in a National Park. This is not what Andy wanted to do because there are no pubs for him to drink at. When a Park Ranger comes by to offer them tips, Andy doesn’t wanna hear it and the Ranger leaves some information with Flo on what to do and not do while in the woods. Andy Capp does not listen to the rules and is attacked by a bear after feeding it, is swept away in a current when swimming in the stream and even sets his own tent on fire when starting a fire too close! The next day Andy leaves Flo to clean up the site as he goes to town and rents a trailer and stocks up on beer gearing up for fishing, and, being Andy, he overweighs the boat and sinks it! He also almost smothers them by having a heater lit in the trailer with no ventilation. To blow off steam Andy goes for a hike in the wrong shoes and his feet swell as he is also bitten by a raccoon! Andy Capp and Flo end the vacation, and while Flo had a good time Andy didn’t but could have if only he would have listened and followed the rules of camping.

What a fun silly free comic giveaway that I am sure added to many kids’ fun time at the parks where this was given away. The story of this comic is Andy Capp won’t listen to the Park Ranger and the rules of the park and keeps finding himself in trouble. All the while his wife Flo is trying her best to get him to listen and follow the rules. Andy Capp comes off as ego driven as ever and clearly has the he knows more then you do attitude. Andy also mistreats his wife even threatening to punch her at one point and is lazy and worries more about booze than spending time with nature. Flo just goes with the flow and tries her best to have Andy listen to what the Ranger has said, and also seems to get joy when something bad happens to her husband when he doesn’t. The Park Ranger is the voice of reason and an over all nice man who loves his job, and if not for him Andy could have died several times!

If you’re going camping this summer, I hope you will not be an Andy Capp and will follow the rules of the parks and nature in general and not wind up with swollen feet and multiple animal bites. I have wanted to cover Andy Capp on Rotten Ink for sometime now and am glad I finally got the chance to do so in this quick summer time update! But next update we are walking away from the lazy bum Capp and taking a look at some really hot b-movie actresses from Alternative Cinema and some comics based on the films they made. So make sure to come back for that one. Until then, go out and find a nice tree to sit under and read a comic or two.