Interlude

This blog will be on a break for a while - expect regular posting to be back sometime in mid-september.

Until then;

Theme from Hawk the Slayer (1980)

Hawk the Slayer - glorious low budget British sword and sorcery from the bowels of the early 80s. From what I remember of it, when I watched it in a VHS frenzy one autumnal afternoon, was that it was not as good as The Beastmaster or The Sword and the Sorceror, but had a Britishness that appealed (it had Bernard Bresslaw as a Cyclops, for goodness sake - the only thing missing was Charles Hawtrey as a nobleman and it would have scaled the heights of greatness). It has Jack Palance as the villain. He should have teamed up with Rip Torn from The Beastmaster and he would have ruled the Universe easily. Would you like to hear the theme tune from composer Harry Robertson? It's here;




and what a glorious mashup of Disco, Mike Oldfield and Ennio Morricone it is too.


Look! here is the theatrical trailer;





Links!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawk_the_Slayer

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080846/

Review - Unknown Soldier #11 (Vertigo, 2009)

Jack Lee Howl returns, drunk, calling in favours, as an 'enabler' to Moses, in time for a showdown at the benefit dinner in Moses name Militants with murder on their mind. There, at the Benefit will be Margaret Wells, the American actress and campaigner, who is a target for assassination at the hands of the Militants who would use the instability caused by her death to push their own agenda. Meanwhile, ghosts from Moses past reappear, and Sara battles her own ghosts....

The art is exquisite - whether it be a panel showing the plains of Africa, the dusty villages or the big city, or even a perspective from above a helicopter as it strafes the land, they are all cinematic and beautifully realised.

The story ('Easy Kill') is building up to a pulsating finale, and the tension is palpable - the little details again astound, like the assassin, in a roof space, preparing for his deadly work, engage you and drive the narrative. There is nothing 'hard' to understand about this story, despite the political backdrop - and that is testament to Dysart and Ponticelli - when Dysart needs a point to be made, it doesn't need to be laboured, as Ponticelli can simply illustrate it with subtlety.

So, next time, a bloody showdown in a hotel looms. Dysart manages to put his point across, about the state of Uganda, the terrible war there, the state of some African countries and the first worlds involvement in it, without it ever being a polemic, or dreary. This is a big story, with a widescreen, cinematic approach, with the dynamics of a (good) big budget action movie. A title of the week, a title of the month, and a title that will probably go down as one of the greats.

Review - Batman & Robin #3 (DC, 2009)

The hideous Professor Pyg and his deranged dolly followers have Robin trussed up like a pig, while Batman does his best Marv from Sin City impression in interrogation (you'll get the reference on the first page of this awesome comic). Three issues in and Batman & Robin is simply a joy to read - that is all there is to it. I want to be entertained, I want the Good Guys to get the Bad Guys and I want to look at great art. Well, this title has it all. Does it matter that Bruce Wayne is not the Batman at the minute? Not at all - this Batman is intriguing, mixing street fighting and acrobatics with trying to keep a teenage partner on the team. Robin, precocious, angry and vicious, never outstays his welcome on these pages. In fact, nothing outstays its welcome on these pages.

Pyg is a creepy, hideous villain, the Carny backdrop suited to the Freaks style horrorshow that unfolds. And when one story ends, another opens, and the multi-layered plot of issue 3 rolls to the end with more plots dangling, always tantalising. This comic is really a triumph. One of these a month please, forever?

Atlantis Interceptors Theme Tune (1983)

I wrote about this film, Atlantis Interceptors (aka Atlantis Inferno, aka Raiders of Atlantis, aka Warriors of Atlantis) a while back - see here. Well, now I have something a little special......the theme tune in mp3 format! Here is that theme tune, 'Black Inferno' by Guido & Maurizio De Angelis;

Theme from Atlantis Interceptors (aka Atlantis Inferno)

You can also get it here, with a nice picture of the record sleeve;

http://the-manchester-morgue.blogspot.com/2009/07/guido-maurizio-de-angelis-black-inferno.html

Here is the trailer for the film;

2000ad - Garth Ennis enthuses, a flickr tribute, plus a new site dedicated to the art of the 2000ad (2009)

Garth Ennis writes a warm and heartfelt tribute to the 'Galaxy's Greatest Comic', praising the early years of the title. If you have any interest in the comic, or Ennis, you should take a look at it;

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2009/08/24/garth-ennis-when-2000ad-was-the-future/

And when you have done that, have a look at this flickr page that accompanies / is a response to the text;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/simongurr/sets/72157622009183179/with/3853247803/


While we are on the subject, a new blog dedicated to a piece of 2000ad is up and running - covering the art and covers of the comic, it is here;

http://2000adcovers.blogspot.com/

and I would urge you to check it out.

The Beastmaster Theme (1982)

I have a recollection of Gary Terzza hosting some School Summer Holiday morning Kids TV (or at least doing the continuity for it) for Central in 1983. Despite Return of the Jedi dominating the cinema that year, when Gary told the Midlands viewing public about this beauty, accompanied by a clip of the movie, I had to watch it. 'The Beastmaster' was a load of Sword & Sorcery / Conan inspired nonsense about a man called Dar ( a pre 'V' Marc Singer) who can communicate and control animals in the fight against evil etc.... It was perfect VHS video fare, and is well worth a look (the trailer is below). It has Rip Torn in it (as the Villain, Maax)- and that should be recommendation enough.

Here is the theme tune by Lee Holdridge, a Basil Poledouris / Conan The Barbarian inspired Orchestral piece;


The Beastmaster Main Theme (aka The Legend of Dar)

and here is the trailer;





Links!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beastmaster

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083630/

The Boys #36 Solicitation for November 2009

THE BOYS #36
Written by GARTH ENNIS
Art and cover by DARICK ROBERTSON
32 pages
Mother’s Milk’s story concludes with a bang, as we find out the nature of the debt he owes Butcher and see him bear witness to a great American tragedy. Hughie gets another view of The Boys’ mission, one he hadn’t considered before, in part two of Nothing Like It In The World.

Full Dynamite solicitations for November 2009 are here;
http://www.majorspoilers.com/archives/22234.htm/

Comics: Anticipated titles of the week (26/08/09)

Here are my picks from this weeks full release schedule;

BATMAN AND ROBIN #3 DC COMICS
DEADPOOL #14 MARVEL COMICS
IMMORTAL WEAPONS #2 MARVEL COMICS
UNKNOWN SOLDIER #11 DC COMICS


...a big improvement on last weeks lean pickings - top of the list has to be the new Unknown Soldier, closely followed by the brilliant new Batman title. The other 2 titles bring humour (Deadpool) and some brilliant storytelling (Immortal Weapons). All in all, a great week for comics.

and all of the weeks releases can be seen here


There is a preview of the latest Deadpool issue here

Batman and Robin #3 information here

Immortal Weapons #2 information here

Unknown Soldier #11 information here

Review - Daredevil #500 (Marvel, 2009)

You get the conclusion to the Ed Brubaker / Michael Lark run on Daredevil. You get a preview of Daredevil under the guidance of Andy Diggle and Billy Tan. You get a bonus story ('3 Jacks') from Ann Nocenti and David Aja which is quite wonderful, and would easily stand in its own right as an issue of Daredevil. You get a Daredevil 500 issue cover retrospective. You get a gallery of Daredevils from various artists. This is one hell of a way to celebrate the end of the Brubkaer run and Daredevils longevity.

I am quite happy to admit that this is one of the best comic books i have ever read - everything that this creative team have been doing over the last few months comes to together in a near perfect resolution. They manage to finish up all the plot strands but open up a whole new story for Matt Murdoch for Diggle and Tan to work with. The story and art flow in a beautiful way, effortlessly going back many hundreds of years to Japan, and then go back and forth in more recent time, and there is never any jarring in those jumps. The final panel of the main story is dramatic, visually arresting, a closure and a new beginning.

To give away any of the plot would be churlish. It is just superb, and is a testament to the writing of Ed Brubaker (as if he needs references....) and the moody styling of Lark & co. They will be missed on this title, but have given Diggle more than enough to work with. Comic of the year? To be honest, it depends on what The Walking Dead come up with before the end of the year, but this will be very hard to beat...

The Walking Dead #67 Solicitation & Review for November 2009

THE WALKING DEAD #67

Written by Robert Kirkman, art and cover by Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn.

Finally, at long last... Eugene gives everyone the answers they've been waiting for.

32 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 11.

UPDATE - review is here - http://www.thoseweleftbehind.co.uk/2009/11/review-walking-dead-67-image-2009.html

Bronx Warriors theme tune (1982)

I previously posted a clip of the Bronx Warriors opening scene here;

http://www.thoseweleftbehind.co.uk/2008/02/video-cover-art-of-80s-plus-format-wars.html

but now I have gone one better and offer you the opening theme - so indulge yourself with the (John Carpenter inspired) moody electro score, by Walter Rizzati;

Bronx 1990


How can you go wrong with a movie that has the following taglines?

A Heavy Metal Journey Into An Urban Hell Where Everything Was Done Wrong!

The lucky ones were the first to die!

(courtesy of http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085124/taglines)

Bronx Warriors (released in 1982), directed by Enzo G Castellari, mashes up elements of The Warriors (1979) and Escape from New York (1981) and is a lot of fun - it all seems a bit tongue in cheek;

Comics: Anticipated titles of the week (19/08/09)

Not much going on this week as far as I am concerned - my 2 picks of the week are;

DAREDEVIL #500 MARVEL COMICS
STAND AMERICAN NIGHTMARES #5 MARVEL COMICS

and all of the weeks releases can be seen here

Daredevil #500 sees the conclusion of the 'Return of the King' arc, and also the end of the fabulous Ed Brubaker run as well. Let us hope the issue does him justice. Also, The Stand adaptation continues its fine run with the conclusion of the current 'American Nightmares' chapter.



Previews

Daredevil #500 preview

http://comics.ign.com/articles/101/1010728p1.html


The Stand: American Nightmares #5

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=3203&disp=table

Review - Ultimate Comics Spiderman #1 (Marvel, 2009)

If the Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 is the action movie, then this title is the light relief, with a few surprises at the end. And a bit of action. Like the new Avengers title, this is a breath of fresh air, with a easy on the eye style (Lafuentes art is stylish but with character - it looks like good comic book art without any pretention to be anything else) and plenty of humour in the first few pages. More than that though, are the plot threads layered over the top of the fundamental one (that being the return of the feared dead Peter Parker as Spider-Man) - like strangers eager to do the same job as Spider-Man, the appearance of one of the Fantastic Four, a return of a formidable foe, and his defeat at the hands of a new character.

It all looks great, and promises a lot for future issues. Like the Avengers title, this could quickly help repair the reputation of the Ultimate Universe after Ultimatum. I have no doubt Bendis will deliver on the story lines.

Which brings me to the one gripe I have with the all new Ultimate line - this issue is set 6 months after Ultimatum, and Avengers is set 3 weeks after. Can't they sync the titles for continuities sake?

Review - Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 (Marvel, 2009)

Mark Millar and Carlos Pacheco kick off the rebooted Ultimate Universe with a lot of style - this is essentially one big action scene, with a nice twist at the end, and the result of all of it is that Nick Fury is back in the fold and Captain America goes AWOL.

Hawkeye is the star of the show, dealing with terrorists (including the Red Skull - re imagined for the 21st century and looking better for it) and saving a superheroes life in one issue. The art (courtesy of Carlos Pacheco) is lovely, lovely, lovely - your eyes dart from panel to panel with the exhilaration of watching a great movie action scene. Saying that, the whole experience of reading Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 is over in about 5 minutes, but it is a highly enjoyable few minutes. There is little hand-wringing or soul searching following the end if Ultimatum (this issue takes place 3 weeks after the end of Ultimatum #5), and that is a good thing - this new Avengers title seems fresh and full of life, so much more welcome than the nihilistic, petty Ultimatum title.

I think the Ultimate Universe could benefit from the slimmed down title roster, and if the quality of Avengers is maintained, I believe Ultimatum may be forgotten (though probably not forgiven).

Review - Deadpool #13 (Marvel, 2009)

Dumb, fun and full of guns - it's Deadpool!

So Deadpool now has a load of cash after the clash with Hawkeye / Bullseye, and after blowing his head off in boredom he now wants to be a pirate. He goes to do a deal with some Russians (from whom he has already purchased a ship that sinks - and that is typical of the humour here) and enlists 'Bob' to join him - as his parrot. The plan? To rob a private island getaway of its yachts!

I love this series. It's stoopid (sic). Teh (sic) stoopidist (sic again) comic around. Daniel Way writes this stuff as fun for kids of an advanced age, but with their humour in the toilet bowl. Shawn Crystal has a good eye for a funny visual. You will laugh at the parrot.

Oh, and that cover is cool. Rob Liefeld did such a great job - nay, iconic job - on the design of Deadpools mask that you can stick it on a cover with pretty much anything - a Jaws parody, or in this case a variation on the skull & crossbones - and it looks thrillingly. In a week where Rob Liefeld is in the news for being on the wrong end of some fanboy entitlement issues (google for liefeld and yellow hat guy if you must) I am happy to mention his name in a more positive sense.

Review - The Walking Dead #64 (Image, 2009)

Warning - Spoilers!!!

If you haven't read the 5 page preview, then you will not know that Dale, held by the Hunters, reveals a big secret to them.

He has been bitten by one of the undead, and was walking out to die when he was caught.

The way this is handled, with Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn showing Dales grief / madness / bitter laughter developing over several quick fire panels is really cinematic. And it really works well. Back at the Church, where Rick and the other survivors are holed up, try to come to terms with the loss of Dale. Andrea, in particular, delivers a very moving piece on her relationship with him.

As is Kirkmans way, a Walking Dead issue can be packed with dialogue and the dynamics of a group of survivors trying to get along as well as get by. This issue, though not packed with action, delivers plenty of human drama, little scenes of heartbreaking humanity - like Glenn and Maggie tucking Sophia into bed, Carl crying in the chapel (there is no need for words to elaborate on why he is crying - Kirkman lets you make up your mind). Pretty much all the group get some time in this issue. We also get a glimpse into the lives of the Hunters (and they seem startlingly normal).

The action, when it does happen, is sudden and happens towards the end of the issue. Rick has a handle on the situation, and there is a great final panel, full of pumped-up dramatics and the most 'comic book' splash page I have seen from Charlie Adlard (when you see it, you will understand what I mean). It looks great, and really sets up part 4 of 'Fear The Hunters' as the issue when it all really kicks off.

As usual, an absorbing read, well worth the money and time. The only criticism was that I wanted more (though with the pairing of Viking #1 on the back of this issue, like they did with Chew #1 last issue, those of us who buy the monthlies are getting a treat of a double feature).

The Walking Dead, Frank Darabont and AMC - the promise of Quality.

Amazingly, there is going to be an adaptation of The Walking Dead. Amazingly, because the names that are attached to it - Frank Darabont, AMC - are responsible for quality output. A film would not have worked, and so Television was the only viable option - the fact it has been picked up by AMC, who produce the mighty Mad Men, is terrific news. If I had heard HBO were taking it up, I would not be happier.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007161.html?categoryid=10&cs=1&nid=2248

http://www.moviehole.net/200920253-darabonts-coffin-dodgers

http://twitter.com/RobertKirkman

and check out the discussion at the Kirkboard at Image - where some forum members are making some suggestions for the casting (and getting it spot on - I mean, Cutty Wise (Chad Coleman) from 'The Wire' as Tyrese is brilliant (and he has Zombie form, having been working on Left 4 Dead 2), and even better - Danny Trejo as The Governor.....).

This is a good rule to live by

http://boringoldraphael.tumblr.com/post/151808014/rule-number-one-is-dont-be-a-dick

There was a Pac Man Land, and it lived in Texas - Plus: They made a board game from a video game & Pac Man 7-up and Pac-Man Cereal adverts (all 1980s)

In the early 1980s, Pac-Man became a cultural phenomena which (arguably) has not been repeated since - a videogame character that crossed over into the mainstream in a highly (profitable) commercial manner. Only Mario (and then maybe Sonic) can lay claim to be somewhere near the iconic status of Pac-Man.

As a result of this popularity, many commercial opportunities were explored. Pac-Man land was one of them. A Pac-Man-themed children’s area of the Theme Park ‘Six Flags Over Texas’, it was open from 1983-1985 (to then be replaced by Looney-Tunes land) when presumably, the Pac-Man hysteria had dampened down and his appearance no longer generated sufficient revenue. By the look of the slideshow (see below), the ‘Pac-Man land’ concept consisted of a children’s play area (like the type you get in family pub chains and fast food restaurants) configured to vaguely look like the maze environment where Pac-Man did his thing.;




I do not know of any other attempt to make a board game out of a video game concept (though please feel free to correct me), but this effort from Milton Bradley dared to try and replicate the excitement of the videogame into a non-electronic version of Pac-Man. I never got to play the thing, but judging by this site, it is a fair representation of the character and concept (and not a shameless rip-off). Here is the advert;




There was even a Pac-Man card game…….


Finally, a couple of commercials to emphasise the *ahem* all consuming nature of that yellow dot with the triangle mouth. Here are adverts for a 7-up tie-in (from 1982) and then, Pac-Man cereal!

Dinky 1974 Toy Catalogue

I take no credit for the scan of this, but would just like to put it up here to revel in its Dinky glory. Some of these pages nearly brought a tear to my eye, they are so evocative of my childhood. The UFO vehicles, the Mogul range of big Steel vehicles, the Lincoln Ambulance complete with stretcher and patient...if you are of a certain age you may appreciate this too;

Comics: Anticipated titles of the week (12/08/09)

Here they are - my picks of the week. The big one is Walking Dead (you should check out the preview) - there is a killer twist. The new Ultimate titles promise a fresh start after the Ultimatum debacle. Short and sweet this week - here are the titles, and the previews are below;


ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #1 MARVEL COMICS

ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #1 MARVEL COMICS

WALKING DEAD #64 IMAGE COMICS

and all of the weeks releases can be seen here



Previews

http://comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=3170&disp=table Ultimate Avengers preview

http://comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=3158&disp=table Ultimate Spider-Man preview

http://comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=3175&disp=table Walking Dead preview

Post-Apovcalypse XV - 'Just Another Post-Apocalypse Story' by E J Grug III (2009)

'Just Another Post-Apocalypse Story' by Edward J Grug III. See it here;

http://www.topshelfcomix.com/ts2.0/grug_hell/1

A sweet little tale of hope in a hell-on-earth situation, (and hell plays a big part in the story), this free web-comic gives another take on post-apocalypse, in a micro and very human way. After reading this, I wanted to read a bit more. I also liked the cause of the disaster (and you get to see the cause a few times in the 22 pages presented here). It costs you nothing, so give it your support and have a look at. I think you could be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

Review - Dead Run #3 (Boom!, 2009)

If you have ever liked Mad Max 2, or any of its numerous offspring, then give this a look. It takes the fantastical elements of the post-apocalyptic genre - the shanty town communities, the customised vehicles, the outlandish desert warrior outfits - and wrap them around a slender story with generic ideas (in this issue, women held in cages for breeding purposes escape and attack their jailer!).

But it works. I love it. The art breathes life into this post-apocalyptic world, clearly showing a love for the genre. The story and dialogue are as cheesy as it gets, but that works within a genre that is 60 or 70% cheese anyway (just check out the early 80s Italian films for proof).

A limited series, and it's due to end next issue, and that is a shame, as I will quite miss the Saturday Morning Serial-ness of the cliffhangers ("only one radiation suit - but OH NO! there's two of us!!") and the silliness of it. Comics like this deserve a chance, and I am glad they are around to put a little extra colour into the medium.