Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 107
November 11, 2022
November 11, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues with Bliss, Prevenge, The Devil’s Candy, Satan’s Slaves: Communion, and Lemon KitKats!
Bliss (2019)
A brilliant painter facing the worst creative block of her life turns to anything she can to complete her masterpiece, spiraling into a hallucinatory hellscape of drugs, sex and murder in the sleazy underbelly of Los Angeles.
My thoughts: Like getting super high and then having someone scream at your for an hour and change.
2/5
Bloody Hell (2020)
A man with a mysterious past flees the country to escape his own personal hell – only to arrive somewhere much, much worse.
My thoughts: The goofiness keeps it from being genuinely scary, but it’s a fun ride nevertheless.
4/5
Satan’s Slaves: Communion (2022)
A family moves into an apartment, believing it to be a safe place, but they soon realize this might not be the case once they get to know their neighbors.
My thoughts: A fantastic follow-up to the original (remake) with one of the most horrifying elevator sequences ever committed to film.
4/5
Revenge (2016)
Widow Ruth is seven months pregnant when, believing herself to be guided by her unborn baby, she embarks on a homicidal rampage, dispatching anyone who stands in her way.
My thoughts: Strong premise. Weak execution. A one act movie devoid of surprises.
2.5/5
The Devil’s Candy (2015)
A struggling painter’s possessed by dark forces after he and his young family move into their dream home in rural Texas, in this creepy haunted-house tale.
A dark and disturbing descent into heavy metal horror. What makes it so eerily effective is the character work and performances that actually make us care for these people.
Today’s Yes/No…
Ogasawara Island Lemon KitKats? Yes/No
Japanese KitKats get a new regional flavour, straight from a Tokyo island https://t.co/OthaXPwKxU via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
(@BaronDestructo) November 11, 2022
The post November 11, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues with Bliss, Prevenge, The Devil’s Candy, Satan’s Slaves: Communion, and Lemon KitKats! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
November 10, 2022
November 10, 2022: Your Handy Guide to Weird Yokai!
Before entering the underworld, souls are met by the Datsue-ba, an elderly woman who strips off their clothes. Those who attempt to avoid this indignity by showing up naked have their skin stripped off instead. Thieves will also have their fingers broken for good measure.
The sea-dwelling Umi Bozu are so large that only their heads and shoulders peek over the surface on calm nights when they appear to spook sailors and smash their boats to bits. They apparently can’t stand tobacco. One more reason for you to take up smoking.
The Raiju (aka Thunder Beast) is composed of pure lightning. It rides the skies during thunderstorms, usually in the form of a dog or wolf, descending on tress and buildings, causing destruction and mayhem wherever it lands.
The Jikininki is a flesh-eating ghoul that hangs around temples at night or wherever it can grab a quick, freshly-deceased snack. Though not a threat to the living, they can nevertheless be a source of annoyance at funeral services.
The Umi Zato, Blind Man of the Sea, is an elderly giant who walks along the surface of the sea, tapping the area ahead of him with his cane to identify errant waves lest he trip over them. Somewhat temperamental, the Umi Zato have been known to capsize boats, so steer clear!
Today’s Yes/No…
Coffee-flavored Seltzer? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/wxmCBlRl8P pic.twitter.com/hizxWg8kOC
— Joseph Mallozzi
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November 9, 2022
November, 9, 2022: Amazing Covers!
A few that caught my eye this week…
Batman Incorporated #2 – cover art by Jorge Molina
Batman Vs. Robin #3 – cover art by Alex Maleev
Batman: Urban Legends #21 – cover art by Jorge Fornes
The Death of Superman: 30th Anniversary Special #1 – cover art by Ivan Reis, Danny Miki
Fantastic Four #1 – cover art by Alex Ross
Ninja Funk #1 – cover art by David Mack
So, which was YOUR favorite?
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November 8, 2022
Top Kpop Tracks of October, 2022
Top 10 Kpop Songs of October, 2022
9. We Are – #HighTension #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/Pz1YYK7Dn7
— Joseph Mallozzi
Top 10 Kpop Songs of October, 2022
7. Generation – #AcidAngelfromAsia #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/37TBbH1692
— Joseph Mallozzi
Top 10 Kpop Songs of October, 2022
5. Vision – #Dreamcatcher #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/P2enoNJtiv
— Joseph Mallozzi
Top 10 Kpop Songs of October, 2022
3. What I Want – #Itzy #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/eoKsFI0ksl
— Joseph Mallozzi
Top 10 Kpop Songs of October, 2022
1. Yummy Yummy – #QueenzEye #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/4dvHHhR0OF
— Joseph Mallozzi
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November 7, 2022
November 7, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues with 5 more films for your consideration!
Whew! If not for Drea’s timely reminder, I may have forgotten yet another blog entry – and been forced to post a double entry tomorrow!
Why Don’t You Just Die (2018)
Andrei, a detective and the world’s worst horrible dad, brings together a terrible group of people: his resentful actress daughter, an angry thug, and a cheated cop. Each of them seeks revenge..
My thoughts: Hyper-stylized action and over-the-top score mark this Tarantino-inspired Russian thriller that manages to be darkly humorous, gratuitously gore, and immensely entertaining.
4/5
We Are All Going to the World’s Fair (2021)
Alone in her attic bedroom, teenager Casey becomes immersed in an online role-playing horror game, wherein she begins to document the changes that may or may not be happening to her.
My thoughts: Avant-garde and experimental, slow and nonsensical, this movie offers potential in its exploration of teen identity, mental health, and online horror culture, but the promise of more never really materializes. Frustratingly obtuse.
2.5/5
The Dark and the Wicked (2020)
On a secluded farm in a nondescript rural town, a man is slowly dying. His family gathers to mourn, and soon a darkness grows, marked by waking nightmares and a growing sense that something evil is taking ove.
My thoughts: While the scares do, at times, feel a little too familiar, this meditation on loss, guilt, and familial obligations does deliver the grisly goods.
3.5/5
We Are What We Are (2010)
When the patriarch of the family passes away, the teenage children must take responsibility for the family chores: the preparation of the rituals, the hunting and putting the all-important meat on the table.
My thoughts: Stark social allegory with an engaging premise but a plodding execution.
3/5
Satan’s Slaves (2017)
After dying from a strange illness that she suffered for 3 years, a mother returns home to pick up her children.
My thoughts: Terrific twists and some memorable scares in this well-plotted, character-driven Indonesian horror entry.
4.5/5
Today’s horrific Yes/No…
Parker House Rolls w/ Salted Buttercream Ice Cream? Yes/No https://t.co/yLe4DR61CC
— Joseph Mallozzi
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November 6, 2022
November 5, 2022: Suji Sunday!
Thoughtful.
Flower time.
Staying cool for laser therapy.
Some good lazing about.
Derp alert!
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November 5, 2022
November 5, 2022: Your Handy Guide to Weird Yokai!
After falling in battle, the leader of the Mononobe clan assumed the ghostly form of a woodpecker and sought revenge on his former rivals by pecking at their wooden temples – until, that is, he was chased away by a magical
Late at night, you may hear mysterious creaks and groans, pops and knocks and people will tell you “It’s just the house settling.”. Nonsense! It’s likely Yanari, tiny demons that live beneath your floorboards, venturing out after dark to cause noisy mischief.
At first glance, the Mikoshi Nyudo looks like your typical solitary monk out for a night time stroll. But draw closer and his neck will extend to grotesque lengths, causing you to fall over in your startled state, thereby allowing him to feast on your windpipe.
The Kyokotsu is the vengeful spirit of a murder victim whose bones were tossed down a well. There it dwells in relative unease until someone is foolish enough to disturb its remains.
What at first you may dismiss as a 35 foot piece of cloth swept up by the wind could actually be the yokai known as the Ittan Momen. How to tell the difference? Well, if it wraps itself around you and either crushes your skull or smothers you to death, it’s probably the latter.
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November 4, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues!
Forgot to post this yesterday…
Vivarium (2019)
A young couple looking for the perfect home find themselves trapped in a mysterious labyrinth-like neighborhood of identical houses.
My thoughts: There’s a point in this movie when, while digging up their mysterious clay-laced front yard, one of the characters opines: ““This is just pointless. It’s just weird muck.” And that about sums it up.
3/5
Moloch (2022)
Betriek lives on the edge of a bog in the Netherlands. When she and her family are attacked by a stranger one night, Betriek sets out to find an explanation. She discovers that something is chasing her.
My thoughts: Mostly standard scares in a movie that shows promise in its exploration of Dutch folklore but never really delivers anything new to the horror conversation.
3/5
Coherence (2013)
Strange things begin to happen when a group of friends gather for a dinner party on an evening when a comet is passing overhead.
My thoughts: Essentially a one act movie with a great sci-fi set-up, but lacking a satisfactory pay-off. On the whole, intriguing yett the improvised performances feel shallow, the characters never quite real.
3.5/5
Sissy (2022)
Teen best friends Cecilia and Emma, after a decade run into each other. Cecilia is invited on Emma’s bachelorette weekend where she gets stuck in a remote cabin with her high school bully with a taste for revenge.
My thoughts: Annoyingly vapid characters stumble into absurdly contrived lethal scenarios to a ridiculously overwrought musical score. It’s too bad because it has the bones of a potentially great movie.
3/5
The Mortuary Collection (2019)
An eccentric mortician recounts several macabre and phantasmagorical tales that he’s encountered in his distinguished career.
My thoughts: As with most anthologies, your mileage will vary tale to tale. I thought they saved the best for last but, overall, for me the horror strays too far far into goofy territory.
3/5
Overall, overwhelmingly average.
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November 3, 2022
November 3, 2022: Your Handy Guide to Weird Yokai!
Is your bride evasive about her past? Is she reluctant to let you spend time with her family? Is she a really good swimmer? Well consider the possibility you may have married a Kaeru Nyobuo, a frog that has taken human form in order to get hitched to a man.
Art @matthewmeyerart
If you forget to close your butsudan (Buddhist Shrine) at night, you may be paid a visit by a Nuribotoke, defined by its onyx coloring, pot belly, tail, bad smell, and the fact that its eyeballs dangle out of its sockets like a diva’s earrings at a red carpet event.
There is perhaps no better representation of the spirit of mutual trust and cooperation than the Ashinaga-Tenaga, a collaborative effort between a creature with extremely long arms and a creature with extremely long legs who team up to wade into deep waters and snatch up fish.
The Ubagabi is another type of fireball yokai (Hi No Tama). It manifests as the flaming head of an elderly woman that can fly around at about 3 miles per second. According to legend, if she peers over your shoulder, you will die within three years.***Speaking of horror…Today’s Yes/No…https://twitter.com/BaronDestructo/status/1588165054503026690The post November 3, 2022: Your Handy Guide to Weird Yokai! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
November 2, 2022
November 2, 2022: Amazing Covers!
A few that caught my eye this week…
Star Wars: The Mandalorian #5 – cover art by E.M. Gist
Tiger Division #1 – cover art by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau
Vampirella vs. Red Sonja #1 – cover art by Lucio Parrillo
Batman #129 – cover art by Jorge Jimenez
Batman #129 – covrer art by Gabriele Dell’otto
Old Dog #2 – cover art by Greg Smallwood
Oz: Return of the Wicked Witch #1 – cover art by Meguro
So, which were YOUR favorites?
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