Chadwick H. Saxelid's Blog: Ghoulies, Ghosties, and Long-Leggedy Beasties, page 46

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage [ L'uccello dalle Piume di Cristallo (1970)] - Newspaper Ad

San Francisco Examiner - October 6, 1970
Dario Argento's impressive feature film debut was an atmospheric jolt of terror and suspense that caught the attention of both critics and audiences. I was unable to see it for myself until the mid-to-late 1980s, when it was released on home video.

Junji Ito's Uzumaki - A 500 piece puzzle from Unbox Industries

Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985) - Soundtrack Collection

How is it that I have yet to see this "Lost World" style fantasy-adventure film? It has dinosaurs in it! It also has William Katt, who I would have known, at the time, from his appearances in Carrie and The Greatest American Hero, Sean Young, who I would have likewise known, at the time, from Blade Runner and Stripes, and Patrick McGoohan, who I would have known from David Cronenberg's Scanners. I have watched many a movie that had far fewer points of interest to me than the four I just gave for Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend.

The movie also has a nifty Jerry Goldsmith score. One that was a part of a string of scores from him that featured extensive use of keyboard synthesizers. Others from this time period included the memorable scores for Gremlins, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Explorers, and Rambo: First Blood Part II. That is one hell of a creative hot streak for Goldsmith.

To be both honest and fair, there were, arguably, two primary reasons for my not having seen Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend in the mid-to-late 1980s. 

First, it was released while I was living in Hong Kong. While I did see a great many films, and also learned that a great many films could and would be altered for international release, Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend was not one of them.

Second would be that it was a Disney film. Which meant that it was silly "Kid's Stuff" that, way back in 1985, 18-year-old me would not have been the least bit interested in seeing. Gah, I was such an immature dork back then. I really should give this movie a look.

The Blair Witch Project (1999) - Trading Card #14

Born in 1973, Joshua Leonard wrote and directed his own cable TV show, "MD. Skunk," while still in high school. He later attended and graduated from Montgomery Community College, where he learned an array of filmmaking techniques, including on-line Beta editing, basic sound design, 3-point lighting, and 16mm production.

Joshua Leonard
Front: Josh shares some thoughts with Heather and Mike while driving into Burkittsville. 

The Beast from 20,000 (1953) - Newspaper Ad

San Francisco Examiner - June 24, 1953
I have taken to describing Roland Emmerich's ill-conceived 1998 version of Godzilla as "a bloated and overlong, but nonetheless acceptable, remake of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms."

Movies that had the word "Beast" in their titles were a matter of routine, back in the day. At some point, during any given week, there was bound to be a movie with a titular beast that lurked in some haunted cave, or cellar. One that had five fingers, or a million eyes. That craved blood, or had to die.

But the most coveted beast of them all, for me, was the one that came up from 20,000 fathoms. The infamous moment when a cop gets snatched up and gulped down, while no doubt laughable by today's standards, shook me to my core. Back when I was somewhere between the ages of 5 and 12, that is. 

I have heard and read conflicting stories about this film and its connection, real or supposed, to Ray Bradbury's short story The Fog Horn. Some versions have the filmmakers purchasing the rights to Bradbury's story prior to production. Other versions have the purchasing of the rights occurring during the production, when the similarities between a lighthouse scene and events in Bradbury's story were noticed and/or pointed out.

Here it might be best to invoke what I have come to call The Liberty Valance Rule: Whenever truth contradicts a legend, it might be best to just go with the legend.

Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan (2013) - Soundtrack Collection

I had only just discovered that Midnight Syndicate existed when I attended the first Kirk Von Hammett's Fear FestEvil, held at the Regency Ball Room in San Francisco, February 6 - 8, way, way back in 2014.

After I geeked out over all the memorabilia, costumes, and props that were on display, I strolled through the vendors room(s) and discovered that Midnight Syndicate had a booth there. That is where I met and spoke with Edward Douglas, one half of the Midnight Syndicate team. I also bought a whole lot of stuff.
One of the items I purchased was this soundtrack for Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan, for which Douglas composed the music and Midnight Syndicate performed it. I liked it enough to check out the movie and... well, I still like the music.

Alien (1979) - Trading Card #11

Coldly scientific. Mysterious. Reclusive. These words best describe Science Officer Ash, a last minute addition to the crew of "Nostromo".

I have yet to muster the intellectual and creative energy to write a review of Alien: Romulus. While I thought the movie was okay, I also felt that it failed to meet the lowest of creative baselines: having an actual reason to exist.

Maybe that counts as a review. Whatever.

There was one thing that did rankle me, though. The unnecessary and borderline offensive use of the late Ian Holm's likeness in the film as the quasi-villainous android Rook. It was a part that could, and should, have been played by anyone else. There was zero need to use Holm's likeness. 

It was a distasteful distraction to an otherwise mid-to-lower tier monster movie.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - Newspaper Ad

San Francisco Examiner - November 11, 1984
I was living overseas, in Hong Kong, when A Nightmare on Elm Street was released in the United States in November of 1984. So I have zero memories of it as a theatrical release or viewing experience. Never saw the poster hanging in a lobby, nor did I see any TV spots for it. Because I was not there. So it goes.

It was not until Fangoria's 43rd issue arrived in the mail and I read a letter in The Postal Zone that praised a film called A Nightmare on Elm Street for creating an ultimate boogeyman that I became aware of its existence. What was this movie with a villain the letter writer deemed capable of scaring Jason Voorhees himself?

This praise both intrigued me and made me anxious to see this "ultimate boogeyman" film. Which I was able to in, I believe, the Thanksgiving weekend of 1985. When I rented the movie on home video. It not only managed to scare the shit out of me, but it also kept me awake that night. As I was afraid to fall asleep.

Something that would not happen again until, 25 years later, an opening night viewing of Paranormal Activity rendered me too scared to sleep. Good times.

Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui, Vol. 1 - Manga Review

As I better acquaint myself with the wide variety of manga out there, there have been occasions wherein my brain asks, with no small amount of incredulity, "Wait a minute, this is actually a thing?"

Example one would be when I read the first volume of Monster Musume, which served as my introduction to the harem genre. While there was a time I would have enjoyed the offerings of this genre, that time is now past. So it goes.
Example two is Delicious in Dungeon, a Christmas gift from an anime-manga loving sister-in-law. One who not only knows that I have started to venture into the realm of manga, but also knows that I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons for well over a decade.
Here we have two great things, manga and D&D, that taste great together. But there is more, so much more. Delicious in Dungeon is rooted in something known as the gourmet genre. Which means the focus is, for the most part, on recipes, ingredients, and preparations. You know, foodie stuff.
But first, the backstory: One fine day the floor in the catacombs of a small village gives way. A man crawls out of the sinkhole and tells the villagers that he was the king of a wealthy country that had been entombed and hidden by a lunatic magician. His dying words are that whoever, or whomever, defeats the magician will have the country, and its riches, bestowed to them.
And so the treasure hunt begins... only there are all kinds of dangerous and deadly monsters and traps lurking in the world beneath those catacombs. 
Laios and his adventuring companions run afoul of one such monster, a large red dragon, and get their collective backsides whooped good and hard. Victory is quite literally tossed from the jaws of defeat, when one of the team, trapped inside the red dragon's mouth, teleports the rest to safety.
Now Laios, and the few who decide to return with him, is in a race against time to save the team member that saved them. That said team member also happens to be his sister only adds to the urgency...
Short on supplies and coin, Laios makes the bold and brash decision to eat the monsters they kill on their journey. Only not every member of the team is okay with this. Until they cross paths with a monster chef of a dwarf named Senshi, that is. He is able to make the distasteful concept of eating monsters into a rather tasteful reality.
Because Senshi, you see, knows a thing or three about how to turn monster remains into a meal. He also relishes the chance to cook a red dragon, so he is quite happy to join Laios's team. Amusing shenanigans ensue, of course.
The only downside to this first volume is how the fate of Falin, Laios's sister and presumed red dragon snack, remains TBD. While all this entertaining monster killing and cooking was going on, the memory of the traumatic ending to The Final Prayer (aka The Borderlands) refused to be ignored. Which added some bitter zest to this gastronomic-themed adventure.
More, please...

The Awakening (1980) - Soundtrack Collection

I have yet to read Bram Stoker's novel The Jewel of Seven Stars, nor have I seen Hammer Film's Blood from the Mummy's Tomb, so I do not know how The Awakening compares to either.

On its own, however, it comes across as a bland knock-off of The Omen. Only the accidental deaths of any and all that would hamper the return of the dread Queen Kara were nowhere near as inventive, or memorable, in their staging as they had been in the films The Awakening was, um, paying homage to (i.e. The Omen and Damien Omen II). 

The Awakening would be the only horror film Claude Bolling composed a score for. While the movie itself leaves a great deal to be desired, Bolling's music is atmospheric and suitably chilling.