I will be joining the Contrarians LIVE tonight at 7:00 PM EST for an excellent topic idea: minimalist album covers. Each of us has ten picks. I will have the honour of sitting on a panel with:
70 unique picks for minimalist cover art. This outta be good. Link is below!
TERRIFIER 3 (2024)
Directed by Damien Leone
Since I’ve been covering horror films of old the last two weeks, I thought it apt to cover one more contemporary. As contemporary as it gets as a matter of fact, as I just got out of an opening night showing a few hours before writing this. If you’re unfamiliar with the Terrifier saga, it focuses on serial killer/demonic supernatural entity Art the Clown. Initially appearing in short films and an anthology, he was granted a feature length excursion in 2016, the little indie movie that could, Terrifier. Made for around just $50,000, the film was panned critically, but garnered enough of a cult following to warrant a sequel.
Terrifier 2 was released in 2022 with a budget of just a quarter of a million dollars. However, the film was a surprise hit, making fifteen million dollars at the box office and garnering a number of positive reviews. Fifteen million may not sound like a lot these days, but bear in mind that this is an independent film series so violent that each entry has been released unrated.
And oh: the violence. Director Damien Leone received offers from major studios after the success of the second film to finance the third, but he had the integrity to turn them all down because he knew they’d try to censor his vision. These films make standard slasher flicks look like Walt Disney. Reports of people fainting, vomiting, and leaving the theaters in droves have accompanied the release of each film. None of that happened at my screening of Terrifier 3. The place was packed and people were glued to their seats. I was amused at how many guys were there with reluctant looking dates, possibly getting their girlfriends back for dragging them to something like Anyone But You earlier this year in the cruelest way possible.
It’s not all gruesome macabre gore though. These movies have a spirited sense of humor, and they’re only getting stronger each time out. Art is mute, but unlike other slasher villains, he’s incredibly emotive. David Howard Thorton imbues his performance with the grace, physicality, and body language of a silent film star, leading to moments of genuine hilarity. Whether he’s mocking his suffering victims or eroding their guard before hacking them to pieces, Thorton is perfect and totally committed. I was worried they wouldn’t be able to top sadistic comedy of the salt and bleach scene from 2, but I’m happy to report I laughed as much during 3 than I have at any comedy I’ve seen in years.
Another impressive aspect of 2 and 3 is the introduction of Sienna Shaw in the former film as the main protagonist. Played by real life martial artist, stunt performer, smokeshow, and general badass Lauren LaVera, we’re gifted a likable character to root for against Art. I say this is impressive because the film manages to have its cake and eat it too. A criticism levied at many slasher movies is that the one dimensional personalities of the victims makes the audience root for the killer, or at least see the movie through their point of view. The film does have its number of anonymous one dimensional meat bags for Art to cut through, but we have someone fundamentally good (angelic even) we hope to see triumph over him. Only after watching him creatively waste the supporting cast of course.
Art disposed of most of Sienna’s friends and family in a Halloween massacre during the second film, and she’s understandably having a hard time coping with that at the beginning of this one. Taking place five years after the previous film, Art being believed dead, Sienna is discharged from a mental institution to the care of her aunt and uncle where she hopes to spend a quiet Christmas with them and her young cousin, Gabbie. Art, who’s simply been dormant, is awakened in a condemned building by a demolition crew. Dispersing them in skin peeling fashion, he now has access to their van and all the goodies inside it.
Lauren LaVera crushes it here. She played a high schooler in one of those high schools where everyone looks like they’re pushing 30 in Terrifier 2, but here she’s convincing as a traumatized woman that fights every moment to stay strong for those around her. Haunted by violent hallucinations of the people she couldn’t save, LaVera navigates the precarious balancing act of portraying a damaged character that still has her innate toughness.
There are supernatural elements to Art and Sienna explored more in this film I don’t intend to spoil here. The imagery is not subtle, but in a film like this, subtle doesn’t really play. I’ve heard criticism that the plot is somewhat aimless compared to the first two with the addition of all the additional mythos. I can understand boring people considering some of Art’s kills to be unnecessary from an economic writing standpoint, but one of the main reasons people see these movies is for the spectacle of those inventively grotesque murders. Being so hyper-focused on plot is missing the forest for the trees. Besides, Art being on screen is guaranteed gold every time, and I was never bored or felt like the story was dragging when we cut to Sienna, because I liked her as a character and wanted her to prevail.
Admittedly, you need the right mindset or physical constitution to endure or enjoy this thing. Maybe I’m a sick fuck, but I had an absolute blast seeing this in the theater. So far each film has been a step up from its predecessor, and its cliffhanger ending has me excited for part four whenever it’s released. Damien Leone has assembled a group of very talented people, and his direction rises to their level. The film has reportedly already earned fifteen million dollars, which I hope ensures the production of the next one.
4/5
Review dedicated to the donor of this CD, Mr. Harrison Kopp. I hope I like it. I am writing this review “live” so to speak, on first listen.
JET – Get Born (2003 EMI)
Get Born is Jet’s first LP, only two years after forming, and after one 4-track EP. Let’s listen and find out how adept this band got at writing songs after only two years. You already know track 2, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”, the one that everyone says is “Lust For Life” re-written. Both songs utilize Motown beats, though the Jet song has more frantic energy. Plagiarism is excusable in some cases. In this case, I’m still undecided. Is the rest of the album more original?
Many of these songs are fast and short. Opener “Last Chance” doesn’t even break two minutes. It possesses a strong riff, reminiscent of AC/DC in their Bon Scott heyday. Lead singer Nic Cester is quite adept at “Yeahs!” and “Woos!” which will suffice. This leads directly into the signature bassline on “Are You Gonna”, which we don’t need to review. You already have your opinion, and mine is that you can’t tell me those guys never heard “Lust For Life”. That kind of thing always has a subliminal influence, intentional or not. The only question I have is how much was intentional, but I really stopped caring 20 years ago. It is, admittedly a good song if overplayed on radio (still).
“Rollover D.J.” hits right off the bat with bass and guitar, and sounds great in that second it smashes you in the face. Then it lays back a bit, in a Def Leppard-y way, when they used to rock. The chorus is punkier, but feels somehow incomplete. “Look What You’ve Done” switches up to a piano ballad, an unexpected twist. This tender song has an Oasis quality without the snot-nosed BS. This means, yes, you can hear a Beatles influence. Nic Cester demonstrates a smoother side to his singing. I didn’t want to like it, but the truth is, if this was on one of the first three Oasis albums, I would have liked it anyway. A keeper.
A nice rock n’ roll riff brings in “Get What You Need”, and one must admire the nice thick bass tone on this album. This song is all about the guitars. The melodies are inconsequential. It’s all the guitars, and the bass.
In another surprise, “Move On” opens with the distant sound of a steel guitar, before an acoustic intro. This western tinted ballad might be too soon after the previous ballad, but it’s a good song! Very much like the way the Stones would throw those acoustic numbers on their albums. It’s now clear that Jet are not interested in breaking new musical ground. They are focused on writing and recording classic sounding songs that fall within a certain boundary. That’s allowed.
Another surprise: acoustics and piano return on “Radio Song”, a moody trip that has me questioning everything I just wrote. Lead vocals by guitarist Cameron Muncey. I can hear some Radiohead, but the irony is the chorus: “This won’t be played on your radio, tonight.” It’s as if they knew “this is the song where we’re going to experiment a bit.” It’s different, and it has an audible heart to it. It goes epic by the ending, but not too much. Not into Guns N’ Roses bombast. Still sticking to the core instruments. An album highlight.
Back to rocking. A stock riff occupies the necessary space on “Get Me Outta Here”, which fortunately compensates for it with verse and chorus power! Really great work here, with all the singing parts hitting the spot, satisfying a certain craving for a song that’ll be in your head long afterwards.
AC/DC’s fingerprints are all over “Cold Hearted Bitch”, though with drums more out of the Who school of crashes and smashes. Unfortunately, momentum is lost on “Come Around Again”, another Stones-y ballad with piano and twang. It takes time to build, but the reward is brief. The mellotron and organ are the most interesting parts.
Energy returns on the punk-surf-rock-blast of “Take It Or Leave It”, like a shot of pure adrenaline to the album. By this stretch of the album, the “Yeah’s!” are getting a bit tiring and the schtick is wearing thin. “Lazy Gun” has a completely different vibe, with a Gary Glitter sound, and an unexpected secondary section that may or may not fit the first part. We’re over 40 minutes into the album now, and this, the longest song, shouldn’t be track 12. Ear fatigue is setting in.
Finally, “Timothy” is an acoustic ballad to close the album. It sounds extraneous, though with a psychedelic rock twist. I like the chorus, “It’s not what it seems, but it is…” but it seems the song never builds to anything bigger.
Two takeaways: 1) Jet is more diverse than I expected. 2) I don’t think they have a lot of character on this album. Nothing strikes me as unique. Further listens are warranted, but…
To Harrison: “I’m sorry, old friend…”
3/5 stars
RECORD STORE TALES #1159:
The Community is Dead – Long Live the Community!
Once Upon A Time, the old WordPress music Community was an important part of our daily breakfast. It was a wonderful way to connect and talk music with like-minded folks. It was even a good way to seek support in our lives.
Then in 2023, the Community died. I don’t know why, and I no longer care. It’s possibly a “type of feint, or fake technique, whereby a player draws an opposing player out of position or skates by the opponent while maintaining possession and control of the puck.” People just…disappeared. Ghosted. I actually don’t want to know why. “Let the past die,” Kylo Ren said. “Kill it, if you have to.” That is done, but not by my own hand.
I knew it was dead in 2024, when several people from the old Community refused to watch or acknowledge my trip to Toronto with Aaron, the Community’s spiritual leader. It was a shunning, with intent. Rest in peace, Community!
Whatever their issues are, I hope they find peace and harmony, wherever they went and whatever they are doing now. I miss them. But there was a silver lining.
A new Community awaited me. A bigger, more welcoming Community. A Community that stretches from Australia to America, east coast to west, and up north to Canada. A stronger Community. For me it began as the old Community died in 2023. Marco D’Auria encouraged me to work with the Contrarians, and suddenly I started getting invites to appear on other shows, such as Rock Daydream Nation and My Music Corner. With these fine folks, together, we have rebuilt what was lost. Bigger, better, faster, stronger!
I welcome you to the Community! A place where we support each other, collaborate, and celebrate the power of music! A place where you will not be judged for your mistakes, nor shunned.
Welcome…I bid you welcome!
An exhaustive two hours with Johnny Metal took us through almost everything we own in the “B” section of the CD collections! From Sebastian Bach to Bryan Byrne, we looked at everything on CD, except a few box sets. As such, we did not see all my Beatles, Black Crowes, Black Sabbath, Bon Jovi, or Blue Rodeo on CD. We saw pretty much everything else.
Johnny Metal’s collection, as usual, featured some really cool and rare Christian metal, and other assorted metal and blues that most of us might not have heard of. Many of his CDs included collector’s cards or autographs. John excluded (most of his) Black Sabbath and all of his Beatles for this exercise.
Speaking of the Beatles, halfway through the show, I realized I didn’t have any Beatles in my stack, which is just not right. I have lots of Beatles besides the Stereo and Mono box sets. Then viewer Ashley mentioned I had no Jeff Beck. Well, obviously I do! I reviewed two of them here on this site! I realized I had a whole stack I left behind!
That’s how much B stuff I have. Bon Jovi was the majority of it, and a lot of it turned out to be Bon Jovi I don’t even like. There was, however, some Bon Jovi that I really really do like, and I hope you enjoy having a look at them.
We saw a lot of CD singles, remasters with bonus tracks, deluxe editions, remasters, digipacks, Japanese imports, and even one 3″ CD.
Thanks for watching this show, which might take you two viewings to finish, but that’s it – that’s the B section, done n’ dusted.
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 74: The “B” Section with Johnny Metal
Johnny Metal Homework is back for the third week in a row, to grab some stacks of rock! As a sequel to our “A” section show, this time we are diving into some killer “B’s”. You’ll be seeing my Black Sabbath, Bon Jovi, and yes…Blaze Bayley. This episode will exclude box sets which have been shown off before on their own dedicated episodes. CDs only; no vinyl, cassettes or 8-tracks on this week’s episode.
John says it won’t be as crazy this time (no 74 CDs from a Christian parody band), but it will be heavy! The big section is loaded with “Big” bands (Wreck, Sugar, House), and plenty of “Black” (Sabbath, Country Communion, Label Society, Star Riders, Jack). Let’s take a deep dive into some Japanese imports, rarities, and heavy hitters.
Join us live!
Friday October 11 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!
by Harrison Kopp
Mr Moustachio’s Multitude of Marvellous Multiversal Misadventures
Tales From The Multivers Chapter 3
Part 1 – Man Of A Thousand Blades
Sunset Town
The 21st century
An hour before it’s dark
Sweat was pouring off El Moustachio’s brow. The heat of the furnace was intense. The temperature needed to melt this metal of interstellar origin was unimaginable. The master of the forge, an aging individual with a black beard and more lines on his face than most had years lived, watched over the proceedings.
“If you forge it properly, it will be harder and sharper than any other metal you will find. But fail in your technique and it will fail you when you will need it most.”
Moustachio was concentrating intently. The skill required was beyond anything he had trained for in the past. And that included the mandatory boomerang training he had taken in school back when he was a kid.
Finishing his efforts, he set the blade to cool. That afternoon, the pair returned, and the forgemaster inspected the Australian’s handiwork.
Moustachio had crafted a new boomerang. It was still moustache-shaped, but this time it was a little different. His previous boomerang had had the grips on each end and the blade in the middle, but this one reversed it. He could still throw it with ease, but now, with the blades on the ends, he could also wield it in close quarters as one would a double-bladed knife. Easily the superior weapon of the two.
The forgemaster turned it over in his hand, running his eye along the cutting edge.
“Never have I seen so flawless a blade in all my years teaching,” the master said.
“Thank you,” said Moustachio.
“And never before have I seen so many attempts.” The older man continued, gesturing to the many discarded semi-completed blades (Moustachio had been here only 80 days, but had spent most of them in the forge). “You have learned well with each try, and your determination and drive for perfection is beyond that of any of my previous students. This blade will not fail you.”
And so the time came for Moustachio to move on in his travels through the multiverse. He bid his master farewell and gunned the engine of the V8 interceptor, roaring off into the great unknown with his new weapon.
Part 2- Tennessee Bones & The Temple Of Doom Metal
South America
1995
Tennessee Bones strode purposefully through the South American jungles, occasionally pausing to hack at some vines blocking his path. Behind him walked El Moustachio, enjoying the clear path the former man had created. The two men were here trying to locate a hidden temple dedicated to Doom Metal.
It was rumoured to contain many artefacts of the musical genre, some of which had essentially become ‘extinct’ in the music collector’s scene in the rest of the world. But so too had the temple and its treasures been lost. The two men were following a tattered map. While they both had their doubts as to its veracity, they were both willing to give it a try.
Abruptly, Tennessee came to a standstill. Under the brim of his fedora hat his eyes studied the dense vegetation in front of him. Then, without a word, he stalked forward and made three direct cuts to a specific part of foliage.
The plants melted away to reveal a hole in a rocky wall. From inside the faint sound of wind could be heard.
“Looks like it’s through here,” he called back to his Australian companion.
The two men carefully ventured forth. There was no telling what traps had been laid to protect the precious musical artefacts inside.
After a short time, with more than a few close calls, they happened across a large circular chamber, with pedestals lining the outer wall. A mass of candles lit the room, and atop each pedestal sat a vinyl record or compact disc (as well as a few other, more obscure, music formats). The two men knew they were in business.
Tennessee could hardly contain himself, bounding forward with such enthusiasm that if there had been any traps in the room he would have gleefully sprung them without the chance to react.
“The superintendent will be thrilled with these finds. The museum will be having a new exhibit alright. We might even need to build a new wing to house it all. I won’t be able to bring this all back with me in one trip.”
The Canadian ran from pedestal to pedestal, gawking at sights once thought completely lost to mankind.
Moustachio homed in on one in particular: Black Sabbath’s 1970 debut album. There was an entire shrine dedicated to it at the back of the room, with copies of the album on every possible format. Even 8-track! Moustachio wasn’t even sure if it came on 8-Track back in his home universe.
The plaque below the display described the album as the forebearer of the genre.
It seems some things do remain consistent across the universes, Moustachio thought to himself.
Tennessee had no use for it. It was, after all, widely available, unlike some of the other rare finds in the room. Moustachio happily helped himself to the cassette edition of the album. Why that one in particular, I hear you ask?
Well part of the process of transferring universes using the V8 Interceptor required the driver to be listening to pure rock music. Where before he would have to tune into the radio and get lucky, now he could play it on demand.
(Is Black Sabbath strictly rock music? Well, heavy metal founders this, riffmaster that yadda yadda. They still count as rock music in my book. I’m pretty sure they described themselves as hard rock music back in the day. Motorhead would always introduce themselves as rock and roll too. And besides, these are just labels record companies give bands to market them to people who liked similar bands. Iron Maiden aren’t heavy metal, or hard rock or progressive metal- their Iron Maiden! Listen to whatever you want to, and don’t let anyone tell you you can’t enjoy Ghost because “they’re not heavy metal”).
Anyway, sorry about that. Back to the story. The two men parted ways, happy to have spent the time together in company, but both with their own paths to tread. Tennessee Bones still had numerous treasures to uncover, and Moustachio once again set out into the infinite multiverse searching for a way home.
Part 3 – A World Without Heroes
Earth-88
1942
The throaty crackle of a powerful V8 engine shattered the stillness of the Egyptian desert morning. Its dawn chorus was echoed by the quieter, but rougher, sound of a diesel truck engine.
Racing through sand roads was Moustachio’s V8 Interceptor, now with a modification to the rear to fit one large fuel tank and another large tank with an assortment of compartments for various liquids. Being out on the road in the multiverse often took him away from oil and coolant for extended periods of time.
Fleeing the black car was a Mercedes-Benz LG3000. The workhorse truck had had a head start, but Moustachio had quickly closed the distance. The Australian pulled a revolver from his door-well and fired at the truck’s rear. This did not escape the notice of its occupants, and out from inside the truck swung a stony-faced German in black armour.
He effortlessly climbed to the roof of the truck and fearlessly turned to face the source of the bullets.
Moustachio fired again. Three shots. With almost impossible reflexes, the unusual German Soldier raised his shield, blocking them all. Upon his shield was a familiar 3-point star insignia.
The German was not content to merely soak up ballistics, however, and promptly hurled his shield directly at the V8 Interceptor’s windscreen.
Moustachio swerved to avoid the flying shield, nearly taking out a wandering camel. The shield, meanwhile, bounced off the ground at a peculiar angle, before ricocheting off a rock wall and returning to its owner’s arm.
Suddenly Moustachio knew exactly who this was. And he wasn’t thrilled at the idea of having to take on Captain America. Well, more like his German variant. Kapitan Deutschland, probably.
They were approaching the outskirts of Cairo now. This chase could get infinitely more dangerous if it continued. Bullets sprayed the air next to his car, and he flicked his eyes to the mirrors. A couple of German pursuit cars had caught up to him.
Crud, Moustachio thought to himself.
Atop the truck Kapitan Deutschland readied his shield for another throw. Behind him the vehicular gunners adjusted their aim. Between the two of them, one would hit their target.
With a heavy heart, Moustachio had to withdraw from this chase.
Regretfully he gunned the engine and disappeared into another universe seconds before his position was riddled with gunfire. He hated to leave the cargo in the hands of the Germans, let alone give them free reign on the rest of this world, but he had no choice.
One day I’ll come back he thought to himself as he disappeared in a fiery-orange flash.
Part 5 – A Selection Of Items That Can Be Found In The Interceptor’s Back Seat
The Cross Factour Live
As you could imagine, in the multiverse you could often find alternate versions of history. In the music world this meant a wealth of albums you could only dream of back home. Moustachio had bought a few of them along with him. For his friend Tee Bone Man there was the rest of the Van Halen discography with David Lee Roth on vocals. For the Brainiac there was Kiss’s Creatures of the Night album, but with Eddie Van Halen playing guitar instead of Ace Frehley. He’d also taken the 8-track copy of Black Sabbath, for good measure. There could be some weird people out there who collected formats that they couldn’t even play.
For himself, Moustachio had a couple of interesting finds. He had grabbed a neat 7” single from Thin Lizzy for the song “Reelin’ in the Years”. He knew this as a Steely Dan song in his home universe, but routinely called it the best Thin Lizzy song they never wrote. He was thrilled to have a version with Phil Lynott singing, and the sizzling dual-guitars.
But the best find for him was the live album from Iron Maiden’s ’95 – ’96 tour, with Tony Martin on vocals. Moustachio loved Blaze Bayley, but he also always wanted to hear what it would have sounded like if Tony Martin replaced Bruce Dickinson in 1994.
A Dual IPA Beer
This was a genius one. Someone had invented a bottle with two distinct segments, one taking up the top half of the bottle and the other the bottom half. There was a one-way valve in that divider that allowed liquid from the bottom to enter the top, but not the other way around.
This bottle was filled with two different IPA beers – one in each half. As the drinker drank, the top liquid would be replaced with liquid from the bottom half, ensuring that every single mouthful tasted different. A truly revolutionary concept.
This would, however, upon reaching the halfway point, also make it look like the remaining liquid was levitating.
Kylo Ren’s Lightsaber
On Kef Bir, Moustachio had bartered with a fisherman for the lightsabre Kylo Ren had thrown into the sea when he turned back to the light side. It wasn’t functioning anymore, as the water had thoroughly soaked the insides, but Moustachio was sure his friends back home could get it working again.
Part 45– Colourful Dossier
Earth-1340
This was a weird one. El Moustachio had found himself in a universe where everything appeared to be made out of some form of plastic building block. It took a lot of getting used to. Not being able to scratch one’s own back was certainly a bummer, but he came to appreciate the simplicity of the world in a lot of aspects.
It didn’t take him long to find a group of like-minded heroes. The League of Extraordinary Minifigures, as they had named themselves, were more than willing to accept Moustachio’s assistance in their endeavours. And while he would embark on several adventures with this team, he ultimately decided to move on and seek his home universe once again.
Now these are, of course, only a small selection of El Moustachio’s exploits in the multiverse. The true extent of his adventures stretched over several months and are too numerous to give form to in this level of detail. But we will give you a taste of the next full-length adventure in this series in the coming paragraphs.
Part 6 – A Savage Circle
A World Not Too Dissimilar To Our Own
Wednesday Morning, 3AM
With an uncontrollable scream, the Brainiac lifted his lightsaber in the air with both hands, ready to strike the killing blow. “Time to die, clone!” He swung the blade down…
…And was met with the sharp end of a Vibranium boomerang embedded in his chest. In his mad rage, he could not see that Shinzon was still armed, with the deadly boomerang in his right hand. Shinzon grinned wide as he shoved it deep.
“Time to die indeed!” he cried in victory, as the Brainiac collapsed on the ground.
Barely able to speak, Brainiac sputtered blood from his mouth and fell to his knees as his vision blurred.
He awoke with a start. Not the same Brainiac that was killed by Shinzon, though. This one lived in a different universe (and we shall refer to him as Brainiac II henceforth, to avoid confusion). He was soaked in sweat and breathing heavily. He couldn’t believe the nightmare he just had. It was a nightmare right? It felt so visceral and real.
He lay back down in his bed and tried not to think about it. Life had been crap enough recently, without adding thoughts of his imminent death to it.
But it was at this very moment that his life was about to change for the better, as elsewhere in the Bruce County, one El Moustachio and his V8 Interceptor burst into this universe in a burst of golden-brown flame.
THE ADVENTURES OF TEE BONE MAN: PHASE ONE – THE SQUIRREL SAGA 
THE ADVENTURES OF TEE BONE MAN: PHASE TWO – THE MULTIVERSE SAGA
THE ADVENTURES OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS: PHASE THREE – THE UNICRON SAGA
SPINOFFS AND SIDE QUESTS
THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES OF EDIE VAN HEELIN’
THE WRITER’S ROOM
PIECES (1982 Almena Films)
Directed by Juan Piquer Simón
Here’s a video that nasty casual horror fans may not know. Too hardcore for the UK, Pieces is a Spanish-American slasher gore fest, one of the most violent of the ’80s. Fortunately, the film mitigates the viscera with a cheeky sense of humor. By no means would I call it a horror/comedy, but it does sacrifice logic and plot consistency for entertainment. I still have no idea how one suspect is cleared of being the killer; he just shows up free of the police a few scenes later and everyone acts like it’s normal.
Much of the humor comes from poor taste: extremely poor taste. The opening scene presents us with a young boy completing a pornographic puzzle, then butchering his abusive mother with an axe before dismembering her body. When the police arrive, the boy is witty and manipulative enough to pretend to be traumatized and oblivious. It’s a nice touch when your slasher is smart enough to stay out of jail or the loony bin.
The plot picks up decades after the opening scene at a college where the students have a nasty habit of getting disembowelled in creative ways. The cops send in an undercover operative (Mary “the MILF” Riggs) to be the women’s tennis instructor, and keep an eye out for the killer. She’s aided by the one student in the know, Kendall James. Kendall also desperately wants to get in Mary’s tennis shorts, despite the huge age gap.
Graphic hijinks ensue as they piece together the mystery while more bodies drop. One murder leads into an acting moment so astonishingly powerful, it brings tears to my eyes to this day.
And the word “bastard” will send me into a fit of hysterical laughter forevermore. The plot in a film like this doesn’t matter much. You can probably figure out who the real killer is in the first ten minutes. That’s never been the appeal of a video nasty though. As schlocky, stringy, sinewy entertainment, it does its job well. The kills are some of the best of the decade, it’s funny both intentionally and unintentionally, and it’s got that low budget grime that your Halloweens and Friday the 13ths don’t that only make the film feel that much naughtier. Give it a shot if you’ve got the stomach!
3.5/5
RECORD STORE TALES #1159: A Mighty Wind & A Million Vacations
As fall starts to take hold, I need to be mindful. Mindful of dark thoughts and feelings. And so, on Friday night when we departed for the lake, I focused. The music must be bright, for it will be dark out soon. We must keep the spirits up, for it is that time of year again. By this time in 2022, I was already suffering from my seasonal disorder. In 2024, I’m doing OK so far.
In preparation for Friday night’s episode of Grab A Stack of Rock (the first indoor show at the lake in a year), we played the soundtrack to A Mighty Wind in the car. It has us singing and smiling along. We followed that with Max Webster’s A Million Vacations. The drive up was relatively uneventful. We were almost killed at the St. Jacobs roundabout by a white minivan who turned left from the right lane, but hey, it’s all good. I hit the brakes in time enough for the guy behind us not to rear-end my car. Thanks a lot of for the sudden jump in stress, but we made it alive in one piece. Along the way we spotted a cute cat in the bushes. We even arrived by 7:00 pm, which meant I had an hour to prepare for the 8:00 pm show, including some daylight time. The show went off without a hitch. Non-stop laughs, love and deep analysis. Just how I like it.
Saturday was a beautiful day, but we have different priorities in the fall compared to summer. Instead of going out and buying the best meat and veggies, we have to start using up what’s left in the freezer. I tried some experiments, but nothing was particularly successful. We ate some frozen steaks that had been sitting around all year, but they were tough and lined with gristle. I tried cooking some leftover corn in a pan with some onions and mushrooms, but the overall flavours didn’t mix well. I was left with something that tasted like shepherd’s pie, which was not what I was aiming for. The sweetness of the corn didn’t mix with the funkiness of mushrooms. After a summer of so many food experiment successes, it was alright to have one failure in 2024.
Saturday night, a mighty wind began to blow. We didn’t have too many storms in 2024, so this was more than welcome. Strangely, it remained warm outside. The rain came in spurts. We never got properly drenched. We just remained inside and enjoyed it.
We didn’t get as much done this weekend as we hoped. We always plan for more than we have time to do, but we didn’t let any time go waste. We made some great meals, had a nice fire outside, took the drone up, and Jen got to watch all her sports games.
On the way home, I began to feel that sadness creep in. I fought it off with Van Halen and David Lee Roth: 5150, and Skyscraper. 5150 did not do the trick. Skyscraper did. With Dave as the cheerleader and nostalgia in the music, Roth kept my spirits upbeat. It was the magical mixture.
Once home, I ordered an amazing deep dish pizza from a local place called Franklin’s. It was my first deep dish pizza, with the cheese running so gooey and the sauce so tangy. It wasn’t super deep, so next time I want to try something even bigger. Either way, bucket list item checked off the list.
Was this our last trip to the lake in 2024? We don’t know, but what I do know is that we did it right this time.
Lots of new videos up on the channel, with great music to go with them!
The First Flight of Dr. K – Marillion “Fugazi”
I actually let Dr. K fly my drone. This is the unedited footage. You can see the panic on my face, with my hands on my head in anxiety!
Following a Canada Goose and some beach dogs – Jeff Bridges & Colin Farrell “Fallin’ & Flyin'”
Really special footage here of a lone Canada goose in the morning. I hovered nearby, afraid to get too close.
Dawn flight in the fall to lone rock – Brant Bjork “Sun Brother”
This flight took me further than I’ve gone before, all the way to a lone rock on the other side of the river that my sister and I used to sit on.
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