Pulp

Having begun as a special effects artist, Robert Hall knows how to make the most of his gore and I’m willing to give any minor flaws in this film a pass because of how skillfully Hall shoots his death scenes. This film is coated in blood and is visceral to the extreme, so if that’s what you dig in horror, this film is for you.

On top of this we are treated to a rather creepy and original killer in Chromeskull, a knife wielding psychopath who loves to play with and film his victims before brutally murdering them. Nick Principe plays him in both this film and its sequel (which I’m sure I’ll get to another week) and despite being both a mute and never removing his mask, he delivers a memorable performance.

Speaking of performances, this film is practically a who’s who of horror movie actors with veterans like Richard Lynch (Puppet Master III/Alligator II) and Sean Whalen (The People Under the Stairs/Idle Hands) as well as a pre-Game of Thrones Lena Headey. More importantly it has two actors on loan from Gregg Araki films, Kaboom’s Thomas Dekker (also known as the only good thing in the Nightmare on Elm Street remake) and The Doom Generation’s Johnathon Shaech. Some of these actors get barely any screen time, but it’s still exciting to see them turn up.

Laid to Rest lacks a little in terms of plot and pacing but thrills, gore and sheer excitement more than make up for it.

Alastair: So, DC have decided to try something a little different this month. Rather than having a month of normal, superhero-y stories, we’re getting a month full of villains, complete with chaos, carnage and dastardly plots. Now, this might sound great – you might be thinking “Oh, sweet! A whole month of Joker stories!”, but it’s not as good as it sounds. That’s not to say that villain’s month/Forever Evil is a bad idea – villain heavy/hero-lite stories can work really, really well (like ‘Blink’ from season 3 of Doctor Who, to cross media for a minute) but an entire month with only villain stories is a bit much.

Each new issue of DC’s New 52 lines has been “taken over” by one of its villains following the disappearance of the Justice League – for example, “Batman #23” became “Joker #1”, and what would have been “Flash #24” became “Reverse-Flash #1”. There’s a new villain every issue, and while it does bring a few villains back into the spotlight, it really seems like overkill. Some stories tie-in to the current storyline of their book (e.g. Reverse-Flash) and as a result fill the void left by the superheroing heavyweights. Others (such as Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, replacing two issues of Detective Comics) just seem out of place and unnecessary. So far, it’s been a bit hit and miss so here are my picks:

-          Joker #1 (Batman #23.1) – Joker shows off his nurturing side.

-          Reverse-Flash #1 (Flash #23.2) – a great tie-in to the current Flash story arc.

-          Court of Owls #1 (Batman and Robin #23.2) – fantastic art from Jorge Lucas.

Seriously, there are far too many plot threads in this film. That serial killer story seems to be connected with the haunted phone number due to his threatening calls to the main character, but that story is dropped 45 minutes in and never mentioned again. And why is the phone number haunted? I’m seriously asking you. Someone watch this and tell me because I had no idea by the end of it. There is a whole mystery surrounding a killer (a different one) and a missing girl and at the end of the film I felt no sympathy for anyone and wasn’t sure if that was the point or not.

The film is quite unnerving to begin with and has some legitimate scares along the way, but around the half way mark the pacing completely falls apart, either slowing down horrendously or jumping forward confusingly fast.

Finally, this film is about a haunted phone number and that’s so dumb, I’m not sure I can even defend it. Because of this there is a hideous ring tone that plays a million times throughout. I was jealous of the character who jammed a pencil in her ears. All up this is a super dumb and quite confusing movie, but I also really dug it. So, watch it, I guess? I have no idea.

Alastair: So, if you were paying attention last month, you might’ve caught a documentary on ABC1 called Comic Book Heroes. Not only was CBH a great look inside the world of comic book publication, it also shone the spotlight on a hidden gem of the comic book community: Australia’s own Gestalt Comics. Viewers were shown glimpse of Gestalt’s elite line up of artists, writers and titles, and one book caught my eye: Changing Ways, written and illustrated by Perth’s Justin Randall.

Above all, Changing Ways is a gorgeous book. Randall’s art is superb; it’s dark, gritty and emotive all at once, and puts some of the comic industry’s finest artists to shame. Don’t think that this means the story is lacking, though – Randall’s narrative grabs you by the collar and drags you kicking and screaming through an increasingly dark and disturbing world.

After the untimely death of his young son, David Barrot moved to the town of Grey Oaks with his wife Lucy and daughter Jessie. In the middle of a devastating thunderstorm, the family is attacked by a rabid dog that breaks through their window. After dispatching the dog, the family is confronted by the dog’s strangely scarred owner, who commits suicide after being shown David’s own bizarre mark. The Barrot family’s night goes from bad to worse as more people bearing the marks appear, all of whom behave erratically or exhibit strange powers. Struggling to make sense of events, the Garrots decide to flee Grey Oaks and leave the insanity behind.

So when I finally decided to check out Superior Spider-Man, penned by Dan Slott, what I found was an incredibly well written narrative with strong characterization, good humour and fun super heroics. Really that’s all you need. Slott understands Spider-Man as a character, just as he understands Dr. Otto Octavius, so when it comes to the odd hybrid that is the superior Spider-Man he nails both voices and somehow makes one cohesive character.

Alastair: Of late, my taste in comic books has been getting darker and more twisted. It started with the traditional noir grit of books like Mark Waid’s Daredevil and spiraled down into the creepy gore-fest of Preacher and American Vampire. After wallowing around in their twisted mythologies for a while (I’ve finally finished Preacher, and it was excellent) I’ve stumbled across a gem in a fantastic Image title: Severed.

Cameron dropped this one in my lap as a birthday present, and my god is it creepy! Written by Scott Snyder (Batman) and Scott Tuft (Swamp Thing), and with art by Attila Futaki (Percy Jackon and the Olympians), it’s a top-notch horror comic. Set in 1916, Severed follows 12 year-old Jack Garron as he runs away from home to find his traveling musician father. Once on the road, he finds that the traveling life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be – especially when you’re being trailed by a creepy old man with razor-sharp teeth and a penchant for human flesh. What follows is one of the most nail-biting stories I’ve read in a long time, and the last few pages of the miniseries ranks among some of the most unsettling things I’ve ever seen.

Bedlam is a new Image Comics series, written by Nick Spencer (of Morning Glories fame) and drawn by the fabulous Riley Rossmo (Proof, Daken: Dark Wolverine) and Ryan Browne (Smoke and Mirrors, The Manhattan Projects). The premise is pretty darn interesting, and easy to sum up: What happens when you cure a seemingly incurable madman?

Madder Red (aka Fillmore Press) is a homicidal maniac in the same vein as the Joker, and delights in causing as much carnage and chaos as possible in the long-suffering city of Bedlam. After continual clashes with local vigilante The First, Madder is thought dead in an explosion. Unbeknownst to the people of Bedlam, Madder has been abducted by the mysterious Doctor (think Doctor Strange meets Professor Pyg – no Time Lords here) and is undergoing “rehabilitation”. Once cured, Fillmore is released back onto the streets, no one the wiser that the former maniac is even alive. Fillmore then buddies up with Detective Ramira Acevado, helping to solve crimes in penance for his own.

Bedlam’s art is amazing, its writing fascinating, and direction undeniably awesome. While it might not be getting the attention it deserves right now, it is fast becoming a favourite of mine. Do yourselves a favour, and check it out!

Cameron: Once upon a time Umberto Lenzi (sometimes called Harry Kirkpatrick) directed a film called Welcome to Spring Break (sometimes called Nightmare Beach) and because of reasons it is the best slasher made in the 1980’s.

Now, one of the reasons I’m such a huge fan of VHS is because I love the hand painted home release covers and feel they are a lost art. And if regular covers are art, Welcome to Spring Break’s cover is the goddamn Sistine Chapel. There is so much going on its ridiculous. First of all there is the costumed killer up top, with a screaming face reflected in his bike helmet, and this is just floating above a party scene including a band, a naked lady, windsurfers and also other beach babes. This film knows what it’s about, and what it is about is gratuity.

The kills themselves aren’t overly gory, but there is so much nudity for absolutely no reason. Also that band pictured on the front has a whole song during the film. The film literally stops so we can watch some bottom of the barrel synth-rock group play the most bland song ever, and by that point you’re willing to just go along with it.  Speaking of synthesizers, the killer has his own theme music. For some reason they decided to fade it in as he gets closer to camera, and it gives the weird illusion that the killer himself is carrying the music around on some tiny boombox.

When it was announced that the 1981 classic The Evil Dead was being reimagined, I was cautiously optimistic, after all it had the blessing of Sam Raimi, the man behind the spectacular original trilogy. After seeing a few trailers and reading a few early previews I was in a veritable frenzy of excitement and could not wait to see it and talk with friends about how great it (probably was) and now that time has finally arrived! So how does this new installment stack against what came before?!?

It’s okay, I guess.

I love the original trilogy because of it’s over the top violence and campy comedy and this new film captures half the spirit. There is a dramatic shift in tone for this new film veering heavily towards grit; the few comedic moments feeling rather tacked on and out of place. The violence is still over the top, but when we’ve been through the age of torture porn, is this really enough? No. No it isn’t.

Evil Dead is the backup dancer of the series and hits all the right cues for a modern horror, but like a backup dancer it does so without really drawing any interest.

Alastair: Hold on to your hats, guys – I’m actually going to talk about something other than comics. Ok, so I kinda lied; it’s kinda related to comics. Or, rather, based on one. As an added bonus, I’m talking about an adaptation of an older comic that doesn’t actually suck in any way! The movie I’m talking about here is 2012’s Dredd, starring Karl Urban (who you might know from Star Trek into Darkness and The Lord of the Rings, to name a few).

Forget Sly Stallone’s appalling 1995 take on the character – this shit’s the real deal. Urban’s Dredd is spot on; the legendary helmet is never removed, and he scowls hard enough to kill a man. His character has been written perfectly, and the gravelly rasp that is his voice fits the character so well it’s ridiculous. Urban’s Dredd even has the seal of approval from Judge Dredd creator John Wagner! Take that, Stallone!

The setting of Dredd is fairly minimalist – the entire story takes place in a 200-storey tower block, which means lots of close quarters, fierce and utterly brutal combat. Gore is aplenty, so if you’re a bit squeamish, watch with caution. Dredd is by no means a movie for those interested in all things intellectual, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth your time. It perfectly captures the dark, gritty 2000 AD universe, and with a 2000 AD-backed petition to film a sequel underway, hopefully we’ll see more in the near future.

This week I’ve delved into the realm of insane psychiatrists: I got my hands on Harley Quinn: Night and Day (written by Karl Kesel of Hawk and Dove and Superboy fame) and Spider-Woman: Origin by Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, Daredevil).

Harley Quinn’s artistic duties were handled by Terry Dodson (Uncanny X-Men), and for the most part do an excellent job of capturing the story’s kooky feel. Night and Day follows Harley as she tries to establish herself as a big-time crime boss in Gotham City – this time without the Joker. In typical Harley fashion, the story jumps around like a kid on red cordial, and follows her as she recalls her initial descent into madness, goes shopping with Hyenas in tow, and even spends a brief time masquerading as Batgirl. It’s a great light-hearted read, and highly recommended.

Spider-Woman: Origin is (shock horror) an origin story for Jessica Drew. I won’t go into too much detail, but I found the story to be a bit up and down – unusual for the talented Mr Bendis. The art, by Image Comics regular Jonathan Luna, borders between average and sub-par. Despite these setbacks, it’s still a solid read.

Now, prepare yourself for Blair…

Blair:

Much like how when you change your Hotmail password to your girlfriend’s middle-name because it’s esoteric-enough and easy to remember (but then she dumps you) I am somehow entered into an agreement – that I created the terms of – without an inkling as to how I could actually deliver the goods, i.e. contributing to the column referred to as “Pulp”.

The only thing remotely pulpy that I consume is orange juice, and even then I can’t do it daily or even weekly because my skin breaks out in a terrible rash. But I guess I do really like art films crafted by Japanese directors who entered the studio system through making “Pinku Eiga”, or “Pink Films” – or to put it plainly, “Porn”. But it’s not porn like you’ve seen it before! No no, I’m not just in it for the kink!

There’s wildly psycho-analytical symbolism reaching farther into the depths of the characters than anything you’d get in modern adult entertainment. These directors – for example, Toshio Matsumoto, Koji Wakamatsu and Masao Adachi – were in it to break ground and redefine what it meant to make love, kill, take and own. Eyes are gouged, politics is discussed, drugs are passed around like candy and every now and then a room full of women is taken hostage by a psychopath who proceeds to have his way with them and stab them one by one. But the world this is all in is not fictional; it’s just a mirror to the one that’s already off on endless wild and bloody tangents of its own.

Recommended:

Funeral Parade of Roses by Toshio Matsumoto: Oedipus Rex told through the power play of transsexuals in a bar in Tokyo.

Ecstasy of the Angels by Koji Wakamatsu: 60s student movement meets radical extremist terrorism meets sex and violence, often all in a single scene.

Pre-cocaine Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls, Star Wars before the prequels, Michael Jackson pre 1990s; the 1970 Italian thriller The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo)is a beauty to behold. Dario Argento’s directorial debut and credited as a landmark film in the giallo film genre, this movie is breath of fresh air, holding its own against contemporary horrors forty years later, and reflects enormous potential from Argento.

A struggling American writer living in Italy, Sam (played by Tony Musante) is just two days away from flying home when he unintentionally interrupts an attempt on the life of Monica, the wife of an art gallery owner. Monica (played by Eva Renzi) survives, but police now hold Sam as their primary suspect. The latest attack in a series of recent murders, Monica is thought to be the only victim to have survived the now notorious serial killer. Released from custody but passport confiscated, Sam decides to do some investigative work to clear his name. The closer Sam feels he’s getting to the truth, however, the higher the body count rises, and soon it becomes apparent that the next target the killer has their eyes on is Sam’s model girlfriend, Julia (played by Suzy Kendall).

Set in a not-too-distant future where magic and technology co-exist, Shadowrun Returns presents itself as a unique amalgam of genres. Taking influence from high fantasy, noir and cyberpunk, its strength lies in convincingly weaving these different elements into one cohesive world.

Investigating the death of a former colleague, your character moves between street brawls and psychopathic killers, death cults and corporate espionage. The campaign can at times feel long, though in reality it only runs for roughly ten hours. Whenever one element of the story does begin to feel tired, however, it's always quick to move in an entirely different direction.

The story works well to draw the player into the world of Shadowrun. The game is built in an already existing universe that extends through a series of novels, a tabletop RPG and two previous game adaptations. Despite the wealth of pre-existing material, I personally had little knowledge of the Shadowrun universe. With only a few hours of gameplay under my belt, though, I'm well acquainted with the rules and lore inherent to the series.

Character customisation is key in the world of Shadowrun. Do you want to be a decker, hacking computers for info and selling it to the highest bidder? Maybe a shaman is more your style, invoking the spirits of animals to help you on your quest. If those options are too restrictive you can always become a techno-wizard, using both spells and computer equipment with ease.

The character models aren't overly detailed, though they are by no means ugly. You'll easily be able to tell a human and an elf apart, even picking up an element of personality from their appearance. What really sells the game is the stunning environmental art. The backgrounds are lush with detail, evoking a grimy atmosphere very reminiscent of Blade Runner.

In terms of music Shadowrun Returns is unfortunately lacking. While the tracks help set the tone of the game, there are only two or three of them and any extended play will lead to an annoying repetitiveness. There are also some issues with the music chopping during loads, though hopefully this will soon be patched.

Shadowrun Returns also comes with an editor, allowing fans to build their own campaigns from the ground up. A small community has already developed around the game, with many additional homebrew campaigns available for download. This comes in handy because while the main campaign is compelling, its linear nature limits replayability.

As well as the aforementioned art and music, the game has a few problems with bugs. Despite all this, however, Shadowrun Returns has proven itself to be one of the more compelling games of 2013.

While it's unlikely I will return to the main campaign again, I look forward to watching the community additions expand and returning to the magical cyberpunk noir atmosphere of the Shadowrun universe.

4 out of 5.