I saw Samson (2018)...

The biblical story of Herbrew hero, Samson has always enthralled me. I like the various film versions it's inspired, with the 1949 Victor Mature/Hedy Lamarr adaptation being one of my favorite films--period.

I wanted to see the new, Pure Flix version in a theater, but the movie, directed by Gabriel Sabloff and Bruce Macdonald (who also co-produced), didn't visit my neighborhood. I had no choice but to wait patiently as the months rolled by, but in good faith and at long last, got to see the movie via home viewing. I'm happy to say, the wait paid off. 

I don't suppose I need rehash all elements of the tale, unless one is a millennial, and if so, there's a decent chance that some snooty authority figure may have condemned it for you, and you'd be inclined to dismiss it solely on that basis. (Pardon my generalization.) Anyway, it's suffice to say that the story is full of angst, sorrow, destiny and (need I dare declare it?) faith. It's also a tale of bold, larger-than-life mythology: a veritable, superhero story. Samson is Herculean in all respects, designed to defend the oppressed; he's also devoted to the good Lord from whom he receives his incredible strength, both on physical and spiritual levels. Sometimes he questions God's cause, but in the end, strides forth to achieve his titanic purpose. 

The screen writers, Jason Baumgardner; Galen Gilbert; Timothy Ratajczak; and Zach Smith, do a lovely job adapting the Book of Judges story to the screen. Sure, they take liberties here and there, like other adaptations have, but on the whole, they capture a respectable balance for the imposing task. 

The cast is superb, with brawny Taylor James in the lead, and the alluring Caitlin Leahy as the deceitful Delilah. To the film's heroic credit, genre favorites are also featured: Lindsay "the Bionic Woman" Wagner as Zealphonis and Rutger "Blade Runner" Hauer as Manoah (Samson's parents); as well as Billy "the Phantom" Zane as the worrisome King Balek. (Those three alone should make the movie worth seeing.) Supplementing the cast is Jackson "Twilight" Rathbone as Balek's slippery son, Rallah; Greg "Maize Runner" Kriek as Samson's brave brother, Caleb; and Frances Sholto-Douglas as the sad and tragic Taren.

A good cast can lend credibility to any production, but it's especially beneficial when the story includes an epic fight against adversity. How faith (a belief in God and oneself) can overcome a woman's trickery is this story's gist. (Okay, here's a skimpy synopsis of its later half: Samson loses his strength when his hair is cut; he's then blinded by the Philistines, enslaved, tortured...humiliated.) Delilah's desire for redemption after her betrayal augments the story's depth and intensity. James and Leahy make it work, expressing empathy, ferocity, passion and compassion throughout their performances. 

Cinematographers Trevor Michael Brown and Brian Shanley give the film a nice, warm glow. This "Samson" may not be the biggest in scope (it's a low-budgeted, independent feature, after all), but its ambiance still gives us the sprawling look we require. Will "God's Not Dead" Musser's strong score assists in this, helping one get lost in time, swept away by all aspects of the unfolding melodrama.

Mainstream critics have dismissed "Samson" as boring. I'm certain some formed their denouncements well in advance of seeing the film. Perhaps one needs an established respect for Samson to enjoy his story and its meaning. If one doesn't generally like this kind of fanciful narrative, then one won't like this film, anymore than one will like "Black Panther"; "Infinity War"; "Wonder Woman"; or "Justice League". You see, it's not always a matter of a film's budget, length or special effects that determine one's appreciation of it. Often it comes down to its message. 

In "Samson'"s case, we're talking about how high one's spirit can rise, no matter how bleak one's circumstances. Trust me: If one has little more than a mustard seed of faith, "Samson" will fulfill. 

HAPPY 60TH ANNIVERSARY HORROR OF DRACULA!!!

It was 60 years ago this day that Hammer Studio's "Dracula" opened in the U.S. under the title, "Horror of Dracula". 

Directed by the talented Terence Fisher and adapted by the innovative Jimmy Sangster, the film gave us the first appearances of Christopher Lee as the bloodthirsty Count and Peter Cushing as the resourceful Dr. Van Helsing. 

"Horror of Dracula" is considered one of the most respected versions of Bram Stoker's classic novel, as well as one of the most influential horror films ever made. If you haven't seen it, treat yourself  immediately; if you haven't watched it in a spell, you're shamefully overdue.  

SHIVACROWBLACK: DECLARATIONS OF DENIAL AND DESPAIR BY MANGABROS...

The innovative Mangabros--Craig Manga and his merry band of creative collaborators--deliver a daring and emotional concept album in the deep and enlightening form of SHIVACROWBLACK. 

The album's sounds are as raw and straight-from-the-heart as one might expect, but this time the bar has been raised much higher (or is it symbolically lower?), plunging one into feelings that are tender, desperate and explicitly strained. This is music of the Tom Waits vein, with shoveling notes and mean, rugged vocals sculpted for those who anticipate a monumental demise. 

The most grazing-on-the-soul selections are "Night Snow"; "Musical Chairs"; and "Nada Song": a trio that comes early in the concept flow, establishing the required omens and allowing them to move thereafter with the logical highs and lows. These particular entries reference an urge to apologize for one's lot in life, but reach beyond the associated self-sorrow, searching for solutions that are impossible to find. 

"The Blue Scrawl"; "Zapruderloop"; "Black Guitar"; and "Celebration of the Wounds" are irrepressible extensions of the established bleakness. 

"Sequel Ate My Guitar"; "The Last Ghost Story"; "Hexamoten Yellow Scorpion"; and "Microchip Junky's Godawful Poptunes" summon punkish denial, creating a gritty impulse to fight and debase one's dismal situation, though all in vain. One lands in the mud all the same, and no matter how hard one splashes about, there's no way to come clean. 

In thematic tune with the aforementioned clusters, there are interspersed selections that strive for a screen-gem romanticism of one's belittled state: a false assurance that everything is swell, that nothing (no matter the austerity) can crush one's precarious stride.  

This emotional perspective characterizes the excellent "Weissmuller", which starts with the actor's inimitable, Tarzan yell, before clamping a Bondian strut. All the while, nervousness permeates the track, indicating that sooner or later one will fall from the starry-eyed vine. 

"Malice in Kinderland"; "Dead Riff"; and "Bunny Girl" accompany this ambivalent sensation with a promising exit that concludes in further psychological constraint. As complements, "Fag Trucker"; "Drag Fucker"; "Tomboymilk"; and "Black Pop Caucasian Vampire Blues" are mortifying reminders of the dreaded duality at play. One may envision oneself the conquering hero, but that lofty label can never be attained. 

Through Shivacrowblack may sound melancholic, it reminds us that we're not alone when it comes to bad times. For most of us, sour grapes are but a nibble away, but empathetic music is their perfect antidote. After all, it's nice to know that others care, and through Mangabros, one can partake of that care and then store it away for some fateful, dark day.  

Your Shivacrowblack prescription is ready for pickup at ... https://mangabros.bandcamp.com/.

FYI: I also recommend Mangabros' radiating SLOWBURNBLUE, which stands as Shivacrowblack's atmospheric supplement, as well as a soundtrack to any worthy breakdown. It contains several Shivacrowblack tracks, matched with several, imaginative, bonus bridges: a searing compilation one's ears will eagerly digest. (I'm particularly fond of "The Actions of Electra Glide in Blue"; most Robert Blake fans will be, too.)  Slowburnblue can be accessed from the same source as Shivacrowblack.  Indeed, more medicinal music for when stuff gets rough...

RIP JOHN ALTAMURA...

For having portrayed NJ's beloved superhero, the Toxic Avenger in the franchise's Part II and III, you became the stuff of legend. 

You were no stranger to exploitation beyond Troma's dear Toxie, of course, highlighting such fun films as "Heaven Becomes Hell"; "The Marilyn Diaries"; "The Naked Detective"; "New York Nights"; "New York's Finest"; "The Opponent"; "Party Girls"; "Sensations"; "Young Nurses in Love"; and my personal favorite, "Bikini Bistro".

It takes a mighty big talent to pull off the offbeat and absurd, and you did it with great style and grace, Mr. Altamura. You'll be greatly missed by those who had the insight to appreciate your work. May you find peace and continued admiration for an eternity to come.

An Alternate Reality/Time Travel Time: I saw Batman Ninja...

Coming off the acclaimed heels of "Gotham by Gaslight" (see Feb '18), DC/WB presents another alternate-reality, "Elseworld" adventure, this one with a startling, time-travel strand.

The installment, directed by Junpei Mizusaki and scripted by Kazuki Nakashima, is "Batman Ninja" and depicts Bruce Wayne being sucked through time via Gorilla Grodd's teleporting Quake Engine. The Caped Crusader lands in (of all distant and exotic places) feudal Japan. Much to his surprise, he discovers that the Joker (make that, Lord Joker, Demon King) is also present, mounting a warped stronghold, enforced by clown-masked Samurai.

Along with Batman and Joker, we have time-displaced versions of Robin (both Damian Wayne and Timothy Drake); Red Hood (former Robin, Jason Todd); Nightwing (Dick Grayson, of course); Catwoman; Alfred Pennyworth; Harley Quinn; Deathstroke; Penguin; Poison Ivy; Two-Face and even a sumo-wrestling Bane! For the record, Grodd does make the power-hungry trip back, and why not? He's the tale's prime catalyst. 

As one might deduce, more than a few DC icons have stumbled through the simian's invention at various points, with the Joker having already gained a head start in altering the ancient realm. This includes a robotic Arkham Castle and weird, out-of-the-woodwork weaponry which mixes the best of old and new to fulfill one's quirkiest mashup and/or steampunk fetishes. (Some of the offbeat sequences play like spaghetti-western filler, adding further to the uncanny feel. This is nothing novel, however, since "Samurai Jack" initiated the same, dreamy technique nearly two decades prior.) 

Takashi "Afro Samurai" Okazaki designed the film's hybrid semblance, but it's still the Red Sun/manga flavor that dominates, even down to the modern, superfluous use of character names appearing whenever one makes an initial entrance. To boot, the film's color scheme, sometimes soft and willowy, works in wondrous contrast and unison with the martial-arts battles, of which there are many. (Even when the brawling becomes a feudal "Transformers" knockoff, a dignified, ballet-like quality pervades the outlandishness.)

Though the displaced, Gotham-character inclusion is the film's novelty, it might also be a perceived as a set-back to some judgmental viewers: opposing Caucasian icons influencing Japanese design, presented in a cinematic age where political correctness has arguably gone awry. (The same predicament could be aimed at "The Great Wall", but its lowly U.S. performance kept any chance of controversy well under wraps.) Anyway, with Batman more popular than ever, it wouldn't be surprising if critical disdain accompanied the film's high-profile release (and Lord knows there are always SJWs in wait to degrade any superhero outing). Then again, has criticism of any sort ever stopped the Dark Knight from thriving?

No matter what its possible opponents might say, Mizusaki, Nakashima and Okazaki's collaboration is unlike any Batman adventure to date, whether on film or printed page. Yes, it may utilize various Batman/comic-book cliches here and there, but the overall package is unique and therefore groundbreaking. 

With "Batman Ninja" and "Gotham by Gaslight" now official parts of the home-viewing sector, the odds further favor more DC/WB alternate-reality experimentation. Few could dispute that the companies' animated niche is unmatched in its exciting scope, rivaling anything that their current, cinematic and television counterparts offer. If one has any doubts, just give "Batman Ninja" a try. If this one doesn't make one a believer, nothing will. 

Collectible Time/Collection Recommendation: Funko Pop! Bright Figure Set

A friend paid me a visit yesterday to share a swell Funko Pop! set that she got for her birthday. These particular 3.75", vinyl figures are based on Netflix's "Bright".  I was so pleased by them that I, too, decided to share...

For those unaware, "Bright" joined the Netflix streaming queue last year (see Dec '17). In general, professional critics (those who see movies for free and are paid for their accolades) pounded it. However, Netflix subscribers (those who pay to watch material and then supply their honest views) found much to favor and savor in David Ayer/Max Landis' police-based story, where Tolkien trimmings influence an alternate-reality, modern-day America. That Funko Pop! produced "Bright" figures so soon after the film's release speaks volumes. 

The set includes two versions of Will Smith's Daryl Ward (one holding a rifle; the other a limited-edition with wand), which complement Joel Edgerton's Nick Jakoby; Noomi Rapace's Leilah; and Lucy Fry's Tikka. 

While the Ward figures are basic caricatures of Smith, his companions feature fanciful, non-human details: Jakoby in blue, gray and yellow Orc hues; and Leilah and Tikka in placid, Elf tones, but with costume and eyebrow designs to clarify their dispositions.

These wee figures are so neat that I wonder if other companies might be inspired to produce their own versions of "Bright'"s characters. 

There's no debate that "Bright" has made its shining mark on pop culture. Now, let's get that sequel rollin' and a batch of Pop! figures to accompany it.

BEARSUIT RECORDS PRESENTS: FEAR OF THE HORIZON BY BUNNY AND THE INVALID SINGERS!!!

I've tasted a retro treat, which isn't retro at all, since it's spankin' new. Its content, however, invokes the past, at least to my old ears. It's cool, clever and hip, but even more so, dangerous, tempting and weird.

It's a Bearsuit Records release, created by Bunny and the Invalid Singers, in the form of an album entitled Fear of the Horizon.  

Fear's selections are entrancing (with seraphic vocals and meddling moves), striking the most adventurous and forbidden of tuneful tones. I'm talkin' an insinuated, iconic mix of Ron Grainer (the Prisoner/Number 6); Laurie Johnson (Peel and Steed); Hugo Montenegro (Solo and Kuryakin): in other words, televised, reinterpreted Bond for the ardent masses, achin' for some derring-do wonderment, yet oh-so-cautious of what lies beyond Bond. 

"Eamon the Destroyer" kicks off the album, and in an audacious nutshell, sets the pace, spreading images of roving, pale balloons on an idyllic island of doom, where an edgy Patrick McGoohan waves and quips, "Be seeing you." 

The same sardonic quality springs from this track's exhilarating companions. "Woman with the Plastic Hand" implies super-charged eroticism, compromised by elastic deceit (a svelte android or cyborg sizing one up for defeat). The same sinister sensation seeps from "The Teeth Stay in Leith" and "Vandal Schooling", where even one's focused, suave stance falls victim to steel-probing, cerebral control. Then again, perhaps such is simply a covert consequence of that "Positive Approach of Talkative Ron": one of the catchiest compositions ever to rear its surreptitious head. 

The other entries stand as haunting interludes, woven with notes plucked from horror-movie anthologies: splenetic, moral warnings that one should embrace, but no matter how careful one plays it, ample booby traps await.

For example, the prepossessing yet foreboding title track tells us that overconfidence is the overseeing enemy here. Its distinctive stream ultimately grazes (and protrudes far higher) in "Cast Adrift", which becomes a strenuous, false escape. This is matched by the warbled currents of "The Horizon Project" and its tinkling sequel, "There's a Thousand Things", which may attract, but still leave one petrified and enclosed in their wake.

At journey's end, there's only hospitable ambivalence, captured in the rewarding "Invisible and Divided Sea": a nostalgic, thematic carryover for those special enough to be in the know. The entry conveys what's done is done, but hey, my Bondian blokes, you've at least survived to live, die and fear another day.

FYI: Bunny is Edinburgh's dear Dave Hillary, once a member of Idiot Half Brother; Haq; Whizz Kid; and Annie & the Station Orchestra. Bunny unleashed a prior album in '15.  In '11, "Fall Apart in My Backyard" came courtesy of what was then known as Bunny and the Electric Horsemen. (Both entries grace the Bearsuit label.)

I highly endorse Fear of the Horizon. It's the perfect, audio pill for the right, dissident disposition. (Fear of the Horizon can be purchased through Amazon; i-Tunes; and Spotify.)