Author: Dr. K

Movie Night: Frankenstein (1931)

Dr. K5 Comments

Released: 21 November 1931
Director: James Whale
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Budget: $262,007
Stars: Colin Clive, Boris Karloff/?, Mae Clarke, Dwight Frye, and Edward Van Sloan

The Plot:
Obsessed with playing God, eccentric scientist Henry Frankenstein (Clive) cobbles together a monstrous being (Karloff/?) whose child-like nature sees it embark on a rampage.

The Background:
“I busied myself to think of a story […] One which would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature, and awaken thrilling horror…” And so it was that Mary Shelley, while effectively snowed in in Geneva, thought up the concept for Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus at just eighteen years old. First published anonymously in 1818, what began as a ghost story that attracted much controversy due to Shelley’s gender and its blasphemous content, evolved into a celebrated piece of literary fiction whose scientific, gothic, and religious themes have been discussed endlessly for over two hundred years. Frankenstein was first adapted into a short silent film in 1910 but saw considerable success on the British stage, courtesy of Peggy Webling, despite numerous changes to the source material. Following their surprising success with Dracula (Browning, 1931), Universal Studios gave producer Carl Laemmle Jr. the go-ahead to produce more horror movies, with them acquiring the rights to the Frankenstein stage play. Though Laemmle Jr. initially planned to play the Monster, Dracula star Bela Lugosi was approached for the role but (in)famously turned it down as the initial script had stripped the creature of all nuance and humanity. Instead, the Monster was famously embodied by Boris Karloff, who endured long, painful hours in make-up to bring the creature to (un)life with a look that was noticeably removed from the book. Though subjected to rigorous censorship demands, Frankenstein was a remarkable box office hit at the time thanks, in part, to clever marketing. Despite its many differences from the book, Frankenstein was widely praised for Karloff’s captivating performance and as one of the best films of its year. The film stood the test of time as a horror classic, popularising this interpretation of the Monster for generations and leading to numerous sequels and reinterpretations of the text.

The Review:
Surprisingly, I do have some experience with Shelley’s Frankenstein, having studied it at secondary school and during my undergraduate years, if only briefly. Although I’ve read and written about the text before, it has been a while since I revisited the book and most of my experiences come from the movies, as with all the Universal Monsters characters. Still, I remember enough to know that Frankenstein is a very loose adaptation, missing many details and supplanting them with others, though some of the missing material was utilised in the sequel, Bride of Frankenstein (Whale, 1935), so literary purists may have a better time watching both back-to-back. The first and most obvious change is that Frankenstein is named “Henry” here, with his title given to his cantankerous father, Baron Frankenstein (Frederick Kerr) and his original first name given to his friend, Victor Moritz (John Boles), who’s essentially an adaptation of the book’s Henry Clerval. Frankenstein also has a simple-minded, hunchbacked assistant in the movie (named Fritz (Frye) rather than the more mainstream “Igor”) rather than working alone, the Monster is deathly afraid of fire and never speaks, and many events are shuffled around. This is largely because, like Dracula, Frankenstein is based more on the stage play than the text, but it does mean the movie hits differently and explores alternate, if tangentially similar, themes regarding science, playing God, and the nature of man. The very fact that Frankenstein deals with such issues, no doubt shocking to a God-fearing world, potentially explains why the film opens with star Edward Van Sloan warning audiences to turn away if they’re shocked by such content. Indeed, the horror of Frankenstein, at the time, was just as much about a man playing God as it was the titular (or not so titular) Monster, since the idea that anyone but God can create life would’ve been deeply blasphemous and the fear of the unknown (in this case, science) would’ve made the subject matter particularly upsetting, I’m sure.

Despite warnings from his friends and loves ones, Frankenstein creates monstrous life with science.

Anyway, in Frankenstein, Henry comes from a wealthy family with a great deal of influence on a small village in the Bavarian Alps. While the curmudgeonly Baron Frankenstein despairs of his son’s bizarre experiments and decision to isolate himself in an ominous stone tower laboratory with Fritz, Henry’s correspondence to his fiancée, Elizabeth Lavenza (Clarke), tells of his need for privacy and solitude. This is primarily because he and Fritz are sneaking out at night and digging up bodies, selecting organs and body parts for a patchwork man Henry aims to bring to life through the awesome power of electricity. While they scavenge everything they need for the body, Henry’s frustrated that the recently deceased can’t provide a viable brain, so he has Fritz steal a preserved brain from his old mentor, Doctor Waldman (Van Sloan), not realising that it’s a “criminal brain” seemingly hardwired for evil (that’s also further damaged by the clumsy Fritz). Concerned for her love’s welfare, Elizabeth politely shrugs off Victor’s advances and convinces him to ask Dr. Waldman for advice, with the three braving a horrific thunderstorm to visit Henry. Though frustrated by their interference, Henry invites them to witness his crowning achievement when Victor (fully aware of his intentions) accuses him of being mad. While Henry denies this claim, it’s obvious that he is a little bonkers, as seen in his exuberant and iconic cry of “It’s alive!!”, his claims to “be God”, and his initial denial regarding his creation once it comes to life. Ecstatic to have brought the creature to life, Henry insists that the childlike being needs time to adjust rather than rejecting it on first sight as in the novel. This is despite the protests of Dr. Waldman, who correctly warns that the “Monster” is an abomination to God and a threat to all due to its capacity for evil and its unpredictable nature.

Thanks to its unnatural origin, Frankenstein’s Monster is confused and quick to wild emotions.

Despite his efforts to teach the Monster, Frankenstein is forced to agree when the creature flies into a rage at the sight of fire and acts like a wild animal while chained in the basement, murdering Fritz, attacking Dr. Waldman, and almost throttling Henry before Dr. Waldman subdues it with what’s supposed to be a lethal injection. During Henry’s recuperation, his madness lifts and he returns to a normal life, finally marrying Elizabeth (to the joy of his father and the village). Ever the curious scientist, Dr. Waldman leads the vivisection on the Monster, becoming its second victim when it reanimates and strangles him to death. Though initially oblivious to the threat, Henry (and the entire village) are alerted of a wicked murderer after learning that local girl Maria (Marilyn Harris) has been drowned, Dr. Waldman killed, and after Elizabeth is attacked. Much of this is similar to the book, such as the Monster stumbling across a little girl, murdering a child, and going on a bit of a killing spree, but it’s framed as the actions of a confused and misunderstood creature rather than acts of wickedness. While the film goes to great lengths to assert that Frankenstein’s experiments are immoral and inhuman, the tone is awkwardly balanced between Henry’s madness, the darker sequences, and some strange comedic moments. These largely involve the blustering Baron Frankenstein, who’s convinced his son’s having an affair, demands that he forget his experiments, and constantly rambles about his grandmother’s wine. The Baron has no patience for Burgomaster Herr Vogel (Lionel Belmore) or the expectant masses…until Henry snaps out of his obsession and returns to the real world, and then the Baron’s all smiles and jokes. Elizabeth is the quintessential supporting fiancée, deeply devoted to Henry despite him isolating himself and Victor being right there, and far more suitable. Victor is basically a blank slate, shouting accusations at Frankenstein and offering little else, and honestly his role could’ve easily been merged into Dr. Waldman’s to speed things up.

Madness and science birth a confused and potentially dangerous abomination.

As ever, “Frankenstein” is both the Monster and the creator as Henry brings the wretch to life and is the subject of the film but does so through abhorrent acts like grave robbing and stealing. The Monster is seemingly a mishmash of different parts and pieces, with no true personality of its own, but it does retain rudimentary memories. These initially encourage Frankenstein as the Monster’s capable of stumbling about and obeying basic instructions, but his enthusiasm quickly dies when he sees how savage the Monster becomes when confronted by fire. The Monster’s rage is only fuelled when Fritz beats it and Henry gives up on it, reluctantly agreeing to kill the creature only to find Fritz strung up. Depicted as simple-minded but incredibly strong, the Monster easily overpowers two or three men at once and gleefully throttles Dr. Waldman, perhaps out of sheer muscle memory from its “criminal brain” or perhaps because it recognises the threat those around him pose to its existence. Indeed, when the Monster stumbles upon Maria, it sits and plays, laughing and seemingly content. However, it misunderstands the girl’s game of tossing flowers into the river and chucks her in for a laugh, drowning her despite her landing in the shallow end and unintentionally whipping the villagers into a lynch mob. It’s not clear why the Monster pays a visit to Elizabeth, especially as it seemed to be wandering at random, but she’s horrified by its grotesque appearance, and it attacks her when she tries to flee. Luckily for her, it leaves her alive, which only motivates Frankenstein to join the mob. Although the Monster looks nothing like Shelley’s descriptions, its design is certainly iconic and striking. A tall, lurching, shambling wretch with its eyes largely rolled back, two bolts in its neck, and misshapen skin, the Monster is an unnatural man-thing that mocks the beauty of natural life. Yet, interestingly, Henry isn’t immediately disgusted by it and the Monster is shown only to be confused and scared, lashing out accordingly and in need of guidance rather than persecution.

The Nitty-Gritty:
Frankenstein was certainly ambitious for the time. Boris Karloff’s make-up looks both impressive and extremely uncomfortable, with the actor perfectly stomping about and making stiff, jerky movements to show the creature is unnatural and undead. Although the film lacks a score to emphasis dramatic moments, there’s some great use of sound during the thunderstorm, which delivers the film’s most impressive moment. Sure, it’s weird that Henry’s visitors aren’t drenched when they enter the laboratory and his whole setup takes a lot of liberties with the source material, but Frankenstein’s laboratory is the quintessential “mad scientist” setup and a wonderful way to show the awesome and seemingly unknowable power of nature (in this case, lightning). Baron Frankenstein’s residence also impressed in its opulence, and I liked that Frankenstein incorporated many different locations, though some sets were a bit too obvious (which is to be expected). The film utilised a decent miniature to depict the windmill and its destruction and I was impressed by how often flaming torches appeared onscreen, and how fast and loose everyone played with getting up close to them! While the Monster’s jerky movements made his “fight scenes” a joke, I did like seeing these normal guys and scientists struggling to subdue the savage Monster, who easily overpowered them and left a decent body count in its wake. It’s a shame that we don’t get to see the Monster learning to speak or being more than a near-mindless creature, but the intention seems to be to emphasise that Henry came so close to playing God but screwed it up because man isn’t meant to meddle in such things. It’s always amused me as it surely would’ve been easier for Frankenstein to reanimate a fresh body than to stitch together a grotesque behemoth, and he arguably pays the price for that approach since the Monster is as much a victim of its disparate pieces as it is the situation it finds itself in.

A dramatic showdown between man and creation ends this startling loose adaptation.

Upon discovering Maria’s dirty, drowned body, her shellshocked father (Michael Mark) carries her through the village and to the Burgomaster to warn of a murderer and immediately incites a lynch mob. The seething masses are only further incited when Dr. Waldman is found dead and Elizabeth is attacked, for the village holds the Frankensteins in high regard and is outraged at such an act. Frankenstein joins the search, which is split between different areas of the village and the surrounding grounds, with Henry venturing into the jagged mountains alongside rabid dogs and villagers wielding flaming torches. Unaware that his Monster is to blame for the deaths (since Henry believes the creature perished from Dr. Waldman’s serum), Henry is stunned when the Monster attacks him in the wastelands. The scuffle is brief and one-sided, with Frankenstein easily bested and hauled to a nearby dilapidated windmill with the mob in hot pursuit. Desperate to escape to the high ground, the Monster tangles with Frankenstein when he wakes, with Henry proving no match for his creation and being tossed from top floor. Luckily for him, the slow-moving windmill blades break his fall, leaving Frankenstein a gravely injured (but inconceivably alive) wreck on the ground. While some villagers carry Henry home, the others set the windmill on fire, sending the trapped Monster into a frenzy and seemingly causing its destruction when it’s consumed by the fire. In the aftermath, Frankenstein recovers at home alongside Elizabeth and his father celebrates with another shot of the family wine, toasting his family house and blissfully unaware that the rampage was caused by another “son of the house of Frankenstein”. It’s obviously a very different ending from the book, with the entire sub-plot and bookend of Captain Robert Walton dropped, Elizabeth and Henry surviving the events, and the omission of the Monster’s bride and vengeance upon Frankenstein’s family. Still, the Monster does seemingly perish in a fire like in the book and I don’t expect filmmakers from 1931 to try and bring the Arctic to life.

The Summary:
Since the stage play that Frankenstein is more directly adapted from has essentially been lost to the mists of time, it can be difficult to reconcile how loose an adaptation the film is from the source material. The film omits and changes many elements from the book, distilling the key events and themes to a feature-film length and losing much of the complex charm and horror of Shelley’s book. Yet, these elements are still present and, even in this modern day, there’s still a chilling message about man’s arrogance in using science to play God. While Henry Frankenstein insists that he’s the model of sanity, he is out in the dead of night digging up corpses, isolating himself from friends and family, and practically frothing at the mouth when his Monster comes to life. Though he lacks much of the nuance of the source material, Frankenstein is depicted as an egotistical and obsessed scientist who claws back some sympathy after initially appearing somewhat unlikeable, ultimately paying for his arrogance not with his life, but with a traumatic experience. Frankenstein’s lasting legacy is, without a doubt, the design and portrayal of the Monster. Boris Karloff gives a remarkable physical performance, lumbering about, throwing clubbing blows, and growling at his prey as the Monster struggles to adapt to its newfound unlife. The visual of the Monster, with its cuboid head, large suit, and metal bolts, is enduring and iconic and is so burned into the cultural consciousness that I’d wager most people don’t realise that the Monster looks nothing like that in the book. Frankenstein also impresses in its ambition, featuring many different locations and sets, some superb set design, and a surprisingly high body count (including a child, no less!) The film distils the book’s warnings about meddling in the unknown into a far more simplistic message about reaping what you sow, but it’s still a decent watch, despite some unavoidable flaws, that no doubt galvanised this version of Frankenstein’s Monster into the cultural zeitgeist.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

Are you a fan of Frankenstein’s big-screen debut? What did you think to the changes to the source material and which parts did you miss the most? Did you also find Baron Frankenstein a bizarre character? What did you think to Boris Karloff’s performance and the dramatic redesign of the Monster? Where do you stand on who should or shouldn’t be called “Frankenstein”? Which adaptation of Frankenstein, or Universal Monsters movie, is your favourite? How are you celebrating Halloween this year? Share your opinions on Frankenstein in the comments, check out my other horror reviews, and donate to my Ko-Fi if you want to see more Frankenstein content.

Back Issues: The Tomb of Dracula #1

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Story Title: “Dracula”
Published: 16 November 1971 (cover dated: April 1972)
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Gene Colan

The Background:
Inspired by famous butchers like Vlad II/Vlad Dracula/Vlad the Impaler, Count Dracula first appeared all the way back in 1897 courtesy of author Bram Stoker’s classic Gothic novel, which became the great-great-grandfather of what we now know as the vampire mythology. An instant classic, Dracula was adapted many times over the years as plays, movies, videogames, and even comic books. Indeed, when publishers like Marvel Comics were finally allowed to print stories involving vampires and other supernatural creatures, writers like Gerry Conway and artist gene Colon selected the infamous Count to spearhead the Tomb of Dracula series. Heavily inspired by classic Hammer Horror films, The Tomb of Dracula saw numerous writers and artists come and go as it struggled to find its identity and is perhaps best known for introducing Eric Brooks/Blade to Marvel readers. Still, Dracula went on to clash with many Marvel heroes, especially those who were involved with the supernatural. Dracula worked alongside the Avengers to fend off the Dread Dormammu, spawned a Nazi vampire, established a vampire colony on the Moon, and even matched wits with various cosmic beings. Perhaps surprisingly, Dracula also appeared in many Marvel cartoons but was most infamously brought to life by Dominic Purcell in the much-maligned Blade: Trinity (Goyer, 2004).

The Review:
Marvel’s version of the enigmatic Count was first introduced, fittingly enough, against the backdrop of a storm swept Transylvania, where Count Dracula’s mighty, gothic castle stands ominously on a hilltop. Despite the torrential weather and poor visibility, Frank Drake and his girlfriend, Jeanie Ovington, brave the storm alongside Clifton Graves, Frank’s cantankerous long-time friend who chastises Drake’s decision to fly from London just to sell the castle, which he recently inherited. While the three lament their misfortunes, hopelessly lost, residents of the nearby village discuss Frank’s impending arrival. While Fritz Burgeister predicts only sorrow will come from continuing to mess with the long-abandoned castle, a local barmaid hopes that Frank will bring some much-needed tourism and revenue to their sleepy Romani town. Just then, the three stumble into the Baron’s Inn seeking transportation to Castle Dracula from Fritz. However, Fritz refuses to take them to the castle and is adamant that none of the townsfolk would volunteer to replace him. While Clifton scoffs that the locals believe the wild tales spun by Bram Stoker, one of the patrons, Otto, volunteers to take them…for a small fee. Naturally, this is by horse and carriage and, on the way, Otto shares tales of how Dracula’s legend is debatable for, while such a man possibly existed, none can be sure if he were actually a vampire as Stoker claimed. Regardless, fear of the Count and his kin drives many of the locals to bar their windows, leave wolf’s-bane at their doors, and wear crucifixes to ward off any evil spirits. While Otto claims to be an exception in this regard, he’s no fool and refuses to take them right to the castle door, forcing the three to walk the rest of the way and costing Clifton his last ten bucks for the pleasure.

Broke Frank Drake is forced to visit his alluring, Gothic ancestral home to recoup his losses.

While Frank’s distracted by the grandeur of Castle Dracula, Clifton tries to put the moves on Jeanie. However, while they used to be a thing, she ended it months ago and is sick of his refusal to accept that she’s moved on. Frank, however, is lost in memories of how he stupidly blew his father’s fortune, how Jeanie stuck by him despite his money woes, and him being refused financial aid from banks and friends alike. While sharing his woes with Clifton, Frank mentions how all he has left is an old castle, one passed down through his family line and which his family has struggled to sell. This is where we learn that Frank is a descendant of Dracula’s and that it was actually Clifton’s idea to capitalise on his lineage by turning the castle into a tourist attraction. While reading through a family journal (strongly implied to be Stoker’s novel, reinterpreted as a historical document), Frank felt the stirring of “some ancestral memory” and was captivated by the descriptions of Dracula. The book also told of his ancestor’s shame and fear of being associated with the Count and of how Abraham van Helsing (referred to as “van Helfing”) seemingly destroyed the vampire lord by driving a wooden stake through his heart. Haunted by the text, Frank nevertheless agreed to head to Transylvania with Clifton and Jeanie in hopes of turning the castle into a museum though, as he stands in the shadow of the gothic structure, Frank can’t help but be unnerved by the strange feelings of home and destiny exuded by the dark building. As they tour the interior, Frank’s odd behaviour worries Jeanie, who’s startled when a cloud of bats suddenly swarms them. Although Frank fends them off, Jeanie’s left traumatised and wanting to leave, noting that Frank’s changed and is no longer the sweet man who gifted her a silver compact mirror.

The enigmatic count mesmerises Jeanie, corrupting her despite Frank’s best efforts.

Determined to force Jeanie back into his arms and screw his friend over, Clifton takes off and ends up tumbling into a dungeon. There, he discovers a narrow stone stairway leading to an ancient tomb, where Dracula’s coffin rests. Seeing only dollar signs, Clifton draws a gun and arrogantly opens the crypt, discovering the skeletal corpse of Dracula, stake and all, lying within. Excited, Clifton removes the stake and sets out to kill Frank so he can reap all the rewards, unaware that this act causes Dracula to reconstitute and rise again! Weary and famished from his long slumber, the eloquent Count pounces upon Clifton, shrugging off his gun shot and tossing him into a deeper dungeon for safekeeping. Entranced by the sound of others, especially a woman, Dracula heads to the upper floors in his bat form, frightening Jeanie and then horrifying both her and Frank when he reveals his true self. Thanks to his silver tongue and hypnotic eyes, Dracula easily sways Jeanie to leave Frank’s side, so he knocks her out with a right hook to keep her safe (!) and sends Dracula fleeing by flashing her silver compact. As Frank rushes Jeanie upstairs (since she’s somehow “close to dying!”), Dracula flies to the village and feeds upon the barmaid, turning the locals into an angry mob when they rightly assume that Frank and the others disturbed the legendary vampire. Returning to his castle, Dracula spies on the unconscious Jeanie and, though tempted by her purity and innocence, is again denied another meal by the glittering crucifix around her neck. Frank takes credit for this and confronts his ancestor, warding the vampire off with the compact’s mirror, enraging Dracula and casing him to strike his cousin, knocking him out. Although Dracula compels Jeanie to remove her crucifix, the angry mob sets the castle alight and Frank recovers in time to flash the compact once more, forcing Dracula to flee. Unfortunately, Frank was too late to stop Jeanie being bitten and she awakens as a vampire, mocking his grief and fleeing into the misty night.

The Summary:
This had a bit of potential, but didn’t fully deliver on its premise. I quite like the idea that Dracula is treated as folklore, a retelling of factual events whose veracity is disputed. For the Transylvanian locals, Castle Dracula is all-too real and the fear of the vampire lord within is strong enough to stir up superstitions and debate between them. While none of them dispute that Dracula did exist, some aren’t convinced he was a vampire and yet many take precautions nevertheless because…why tempt fate? Fritz takes these concerns very seriously, presumptuously speaking for his fellow villagers and claiming that no one will help Frank and the others. This isn’t quite true as Otto’s assistance can be bought, though even he’ll only go so far despite boasting of his disbelief of such superstitious nonsense. Whether they believe it or not, Castle Dracula stands as an ominous monument. Its very presence evokes fear and it’s become a symbol of all their superstitions, though ironically may hold the key to bring some much-needed revenue to the struggling villagers as it could lure in tourists. The ill-fated barmaid is almost as excited by this prospect as the opportunistic Clifton, who maliciously manipulates Frank into buying into his family’s account of the Count and profiting off his inheritance, with no understanding of what truly lurks within Castle Dracula. He’s perfectly happy to use his friend, openly complaining and criticising him and gaslighting Frank into believing the troubles they’ve suffered from the trip are his fault, all with the aim of profiting both financial and by regaining Jeanie’s affections. While she has no time for Clifton (and even Frank quickly loses patience), Clifton refuses to take no for an answer and is even prepared to off Frank just so that he can weasel his way back into Jeanie’s bed, a selfish ambition that blinds him and makes him easy prey for the rejuvenated vampire lord.

Despite his visual appeal, Dracula is strangely weak and fails to match his filmic counterparts.

Yes, Dracula is very real here. Clearly modelled after Christopher Lee’s iconic portrayal from Dracula: Prince of Darkness (Fisher, 1966), the Count is a tall, alluring figure with hypnotic eyes and even more hypnotic voice. A gothic figure of ancient legend, he’s ripped straight from Bram Stoker’s novel and sports many of the same tropes and weaknesses. He can transform into a bat, mesmerise his prey, feeds on their blood, and is warded off by wolf’s-bane, silver, crucifixes, and mirrors. The Drake journal reveals that their bloodline largely distanced themselves from Dracula out of fear and tells how an old vampire hunter finally slayed the creature, revealing that Dracula can be killed with a wooden stake (though this doesn’t come into play, except to revitalise the fiend). Immune to Clifton’s bullets, Dracula’s scared off by Jeanie’s convenient silver combat mirror and heads into town to feed, though seems displeased by the barmaid’s blood and desires purer, sweeter blood. Thus, he targets Jeanie, a caring spouse who worries about Frank’s distracted state and fends off Clifton’s advances, though she crumbles like paper whenever bats appear, much less Dracula. Dracula seems a bit weak here, which is understandable since he just woke up, but it’s weird that his strike didn’t kill Frank. The story’s also incomprehensible at times; Frank seems to think Jeanie’s in danger of dying after simply passing out and she gets bitten between panels, which wasn’t very clear. In the end, this was an alright story with some unique visuals. I like the gothic depiction of Castle Dracula and the torrential rain, and Dracula’s very Lee-esque appearance and unique, haunting way of talking. However, it was quite a repetitive story (Frank relied on that silver compact way too much) that didn’t fully deliver on all its plot threads (Clifton being a prime example). I can only hope that future issues of The Tomb of Dracula characterised the titular Count as less of a weakling as this wasn’t a great showing for him here, even if he did get the last laugh by turning Jeanie.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

What did you think to Count Dracula’s debut story? Were you disappointed by how weak he was depicted? What did you think to Frank Drake and the depiction of Dracula’s legend? Did you ever read The Tomb of Dracula books and, if so, did you enjoy them? What are some of your favourite Dracula moments from Marvel Comics? Have you ever read Stoker’s novel, and what are some of your favourite vampire stories? No matter what you think, good or bad, feel free to share your thoughts below, show me some love on Ko-Fi, and check out my other Dracula content.

Back Issues: Hellboy #1-4

Dr. K5 Comments

Story Title: “Seed of Destruction” (Part One to Four)
Published: March 1994 to June 1994
Writers: Mike Mignola and John Byrne
Artist: Mike Mignola

The Background:
Born in Berkeley, California, artist and comic creator Mike Mignola grew up with a fascination of monsters and a love of gothic, Victorian fiction. Mignola started his career as a comic book artist working for The Comic Reader before bringing his trademark dark, moody art style to mainstream publications DC and Marvel Comics. After years of working for hire, Mignola teamed with legendary writer and artist John Byrne for his first creator-owned comic book, Hellboy. Hellboy’s visual appearance evolved over Mignola’s career, beginning as a drawing for the 1991 Great Salt Lake Comic Convention booklet before eventually becoming the “World’s Greatest” gruff and witty paranormal investigator. Hellboy’s adventures began with these four distinctively Lovecraftian, widely successful issues and expanded into a wealth of further comics, spin-offs, and crossovers thanks to Mignola’s unique blend of folklore, horror, and pulp adventure. Hellboy has also seen not inconsiderable success beyond the comic books, featured in a handful of largely mediocre videogames, some well-regarded animated ventures, and some amazingly detailed action figures. Hellboy also made a splash on the big screen, especially in Ron Perlman’s peerless portrayal of the character in Guillermo del Toro’s cult favourite films. While Hellboy’s subsequent silver screen ventures was somewhat divisive, he remains one of the most enduring and visually iconic cult comic characters whose adventures have seen him effortlessly jump between multiple genres.

The Review:
Hellboy’s story begins in 1944 at the tail end of World War Two where a special squad of Army commandos, representatives from the British Paranormal Society, and costumed adventurer Paul Gibney/The Torch of Liberty gather in a remote village in East Bromwich to tackle a lingering Nazi threat known as “Project Ragna Rok”. While First Sergeant George Whitman is sceptical, Professor Malcolm Frost, “paranormal Wiz Kid” Trevor Bruttenholm/Broom, and medium Lady Cynthia Eden-Jones believe that Adolf Hitler’s “spook squad” are experimenting with black magic to raise the dead. Thanks to Broom’s meticulous research and Cynthia’s clairvoyance, the squad learns that maniacal mage Grigori Rasputin is performing a dark ritual powered by a mystical incantation and bizarre equipment, including two hefty gauntlets worn by Rasputin. Although Klaus Werner von Krupt is unimpressed by Rasputin’s light show, Broom and the others are surprised by a sudden burst of supernatural fire and the appearance of a child-like demon. Despite Professor Frost wishing to kill the creature, Broom accidentally names it “Hellboy” and the demon is adopted by the regiment, spending the next thirty-five years being raised by Broom, whom he sees as a surrogate father. Thus, Hellboy is pained to see his mentor aged and struggling with his memory of the “Cavendish expedition”. Thanks to Hellboy’s encouragement, Broom recalls that he accompanied the renowned Cavendish explorers to the ruins of an ancient temple. There, flanked by a statue of the monstrous, cephalopod-like Sadu-Hem, Broom discovered Rasputin in deep hibernation. Barely escaping from or remembering the carnage that followed, Broom summoned Hellboy for aid, only for his adopted son to watch in horror as a plague of frogs herald the arrival of a vicious frog-like monster, which kills Broom and attacks the enraged Hellboy.

When his father is murdered, Hellboy investigates a cursed family and uncovers an apocalyptic threat.

At a disadvantage in the dark, Hellboy is disarmed and wounded by the creature’s caustic tongue, so Hellboy gives the frog-thing a taste of his mysterious, stone-like right hand and sends it crashing into a sarcophagus. When the creature tries to flee, Hellboy puts it down with a single shot from his pistol, stunned when the monster disintegrates. Concerned, Hellboy calls the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD), receiving condolences from Doctor Thomas “Tom” Manning and ordered to assemble a team to investigate. Hellboy recruits pyrokinetic Elizabeth “Liz” Sherman and fish-man Doctor Abraham “Abe” Sapien to accompany him to the decrepit Cavendish Hall to question Lady Emma Cavendish about her sons. Welcoming their direct questions, Lady Cavendish relates that her family were keen explorers for nine generations and that their fortune was built by Elihu Cavendish, who cursed his bloodline seeking the temple Broom found in the mountains. While she offers them sanctuary, the trip seems to be a dead end and the group are unaware that Rasputin is manipulating Lady Cavendish from the shadows, promising to return her sons for her co-operation. While the group rests, Hellboy’s inner monologue provides some background on Liz and Abe, revealing that Liz accidentally killed her family and several others before mastering her pyrokinesis with the BRPD and Abe was discovered in an abandoned basement of Saint Trinian’s Hospital on the day President Abraham Lincoln died. After Abe and Hellboy ponder Lady Cavendish’s butler, who seems familiar to them, Abe takes to the water to scout around and is horrified when Liz mentions frogs being in her room. Rushing to her aid, Hellboy finds only a smouldering cigarette and the aforementioned butler, who turns out to be a frogman in disguise! While Hellboy fights and ultimately defeats the creature, Abe discovers only “old death” beneath the flooded mansion and Hellboy is distraught to find Lady Cavendish has been killed in the same manner as his father.

Overpowered, Hellboy’s forced to endure Rasputin’s many monologues and rabid boasts.

While mourning the old lady, Hellboy is approached by the enigmatic Rasputin, who takes credit for bringing him into the world and demands he kneel in his presence. When Hellboy naturally declines, he’s suddenly ensnared by a gigantic tentacle and dragged into the darkness to fulfil what Rasputin calls his “destiny”. Hellboy is deposited in a dark, cavernous pool beneath the house, which Rasputin declares is rich with the screams of those sacrificed to the “Serpent”. For eight centuries, mortal men sought to free the unknowable “Seven Beasts”, the Ogdru Jahad, who whispered to Rasputin (through his dreams) the means to release them. Though Rasputin claims to be able to command Hellboy, the demon blasts him in the head with his pistol, only to be sent reeling from an incantation by the seemingly immortal wizard. Stunned, realising the talismans he’s collected over the years have been neutralised, Hellboy opts to stall Rasputin until he can think of a solution. This leads to another long monologue about how Rasputin has constantly evaded death thanks to the Ogdru Jahad, who wish him to cause the apocalypse. Hellboy is then attacked by another, even bigger frogman, one of the Cavendish twins hideously transformed by black magic, and is hopelessly manhandled. While Abe follows the trail left by the other frogmen, the battered Hellboy learns of Rasputin’s travels to Europe, how he researched Ragna Rok and allied with the Nazis to gain the resources to enact the Ogdru Jahad’s plot. Though disheartened after Hitler’s death, Rasputin took solace in knowing he’d summoned Hellboy and was drawn to the temple where, while hibernating, he learned from the Sadu-Hem that the horrific Ogdru Jahad is actually seven creatures imprisoned beyond our understanding and longing to avenge themselves upon the Earth.

Though Hellboy triumphs with some help from his allies, he’s left shaken by Rasputin’s words…

After untold years of planning and preparing, Rasputin prepares to fulfil his master’s wishes using Liz’s raw power, much to Hellboy’s dismay, alongside the restored (and enlarged) Sadu-Hem. While using the enchanted Liz as an unwilling a conduit, Rasputin offers Hellboy the chance to join them in death and destruction, which Hellboy naturally rejects despite being near-paralysed from the frogman’s saliva. As Rasputin begins his incantations, Hellboy forces himself to retrieve a concussion grenade from his belt and stuffs it down the frogman’s throat, obliterating it. Rasputin’s dark magics see the Ogdru Jahad slowly awaken and attack their prison, but his mad plot is suddenly interrupted by Abe, who’s possessed by Elihu’s vengeful spirit and first impales the wizard on a spear before releasing Liz from his grasp, sparking an inferno. As Sadu-Hem and the Cavendish estate erupt in flames, the restored Abe rushes Liz to safety, leaving Hellboy behind as he insists on finishing the wraith-like Rasputin. Despite Rasputin boasting incredible power, Hellboy easily trounces the wizard, rejecting him and his offer to know the truth of his origins and shattering Rasputin with his mighty stone fist. From the ruins of Cavendish Hall, Abe relates his confusion about his possession, which Hellboy believes was the old man’s way of putting things right and avenging the many years of losses suffered by his family. While Liz also doesn’t remember much from her time under Rasputin’s spell, she feels an inexplicable relief at having unleashed her full power for once. Though Abe and Liz show concern for Hellboy, he keeps quiet about Rasputin’s final words and his own doubts about himself, and the story ends with the awakening of Rasputin’s old allies, Ilsa Haupstein, Karl Kroene, and Leopold Kurtz, in an abandoned Nazi laboratory…

The Summary:
I’ll be the first to admit that my primary source of exposure to Hellboy comes from the movies and cartoons. In fact, “Seed of Destruction” is the only Hellboy story I’ve ever read as of this writing, which may or may not be blasphemy. It’s not that I don’t like the character and his world, which has a fun, gothic horror aesthetic that speaks to the Lovecraft fan in me. My hesitancy is largely because of my dislike of Mike Mignola’s art style which, again, is probably sacrilegious. I liken Mignola’s heavy use of shadows and simplistic forms to Frank Miller, who made a career out of exaggerated shadows and sketches. It’s a very eccentric and unique art style, for sure, and don’t get me wrong: it really works for Hellboy. However, it’s just not very visually appealing for me so I tend to veer away from Mignola’s works. That’s a “me” thing, obviously, as like I say the art really adds to this unique comic book world. Mignola clearly has a reverence for horror, gothic architecture, the arcane arts, steampunk-style technology, and Lovecraft, seeping every panel and page in dark, brooding inks, sparingly using bold colours and relying on silhouettes and murky darkness to create a constantly foreboding atmosphere. Mignola’s writing is also far better than a lot of Miller’s, if I’m comparing the two, with Hellboy being a somewhat snarky, eccentric character who’s respectful to Broom and treats his associates with respect but isn’t afraid to talk a bit of trash to his enemies. Hellboy’s inner monologue reveals a half-human creature fully aware of his flaws (his quick temper, rash decisions, and poor marksmanship chief among them), somewhat curious about his true origins, and with fifty-odd years of paranormal investigating under his belt.

While the unique Hellboy makes a visual impression, he’s a largely mysterious figure in his debut.

Unlike the films, where he’s portrayed as an unruly child at times, Hellboy is largely professional here, calling in situations for the BRPD to investigate and largely conducting himself well while at Cavendish Hall. While Liz admonishes his curt demeanour, Lady Cavendish welcomes the discourse and, most notably, shows no fear or panic when met by a literal demon. While it doesn’t play a big role in this story, it’s clear Hellboy and his allies are far more public figures in the comics and have been accepted by society. Interestingly, the only person who shows any fear or suspicion of Hellboy is Professor Frost; everyone else accepts, respects, and shows concern for him. While Hellboy and Liz have a purely platonic relationship here, unlike in the films, he seemingly admires her for overcoming her traumatic past and she asks if he’s okay in the finale, showing they’re more than just colleagues. Hellboy is seen to be closer to Abe, discussing their suspicions and the case, and these three have clearly worked together in the past. Interestingly, Broom is offed very early on and his relationship with Hellboy isn’t as deep as in the movies. Sure, Hellboy thinks of him as a father figure and is seen to be angered by his murder and driven to track down those responsible, but he’s noticeably more blasé about it, even in his inner monologue. Similarly, Hellboy seems to either be not bothered by his true origins or hiding it extremely well, sparing little thought of where he came from and what his true purpose is. Although Rasputin inspires him to think differently about this, the true extent of Hellboy’s origin and purpose is merely alluded to here, with him said to have a part in the end of the world but it’s not clear what that is. Hell, Rasputin doesn’t even use him in his summoning ritual, instead focusing his power through Liz, leaving me with a sense of intrigue regarding Hellboy’s true purpose in the comics.

The horror and Lovecraftian themes are an undeniable highlight in this intriguing introduction.

Indeed, we learn more about the maniacal Rasputin that we do Hellboy, which has its pros and cons. The pros come from maintaining a sense of mystery about Hellboy to be explored in subsequent issues, while the cons come from having to suffer through panels and panels of exposition and monologuing from the depraved mage as he rambles on about his past. It’s somewhat necessary as it shows just how long the Ogdru Jahad have been influencing him and longing for their release, and how many others have tried to free them through less refined rituals and means, but it does get a bit tedious after a while. I liked that the Ogdru Jahad are kept largely mysterious despite Rasputin’s many words, appearing to be interdimensional, alien, demonic, or even divine monsters trapped within a crystalline prison somewhere beyond our comprehension. They establish a foothold on Earth through the equally monstrous Sadu-Hem (a similarly Lovecraftian beast that barely factors into the plot as it just looms there, grabs Hellboy, and then bursts into flames) and Rasputin, who’s revealed to be unnaturally long-lived and partially undead. Wielding incredible arcane magic and having manipulated the Nazis into providing him the resources to summon Hellboy, Rasputin is obsessed with being the linchpin for the apocalypse, delighting in deceiving others into doing his bidding and giddy at the thought of his masters raining destruction upon the Earth (though, again, it’s unclear what role Hellboy would play in this apocalypse). I feel it might’ve been better to have Rasputin merge with Sadu-Hem rather than take Liz hostage, or as well as using her powers, to give a bit more punch to the ending. It was interesting seeing Elihu get his revenge through Abe, but it did mean Abe and Liz played diminished roles in the finale. Still, while this isn’t a perfect story, I enjoyed this introduction to Hellboy, the familiar elements I recognise from the films, and I am interested in reading more of his adventures…I’m just not sure where to go from here.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Were you a fan of Hellboy’s first four issues? Did you pick these up at the time or did you discover Hellboy later, as I did? Do you think I’ve committed blasphemy by criticising Mike Mignola’s art style? What did you think to Hellboy’s appearance and demeanour? Which Hellboy stories are your favourite? Whatever you think about Hellboy, feel free to leave your thoughts below, check out my other horror-related content on the site, and donate to my Ko-Fi to suggest other Hellboy stories for me to review.

Movie Night: Terrifier

Dr. K2 Comments

Released: 15 May 2018
Director: Damien Leone
Distributor: Epic Pictures Releasing
Budget: $35 to 55 million
Stars: David Howard Thornton, Samantha Scaffidi, Jenna Kanell, Catherine Corcoran, and Matt McAllister

The Plot:
After being creeped out by a lewd, mute clown named Art (Thornton) on Halloween night, Tara Heyes (Kanell) and her best friend, Dawn Emerso (Corcoran), are hounded and brutalised by the sadistic killer.

The Background:
Coulrophobia (or the fear of clowns) is a common trope not just in horror, but in everyday life. Personally, I’ve never found clowns to be scary but the media is full of examples of “Evil Clowns”, with two of the most notable being the Joker and Stephen King’s It. It’s this fear that writer director Damien Leone tapped into when he made his directorial debut with The 9th Circle (2008), a short film that introduced the first prototype of Art the Clown (Mike Giannelli). Though only a supporting character, Art proved popular with audiences and Leone revisited the character in his next short film, Terrifier (2011), and the feature-length anthology All Hallows’ Eve (2013). Afterwards, Leone decided to make an entire film focusing on the character, one that would pay homage not just to slasher film icons and franchises, but to Giallo and splatterpunk cinema. Primarily geared towards showcasing gory, practical effects at the expense of characterisation, Leone put a lot of care into his kill scenes, ensuring Catherine Corcoran’s safety in what became one of the film’s most notorious moments. Seeking to create a truly iconic slasher villain for a new millennium, Leone recast Mike Giannelli as Art the Clown after being impressed by David Howard Thornton’s physical awareness and penchant for improvisation. After premiering at the 2016 Telluride Horror Show, Terrifier released in a handful of cinemas and made a modest profit considering its low budget. Reviews were largely positive, praising the performances and the jaw-dropping gore, However, while Thornton’s portrayal of Art was lauded, some felt the film didn’t quite live up to its potential, a sentiment Leone agreed with and aimed to address in the sequel. Indeed, Terrifier impressed enough not just to earn a critically and commercially successful sequel in 2022, but to kick-off a whole new slasher franchise (for better or worse).

The Review:
Terrifier establishes a few things right from the opening sequence, in which shots of Art applying his makeup and getting dressed for a jaunt on the streets are interspersed with talk show host Monica Brown (Katie Maguire) interviewing a severely disfigured woman. This sets the stage for how creepy and off-kilter Art is; he seemingly purposely adopts a clown-like guise to unsettle his victims and disguise his cruel intentions. These shots of Art getting ready and hauling his bin bag full of tricks echo the opening of A Nightmare on Elm Street (Craven, 1984), a clear influence given the reference to “Craven’s” Halloween supplies and Art’s depiction as a silent version of Freddy Kruger (Robert Englund). Next, this opening establishes that the film isn’t going to be pulling any punches as Monica’s guest is horrendously disfigured after surviving an attack from Art a year previously, to the point where she chooses to isolate since her appearance is so horrifying. Finally, this opening shows that there’s a mean streak in Terrifier that extends beyond its mysterious and silent killer. While Monica appears sympathetic and attentive on-air, she ridicules her guest to her boyfriend after the cameras stop rolling. The embodiment of beauty and drive, Monica arrogantly dismisses her guest’s suffering and expresses disgust and even fear at even being sat with her. Luckily, it turns out Monica was right to be afraid as her guest pounces on her, brutally maiming Monica’s face and cackling like a witch as she lays a bloody, equally disfigured mess on the floor. Therefore, within around ten minutes, we learn everything we need to know about Terrifier: it’s going to be an unsettling spectacle of gore and depravity featuring somewhat unlikeable characters being torn apart in ways that may shock and disgust.

Fun loving Dawn and sensible Tara run afoul of a cruel-hearted and vicious killer clown.

As a long-time horror fan, I’m here for it. I’ve become largely desensitised to a lot of horror and much prefer it when movies don’t hold back. And Terrifier certainly isn’t holding back at times. Unfortunately, it does suffer from an uneven pace and comes across more like an extended proof of concept for what Damien Leone and his instantly iconic killer are capable of. Although the film’s set on Halloween night, the spooky season is primarily used to semi-explain Art’s clown-like appearance. It is the perfect excuse for Tara and Dawn to hit the town and get wasted, however. Clearly long-time friends, these two are an incorrigible duo, teasing each other and having a fun rapport. Dawn is the more promiscuous and reckless of the two, joking about her sexual lusts, drunkenly accosting Mike the Exterminator (McAllister) to let Tara pee, and insisting on a selfie with Art when they spot him leering at them in a pizzeria. While Tara is instantly creeped out by Art, Dawn brushes off her worries and chastises her for being a buzzkill, lamenting that Tara always has to be the “good girl” and overthink things. Rattled by the encounter in the pizzeria, Tara’s anxiety only increases when they find Dawn’s tyres slashed. Luckily, Tara calls her sister, college student Victoria (Scaffidi), who heads out to pick them up, and Tara convinces Mike to let her pee inside the house he’s spraying for rats. Unfortunately, Tara’s concerns about Art catch up to them when he attacks and subdues them both. Strapped and bound to a chair, Tara can only watch helplessly as Dawn is strung upside down and sawed in two from her crotch to her head with a rusty hacksaw! Though Tara shows some fighting spirit and manages to escape and even attack Art, she’s slowed by a severe injury to her ankle and unceremoniously executed by multiple gunshots when Art surprises her with a pistol.

In a film full of underdeveloped characters, Victoria might be the least fleshed out of them all.

Thus, Leone pays homage to Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960) by spending a good half-hour or so building up Tara as the film’s plucky, underdog “Final Girl” only to abruptly kill her off and switch the focus to her sister, Victoria. It takes Victoria some time to reach Tara’s destination and, when she does, she’s too late to help and is distraught to see Dawn’s remains and her sister’s mutilated corpse set up to taunt her. A college student studying for her midterms, Victoria drops everything to help her sister but is extremely out of her depth when confronted by Art, who delights in mocking and tormenting her. When Victoria stumbles upon what she believes is her sister’s injured body, her first thought is to call for help, but she’s horrified when it turns out to be Art in disguise, having ripped the scalp and much of the torso off a deluded resident (Pooya Mohseni). This disturbed but ultimately harmless lady shared a moment with Tara and tried to offer Art a mother’s comfort to spare her baby, a simple child’s doll, only to be left a gory mess. After Art relentlessly shreds her body with a cat-o’nine-tails, Victoria is saved by Mike, who survived a mallet to the face and gets her to safety, finally calling the cops. However, Mike gets his head literally caved in when Art renews his attack, leaving Victoria to desperately try and escape the building and the crazed maniac pursuing her. Although Tara’s characterisation is pretty paper-thin (she’s a fun loving but ultimately sensible young girl), I think it’s a lot better than Victoria’s. We don’t learn much about Victoria except that she’s studying for her midterms (we don’t even know what her major is) and that she’s loyal to her sister. Beyond that, she’s just a vessel to follow and witness and react to Art’s brutality and honestly has less appeal than Tara because at least she was dressed in the Halloween spirit. Horror films, especially slashers, aren’t generally known for their compelling victims but the “Final Girl” is usually more well-rounded and memorable. Sadly, Victoria and her fellow victims are simply window dressing in Art’s first outing, failing to really make much impact until the film’s twist is revealed.

Art’s cruelty and unpredictability make him an especially dangerous and bloodthirsty killer.

Therefore, Terrifier lives and dies through the depiction of its mean-spirited killer. Art barely tries to mask his creepiness, sporting a leering grin, crooked nose, and mangled teeth and setting people on edge simply by walking into a room. To make matters worse, he follows this with some truly disturbing physicality, beaming at Tara with an upsetting sneer and creeping her out by presenting her with a ring. While Steve (Gino Cafarelli) from the pizzeria is aggravated by Art’s nonchalant stare and refusal to speak, he’s incensed to find the clown defecated all over the toilets and throws him out, much to Art’s feigned chagrin. Of course, the slighted Art has the last laugh, hacking Steve’s head off with a hatchet and leaving it burning on the counter like a jack-o-lantern for Steve’s fellow employee (or possible his brother?) Ramone (Erick Zamora) to find. Lugging a bin bag full of hacksaws, knives, ammo, and other implements, Art’s unpredictability is as shocking as his brutality. You never know what weapon he’s going to whip out next or what he’ll do with it, leading to him hacking Ramone’s hand in two with a clever, sawing through and then ripping off another exterminator’s (Michael Leavy) head, and drawing a pistol to repeatedly blast Tara in the face. We learn nothing about Art except that he’s on a killing spree and that he relishes in torturing and maiming his victims. He never utters a single word, not even a cry or breath, though his visible frustration at being out of bullets and his agony when stabbed or beaten is clear thanks to Thornton’s masterful physical performance. What really seals it, however, is that Art will silent cackle when assaulting his victims, toying with them and mocking their suffering while delighting in the arterial spray and steaming organs spilling to the floor. At one point, it seems Art is subdued by a mother’s touch, however this proves only a temporary reprieve and Art is truly depicted as a chaotic force without mercy who tortures and kills for the sheer fun of it.

The Nitty-Gritty:
I can respect this approach. Although horror is full of iconic killers, many lose much of their mystique when too much of their backstory is revealed, humanising them and making them sympathetic. There is absolutely nothing sympathetic about Art, who gleefully mocks his prey, smears his faeces over walls, and chortles manically (but silently) when sawing Dawn in half. Still, there’s something to be said about giving some hint about who Art is and what drives him. He’s clearly mortal, since he bleeds and reacts to pain, and clearly a nomad, holing up in whatever filthy squalor he finds and seemingly targeting people at random. He’s capable of anger, since he flips Victoria off when she stabs him and spitefully maims anyone who dares to fight back. He also appears inhumanly strong, taking a beating from Tara and manhandling his victims at times. Despite appearing a very childish and immature figure, Art is cold, calculating, and vindictive, slashing Dawn’s tyres and drugging Tara and even texting Victoria to lure her into the building. Consequently, Terrifier presents what little narrative it has as a series of random and shocking events that could’ve happened to anyone. This is where the film’s true horror lies as while Art’s murderous acts are enough to traumatised unsuspecting audiences, they’re so over the top that they’re less scary and more disgusting. While none of the actors give particularly stirring or award-winning performances, they’re depicted as normal, everyday folk who unwittingly attract a depraved serial killer and I think the random nature of this is far more (dare I say it…) terrifying than all the hacksaws and knives. The idea that you, or anyone, could just be walking the streets and be set upon by such a crazed maniac is unsettling, to say the least, and Art only serves to heighten this fear by brutalising his victims in ways that would make Ed Gein blush.

Terrifier supplants characterisation with shocking splattergore and unapologetic brutality.

Yes, you shouldn’t really go into Terrifier expecting some game-changing plot or emotionally charged characters. I like the three female leads but there isn’t much to them and, let’s not mince words, it’s clear that Terrifier is simply an excuse to show off incredible and revolting gore and unsettling practical effects. Things start strong with Monica’s host appearing more like a mincemeat skeleton than a person, sporting an emaciated grin and one barely functional eye. She leaves Monica in an even worse state, clawing at her face and leaving her a gibbering mess of bloody, meaty chunks, and Tara is repeatedly stabbed in the ankle, hobbling her to keep her from running at full speed. While we only see Steve’s burning head, we get to watch Art hack up Ramone on the pizzeria floor and see in gory detail when he crushes Mike’s had under his heel. Tara’s death is easily the film’s weakest and least creative kill, but there’s something shocking about the cold-hearted nature of her being mercilessly shot to death. The other exterminator, Will, gets a more spectacular end as he’s stabbed in the skull before he can even react and then has his head partially sawn off before Art nonchalantly kicks it away. The doll-pampering resident pays for her kindness by getting scalped and having most of her skin torn off; Art then parades around in her flesh, clearly enjoying his new look. However, it’s Dawn’s death that’s the showstopper. Strung upside down by chains and hanging completely nude, she’s sawn in half and we (like Tara) are forced to watch as her guts spill to the floor and Art silently cackles maniacally. It’s a truly sadistic and brutal moment made more uncomfortable by where he starts sawing, and the sheer shock of the sequence is enough to keep you from questioning how a simple hacksaw easily cuts through flesh, bone, and muscle.

Art somehow reanimates after blowing his brains out and Victoria’s left a mangled mess.

Although Tara fights back, she lets rage cloud her judgement and is caught off-guard when Art pulls out a pistol, leaving her writhing helplessly on the floor as he blasts her face full of bullets. When Victoria arrives, she discovers a full-blown massacre, with bodies strewn everywhere and Art relentlessly pursuing her. Unprepared and overwhelmed, the grief-stricken Victoria can only run, scream, and cower as Art targets her next. Though she exhibits some of the same fighting spirit as her sister, Victoria’s ultimately more reliant on Mike to help fend off the psychotic clown. Unfortunately, Art quickly recovers from Mike’s attack, kicking and finally crushing Mike’s skull with his oversized clown shoes. Victoria manages to squeeze through a locked door to safety, only to be mercilessly taunted by Art as he swipes at her and blows a clown horn in her face. Although she appears to have escaped him, Victoria is blindsided when Art suddenly drives Mike’s van through the doors and into her, knocking her unconscious. Luckily, Mike got through to the cops and a couple of officers (Jason Leavy and Steven Della Salla) show up to apprehend Art. Clearly frustrated at being interrupted, Art toys with the cops and then whips out his gun. However, rather than fire at the cops, he instead shoots himself in the head rather than be arrested. Art’s mangled body and those of his victims are then bagged and taken to the county coroner, Seth Bolton (Cory Duval), who begrudgingly agrees to process the corpses in return for a bacon sandwich. However, after unzipping Art’s body bag, Seth’s perplexed by a sudden and mysterious power outage. Though he shrugs it off, he’s horrified when Art suddenly springs to life, a disgusting grin on his face, and starts choking him. This cliff-hanger ending then cuts to a hospital, where Victoria was taken after surviving Art’s assault. Unfortunately, Art decided to eat her face, leaving her with a mangled and hideously disfigured visage and revealing that she was the mutilated guest who attacked Monica at the start of the film…!

The Summary:
Terrifier is, perhaps, the most notable independent horror of the last ten years. Shot and styled very much like a “Grindhouse” picture, the film wears its influences on its sleave and is very much a celebration of the splatterpunk and slasher genres. While this is a positive, it also works against it, particularly in the characterisation of its leads. Damien Leone has since stated dissatisfaction with these elements and I’m forced to agree. While I didn’t mind Tara, Victoria was essentially a blank slate and many performances were questionable, at best. It’s irrelevant, in many ways, however, since Terrifier is just an excuse to show off some depraved gore and showcase its sadistic serial killer. Accordingly, it’s no surprise that David Howard Thornton steals the show as he throws his all into Art, embodying the character with manic glee and showcasing a range of emotions simply through body language and facial expression. Art’s unlike many horror icons as he’s silent but entirely expressive, cruel and vicious and yet wholly unpredictable and spontaneous. His entire visage is his gimmick rather than any one weapon and he kills simply for the thrill, and the mindlessness of his character and actions add not only to Terrifier’s allure and mystery, but its horror. It’s increasingly all-too-easy to imagine some sick fuck stalking the streets, accosting young women and engaging in deplorable acts and the random nature of Art’s killing spree is just as unsettling as his gore-drenched kills. And damn, does Terrifier deliver on the gore! Leone’s twisted imagination is a joy to see; even if the effects stretch the limits of physics and logic at times, it all comes together as a celebration of the genre. However, I do feel Terrifier was lacking in some regards that keep it from being a true classic. It certainly gave the genre a kick up the ass and it’s worth a watch, but Terrifier views more as an extended pitch for a bigger, more refined movie, especially in retrospect having seen the sequels. I’m therefore not as impressed or awed by the film as I would like as it’s lacking in some basic filmmaking areas, resulting in a special effects and physical acting showcase whose soul appeal are the disturbing gore and instantly iconic serial killer.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Did you get a kick out of Terrifier? What did you think to Art and David Howard Thornton’s performance? Were you also disappointed that his victims were largely forgettable? Did the gore make up for these moments or did you find it a bit too depraved and over the top? If not, which of Art’s sickening acts was your favourite and what did you think to these effects? Would you have liked to learn more about Art or do you think it’s better he stayed mysterious? Which of the Terrifier films is your favourite and how are you celebrating horror this month? Share your thoughts about Terrifier down in the comments, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other horror content!

Movie Night [00-Heaven]: Dr. No

Dr. K2 Comments

To celebrate the release of this movie, the first of many filmic outings for James Bond, October 5th is officially recognised as “Global James Bond Day”. Today, 007 is one of the most recognised and popular movie icons of all time so I’m dedicating some time to revisiting some firsts in the long-running franchise.

Released: 5 October 1962
Director: Terence Young
Distributor: United Artists
Budget: $1.1 million
Stars: Sean Connery, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord, John Kitzmiller, and Ursula Andress

The Plot:
After an MI6 liaison is murdered in Jamaica, suave spy James Bond/007 (Connery) discovers a plot by malformed mad scientist Doctor Julius No (Wiseman) to disrupt an American rocket on behalf of the Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion (SPECTRE).

The Background:
Super spy James Bond was the brainchild of writer Ian Fleming in 1953, heavily inspired by Fleming’s years as a Navy intelligence officer. 007 first came to life not through Sean Connery’s immortal and iconic performance or even the bizarre comedy loosely based on Fleming’s first Bond book, but a one-hour CBS television adaptation of that same book that was heavily altered for American audiences. Bond was next adapted into a South African radio drama in 1958 and Fleming’s books became a long-running series of comic strips starting in 1957, before Casino Royale (1953) finally came to the big screen in 1967 after years of Development Hell and rights disputes. Though initially reluctant, Fleming eventually sold the rights to all his Bond novels (except Casino Royale and, most infamously, 1961’s Thunderball) to producer Harry Saltzman. Saltzman partnered with Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli to spearhead an adaptation of the 1958 novel of the same name, bringing in director Terence Young to define the onscreen portrayal of the super spy for decades to come. Though hampered by a paltry budget, Young chose to innovate and spend what little money had had wisely, while the script included many alterations from the source material, including painting Dr. No as an agent of SPECTRE. While the producers initially envisioned Cary Grant as Bond, Richard Johnson claimed to have been tapped for the role, and Rod Taylor rejected the pitch, former bodybuilder Sean Connery impressed with his devil-may-care attitude and cemented his career (for better or worse) with his now-iconic performance. Although Dr. No received a mixed reaction at the time, it proved a box office success that kick-started a cinematic franchise, with each subsequent film out-performing the last at the box office. In the years since its release, Dr. No has been critically re-evaluated in a more positive light, with the film named as one of the top 100 British films of all time and praised for delivering some of the most memorable moments in the series.

The Review:
I think it’s only fair to start off by admitting that I’ve never been a fan of Dr. No. While it’s easy to explain away a lot of its flaws by pointing to the era it was made and it being the first of a series, so many of the recognisable Bond elements hadn’t been refined yet (even if they make their debut here), I’ve just never been a fan of the pacing and plot. Indeed, one thing I often joke about is that, even now, I don’t really know what Dr. No is about or what the titular mad scientist is  after. Therefore, I went into this viewing really trying to pay attention and grasp what the plot was and what was happening. Surprisingly, Dr. No’s stakes are surprisingly low; the world isn’t at stake here. In fact, no nations, cities, or lives seem to be at risk at all, save those who venture to Dr. No’s private island, Crab Key, uninvited or those who stand in his way. The film’s events kick off when John Strangways (Timothy Moxon/Robert Rietti), a keen fisherman, poker player, and head of MI6’s Kingston station, and his secretary, Mary Trueblood (Dolores Keator), are murdered by, of all things, three assassins posing as blind beggars. After a few hours trying to re-establish contact with Strangways, the cantankerous and officious head of MI6, “M” (Bernard Lee), pulls Bond from a game of Baccarat and orders him to find out what happened, advising him to liaise with his Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) counterpart, Felix Leiter (Lord), and to not waste any time. Though Bond happily takes the assignment, he drags his feet a little by flirting with M’s secretary, Miss Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell), and hooking up with the alluring Sylvia Trench (Eunice Gayson), firmly establishing that, while Bond is loyal to King and Country, he’s got a soft (well, more accurately a hard) spot for the ladies and the finer things in life, such as a good smoke and a stiff drink.

While Connery mesmerises as Bond, 007’s painfully mundane in his first outing.

Sean Connery immediately embodies the now-world famous super spy with a relaxed, confident poise and charm. He greets every situation, even admonishments from M, with a wry smile and a biting wit, seemingly fearless and maintaining his composure even when he’s being followed or clearly duped by enemy agents. While this is Bond’s first screen outing, it’s clearly not his first assignment as he’s been licensed to kill for some time (though M’s dialogue suggests Bond may only be a year or so into this career as a 00 agent) and is generally hyper aware of his surroundings. Even when he’s welcomed by Chief Secretary Pleydell-Smith (Louis Blaazer) and given lodgings at Government House, Bond checks for bugs and preps his room to alert him to intruders. Unlike later Bond movies, 007 is rather ill-equipped; Major Boothroyd (Peter Burton) simply furnishes him with the standard issue Walther PPK in place of his unreliable Beretta M1934 and that’s it. Not that Bond really needs any gadgets here, just a rental car and a working telephone suffice for most of the film. Bond’s first official big screen adventure is much more of an investigative thriller than anything else. Bond wanders about Kingston meeting with those who knew or saw Strangways last, piecing together what happened, knocking back vodka martinis (“Shaken, not stirred”) and other vices as he goes. After a brief misunderstanding, Bond meets with Leiter, visits a few more locations, and eventually suspects Professor R. J. Dent (Anthony Dawson), a geologist and one of the last people to see Strangways alive. Bond’s investigation alerts him to Crab Key, a forbidden island owned by the mysterious Dr. No, which Strangways regularly visited. It’s all very mundane and dull, sadly, with only Connery’s magnetic screen presence holding my interest as Bond simply stumbles upon breadcrumbs to discover that Dr. No obviously had something to do with Strangways disappearing.

Sadly, scene-staler Quarrel meets a toasty end when he insists on aiding Bond.

Bond’s eventually aided by Leiter, though Felix at first suspects 007 of being corrupt since Bond willingly allows obvious enemy plants to drive him around and lure him into bed. Bond does this in hopes of questioning and/or boning said agents, though his investigation is often frustrated since many of his would-be assassins choose death by cyanide over talking. Leiter reveals that he worked closely with Strangways to discover the source of a radio jamming signal that has been disrupting America’s space exploration rockets. Leiter’s also instrumental in cooling tensions between Bond and Quarrel (Kitzmiller), a Cayman Islander whose boat Strangways took to Crab Key and collect samples. Initially giving Bond the brushoff, Quarrel confronts him and knifepoint and the two scuffle until Leiter intervenes and they all get on the same page. While Leiter isn’t that interesting, simply being a friendly face to give Bond some intel and call out his womanising ways, Quarrel is quite an enjoyable addition, being an upbeat and friendly seaman who affectionately calls Bond “Cap’n”. Rather than rely on sea chats or coordinates, Quarrel follows his instincts but is extremely hesitant to go to Crab Key due to rumours of a fire-breathing “dragon” dwelling there. While Bond initially gives Quarrel the option of staying behind, his patience with these stories grows thin, especially when they bump into the beautiful Honey Ryder (Andress) and she echoes Quarrel’s fears. Still, Quarrel proves useful to Bond’s investigation and subdues Annabel Chung (Marguerite LeWars) when she spies on the trio. Bond seems genuinely distraught when Quarrel meets his horrifying (and ridiculously abrupt) end at the hands of Dr. No’s “dragon” (an armoured tank with a flamethrower) and adds the seaman’s name to the list of people he wishes to avenge.

Dr. No is sadly absent for most of the film and his scheme is very vaguely defined.

As if Dr. No wasn’t disappointing enough, the titular scientist is quite a letdown as well. Like Honey, Dr. No doesn’t fully appear until the final act, which is pretty incredible considering his unique affliction and his admittedly captivating screen presence. While I appreciate the fear and awe given to Dr. No throughout the film, with the locals scared of Crab Key and Dent terrified of his master’s reprisals, I think the film suffers from not including him at least once before Bond reaches Crab Key. A mysterious and isolated figure, Dr. No initially appears as a disembodied voice reprimanding Dent and ordering him to kill Bond using a tarantula (an effective means, to be sure!) Dr. No has agents all over Kingston, it seems, with him sending a driver (Reginald Carter) to try and kill Bond soon after he lands, placing Miss Taro (Zena Marshall) as a double agent, and employing some goons to try and run Bond off the road. Despite Dr. No voicing an explicit desire to have Bond killed, he does a complete 180 once Bond arrives on Crab Key. His loyal soldiers give Bond, Quarrel, and Honey multiple chances to surrender peaceful and end up roasting Quarrel alive when they disobey, but Dr. No treats Bond and Honey as distinguished guests and has them decontaminated and confined to a room that’s more deluxe suite than a dungeon. Dr. No is impressed by Bond’s repeated interference (even though I’m not sure what Bond did to cost him time and money…) and believes him an intellectual equal, only to be angered by Bond’s dismissive and condescending attitude. Although Dr. No claims his genius is as formidable as his physical strength thanks to his painfully limited artificial hands, he’s clearly a madman. So much so that neither the East or the West wished to employ his services and even SPECTRE seems somewhat embarrassed by him. This could be because Dr. No uses his vast and overly complicated nuclear-powered facility to disrupt Cape Canaveral simply for his own self-gratification as he issues no threats and demands no ransom, seemingly embodying only the “Revenge” aspect of SPECTRE as he wishes to prove himself superior to those who mocked and dismissed him.

The Nitty-Gritty:
Dr. No is obviously the blueprint which all future Bond movies were based, establishing many of the tropes, elements, and recurring themes for the series. Accordingly, we get out first gun barrel sequence (with stuntman Bob Simmons as Bond), first utterance of “Bond… James Bond”, and our first title sequence (though there’s no cold open here). Unfortunately, Dr. No fails to impress with its opening titles, which are simply a mess of colours, dancing girls, and “007” plastered over the screen while Monty Norman’s “James Bond Theme” blares. Bond’s iconic overture oddly crops up when he’s doing such exciting tasks as… walking, searching his room, or using the telephone. Rather than have an artist or group write a unique song for the film as would later become a key component of the franchise, Dr. No repeatedly falls back on renditions of “Under the Mango Tree”, a tune I’d happily never have to listen to again after sitting through this snore fest. The basic frameworks of future Bond films are established here, however, meaning it’s perfectly natural for M to simply show up to give Bond his mission and Miss Moneypenny to give Bond someone to flirt with in MI6 headquarters. Long-time Bond fans may be surprised that Desmond Llewelyn isn’t playing “Q” here (though Major Boothroyd is the same character). Consequently, there’s no visit to Q-Branch, no Aston Martin, and Bond’s even light on the quips, only dropping a couple of deadpan comments after outwitting his would-be assassins. Bond is a largely apathetic character, seemingly bored with the routine aspects of his job and preferring to be in the field, where he does his own thing regardless of his orders. This sees him getting a dressing down for carrying a Berretta and taking many detours in his investigation to get his end away or have a drink or smoke. Indeed, both M and Leiter comment on Bond’s lackadaisical attitude, though his methods always return to his primary mission one way or another.

While Bond’s women are attractive, it would’ve been nice to expand Honey’s role.

Despite getting second billing alongside Sean Connery, Ursula Andress only appears in the third act and has such a small role that it’s barely worth discussing. Of course, she makes a lasting impression on both audiences and Bond with her dramatic emergence from the sea, clad in a sultry bikini and inspecting her coveted seashells, but it might’ve been nice to include her a bit sooner to break up the monotony of watching Bond mingle around rooms. Though initially appearing naïve and almost childlike in her demeanour, Honey’s actually a well-travelled young lady, an accomplished diver, and has experienced by heartache (she believes Dr. No murdered her father) and strife. As a child, she was sexually assaulted (or possibly raped) and took her revenge by killing her attacker with a black widow spider (though oddly reacts in horror when Bond offs one of Dr. No’s henchmen). Still, she plays basically no role in the finale, with Bond successfully convincing Dr. No to send her away for their parlay and is simply there to have a pretty face onscreen at the tail end of the film. She’s nice on the eyes, for sure, and somewhat aids Bond with her familiarity with Crab Key, but her demeanour is a bit odd and it’s difficult to really care that much about her since she appears so late in the film. Similarly, while Sylvia gets a lot of play at the start of the film, she’s simply an attractive Baccarat player Bond seduces with his card game rather than an undercover SPECTRE agent like Miss Taro, Pleydell-Smith’s secretary. Indeed, it’s possible Sylvia and Taro would’ve been combined into one character in a later Bond film (and, truthfully, that would’ve made more sense here) to give Bond a tertiary threat while playing detective. Though she acts coy about listening into Bond’s meeting and the conveniently missing files on Dr. No, Miss Taro tries to lure Bond into a trap and then uses her body to distract him, only for him to effortlessly see through her ruse and simply use her for his own gratification (and to lure Dent into outing himself as another of Dr. No’s agents).

While I’m still not sure what Dr. No’s endgame was, he’s ultimately foiled by Bond.

After knobbing around Kingston for a few days, dodging death every other night and following leads on Strangways, Bond becomes very suspicious of Crab Key and its mysterious Dr. No. After using Miss Taro and easily fooling Dent, Bond decides he has enough evidence to visit Crab Key, convincing Quarrel to give him a lift and having Leiter on standby with the Marines. After Quarrel’s killed, Bond and Honey are welcomed as Dr. No’s distinguished guests, furnished with a luxurious room, drugged coffee, and a fine dinner. Dr. No’s patience and reverence for Bond quickly grows thin when 007 insults him and refuses to join SPECTRE, however, leading to Bond being beaten and tossed into a cell. Despite the electrified grate, and his injuries, Bond easily escapes through the facility’s massive ventilation shafts, kills one of Dr. No’s technicians (Anthony Chinn), and assumes his role in the control room. There, himself and his underlings protected from the radiation that cost him his hands, Dr. No directs a test on his nuclear reactor, apparently to disrupt America’s latest rocket launch. Despite his genius, Dr. No’s so distracted by his monitors that he fails to notice Bond overloading the reactor until its too late. With the facility in meltdown and his minions fleeing for their lives, Dr. No awkwardly confronts Bond on the gantry. Rather than treating us to a slugfest where the underdog 007 must use his wit and wiles to compensate for the crushing power of Dr. No’s prosthetic hands as the environment goes up in flames around them, this final battle is merely a clumsy scuffle on a small platform descending into a cool pool and Dr. No’s superior strength fails him as his crappy plastic hands can’t grip for shit. With everyone more concerned with escaping, Bond easily convinces Dr. No’s panicked employees to point him in Honey’s direction, and he rescues her from…being slowly drowned, I guess? The two then commandeer a convenient boat and drift away from Crab Key just as Dr. No’s facility explodes, ending whatever vague threat he posed. Though Leiter comes by to tug the two to safety, Bond opts to release his line so he and Honey can canoodle in their boat during the credits.

The Summary:
I was honestly dreading watching Dr. No again as, like I say, I’ve never been a fan of it. I want to respect it for laying the foundation for one of my favourite cinematic franchises, and that (alongside Sean Connery’s magnetic performance) is what gives it its second star, but this is always a tough watch for me. There’s so much working against it, from the dull opening titles, the Bond theme blaring in the most mundane scenes, and the dull focus on Bond’s investigation rather than action, women, or suspense. I understand that this was a different time and there was only so much the filmmakers could do (painfully obvious during Bond’s big car chase…), and that Dr. No is more of an investigative thriller than a bombastic action movie, but my lord is this painfully slow to watch. Bond meanders from scene to scene, easily piecing together clues when you’d think Dr. No would want to cover his tracks, and happy to waste his time bedding and toying with Dr. No’s obvious agents rather than getting to business. Dr. No is painfully absent throughout, meaning his motivations and character are poorly developed, to say the least. SPECTRE is little more than a name drop, Dr. No is simply a maniacal cripple childishly lashing out at a world that rejected him, and his plan is painfully ill defined. I still have no idea what the stakes are or why I should care about Dr. No’s plot when he makes no demands and seems to just be messing with America for shits and giggles, and we’re even robbed of him matching wits (and brawn) with Bond since Dr. No prefers to let his underlings or spiders do the work rather than just bloody shoot him! Ursula Andress may be gorgeous and have captivated a generation, but Honey Ryder shows up far too late to be that interesting. Had she been featured throughout, or perhaps been Dr. No’s unwilling concubine, then maybe I would care but, as is, she’s just kind of there. Sean Connery, Joseph Wiseman, and John Kitzmiller are the stars of this show but even they can’t keep me from tuning out every time I watch Dr. No and I’m honestly surprised we got a Bond franchise after this tedious slog of a movie.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

Am I being too harsh on Dr. No? Where would you rank it against the other James Bond films? Were you impressed by Sean Connery’s first outing as 007? What did you think to the focus on his investigation and the film’s slower pace? Do you agree that Dr. No and Honey Ryder should’ve shown up sooner? Were you disappointed when Quarrel got roasted? Can you tell me what Dr. No’s plan was, because I still don’t know… Which Bond actor, film, story, villain, or moment is your favourite? How are you celebrating Global James Bond Day today? Whatever your thoughts on Dr. No, or James Bond in general, leave a comment below, check out my other James Bond reviews, and suggest some 007 content you’d like me to cover by donating to my Ko-Fi.

Wrestling Recap: Kane vs. Austin (King of the Ring ’98)

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The Date: 28 June 1998
The Venue:  Civic Arena; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Commentary: Jim “J.R.” Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler
The Referee: Earl Hebner
The Stakes: First blood match for the WWF Championship and Kane’s life!

The Build-Up:
The day after my twelfth birthday (and clashing with Global James Bond Day), on October 5th 1997, Glenn Jacobs made a dramatic debut as Kane, the scarred, monstrous younger half-brother of the Undertaker. Following this, Kane ran wild throughout the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF), attacking everyone in a bid to force his reluctant brother to face him in the ring. Eventually, the Undertaker acquiesced, leading to two defeats for the Big Red Machine. However, on 1 June 1998, Kane defeated the Undertaker on Raw is War to become the number one contender to the WWF Championship, the company’s top prize, which was held by the phenomenonal “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. At the time, Austin was embroiled with an industry-defining feud with WWF Chairman Vince McMahon, refusing to confirm to Vince’s demands and openly defying the chairman’s authority with a brazen attitude. After repeatedly fending off Vince’s misguided stooge, Dude Love, Austin faced a physical threat like no other when Kane challenged him to this “First Blood” match. Speaking for the first time via a voice modulator, Kane drenched Austin with a blood bath and raised the stakes of the match by promising to immolate himself if he didn’t win the title!

The Match:
I think Kane said it best when he once stated that few people remember him winning the WWF Championship on this night thanks to the absolute war the Undertaker and Mankind enacted in the previous match! They didn’t even put a match between the Hell in a Cell and the main event to cool the audience down! I always remember it, though, since I was such a huge Kane fan back in the day and it saw him capture the WWF’s biggest prize from their most successful superstar, and all so soon after his initial debut. Proving that he isn’t some muscle-bound meathead, Kane sported a new attire for this match that completely covered every part of his body, making it seem all-but impossible that any trace of blood could be detected by the referee. Austin fearlessly stormed to the ring, his right arm heavily bandaged following a staph infection, and immediately hit his signature Lou Thesz Press and running elbow drop. Austin then clobbered Kane with the championship belt and removed a turnbuckle pad, though neither man could take advantage of the exposed bolt. Kane quickly ended Austin’s onslaught with some powerful strikes and chokes, shrugging off Austin’s blows but failing to hit the Tombstone Piledriver and being pushed outside. As they brawled around the ring, Austin bounced Kane’s face off the ring steps and the Hell in a Cell started to lower, much to J.R.’s anger. After whipping Austin into the steel steps, Kane ran him into the lowering cage and tried to crush Austin under the cell as it locked into position. Austin’s face bounced off the cage once more and J.R. quickly explained that the minor scratch on the Rattlesnake’s back wouldn’t count towards the match stipulation, allowing Kane’s decimation of the champion to continue. Austin began a comeback by ramming Kane’s head into the cell door, leading to Kane being lifted off the ground when the cage inexplicably rose! After a nasty tumble, Kane was repeatedly rammed into the security guardrail and walked up the entrance ramp, only for Austin to take an ugly back body drop to the concrete and a suplex on the rampway.

Despite a dominating performance, Kane didn’t look like a winner by the end of this mediocre match.

Kane smashed Austin’s head off a light and tossed a security railing at his head as McMahon watched anxiously from his luxury skybox. Austin brought the action back to the ring and finally bashed Kane’s head off that exposed ring bolt, choking him on the ropes and then taking him back outside to smash him over the head with an electrical fan. A touch more brawling led to Earl Hebner being taken out when Kane choke-tossed Austin at the railing. Kane then nailed his Diving Clothesline, though Austin countered a second attempt and stomped on Kane in the corner. This led to Mankind (somehow still not dead) inexplicably running in with a steel chair, though he never got a chance to use it as Austin quickly fought him off and planted him with a Stone Cold Stunner. This distraction allowed Kane to recover, though Austin booted Kane in the balls when he went for a Chokeslam and blasted him with a Stone Cold Stunner as well. J.R. just about had a coronary when the Undertaker came limping out to swing a steel chair at Mankind, but blasted Austin when Foley dodged the shot. The Undertaker clobbered Kane and Mankind and manhandled the referee back into the ring, reviving him with one of the gasoline cans, only to be smacked from behind by Kane. Austin frantically fought Kane off and damn near took his head off with a chair shot, but it was ultimately academic as Austin was bleeding profusely from the Undertaker’s chair shot! Thus, the unconscious Kane was declared the winner and a stunned, bloody Austin was left arguing with the referee. It would’ve been tough for any match to top the Hell in a Cell that preceded this one, but this match lacked a lot of energy. It told a good story of Austin being physically dominated by Kane, who clearly had the upper hand and allowed Austin to be a scrappy underdog, but there wasn’t much to this one. The ending has always irked me as it seemed like the Undertaker didn’t mean to hit Austin, yet he revived the referee to help Kane win, despite the two still attacking each other. Kane also looked pretty weak in the end as he was flat on his back when he was announced as the winner.

The Aftermath:
While many people might remember King of the Ring 1998 more for the brutal Hell in a Cell match, a greater and far less impressive footnote came out of the match as Austin confronted Kane over his tainted victory the very next night on Raw is War, challenging him to be a man and grant him a rematch. Austin won the match, regaining the championship and ending Kane’s title reign at around twenty-four hours, and all because the WWF had booked themselves into a corner with the ludicrous immolation stipulation! Still, Kane and Austin continued to feud into July, where the Undertaker and Austin defeated Kane and Mankind to become WWF Tag Team Champions. After defeating the Undertaker at SummerSlam, Austin was pinned by both Brothers of Destruction at Breakdown: In Your House, leading to the title being vacated and Austin being fired at Judgment Day: In Your House when he referred a match between the two and it ended in a no contest. This led to the infamous “Deadly Game” tournament at Survivor Series, where the Rock captured his first WWF Championship and the escalation of Austin’s war with the McMahons. As for Kane, it would take ten years for him to win another World Championship when he captured the revived Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) title at WrestleMania XXIV, and twelve years before he became a WWE Champion again, with him finally besting his brother in a heated rivalry over the World Heavyweight Championship at the 2010 Bragging Rights event.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

What did you think to Kane’s anti-climactic title win at King of the Ring 1998? Were you surprised when Kane won or did you really think he was going to set himself on fire? Do you think it was a mistake to air this match after the Hell in the Cell match? What did you think to Kane dropping the title the very next night? How are you celebrating Kane’s debut this year? What are some of your favourite matches and moments from Kane’s long and complex career? Whatever your thoughts, drop a comment below to let me know what you think about Kane, and go support me on Ko-Fi.

Movie Night: Bram Stoker’s Dracula

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Released: 13 December 1992
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Budget: $40 million
Stars: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, Richard E. Grant, Billy Campbell, and Anthony Hopkins

The Plot:
Having renounced God after the suicide of his love, ruthless vampire Count Vlad Dracula (Oldman) travels to London to seduce her lookalike, Mina Harker (Ryder), indulging his bloodlust and inspiring a rag-tag band of would-be vampire killers to stand against him.

The Background:
Inspired by Irish folklore and age-old vampire myths, Bram Stoker’s Lord of Vampires undeniably popularised the vampire as we know it today and inspired many critical and academic discussions. About thirty years after the book was published, World War I infantryman Bela Lugosi first embodied the role of Dracula for a stage production, eventually transitioning to the silver screen for Tod Browning’s horror classic before the legendary Christopher Lee made the role his own in 1958. After decades of reinterpretations and filmic appearances, Dracula lived again in 1992 thanks to the efforts of star Winona Ryder, who brought James V. Hart’s screenplay to director Francis Ford Coppola as a project for them both. Attracted to the haunting, disturbing sensual nature of the material, Coppola agreed and Gary Oldman jumped at the chance to work with the prolific director, who spared no expensive crafting the film’s ornate costumes. Veteran production artist Mentor Huebner and even comic book writer and artist Mike Mignola worked on the film’s extensive storyboards while hair and makeup designer Michèle Burke crafted Oldman’s signature look. After Christian Slater turned down the Jonathan Harker role, Keanu Reeves stepped in, though his hard work to convey a British accent drew much criticism. Oldman apparently lost himself in the sexuality and intensity of the role so completely that fell out with Ryder for a while and Coppola’s eccentric demands drew some criticism at the time. Finally, Coppola also insisted on utilising practical, in-camera, and old-school special effects technique utilising forced perspectives, miniature effects, and matte paintings. Opening at number one at the US box office and with a final gross of over $215 million, the award winning Bram Stoker’s Dracula was largely praised as a visual masterpiece. While many criticised some of the performances and its overly dramatic elements, just as many praised it as a tragic, alluring mixture of romance and horror, lauding Oldman’s performance and the tangible nature of its presentation.

The Review:
Bram Stoker’s Dracula mixes folklore, fiction, and history to present the titular Lord of Vampires as having started life as a Vlad III Drăculea, a warrior for the Romanian Orthodox Church, a commander and soldier so ruthless and bloodthirsty that he single-handedly slaughtered many in the Ottoman Empire and impaled their bodies and heads on pikes as a way to destroy their moral. Back in 1492, Dracula’s campaign against the Turks was seen as a righteous one, fought to defend his church in the name of almighty God, who Dracula praised and devoted himself to above all else save his beloved wife, Elisabeta (Ryder). However, while Dracula was successful in slaughtering his enemies, Elisabeta took her life after receiving false reports of his death, unable to face living life without her husband. Upon discovering this, and learning that Elisabeta’s suicide had damned her soul, Dracula cursed and renounced God, desecrating the chapel and drinking a strange blood spewing from its altar. In the process, Dracula became the first vampire, an undead thing with powers over the elements (he conjures great storms and winds), dominion over the “children of the night” (wolves, rats, and such), and the ability to transform into a monstrous bat-like form, mist, and rats. Contrary to most popular depictions, Dracula is merely weakened by sunlight, though he does draw strength from the cursed soil of his homeland, Transylvania, and renew himself by drinking the blood of his victims. Yet, Dracula spends four centuries isolated in his decrepit, ominous castle on the outskirts of a nearby village with only his lustful, ravenous concubines (Florina Kendrick, Michaela Bercu, and Monica Bellucci) for company, presumably terrorising and feeding upon the locals whenever the thirst or fancy takes over. When the film jumps ahead to 1897, however, visits to Transylvanian to liaise with the mysterious Count have driven solicitor R. M. Renfield (Tom Waits) insane, leaving him in the care of Doctor Jack Seward (Grant), who’s both disgusted and amazed by Renfield’s hunger for flies and mad rantings about his “master”.

When Dracula pays a visit to London, he terrorises the aristocracy with his perverse lusts.

Since Dracula wishes to purchase properties around London and represents a substantial investment, Renfield’s duties are passed to fresh-faced, well-spoken, and somewhat frigid solicitor Jonathan Harker (Reeves). Though his fiancée, Wilhelmina “Mina” Murray, is saddened to hear he will be gone for some time, eager to consummate their marriage, she recognises that this is a big opportunity for Harker and takes solace in his frequent correspondence. Though well-mannered and good-natured, Harker is unnerved by Transylvania, where wolves freely wander, darkness looms ominously, and his client is prone to bizarre outbursts. Dracula treats Harker as a guest, welcoming and feeding him and expressing his desire to be amongst civilisation once more, but is erratic and eccentric, lamenting his cursed family bloodline, driven to a frenzy by the sight and smell of blood, and generally testing Harker’s civil nature. While I love Keanu Reeves, he is dreadful in this role, delivering perhaps the worst British accent I’ve ever heard and appearing lost and confused. This is a case where it might’ve been better to let him use his natural accent, if only to make his line readings less awkward, but that wouldn’t have helped with his awful haircut/wig and robotic tone. Harker’s effectively held prisoner in Dracula’s castle, feasted upon by his brides for at least a month before he finds the willpower and courage to escape and being left severely traumatised. While pining for her love, Mina takes solace in the courtship of her dear friend, the promiscuous Lucy Westenra (Sadie Frost), giggling over sex acts while Lucy flits between her suitors, Dr. Seward, wealthy Lord Arthur Holmwood (Cary Elwes), and gunslinger Quincey P. Morris (Campbell). Though she settles on Holmwood (presumably for the financial security, accustomed as she is to such a lifestyle), the other two continue to hang around and curry her favour, forming first a dysfunctional friendship and then a rag-tag group of vampire hunters when the peculiar Professor Abraham Van Helsing (Hopkins) alerts them to the vampire’s threat.

While Mina succumbs to Dracula’s charm and Harker’s tortured, Van Helsing offers his expertise.

Betrayed by his faith, Dracula is presented as a far more tragic and sympathetic figure. Upon seeing Mina’s photograph, Dracula alters his plans for London to include seeing his reincarnated love, mercilessly slaughtering the crew of the Demeter to restore his youth. Unlike other adaptations of Dracula, where he integrates into London society and socialises with Dr. Seward and the others, Dracula is a largely enigmatic figure once he reaches Ol’ Blighty. Appearing as a peculiar foreign prince, Dracula stalks Mina through the streets, using his hypnotic and persuasive powers to entrance her and slowly unearth her forgotten memories of their past life and love. Though initially rude towards him, Mina comes to be captivated by Dracula and begins a love affair in Jonathan’s absence, naturally unaware that her handsome prince has been feeding upon Lucy in the night as a wolf-beast. However, when she receives word of Jonathan’s condition, Mina goes to him, encouraged by her sick friend, to rekindle their love and get married, though it’s obvious that her feelings have changed and that her thoughts constantly drift to her passionate and mysterious prince. When Lucy’s condition worsens and defies Dr. Seward’s expertise, he calls Van Helsing for aid, only for the outlandishly blunt priest to conclude that she’s been targeted by Nosferatu, a subject he’s well versed on. Although Van Helsing tries to stave off the infection with a questionable blood transfusion, Mina’s beset by a fever, constantly wandering off in a daze, and undergoes radical personality changes, resembling Dracula’s ever-horny, ever-hungry brides and quickly making believers out of Lucy’s bemused suitors.

Dracula is depicted as a demonic, yet ferociously tragic and aggressively sexual romantic figure.

Jonathan’s return to London confirms Van Helsing’s worst fears, that Dracula himself is amongst them, and he leads the fledgling vampire to hunters to “where the basturd sleeps” so they can destroy Dracula’s cursed soil. However, Dracula is agonised when Mina breaks off their tryst, conjuring violent winds and fully transforming Mina into a vampire out of spite. This process sees her rise as an undead seductress with the same unnerving taste for children as Dracula’s concubines. While Dr. Seward, Quincey, and Holmwood falter against Lucy’s monstrously sexual transformation, Van Helsing leads the charge, wielding a holy cross and easily placing Lucy into a vulnerable slumber so she can be staked and decapitated. While Jonathan is startled about how blasé Van Helsing is about this, he eagerly joins their cause to deal a measure of revenge against Dracula, who murders Renfield for running his mouth to Mina before appearing before her, all pretence dropped. Although Mina is horrified and angered to learn that her lover murdered her best friend, she cannot deny her feelings for him or the strength of her vague memories and begs to be with him, forever. While elated to hear this and desperate to inflict his curse upon her to be reunited with his lost love, Dracula hesitates at the last second, unable to bring himself to watch her suffer from eternal torment as he has. However, horny little minx that she is, Mina refuses to listen and gladly, hungrily drinks his blood in an explicitly sexual act that sees her undergo a similar transformation to Mina. This means that she constantly interferes with the hunters’ attempts to intercept and destroy Dracula when he flees to Transylvania, attempting to seduce Van Helsing and even holding her husband at bay with a rifle to defend her dying love, having willingly sacrificed her humanity for some real passion in her life.

The Nitty-Gritty:
Since I haven’t read the original book, I’m not really qualified to comment on how accurate an adaptation Bram Stoker’s Dracula is. However, from what I’ve heard, it’s one of the most faithful retellings and I did like that the film incorporated voice overs and diary entries to mimic the book’s epistolary nature. Dracula is undeniably a vastly different character to other, more popular depictions, appearing as a once proud and seemingly noble (if ruthless) soldier who slaughtered armies in the name of his God. He cherished Elisabeta more than anything in the world and felt betrayed when the church turned on him after his many years of faithful service, renouncing God since he’d forever be denied his love even in death due to her damning her soul through suicide. His quest to London thus becomes a desperate desire to reunite with Elisabeta, who’s seemingly been reincarnated in Mina, and he wastes no time in captivating and wooing her. Whereas Jonathan is reluctant to give in to carnal desires, Dracula is an extremely passionate man whose romantic way with words entrance Mina as much as his hypnotic gaze and the shadows of her former life. While he’s overjoyed to reunite with his love, Dracula hesitates to subject her to his curse, knowing it cannot be undone and will lead to eternal earthly damnation for them both. Interestingly, he doesn’t spare this same concern for his other concubines or show mercy to the children he regularly feasts on, but these are apparently secondary concerns for the lovelorn Mina, who’s so desperate to get laid that she gleefully renounces her humanity. And make no mistake about it, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is the horniest, sexiest adaptation of the text you’ll ever see! Lucy is super horny for all her suitors, Dracula’s many attacks are framed as blatantly sexual acts, the vampire brides all exude succubus energy, and then there’s the scene where Mina drinks Dracula’s blood and he reacts with orgasmic pleasure!

Despite some impressive visuals, the monster designs are questionable, at best.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula may also be the most visually impressive version of the book. It’s clear that the filmmakers spared no expensive on the elaborate costumes and sets, with the woman, especially, being strapped into extravagant gowns and the men all dressed in their finest regalia. While I dig Dracula’s beehive hairdo and opulent robes, I do question the design of his blood red armour, which seems awfully devilish for a man of God and also looks far too much like heavy leather for my tastes. The film uses practical effects and traditional optical trickery to fantastic effect to overlay miniatures with backgrounds and diary entries and project Dracula’s gaze into the storm clouds. The film is surprisingly sparing with the gore, but it makes quite an impression when it does appear, with arterial spray drenching drapes, Lucy spewing up blood when Van Helsing shoves a cross in her face, and heads flying after being severed by the vampire hunters. Dracula has quite a few forms here, though some are better than others. His aged, withered appearance is one of my favourites, though his youthful guise makes the girls wet and his unnerving mist proves suitably deadly to the rabid Renfield. Sadly, Dracula’s monstrous forms leave a lot to be desired, his man-bat form is the superior of the two, but even this looks awkward and uncomfortable, especially as his arms are literally bent-back wings. His wolf-man form is even worse, however, appearing very fake and shaggy looking, with only the facial prosthetics and his unsettling sexual attack saving it from being ludicrous. Dracula’s decaying appearing in the finale is far more striking, as is his mysterious horseman and the techniques used to show him and his concubines moving with unnatural grace. Unfortunately, little of this keeps the film from being an absolute slog to sit through. At just over two hours long, Bram Stoker’s Dracula sure does drag things out, inflating its runtime with bizarre editing choices and unnecessary cutaways and perhaps sticking a little too close to the text for its own good.

Thankfully, the entranced Mina ends Dracula’s torment, and mine, by ending this dull movie.

Thanks to Jonathan, Van Helsing and the others destroy all but one of Dracula’s boxes of earth. When his seduction of Mina is interrupted, Dracula’s forced to flee to Transylvania in his last box, his powers fading and his appearance quickly degenerating, to regain his strength. Van Helsing leads his group in intercepting Dracula, bizarrely taking Mina with them despite her being less of a liability in London. While Harker and the others try to cut off the gypsy slaves transporting Dracula’s carriage, Van Helsing and Mina head directly for his castle, with the eccentric vampire expert desperately fending off the brides with his flaming torch and subduing Mina with a communion wafer when they try to seduce and bite him. When the brides kill their horses, Van Helsing takes a swift revenge and claims their heads before joining up with the others at Dracula’s castle. Although Quincey is fatally stabbed in the hectic fracas, he does stab the decaying Dracula through the heart and Harker gets a measure of revenge by slitting the Count’s throat. However, Mina stops them from finishing off the monstrous abomination and Harker and Van Helsing reluctantly allow her to get Dracula into the chapel where he once turned his back on God. There, the demonic Dracula shares a kiss with his beloved and is amazed when the chapel undergoes a supernatural restoration; the candles ignite and the cross he disgraced repairs itself, restoring Dracula to his youth. However, he’s still mortally wounded and, with his dying breath, Dracula begs Mina to bring him peace. Although she’s heartbroken, Mina agrees to end his suffering and stake shim through the heart before decapitating him, undoing the curse inflicted upon her and seemingly allowing Dracula to reunite with Elisabeta in the afterlife.

The Summary:
I’m going to be honest and say I’ve never liked Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I never watch it because I remember it being a long, boring, overly stylised affair with some atrocious performances. And that isn’t just a knock against Keanu Reeves, either, as Winona Ryder and Sadie Frost are just as bad with their accents and delivery. Hell, even Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins are hamming it up, though I at least give them credit for bringing a Shakespearean gravitas to this tediously dull movie. While I’m sure Bram Stoker’s Dracula is exceedingly faithful to the book, there’s something to be said for condensing the text when making an adaptation. For example, did we really need Dr. Seward, Holmwood, and Quincey all in the film? I feel it would’ve been far simpler to combine them into Dr. Seward for the sake of brevity. Additionally, we spend way too long in Dracula’s castle with him, Harker, and the brides. Like, I get it; Dracula’s manipulated Harker and imprisoned him there, but this sequence goes on for what feels like an age and yet the Demeter scenes are a glorified montage? I did like how tragic and human Dracula is, with him depicted as a disgraced former believer who’s spent centuries yearning for his lost love and yet hesitates to afflict her with his curse as it’s been such a tortured unlife for him. Paradoxically, Dracula is still a monstrous fiend who feasts upon innocent souls (and children) to prolong his life and make others suffer for his own amusement. While the film is undeniably beautiful and the old-school filmmaking techniques are appreciated, giving the film a tangible quality that makes it seem like a big-budget stage play, Dracula’s monstrous forms leave a lot to be desired. His man-bat form is a major disappointment and the man-wolf effects are laughable, though it is intriguing how sexually aggressive the film is, explicitly depicted Dracula’s attacks as sexual misdeeds. It may be the most faithful adaptation of Stoker’s text, but Bram Stoker’s Dracula is just too tedious for me to rate much higher. I dreaded revisiting it for this review and hoped my opinion would’ve changed, but it’s just as dull and painful to sit through as ever, despite its strong visuals and atmosphere.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

Are you a fan of Bram Stoker’s Dracula? If you’ve read the book, how faithful is this adaptation and would you say it stuck too close to the text in some areas? Do you agree that the film is too long or were you captivated by the gothic atmosphere? What did you think to Gary Oldman’s performance and Keanu Reeves’s atrocious accent? Which adaptation of Dracula is your favourite and how are you celebrating Halloween this year? Tell me I’m wrong about Bram Stoker’s Dracula in the comments, read my other horror reviews, and donate to my Ko-Fi if you want to see more Dracula content.

Movie Night: Dracula (1931)

Dr. K5 Comments

Released: 14 February 1931
Director: Tod Browning
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Budget: $341,191
Stars: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye, and Edward Van Sloan

The Plot:
When R.M. Renfield (Frye) travels to Transylvania to oversee the purchase of a London abbey to the enigmatic Count Dracula (Lugosi), he unwittingly facilitates the malicious vampire lord’s trip to London, where he terrorises beautiful maiden Mina Harker (Chandler).

The Background:
In 1897, the literary world was introduced to Count Dracula, Lord of Vampires, courtesy of Irish author Bram Stoker. Inspired by Irish folklore and long-standing vampire myths, Dracula undeniably popularised many characteristics of vampires that are still used to this day. Dracula also inspired many critical and academic discussions regarding its narrative and subtext, becoming a literary classic, and was said to be a big hit at the time, despite its controversial content. About thirty years later, Dracula was adapted for the stage, with former World War I infantryman Bela Lugosi first assuming the role that would make (and haunt) his career. Though the production was a hit, Lugosi wasn’t the first choice for the role when Universal Pictures began producing a feature film adaptation and only got the part after accepting a significantly lower salary. Although Browning’s film was the first official film adaptation of Stoker’s novel, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (Murnau, 1922) owed its existence to Dracula, to the point that Stoker’s widow sued the filmmakers and ordered all copies to be destroyed. After acquiring the rights to the property, Universal Pictures funded what was said to be a disorganised shoot, with Lugosi alienating some cast members and Dracula stage veteran Edward Van Sloan expressing displeasure with the film. Despite some apprehension surrounding the film, Dracula was bolstered by reports of audience members fainting and it was well received by critics. Of course, nowadays, Dracula is regarded as a classic of the silver screen, with Lugosi’s portrayal being the quintessential standard of all subsequent screen Draculas. Its success not only led to additional big-screen outings for the count and a slew of horror releases from Universal Pictures, but also defined the titular character for generations.

The Review:
I think it’s important to preface this review by saying that I’ve never gotten around to reading Stoker’s Dracula. My experience with the Lord of Vampires is all based on movies and other media rather than books, so I can’t speak to Dracula’s status as an adaptation. If I had to guess, it seems it’s more an adaptation of the original stage production than the epistolary text, but I’m sure a lot of the most prominent elements of the book are represented here. Dracula is initially the story of Renfield, a painfully polite and well-to-do Englishman who travels to a morbidly superstitious town in Transylvania to oversee the sale of Carfax Abbey. Respectful and courteous to the locals, Renfield insists on meeting a midnight carriage, as arranged by his client, Count Dracula, only to be warned off by villagers. In a lengthy, awkward opening scene with many obvious insert shots, the locals react with horror at Renfield’s plan to meet Count Dracula and insist he carry a crucifix to ward off the vampires they believe live in the ominous, gothic castle. Undeterred by superstition and enthusiastic about closing the deal, Renfield maintains his composure even when Dracula’s carriage driver vanishes, his luggage is left behind, and the enigmatic count appears to pass through an enormous spider’s web. Renfield enjoys Dracula’s hospitality, complimenting his home despite it being quite dilapidated and eagerly partaking of his food and wine, only to be duped by the charismatic vampire, who easily hypnotises him with his alluring glare and then samples his blood to turn Renfield from a chirpy and pleasant solicitor into a grinning, cackling nutjob with a taste for insects and an unwavering devotion to his “master”. With Renfield’s help, Dracula not only legally secures Carfax Abbey, but also loads crates of his home soil onto the Vesta, ensuring he can maintain his full strength on the journey to London and while hobnobbing about the city as an eccentric aristocrat.

Vampire lord Dracula corrupts Renfield and heads to London to target an innocent young lady.

Once Dracula enslaves Renfield, the film juggles between the alluring count and Doctor John Seward (Herbert Bunston) and his inner circle. A renowned physician, Dr. Seward operates the sanatorium that sits alongside Carfax Abbey and where Renfield is committed after being discovered as the crazed sole survivor of the Vesta. Dr. Seward lives with his beautiful daughter, Mina, who’s engaged to his protégé, Jonathan Harker (Manners) and best friends with Lucy Weston (Frances Dade). The four are rarely seen apart, enjoying the opera together when they’re first introduced to Count Dracula, who shuns Harker and takes a shine to Lucy. Captivated by the count’s charisma, Lucy jokes to Mina of her attraction to him but quickly becomes his next victim when he enters her room and feast on her blood. Despite Dr. Seward’s best efforts, Lucy dies and Mina is left devastated, haunted by terrifying nightmares of wolves and bats. As Renfield keeps mysteriously leaving his cell, perplexing bumbling attendant Martin (Charles K. Gerrard), and ranting about all kinds of nonsense, Dr. Seward has his colleague, polymath Professor Abraham Van Helsing (Van Sloan), analyse the madman’s blood. Van Helsing concludes that Renfield has been bitten by a vampire and constantly exposits folklore about Nosferatu, who assume various animal forms, drink blood, and cast no reflection. While Harker is sceptical, Mina takes them to heart and they’re seemingly proven true when Renfield reacts violently to wolfsbane, a vampire repellent. During a tense meeting with Dracula, Van Helsing reveals that the count has no reflection and deduces that he’s their vampire, though Dr. Seward and the others are only convinced to do something other than just stand around discussing the threat after Dracula easily coaxes Mina into the garden for another suck session, eventually leading Van Helsing to give her wolfsbane for her protection.

Despite his allure and incredible powers, Dracula is surprisingly vulnerable if you know his weaknesses.

Of course, the main draw of Dracula is the titular count, played masterfully by the magnetic Bela Lugosi. A charming, gracious man with a silver tongue, Dracula oozes charisma but is as unnerving as he is appealing thanks to his raspy accent and peculiar behaviour. Dracula relishes the sound of wolves, the sight and taste of blood, and particularly enjoys getting close to his quarry, captivating with his steely gaze and wooing with his words. Van Helsing instantly distrusts Dracula and they have some tense face-offs, with the professor’s willpower resisting the count’s hypnotism and his knowledge of vampires giving the protagonists the edge. Since Dracula is vulnerable to sunlight and needs Transylvanian soil to maintain his strength, he rests in a coffin of dirt during the day but easily enters Dr. Seward’s residence by becoming the fakest bat you’ve ever seen. Dracula showcases superhuman strength but his greatest assets are his charming personality and alluring gaze, though his brides (Cornelia Thaw, Dorothy Tree, and Geraldine Dvorak) flinch at his command and he clearly instils fear in the locals. This fear isn’t felt by Dr. Seward and the others since they see him as a polite, if eccentric, foreign count, and isn’t felt by Van Helsing, who’s clearly wise to the vampire’s tricks. Unfortunately, many of these are kept offscreen, merely told by Harker and Renfield, because of the limitations of the time. I was also a bit unclear about what Dracula’s endgame was. He buys Carfax Abbey and targets Dr. Seward and his wards, but I’m not sure why? I guess to spread his wings beyond his stuffy old castle but it’s not clear why he targets Mina beyond enjoying torturing Harker and turning something innocent into an abomination, as he did Renfield, who spends the film conflicted and wrestling with his loyalties and his wish to die without blood on his hands. Lugosi plays the role so well that it’s easy to forget these criticisms, but it was frustrating seeing everyone just standing around or him just glaring at people or randomly being inserted into shots to show him lurking on the grounds.

The Nitty-Gritty:
I usually cut black and white films a lot of slack. It was a different time with many limitations compared to today, where almost anything is possible in cinema. Therefore, I can forgive the obvious sets and painted backgrounds, and the slight imperfections in the camera movements and film quality. This extends to the few special effects, such as cutting to Renfield’s reaction rather than showing Dracula pass through the web, having Harker describe the wolf running across their grounds, and Renfield’s mad rant about the “thousands … millions!” of rats promised to him by his master. Dracula’s bat form is silly, for sure, but the effort put into Lugosi’s costume and lighting his eyes is impressive, even if his close-ups often feel awkward and out of place. Dracula gets ambitious by using a passable model ship for the Vesta’s trip (though some water effects over Lugosi would’ve helped sell the sequence) but strangely relies on voice overs to describe the massacre Dracula leaves on the ship. I did like how theatrical the whole production was, which isn’t surprising considering the time period and Lugosi’s experience portraying the role on stage, with the actors (especially Dwight Frye) largely overacting and chewing the scenery. I do feel Dracula suffers from a lack of music, though, as the film basically has no soundtrack and some scenes would’ve greatly benefitted from some ominous tunes. Dracula, especially, needed a haunting theme accompanying him and some ambient music would’ve really helped to liven up the film’s many dull exposition scenes.

Dracula’s brief and confusing rampage is easily ended when Van Helsing stakes him in his sleep…

Despite Van Helsing’s best efforts, Mina falls under Dracula’s spell, confessing to Harker that she’s becoming a creature of the night and breaking off their engagement. While Van Helsing is unflinching against Dracula’s threats, Mina’s maid (Joan Standing) is easily coerced into removing the wolfsbane from the entranced girl and spiriting her away. Luckily for her, Harker and Van Helsing spot Renfield fleeing to Carfax Abbey (although, honestly, where else would Dracula be?) and they pursue the crazed lunatic. This leads to a tragic end for Renfield as Dracula is incensed that his witless minion has betrayed his location (though…again…that should be the first place anyone would look!) and, despite Renfield begging to be tortured or punished, the sad fool is nonchalantly tossed down a flight of stairs to his death. While you might expect a tense showdown between Dracula and Harker, or perhaps a battle of wits between the count and Van Helsing, with the two perhaps buying time to expose Dracula to the rising sun and turn him to ash, the finale is far more disappointing. Dracula flees into Carfax Abbey with Mina in his arms and Harker and Van Helsing muddle about in search of him, knowing full well that he must rest in his coffin to avoid the rising sun. Van Helsing also knows that the only way to kill a vampire is with a wooden stake through the heart, so he improvises such an implement from the dilapidated abbey and the two stumble upon a coffin. While Mina isn’t inside, Dracula is, already fast sleep despite mere minutes passing, allowing Van Helsing to easily stake him to death with no resistance or the count’s death even being shown onscreen. Harker then finds Mina, who conveniently returns to normal, and the film abruptly and anticlimactically ends with the firm belief that Count Dracula has been destroyed forever.

The Summary:
Dracula’s never really been a favourite of mine. Out of all the classic gothic horror novels and all the Universal Monsters films, I can think of at least three others I’d rather watch or read than this one. Dracula lives and dies by the allure of its main star, the enigmatic Bela Lugosi, who brings an unmistakable gravitas to the role (and the screen) every time he appears. The man embodied the role so perfectly that it set the standard not just for future portrayals of Dracula, but most vampire characters (especially their leaders). Charming, sophisticated, and with a glare that can chill to the bone, Lugosi’s Dracula commands the screen and effortlessly woos all around him. Except, of course, for Van Helsing, played with stoic confidence by Edward Van Sloan as the natural foil to the malicious count. Honestly, I wish we’d gotten more interactions between these two in a battle of wits and wills as Van Helsing employed his vast knowledge to reveal Dracula’s true nature. Instead, we get a lot of sitting and standing around as characters describe stuff I would’ve loved to see, reiterate the plot or discuss vampire lore, or wonder what’s to do in their quirky, oh-so-British way. Dracula is visually impressive at times, especially the Castle Dracula set, though obviously its effects and techniques are painfully dated these days. The film touches upon the fear of the unknown, of being preyed upon by a conniving and manipulative, lustful predator, and Dracula’s tortured immortality but never fully commits. Similarly, the film’s ending seems to be very different and far less grandiose than the book’s, which definitely hurts it as it just…ends, leaving you unfulfilled. Ultimately, no one (least of all me) is denying the cultural significance of Dracula, but I absolutely feel it’s lacking in ways other Universal Monsters movies aren’t. Watch it to witness history but don’t expect much to hold your attention, especially if Lugosi isn’t on the screen.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

Are you a fan of the 1931 big-screen adaptation of Dracula? If you’ve read the book, what did you think to the changes it made and the elements it brought to life? Do you agree that the film drags in the middle or were you as captivated by the narrative as Mina was by Dracula? What did you think to Bela Lugosi’s performance and would you agree that he’s the standard all Draculas should be compared to? Which adaptation of Dracula, or Universal Monsters movie, is your favourite? How are you celebrating Halloween this year? Let me know your thoughts on Dracula down in the comments, go read my other horror reviews, and donate to my Ko-Fi if you want to see more Dracula content.

Game Corner: Doom (2016; Xbox Series X)

Dr. K1 Comment

Released: 4 August 2020 
Originally Released: 13 May 2016
Developer: id Software 
Also Available For: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series S

The Background:
First-person shooters (FPS) existed before Doom (ibid, 1993), but that celebrated title popularised the genre with its online “Deathmatches” and multiple ports. Although sparking much controversy, Doom was incredibly successful and this translated into a bigger, equally successful Doom II (ibid, 1994). It then took ten years for id Software to release Doom 3 (ibid, 2004), a more story-focused title that was celebrated for its claustrophobic atmosphere and gory combat. Following this, id Software tried to launch a new FPS series with Rage (2011) and outsource a fourth Doom as they had with their Wolfenstein franchise (Various, 1981 to 2019), a difficult proposition that Bethesda Softworks revised after purchasing id Software. Originally set on Earth as a spin on Doom II, Doom 4 struggled to build momentum and was eventually retooled into a series reboot. Now simply titled Doom, the game sought to emphasise fast-paced combat rather than story, taking inspiration from the bloody action/horror movies of the 1980s and rewarding bloodthirsty players. Lauded as one of the best games of 2016, Doom received top scores from critics, who praised the gory visuals, heavy metal soundtrack, and action-orientated gameplay. Doom was further bolstered by three packs of downloadable content (DLC) that added extra content to the uncharacteristically divisive multiplayer mode, all of which was later bundled alongside the first three games in one handy collection. Having successfully revitalised the franchise, Doom was followed by an even bigger, widely praised sequel in 2020 and a fantasy-orientated prequel in 2025.

The Plot:
In the far future, crippled Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC) researcher Olivia Pierce opens a portal to Hell to enslave humanity, prompting UAC cyborg scientist Doctor Samuel Hayden to awaken the legendary Doom Slayer to combat the invading demons.

Gameplay and Power-Ups:
Unsurprisingly, Doom is a first-person shooter in which you assume the role of the legendary Doom Slayer, a mute, violent warrior greatly feared by the demons of Hell. Before beginning Doom, you may wish to tweak the game’s settings. Alongside the standard difficulty modes, you can change the heads-up display, crosshair, compass and objective display, and even the position of your weapons. Naturally, the game’s controls are equally adjustable, but the default settings are perfectly fine. You jump with A (eventually upgrading to a double jump), crouch with B, and switch to the chainsaw or Big Fucking Gun/BFG with X and Y, respectively, once you acquire them. Pressing the left stick activates photo mode to share your bloody accomplishments, while pressing the right stick interacts with consoles, switches, map stations, etc. The Right Bumper switches your weapon; holding it opens the weapon wheel and you can toggle whether you want to automatically switch to new weapons. The Right Trigger fires (no need to worry about reloading here and there’s even aim assist), the Left Bumper uses items (typically a grenade), and the Left Trigger activates your weapon’s currently equipped modification to deal additional damage. You need Medikits of different sizes and special stations to replenish health and armour pick-ups to reduce the damage you take.

Blast, tear, and slaughter your way through hordes of demons.

Health and ammo are further replenished by slaughtering demons with the chainsaw (though fuel is limited) and performing “Glory Kills”. Shooting enemies eventually stuns them, which is your prompt to press the right stick and tear them to shreds with your bare hands. Similarly, you occasionally find more traditional power-ups (Berserk, Haste, Invincibility, Quad Damage, etc) to temporarily empower you. The Doom Slayer begins with a simple pistol that boasts unlimited ammo and a charged shot modifier. You soon grab a shotgun (which can be modified with either a charged or explosive shot), the heavy assault rifle (which can be modified into a sniper rifle or to fire cluster missiles), a plasma cannon (which can emit a stun or heat blast), and my personal favourite, the Super Shotgun (which fires two shots at once). You’ll also grab a massive chaingun (which can become a sentry turret), the Gauss Cannon (a heavy-duty laser cannon that I struggled to aim), and the ever-reliable rocket launcher (which can fire homing missiles). You can toss frag grenades, siphon grenades (which replenish your health at the cost of your target’s), and distract enemies with a hologram. Enemies also attack each other, especially in Hell, and you can shoot explosive barrels to thin out their numbers. Of course, the most powerful weapon is the BFG, acquired quite late in the game, which obliterates all nearby enemies. Weapon modifications are purchased from field drones and applied using Upgrade Points earned from completing various Mission Challenges (such as finding secrets or killing certain enemies in certain ways). To master a weapon, you must perform specific kills on certain enemies (such as 50 headshots with the sniper function). Furthermore, you occasionally find dead UAC soldiers who yield Praetor Tokens that upgrade your suit to increase your resistance to environmental damage, better spot secrets, and reduce weapon charge time, amongst other buffs.

Conquer Rune Trails, activate switches, and complete tricky platforming sections.

You also find UAC crates containing Argent Cells that increase your maximum health, armour, and ammo. Various datapads contain lore about each area, weapon, and monster, and you download map data to locate secrets, such as Doom Slayer figurines. Eventually, the game introduces hidden Rune Trails that warp you to Hell and challenge you to defeat enemies or destroy barrels or other timed tasks. Completing these earns your demonic Runes; you can eventually equip and upgrade up to three of these, which offer buffs like increasing your pick-up rate, performing faster Glory Kills, and negating ammo cost when you’re at full armour. These are worth seeking out and, like each mission, can be replayed from the main menu (which also carries over your upgrades and weapons). You’ll often venture onto the rocky wastelands of Mars, but you thankfully won’t have to worry about zero gravity sections or maintaining your oxygen supply. To counteract this, you must frequently destroy demon nests to spawn increasingly difficult demons fought under lockdown. As in the classic games, you search for coloured keys and skulls and activate switches, though thankfully I never had trouble navigating even the more confusing areas. Mostly, you must simply kill everything in your way, but you’re often forced to perform some awkward platforming (without fall damage, but at risk of bottomless pits) and clambering ledges to higher areas. You must avoid being cut to ribbons by the BFG’s laser grid system, a puzzle that took me way too long to figure out (get to safety and shoot the power nodes on the energy ring…and don’t fall!) Otherwise, you’ll activate portals, overload power cores, lay demonic souls to rest, and destroy specific targets to progress. Occasionally, you use the right stick to muscle open doors or grates and be forced to battle increasingly difficult waves of seemingly never-ending demons without a checkpoint, which can get tiresome.

Presentation:
Doom wisely drops the obsession with flashlights and nigh-impenetrable darkness that dogged the third game. Every area is nicely lit and makes effective use of shadows, steam, flickering lights, and darkness to create a foreboding atmosphere. Even when you enter slick, clean, futuristic facilities, it’s not long before you see dismembered corpses, blood tails, or gripping gore plastered everywhere. These, alongside pentagrams, altars with still-beating hearts on, skewered bodies, screaming skeletons, and a bloodbath of carnage, make Doom a gore-fest for the eyes. The Doom Slayer is entirely mute and never seen in full; windows are conveniently smashed and you barely catch a glimpse of his visage, which is great as I’d much rather have a silent killer than a generic Jarhead. He’s aided by the cybernetic Dr. Hayden, who gives directions and exposition over the comms, though the Doom Slayer rarely listens to his advice. Demonic whispering and screaming add to the creep factor, while rocking music kicks in whenever demons appear. Unfortunately, while Doom runs incredibly smoothly, with short load times and highly detailed, gory environments, textures sometimes take a second to render properly, which surprised me for such a top-tier title. Still, the over-the-top gore makes up for it. Even the Doom Slayer’s death scenes see his entrails or limbs blowing off, and you’ll see demons get blown to bloody chunks with each shot, which makes the combat very satisfying.

Gore is everywhere but the game’s gothic, cosmic horror excels in the underworld.

The game’s story is as simple as the original games, but also amusingly convoluted thanks to Dr. Hayden’s constant exposition, Dr. Pierce’s manic desire to unleash Hell, and even the moments where you learn the lore of Hell. These are easily ignored in favour of the action, however, and I enjoyed the attention to detail in each area. The developers clearly drew inspiration from sci-fi/horror classics when putting the UAC facilities together, and their Mars outpost features all kinds of laboratories, offices, a monorail system, and more. Sometimes, you’ll rip limbs and even torsos off bodies to access high-level areas; you’ll activate turbines, overload the reactor core in the frigid cooling room, encounter Nests in storage facilities, and traverse large vertical shafts, hopping to gantries and walkways as you desperately try to curb the demonic infestation. While many UAC areas are still brightly lit, others are in utter disarray. Darkness and jump scares (like steam vents, pop-up holograms, and flickering consoles) make it more terrifying when enemies suddenly appear from behind walls or portals. Things take a turn towards the industrial as you venture to the less refined areas of the Mars base, encountering pistons, chasms, and more rundown areas. You’ll often be transported to Hell, like Doom 3. Hell is a desolate, warped environment made up of rocky structures, floating boulders, chains, medieval dungeons, and depraved scenes of torture and agony. With a tumult in the flaming clouds and demons lurking around every corner, Hell is where Doom really shines, especially with its gigantic skeletal remains, looming stone statues, and ominous demonic structures imbedded with depictions of Hell’s finest, like the Icon of Sin. Acid pits, tricky platforming, and torture chambers are the order of the day, with demons fighting and constantly swarming each area to keep you on your toes.

Enemies and Bosses:
As near as I can tell, all the classic Doom enemies are back and looking better than ever. Common enemies include the zombie-like Possessed, who shamble about and swipe at you, and their more demonic counterparts, the Unwilling, who are functionally the same cannon fodder. The Possessed can be soldiers and security forces wielding bio-organic hand cannons, the security variants hide behind energy shields, some are missing arms, and others have explosives strapped to them that you can use to take out multiple enemies. Imps scurry up walls and ceilings, tossing fireballs while their armoured cousins, the Hell Razer, fires concentrated energy beams. The ever-annoying Lost Souls fly at you in a shrieking kamikaze attack and are as frustrating as the bulbous Cacodemons, which float about spitting energy blasts and biting you and, for some reason, I found far more difficult to deal with in this game. You’ll also encounter the equally frustrating Summoner, a regal and effeminate demon that teleports about, fires energy waves, and must be prioritised to keep it from spawning more demons. The screaming, skeletal Revenants are also back, still packing missile launchers on their back and now leaping and flying about using a jet pack. Pinkies (and their invisible counterparts, the Spectres) are also back and equally aggravating, charging at you from behind and taking a lot of shots to be put down. These enemies are bolstered by some bigger, tougher demons who are initially introduced as mini bosses, of sorts, but quickly become regular enemies. The most common are the Hell Knights, large, brutish demons who leap in with a slam and run at you like a rhino.

Gigantic demons and near-endless swarms represent a significant difficulty spike.

Hell Knights are often joined by a Mancubus or two and their cybernetic variants; these rotund ghouls pack arm cannons that spew flames, push you back with an energy wave, or fire toxic blasts. And then there’s the Baron of Hell, a massive, horned, goat-legged monster who tosses green energy balls and stomps about. These larger enemies will have you switching to the BFG or employing a fully fuelled chainsaw, or madly spitting rockets, and make each encounter a fight for survival. It’s a good thing you’re constantly tearing through these hordes as Doom only has three boss battles. These all occur in Hell and feature big, stubborn health bars. The Cyberdemon is initially fought in the Lazarus Labs and then finished off in Hell. This gigantic demon pelts you with rockets, charges a big laser cannon, and throws energy waves that must be ducked or jumped over. It also traps you in stone walls and, like all bosses, can be stunned with the BFG and will drop resources to aid you. The Hell Guards guard the Crucible and are invulnerable within their shields, attack with a staff, erratically spin and throw fireballs, or swing a massive hammer for a gruelling two-stage fight. The damnable Spider Mastermind slashes with its metallic claws, fires a chain gun, sweeps the area with laser, erects pillars, electrifies the floor, and psychokinetically tosses boulders. Its skull-like face is its weak point, and you’ll want to stun it with the BFG and blast it up close with the Super Shotgun, keeping your distance otherwise and hoping you get lucky with its frequent and damaging attacks.

Additional Features:
Doom yields fifty-four Achievements, with six awarded simply for playing the main campaign. You can easily snag a few more by performing 200 Glory Kills, killing fifty enemies with a chainsaw, 100 more with explosive barrels, and by upgrading any of the Praetor suit categories. You’ll get additional Achievements for finding and upgrading all Runes, completing all Mission Challenges, and mastering first one and then all weapons. You can play on harder difficulties and take on the game’s more casual ‘Arcade’ mode, earning medals and Achievements for your performance, and even create and publish your own levels using the ‘SnapMap’ option (though you need an Xbox Live subscription to do this). Similarly, there is no couch co-op or multiplayer here; you need to get online to play the various deathmatches. This version includes all the DLC, allowing you to play as demons (including the new Harvester variant) and use different weapons in this mode. I couldn’t play it so I can’t speak to it, but I imagine the multiplayer offers the standard free-for-all, king of the hill, and team-based slaughter popularised by the original Doom. Finally, every stage contains a hidden room modelled after the classic Doom, old-school graphics and all, which are fun Easter Eggs even if there are no Achievements tied to these beyond finding every secret in the game.

The Summary:
After being disappointed by Doom 3, I was hesitant to get into Doom, despite hearing nothing but praise for it and its sequel. However, I was wrong to hesitate as this is a phenomenal first-person shooter that perfectly marries old-school sensibilities (an action-orientated focus) with modern gameplay mechanics. I was so relieved to find I could see what was going on, that I wasn’t wandering a pitch-black maze, and that the focus on searching for keys and alternate paths was put to the side. The focus on gory action was very satisfying; it’s fun ripping demons apart with your bare hands, shredding them with a chainsaw, and blowing them to bloody chunks with the Super Shotgun. However, it’s true that I did find the mindless combat tiresome at times. When you’re forced to fight waves of increasingly difficult demons with no checkpoints between them, it can become aggravating. However, the satisfaction of getting better skilled at dispatching these enemies and using nearby power-ups or the benefits of the chainsaw and BFG can’t be understated. I loved the gore-infested environments; it truly seemed like these idiot scientists had unleashed the furies of Hell and had their entrails painting across the walls for their efforts. The demons were monstrous and many, sporting little quirks like fleeing from you or fighting each other, and I enjoyed that you were constantly earning upgrades or motivated to master your weapon’s abilities. While the Doom title might seem derivative, it’s incredibly fitting as Doom really felt like a modern reimagining of the original games. Retaining that arcade-style accessibility with the constant euphoria of bloody combat made me happy to push on past the more troublesome sections and made this a bloody good time that I’d be happy to revisit to mop up the remaining Achievements.

My Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Fantastic

Were you a fan of Doom? Did you enjoy its modern reimagining of the original game’s simplicity? Which weapon was your favourite, and did you ever master them all? What did you think to the outrageous gore and the Glory Kills? Did you also struggle against the demon hoards and the Spider Mastermind? Did you ever play the multiplayer and, if so, how does it hold up? Whatever your thoughts on Doom, or FPS games in general, drop a comment below and go check out my other Doom reviews.

Back Issues [Venom Day]: The Amazing Spider-Man #361-363

Dr. K1 Comment

To celebrate the release of Venom: Let There Be Carnage (Serkis, 2021), Sony Pictures declared September 27 “Venom Day”, a fitting date to shine the spotlight on one of my favourite anti-heroes, who made their first full debut in May 1988 and have gone on to become one of Marvel’s most iconic characters.

Writer: David Michelinie – Artist: Mark Bagley

Story Title: “Carnage – Part One: Savage Genesis”
Published: 13 February 1993 (cover-date: April 1992)

Story Title: “Carnage – Part Two: Savage Alliance”
Published: 10 March 1993 (cover-date: May 1992)

Story Title: “Carnage – Part Three: Savage Grace!”
Published: 14 April 1993 (cover-date: June 1992)

The Background:
In 1982, Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter purchased an illustration of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in a slick black outfit from Randy Schueller for an outrageous $200, a concept that writer Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz interpreted as an alien organism following Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8. After revelling in the costume’s unique ability to form both clothing and organic webbing, Spidey was aghast when Doctor Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic revealed it was a sentient symbiote and quickly rid himself of the parasite using a cacophony of church bells. Throughout 1988, Peter was stalked and attacked by a mysterious assailant who turned out to be disgruntled reporter Eddie Brock, now bonded to the symbiote to form Venom, Spider-Man’s dark doppelgänger. An immediate favourite of mine, Venom has had many hosts over the years and undergone many changes, but took their first step towards becoming a more virtuous (if violent) “lethal protector” when they set aside their vendetta against Spider-Man to battle their more dangerous offspring, Cletus Kasady/Carnage. First teased in The Amazing Spider-Man #345 and allegedly dubbed “Chaos” and “Ravage” before assistant editor Eric Fein suggested “Carnage”, writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley specifically designed Carnage to be a more sadistic counterpart to Venom, one whose symbiosis was so complete that Kasady and the symbiote were in total unity. Heavily influenced by the Joker, Carnage has long been a fan favourite and has repeatedly returned (even from death) to perpetrated some truly deplorable acts, from slaughtering thousands during the sprawling “Maximum Carnage” event (DeFalco, et al, 1993) to becoming a near-literal God! Despite Carnage’s violent nature, the character frequently appears in Spidey/Marvel videogames and, most surprisingly, cartoons, and was played with scenery-chewing relish by Woody Harrelson in Sony’s Spidey-less Venom films (Various, 2018 to 2024).

The Review:
After appearing as Eddie Brock’s psychotic cell mate, Cletus Kasady took a page out of his “old man’s” book by popping up in “asides” in The Amazing Spider-Man #359 and #360. While Spider-Man was busy dealing with Doctor Elias Wirtham/Cardiac, Cletus communed with his “other” to slaughter a guard and escape Ryker’s Island. He then looked up the stupidest name he could find and brutally suffocating Gunther “Gunny” Stein, before finally getting his first full-page reveal murdering a lab technician simply to prove that “law and order” is an illusion. Peter gets a call about this while helping his doting Aunt May, ruminating on how the killing is the latest in a spree of violent murders perpetrated by a psychopath who signs his name (“Carnage”) in blood at each crime scene. While overhearing an eyewitness, Spider-Man is horrified at the implication that Venom is back to their old, murderous ways, despite Eddie living in peace in the mistaken belief that Peter is dead. When he shares these concerns with his highly strung actress wife, Mary Jane Watson-Parker/M.J., she begrudgingly supports him when he voices his responsibility towards subduing the symbiote he enraged. While running some background checks on Eddie, Peter becomes aware of Cletus and is disturbed by his rap sheet: eleven murders, suspected of a dozen more, and potentially burned down the orphanage he was raised in and bashed in an employee’s head in the process. Though alarmed, Peter questions punks, hookers, landladies, and more about Cletus to confirm he’s a twisted sadist who charms with a silver tongue and kills without a thought.

When a violent new symbiote comes to town, Spidey’s forced to team up with Venom!

Theorising that Cletus feels a kinship to the orphanage, Spidey finds Cletus there, naked before a small fire and talking to a stuffed teddy bear! Spider-Man’s unease turns to terror when Cletus transforms into a blood red-and-black symbiotic lifeform and attacks with unexpected speed and strength. Like Venom, Carnage doesn’t set off Spidey’s “spider-sense” but can Carnage uniquely extend and solidify his alien appendages. Overwhelmed by Carnage’s power and confused as to how the symbiote bonded with Cletus, Spidey is stunned when Carnage tosses temporary axe-like projectiles! When two cops investigate, Spider-Man gains a temporary reprieve, only to be incensed when Carnage callously tosses dart-like pieces of himself at a patrolmen, leaving him clinging to life. This distraction allows Carnage to flee, leaving a parting message in his own blood that unnerves the web-slinger. Obsessed with tracking Carnage, Peter decides that the only way to defeat Carnage is to team up with Venom! After catching a lift from Johnny Storm/The Human Torch and retrieving Mr. Fantastic’s sonic gun, Spidey heads to the remote island where he left Eddie, surprising and enraging Venom. Despite the pain caused by the sonic gun and the Human Torch’s flames, Venom almost drowns Johnny before he desperately activates his “nova flame”. Spidey and Venom repeat their earlier fight at the abandoned mining village, with Venom getting the drop on him with their invisibility, before the Human Torch blasts them with the sonic gun. Despite the agony, and his hatred of Spider-Man, Eddie is furious to learn that Carnage is killing innocents. He also reveals that the symbiotes produce asexually and that they have no interest in traditional concepts of “family”, explaining why his “other” didn’t mention that it had reproduced.

Carnage’s disregard for life sees him target random innocents and those who champion order.

Venom also theorises that Carnage’s lineage and Earth’s environment has altered his symbiote, and that Kasady’s warped personality makes him extremely dangerous. Venom also demands their freedom in return for their help and Spider-Man’s forced to agree. Although Johnny’s unnerved, he flies them back to New York City, where Venom follows their unique connection. Meanwhile, Carnage attacks wealthy Robert Sutcliff, brutalising his guards and tossing his helicopter off the roof (with Sutcliff in it!), simply for jokes. Asserting full control over the union, Cletus eschews logic to return to Sutcliff’s domicile, where he’s confronted by Spidey and Venom. Despite Carnage’s offer to team up and fillet Spider-Man, Venom attacks but, even with Spidey’s added strength, is no match for Carnage. The scuffle sees Carnage endanger a baby and escape while Spidey and Venom rescue the bawling tyke. Though Carnage blocks Venom’s senses, the duo quickly figure out that the killer’s next target is the cantankerous J. Jonah Jameson and, sure enough, Carnage surprises the Daily Bugle’s editor’s latest tirade. Despite him claiming to be “to important to die”, Carnage sees Jonah as the self-appointed bastion of “law an’ order”, the very things he strives to destroy. Thus, it only makes sense in his twisted mind that Jonah should be killed to set an example and show that the only truth is chaos carnage! Despite lashing out when Jonah reaches for a panic button, Carnage decides he’d much rather prove his point before an audience.

Spidey’s forced to make some tough decisions to end Carnage’s threat, which costs many lives.

Venom shares that Cletus was a natural loner who preferred to listen to heavy metal music than exercise (relatable!) and theorises (correctly) that Carnage has inherited both Peter and Venom’s powers. Though concerned about Venom’s own crazed morality and alarmed by Carnage’s body count, Spidey realises that Kasady plans to murder Jonah at a heavy metal concert at Madison Square Garden. When Carnage rushes the stage and kills a security guard, the braying crowd cheers him, assuming it’s part of the show, and quickly whips them into a violent mob with anti-authority rhetoric. When Spider-Man intervenes, Jonah selfishly tries to turn the situation to his advantage when Venom attacks Carnage. The fight drops into Penn Station, where Carnage slaughters innocent bystanders, keeps Spidey at bay with his darts, disrupts Venom with his stronger, “nastier” symbiote. Sensing the agony may kill Venom, Spider-Man knocks Carnage onto the live rail, but Kasady quickly recovers and targets Jonah again. While Venom tangles with their offspring, Spider-Man commandeers the venue’s sound system, setting the blasting both symbiotes with unbearable levels of sound. Despite the agony, Eddie demands Spidey keep going, correctly surmising that he’s strong enough to resist the pain. However, after Kasady collapses, his symbiote apparently evaporated, Eddie attacks Spider-Man, despite his weakened state, still convinced that Peter is evil. Luckily, Mr. Fantastic and the Human Torch arrive and subdue Venom, proving that Spidey never planned to honour their bargain. Not only does this convince Venom that Spidey’s no hero, Jonah’s also, incredibly, critical of Spider-Man for breaking his word, leading Spidey to lash out at the publisher and leave conflicted.

The Summary:
There’s no doubt that, by this time, Mark Bagley was the quintessential symbiote Spider-Man artist. Few are as synonymous with the flowing, monstrous creatures that Bagley, who gives a fluidity and life to the creatures that makes them both captivating and terrifying. Venom’s abilities were already near limitless, allowing them to reproduce Spider-Man’s webbing and wall climbing, simulate clothing, turn invisible, and circumnavigate Peter’s spider-sense. “Carnage” expands the symbiote lore, revealing they’re largely solitary creatures who don’t care for, nurture, or even consider their offspring. In fact, Venom seems enraged at having a spawn and driven to destroy it out of an inherent sense of superiority. Not only does Carnage have all of Venom and Spider-Man’s abilities, but he’s stronger and faster than both combined and can solidify his “other” in dangerous new ways, launching darts, axes, and forming bladed appendages. He also happily chokes his victims and even endangers babies, all for a sick thrill and to prey upon his enemy’s morals. Venom theorises that Kasady’s warped mindset has infected the symbiote as much as the “alien” environment, and it was interesting to see Kasady admonishing his “other” when it tried to “lecture” him. Most obviously, Carnage refers to himself as “I” and makes all the decisions, driven by a psychotic need to destroy social order, kill at random, and show that all life (and death) is random and chaotic. In this regard, Carnage is far worse than Venom, who has a twisted sense of morality and truly believes they’re saving innocents from evildoers like Spider-Man. While Venom kills to protect others and is clearly nuts, they still strive to save lives, whereas Carnage relishes taking life and happily pushes randomers in front of traffic or thrusts them through walls simply for fun.

Carnage’s threat is so great that even Spider-Man and Venom combined have trouble defeating him.

This is apparent from Carnage’s appearance, with him seemingly formed from Kasady’s own blood, and Kasady’s decision to write warnings and messages in his blood. Portrayed as a psychotic, crazed serial killer, Kasady is also described as a polite and quiet man who pays his bills and doesn’t cause trouble. This is all a façade, however, as Kasady is deeply disturbed and clearly burned his childhood orphanage down, killing at least one person, and regresses to an unnerving, childish voice when in solitude. Kasady is almost comically without sympathy, painted as a cruel and sadistic killer who delights in causing random mayhem. Carnage is seemingly emblematic of the youth at the time, enjoying horror and heavy metal music and ranting against “the man”, to the point where a bunch of rockers are ready to kill purely on his word! Spider-Man is horrified by Kasady’s crimes, callous disregard for life, and incredible strength, which drives him to disregard M.J. and the Human Torch’s concerns and turn to Venom for help. This partnership is the highlight of the story as Venom continuously unnerves Spidey and makes him question his decision, singing “Strangers in the Night” and seemingly ready to snap at any moment. Spider-Man takes a huge risk partnering with Venom and undoing the ruse he tricked him with, but it turns out to be beneficial as Venom’s more concerned with eliminating his offspring than destroying his hated enemy. Venom proves invaluable, providing additional insight into the symbiotes, sensing Carnage’s presence, and holding the killer off so Spider-Man can think up a more permanent solution. “Carnage” doesn’t outstay its welcome (these days, it would probably be an eight-part story) but could probably have done with an extra issue to further explore Kasady’s backstory, though this would’ve unnecessarily humanised him. It’s not as deep or as impressive as other Venom or Carnage stories, but it’s a notable story for introducing one of Spidey’s most violent foes (and for its beautiful artwork!)

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think of Carnage’s violent debut? Were you a fan of Cletus Kasady or did you find him too random and crazy? Did you enjoy the team up between Spidey and Venom? Were you impressed by how different and psychotic Carnage was? What are some of your favourite Venom and Carnage stories and how are you celebrating Venom’s debut this month? Whatever your thoughts on Venom and Carnage, share them below, support me on Ko-Fi, and check out my other Venom and Spider-Man content.