Columns

The Third Circle of Bandcamp: October 2019 Edition

Charles RandallLeave a comment

third circle of Bandcamp header

Welcome to a new monthly..ish column from Charles, where he dives into his Bandcamp addiction each month and indulges in the sin of gluttony, with the intent to force-feed all. The rules and picks are completely his own and there’s no limit on what he includes; genre, quantity, or otherwise. Without further ado…

Do you miss mixtapes? I miss mixtapes.

Twenty years ago, all my music discoveries were coming from Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, a now defunct Canadian magazine that came every month with a CD full of new metal tracks. I discovered so many bands through these discs. Hell, I only just disposed of them a couple years ago; I had one of those ridiculous old giant CD binders filled with discs. So, here’s my take. Continue reading →

Chaos is Me: October 2019

VincentLeave a comment

friolento

Greetings once more, friends and readers.  Three months in and this little column is still around and kicking; this is a pretty cool accomplishment for me.  Normally my impulsive ideas lose steam by now, but I have to admit that reconnecting more fully and seriously with screamo has been a really positive experience for me.  After spending quite a few years with extreme metal being the center of my listening habits, this column feels like a return home, and I’m having a great time re-immersing myself in a genre that has always been a favorite of mine.  Hopefully you all are enjoying listening to me wax poetic as much as I am enjoying waxing it.  Without further ado, I’ve got three more albums to cover for you this time around, all from the month of October, so off we go… Continue reading →

Blood Red: Hooptober 6(66) – Week Six

ChrisLeave a comment

blood red hooptober 2019 week six

And we have come to the end, an end so momentous they let me post it during the week and not on a Sunday…nothing to do with the fact I was late, I assure you.  Anyway, the end brought a lot of great stuff…really the perfect way to end this kind of thing.  Things like the surprisingly great latest from Rob Zombie, 3 From Hell.  And one of the best films I should have seen when it was released, the rape/revenge male skewering thriller Revenge.  And the bizarre and gorgeous and slightly bonkers The Wailing.  Not to mention the solid Argento giallo Four Flies on Grey Velvet and the ultimate Karloff redemption after the dismal The Invisible Ray with the Val Lewton-produced Bedlam.

Oh, there was also the requisite Hooper film, but I got to cheat a bit so behold the Hooper/Carpenter collaboration Body Bags!

All that and I still have, in the next few days, films like Midsommar, Brightburn, and the newest iteration of Creepshow ready to go.  Enough talk – this year was a blast but it’s time to dive in! Continue reading →

Blood Red: Hooptober 6(66) – Week Five

ChrisLeave a comment

blood red hooptober 2019 week 5

Only a few more to go until we reach our final victim.  Films 21-25 had a lot to offer, from the technicolor soaked Blood and Black Lace from the grandfather of giallo Mario Bava to creepy and visually striking King/Hill adaptation of In the Tall Grass from the “we need to see much more from” Vincenzo Natali.  Godzilla makes an appearance checking off the “giant lizard” requirement in Ebirah, Horror of the Deep and If you thought Mr. Potter was mean in It’s a Wonderful Life wait until you see him mentally command miniature assassins in The Devil-Doll.  Of course, the week wouldn’t be complete without a clunker, so thank you The Invisible Ray for keeping that particular record alive and well.

Enough chit-chat.  Steer clear of the radiation and let’s jump in. Continue reading →

Blood Red: Hooptober 6(66) – Week Four

ChrisLeave a comment

blood red hooptober 6(66) - week four

It maybe nothing more than a glint in the distance, but the end of Hooptober 6(66) is in site.  And maybe it’s the chill in the air, but I’m starting to find more and more to like, whether it’s the art-heavy exploration of black identity and horror in Ganja & Hess, the finger pointing at capitalism and consumer culture in The Stuff, and even in the vampirism = art of Bliss.  Those films coupled with some of the most terrifying moments I’ve witnessed in a horror film and Cujo and what so far is my film of the year for 2019, One Cut of the Dead make for some fun watching this killer season.

So enough talk.  Check your pup for foamy lips and let’s get into this week’s films. Continue reading →