31 Days of Horror 2020 Day 17 Bram Stoker's Dracula

 

TITLE-Bram Stoker's Dracula

SOURCE-Bootleg DVD made from the Laserdisc

Man this is one I haven't even thought about in years. I saw it in a theater not long after it came out. Then for a few years in the mid 90s saw it at least in part once a week. Mostly cause a friend had a copy and watched it all the time.

Then other night was talking to a friend and this film,and the subject of how it doesn't follow the book it is based on,came up. So I dug around in the media vault to see if I had a copy. Yep got a DVD-r that is a rip of the Laserdisc.

There is so much about this film that is good. It looks amazing. The sets and costumes look damn good. The score is really good. But all that goodness can't offset the bad shit.

Like how no one in the cast can deliver the lines without looking like they hate being there. Sure everyone remembers how bad Keanu was in this,and yes he is horrible. But Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder get praised when they aren't much better than Keanu.

Then you got the major flaw. Francis Ford Coppala and the fan press,like Fangoria,kept saying how this would be the first Dracula film to follow the novel. I had read the novel back in JR High and was waiting for a good adapatation of it. It isn't a good adaptation. Really it feels like Coppala had read the novel 60 years ago and just used the few parts he remembered. But all over the place was critics and fans raving about how it was "JUST LIKE THE BOOK"! 

I walked out of the theater after the film was over thinking "Wow that was a total piece of shit." And the many viewings of it since then haven't changed my mind. Really if this was called say Francis Ford Coppala's Dracula this would be a much better film. But calling it Bram Stoker's Dracula means to me I want to see a adaptation of the novel. Not Coppala changing most stuff from the novel.

Bram Stoker's Dracula gets a F+

2016 Comic Challenge 256 Texas Chainsaw Massacre Fearbook

TITLE-Texas Chainsaw Massacre Fearbook
PUBLISHER-Avatar

Ok now I see why I never see much talk about the Avatar remake based TCM comics. They all  seem to follow the same plot.

This time instead of Krug and company it is a car with some women and a hippie. Same carnage. Looks good.But after reading it once you don't wanna read it again for a bit.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Fearbook gets a pass.

2016 Comic Challenge 227 Joe Lansdale's The Drive In #01

TITLE-Joe Lansdale's The Drive In #01
PUBLISHER-Avatar

I really need to track the book this is based on down. Set in Texas,this issue is ths story of 4 friends. Who all goto the Friday night Horror movie marathon at the local Drive In.But this is no ordinary drive in,it can hold 4 thousand cars. Has 6 screens.

Then during the second film a comet streaks across the sky.Instead of hitting the ground it turns away at the last minute. The drive in is surrounded by a pudding like fog.The people quickly discover that anyone that enters the fog doesn't come back.So with that revelation the issue ends.

I read this mini a few years ago. After getting the 2nd or 3rd issue in a big random lot of comics I won on Ebay.

Joe Lansdale's The Drive In #01 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 218 Crossed Badlands #100

TITLE-Crossed Badlands #100
PUBLISHER-Avatar

Yeah I know  I never posted a review of issue 99. Really because while it was good all I had to say about it was what I had been saying for the past few issues. This story seemed to be building up to this big reveal.

Well we don't get that. In this extra long issue there is the normal length story. Then the rest of the issue is piles of Jacen Burrows art.

The issue starts off 13 years after issue 99. Smokey and the human are sitting on a porch. Smokey's two wives show back up with supplies and stuff. It looks like my prediction this being the start of the smart Crossed we are seeing in Crossed +100 is right. Then a few pages later I find out I was wrong. Smokey's kid and wives turn on him. Thinking he is dead after a long fall into a river,the family heads up north. Where a supposed community of humans are. On the final page we see Smokey climbing out of the river. He grabs his ax and I assume he is heading off to kill his family.

Yep after what 5 issues of build up we get a total shitball ending. Nothing is resolved. I figured they would do something much bigger for the final issue of this series. Maybe they wanted it to end like how the original Garth Ennis story ended. Who knows.

Crossed Badlands #100 gets a pass.

2016 Comic Challenge 175 Crossed Badlands #098

TITLE-Crossed Badlands #98
PUBLISHER-Avatar

Smokey has run into a pair of "Smart" Crossed twins. After impregnating them he wants to move them to a safer location.

They relocate to an organic farm outside Key Largo.And Smokey scavenges all the local cities for supplies.

And finally at the end one of the twins gives birth to a boy. The final panel has Smokey smiling and holding his newborn son.

2 more issues and I am loving how it seems like we are getting a bit of Crossed history happening.

Crossed Badlands #98 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 174 Crossed Badlands #97

TITLE-Crossed Badlands #97
PUBLISHER-Avatar

Our lead Smokey is in Port Arthur Texas aka the armpit of Texas. But quickly makes his way across the  gulf coast area of Louisiana before ending up in Gulfport Mississippi.

It is in this city where Smokey and his gang attack a Navy vessel off the coast. After gaining control of it,Smokey enlists the help of a sailor. And they head off to the Florida keys. An area that supposedly has a pair of female Crossed twins that are "smart" like Smokey.

Of course seeing mention of quite a few cities I goto often or lived in made me enjoy this issue a bit more than normal. Really my only complaint is the cover. It looks wonky.

Crossed Badlands #97 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 163 Crossed Badlands #096

TITLE-Crossed Badlands #096
PUBLISHER-Avatar

Well looks like I was wrong. After last issue I figured this one would go into the beginnings of the new Crossed we see in Crosse +100. Nope doesn't happen. Smokey gets double crossed by the traitor. And a bunch of Crossed get let loose in the hospital were Smokey has been keeping the pregnant humans.

I am assuming that the next 4 issues will all be one story. But who knows. With the series ending soon...hell it has been great. With so many standout moments.

Crossed Badlands #96 gets a Buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 152 Crossed+100 #02

TITLE-Crossed+100 #02
PUBLISHER-Avatar

Our group of scavengers ends up in Memphis. And after running into a herd of elephants,they stumble upon what they think is the Governer's mansion. Which is actually Graceland. While exploring it they find another shrine like they found in Jackson.

Again Moore has dropped quite a few clues as to were this story is heading. But they are subtle. Very subtle.

Crossed+100 #02 gets a Buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 151 Crossed +100 #01

TITLE-Crossed +100 #01
PUBLISHER-Avatar

Yeah after reading Badlands 95 I wanted to go back and re-read the Moore run on  Crossed +100.

We are introduced to a group of humans 100 years after the Crossed outbreak. They are traveling by a coal powered Bus/train/wagon hybrid. And this mission is to get info. Books,films,whatever they can  find. They stumble upon a public library. And are busy gathering books when a family of Crossed attacks.And as far as they know there isn't any Crossed south of the Mason Dixon.

I love the idea of taking the already well established Crossed universe and jumping ahead 100 years. By doing this Moore also got a chance to create a new language. They use words we know. But they have new meanings now. At first it makes this a hard read. But you slowly manage to puzzle it out.

Also since I have already read this,going back I am seeing all the clues Alan Moore left us. First time reading this run I was kind of shocked at the big reveal. But now I am seeing he leaves major clues even in the first issue.

Crossed +100 #01 gets a Buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 150 Crossed Badlands #095

TITLE-Crossed Badlands #095
PUBLISHER-Avatar

So the traitor is now helping Smokey,the Crossed name for the big dude with the fireax,build a sustainable Crossed society.

And it feels to me like this story might end up being majorly connected to Crossed +100 series. Maybe we are seeing here the start of the Crossed society Alan Moore showed us in his short run.

I heard a rumor that this series is ending with issue 100. And with the way I think this will go next issue I can see maybe these last few issues used to fill in  more gaps between Badlands and +100.

Crossed Badlands #095 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 136 2001 Maniacs Special

TITLE-2001 Maniacs Special
PUBLISHER-Avatar

I discovered the 2001 Maniacs film about 6 months or so before it finally hit DVD.Someone I knew had been sent a screener DVD of it and gave it to me. I loved the film and wanted more out of this rebooting of the Hershal; Gordon Lewis gore classic.

This comic tells the story of when the town the maniacs live in was attacked by a army from the North.So we get to see the slaughter and destruction of the town. Which is a good idea. It is a nice way to fill in some gaps but also not contradict what we already know from the first film.

Tim Sullivan gets the story credit.And Raulo Caceres is credit as the artist. Pretty sure Mr Sullivan was the director of the film. Caceres I do not know. But his art has that sameness look that most art on Avatar books has.

2001 Maniacs Special gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 064 Crossed Badlands #093

TITLE-Crossed Badlands #093
PUBLISHER-Avatar

Time for a new story from Crossed Badlands. And from the cover I saw that one of my favorite Crossed has returned. I don't remember him ever getting a name. But in lots of ways he reminds me of Big Daddy from Romero's Land of the Dead.

We got a group of about 10. Who are all bunkered down in some rich survivalist hideout. Things have been pretty easy for them. Then the big dude in the fireman's coat shows up. And he quickly demostrates that he isn't your normal Crossed dumbass.

Crossed #093 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 042 Crossed Badlands #092

TITLE-Crossed Badlands #092
PUBLISHER-Avatar

I wasn't expecting this storyline to end so quickly. Usually most stories in this series run at least 3 or 4 issues.

So we go back to the comic shop. And our artist in peril is fed up with the way she is being treated. So she formulates a plan.

Gonna be honest this wrap up of the story didn't work for me. It felt really rushed. And even the art looks like it was rushed.

Crossed Badlands #092 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 016 Ferals #02

TITLE-Ferals #02
PUBLISHER-Avatar

With issue 2 our lead is now the main suspect for 3 murders. And is locked up.

Gabriel Andrade's art is even better than it was in the first issue.

While locked up the jail gets attacked by a werewolf. Our lead gets the drop on him and manages to pull out one of the lycanthrope's eyes.

We end the issue with our lead,I really need to learn his name,running out of the jail and it looks like he is slowly becoming a werewolf.

Ferals #02 gets a Borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 015 Feral #01

TITLE-Ferals #01
PUBLISHER-Avatar


Thanks to the Rock Shock Pop forums I found out about this David Lapham series from Avatar.

Set in a small town. Were there is only 3 police,Ferals is about the discovered of a dead body and the local cops trying to figure out who did it.

Our lead is a drunk,womanizing,young cop. Who near the end of the issue has one of his women attacked by a werewolf. He tries to stop it and gets his ass handed too him.

Ferals #01 gets a Borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 014 Crossed:Badlands #091

TITLE-Crossed:Badlands #91
PUBLISHER-Avatar

This is the start of a new story line. Max Bemis is back from the previous storyline. And he has come up with another interesting setup. When the Crossed outbreak happened a female indy comic creator got stuck in a shop ran by 3 Comic Book Guys.

After a few weeks they start demanding she create a weekly comic since they have already read everything in the shop.If she does she will get better treatment.

With Crossed either you like it or you don't. While some stories are much better than others,it never drops below a read for me.

Crossed:Badlands #91 gets a Buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 010 Razor-Bleeding Heart #01

TITLE-Razor Bleeding Heart #01
PUBLISHER-Avatar

OK back in the mid 90s I ended up with about 20 copies of Everett Hartsoe's Razor #1 that I got for under 50 cents each. When the bad girl craze hit I sold all but one and made enough to pay for my con trip that year.

Outside of that issue and one other I had read nothing else from Razor. Who was pretty much a 3rd rate female Crow.

This issue starts off and I get informed that Razor is now a vampire. So I am thinking OK they are changing stuff up. This might be worth the buck I paid for it a few years back.

.........

....................

Nah that didn't happen. Lightning Comic's Hellina,really I am sure no one else remembers this shitty bad girl character from 94 or so,shows up and fights Razor.

Then the book shifts into straight up "Hey you better be 18 and show ID before you buy this comic that is kept behind the counter in the short box with Omaha the cat dancer and old copies of the Cherry special Neil Gaiman wrote a story for" land. Yeah I mean I know Avatar has kind of taken the bad girl stuff to a new level. But this was Faust level perversion stuff.

And the worst part bad written and drawn 2nd and 3rd rate clone hack tripe.

Razor Bleed Heart 01 gets a Pass.

2015 Reading Challenge Book 027 Extinction Parade by Max Brooks

TITLE-The Extinction Parade
AUTHOR-Max Brooks
FORMAT-Trade Paperback
FIRST TIME READING-Yes
COST-$16.99

I was given this as a gift right before X-mas. Someone had found it at Walmart. Some quick info. This trade was published by Avatar. Who is known for their extremely violent and gory comics. With some of the stuff they publish being NC-17 levels of gore. So we were both surprised to not only find something like this at Walmart.where the only comics I see are manga,Walking Dead trades and the rare trade based on a Marvel movie. But that it was also racked with the kids books. So there was a book full of extreme gore sitting right next to Captain Underpants and Diary of a WImpy kid.I assume Walmart was carrying this because of Max Brooks.

The trade reprints the first 5 issues of this series. Set in a world where vampires and zombie exist. Our main characters are vampires. And over the first 4 issues we get the history of vampires in this world. And lots of double page spread of blood and violence. Then near the end of issue 4 one of the vampires realizes that the zombies almost outnumber the humans. And what is going to happen when all the humans are dead. So a small group of vampires start doing all they can to protect the humans.

While the idea behind this trade is interesting. It isn't executed that well. These 5 issues with some decent editing could have been 2 issues. There is way too many double page spreads that do nothing to help the story along. The art is good. But I have noticed that most stuff from Avatar has a similar look. Kind of like how in the early days most Valiant comics had a similar look. I am betting if anyone else had approached Avatar with this idea they would have been turned down. But now thanks to World War Z being a hit as a book and film Max Brooks is a big enough name that anything written by him has a good chance of selling well. If you can find this trade for $5 or less it is worth it. But at basically 17 bucks I feel like I didn't get my money's worth. Hell it took me about 15 minutes to read this. Not good,not good at all.

The Extinction Parade gets a 1.95 outta 5.