Bear

Creature Designers - The Frankenstein Complex - A documentary about special effects, but mostly horror make-up, effects and creatures. Very good, informative, interesting and entertaining. Lots of interviews with both make-up artists, special effects people and directors. Good to see some of the people lash out at Hollywood producers too, for how they use CGI and shit. But it's very balanced and manages to find positives about both practical special effects and CGI, and the nice thing is how it ends up with the conclusion that I've used for 46141 years too. CGI is a very good  assistive product for when practical effects gets too hard or technical, but it shouldn't be used as much as it is. It's exactly the same as autotune. There's a tasteful and distasteful way of using it, and sadly Hollywood anno 2018 always leans towards the latter.

Fear City - Very cool and badass Abel Ferrara flick, and as usual from him it's a "typical" cult film. It's got a nice dark and rather depressive mood to it, cool characters, nice dialogue and it looks really nice. Lots of nudity, some awesome violence and shit. Awesome film!

This is probably not quite what you are looking for as the lyrics are in English, but I'll give it a shot anyway. And it's not strictly arabic, but middle-eastern.

Karl Sanders

Solo project of Karl Sanders, best known for his work with brutal death metal band Nile. Dark middle-eastern/Egyptian ambient. Mostly instrumental tho.

Melechesh

Black/death with middle-eastern folk metal elements. Doesn't have much synth, chanting or anything, but it's very middle-eastern sounding.

Orphaned Land

Started out as a doom/death metal band with middle-eastern folk elements, but as time passed they've moved more into progressive metal territory, tho still with middle-eastern folk. Nowadays they don't have much extreme metal influences at all. Not quite as heavy or dark either. Much lighter and catchy.

This review might contain spoilers:

Avengers: Infinity War - I don't watch trailers and I don't read plot synopsis, so I did not know much about this film before watching it. I'm not the biggest fan of the Avengers films, and I thought that Captain America: Civil War was a better Avengers film than both the actual Avengers movies so far, and I expected this to be just another Avengers film. But this was actually real fun from start to finish, and I was surprised to see the Guardians of the Galaxy appear too. Suddenly we had "all and everyone" and for some reason it worked out really well. This was just miles and miles ahead of both Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Such a huge difference in quality. It's deeper, it's darker, and it's just hella lot more interesting. Great cast, lots of fun characters and to everyone's surprise, an interesting story. Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Dinklage, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Chris Pratt basically stole the show too. Funfunfunfunfunfun! I never thought I'd say I'm looking forward to an Avengers film, but I really do look forward to the next.

If You Meet Sartana... Pray for Your Death - Late 60's spaghetti western of the best kind. You know, the dark, moody and violent one, very much similar in tone to films like A Fistful of Dollars and Django. The main character are also very similar, but that's just awesome IMO. I thought this was exceptional and I am looking forward to seeing the others. Brilliant!

Aragami - Let me just start with a quote, because this was an interesting project.

Quote

Yukihiko Tsutsumi and Ryûhei Kitamura each finished their contributions to the short film anthology Jam Films (2002) in record time. As a result producer Shin'ya Kawai gave the two directors a proposal to each create a feature length movie with only two actors, battling in one setting and filmed entirely in one week. The undertaking was called the Duel Project. This was Ryuhei Kitamura's result and Yukihiko Tsutsumi's 2LDK (2003).

That is such a cool way to do things. The film is a blend of fantasy, action and horror and is quite dialogue-driven throughout as our two main characters spend a lot of time just sitting and talking. But the dialogue is fantastic, the acting is superb and the setting is real cool. It's also beautifully directed and shot, as expected from Ryûhei Kitamura (Versus, Azumi, The Midnight Meat Train, Godzilla: FInal Wars). The quote above says two actors, but that is not quite right. There's actually five actors, but for the majority of the film we're only following two of them, quite often with a girl on-screen as well. But she's not a major character or anything.

Not sure what more I can say. Thought this was super awesome and really fucking cool.

From the upcoming album, I Loved You at Your Darkest

Tracklist: 
1. Solve 
2. Wolves ov Siberia 
3. God = Dog
4. Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica 
5. Bartzabel 
6. If Crucifixion Was Not Enough… 
7. Angelvs ⅩⅢ 
8. Sabbath Mater 
9. Havohej Pantocrator 
10. Rom 5:8 
11. We Are the Next 1000 Years 
12. Coagvla 

I like this track a lot. In fact, I fucking dig it. Sounds good, and the ending with the kids give me the chills. Nice and interesting video too. Really like their recent videos and aesthetics.

Dear god, I am so happy these guys left the boring, sterile and überpolished death metal of Demigod, The Apostasy and Evangelion behind and went for a more black metal approach with The Satanist. This too sounds a lot darker, dynamic,, creative, complex and interesting than anything on Demigod, The Apostasy and Evangelion.

Envy

Dead Night - Semi-original horror flick with a new look at a familiar subject. It's got nice atmosphere, is slightly campy and looks really nice, but the story has a few small elements that puts me a bit off. Things that could've been handled better. But despite the silly rating of 4,7 on IMDB, there's nothing wrong with it. It's a good film and I can see it go on to become a proper cult film with the years. And I am pretty sure I'll enjoy it even more with several viewings.

Ghost Stories - Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson co-wrote a stage play called Ghost Stories, with Andy Nyman also starring. This time they've adapted the play for screen and directed the film themselves, with Andy Nyman also starring in the lead, just like in the stage play. On the team they've gotten Martin Freeman, Alex Lawther and Paul Whitehouse among others. The film is heavily inspired by Amicus's portmanteau films from the 60's, namely Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, Torture Garden, The House That Dripped Blood, Tales from the Crypt, Asylum, Vault of Horror and From Beyond the Grave. So in that way it's not very original, but it's still a fairly fresh and cool film. Great atmosphere throughout, cool story and it looks really good. Very much recommended!

Dark Tourist - Australian documentary-maker David Farrier travels the world to explore "dark tourism", places where people go to experience the darker stuff in life. The series starts off really good with the second episode set in Japan as the highlight, but it does have its up and downs. Episode 2, Japan,  and episode 4, The Stans, where easily my favourites. I do wish he had digged even deeper into some of the places he visits, but what can you do with limited time on your hands?

After the second episode I recommended this to my brother and called it a cheap man's Louis Theroux-knock-off. And in the last episode where he meets the Manson Family fans he more or less gets called out on that. Was hilarious! It's not quite Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends, but it's fun alright.

https://apokalypticraids.bandcamp.com/album/the-pentagram

Not sure if anyone cares, but Brazilian Hellhammer and Celtic Frost worshippers Apokalyptic Raids return with a new album after 8 years with only a few splits to their name, and it sounds awesome. They are not re-inventing the wheel or anything. They do the same they've always done, and that is to sound as much as Hellhammer as possible. Production job of the year as far as I am concerned. The guitar tone and drum sound is top notch.

xXx: Return of Xander Cage - With a cast consisting of Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen, Tony Jaa, Rory McCann, Ruby Rose, Nina Dobrev and Toni Collette, as well as a badass motherfucking cameo by Ice Cube this could never end up as anything but decent fun. This is hardly a masterpiece, and nor does it try to aim for such standards, but I thought it was fun for what it is. Doesn't quite live up to the original film, but still lots of fun. But what it lacks is well-directed action scenes. They're all cut too pieces and everything goes to fast, and as usual with non-asian directors they're not anywhere near to get the best out of Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa. Shame how non-asian directors use these stars on 15-20% of what they are capable of.

Flight of the Navigator - Alright sci-fi adventure for kids, but this lacked the element that made similar films like Explorers and E.T. so good. It was perhaps a bit too childish for my liking. Probably perfect for kids, but but not quite there for me as an adult. It was fun, but just not as fun as expected.

Sweet Country - Aussie western-crime that takes a perfect look at racism. It's deep, it's got carved out characters, fantastic performances and the beautiful Australian outback as a setting. Shame this will probably get the same treatment as other newer excellent western films such as The Proposition, The Salvation, Bone Tomahawk, Slow West and The Dark Valley and just be overlooked among the "big people". These films deserves a massive crowd!

On 6/13/2018 at 7:11 PM, Bear said:

People's thoughts on the new Rae Sremmurd, Sr3mm, Swae Lee's Swaecation and Slim Jxmmi's Jxmtro? I've only spun it once and I'm so far very impressed. Both Sr3mm and  Swaecation's got a few really good bangers (Guatemala and Powerglide are both gorgeous!). Jxmtro is solid overall, but it lacks Swea Lee's swag and sense for melody for sure. Slim Jxmmi's stil the weakest link, and it os painfully obvious on his side of things. It's not bad, and he's improved a lot. But he's still got a long way to go until he can be compared to his brother.

No opinion on this? Sr3mm and Swaecation are filled with monsterous hits made for this beautiful weather. Get out in the sun and sip some gin and tonic, drink some beer and play the poppier songs on repeat. Close, Bedtime Stories, Powerglide, Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, Heat of the Moment and Guatemala are the songs are the soundtrack to my summer so far.

This beast of a musician and song-writer just passed away today. Mark Shelton of Manilla Road. This guy WAS epic metal. Rest in peace, Riddle Master!

Death Trance - Japanese action-fantasy a bit in the vein of Shinobi and Blade of the Immortal. It feels more like a mix of Shinobi and Blade of the Immortal, but with a much more fantasy-oriented setting. Aside from the ending which felt a bit dated, this film was awesome as fuck. I really enjoyed it throughout and thought the use of older Dir en grey songs was really cool and surprisingly fitting for a movie like this. Over the top and entertaining.

Repo Man - Classic, cult and still original and unique 35 years after its release. So easy to see and understand why it has got its status as a proper cult film. It's fun, it's exciting, and it's really well-made, and it's absurd and very much punk to the core. Good stuff!

The Machine - Sci-fi drama from 2013, and much similar to Ex Machina. But where Ex Machina just goes deeper and deeper,  The Machina gets more action-oriented as the film moves along. Not quite as good as Ex Machina, but very good nonetheless.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back - First Jack Reacher surprised me a lot when it was released, but this was a let down. Decent entertainment, but lacks the elements of what made Jack Reacher so good. This is just the same old, same old and nothing more than that.

Meatball Machine - Meatball Machine is one of those sick Japanese splatter films, and unlike most other in this scene this actually deals with a lot of underlying themes mostly about love and shit. It's very much inspired by Tetsuo, but it's not quite a rip off of anything. One of the better in the genre.

Really looking forward to seeing the sequel which came last year. Looks neat!

Beyond the Black Rainbow - Nice and extremely slow-burning sci-fi horror that really takes its time. But the atmosphere is great and the film pay clear homage to other films such as Begotten and 2001: A Space Odessy. For most people this film won't make sense or anything but it's more of a film you really have to buy into to get. Or rather enjoy. You need to get the atmosphere, and if you don't you most likely won't be able to enjoy it.

The Shallows - Surprisingly good and suspenseful survival horror/thriller about a girl who needs to survive the night. It's not fantastic, but I really enjoyed it and Blake Lively are fucking superb throughout. She carries the film on her back, and she does it well.

The Lost Boys - After having fallen in love again, with Gunship's new song Dark All Day which pay homage to this in most ways, I kinda felt like watching this again. I expected it to be really disappointing after all these years, but this was much better than I remembered. At the time of its release it was a very different take on the vampire-genre and it still feels fresh and fine. Actually, I'll go as far as to say that this is one of the best vampire flicks ever. A god damned masterpiece!

This will be completely worthless.

What a song and what a video. The song, the sexy-af-saxophone by none other than sax-god himself, Tim Cappello, the video. 6/6/6/

That ending has to be among the best parts I've ever seen in a music video. Been watching this on repeat all morning.

Do you think I'd mention a visual kei band in a thread about non-visual kei bands?

Evil is a black/thrash band. Released one of the best albums in 2017.

Gnome is a mid 90's black metal who only released a couple of demos and a split. Under the Black Moon features some of the best black metal ever written tbh. One man band with Masanori "Wood"of Hurusoma.

Ghost was a psychedelic/acid/folk/experimental rock band which release a shitload of albums in the 90's and up until mid 2000's. 

Tokyo Gore Police - In 2008 special effects wizard Yoshihiro Nishimura went on to make the weirdest, goriest, craziest, most fucked up, insane and over the top splatter film ever made, and he came pretty close, unless he actually did it. TGP are filled to the extreme with blood, weird shit and even weirder shit, and just when you think it's reached the top of craziness, it gets even more crazy. I ain't gonna lie, this is easily the best film out of all the new wave of Japanese splatter films, and that is by a long shot. I'm a huge fan of this "wave" of films, and I like close to all of them, but this is just head and shoulders above the rest. It's shot and finished in just two weeks, and sure this isn't a smart film made to make you think and understand the world, universe and whatnot. But two weeks, with all the shit going on, is pretty impressive. Absolute brilliance from a man who's nothing short of a wizard.

Gothic & Lolita Psycho - Another new wave of Japanese splatter film, but not nearly as good as TGP or the second or third best films of the kind. It's over the top and nutty, and the martial arts scenes are actually really well made. But it's not crazy enough and it simply lacks blood and gore. More blood and gore would've been a huge improvement. But it's fun. Very fun!

And over to a few new films I've been looking forward to:

Dead Shack - I saw the poster of this film ages ago and I was immediately draw towards it and since then I have looked for it several times weekly. Anyway, this film takes a familiar concept and makes something unique and original from it. It's not deep and well-scripted, but it's insanely fun and filled with blood, gore, cheap dick jokes and what not. And it works! An absolute masterpiece within the realm of horror-comedies. Constantly funny, but never over the top or "light". It remains dark and atmospheric throughout. Highly fucking recommend! I need the poster on my wall.

Terrifier - Released in 2017 and most likely made to cash in on the success of the new It. But guess what, this is just light years ahead of It. In Terrifier we meet Art the Clown, the sickest, scariest and most fucked up clown I've ever seen. It's dark and violent throughout, and it's incredibly atmospheric. It doesn't have any deep ad important themes like It does, but it's a billion times more fun.

Terrifier > It

Art the Clown > Pennywise

Tragedy Girls - Another film I've been looking forward to for ages, simply because the poster caught my interest. And the film does live up to its poster. I'll actually go as far as to call this a rather intelligent and relevant take on the slasher genre. Flawed? Sure, but it's rather original for a slasher in 2018 and it really does the job. I really liked it!

Mom and Dad - Mom and Dad, a new film starring Nicolas Cage. Nicolas Cage is the God over over-acting, often so much that it becomes hilarious. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of his despite all the shit he's been in. But he has some charisma surrounding him that makes me like him. But in Mom and Dad, which he said was his favourite from the last 10 years of his career, his incredible overacting actually helps him. It works really well. He's over the top, but he manages to keep it just on line because it could easily have been a bit too much. But yeah, fun film. Crazy shit. I liked it.

This is amazing. More of this pls.

Yeah, it really is. 5000 is amazing and the chorus is just out of this world. Dear god!

Some deathrock stuff I (re-)discovered today:

Fearing

https://fearing.bandcamp.com/album/black-sand

Horror Vacui

https://horrorvacuilegion.bandcamp.com/album/return-of-the-empire

Fearing is of the darker and more sinister type, while Horror Vacui is the catchier type. I'm really impressed by both these.

Italian Spiderman - Best superhero film ever. Simple as that!

Until Death - 2007 remake of a mid-90's Hong Kong film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. It's not your regular Van Damme film. Dark crime-thriller with a really impressive Van Damme in the lead as a broken cop. Van Damme acts really well. Not a masterpiece, but it's was good.

Neon City - I expected a playful film with neon lights and shit, but it was a mediocre Mad Max clone. Meh. Disappointed!

Cherry 2000 - This is basically what I thought Neon City would be like. It's all over the fucking place, but so nice throughout. Well-written, directed and acted. Thought this was superb!

Another WolfCop - The first Wolfcop film was fun, and this is a slight step up. Silly, weird and over the top homage to the great 80's midnight cinema. Trashy and fun with bad jokes, lots of blood, some nudity and weird shit. Thumbs up for a badass poster too.

Snow White: A Tale of Terror - Proper fairy-tale horror. A dark and twisted Snow White which comes a bit closer to the original story, than the Disney film does. This come very close to being a proper masterpiece tbh. Made for TV with Sigourney Weaver and Sam Neill. Similar in tone to Tale of Tales, The Company of Wolves  and Panna a netvor. Fantastic!

Also:

This documentary is supposed to be really damn good too. Really looking forward to it.

No reactions on Immortal's new album? Dear god, it's so fucking awesome. The reviews of the albums are incredibly positive too, for those that give a damn about that shit. Lots of 6/6 and 9/10's, and it's very deserved. Massive!