Heavy Metal Superhero, Sideshow Slaughter, Poltergeist Motel

In Dark Nights: Death Metal five-year graphic novel story arc, Wonder Woman zooms off to New Apokolips to rescue Superman from the Darkfather’s torture machine. (That guy is so mean.) But while there, the Darkseid-infected Supe grew long hair (not quite to space hippie length) and achieved lightning fast fingers that would please not only Wonder Woman but fans of thrash metal guitar solos as well. Now you can get an actual figurine of this Death Metal Superman, which comes with two faces: “smooth jazz” and “I’ll Kill Youuuuuu!”

From ShiokToys.com website: “Prime 1 Studio is extremely proud and stoked to present yet another head-banging piece, joining our Museum Masterline, the 1:3 Scale Death Metal Superman Deluxe Version from Dark Nights: Death Metal. The Death Metal Superman Deluxe Version comes with two (2) additional heads bearing different expressions as well as two (2) display headstands so that you can choose to display your Death Metal Superman with the most metal look possible, whether you want him with an angry look or a stern look, screaming or teeth clenching, this Deluxe Version has got you covered!”

Death Metal Superman’s expected release date is the second quarter of 2024, but you can pre-order it here. That’s the good news. The price, set in Malaysian currency, is MYR7,646.00. The conversion to US smackos brings it to…$1,764.80! That’ll put your wallet in a torture machine. 

So while we see if Bruce Wayne will spot us the fun coupons to get one these things, here are a few upcoming horror movies that may or may not have death metal OR space hippies in ’em…

THE UNHEARD / March 31, 2023 (Shudder™)

“After undergoing an experimental procedure to restore her damaged hearing, 20-year-old Chloe Grayden begins to suffer from auditory hallucinations seemingly related to the mysterious disappearance of her mother.”

Her damaged hearing can be blamed on listening to Motörhead. Her auditory hallucinations can also be blamed on…you guessed it — Motörhead.

WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS / Release pending, 2023 (VOD)

“Set during Depression-era America, the film follows a family of murderous sideshow performers as they travel the dying carnival circuit.”

The reason the carnival circuit is dying is because of the murderous sideshow performers. Just pointing out the obvious, here.

DADDY’S HEAD / Release pending 2023 (VOD)

“A boy and his recently widowed step mother find themselves in fear for their lives after they are visited by a disturbing creature that appears as a grotesque and horrifying version of the boy’s recently deceased father.”

If that happened to me, mom would need to buy me new pajamas.

BOOGEYMAN: REINCARNATION / Release pending 2023 (VOD)

“It’s Halloween. Jenny is babysitting a little boy at the hotel where the boy’s parents are staying. A group of friends decide to take advantage of the situation and see the opportunity to celebrate a party at the hotel. Jenny agrees. But then they are terrorized by a ghost.”

Ghosts on a budget usually terrorize motels. Ghosts with disposable income always go for hotels. That’s how you can tell ghosts from each other. That’s the way I do it, anyway.

Coffin Movies, Human Supper Club, Death Boat

Not sure what I think about this: “The Goteborg Film Festival in Sweden, beginning on January 27, 2019, will be offering up 33 “sarcophagus screenings” of Aniara, a Swedish-language apocalyptic sci-fi film.” Yeesh, what’s next — sneak previews in a gas chamber?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, eight volunteers at a time will be shut into specially made caskets outfitted with screens, speakers and air vents. Inside the coffin will be a “panic” button for anyone who gets too freaked out. 

I’d break my finger pushing that button. Points for creativity, though. As for Aniara (2018), here’s this about that: “A spaceship carrying settlers to Mars is knocked off course, causing the consumption-obsessed passengers to consider their place in the universe.” I can feel their pain — my life would be nothing if it weren’t for drunk bidding on eBay™.

Before you go hopping into any movie sarcophagus, here are a few upcoming horror/sci-fi movies/TV series that may or may not have you reaching for the panic button. And remember, it’s not the coffin they take you off in, it’s the coffin that takes you often…

FOLKLORE (February 1, 2019/ HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand)
“Folklore is HBO’s newest foray into the horror anthology genre. The series, which contains six hour-long episodes, will take place in six Asian countries including Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Each of the six episodes is based on that respective country’s folklore and mythology, which includes various supernatural beings and strange occult practices. Each episode will be helmed by a different director, with each episode filmed in the local language of that particular country.”

This one was already aired on HBO Asia on October 7, 2018. (I didn’t know Asia changed its name.) As cool as the anthology series sounds, doesn’t do me much good if each episode is filmed in its native language. Geez, I can barely speak whatever language I’m currently burping out now.

BENEATH THE LEAVES (February 8, 2019/limited theater/VOD)
“Among countless others, four small-town boys are kidnapped by James Whitley, a deranged, warm-eyed psychopath. His grotesque pursuit to reunite orphaned children with their deceased birth parents is gridlocked when the boys escape and he is arrested. Twenty years later, Whitley flees during a prison fire and decides to see his mission through. Detective Larson, one of Whitley’s prior victims — and now a cop — is removed from the case due to impartiality leaving his partner and lover, Detective Shotwell to solve the case. Fueled by rage and a chance of redemption, Detective Larson chases the steadfast psychopath on his own, only to fall back into the same trap he once escaped as a child.”

Fueled by rage. Kinda my mantra. Hope career criminal James Whitely doesn’t try to kidnap me — I’ve got a full tank.

THE CANNIBAL CLUB (March 1, 2019/limited theater/ March 5, 2019/VOD)
“Otavio and Gilda are a very wealthy couple of the Brazilian elite who have the habit of eating their employees. Otavio owns a private security company and is a notable member of The Cannibal Club. When Gilda accidentally discovers a secret from Borges, a powerful congressman and the club’s leader, her and her husband’s lives are in grave danger.”

Eating your employees — doesn’t sound too tasty, but it does cut down on having to hand out raises and buying groceries.

HARPOON (2019)
“With his perfect family and perfect upbringing, Richard appears to have it all. So when he thinks that his long-term girlfriend, Sasha and best-friend, Jonah, are having an affair, it sends him into a fit of rage that leaves Jonah a bloody mess. Once Jonah and Sasha convince Richard the allegations are false, Richard tries to buy back their trust by taking them out for a day-trip on his family’s yacht. Tension boils over once out to sea, and, to make matters worse, the yacht’s engine fails. Stranded without food and supplies, the trio must set aside their differences in order to survive.”

Can’t remember the title, but there was a Japanese horror movie with the same plot. It didn’t end well for them, either. I think they were all eaten by a giant octopus with nine arms. I could be slightly wrong about that.

The Oily Maniac Is One Crude Dude

Before he became the anti-superhero Oily Maniac, polio-crippled legal assistant Shen Yuan visits his uncle in jail just moments before being executed for defending his niece from shady thugs who want to take over land that doesn’t belong to them. Just before dying, the uncle shows Shen a tattoo on his back that, when translated, turns the invoker into a creature made of oil that has super strength. So much for keeping the floors clean.

After seeing his beloved in the arms of one of the criminals who caused his uncle’s death (she was unaware), Shen pops his top and translates the invocation. He’s to first dig a hole in the middle of his house, sit in it while chanting (kinda sounds like my neighbor when he goes to the bathroom) and waits for the spell to happen. (Again, neighbor.) When it does, bubbling, stinky and steamy oil fills up the hole and envelopes Shen in it. Seconds later, he pops out, growling, with glowing red eyes and looking like he slept in an unflushed public restroom toilet all night. Then he makes revenge happen.

Doesn’t take long: a woman lies in court about her neighbor raping her. Then he discovers his adulterous boss is tricking clients out of thousands. Then he discovers a woman performing illegal abortions without actually being a doctor. Oil’s well that doesn’t end well for all.

Where the 40-weight hits the fan is when Shen finds out his girlfriend was raped by a criminal who was working with her boyfriend. It was all a trick to get the inherited land — now worth millions — away from her. After she awakes from being knocked unconscious prior to the violation, she discovers the truth and kills herself with a hay baling hook laying nearby. Okay, ouch.

This drives Oily Maniac super crazy and he goes to a gas station and pumps diesel fuel all over himself to lube up. I’m pretty sure diesel fuel doesn’t come out of the nozzle like black goop. But hey, this is Malaysia in the ‘70s, so what do I know. Maybe diesel is a delicacy or something in that country. Oily takes on the entire gang down at the docks. He can jump like Spider-Man and turn himself into an animated, traveling puddle of goo, reforming himself when wrongness needs to be righted.

Even with all the completed revenge, it doesn’t end up in the win column for Oily. And once he’s run out of life fuel, he turns back into a dead Shen. Thus sadly ends The Oily Maniac (aka, You gui zi/1976), one of the Shaw Brothers’ weirder, but fun movies. It should be noted that there’s bare women parts (just tops and a few bottoms). But not enough to give you gas.

 

Snuff TV

Looking to get better ratings for his state-of-the-art UHF Canadian TV station, Max Renn, the station’s boss, decides that sex and violence simply isn’t enough. (Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.)

So Max meets up with a guy who operates an illegal satellite dish that can intercept programming from different countries, ones that consider sex and violence nothing but Disney Channel™ fodder. But what he shows Max is a TV show from Malaysia that broadcasts real-life snuff footage. Score! Max believes this to be just what his station needs. (Bye-bye advertisers.)

But what Max doesn’t know is that the TV signal called Videodrome causes the viewer to get all surreal in the senses and hallucinate as if on illegal drugs. In other words, big time ratings, except its working on Max big time.

The gorgeous Deborah Harry of Blondie fame plays Nicki, a psychiatrist. Perfect choice for Max’s new concept of mind-bending television. He starts dating her and, after watching Videodrome, do naughty naked stuff in a rough and tumble manner. Better still, she wants to be on that show. Well heck, double score!

The big revelation (and not a spoiler) is that the TV signal isn’t being broadcast from Malaysia, but Pittsburgh. Once that’s discovered, Videodrome (1983) gets all futuristic punk rock crazy town, with Max having visions of his own flesh being turned into a weapon (there’s a gun in his stomach) and his TV exploding human guts ’n gunk out of the screen. His quotable last words before shooting himself with his tummy gun: “Long live the new flesh!” Preachin’ to the choir, Max.

There’s a Republican Big Brother aspect to all of this, with the real guy in charge trying to wipe out all of us TV watching lowlifes by giving us brain tumors via his channel. As if that hasn’t already happened by watching regular TV programming.