#september 14 1985

[usedtobecooler]

dropping monday 14/08…

this must be the place

eddie munson x steve harrington x afab!reader

summary: the summer of 1985 is only just beginning when a trip to scoops ahoy! unlocks some deeply hidden feelings you have swirling in your stomach for steve harrington. eddie munson won't let you live it down, and maybe that’s due to his own feelings too, but a chance encounter on a hot night at lovers lake sends you all down a rabbit hole you could never of prepared for.

content warnings: 18+ only minors dni, sexual content (threesome, piv sex, oral sex, dirty talk, van sex), porn with plot, eddie and reader are fwbs with feelings, gentle bullying and banter, eddie is canonically queer, mentions of past king!steve, brief homophobia mentions, a heartfelt conversation. feelings are felt on all three sides, if you don't like it look away <3 reader isn't explicitly described as alt/goth but it's implied.

sneak peek below the cut

You watch curiously as the Harrington charm working it’s magic right in front of your very eyes, Steve steps in close to Linda, brushes a loose curl back — Jesus Christ, why was that doing something for you — and says something you can’t make out, but it’s enough to have Linda blushing and pulling nervously on the hem of her denim shorts.

Why were you jealous?

The telltale noise of an obnoxiously loud horn beeping lets you — and probably the entire neighbourhood — know Eddie had arrived to pick you up, snapping you completely out of your daydream. Your lips curl up into a smirk when both Linda and Steve jump ten feet at the sound, Steve rolling his eyes and scoffing.

What a bitch.

Eddie catches you looking from your window and lets out an obnoxious laugh, grinning up at you with his annoyingly perfect teeth. You wanted to punch him, maybe, but Friday nights were for one thing and one thing only, and that was getting high at Lovers Lake in the flatbed of the van.

So it’d have to wait until you didn’t need him for the weed or the ride.

Summer meant the pretty sunset as a backdrop whilst you smoked the day's events away — it somehow made everything that little bit more relaxing, watching the swirls of orange, pink and purple melt together as your brain fogged with the drugs, a nice settling in your tummy as your high took over.

It was second only to the heavy September rain that you loved so much, you found yourself yearning for it all year around. The loud patter of the large droplets clinking on the tin roof of Eddie’s van, buried under a nest of blankets to keep the cool chill off your arms and legs. Eddie’s hot breath fanning over your neck as he kissed it, chest heavy against your back. Warm, solid and comforting.

Maybe you were in love with him, or maybe you weren’t. You didn’t want to think too much about that.

You glide out of the house as quietly as you can muster, not wanting to arouse suspicion about where you were going. Even in your twenties, your parents would still have a few choice words for you in regards to Eddie Munson, and you were in no mood for the lecture. You’d heard it too many times in the years you’d known him, since fifth grade when he pushed you in the playground and you pulled his hair in retaliation.

From that moment on you were inseparable, to the dismay of your parents.

You’re aware of two other sets of eyes watching you from across the street as you bounce down the driveway, all smiles as excitement thrums through your entire body. Eddie’s maybe looking at you like you hung the fucking moon or something, but that’s probably to do with the fact you’re wearing his shirt and looking the epitome of hot.

Okay, maybe you had a complex.

“So that’s where my shirt went,” Eddie hums, giving you an appreciative once-over as you wrench the passenger door open with a horrific sounding crunch of metal, “looks better on you, I’ve gotta say.”

You clamber into the van with a huff, laughter spilling into it, “Yeah, yeah. You don’t need to woo me, Munson. We’re gonna fuck anyway, don’t worry.”

Eddie laughs loud and so fucking obnoxious, as if for somebody else’s entertainment, and it does catch the attention of the lovebirds on the other side of the road. You look over just as Steve catches your eyes, and suddenly your chest feels kind of heavy as he stares at you with a kind of intensity that you can’t put a finger on.

“Take a fuckin’ picture, Harrington,” Eddie cackles, head basically out the fucking window and he’s grinning at them both, snapping you completely out of it, “that’s as close as you’re getting to her, count your lucky stars.”

Eddie and Steve weren’t friends. In fact quite the opposite. Steve and Tommy were miserable assholes for years, made Eddie’s life hell at any given turn unless they needed him for drugs.

You think back, and truthfully the turning point was during Junior year. Steve had tripped Eddie in the hall, called him ‘queer’. Eddie didn’t stand for that, sucker punched Steve right in the jaw, hard enough that his skull hit the locker adjacent to him.

“That shit might hurt you when your daddy calls you it, but you’ve gotta do a lot worse than call me exactly what I am as an insult, Harrington.” Eddie had grinned, vicious and seething, as he watched Steve clutch desperately at his bruised jaw, wide eyed and hair askew from the force.

Steve never bothered Eddie again after that.

In fact, not long after, Steve never bothered anybody again. Maybe the knock to the head had quite literally knocked some sense into him, or something.

“You good?” Eddie’s voice, his large hand gripping your thigh knocks you back into reality, out of the daydream, and the grounding is enough to have your entire body melting into the simple touch.

#eddie munson x reader #steve harrington x reader #eddie munson smut #steve harrington smut #eddie munson x steve harrington x reader #my fanfic #mine #x reader #this must be the place

[scullys-scalpel]

Happy 38th Anniversary to The Golden Girls, which ran from September 14, 1985 - May 9, 1992

#the golden girls #opening credits appreciation #my shitty cell phone gifs #happy anniversary to my all time favorite show #so many memories watching this growing up #1980s #1990s #classic sitcom #80s television #the 1980s #rose nylund #dorothy zbornak #sophia petrillo #blanche devereaux #betty white #rue mcclanahan #estelle getty #bea arthur

[ritualmisery]

Metallica photographed backstage at Metal Hammer festival at Freilichtbühne Loreley in St. Goarshausen, Germany.

September 14, 1985.

#metallica #cliff burton #kirk hammett #lars ulrich #james hetfield #rtl era #80s metal #80s music #thrash metal #heavy metal #metal bands #thrash music #thrash bands #metal music #80s thrash #80s bands #80s rock #rocknroll #rock bands

[superstarzolar]

FNAF Athazagora AU Missing Children References & Descriptions

(Note: i don’t understand the differences between nationality, ethnicity and race well!! so if the nationalities are incorrectly worded i’m sorry:o()

Name (Nicknames): Suzanne Park-Owens (Susie)

Age, DOB: 9, April 20th, 1976

Nationalities: Irish-American

Pronouns: She/Her

Date of Death: September 28th, 1985

Voice Claim: Baby Box (Gabby’s Dollhouse)

Personality Description: Susie is a sensitive, kind-hearted young girl who has an overwhelming soft spot for those she loves. This soft spot, however, allows her to be easily taken advantage of. It is hard for her to truly hate anybody, feeling sympathetic for most people.

Possesses: Chica Chicken, Funtime Foxy, Ennard/Molten Freddy

Name (Nicknames): Gabriel Stauffer (Gabe)

Age, DOB: 5, March 13th, 1980

Nationalities: African-American

Pronouns: He/Him

Date of Death: September 29th, 1985

Voice Claim: Dash (The Incredibles)

Personality Description: Gabe is a loving child with a heart of gold. He is described by his father as a “lion-child”, taking it upon himself to stand up for those around him (especially his friends) even if his pudgy, petite appearance isn’t intimidating in the slightest. Gabe is, however, very gullible and easily falls victim to lies and false promises if they involve his friends and/or family.

Possesses: Freddy Fazbear, Funtime Freddy, Ennard/Molten Freddy

Name (Nickname): Jeremy Roberto Doherty (Jerry)

Age, DOB: 14, December 10th, 1970

Nationalities: Ukrainian-American

Pronouns: He/They

Date of Death: September 29th, 1985

Voice Claim: Lloyd Garmadon (Ninjago)

Personality Description: Despite his eccentric clothing choices, Jeremy is a timid boy who prefers to stay in the background of things. They derive most, if not all, of his confidence from his friends, especially from their best friend (and would’ve-been younger brother) Gabriel. They make him feel strong, and he has a subconscious need to protect them.

Possesses: Bonnie Bunny, Funtime Freddy, Ennard/Molten Freddy

(Note: Jeremy would’ve been adopted by Gabriel’s family if they had survived. Sadly, both of them had died before that could happen).

Name (Nicknames): Francis Reynolds (Fritz)

Age, DOB: 9, July 29th, 1976

Nationalities: Canadian-American

Pronouns: He/Him

Date of Death: September 30th, 1985

Voice Claim: Lewis Robinson (Meet The Robinsons)

Personality Description: Fritz is, for the most part, an average boy. He enjoys drawing and making pictures of him and his friends together, especially so with his best friend, Andrew. Fritz is standoffish and a tad bit awkward, but is not socially adverse.

Possesses: Foxy the Pirate Fox, Funtime Foxy, Ennard/Molten Freddy

Name (Nicknames): Cassidy Coney (Cassie)

Age, DOB: 9, October 1st, 1976

Nationalities: Indian-American

Pronouns: They/Them

Date of Death: October 1st, 1985

Voice Claim: Vee Noceda (The Owl House)

Personality Description: Though selectively mute, Cassidy has no problem helping their friends when/if they need it. They are deeply empathetic and acts as a backbone to their friend group. Typically, Cassidy is a very passive, non-violent person; but, if somebody presents themselves as a threat to those they love, they will stop at nothing to raise hellfire on them.

Possesses: Golden Freddy/Fredbear, Funtime Freddy, Ennard/Molten Freddy

Name (Nicknames): Andrew Smith (Andie)

Age, DOB: 9, July 29th, 1976

Nationalities: Mexican-American

Pronouns: He/They

Date of Death: October 1st, 1985

Voice Claim: Ronno (Bambi)

Personality Description: Andrew is a soft-spoken and mild-mannered young boy. He prefers talking and grouping up with his friends, especially with his best friend Fritz. Andrew loves giving his friends gifts, which included paying for some of their things (such as food and tickets). Unfortunately, when faced with any form of danger, he instinctively shuts down and is of little use/help.

Possesses: Golden Freddy/Fredbear, Funtime Foxy, Ennard/Molten Freddy

elizabeth, sammy, charlie, and mikey will probably be next:o)

(edit: maybe if we all pretend that susie’s security bracelet is colored it will be)

#fnaf #fnaf mci #fnaf au #fnaf susie #fnaf gabriel #fnaf jeremy #fnaf fritz #fnaf cassidy #fnaf andrew #art #fnaf athazagora

[citizenscreen]

“The Golden Girls” premiered on NBC on September 14, 1985 #OnThisDay Everybody have some cheesecake!

#the golden girls

[michaeljoncarter]

getting ready to (maybe) make an annoyingly long post about slade's comic canon history w dick (& roy), and just because i'm insane & so no one can accuse me of cherrypicking, i decided to try to track down EVERY canon interaction they have pre-flashpoint

idk if this is everything (doubtful), but! i think i have dug as deep as i can on my own, so i am now turning it over for tumblr peer review. or something. here you go. free niche reading list for those who want it, but also if you're more knowledgeable about this (esp where batcomics are concerned), please let me know if you see something i missed!

dick & slade interactions:

The New Teen Titans (1980) #2 (December 1980)

The New Teen Titans (1980) #10 (August 1981)

Tales of the Teen Titans #43, Annual #3 (1984) (the entire Judas Contract arc is important, obviously, but these are the only 2 where they directly interact)

Tales of the Teen Titans #54 (June 1985)

The New Teen Titans (1984) Annual #3 (1987)

The New Titans #65 (April 1990)

The New Titans #75 - 78, #83 - 84 (April 1991 - March 1992)

The New Titans #86 (May 1992) (in 3rd epilogue story )

Deathstroke (1991) #14 (September 1992)

Team Titans #1: Redwing (or the Terra version. there were like 63 different versions of this first issue. slade & dick's (one panel) interaction is only in the backup story--"Childhood's End"--which wasn't included in every version for whatever reason. idk! this era was a mess!!!)

Deathstroke (1991) #15 (October 1992)

Deathstroke (1991) Annual #1 (1992)

The New Titans Annual #8 (1992)

Teen Titans (1996) #15 (January 1998) (not sure of this one even counts?? it's literally one panel of him fighting a slade illusion, but whatever!)

Nightwing (1996) #17 - 18 (February - March 1998)

Titans (1999) #10 - 12 (December 1999 - February 2000)

Nightwing (1996) #79 - 82 (May - August 2003)

Nightwing (1996) #111 - 115 (October 2005 - February 2006), #117 (April 2006)

Teen Titans (2003) #45 - 46 (May - June 2007)

Batman and Robin (2009) #11 - 12 (June 2010)

Titans (2008) #28 - 30 (December 2010 - February 2011)

Titans (2008) Annual #1 (September 2011)

issues that don't have any actual interaction between them but still deserve honorable mentions:

the Panic in the Sky arc (1992) (they're both recruited by superman onto his squad to attack brainiac; they never cross paths on page, but their "working together" here is referenced in the next point)

Deathstroke (1991) #7 (February 1992) (dick briefly discusses his opinion on slade post-Panic in the Sky teamup)

The New Titans #89 (August 1992) (the titans see slade running around being insane on the local news, and dick briefly catches the "i can fix him" bug)

The Flash (1987) #214 (November 2004) (aftermath of rose joining slade)

Infinite Crisis #4 (March 2006) (bludhaven goes boom)

Booster Gold (2007) #22 - 24 (September 2009) (judas contract time travel shenanigans)

slade & roy interactions:

The New Titans #63 (February 1990) (they're running around working together for the whole Titan Plague arc (The New Titans #62 - 65), but this is the only one with direct interactions)

Deathstroke (1991) #18 - 20 (January - March 1993)

Deathstroke (1991) #45 (March 1995)

Deathstroke (1991) #48 (June 1995)*

New Titans #122 (June 1995)*

Teen Titans (1996) #15 (January 1998) (again, illusion slade, so it only half-counts)

Titans (1999) #10 - 12 (January - February 2000)

Titans (1999) #21 - 22 (November - December 2000)

Outsiders (2003) #4 (November 2003) (with slade disguised as batman)

Outsiders (2003) #12 (July 2004) (still in batman cosplay)

Outsiders (2003) #14 (September 2004) (off page, literally just one panel of a phonecall)

Outsiders (2003) #21 - 22 (April - May 2005)

Titans (2008) #26 - 36 (October 2010 - August 2011)

Titans (2008) Annual #1 (September 2011)

Titans (2008) #37 - 38 (September - October 2011)

*these are part of the Crimelord-Syndicate War arc, which is. a mess. a deeply, deeply 90s situation that was basically about (in part, at least) roy's titans crew saving slade's ass after he's framed for war crimes (again). these are the only two issues where they directly interact, but i think the whole thing is worth a read for them, and it's pretty impossible to find a proper reading order for it. so:

Deathstroke (1991) #48 (June 1995)

The New Titans #122 (June 1995)

Darkstars #32 (July 1995)

Deathstroke (1991) #49 (July 1995)

Deathstroke (1991) #50 (July 1995)

Deathstroke (1991) Annual #4 (1995) (the one where roy gets custody of rose)

honorable mentions:

Titans (1999) #9 (December 1999) (slade jumpscares lian & roy. honestly probably too minor to really qualify for this list, but it's just very important to me because it implies an offscreen scene where roy & chanda had to drag slade's unconscious ass out of a child's sandbox)

The Flash (1987) #214 (November 2004) (again, aftermath of rose joining slade)

and that's all i got. pleaseeee let me know if you have any suggestions!

#slade wilson #dick grayson #roy harper #comic recs #yeehaw #my brain is shutting down pls just ignore any typos lol

[thunderstruck9]

Keith Haring (American, 1958-1990), Pop Man with Pop Man Puppets for Hands, September 4, 1985. Sumi ink on paper, 11 x 14 in.

#keith haring #american art

[tallicafanpage]

James and Cliff backstage at Metal Hammer Festival Freilichtbühne Loreley, St. Goarshausen, Germany September 14, 1985 © Stefan Walz

#James Hetfield #Cliff Burton #Metallica #The Old Dayz #1985

[d3d9]

Official Akira Pre-movie Timeline

Character childhoods, historical events etc.

hiiii Akira tumblr, I haven't been around here much but here's a translation I did. I've never seen this full timeline translated anywhere, so maybe it'll be of interest !😳

(I did a condensed version on Twitter a while ago, but I figure it's easier to follow in its original format .)

(Long post under the cut)

Source is the book Poster & Graphic Akira released in 1988. Also a special thank you to my old friend Shina-san for the photos from the book, I don't yet own a copy myself !!

1970

Nezu's birth - Born in Chiba as the third son of farmers.

1976

Colonel's birth - Has an older sister and an older brother. His father served in the Japan Defense Agency, JGSDF major.

1977

Nezu age 7 - Started elementary school.

1982

Nezu age 12 - Started middle school. Excellent grades.

1985

Nezu age 15 - Started high school.

1988

Nezu age 18 - Started law school. The disaster of Akira’s awakening occurred. In the chaos of the next 3 years, he studied life as a black marketeer. During that time he became acquainted with the people of this underworld.

Colonel age 12 - His father died to Akira’s first awakening. (He was on a special mission, suspected to be related to the Akira Project). After the world war (which ended after 3 weeks), until he was 15 he spent the next years of chaos with his mother and siblings. These events would profoundly shape his later development. (Until 1991, Japan lacked a governing body and was controlled by the US)

1992

Colonel age 16 - Started night school. Studied while working.

1993

Colonel age 17 - Having regained autonomy, Japan emulates the US and establishes an American-style military.

1994

Nezu age 24 - As university resumed operation, he returned to school.

1995

Nezu age 25 - Graduated. Passed the bar exam, and became a lawyer.

1996

Colonel age 20 - Graduated night school. Enrolled in the newly established military academy (National Defense Academy).

1999

Colonel age 23 - Graduated military academy with excellent grades. Admitted to Officer Candidate School on recommendation.

2000

Nezu age 30 - From around this time he begins to appear in politics.

Colonel age 24 - Graduates from Officer Candidate School. Enlists in the Army as a First Lieutenant.

2001

Colonel age 25 - Studies abroad at the US Department of Defense.

2002

Nezu age 32 - Hears about Miyako-sama, and becomes a devoted believer.

Colonel age 26 - Returns to Japan. Establishes the Army Special Forces. Becomes its commander. Promoted to Major.  Dispatched in the Soviet-DPRK War, which had been ongoing since 1996. He is awarded a decoration for his service.  

2003

Colonel age 27 - Through matchmaking by his superior officer, he gets married.

Kei - Born in April. Her father, born 1967 (age 36), is a teacher. She has an older brother. They're 14 years apart.

2004

Kaneda - born in September (at this time, schools would have September enrollment and August graduation). His father born 1977 (age 27). His mother born 1978 (age 26).

Yamagata - born in November. His father is a Yakuza.

Colonel age 28 - By creating a new unification of land, sea, and air defense systems, he successfully allows Japan to gain independence from the US protective defense system.

2005

Nezu age 35 - He trains diligently under Miyako, and establishes himself. From around this time he separates under a new sect of Miyako's religion, and starts a political organization, becoming its president. Behind the scenes he is backing anti-government activists at the same time.

Kai - Born in January. His father works in the construction industry. He is blessed with a good home environment.

Tetsuo - Born in July. His father born 1980 (age 25). His mother born 1981 (age 24). In 1984, as part of the Akira Project, experiments were conducted on children around the age of 10, and genetic manipulation was (secretly) performed on newly born children. The effects of this skipped a generation and manifested in Tetsuo… and are gradually beginning to show in other children.(His grandfather was a genetic engineer. He participated in the Project. He died during Akira's awakening in 1988)

Colonel age 29 - He and his wife separate. They have no children.

2006

Yamagata age 2 - His father is arrested. He will serve 25 years. His mother makes a living as a hostess.

2008

Kaneda age 4 - His little brother is born. His parents open a laundry service. His little brother is born with a disability, and goes between home and treatment centers since the time he's 2 years old.

Yamagata age 4 - His mother gets a boyfriend. A little brother is born.

Kei age 5 - Her father dies. (Illness)

Tetsuo age 3 - His father (a graduate student), who's been sickly since birth, develops pneumonia from the common cold, and dies. His parents were never officially married, so as his father's child born out of wedlock, he's poorly received by his mother's side of the family.

Colonel age 32 - He is appointed commander of the nation's top secret 'Akira Plan' as Colonel. (The 'Akira Plan' began 3 years after Akira's awakening in 1988, when the US began investigating, and in 1996 it was turned over to the Japanese government. Since then, despite organization of records and repeated experiments, there hasn't been much progress. This may be why the US let go of it….) The heads of government began to feel threatened by the Colonel's excessively growing power, so even though it was a top national secret, they appointed him to this do-nothing position to force him to withdraw from the front lines, as a means of dismissal. …As for why the Colonel resigned himself to this sinecure, perhaps it's because he was seeking answers about his father's death, or trying to fulfill his father's dying wish, or maybe he himself saw potential in this investigation…. There are various possibilities, but one can only speculate.

2009

Yamagata age 5 - His mother gets another boyfriend. A little sister is born.

Kei age 6 - Starts elementary school. Her older brother is 21. He's already a student activist while also supporting the family.

Tetsuo age 4 - His mother remarries. Tetsuo is adopted by another family. But he can't get used to his new home and is gradually shunned as a gloomy child.

2010

Kaneda age 6 - Starts elementary school. Due to the fatigue of nursing his younger brother, his father collapses.

Yamagata age 6 - Starts elementary school. Another little brother is born.

2011

Kai age 7 - Starts private elementary school. Gets excellent grades.

Tetsuo age 6 - Starts elementary school. At this time he starts repeatedly running away from home.

2012

Kaneda age 8 - Changes schools due to his little brother changing treatment centers. His mother runs off. They live off of government assistance. His father shows a distinct turn towards alcoholism. 

2013

Kaneda age 9 - His father is deemed unfit to take care of the children, so Kaneda is sent to an orphanage. His little brother is kept at a hospital. Half a year later, Tetsuo comes to the orphanage.

Tetsuo age 8 - His parents try to return him, but his birth mother won't accept him, so he's sent to an orphanage. He then meets Kaneda.

2014

Kei age 11 - Starts middle school.

2015

Kaneda age 11 - Graduates from the orphanage and goes to a boarding middle school. He's separated from Tetsuo.

Yamagata age 11 - Starts middle school. His mother continues to have children, both boys and girls. She also keeps changing boyfriends.

Kei age 12 - Her older brother is arrested as a suspect in a major incident. (Something like the Mikawashima train crash). There are rumors that it was a US plot against the organization her older brother was connected to. Following this, Kei's family was supported by donations from her brother's group, organized by her brother's junior, Ryusaku.

2016

Kaneda age 12 - His defiant attitude stands out in school.

Yamagata age 12 - Caught by the police for shoplifting. He was stealing sweets for his little siblings.

Kai age 12 - Goes to the same private academy for middle school.

Tetsuo age 11 - He's adopted again by another family. He then starts middle school.

2017

Nezu age 46 - He may be doing it to spread the religion's ideals, or he may be using the religion for his own desires, or perhaps both….?

Kaneda age 13 - A complete juvenile delinquent. His grades are above average.

Yamagata age 13 - His mother joins a new religion. He leaves home.

Kei age 14 - Her older brother dies in prison. The authorities claim it was a suicide, but it's suspected that he was tortured. Kei leaves home and asks Ryusaku if she can become an activist too.

Tetsuo age 12 - Becomes truant. Frequently runs away from home.

Colonel age 41

2018

Kaneda age 14 - Expelled after a brush with the law. Starts at vocational school.

Yamagata age 14 - Starts at vocational school.

Kai age 13 - His father runs away from home. They find him. His father confesses: "I'm gay, and have been deceiving our family this whole time…." 

Kei age 15

Tetsuo age 13 - Due to misconduct with an elementary school student, he gets in trouble with the police. From this point forward he stops going to school.

2019

Kaneda age 15 - Forms a motorcycle team at the vocational school.

Tetsuo enrolls.

Kai age 14 - As junior representative, he reads an essay titled 'Is Life A Joke' to the graduating seniors, and is suspended. One week later, he turns in his notice to withdraw, and enrolls in vocational school himself.

Tetsuo age 14 - His parents convince him to go to vocational school. He reunites with Kaneda, and is admitted. There, he joins the motorcycle team.

#akira 1988 #AKIRA #translation #nezu #colonel shikishima #kei #kaneda #yamagata #kai #tetsuo #ryusaku #kaneda shotaro #tetsuo shima

[paginate54]

Dave Lewis, LZ chronicler, on Robert's performance of Stairway. From Led Zeppelin Celebration Days FB page:

Some personal thoughts on this performance of Stairway To Heaven...

There was something profoundly moving watching the YouTube footage of Robert Plant performing Stairway To Heaven at the Andy Taylor concert.

This was the first live public airing of the song since the Led Zeppelin 02 Reunion on December 10 2007.

Before I delve in to this subject, Robert’s entire appearance was captivating. Thank you delivered with much emotion, Black Dog hammed up brilliantly and the version of Season of the Witch segueing into a reprise of Black Dog lyrics and Buffalo Springfield’s For What it’s Worth – as in the LA Forum 1970 Blueberry Hill bootleg.

Incidentally, bassist on the night Guy Pratt noted that he has now performed Black Dog with both Robert and Jimmy Page – he was part of the touring band on the Coverdale Page Japan visit in late 1993. The band line up on the night consisted of the aforementioned Guy, former Reef guitarist Kenwyn House (wearing a dragon patterned shirt shades of Jimmy perhaps), Rod Stewart’s drummer David Palmer, Andy Taylor plus Andy Taylor’s son Andy J Taylor on guitar, singer Anne Rani and musician Dino Jelusick on keyboard and backing vocals.

So back to Stairway To Heaven...

We have all had a journey with this song over the years. Mine commenced on April 4 1971 when I heard it on my radio listening to Led Zeppelin’s BBC In Concert performance on Radio One’s John Peel show. I’d heard Jimmy in an interview describing how it had come together in various sections building to a climax. Sure enough this tentative version did just that.

I first saw it performed live on Sunday November 21 1971 at the Empire Pool Wembley – an extraordinary night. It was of course one of the stand out tracks on their just released fourth album.

It went to attain legendary status – the most played record on American radio and from 1975 the rightful finale to every Led Zeppelin live performance.

Like many of their songs the arrangement was often toyed with, not least by the singer who over time added many an ad - lib to the lyrics. As it was performed on every Led Zep show, this enabled the song to retain a freshness.

The first ad-lib I recall was when he inserted the line ''you are the children of the sun'' during the version to be heard on the classic bootleg Going To California from their performance in Berkeley on September 14 1971. From 1973 onwards 'Does anybody remember laughter?‘’ was an expected insert after the line ‘’and the forest will echo with laughter.’’

By 1975, Robert had changed the line ‘’your stairway’’ to ‘’our stairway’’ adding the line ‘’that’s all we got.’’ As I witnessed in awe from the side of the stage during their 1980 Over Europe performances , Robert added ‘’I keep chopin’ and changin'’’ as they led into the climax.

Post Zep, Robert has sang Stairway To Heaven’’ it a mere four times – at Live Aid in 1985, the Atlantic 40th anniversary show in 1988, a sweet truncated version with Jimmy Page in a TV studio in Japan in 1994 and at the Led Zeppelin O2 tribute concert for Ahmet Ertegun where he proclaimed after the song ‘’Ahmet we did it!’’

Well now he has done it again….

The obvious question is why now and why on this occasion?

There’s no doubt it was a special occasion being a concert staged by the ex - Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor. Andy has had serious cancer health issues and staged this concert in aid of Cancer Awareness Trust.

As well as performing on the night, Robert donated his personal gold disc of Led Zeppelin IV for the auction –as he put it ''our not so difficult fourth album.'' A part of this was featured on the video stream and it had clocked an initial £50,000 bid.“I love this music and I still love it now very much although I get a bit coy and shy when I have to go near it because it was such a long time ago,” he said.

In an interview with Led Zep News guitarist Kenwyn House revealed that Robert Plant chose to perform Stairway To Heaven after a wealthy donor agreed to donate a six-figure sum to charity if he did so.

So, a special occasion deems a special song for a very worthy cause.

It says everything for Robert’s ease with the Zep legacy, that he could perform this once millstone around his neck with such dignity.

As we know Stairway To Heaven became much maligned and a victim of much parody – and let’s not mention that farcical version by a disgraced not so all round entertainer.

Although he was quick to decry it in the immediate post Zep years, I happen to think Robert is rightly proud of the song, as he is the whole Zep legacy.

Who can forget his tearful reaction to the Wilson sisters and Jason’s performance at the Kennedy Honours in 2012?

So, with none of the pressure of performing it on a big stage and at a pressurised Zep related occasion, he was able to slot it in at this charity event with little fuss.

It worked majestically….

With an ad- hoc line up with few rehearsals, the arrangement was always going to be more loose than tight. That mattered little, as his vocal phrasing was absolutely spot on and what a joy it was to hear him sing this song with a calm control. Some subtle backing vocals aided the tranquil mood.

Here’s the thing – Robert Plant sang it as though he really meant it – confident in his skin at revisiting a major part of his past. Looking good with the mic off held in that familiar pose we know so well.

I wonder what was going through his mind? I know for me it prompted so many precious memories.

There were no ad-libs this time in what was out a fairly straight rendering – the guitar solo was neat and compact and they were back in for the grand finale. Here, Robert slowed things down and the key with it avoiding any strained vocals and he even sang the last section ‘’To be a rock and not to roll’’ for a second time – making it a unique arrangement. He did retain the ''our Stairway'' sentiment.

It was also unique for being the only time he has performed Stairway To Heaven without Jimmy Page...

The final ‘’and she’s buying’’ line was delivered with a delicate finesse – watching it prompted some instant flashbacks.

Momentarily I was back at Earls Court as the mirrorballs spun above them, back in that field just outside Stevenage when they came back to reclaim their crown (''so many people who've helped us over the years - no more people more important than yourselves who who came here on a blind date -this is for you all of yer'') and at home in 1985 watching the TV as the camera panned out to 90,00 watching them re group in Philadelphia for Live Aid.

I also thought about all the much missed friends and Zep comrades who are no longer around to enjoy this special moment...

All that was enough to prompt a huge lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.

Then Robert really sealed it.

Firstly he dedicated the performance to Andy:

“I know that in this contemporary age of digital stuff there’s every likelihood that other people will see that,” he said, facing Taylor. “So if they do, I offer it up to you and your success and to the whole deal that has happened here today and the future of it all.

And also so it’s not just that, I offer it up to Led Zeppelin, wherever they are”

Andy Taylor replied ‘’God bless ‘em there’s a lot of drummers in the sky we love.’’

Let's ponder on that statement...

''I offer this up to Led Zeppelin wherever they are''

It felt like he was giving the song back to his former bandmates and back to his audience – To the privileged few who were lucky enough to witness this special occasion and beyond that to countless fans like me and you.

Deep in the heart of the Cotswold's on an October Saturday evening Robert reclaimed a major part of his history and ours.

It’s likely he may never ever sing Stairway To Heaven this song again and if he doesn’t, it’s had a suitably poignant send off.

There was none of the pressure of the previous post Led Zep performances. It happened for a great cause and for a great fellow Midlands based musician.

I am aiming to be up in the Midlands in a few days’ time for the Saving Grace featuring Suzi Dian gig at the Birmingham Symphony Hall.

I am eagerly looking forward to it, not least after witnessing the YouTube video of this Andy Taylor tribute. For at 75 he is singing so brilliantly and his enjoyment as to where he is at in these advancing years is both inspiring and infectious.

Knowing that Robert Plant is at one with Led Zeppelin’s most famous song makes it all just a little bit more comforting.

As the song states ‘’If you listen very hard the tune will come to you at last’’

I’m still listening to Robert Plant intensely – as are countless others…

Dave Lewis - October 27 2023

#Stairway to Heaven 2023 #Robert Plant Stairway to Heaven #Led Zeppelin #I've changed my opinion a bit but still seems some personal connection may have ended #Youtube

[ninja-troll-lover]

BroZone + their sisters (My ocs & hcs)

My OCs, who are BroZone's sisters (Also showing who's oldest to youngest)

Willow Bloom

Althea Fern (Clover's twin and adopted pop troll)

Lucky Clover (Fern's twin and also adopted pop troll)

John Dory

Bruce Plumberry

Clay Cliff

Floyd Falcon

Branch Basil

Birch Hazel (Branch's twin)

AJ AKA Agnes Ash VenomVicious CrossBones Jr.

btw, the reason for BroZone's middle names is that they were named after their uncles, aka Ashley's brothers (except Emerald, Falcon is after Ashley's father)

Their birthdays

April 13, 1982

January 5, 1984

January 5, 1984

April 4, 1985

July 22, 1986

August 1, 1987

September 5, 1988

April 14, 1994

April 14, 1994

November 17, 1996

Now for the hcs!

Blueberry is a half-pop and half-rock troll, and for Ashley, she's a rock troll, so it makes her kids have a pop troll ancestry.

Fern and Clover are pop-rock trolls because they're adopted moms; Ashley is a rock troll; and Blueberry is a half-pop and half-rock troll, even though biologically speaking they're pop trolls.

The older three, Willow, Fern, and Clover, often nickname John Dory "Jo-Jo."

AJ is the only one who doesn't know that she has other siblings until Trolls World Tour and Trolls Band Together.

Willow didn't want AJ to play any BroZone music, especially if Branch was around. She kept asking why, but Willow didn't give her an answer until Trolls Band Together.

JD, Spruce, Clay, and Floyd left before AJ was born, so they were surprised to meet their youngest sister.

Fern, Clover, and Hazel got bullied a lot when they were younger back in Volcanic Rock City.

In the Pre-Trolls era, AJ didn't want to be associated with her brother, Branch, because he was grey. She often said bad things behind his back just to get some praise from her peers, and whenever Willow heard her, she grounded her, which she was allowed to do since their mom, Blueberry, is dead.

Willow was often mistaken for Branch's mom after he regained his colors.

That's all for now :P

#ntl.aus #ntl.ocs #OC: Willow Bloom #OC: Althea Fern #OC: Lucky Clover #OC: Birch Hazel #OC: AJ #trolls band together #dreamworks trolls #trolls #trolls 3 #trolls world tour #dreamworks #brozone #john dory trolls #spruce trolls #clay trolls #floyd trolls #branch trolls

[scullys-scalpel]

With the 38th anniversary of The Golden Girls fast approaching, it's air date was September 14, 1985, I wanted to make a pre-appreciation post for the occasion. I was not born until season 4 of the show, so I did not get to enjoy it during it's original air but I was quickly introduced to it through reruns during my childhood. I remember it airing after Unsolved Mysteries on Lifetime I believe and somehow as a child became hooked on a show about 4 older women (3 widowed, 1 divorced) living there out their golden years in Miami. My love for the show has been with me since whatever faithful day in 199? it came into my life. Thank You For Being A Friend ❤️

#the golden girls #appreciation post #upcoming 38th anniversary #text post #dorothy zbornak is my idol #i already got a gifset in my drafts ready to go fot the 14th :)

[punkrockhistory]

38 years ago today

The Descendents, Sun Valley Sportsman's Hall, September 27, 1985.

Photo by Alison Braun

Notes

The flyer is from a gig 14 days earlier

#punk #punks #punkrock #hardcorepunk #descendents #history #punkrockhistory #otd

[muppet-facts]

Muppet Fact #666

There has been almost 20 instances of demons or the devil appearing in Muppet related media. About three times in The Muppet Show, technically six times in Dinosaurs, twice in Muppet Babies, once in Muppets Tonight, The Muppets, The Jim Henson Hour, The Storyteller, Sesame Street, and Miss Piggy's Guide to Life.

The instances in The Muppets, Muppet Babies, and Miss Piggy's Guide to Life are all examples of the devil (and angel) on your shoulder. The "devil" in Sesame Street is just Maria in a Halloween costume.

Sources:

Sesame Street. Episode 0911. May 10, 1976.

The Muppet Show. Episode 307: Alice Cooper. November 2, 1978.

The Muppet Show. Episode 420: Alan Arkin. March 7, 1980.

The Muppet Show. Episode 509: Debbie Harry. January 25, 1981.

Miss Piggy's Guide to Life. Miss Piggy, as told to Henry Beard. Photos by John E. Barrett. Muppet Press/Alfred A. Knopf. 1981.

Muppet Babies. Episode 204: "The Great Cookie Robbery." October 5, 1985.

Muppet Babies. Episode 412: "The Frog Who Knew Too Much." December 5, 1987.

The Storyteller. Episode 106: "The Soldier and Death." April 28, 1989.

The Jim Henson Hour. Episode 106: Monster Maker. July 9, 1989.

Dinosaurs. Episode 203: "I Never Ate for My Father." October 2, 1991.

Dinosaurs. Episode 222: "Slave to Fashion." March 30, 1992.

Dinosaurs. Episode 311: "Wilderness Weekend." December 18, 1992.

Dinosaurs. Episode 406: "Terrible Twos." July 13, 1994.

Dinosaurs. Episode 408: "Into the Woods." Aired via syndication.

Dinosaurs. Episode 412: "Life in the Faust Lane." Aired via syndication.

No Strings Attached. Matt Bacon. MacMillan. 1997.

Muppets Tonight. Episode 202: Rick Moranis. September 14, 1997.

The Muppets. November 23, 2011.

#muppet facts oc #jim henson #the muppets #muppets #muppet facts #fun facts #the Muppet Show #muppets tonight #dinosaurs tv show #muppet babies #the storyteller #sesame street #miss piggy's guide to life #the devil

[kaijuposting]

All the Pacific Rim Character Birthdays I Could Find

...And by "all," I mean I will be writing down character birthdays from all the sources I can find, some of which contradict each other! It definitely sheds some insight into how ideas changed during development, and I think it shows some evidence that not everyone was always up to date - for example, Mako and Raleigh's Drift Space bios seem to be up to date, but Newt's is clearly an older version, as indicated by his age being given as 45 rather than 35.

Update: I found a post on Travis Beacham's blog that lists birthdays! I've added them now.

Mako Mori Bio posted by GdT on Twitter: January 9th, 2006 Drift Space Special Feature: April 23rd, 2003 Man, Machine, & Monsters: April 23rd, 2003 Pacific Rim Novelization: April 23, 2003 Travis Beacham's Blog: April 23, 2005

Raleigh Becket Bio posted by GdT on Twitter: April 11, 1991 Drift Space Special Feature: December 11, 1998 Man, Machine, & Monsters: December 11, 1998 Pacific Rim Novelization: December 11, 1998 Travis Beacham's Blog: December 11, 1998

Yancy Becket Travis Beacham's Blog: November 7th, 1995

Stacker Pentecost Bio posted by GdT on Twitter: September 9, 1983 Man, Machine, & Monsters: December 30, 1985 Pacific Rim Novelization: December 30, 1985 Travis Beacham's Blog: December 30, 1985

Hercules Hansen Man, Machine, & Monsters: November 10, 1980 Pacific Rim Novelization: November 10, 1980 Travis Beacham's Blog: November 10, 1980

Chuck Hansen Man, Machine, & Monsters: August 14, 2003 Travis Beacham's Blog: August 14, 2003

Sasha Kaidonovsky Man, Machine, & Monsters: February 9, 1991 Travis Beacham's Blog: February 9, 1991

Aleksis Kaidonovsky Man, Machine, & Monsters: January 31, 1998 Travis Beacham's Blog: January 31st, 1989

The Wei Triplets Man, Machine, & Monsters: December 24, 1998 Travis Beacham's Blog: December 24th, 1998

Tendo Choi Man, Machine, & Monsters: May 17, 1992 Travis Beacham's Blog: May 17th, 1992

Newt Geiszler Drift Space Special Feature: January 19, 1980 Man, Machine, & Monsters: January 19, 1990 Pacific Rim Novelization: January 19, 1990 Travis Beacham's Blog: January 19, 1991

Hermann Gottlieb Man, Machine, & Monsters: June 9, 1989 Pacific Rim novelization: June 9, 1989 Travis Beacham's Blog: June 9, 1989

Notes:

Beacham stated that Aleksis Kaidonovsky's 1998 birthdate was a typo.

Beacham's blog lists Mako's birth year as 2005, but given that 2003 is listed far more commonly, I'm inclined to think his date may be in error.

#pacific rim #pacific rim characters #mako mori #raleigh becket #stacker pentecost #hercules hansen #chuck hansen #sasha kaidonovsky #aleksis kaidonovsky #wei triplets #tendo choi #newt geiszler #hermann gottlieb

[frankendykes-monster]

Countdown to Halloween 2023, Ranked

43. Swamp Thing (1982)

42. Curse of Bigfoot (1975)

41. The Haunting (1999)

40. Orca (1977)

39. Teenagers Battle The Thing (1958)

38. The Beast (1975)

37. Don't Go in The House (1979)

36. Countess Dracula (1971)

35. Hillbillys in a Haunted House (1967)

34. Beware! The Blob (1972)

33. Alien Space Avenger (1989)

32. Baby Blood (1990)

31. Shriek of The Mutilated (1974)

30. The Mutations (1974)

29. Phase IV (1974)

28. Curse of The Faceless Man (1958)

27. The Sadist (1963)

26. Jennifer (1978)

25. The Wasp Woman (1959)

24. Noroi: The Curse (2005)

23. Girls Nite Out (1982)

22. The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959)

21. The Cat and The Canary (1927)

20. Tell Your Children (Reefer Madness, 1936)

19. The Company of Wolves (1984)

18. It's Alive (1974)

17. The Wolf House (2018)

16. Michael Jackson's Halloween (2017)

15. The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963)

14. The Omega Man (1971)

13. Gamera: Rebirth (2023)

12. Student Bodies (1981)

11. Night Caller From Outer Space (1965)

10. Inhumanoids (episodes 1 - 5, 1986)

9. Blind Woman's Curse (1970)

8. Maniac (1980)

7. The Child (1977)

6. Zombie 3 (1988)

5. Return of The Living Dead (1985)

4. Spider Baby (1967)

3. Basket Case (1982)

2. Messiah of Evil (1973)

Godzilla (1954)

Woof. Okay. This has been a mostly disappointing viewing experience.

Critical difference between this year's countdown and the past two is that now that I have stable employment, there is far less time to be watching horror films. I normally begin the countdown in September but we started in July of this year and still barely managed to crack 40, with my original goal being a full 100 this year. Timing. As such a lot of my plans and possible viewings were cut short and compared to last year specifically we fell back on a lot of "seen it already" at least for the top of the list.

This year's batch of viewings were largely blah, but a step up from the shitshow I put myself through last year (watching nearly every Texas Chainsaw sequel does things to a person). As such it'll be difficult to conjure up words for a decent chunk of these mostly because yes, these movies exist, I watched them, I would not recommend that you yourself watch them. That is all. If I write briefly on a given film that's not necessarily an indictment of its quality as there a decent number of these that I saw and enjoyed it's just their impact might be a bit fleeting. You will know which ones I actively disliked. I mostly just want to write about the top five or so but I will play fair.

Our grand loser this year is Swamp Thing, the DC Comics adaptation by Wes Craven. I watched this pretty much entirely because I finally got the Alan Moore Swamp Thing run in paperback this year after quite some time of having it on my to-buy list. Longtime Rachael/Ray/Ratchet fans may recall me reading it in early 2019 alongside [REDACTED]. Still one of the best Moore comics, and a second volume of Swamp Thing wouldn't have been possible without the success of this film. For context I did read the early Swampies by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson and my general reaction to those was a'ight but there was definitely material for a serviceable film adaptation there. This is not that serviceable film adaptation. I'm not hung up on details like how Abigail has no connection to Arcane now despite being his niece in the comics, but this film is just kind of painful in how relatively unambitious it is which is saying something for Swamp Thing sword fighting another human mutation at the end of this. It's just silly and stupid and not scary or awe inspiring or anything, the Swamp Thing suit sucks, the action sucks, any sense of pathos is not there or gone, it stretches for 30 minutes too long like it's a padded TV pilot, the only highlight is being able to see Adrienne Barbeau's breasts. Fuck this it's a miserable experience to sit through. My mistake for watching a Wes Craven film that doesn't have "Scream" in the title.

Our next shitter is the two-for-one abomination that is Teenagers Battle The Thing (1958) and Curse of Bigfoot (1975); these are the same movie except Curse of Bigfoot has a 25 minute opening scene framing device that is bizarre given that "The Thing" of the original film is a Native American mummy of some sort unearthed by a group of white high school students. It's the rare personal pet project movie made for fun by some locals but the only highlights are the occasional kill scene, Curse of Bigfoot ranks lower just for making me sit through it longer. Blah.

Speedrunning through a bunch of these because theyre all varying degrees of bad and I don't want to spend any longer writing about these than you probably do reading about them: The Haunting is awful and I don't even super care for the original film so adding shitty CGI monsters and a moral lesson of "it's about family!" doesn't help. Orca is a shitty Jaws cash-in that's like a reverse Moby Dick where the sea animal hunts down the human, nice finale where the orca and shitty poacher guy are fighting it out in the Arctic but otherwise avoid. Don't Go in The House is a mysoginistic torture porn movie that really doesn't sell the "seemingly normal guy is a closet nutcase" thing even though movies made before and after have done it well (see Maniac several paragraphs below). The Beast is advertised as this really scandalous porno film but most of it is French aristocrats sitting around in stuffy rooms arguing about real estate. I think I only watched Countess Dracula for its inclusion in the "if this is her vibe I would fucking cum" meme and it's barely worth bringing up at all. Hillbillys in a Haunted House has an absolutely lovely Tennessee country soundtrack that I wish I could listen to without having to watch the actual movie which is devoid of both scares and laughs. Beware! The Blob gives off the feeling of sitting at a funeral for a family member that was just distant enough for you to be aware of them but not actually be upset but it's still a funeral so it's not like you're smiling, stick with the 1988 Blob film. Alien Space Avenger has some decent gore effects but that's all I can recall from it. Shriek of The Mutilated has one of the best titles for an otherwise uninspired yeti movie that has a needless third act twist about it being a cover for a cult and blah blah blah fuck you. Baby Blood has an alien mutant whatever crawl up a woman's vagina into her womb and she has to eat people to feed it and yeah I'm actually struggling to remember what happens here. The Mutations has a scene where a guy cuts into a tree and it bleeds, I think he's played by Donald Pleasance. Yeah, it's like Freaks except it plays to the freak show straight so you get to laugh at all the outcasts of society, no thank you.

Some odds and ends that I'd say are decent-to-pretty-good: Phase IV has some footage of ants and synth music. All you need is some footage of ants and synth music. Curse of The Faceless Man employs a rarely seen archetype of the living statue monster, it's cute. The Sadist is another starring vehicle for Arch Hall Jr., who was also the star of last Halloween's Eegah! (1962), though this film is a bold trendsetter for the 1960's with Hall being a unhinged killer holding people for ransom until they can fix his car and he can make a getaway. The film lives and dies by Hall's performance and it's mostly the latter until we get to an absolutely superb final act with him hunting down his remaining victims, it makes the whole film worth seeing. Jennifer is an oddball that plays out mostly like a character drama ("It wasn't my fault Daddy it was that stupid hillbilly bitch Jennifer") that suddenly remembers that it's supposed to be a cash-in of Carrie (1976) in the last 20 minutes and cue our titular character being able to summon and control snakes to send after her tormentors. Girls Nite Out is a plodding meandering slasher that's oddly hypnotizing considering so much of it takes place in pitch-black night and the killer is wearing a bear mascot costume with serrated knives hidden under the glove, not sure what fully to make of it. The Monster of Piedras Blancas is made up of leftover parts from the Gillman, Mole People, and Metaluna Mutant, but still manages to star in a decent enough film that gives a sense of what a series of monster attacks would do to a small seaside community. The Cat and The Canary is "cute" for lack of a better term being a horror comedy before the former genre had fully crystalized. Reefer Madness is horror adjacent more than anything but a hilariously good time about how the use of "marihuana" will drive today's youth into becoming crazed fiends and get involved in organized crime.

We can do this.

The Company of Wolves has an excellent story book like setting an atmosphere that you can't get in films nowadays and it's a shame that it's mostly remembered for its transformation sequences. it's Alive is the best Larry Cohen film by default of not sucking but it's still not "great", genius however for playing the concept of mutant newborn killer baby completely seriously without any sense of humor to the proceedings. The Girl Who Knew Too Much is almost a parody of giallo films which is interesting given those hadn't fully sprang up in 1963; absolute highlight is the main character being interviewed in bed by doctors and reporters and the like that yes she did see a murder and no she doesn't drink. I've always been fascinated and haunted by I Am Legend and while The Omega Man doesn't really capture the novel to a superb degree it's so beautifully shot that it lands high in the rankings for that alone. Night Caller From Outer Space is hilarious to me because of how it shifts halfway through from a Hammer-esque mystery about a meteorite with radioactive properties to a film about an alien that lures women in through a modeling advertisement. Blind Woman's Curse I've mentally confused with Irezumi for a while now (haha all 1960's Japanese genre films where woman have large animal tattoos on their backs are the saaame), and it's one I mostly watched for being directed by Teruo Ishii, but there's enough bloody yakuza fights and cats licking up blood for me to stick around; not the strongest Meiko Kaiji vehicle compared to Female Prisoner Scorpion or Lady Snowblood. Maniac I find mostly interesting as a precursor to American Psycho (2000) but also it's probably the only serious film to successfully pull off it's ending trope (which I will not spoil here). The Child is an absolutely lovely 1970's only-a-dozen-people-made-this-and-not-much-more-watched-it horror that oozes atmosphere, I could watch stuff like this all day. Aaand Zombie 3 is far and away the best film that Lucio Fulci has been involved with that I've ever seen. I love random scenes and set pieces of ghouls just massacring people that are shit out out of luck.

Okay, now for the ones I actually want to write about.

The Wasp Woman is one that sticks in my head way more than any other random monster movie that Roger Corman directed in the latw 1950's. I've said on here and Letterboxd that it could have served as a standard pop-feminist piece about how the cosmetology industry is built on misogyny and invariably a monster is accidentally created because of that, but this most recent viewing has made me sort of "get it" because that might be what the film is going for considering Susan Cabot's performance leads me to believe that she is aware that she is becoming a homicidal wasp monster but views it as a tragic means to an end where she still has the ability to have a new advertising campaign with her as the star. Tragic. This is why you don't wear make up.

Both Noroi: The Curse and The Wolf House are ones I didn't care for whatsoever but I put them in places on the ranking that I thought were fair given that people should probably watch them regardless of my personal thoughts. Noroi's format didn't really lend itself to the escalation of tension and reveal of information that the plot demanded and I found myself thinking it meanders quite a bit. The Wolf House was an odd one where everything that was happening onscreen bounced off of me mostly because I felt intimately aware that I was watching a movie, that someone had made something and that I was now being shown it. Blah. People like these so don't let me stop you.

Our animated offerings this year...

Michael Jackson's Halloween more than anything feels like an unlicensed creation that later had an English fan dub commissioned, not something that actually aired on CBS twice. Any laughs that I found in this thing were the unintentional type as we open up with Bubbles talking and being Jackson's chauffeur; you know exactly what you're getting into. Very little of the plot is explained but I'm assuming Jackson (who has no lines given this was made posthumously) orchestrates a dark fantasy adventure to hook two...teenagers? People in their late 20's? And convince them to follow their dreams of performing instead of working a deadend dayjob. I'm not sure who the actual audience for this was given it feels like so much of it was made for children but I will say anything that has this much of Michael Jackson's music in it can't be all bad, though I'm not sure why they didn't largely stick with tracks from the album Thriller (in the contention for best album ever, I don't care).

Gamera: Rebirth is one I feel like I'm on the outside on compared to most other tokusatsu fans because I didn't really *love* to a serious degree even though, yes, Gamera is finally back. The first three episodes are mostly just kind of a slog for me with the backhalf not doing enough to retroactively make me think highly of it, though giving off End of Evangelion vibes may make me consider that a second viewing must be in order down the line. Rebirth's strongest attribute is that it feels like it takes into consideration and influence from every prior era of Gamera, no stone is left unturned, and it's a marked contrast from how every recent Godzilla property only captures a single facet of their respective character. But that also creates unique issues like how a lot of criticism of ongoing US military presence in Japan is undercut so there can be a white kid in the main cast (because white children were always present in half of the Showa series) or having the ancient civilization that genetically engineered the kaiju now being malicious and actively sacrificing children as a means of reshaping the world gives me vaguely anti-semitic tones, I don't know, Gamera is still here, I guess.

"I was just a little twerp who liked Scooby-Doo and Smurfs, now I was viewing Cthulhu mutants ruin the Earth."

Everyday that we have Inhumanoids is a gift. Inhumanoids is another Hasbro/Sunbow production like G. I. Joe, Transformers, or Jem and The Holograms, and it is truly tragic that it never got anywhere near that level of attention compared to its siblings. The fact that a 1980's action figure tie-in cartoon is named for its antagonists is only the start; the series follows a small paramilitary outfit of scientists named Earth Core that are tasked with more or less saving the world alongside the Mutores, elemental beings, when the Inhumanoids, eldritch abominations, are unleashed. The degree of world-building beyond your typical "good guys vs. bad guys" affair is astounding with villainous humans and virtuous monsters abounding, but Inhumanoids is mostly magical and remembered for saying fuck all to any type of broadcast standards. Seeing giant monsters destroy cities, undead armies, and spelunking deep into the Earth (where nightmares begin...) are just standard fair here, as are witnessing the actual Inhumanoids such as Metlar (basically the devil) or D'Compose (giant undead entity that can zombify people by touching them and uses his ribcage like a jail cell) in action. The first five episodes here are the pilot movie of sorts for the series which only lasted thirteen overall, and they get more grissly from here on out, but maybe it's best that Inhumanoids is the short lived cartoon and no the cartoon that went soft as early as its second season. I will never not love this show, to this day it's one of my favorite animated series from any decade, much less the 1980's.

Back to our regularly scheduled live-action programming...

Student Bodies is a fascinating film for a myriad of reasons the first of which is that there were somehow enough slasher films by 1981 for there to be a comedy poking fun at all the already established genre-cliches. It's essentially Scary Movie (2000) a full 20 years ahead of the curve only actually funny in spite of the subject matter frequently being as juvenile and prejudiced; but it also reminds me quite a bit of Scream (1996) with stuff like two killers working together. All I know is I was in for a decent time when the film opens with three identical shots of a house just with different framing text: "HALLOWEEN," "FRIDAY THE 13TH," "JAMIE LEE CURTIS' BIRTHDAY" and then the killer, The Breather, calls the opening kill girl doing nothing but breathing heavily, she hangs up, he calls back with "I SAID [heavy breathing]."

Return of The Living Dead is one of those films that should have destroyed the any artifically-imposed boundaries between "high" and "low" art. Every aspect of this film is brilliantly made, it just so happens to be made for stuff like Scooby-Doo music overlaid on top of thunderstorms over graveyards where one female character is stripping to the concept of dying. Media involving ghouls is incredibly oversaturated, and this was still the case in the 1980's where a film like this had to redefine the rules to make it so killing ghouls was basically a non-option. It only recently struck me on this viewing that that's the whole purpose of removing virtually all weaknesses they have, to keep the characters as the nail instead of the hammer. Compared to the Romero films, there's never a point where anyone is in control of the situation, it just escalates further and further until there is literally no way out. Taking that into consideration, there's no way this film couldn't have been a comedy that frames people getting swarmed and eaten by ghouls as hilarious.

The soundtrack and the faux-punk sensibilities lend this a daft feeling of "you shouldn't be watching this" in spite of it not being one of the MOST gory horror films of the 1980's. I still don't get how this never broke into the mainstream. I mean somehow people know that ghouls (in this film) speak and only eat brains but I can't go down to Target and get a Tarman action figure like I can one of Michael Myers. As such Return of The Living Dead remains a criminally overlooked film regardless of its subject matter. It's made me laugh and cringe and feel disgusted and revolt at the concept at dying but mostly it's made me feel a delicious sense of joy at seeing corpses rise out of the ground to the tune of "Do you wanna party? IT'S PARTY TIIIME!" Some of you need to sit in the corner and think about your life choices for making stupid shit like Re-Animator (1985) or fucking Shaun of The Dead (2004) more popular than this, fuck you.

The act of watching Spider Baby is like discovering the missing link. For as much as 1960 gave us an explosion of horror (Eyes Without a Face, The Ship of Monsters, Psycho, Jigoku, Black Sunday, etc.) and Night of The Living Dead (1968) reins as the perennial transition point of the genre, Spider Baby is the road by which we go from The Cat and The Canary and The Old Dark House to the likes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Eraserhead, it's magical finding an essential piece of a genre you love so much. Both the former and latter points of comparison are apt as a family of now only children [and their butler] suffering from Poe-esque hereditary illness have their condemned house set upon by distant relatives and everything slowly unravels.

Lon Chaney Jr. is an actor who for the longest time I felt never got a proper chance to shine wherein the last 25 years or so of his career was spent playing as side character actor in independent films. Spider Baby is his crowning achievement. Seeing him smile through almost tears on several occasions as he has to play bridge between worlds of sanity and madness and lie to everyone that he has some sense of control over the situation is brilliant in ways I always knew he was capable of but had never seen before this point. Bravo.

I will never not love Basket Case with everything I've got. This is the epitome of 1980's horror and my clear pick for best of the decade. It has everything from being a grungy putrid grindhouse spectacle to being an intimate character drama to everything presented through a wry ironic lense where you can't tell if any "bad" performances are all done on purpose. Between this, Brain Damage (1988), and Frankenhooker (1990), there is literally absolutely no reason why Frank Henenlotter shouldn't be more popular than Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna, and Lloyd Kaufman *combined*. It's tragic that the world of cinema being enclosed and captured by studios again in the late 1980's prevented us from getting more from him, but realistically could we ask anymore than what we already got from Basket Case? I could watch this every day and never grow tired of it. I will never stop making more and more people watch this.

If Basket Case is the apex of 1980's horror, then Messiah of Evil is the same for 1970's horror. This is one of the most efficient horror films ever made in how not a single frame is wasted, the opening scene is literally a guy running from unseen force, seeking refuge, getting his throat slit, cue title card with synth music that then leads us to a sunburnt hallway as our narrator descends into acceptance of complete lack of control of the situation. Every night shot in this film must be 50 - 75% completely black with whatever headlight or store front there is just making the scenery look like a dollhouse that our characters are trapped inside. There's so many shots of people running away or walking down streets that make them look tiny as the camera is so far.

Every scene is an exercise in building up dread. There's no point where the film relents, something awful is not only coming, it's already here and there's nothing anyone can do. What I love particularly is that the mystery being laid out doesn't offer any answers because there's another mystery on top of what our characters find out only too late. Layers upon layers of dread that even the titular Messiah of Evil isn't the center of. The world is a cruel fucking place where this film languishes in obscurity whilst shit like The Exorcist enjoys mainstream attention. A lot of my taste amounts to "why isn't this thing I like more popular" and cases like Messiah of Evil vindicate me.

"Godzilla is the son of the atomic bomb. He is a nightmare created out of the darkness of the human soul. He is the sacred beast of the apocalypse." - Tomoyuki Tanaka

Generally a yearly trend is that a #1 pick for Halloween is self-evident to me and this year it was Basket Case for all of 30 seconds until I picked Godzilla back up.

There's something to be said how Godzilla isn't quite a horror monster? Terrifying but not necessarily creepy, but what power do things that go bump in the night have against the destruction of everything you know? Everytime I watch Godzilla is like the very first time, when flashing lights out at sea destroy fishing ships I have no idea what happened, or at least any much of a clue as anyone in film does when we're told that the entire ocean exploded.

Godzilla is a reptile, but lacks scales and its entire body is coated in keloid scars. In 1954 Godzilla must have been the largest monster every committed to film, trains are derailed from running against its ankle and bell and radio towers are throttled for being a sensory inconvenience. Godzilla's first on-screen appearance on Odo Island is obscured by a hurricane but the impression is clear; you can't fight Godzilla in the same way you can't fight a natural disaster. When Tokyo is reduced to complete ruin amidst a sea of flames, it's an onslaught of destruction never before seen in a film of this genre. Survivors being afflicted with radiation poisoning shows that Godzilla will claim victims long after being driven back to sea.

There's a sheer apocalyptic dread to all of this sensed by all the characters. Love tries to exist on the edge of annihilation. There's nothing that can be done but persevere and maybe hope tomorrow will be better. A scene that always strikes me is when Serizawa is adamant about not using the Oxygen Destroyer until forcibly confronted with the results of one night of Godzilla making landfall in Japan. The absolute pain felt by everyone in the finale starts here, things couldn't play out any differently as the "scientist of the century" can't join in and celebrate his victory.

Godzilla is a rare perfect film. I will never tire of it.

#long post