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***
Wait!
What's that?
It's a cinema!
And, if I enter it, what shall I find within?
Assuming it's a sizeable one - and it's in the habit of only showing films released in October 1985 - I shall find such delights as Commando, Dreamchild, Jagged Edge, A Zed & Two Noughts, Re-Animator and I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later.
Of those, I shall, of course, name Re-Animator as my Film of the Month, as it's the only one I've ever seen, although I have heard A Zed & Two Noughts being spoken of in hushed whispers. Mostly on Channel Four which I seem to remember being quite keen on showing it, during the station's more pretentious era.
Now, at last, that's about to change, as the West Coast Avengers gain their very own monthly and prepare to fight whatever villains turn up in that part of the world.
And it seems some seriously serious villains do turn up, because this 39-page monster sees our heroes' HQ being attacked by both Ultron and the Lethal Legion!
However, all his attempts to win her over fail and he quickly gives up on that idea.
Or perhaps they won't, as there's no sign of the book's previous stalwarts Conan and Ka-Zar.
Despite some venerable names being on that list, it would appear that none of these tales are reprints.
Inside, the mag's mostly dominated by a 50-page adventure in which an ageing Queen sends Conan in search of magical springs that can restore her lost youth.
It also delivers a 10-pager in which the barbarian refuses to abandon an arm-wrestling match, even though soldiers are out to get him.
After that, we encounter a four-page yarn which I do believe relates the origins of the Eternals, Humans and Deviants, for any who may have missed the explanation the last time round.
That's followed by a short adventure called Disaster Signal. Of which, I also know nothing.








I saw COMMANDO at the theatre but remember almost nothing about it now. I liked RE-ANIMATOR quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteOf these comics, I bought SAVAGE TALES for the Mike Golden Vietnam story. I vaguely remember not liking any of the other stories.
b.t.
I'd mistakenly assumed it was Speak Your Brain day!
ReplyDeleteFor our American friends we should explain that "zed" is how we Brits pronounce the letter z.
Prowler watches Canadian TV programs here in America. They do that too.
DeleteNow push PUBLISH
Funny non relevant comment. Prowler and the Missus watch "foreign programs". Mystic is about a magical horse and the girl who sees him. It's made and set in New Zealand. It will air live in NZ in the spring. That fall, CBC in Canada will air it. Then next spring, a year later, Mystic will finally be available in the US. Not sure why the delay but it happens... Prowler out!!!
ReplyDeleteNow push PUBLISH
"For our American friends we should explain that "zed" is how we Brits pronounce the letter z."
ReplyDeleteIt was also the name of the character played by Sean Connery in John Boorman's 1974 sci-fi classic "Zardoz", which continues to divide audiences to this day (put me in the thumbs-up category).
I didn’t see Re-Animator til 1986, and was a bit disappointed. I’ve still never quite warmed to it, to be honest.
ReplyDeleteCommando was one of those films you’re supposed to like because it’s so stupid, but that’s properly worn off now.
I sort of miss the pretentious Channel 4 days, to be honest. It was always a journey of discovery tuning in. I used to watch it randomly late at night during the school holidays when I was allowed to stay up as late as I wanted.
Vision and Scarlet Witch look like they’re dancing in a nightclub where things have turned a bit ugly.
The Golden Conan cover looks like the sort of thing Simon Bisley built a career on a few years later.
That ‘Savage Tales’ series is being reprinted soon, I think? As part of the Lost Marvels collections.
From a quick peek at Mike’s Amazing World, I’m a bit startled to realize how few comics I bought that week in ‘85. In addition to SAVAGE TALES, I also bought one other Marvel book , THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL #3, two Fantagraphics books, MECHANICS #1 and Peter Bagge’s NEAT STUFF #2, and one Eclipse title, MIRACLEMAN #2. Three of those are reprints of comics that I already owned !
ReplyDeleteb.t.
I've watched Commando (despite its incredible ridiculousness) many times. Arnie's antagonist, "Bennett", is the movie's true star, with his overacting and hyperbolic boasting. Bennett's strange tank-top, perforated like a tea-bag, or string vest - along with odd little boots - make for additional entertainment value. Bennett being kicked out of Arnie's ( legendary ) "unit" started the vendetta. Bennett's respect/admiration for Matrix/Arnie, despite that, is more than weird! The shopping mall & motel fights are highly entertaining, too. Commando may be silly beyond words, but every scene keeping viewers' attention, despite that silliness, suggests its director knew what he was doing.
ReplyDeletePhillip
On the subject of Channel 4 - do any UK readers remember a film called P'tang Yang Kipperbang which was broadcast in Channel 4's first week in November 1982? The film definitely exists because I've googled it so it's not something dreamed up by my feverish imagination!
ReplyDeleteYes, what's with that Conan cover?? The horse looks way too small and possibly inanimate while Conan's crazy get-up seems to have been stolen from Jack Kirby's Odin!
Talking of Conan - in the last few days I've been re-reading my two favourite REH Conan stories, SHADOWS IN THE MOONLIGHT and THE SLITHERING SHADOW. In SITM Conan and scantily-clad wench Olivia land on an island where evil iron statues come to life by moonlight and Conan fights a killer man-ape which has the hots for Olivia while in TSS Conan and scantily-clad wench Natala enter a lost city in the desert where a huge gelatinous blob-thing roams the corridors preying on the city's inhabitants who are all stoned on drugs. You can't beat the classics!
I first read both stories in 1978 as Marvel adaptations by Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala but nowadays I've got the original versions in an e-book called THE COMPLETE CHRONICLES OF CONAN - CENTENARY EDITION (because it was originally published in 2006 on the centenary of REH's birth).
Yeah, I remember P’tang Yang Kipperbang very well. It was really popular at my school. A David Putnam production if I remember correctly.
DeleteMatthew, P'tang Yang Kipperbang was such a great title for a film that it stuck in my mind even though I didn't have a clue what the film was actually about!
ReplyDeleteChannel 4 was launched in November 1982 during my first term in the Lower 6th form.
Colin, I too remember P'tang Yang Kipperbang.
ReplyDeleteI've never watched it, but also remember the title. Wasn't it a book.novel for teenagers, too?
ReplyDeleteYes, Conan would be had for cruelty to that little Pony, nowadays, overloading it like that!
Phillip
It wasn’t a novel - it was an original script by the legendary Jack Rosenthal (who wrote one of my favourite TV movies ‘The Knowledge’).
DeleteDirected by Michael ‘That’ll Be The Day’ Apted too.
Matthew, I remember The Knowledge from Christmas 1979 but I didn't know Jack Rosentahl wrote it.
ReplyDeleteHe also wrote Bar Mitzvah Boy from 1976 which is one of his most famous TV plays.
Jack Rosentahl was married to Maureen Lipman and nowadays Maureen is an uncritical defender of Israel which has caused a rift between her and her former friend Miriam Margoyles who is opposed to the crazy, corrupt Netanyahu.
I agree with Matthew, Steve - Channel 4 was more interesting in its first few years, and 'A Zed & Two Noughts' was alright.
ReplyDeleteBut 'Dreamchild', a little seen Dennis Potter scripted film about the writer known as Lewis Carroll and the girl he based Alice - I think it was poorly distributed because of some dispute between the studio and distributors - was better. You might recall it came up here earlier this year, in relation to a Starburst cover feature.
The best film of the month though was one you didn't mention, Paul Schrader's 'Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters', about the Japanese writer Yukio Mishima who committed Seppuku in 1970, mixing episodes from his life with scenes from his novels.
-sean
Not a very interesting selection of comics this time round, Steve. Which is hardly your fault - you can only post from what Marvel put out, right? - but I am a bit surprised you didn't include Dr Who #13. It reprinted both parts of the classic 'Junkyard Demon', drawn by the mighty Mike McMahon.
ReplyDeleteThe big news of the month was over at DC, where they killed off Supergirl (in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7). Booooo....
Steve Does Comics Moore-watch Dept:
Swamp Thing #41 - with Afredo Alcala inking Steve Bisette's work this issue, which personally I thought was an improvement
Miracleman #2 - "He shouldn't have forgotten the thunder..." Classic.
Mr Monster #3
And the back up in American Flagg #25 - stories by Chaykin and Moore in the same comic... those were the days, eh?
-sean
Sean - you preferred Alcala’s inking over Totleben’s?
DeleteReally? *shudder*
That’s a bit like preferring Wings to The Beatles, or nylon over cotton.
Nothing against Totleben, Matthew, I just really like Alcala's work.
DeleteIn much the same way as I prefer Yoko Ono's records to anything by the Beatles...
-sean
Both "P'tang Yang Kipperbang" and "Dreamchild" are available on Youtube.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I liked Totleben's art I also preferred Alcala's inks as well Matthew. However, it was issue 45 that had Alcala inks Sean. I had no idea the "mighty" Mike McMahon drew Dr Who stuff I will need to track down that one down.
ReplyDeletePaul, if you haven't seen it Mike McMahon's Dr Who story is well worth tracking down. He did a great Cyberman, drawn in his inimitable style like it was straight out of an episode of 'Tenth Planet'. I think it must have been the first time anyone went for a deliberately retro approach with Dr Who.
DeleteProbably better to try and find a version that's in b&w like the Marvel UK original. Although the US Dr Who #13 also features a back up with the Yeti drawn by David Lloyd, if that sounds like it might float your boat too.
-sean
McScotty -
DeleteAnnoyingly OOP after 2 years, but available here in b&w along with tons of other great stuff…
https://amzn.eu/d/3GyCrFx
I’ll echo Sean here - it’s a fantastic bit of artwork. I came across it in a 1983 summer special reprint (which had Dillon’s Abslom Daak in as well) and it blew me away.
You're right, Steve - that is a really odd SSoC cover by Michael Golden.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the work of some second-rate Bisley clone. Even though they weren't a thing in 1985.
-sean
PS Actually, thinking about it, Simon Bisley's work didn't appear for another couple of years, so I suppose taking the piss out of it in 1985 has to be considered an achievement of sorts...
Delete