WerewolvesWord came out last week that Netflix has paid several hundreds of millions of dollars for the rights to the two planned sequels to KNIVES OUT. And that just plain sucks, no matter which way you look at it. Shame on the studios for selling out, and shame even more on Netflix—although we must recognize…Continue readingNetflix: The Beast Must Die
Survivor dude Bear Grylls nailed it with this quote. He was speaking about the movie GREYSTOKE: THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, LORD OF THE APES in particular, but he managed to succinctly state why it is that Edgar Rice Burroughs’s creation, Tarzan, is timeless. Yes, I said it: timeless. Yes, the setting of the stories is…Continue readingBear Growls: The Inner Beast, or Why Tarzan Will Live Forever
The Blackmane, the creature without a name, walks home. He walks on two legs, as a man would walk, though he knows that he is not a man. But he is not like the other beasts, either. Those most like him, the lions, go on four feet. Four legs. He has but two legs to…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Eighteen
David Henesy is one of the two primary actors from DARK SHADOWS (the other being Alexandra Moltke) who has, in the years since the show left the airwaves (or ceased its original run; it never really left the airwaves), mostly avoided the public eye. As a child actor on the show, he played several key…Continue readingOn DARK SHADOWS: Maggie Interviews David
“Judi!” Maribelle ran out of the thicket. Her friend stood rigid, holding up a hand. She looked at Maribelle. The native women were all screaming now. Even the men. One of them scooped up the two children. A basket of clothes toppled into the water. A woman dropped a clay pot and it broke. They…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Seventeen
This isn’t something created by those wacky cryptozoologists. No, sir! This map was created by a group of legitimate scientist types at Yale University! Their goals are laudable: “At the current pace of global environmental change, there is no doubt that many species will go extinct before we have ever learned about their existence and…Continue readingWhere the Wild Things Are
We now have a poster (it’s a nice one!) and trailer for BLOODTHIRSTY, due out on VOD on April 23rd. This one looks gooooooood! Here’s the official synopsis: “Grey, an indie singer, whose first album was a smash hit, gets an invitation to work with notorious music producer Vaughn Daniels at his remote studio in…Continue readingFeeling BLOODTHIRSTY?
This one doesn’t quite get my blood pumping the way thoughts of GODZILLA VS. KONG does, but it’s a close second. DAWN OF THE BEAST from Uncork’d Entertainment is available on DVD and video starting April 6th. And it’s from Bruce Wemple, the guy who did the pretty dang excellent MONSTROUS, so that’s another reason…Continue readingBigfoot vs. Wendigo
Where it comes to celebrity gossip, this bit about Armie Hammer is too good to be true. It all sounds like something the WEEKLY WORLD NEWS would make up (Anybody remember them? The most egregiously outrageous of the checkout aisle tabloids, no longer in print?) but it seems there might be some meat to it,…Continue readingArmie the Cannibal
Judith and Maribelle came to a wide stream of greenish brown water, the trees and undergrowth providing a natural screen along its edge. Several of the Warumbi were already there, women collecting water for their cooking and washing clothes, men and women standing in the water up to their knees, splashing and rubbing their dark…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Sixteen
Maribelle woke with a start. A nightmare, already fading in the morning light. Something about yellow eyes in the darkness and claws and teeth. Maribelle let it go. It wasn’t something she cared to remember. Blame it on Judi’s bedtime stories, she said to herself. She sat up on her blanket, pulled aside the gauzy…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Fifteen
I should tell you all right up front that the starring werewolf of the film never fully transforms. This was due both to the film’s miniscule budget—they couldn’t afford the FX to achieve the “wolfing out”—and time constraints. I know this because I watched the making-of feature that came as an extra on the DVD…Continue readingMovie Review: I AM LISA
Maribelle closed her eyes. They burned behind the lids. Trying to read the printout by the weak light of the electric lantern, putting too much strain on her eyes. She would have to turn off the lantern soon, anyway. It was drawing every bug in Africa. The DEET seemed to be keeping the mosquitoes off…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Fourteen
I have a friend now. I am not all alone in this world. My friend tells me his name is Joseph. He says that he is not afraid of me, but I can tell that he is lying, sometimes. But I would not harm this man, Joseph, unless I were very hungry or he attacked…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Thirteen
Also known as the Pope Lick Monster, named after the Pope Lick Creek near Louisville, Kentucky that it (he?) calls home, the Goatman might be a form of Sheepsquatch, a particular type of Cryptid known for being furry and having horns (sorta like the Wampa in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK). Or it might be a…Continue readingThe Kentucky Goatman
“Has science solved one of history’s greatest adventure mysteries?” So asks the headline for this linked article. (The word “Science” ought to be capitalized here, and I would expect a source as credited as National Geographic to know that.) I can answer that question for them: no. No, Science, capital S, has not solved it.…Continue readingDyatlov Solved?
I don’t want to be misunderstood. I think skepticism is a good thing. A person should be skeptical by nature. But as with everything, the extremists have given skepticism a bad name. Taken to the extreme, a person can be skeptical to a fault, to the point that the person becomes closedminded. And more often…Continue readingOccams’ Razor Shaves Monster Wolves
What started out as something good—political correctness, which really was just another way of saying show respect—metastasized. Cancers tend to do that. Nowadays it has become its own brand of fascism. Taken to its extreme, it foments division and fuels Alt-Right angst, cheapening true issues of racism and discrimination in favor of sensationalistic, casuistic virtue-signaling.…Continue readingDon’t Cancel. Elucidate.
“This animal was killed by something with hands,” Judith said. “Something that kills the way a man would kill.” “The hybrid,” Maribelle said. “He wrung its neck,” Hamm said. “Then he tore into it.” “See the claw marks?” Judith pointed. “The way the skin is torn? Five even lines, like a human hand.” “With a…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Twelve
Then the grass opened up. Maribelle recognized their path as a wide game trail. Made by elephants, maybe? They followed the trail to the left. “So how many times have you come to Africa, Mr. Hamm?” Maribelle asked. “This is my fourth extended visit,” Hamm answered. “It’s where the money is. The company’s always got…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Eleven
The hut had no door, so Phil Hamm knocked on one of the door posts. Maribelle had seen him coming out of the corner of her eye, anyway. She turned. He stooped to peer inside. “You girls up for a little hike?” he asked. “The locals say there’s something you might want to see.” “And…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Ten
Entertainment news, that is. Although certainly if anything werewolf-related pops up in the news it’s entertaining for me, and for you good folks, too, I expect. (Speaking of, we could use another appearance, Beast of Bray Road, Michigan Dogman, or Old Stinker. We miss you guys!) But these particular tidbits are all related to movies,…Continue readingWerewolves in the News: AWIL Figure and BLOODTHIRSTY
It was originally supposed to open a year ago at this time, but the ‘Rona interfered. In fact A QUIET PLACE PART II was one of the very first movies to get pulled from the release schedule. I can’t recall how many times since that initial change the movie got bumped. Its last position on…Continue readingA QUIET PLACE PART II Bumped Again—For Good!
Disney’s magnificent (yes, I went and saw it) RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON underperformed at the box office. That’s underperformed in the relative sense; all movies that have opened over the past year have underperformed, vastly underperformed, compared to how they might have been expected to do, money-wise, before the pandemic. But relative to success…Continue readingThe Theaters Strike Back
“The Warumbi still regard him as some sort of demon of the grassland,” Judith said. “But we know better, don’t we? Our creature can think!” Maribelle smiled. “I want to see him,” she said. Judith nodded. “One step at a time, darling. We have to let him get used to the idea. I’ll take you…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Nine
“I have seen the creature now on five separate occasions!” Judith said. “Twice at close range, no less!” “And?” “Oh, my dear, the Warumbi think he is just a killer and a maneater, but he has never made any attempt to harm me. I go out and I sing. Old hymns and showtunes. I just…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Eight
I should state upfront that I have not vetted the reliability of the website providing this linked article. I don’t know if its reputation passes scientific credibility muster. (Not “mustard”. Although “Scientific Credibility Mustard” would make for one gonzo name for an Alternative band, don’t you think?) It seems to, and we’ll give the benefit…Continue readingGiant Wolf, or Direwolf?
Who woulda thunk it? Seattle, of all places. The birthplace of Grunge. On the list of places I want to visit in my lifetime, Seattle would have been dang near at the bottom. Doesn’t it rain there, like, every single day? Seattle. Ugh. No thank you. No offense to anyone living there who actually likes…Continue readingHeaven is in Seattle
Is it *possible* it could be a baby Thylacine? Yes. It’s possible. Is it also possible it could be somebody’s frikkin’ housecat? Yep. Also possible. And of the two possibilities, which is the more likely? The footage is anything but conclusive. It isn’t even good enough to garner mentioning, not that this stopped Neil Waters,…Continue readingThat Thylacine Footage
The village, when they got to it, didn’t look like much. Not that Maribelle had expected it to. It had a few constructions of rusted metal and plywood hammered together into small domiciles, interspersed with more traditional native huts, all laid out in irregular circles surrounding the heart and lifeblood of the village, its well.…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Seven
Bryan Bertino, the writer-slash-director of such fantabulous fare as THE STRANGERS (and its sequel THE STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT, for which he wrote the screenplay) and the incomparable THE MONSTER, hits another one out of the park with his latest, THE DARK AND THE WICKED, even if the old flyball doesn’t sail quite as far…Continue readingMovie Review: THE DARK AND THE WICKED
The problem with Nicolas Cage movies is that you never know ahead of time which Nicolas Cage you’re going to get. There are two, you know. It’s like Agent Dale Cooper in TWIN PEAKS. At some point several years ago, Nicolas Cage got trapped in the Black Lodge and was replaced by an evil doppelganger.…Continue readingMovie Review: PRIMAL
It made big headlines. Neil Waters, the president of the Thylacine Awareness Group out of Australia, claims to have captured several living thylacines on a wildlife camera trap set in Tasmania. “I know what they are and so do a few independent expert witnesses,” he says. “We believe the first image is the mum, we…Continue readingThylacine Rediscovered—Or Not
This one is WRONG TURN, only set in England on the banks of a dingy canal and with carnivorous mutant fish people instead of cannibalistic inbred hillbillies. Now seasoned Horror marks will know that WRONG TURN is really THE HILLS HAVE EYES, only with cannibalistic inbred hillbillies instead of cannibalistic inbred (and possibly mutated to…Continue readingMovie Review: THE BARGE PEOPLE
She sat up in the darkness of the room, listening. The sound that had awakened her repeated. Three knocks on the room’s single door. Maribelle got to her feet. “Who is it?” “It’s Hamm.” Maribelle frowned. She opened the door. “How soon can you get ready?” Hamm asked. “Uh, just give me a couple minutes.”…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Six
I’d like to find the artist responsible for the image on the right (above) so I can give him/her proper credit. Whoever created the piece gets props from yours truly for being literate. The work is obviously inspired by the image on the upper left, which is a still from the short film A TRIP…Continue readingA Bullet in Your Eye
I don’t know who created this piece of Art. If it was you and you’d like credit, just give us a holler and we’ll be happy to oblige. Or if you know the person responsible, give them a holler and tell them to give us a holler. Or you can just credit them yourself. Whatevs.…Continue readingBritish Folklore, Mapped
Here’s the spin: “Soon after violent masked drifters dressed as wolves arrive in a small rural town, a local young couple goes missing and their bodies are discovered near a ranch run by brother and sister, Tommy and June. Her ex-boyfriend and local deputy sheriff Luke start suspecting Tommy of murder, leaving the siblings ostracized…Continue readingWhat Comes in THE DEAD OF NIGHT?
“April 6. Well I’m here at last. Kenya. The village is all I expected it to be. ‘I a stranger, and afraid,’ and all that. Yes, Toto, we are a long way from Kansas now.” She paused to listen for a minute as several other voices had joined in the argument. *Great. A riot outside…Continue readingBlackmane Chapter Five
We have more details on the upcoming PREDATOR movie. Courtesy of a new production listing: “The story will follow Kee, a Comanche woman who goes against gender norms and traditions to become a warrior. Many years ago – in a time before any Europeans had ever encroached on their lands – the Comanche people had…Continue readingPREDATOR and PredatorS
A couple of vehicles rolled past them in the street, both pick-up trucks. A man went by leading a herd of goats. They scattered a few chickens that were pecking in the dirt. Hamm led the way to a two-story stucco building, stepping up under the low veranda. Maribelle couldn’t help but notice the walls,…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Four
If ever I have encountered a better premise and set-up for a gloriously cheesy Sci-Fi Horror flick, I cannot remember it. Scientists are growing little blobs of Neanderthal brains. What could possibly go wrong? And they’ve found that Neanderthal DNA, when introduced, can alter human brain tissue. This just keeps getting better! A virus that…Continue readingNeanderthal Brain Blobs
As far as giant killer pig movies go, Russell Mulcahy’s (and writers Everett De Roche’s and Peter Brennan’s) RAZORBACK from 1984 stands head and tusks above the rest. It’s the CITIZEN KANE of giant killer pig movies. Now we have a new contender. BOAR is right up there with it. It’s a grand, old-fashioned “nature…Continue readingMovie Review: BOAR
One thing that struck me (and by this I mean it struck my lovely better half, who was watching the film with me, and who pointed it out to me; I was myself too entranced by what I was seeing to contemplate much of anything) while viewing THE FURY OF THE WOLFMAN (aka LA FURIA…Continue readingDid Daninsky’s Villainess Inspire DARK SHADOWS?
The right front wheel of the bus bounced into a pothole, jarring her and stealing her attention from the papers on her lap. She looked up. The driver was already braking, slowing down. The brakes squealed and the bus shuddered as it came to a stop. The driver looked back at her over his shoulder.…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Three
I must speak. There is something reassuring about seeing these words, now. By typing them they become real. They are no longer in my head alone, where they might be a delusion, or madness. I tap on this keyboard and the words appear, and by so doing I give them a permanence, or at least…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter Two
No, this one has nothing to do with the Universal Monsters character the Wolfman, not the Lon Chaney Jr. version or the Benecio Del Toro version. Rather this Spanish feature (alternately known as WOLFMAN NEVER SLEEPS) is the fourth in the multi-picture series of films featuring the character Waldemar Daninsky, portrayed by actor Paul Naschy.…Continue readingMovie Review: THE FURY OF THE WOLFMAN (1970)
It’s funny how, as a writer, your views of your work can change with time. Hopefully, if you’re doing it right, if it’s working the way it’s supposed to work, you keep getting better at it as you go. You keep improving. And something that you considered your masterpiece, the greatest work you’d ever be…Continue readingIntroducing BLACKMANE
FACT: The Human-Animal Hybrid Prohibition Act (H.R. 5910) was introduced into the House of Representatives in 2008 (having been introduced into the U.S. Senate one year earlier) but never passed. FACT: Several states, including Arizona and Louisiana, have proposed laws banning the creation or propagation of human-animal hybrids, also called chimeras. FACT: In 2004, the…Continue readingBLACKMANE Chapter One
Afterword It is all too easy to dismiss the numerous eyewitness accounts from ages past of the thing we in our modern parlance refer to as “werewolf,” no matter how credible those accounts might otherwise be. If the people of past centuries (and millennia, for in truth accounts detailing werewolf-like creatures are far older than…Continue readingTHE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF – Finale
