Hi there and welcome to October! This is our favorite time of the year here at the Shattered Lens because October is our annual horrorthon! For the past several years (seriously, we’ve been doing this for a while), we have celebrated every October by reviewing and showing some of our favorite horror movies, shows, books, and music. That’s a tradition that I’m looking forward to helping to continue this year!
Let’s get things started with 1982’s Mazes and Monsters!
Based on a best-seller by Rona Jaffe, Mazes and Monsters tell the story of some college students who enjoy playing a game called Mazes and Monsters. Now, I realize that Mazes and Monsters may sound a lot like Dungeons and Dragons but they are actually two separate games. One game takes place in a dungeon. The other takes place in maze, got it?
When the players decide to play the game in some nearby caves, it causes the newest member of the group (Tom Hanks — yes, Tom Hanks) to snap and become his character. Convinced that he’s living in a world full of monsters and wizard, Hanks runs away to New York. How does that go? During a moment of clarity, Hanks calls his friends and wails, “There’s blood on my knife!”
It’s all fairly silly. There was a moral panic going on about role playing games when this film was made and this film definitely leans into the panic. But, in its own over-the-top way, it works. If you’ve ever wanted to see Tom Hanks battle a big green lizard, this is the film for you. And I defy anyone not to tear up a little during the final scene!
From 1982, here is MazesandMonsters! Happy Horrorthon!
Directed in 1989 by Farhad Mann, Nick Knight (a.k.a. Midnight Cop) was a made for tv movie meant as a pilot for a series filmed in Los Angeles. It would take another 3 years to for the show to be picked up as Forever Knight, and even then, it was difficult show to catch given you could really find it sometime after Midnight on Saturdays and/or Sundays. As Vampires in media go, Nick Knight is tucked away in a very small place between the success of Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark in 1987 and Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992. It’s nowhere near as good as either of those films, but plays on most of the vampire tropes. Allergic to Garlic? Check. Aversion to sunlight? Sure. As I’m writing this the way I would cover a TV episode, this review will have spoilers and will be a bit long in the tooth. My apologies in advance. For the TSL Horrorthon this year, I’m hoping my contribution will be (at least) the first season of Forever Knight. For the film, If you search for it, you can find on YouTube.
Detective Nick Knight (Rick Springfield, Hard to Hold) loves to work the night shift, but not before getting in a quick visit at a local suntan spa. It’s a bit uncomfortable, enough for him to hit the panic button and bring in a few staff to check in on him. He blames it on claustrophobia, “It’s like a coffin in there.”, he says and moves on. When an ancient jade goblet is stolen from a museum, leaving a guard murdered, Knight is brought on to the scene where Don Schanke (John Kapelos, The Shadow, The Breakfast Club) is already helping the cops take photos of the crime scene, and putting himself in the way of things. Nick interviews Dr. Alyce Hunter (Laura Johnson, TV’s Falcon Crest) about the homicide. Alyce reports the goblet was used in ritual blood drinking sacrifices (something that Knight sounds like he’s aware of since he can understand some of the ancient writing in the museum).
Cleaning up the scene, the media approaches Knight and asks if it’s “another Vampire murder”. Word has gotten out that there’s no blood in the course. Knight’s rescued by Captain Brunetti (Richard Fancy, The Girl Next Door) who asks to have him stop by his office after he gets the autopsy work. At the morgue, Nick is given a mug of tea that he just can’t stomach. Thankfully, Dr. Jack (Robert Harper, Twins)knows about Nick’s true nature, and is working helping him find a cure (which includes the tea). “How is your tanning coming along?”, Jack asks. “I’m up to ten minutes.” is Nick’s response, with a smile. When Nick returns to the Precinct, the Captain assigns Knight a new partner to help him with the vampire crimes. Nick’s been able to work alone for the most part, but now he finds himself paired with Schanke. This poses a few problems with hiding his nature.
Schanke and Knight get to know each other on their first night shift, with some talk about Schanke’s married life vs. Nick being forever single. The conversation is interrupted by a dispatch call about an Uzi toting gunman terrorising a local gym. They arrive on the scene, and much like Riggs & Murtaugh, Nick is gung ho about the situation, which causes a third cop on the scene to get killed. With a hostage in stow, the gunman threatens Nick. The girl gets herself out of trouble with a swift knee to the gunman’s gut, causing him to unload a full magazine into Knight. This brings out the vampire in Nick, who throws the gunman into an electrical fence, killing him.
With the case wrapped up, Nick visits Alyce, who spent her evening going through a book on the dig that discovered the cup. Before his arrival, she found a picture of the archeological team that includes someone who looks just like Nick. She makes a copy of the picture, but never mentions it to Nick during his visit. They have a moment, leading to a kiss. Of course, this also causes Nick’s fangs to sprout. He makes a hasty exit.
Having not seen Nick during the evening, Dr. Jack visit’s Nick’s haven, a closed down movie theatre with It’s a Wonderful Life still on the marquee. He finds Nick chugging on a wine bottle full of blood. They have a small argument over Nick’s humanity, leading Nick to admit his desire for love and companionship despite the vampiric side effect of watching people die around them. They make up and move on, there’s crime on the streets and the city needs it’s Midnight Cop. Nick explains that the stolen goblet is part of a pair (one of which he owns) that may be able to cure one of vampirism. The other goblet was coveted by Nick’s maker, LaCroix (Michael Nader, TV’s All My Children), who wants Nick to embrace his vampirism instead of trying to fix it. Could he be the thief?
When a homeless couple goes missing, Nick visits a local vampire nightclub. There he finds Janette (Cec Verrell (Silk). She informs him that while, yes, LaCroix is in town and yes, he may have something to do with the goblet, the missing couple has nothing to do with him. On his way out of the nightclub, Nick bumps into Alyce, who followed him. When some other vampire locals approach the couple, she notices a scar on Nick’s chest (matching one in the photo she had), and confronts him. He doesn’t outright admit to being a vampire, but she gets the feeling she’s on the right track. She even dares him a little, baring her neck. Nick doesn’t take the bait.
On the radio, we hear “The Nightcrawler” who is really LaCroix. The Nightcrawler hosts “Metal for the Ages”, lamenting that he hasn’t seen his old friend Jean Pierre (Nick) in some time. LaCroix dedicates his next song to him, which just happens to be Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative”. I don’t remember Bobby Brown’s music ever being Metal, but we’ll roll with it.
Eventually, Nick has to deal with both LaCroix and the real villain in this tale. The story ends on a bit of a dark note, resolving the whole mystery, but still leaves open the promise of Nick’s search for Mortality. The city is safe for now, and that’s what counts.
Though the film isn’t terribly strong on the plot, it does shine with the music choices. With classic 80s hits like Steve Winwood’s “Don’t You Know What the Night Can Do” and “Human” by The Human League, Nick Knight definitely has a bit of style, though it’s a bit over the top and campy on the action sequences. It was one of those films that I had a better memory of than what it truly was.
Here’s hoping this month finds you with joy, family, friends, fiends, ghouls, and ghosts!
Today is also the start of the Shattered Lens’s annual horrorthon! Sit back, enjoy the reviews, the art, and the music videos, and have a great month of ghoulish fun!
Welcome to October! October is a big month here at the Shattered Lens. It’s the month when we devote the majority of our time to the horror genre. It’s time for our annual Horrorthon! Last year, we had a record number of Horrorthon posts. I’d love to break that record this year but mostly. I just want this year’s Horrothon to be fun for both our writers and our readers!
Here’s what I’m looking forward to in October!
Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein — I think I was one of the few people who unreservedly loved Del Toro’s version of Nightmare Alley and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what he does with Mary Shelley’s classic tale. Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein just feels like perfect casting.
The Horror Movies On TCM — TCM never lets me down in October. I can’t wait to binge all of the classic horror that will be aired this month.
Nouvelle Vague — Richard Linklater’s tribute to the French New Wave is scheduled to be released in theaters on October 31st and then on Netflix two weeks later. While I was a bit disappointed with last year’s Hit Man, I still look forward to every new Linklater film. Speaking of which….
Blue Moon — Linklater’s other 2025 film is scheduled for an October 17th release. Ethan Hawke is said to be brilliant in this film.
After The Hunt — I’m not really a huge fan of director Luca Guadagnino and I’ll probably never forgive him not only his Suspiria remake but also his uncharitable words about the original. That said, After The Hunt has gotten such mixed reviews that I’m intrigued. Julia Roberts is said to give one of her best performances in the film but the film’s storyline has been criticized. Whenever critics give a negative review to a politically-charged film, I feel almost duty-bound to watch the film and decide for myself.
Halloween — It’s my favorite holiday! I can’t wait to see all the decorations, all the parties, and all the costumes!
October’s going to be a great month and those of us at TSL can’t wait to celebrate it with you! What are you looking forward to in October?
Happy Horrorthon! I’m writing this in July because I enjoy it, not this particular short- this short is garbage trash. It got 1.2 Million views and I’m certain at least 3 of those views were On Purpose! Mustafa Nohekhan should be featured on the Real Men of Genius ad campaign. Here’s to you Mr. Super Low-Budget Horror Film Maker [sung]. It’s hard to make a movie when all you have is your iPhone, Party City makeup, and some leftover jello for blood from your Sunday picnic, but you showed them- YOU SHOWED THEM ALL! Here’s to you – God of the bloody goop and unpaid crew. Mr. Super Low-Budget Horror Film Maker because when your critics said that this film couldn’t and shouldn’t be done. You responded, “I can do it!” They responded, “But why?”
This short does have a beginning, middle, and an end. The protagonist, an actress, says bloody mary in a mirror and is killed by “Mary” between takes. The acting is worthy of the finest 7th grade home movies. It has a we’ve got an iPhone let’s make a movie vibe. If you don’t want to take my word for it and wish to watch this piece of cinema- Here is the link:
I have Jeff to thank for introducing me to the British ska band Madness. The first Madness song that he played for me was Our House, which was the band’s biggest hit in America. I liked the song, so much that I found myself humming it incessantly after first listening to it. Perhaps to get to me hum something else, Jeff then sent me a playlist including Night Boat To Cairo, The Prince, One Step Beyond, It Must Have Been Love, Michael Caine, Driving In My Car, Grey Day, and a host of other songs. It was not only my introduction to Madness but also my introduction to two-tone ska in general. I was quickly hooked.
Here in America, Madness is often incorrectly described as being a one hit wonder. While it is true that Our House was Madness’s biggest hit in America, it’s also true that, ever since the late 70s, Madness had been hugely successful in their native UK, spending 214 weeks on the UK Singles Charts and essentially becoming a bit of a cultural institution. They’ve had 16 singles reach the UK top ten and, somewhat charmingly, the band that formed in 1976 is still largely together.
Ever since the Beatles made A Hard Day’s Night, it’s been almost a rule that almost any successful British band should make a movie. 1981’s Take It Or Leave It is the Madness movie. Admittedly, it’s not a film with a great reputation. The members of the band have themselves described the film as being a bit amateurish and, as I watched the film, I couldn’t help but notice that lead singer Suggs always seemed to be struggling not to look straight at the camera when delivering his lines. Watching the film, it was obvious that the members of Madness were better musicians than actors. It’s interesting to consider that one of the things that makes Madness such an amazing band is that every member comes across as being a star. Watching them perform in their music videos, you get the feeling that you’re watching a group of seven extroverts having the time of their lives. And yet, even though the film’s director also directed the majority of the band’s videos, the members of the band still seemed to be unsure how to play themselves in Take It Or Leave It. It wasn’t just Suggs looking at the camera. It was also the other members of the band, often looking down at the floor when they had to deliver their lines or speaking so softly that it was a struggle to actually hear what they were saying.
The film attempts to tell the story of Madness, from the early days of Chris Foreman, Lee Thompson, and Mike Barson playing in a living room to the full band heading out on their international tour. Along the way, there’s arguments about the band’s musical direction, frequent personnel changes, and Suggs becoming the lead singer, leaving, and then becoming the singer again. The drama is all very lowkey. It’s perhaps a bit too lowkey. A scene where one of the members of the band attacks a drummer seems to come out of nowhere because the members of the band all just come across as being too mellow and friendly to really attack anyone.
Here’s the thing, though. None of that mattered. The members of the band were all so likable that it really didn’t matter that they weren’t particularly good actors. The scenes of the band performing were full of so much energy and joy that it more than made up for the parts of the film that dragged. Watching the band perform One Step Beyond in a pub, it’s impossible not to get pulled into the excitement. Even the use of slow motion during a performance of Night Boat To Cairo works because it allows us to watch a group of young men who are obviously having the best night of their lives. It’s moments like those that make life worth it. It’s moments like those that make you love a band like Madness.
In the end, Take It Or Leave It is a film that will best be appreciated by people who already like the band. It may not work as a drama but, as a celebration of music and performance, it’s the nutsiest sound around.
Odin was one of the many hair metal bands that tried to make it big in the 80s. They were a part of the same L.A. scene that launched everyone from Poison to Guns ‘N’ Roses to Mötley Crüe. Today, they are probably best-remembered for being prominently featured in the 1988 documentary, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. While bands like Poison and RATT and musicians like Ozzy Osbourne appeared in the documentary as battle-weary veterans, Odin was meant to represent the up-and-coming band that was on the verge of breaking through. This video came out a few years before Odin was featured in Decline.
Who directed this video? I’m not sure. I even resorted to asking Google A.I. Google A.I. replied with:
Mark Romanek is a pretty well-known director so if he started out his career directing videos for Odin, that would be a pretty big deal. However, every list of credits that I could find for Romanek online listed neither Odin nor this video. The video was released in 1985. Both Wikipedia and the IMDb list Romanek’s first music video as being 1986’s Sweet Bird of Truth by The The. I could be wrong but I’m 99.9% certain that Mark Romanek did not direct this video.
Odin never did break through and broke up shortly after the release of the documentary. (They may have gotten more screentime then most of the veterans but what most people remembered from that movie was Ozzy making breakfast and Chris Holmes drinking beer.) Maybe one reason they didn’t really break through is because, according to this video, their drummer could blow people up just by looking at them. It’s not a good idea to blow up your own fans.
Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing Pacific Blue, a cop show that aired from 1996 to 2000 on the USA Network! It’s currently streaming everywhere, though I’m watching it on Tubi.
This week, the second season ends.
Episode 2.22 “Rumpelstiltskin”
(Dir by John B. Moranville, originally aired on April 20th, 1997)
Rumpelstiltskin. That’s the nickname that FBI agent Tim Stone (David Lee Smith) has given to expert counterfeiter Laszlo Parkes (Josh Richman). Laszlo and his three associates — Sheila (Heidi Lenhart, who was Jenny Garrison on California Dreams), Lana (Diana Barrington), and Bree (Jennifer Sky) — are passing the fake money all around Santa Monica. Laszlo is planning on scoring a big drug deal. Meanwhile, Bree and her boyfriend (Tim Griffin) are planning on taking out Laszlo.
Agent Stone requests that Cory and Chris be assigned to work with him. It soon become apparent that Stone has more in mind than just work. Chris likes Stone but Stone like Cory. When Chris find out that Stone and Cory slept together, she throws a fit. I’ve noticed that Chris really only has to modes on PacificBlue. Either she’s disturbingly robotic and unconcerned with civil liberties or she’s getting mad about something and threatening to go all-Fatal Attraction on somebody. I’ve also noticed that the show’s writers are incapable of imagining Chris or Cory in a situation where they don’t end up falling for whoever they’re working with.
The funniest part of this episode was when word came in of a shoot-out so all the cops jumped on their bicycles and rode over to the scene. Seriously, a guy was taking fire and instead of jumping in a car and speeding over there, everyone decided to ride their bicycles. Somehow, the bike cops were able to take down the mob and also arrest Laszlo. I always wonder how they get people to the jail after they arrest them. Do they chain them to the bicycle or something?
After the shoot out, Tim and Cory enjoyed a romantic sunset and Tim promised that he would return soon.
And so ended the second season!
Wow, the second season sucked. Here we are, about to start season 3, and I’m still struggling to tell everyone apart. Chris and Cory still don’t have a personality. Everyone still looks silly on their bicycles. This show grows more pointless with each episode.
