Comic Books, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for April 24, 2024

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

JAN242138 7FATES CHAKHO GN VOL 03 (C: 0-1-2) $20.00

FEB242060 A BRIEF MOMENT OF ICHIKA GN VOL 01 (C: 0-1-2) $13.95

FEB241412 A FOX IN MY BRAIN GN (C: 0-0-1) $19.99

FEB241531 AKOLYTE #5 $4.99

NOV230934 AMERICAN PSYCHO #4 (OF 5) CVR A COLANGELI (MR) $4.99

NOV230935 AMERICAN PSYCHO #4 (OF 5) CVR B KRAFT (MR) $4.99

NOV230936 AMERICAN PSYCHO #4 (OF 5) CVR C FILM STILL (MR) $4.99

SEP238876 AMERICAN PSYCHO #4 (OF 5) CVR E BRUDER BUSINESS CARD VAR (MR $4.99

FEB241962 ANCIENT MAGUS BRIDE ALCHEMISTS BLUE GN VOL 08 (C: 0-1-2) $12.99

FEB241284 ANIMALS RULE THIS LAND GN (C: 0-1-1) $24.99

FEB241210 ARCHIE SHOWCASE JUMBO DIGEST #18 HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN $9.99

SEP230970 ATOM BEGINNING GN VOL 07 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $12.99

JAN241142 AVATAR FRONTIERS OF PANDORA #3 $3.99

FEB241130 BATCAT GN VOL 02 SINK OR SWIM (C: 0-1-0) $13.99

JAN242105 BEGINNING AFTER END GN VOL 05 (C: 0-1-2) $20.00

FEB241269 BIO MECHS #1 (OF 5) CVR A LIMA (C: 0-1-1) $4.99

FEB241270 BIO MECHS #1 (OF 5) CVR B BATISTA (C: 0-1-1) $5.99

FEB241271 BIO MECHS #1 (OF 5) CVR C RAMONDELLI (C: 0-1-1) $5.99

FEB241272 BIO MECHS #1 (OF 5) CVR D FORTE (C: 0-1-1) $6.99

DEC231399 BLASFAMOUS #2 CVR A ANDOLFO (MR) $8.99

DEC231400 BLASFAMOUS #2 CVR B ANDOLFO (MR) $8.99

FEB242059 BLOOD ON TRACKS GN VOL 16 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $12.95

FEB240421 BLOODY DOZEN SHROUDED COLLEGE #5 (OF 6) CVR A SLINEY $3.99

FEB240422 BLOODY DOZEN SHROUDED COLLEGE #5 (OF 6) CVR B ALBUQUERQUE $3.99

FEB242068 BOYFRIENDS GN VOL 02 (C: 0-1-0) $19.99

FEB241833 BOYS ABYSS GN VOL 05 (C: 0-1-2) $14.99

FEB241507 BRISTLEMOUTH COVE HORROR #2 (OF 4) (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $4.99

NOV231089 CAPABLE #2 CVR B GABRIEL NUNEZ $4.99

FEB241081 CATS A SMITHSONIAN COLORING BOOK SC (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $16.99

DEC231771 CEMETERIANS TP $19.99

FEB241545 CHARRED REMAINS #5 $4.99

FEB241608 CHERNOBYL FALL OF ATOMGRAD GN (C: 1-1-0) $18.95

FEB241084 CIH PRESENTS AKIMBO ONE SHOT (C: 0-1-2) $5.00

FEB241085 CIH PRESENTS AKIMBO ONE SHOT SGN ED (C: 0-1-2) $15.00

FEB241562 COMICS REVUE PRESENTS APRIL 2024 (C: 0-1-1) $19.95

FEB240515 CONAN BARBARIAN #10 CVR A QUAH (MR) $3.99

FEB240516 CONAN BARBARIAN #10 CVR B GIST (MR) $3.99

FEB240517 CONAN BARBARIAN #10 CVR C DE LA TORRE (MR) $3.99

FEB240518 CONAN BARBARIAN #10 CVR D AJA (MR) $3.99

FEB247890 CONAN BARBARIAN #10 FOC QUAH VIRGIN (MR) $3.99

FEB241204 CULT OF THAT WILKIN BOY INITIATION CVR A SCHOENING $3.99

FEB241205 CULT OF THAT WILKIN BOY INITIATION CVR B ROBERT HACK $3.99

FEB241027 D&D SATURDAY MORNING ADV 2 #4 CVR A KAMBADAIS $3.99

FEB241028 D&D SATURDAY MORNING ADV 2 #4 CVR B WILLIAMS II $3.99

FEB241968 DANGERS IN MY HEART GN VOL 08 (C: 0-1-1) $12.99

FEB241741 DASIG GN (MR) (C: 0-1-0) $30.00

JAN242115 DAUGHTER OF EMPEROR GN VOL 07 (C: 0-1-2) $20.00

JAN241147 DAWNRUNNER #2 CVR A CAGLE $4.99

JAN241148 DAWNRUNNER #2 CVR B KERSCHL $4.99

JAN241149 DAWNRUNNER #2 CVR C QUINTANA $4.99

FEB241127 DAY OFF HC VOL 01 (OF 2) (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $19.99

JAN242015 DEATHSTALKER #1 CVR A GOODEN (MR) $4.99

JAN242016 DEATHSTALKER #1 CVR B TERRY PREMIUM VAR (NET) (MR) $PI

JAN242017 DEATHSTALKER #1 CVR C BOYLE PREMIUM VAR (NET) (MR) $PI

JAN242018 DEATHSTALKER #1 CVR D GANAS PREMIUM VAR (NET) (MR) $PI

JAN242019 DEATHSTALKER #1 CVR E GANAS FULL ART PREMIUM VAR (Net) (MR) $PI

JAN242020 DEATHSTALKER #1 CVR F VALLEJO PREMIUM VAR (NET) (MR) $PI

JAN242021 DEATHSTALKER #1 CVR G SANJI PREMIUM VAR (NET) (MR) $PI

FEB241353 DEPROG #2 (OF 4) CVR A DANI (MR) (C: 0-0-1) $4.99

DEC231438 DF BATMAN #1 FACSIMILE HEASER SGN & REMARKED & ROBIN SKETCH $99.99

JAN241630 DF BATMAN #428 ROBIN LIVES COMMISSIONED HEASER ROBIN SKETCH $88.00

FEB241536 DICK TRACY #1 CVR A GERALDO BORGES $4.99

FEB241537 DICK TRACY #1 CVR B BRENT SCHOONOVER $4.99

FEB241538 DICK TRACY #1 CVR C SHAWN MARTINBROUGH $4.99

FEB241539 DICK TRACY #1 CVR D BLANK SKETCH $4.99

FEB241816 DISNEY MIRRORVERSE BELL GN (C: 0-1-2) $14.99

FEB241969 DONT CALL IT MYSTERY OMNIBUS GN VOL 04 (C: 0-1-1) $24.99

FEB240381 DRAWING BLOOD #1 (OF 12) CVR A EASTMAN $3.99

FEB240382 DRAWING BLOOD #1 (OF 12) CVR B BISHOP $3.99

FEB240383 DRAWING BLOOD #1 (OF 12) CVR C BISHOP EASTMAN RODRIGUEZ $3.99

FEB240434 DUKE #5 (OF 5) CVR A REILLY $3.99

FEB240435 DUKE #5 (OF 5) CVR B SANTOLOUCO $3.99

FEB240439 DUTCH #3 (OF 3) CVR A GANE $3.99

DEC231025 EC ARCHIVES TALES FROM CRYPT TP VOL 03 (C: 0-1-2) $19.99

FEB241720 EVERYTHING SUCKS NOAHS MILLIONS ONESHOT (MR) $7.99

DEC231356 FALLEN SELF MADE MAN ONE SHOT CVR A VECCHIO (C: 0-1-2) $4.99

DEC231357 FALLEN SELF MADE MAN ONE SHOT CVR B HOLDER (C: 0-1-2) $4.99

FEB248124 FERAL #1 2ND PTG $3.99

FEB240442 FERAL #2 CVR A FORSTNER & FLEECS $3.99

FEB240443 FERAL #2 CVR B FORSTNER & FLEECS $3.99

FEB241737 FILTHYRATBAG GN (MR) (C: 0-1-0) $20.00

FEB240446 FORGED #7 (MR) $6.99

JAN241389 FURRLOUGH #194 (C: 0-1-1) $4.99

JAN241159 GHOSTBUSTERS BACK IN TOWN #2 CVR A WIJNGAARD $3.99

JAN241160 GHOSTBUSTERS BACK IN TOWN #2 CVR B DEWEY $3.99

FEB241035 GODZILLA LIBRARY COLL TP VOL 02 (C: 0-1-1) $29.99

FEB240933 GRIMM FAIRY TALES #83 CVR A VITORINO $3.99

FEB240934 GRIMM FAIRY TALES #83 CVR B GUILLERMO FAJARDO $3.99

FEB240935 GRIMM FAIRY TALES #83 CVR C ALFREDO REYES $3.99

FEB240936 GRIMM FAIRY TALES #83 CVR D RIVEIRO $3.99

FEB241132 HARROWING HC GN (C: 0-1-0) $24.99

FEB241131 HARROWING SC GN (C: 0-1-0) $17.99

FEB241274 I.T. THE SECRET WORLD OF MODERN BANKING TP W/ VARIANT VOL 02 $20.00

JAN241166 IF YOU FIND THIS IM ALREADY DEAD #3 CVR A MCDAID $7.99

JAN241167 IF YOU FIND THIS IM ALREADY DEAD #3 CVR B DARROW $7.99

FEB240450 INFERNALS #3 CVR A PEARSON (MR) $3.99

FEB240451 INFERNALS #3 CVR B CONNELLY (MR) $3.99

FEB241909 INTO DEEPEST MOST UNKNOWABLE DUNGEON GN VOL 08 (MR) (C: 0-1- $14.99

JAN242136 ITAEWON CLASS GN VOL 01 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $20.00

JAN242037 JUDESSEY GN (RES) (C: 1-1-0) $16.00

FEB241463 JUST ANOTHER STORY GRAPHIC MIGRATION ACCOUNT GN (C: 0-1-1) $17.99

FEB241464 JUST ANOTHER STORY UNA HISTORIA MAS GN (C: 0-1-1) $17.99

FEB241113 KERBEROS IN SILVER RAIN GN VOL 01 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $12.99

FEB241977 KILLING STALKING DLX ED GN VOL 06 (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $29.99

FEB241553 KING ARTHUR AND THE KNIGHTS OF JUSTICE OGN (C: 0-1-0) $14.99

DEC231387 LIFE IS AN OPEN DOOR (ONE SHOT) $4.99

FEB241128 LINK CLICK HC VOL 01 (OF 4) (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $19.99

FEB241980 MADE IN ABYSS GN VOL 12 (C: 0-1-1) $14.99

FEB241660 MAPMAKERS GN VOL 03 FLICKERING FORTRESS (C: 0-1-0) $13.99

FEB241661 MAPMAKERS HC VOL 03 FLICKERING FORTRESS (C: 0-1-0) $21.99

MAR241863 MAX MEOW CAT CRUSADER GN VOL 01 NEW PTG (C: 0-1-1) $13.99

MAR241866 MAX MEOW CAT CRUSADER GN VOL 04 TACO TIME MACHINE NEW PTG (C $13.99

FEB241038 MINISTRY OF COMPLIANCE #5 CVR A RAFFAELE (MR) $4.99

FEB241039 MINISTRY OF COMPLIANCE #5 CVR B LEONG $4.99

FEB240906 MISFORTUNES EYES #2 (OF 3) CVR A CABRERA (MR) $4.99

FEB240907 MISFORTUNES EYES #2 (OF 3) CVR B FIORELLI (MR) $4.99

FEB240908 MISFORTUNES EYES #2 (OF 3) CVR C INNOCENTE (MR) $4.99

FEB242054 MIYAMOTO MUSASHIS BOOK OF FIVE RINGS GN (C: 0-1-1) $14.99

FEB240462 MONSTRESS #51 (MR) $3.99

JAN242140 MY GENTLY RAISED BEAST GN VOL 06 (C: 0-1-2) $20.00

FEB241988 MY NEXT LIFE AS A VILLAINESS GN VOL 09 (C: 0-1-1) $13.99

FEB241441 MYTHOLOGIES & APOCRYPHA #1 $5.99

DEC231219 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL #193 (C: 0-1-1) $4.99

FEB241929 OGAMI SAN CANT KEEP IT IN GN VOL 04 (C: 0-1-0) $12.99

JAN241181 OPERATION SUNSHINE ALREADY DEAD #1 CVR A RUBIN $3.99

JAN241182 OPERATION SUNSHINE ALREADY DEAD #1 CVR B SIMMONDS $3.99

JAN241183 OPERATION SUNSHINE ALREADY DEAD #1 CVR C JENKINS $3.99

JAN241184 OPERATION SUNSHINE ALREADY DEAD #1 CVR D FOC FLEECS $3.99

FEB242019 OTHERSIDE PICNIC GN VOL 09 (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $12.99

JAN242139 OVERGEARED GN VOL 03 (C: 0-1-2) $20.00

FEB241933 PHANTOM OF IDOL GN VOL 07 (C: 0-1-1) $10.99

FEB241089 PHENOMENA GN VOL 02 MATILDES QUEST (C: 0-1-1) $24.99

DEC231388 PLANETARY EXPANSION #2 (OF 8) (MR) $4.99

FEB240915 POOH VS BAMBI #1 (OF 3) CVR A IGOR VITORINO $3.99

FEB240916 POOH VS BAMBI #1 (OF 3) CVR B JORDI TARRAGONA $3.99

FEB240917 POOH VS BAMBI #1 (OF 3) CVR C PIERLUIGI ABBONDANZA $3.99

FEB240918 POOH VS BAMBI #1 (OF 3) CVR D SONIA MATAS $3.99

FEB241099 PROJECT CRYPTID #8 (MR) $3.99

FEB241779 PUNK ROCK KARAOKE GN (C: 0-1-0) $17.99

FEB241780 PUNK ROCK KARAOKE HC (C: 0-1-0) $24.99

FEB241992 REINCARNATED AS A SWORD GN VOL 12 (C: 0-1-1) $12.99

JAN241839 RICK AND MORTY KINGDOM BALLS #1 CVR A WILLIAMS & JONES (MR) $4.99

JAN241840 RICK AND MORTY KINGDOM BALLS #1 CVR B ALLANT (MR) $4.99

JAN241841 RICK AND MORTY KINGDOM BALLS #1 CVR C LLOYD (MR) $4.99

FEB241514 ROBOT + GIRL #1 CVR A MIKE WHITE $5.99

FEB241515 ROBOT + GIRL #1 CVR B MIKE WHITE $5.99

FEB241516 ROBOT + GIRL #1 CVR C MIKE WHITE $5.99

FEB241517 ROBOT + GIRL #1 CVR D MIKE WHITE HOLOFOIL $19.99

FEB241518 ROBOT + GIRL #1 CVR E BLANK SKETCH $9.99

FEB241255 RUMPUS ROOM TP VOL 01 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $16.99

JAN242137 SEE YOU IN MY 19TH LIFE GN VOL 02 (C: 0-1-2) $20.00

NOV231361 SEVEN YEARS DARKNESS YEAR ONE REPORT CVR A (C: 0-1-2) $9.99

FEB241469 SHINY MISFITS GN (C: 0-1-0) $14.99

FEB242031 SINCE I COULD DIE TOMORROW GN VOL 03 (C: 0-1-2) $13.99

FEB241368 SIRE LOST IN TIME TP (C: 0-1-1) $14.99

FEB240474 SIX FINGERS #3 (OF 5) CVR A KUMAR LOUGHRIDGE MULLER (MR) $3.99

FEB240475 SIX FINGERS #3 (OF 5) CVR B CAMPBELL LOUGHRIDGE MULLER (MR) $3.99

JAN241863 SMURF TALES HC VOL 09 HERO SMURF & OTHER TALES (C: 0-1-0) $22.99

JAN241563 SO LONG SAD LOVE GN (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $24.95

FEB241129 SOMETHING IMPORTANT (ONE SHOT) (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $7.99

FEB241050 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG TP VOL 16 MISADVENTURES $16.99

FEB242020 SOUL EATER PERFECT EDITION HC GN VOL 14 (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $22.99

JAN241659 SPACE NEGRO THE LAST NEGRO #2 (OF 5) (MR) $6.99

JAN241581 SPECTREGRAPH #1 CVR A WARD (MR) $8.99

JAN241582 SPECTREGRAPH #1 CVR B SIMMONDS (MR) $8.99

FEB241054 STAR TREK DEFIANT #14 CVR A UNZUETA $4.99

FEB241055 STAR TREK DEFIANT #14 CVR B WOODWARD $4.99

JAN241187 STAR WARS HIGH REPUBLIC ADVENTURES PHASE III #5 CVR A TOLIBA $3.99

JAN241188 STAR WARS HIGH REPUBLIC ADVENTURES PHASE III #5 CVR B BAMPOH $3.99

FEB241509 SUPERHUMANITY VOL 01 #2 (OF 4) SUPERAUSTRAILIANS $4.99

FEB241489 SWORDS OF GLASS HC VOL 01 (RES) (C: 0-0-1) $29.99

FEB241369 TALES OF THE BIZARRE #5 (C: 0-1-1) $5.99

DEC231353 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #40 (OF 4) STUDIO REISSUE DLX $34.99

DEC231352 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #40 (OF 4) STUDIO REISSUE SIGN $24.99

FEB241476 TEAM UNIHORN & WOOLLY GN VOL 01 ATTACK OF KRILL (C: 0-1-1) $7.99

FEB241477 TEAM UNIHORN & WOOLLY HC GN VOL 01 ATTACK OF KRILL (C: 0-1-1 $12.99

JAN242141 THE BOXER GN VOL 06 (C: 0-1-2) $20.00

FEB241478 THE ODDS GN VOL 01 POWER OF BEING ODD (C: 0-1-1) $15.99

JAN247472 TMNT ONGOING #150 CAMPBELL FA FOIL $12.99

FEB241060 TMNT ONGOING #150 CVR A FEDERICI $9.99

FEB241061 TMNT ONGOING #150 CVR B CAMPBELL & EASTMAN $9.99

FEB241062 TMNT ONGOING #150 CVR C DUNCAN $9.99

FEB241063 TMNT ONGOING #150 CVR D LONERGAN $9.99

FEB241067 TMNT SATURDAY MORNING ADV 2023 #12 CVR A MYER $3.99

FEB241068 TMNT SATURDAY MORNING ADV 2023 #12 CVR B SMITH $3.99

FEB241080 TMNT X STRANGER THINGS GN (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $19.99

FEB241523 TOY #5 CVR A GANDOLPHO $5.99

FEB241524 TOY #5 CVR B GANDOLPHO $5.99

NOV231363 TUSKERS #3 (OF 3) CVR A GOVAR $7.99

NOV231364 TUSKERS #3 (OF 3) CVR B GOVAR $7.99

FEB240390 UNIVERSAL MONSTERS BLACK LAGOON #1 (OF 4) CVR A $4.99

FEB240391 UNIVERSAL MONSTERS BLACK LAGOON #1 (OF 4) CVR B $4.99

FEB240397 UNIVERSAL MONSTERS BLACK LAGOON #1 (OF 4) CVR H BLANK CVR $4.99

FEB241941 VINLAND SAGA DLX HC VOL 02 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $54.99

FEB240497 W0RLDTR33 #9 CVR A BLANCO (RES) (MR) $3.99

FEB240498 W0RLDTR33 #9 CVR B BOSS (RES) (MR) $3.99

FEB241133 WE ARE THE SMURFS SC GN VOL 03 BRIGHT NEW DAYS (C: 0-1-0) $8.99

FEB241451 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT HC GN NEWSROOM NONSENSE (C: 0-1-0) $22.99

JAN242109 WHY RAELIANA ENDED AT DUKES MANSION GN VOL 06 (C: 0-1-2) $20.00

JAN242032 WIFWULF TP (RES) $19.99

FEB241944 WITCH HAT ATELIER KITCHEN GN VOL 03 (C: 0-1-2) $12.99

FEB241912 WORLDS END HAREM GN VOL 17 (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $13.99

FEB241110 X-O UNCONQUERED HC (C: 0-1-2) $29.99

OCT232215 YURI IS MY JOB GN VOL 12 (MR) (C: 0-1-0) $12.99

FEB241525 ZOR #2 CVR A MICHAEL ADAMS $5.99

FEB241526 ZOR #2 CVR B OWEN GIENI $5.99

FEB241527 ZOR #2 CVR C ROB NIKOLAKAKIS $5.99

FEB241528 ZOR #2 CVR D ROB POTCHAK $5.99

MAGAZINES

FEB241342 COMIC SHOP NEWS (100CT BUNDLE) #1914 (Net) $PI

FEB241535 LOCUS MAGAZINE #759 VOL 92 NO 4 (C: 0-1-1) $12.50

BOOKS

FEB241683 ART OF STEVE RUDE SC $24.99

FEB241743 CHARACTER DESIGN QUARTERLY 28 SC (C: 1-1-1) $18.00

FEB241086 FALCON MY MIGHTY MARVEL FIRST BOOK BOARD BOOK (C: 0-1-0) $10.99

FEB242002 FREE LIFE FANTASY ONLINE IMMORTAL PRINCESS L NOVEL VOL 06 (C $15.99

JAN241991 GOLDEN HOUR ART OF RAIDE HC (C: 0-1-1) $50.00

FEB241761 HANNA BARBERA CONVERSATIONS SC (C: 0-1-1) $30.00

FEB241657 HARLEY QUINN REDEMPTION HC NOVEL (C: 0-1-1) $19.99

SEP232017 HOW TO DRAW A GRAPHIC NOVEL SC (C: 0-1-0) $19.95

FEB241998 HUSKY & HIS WHITE CAT SHIZUN L NOVEL VOL 05 (C: 0-1-1) $19.99

FEB241825 JUJUTSU KAISEN THE OFFICIAL CHARACTER GUIDE SC (C: 0-1-2) $16.99

JAN241645 LOVE AND ROCKETS SKETCHBOOKS HC (C: 0-1-2) $75.00

FEB241355 MARVEL STUDIOS CHARACTER ENCYCLOPEDIA HC (C: 0-1-0) $21.99

FEB242004 MOST HERETICAL QUEEN VILLAINESS L NOVEL VOL 06 (C: 0-1-1) $15.99

JAN242119 ONCE UPON WITCHES DEATH THOUSAND TEARS OF JOY LN SC VOL 01 ( $20.00

FEB241823 POKEMON COMP POKEMON POCKET GUIDE SC VOL 01 (C: 0-1-2) $14.99

FEB241508 REVELATIONARY WAR SC (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $18.99

FEB242063 SAVING 80K GOLD IN ANOTHER WORLD L NOVEL VOL 04 (C: 0-1-2) $14.95

FEB241202 SCALES & TALES BEGINNERS GUIDE TO FANTASY ROLE PLAYING GAMES $18.99

FEB242007 SHE PROFESSED HERSELF PUPIL OF WISE MAN LIGHT NOVEL VOL 10 ( $15.99

FEB241747 ULTIMATE WIZARDING HISTORY HARRY POTTER THROUGH AGES HC (C: $15.99

FEB242009 WEAKEST TAMER BEGAN A JOURNEY TO PICK UP TRASH L NOVEL VOL 0 $15.99

DARK HORSE COMICS

AUG238863 LAST OF US PART II ARMORED CLICKER FIGURE (C: 0-1-2) $59.99

IMAGE COMICS

FEB248119 CONVENTION EXCLUSIVE KILL OR BE KILLED HC VOL 01 (MR) $24.99

FEB248122 CONVENTION EXCLUSIVE SEX CRIMINALS HC VOL 03 (MR) $24.99

FEB248123 CONVENTION EXCLUSIVE WYTCHES HC VOL 01 (MR) $24.99

FEB240402 DESTINY GATE TP $16.99

FEB240404 FINE PRINT TP VOL 02 (MR) $16.99

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Review: Tom Cruise's The Mummy is an Odd Duck

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 (of 2018) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

The Mummy (2017)
Running time:  110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence, action and scary images, and for some suggestive content and partial nudity
DIRECTOR:  Alex Kurtzman
WRITERS:  David Koepp, Christopher McQuarrie, and Dylan Kussman; from a screen story by Jon Spaihts, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet
PRODUCERS:  Sarah Bradshaw, Sean Daniel, Alex Kurtzman, and Chris Morgan
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Ben Seresin (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Gina Hirsch, Paul Hirsch, and Andrew Mondshein
COMPOSER:  Brian Tyler

FANTASY/ACTION/HORROR

Starring:  Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis, Sofia Boutella, Russell Crowe, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance, Marwan Kanzari, and Selva Rasalingam

The Mummy is a 2017 action, horror, and thriller film directed by Alex Kurtzman.  It is a reboot of Universal Pictures' The Mummy franchise and is also the first installment in Universal's Dark Universe cinematic universe.  The Mummy 2017 focuses on an ancient Egyptian princess that hunts the man who awakened her so that she can use him to bring a great evil into the modern world.

In the New Kingdom era of the Egyptian kingdom, Princess Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella) kills her father, the Pharoah Menehptre (Selva Rasalingam), as well as his wife and child so that she can claim the throne for herself.  She is captured and condemned to be mummified alive for eternity as punishment for the murders she committed and for trying to bring her lover, the dark god Set, into the world.

In present-day Iraq, Sergeant Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) and Corporal Chris Vail (Jake Johnson) of the United States Army stumble upon Ahmanet's underground tomb.  Dr. Jennifer “Jenny” Halsey (Annabelle Wallis), who previously had a contentions relationship with Nick, is the archaeologist sent to investigate the tomb.  None of these three people realize that they are about to release an evil that defies human comprehension.  That evil will make Nick a target both of Ahmanet and of Prodigium, a secret society dedicated to hunting supernatural threats.

1990 saw the release of a movie entitled Hudson Hawk.  The film starred Bruce Willis as a thief and was a box office bomb, although I really liked it.  Hudson Hawk was directed by Michael Lehmann, hot off his cult film, Heathers.  The film's producer was Joel Silver, known for some of the most successful and most violent action films of the 1980s.  One of the film's writers was Daniel Water, who rose to prominence for writing Heathers.

Years ago, I read a review of Hudson Hawk in which the critic said that the film was sold as a “Bruce Willis movie,” but it was not – not entirely.  The critic said that the film reflected the differing sensibilities of the primary creative forces behind hit:  Willis, Silver, Lehmann, and Waters, and each of those four men had different ideas about what Hudson Hawk should be.  Hudson Hawk ended up being some kind of mish-mash, hybrid action, adventure, comedy, crime caper, and sci-fi film.

From the time Universal first announced that it was rebooting The Mummy franchise to its completion of the film, The Mummy has involved several directors and writers.  The result is a film that is weird, thin on plot, and encompasses multiple genres while really not belonging to any of them.  The Mummy 2017 really seems like a movie made by too many people with the power to shape the film – a Frankenstein of Hollywood heavyweights making a patchwork of a movie.

There are rumors that Tom Cruise took control of all aspects of the film once he arrived on set.  That is funny to contemplate because Cruise seems out of place in this film.  I cannot help but view it and ask, “What is he doing here?”  I can't think of The Mummy as “a Tom Cruise movie.”

The Mummy 2017 mostly reminds me of how much I like... no, love writer-director Stephen Sommers' turn of the century reboot of Universal's The Mummy franchise.  Starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001) were rousing adventure films in the tradition of Raiders of the Ark.  The Mummy 2017 is not rousing and is in the tradition of Hollywood, big-budget, tent pole, franchise-wannabe films that end up being nothing more than another cynical film trying to exploit a moment or a market.

To be fair, The Mummy 2017 did have some interesting, inventive, imaginative, and exciting moments; there were parts of this film that really interested me.  It is not particularly good or bad; it just never really comes together (and sometimes, it is so shamelessly mediocre).  The Mummy 2017 cuts right down the middle, equally okay and equally messy – canceling each other out.  The truth is I really wanted to like this movie... even if it is not a Tom Cruise movie...

5 of 10
C+

Friday, November 17, 2017


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "The Monster Squad" Still a Treat

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 122 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Monster Squad (1987)
Running time: 82 minutes (1 hour, 22 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13
DIRECTOR:  Fred Dekker
WRITERS:  Shane Black and Fred Dekker
PRODUCER:  Jonathan A. Zimbert
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Bradford May
EDITOR:  James Mitchell
COMPOSER:  Bruce Broughton

HORROR/COMEDY

Starring:  Andre Gower, Robby Kiger, Stephen Macht, Tom Noonan, Brent Chalem, Ryan Lambert, Ashley Bank, Michael Faustino, Mary Ellen Trainor, Duncan Regehr, Leonardo Cimino, Lisa Fuller, Jonathan Gries, Jason Hervey, Carl Thibault, Michael Reid MacKay, Stan Shaw, and Jack Gwillim

The subject of this review is The Monster Squad, a 1987 comic horror film directed by Fred Dekker and written by Shane Black and Dekker.  In the movie, re-imagined versions of classic movie monsters invade a small town in a bid to control the world, but they face a bad of savvy kids determined to stop them.

The 1987 cult-favorite flick, the comic horror film, The Monster Squad, has recently found new life 20 years after being largely overlooked upon its initial theatrical release.  While it remains basically a horror flick for children (appropriate even in these politically correct times), the film is, at time, genuinely scary.  The villains of The Monster Squad are also an homage to the monsters of classic Universal Studios black and white monster movies.

Dracula, the Wolfman, Frankenstein, the Mummy, and Gill Man descend upon a small town in search of a diabolically powerful amulet that could give Dracula (Duncan Regehr) dominion over the world.  The only thing that could stop the amulet’s power is an incantation in a diary belonging to Dracula’s arch-nemesis, Van Helsing (Jack Gwillim).   However, the book has fallen into the hands of 12-year-old Sean Crenshaw (Andre Gower).

Sean and the rest of his young friends idolize classic monster movies, and call themselves The Monster Squad.  With the help of his gang of monster-obsessed misfits, Sean tries to stop Dracula’s nefarious plans.  Can the Monster Squad:  Sean, Patrick (Robby Kiger), Fat Kid/Horace (Brent Chalem), Rudy (Ryan Lambert), Eugene (Michael Faustino), and Sean’s little sister, Phoebe (Ashley Bank), save the day?  With Sean’s dad, policeman Del Crenshaw (Stephen Macht) and Scary German Guy (Michael Cimino) helping, they just might, and it’s worth watching this movie to find out.

Co-writers Shane Black and Fred Dekker, who also directs this film, seem to take the view that one can place children (in this case pre-teens and early teens) in a horror scenario – one as scary as the horror movies they might watch.  Although a juvenile cast means that Black and Dekker wouldn’t make a bloody, slasher film, to make a horror flick, they would still have to present their youthful characters in situations in which they face actual peril or severe bodily harm or even death.  After all, a scary movie for kids is still a scary movie.

The Monster Squad isn’t even a great horror film, or even a very good movie.  For one thing, the narrative occasionally takes great leaps, leaving out crucial scenes.  Perhaps, the producers forced cuts to reduce the film’s runtime, and the loss of scenes occasionally caused lapses in logic within the narrative.  Still, while it may not be a great movie, it’s a memorable B-movie.  The Monster Squad is just fun to watch, warts and all.

6 of 10
B

Monday, September 03, 2007

Updated:  Saturday, November 23, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "The Black Cat" Offers First Pairing of Karloff and Lugosi (Remembering Bela Lugosi)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 213 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Black Cat (1934)
Also known as: The Vanishing Body (1953)
Running time:  65 minutes (1 hour, 5 minutes)
DIRECTOR:  Edgar G. Ulmer
WRITERS:  Peter Ruric; from a screen story by Peter Ruric and Edgar G. Ulmer (based upon a story by Edgar Allen Poe)
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  John J. Mescall
EDITOR:  Ray Curtiss

HORROR/MYSTERY/CRIME

Starring:  Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, David Manners, Jacqueline Wells, Lucille Lund, Egon Brecher, and Harry Cording

The subject of this movie review is The Black Cat, a 1934 film that blends the genres of crime, horror, and mystery.  The film was released by Universal Pictures and produced by Carl Laemmle, Jr.  The Black Cat was re-released in 1953 as The Vanishing Body.  This was the first of eight movies that paired actors, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.  This is apparently one of the first movies to have an almost continuous movie score, which was composed by Heinz Roemheld.

The Black Cat takes its name from the Edgar Allen Poe short story, “The Black Cat” (first published in 1843), but little else.  Television and screenwriter Tom Kilpatrick contributed to the writing of this movie’s screenplay, but did not receive a screen credit.  The Black Cat the movie follows an American couple, honeymooning in Hungary, who becomes trapped in the home of a Satan- worshiping priest.

Peter Alison (David Manners) and his wife Joan (Jacqueline Wells) are American honeymooners vacationing in Hungary when they encounter a peculiar psychiatrist, Dr. Vitus Werdegast (Bela Lugosi) on a passenger train.  Later, the couple shares a taxi with him.  After the taxi accident is involved in an accident, the trio is trapped in the home of a Satan-worshipping priest, Hjalmar Poelzig (Boris Karloff).  Poelzig, an accomplished architect, desires Joan for a satanic ritual.  Unbeknownst to Peter and Joan, Poelzig and Dr. Werdegast are old acquaintances with a bitter history together.

I love gorgeous black and white movies, especially the beautiful horror films Universal produced in the 1930’s and 40’s.  The Black Cat is a superb example; the photography is excellent and the film has an eerie, but handsome dream-like quality.  A hip hop artist once commented on how films from Hollywood’s golden era of studio films had such class because everyone dressed so well, even the characters who weren’t wealthy.  The cast of this film wear the finest suits, in particular Lugosi’s Werdegast and Manners’ Peter Alison.  Lugosi’s ultra sharp suits add some kind of peculiar quality to his character that I just can’t explain; he looks so good in them that I can call him a mack.  Lugosi’s lounge attire:  smoking jackets, bathrobes, and top quality pajamas defy reason; they fit him like a tuxedo and would seem quite appropriate as formal dinner wear.

The most prominent element of The Black Cat is the art deco flavored art direction.  It does seem out of place in rural Hungary, but the mansion’s interiors add a special quality to movie.  Watching the story unfold in this art deco museum reminded me of a black and white version of a David Lynch creation like “Twin Peaks”.  It’s surreal, real, and dreamy, an atmosphere that I couldn’t ignore.  This is wonderful work by art director Charles D. Hall and set designer, director Edgar G. Ulmer.

Yes, the acting is a bit forced at times, but this kind of movie is special.  No one makes this kind of film anymore.  A kooky story, two famed, cult horror movie stars doing their shtick, exquisite costume design and the sleek designs of an art deco set are things too good to be miss.  This is perfect for Halloween, or just whenever you’re in the mood to see a kind of movie lost in time to us – gone, but not forgotten because quite a few gems like this still exist.  The Black Cat is also the first of eight screen parings of Karloff and Lugosi.

6 of 10
B

Updated:  Friday, August 16, 2013

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"The Mummy" Always Worth Unwrapping

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Mummy (1999)
Running time: 125 minutes (2 hours, 5 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for pervasive adventure violence and some partial nudity
DIRECTOR: Stephen Sommers
WRITERS: Stephen Sommers, from a screenstory by Lloyd Fonvielle, Kevin Jarre, and Stephen Somers
PRODUCERS: Sean Daniel and James Jacks
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Adrian Biddle (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Bob Ducsay
COMPOSER: Jerry Goldsmith
Academy Award nominee

ACTION/ADVENTURE/FANTASY/HORROR

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Kevin J O’Connor, Oded Fehr, Jonathan Hyde, Erick Avari, Bernard Fox, Stephen Dunham, Corey Johnson, Tuc Watkins, Aharon Ipalé, and Patricia Velasquez

The subject of this movie review is The Mummy, a 1999 fantasy/adventure film from director Stephen Sommers. The film is a loose remake of the 1932 film, The Mummy, starring the great Boris Karloff, and is also the first of a three-film set.

In 1923, Richard “Rick” O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) a French Foreign Legion soldier, leads a librarian, Evelyn “Evie” Carnahan (Rachel Weisz), and her wayward brother, Jonathan (John Hannah,) to the legendary ancient Egyptian City of the Dead, Hamunaptra, on a treasure hunt/archeological dig. Pursued by a group of American adventurers and assorted ruffians, our heroes become part of bungling gang that resurrects Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), a cursed Egyptian priest out to wreak havoc on the world. When Imhotep sees Evie for the first time, he decides to use her as the human sacrifice to free his love mummified lover, Anck–Su–Namum (Patricia Velazquez), from the Underworld.

Part of Universal Pictures plan to remake its classic “Universal Monster” movies as high tech updates, The Mummy, the new version of the 1932 classic, shocked Universal with its 40 million dollar opening weekend (tests and previews screenings had suggest about 25 million). With its combinations of eye-popping effects, occasional chills, and good action sequences, The Mummy (which received an Oscar nomination for “Best Sound”) is an excellent example of a movie as great entertainment – cinematic fast food that delivers on audience expectations.

Director Stephen Sommers had directed two Disney films, Tom and Huck and the live action version of The Jungle Book and the funky 1998 sci-fi/horror B-movie, Deep Rising. They may have been indications of his skill to weave effective entertainment, but the Mummy is the big payoff.

The hyped up action scenes deliver every time; not one of them is awkward or off of pace. From the opening battle scene at the ruins of Hamunaptra to the fight aboard the boat, from the giant wall of sand with the imprint of Imhotep’s face to the final fight scene, it’s the perfect movie with which to sit back and enjoy.

There is a fine cast of supporting characters. Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bay, leader of the Medjai, a group that watches over Imhotep’s tomb, is handsome, dashing, and mysterious. Kevin J O’Connor’s Beni Gabor is the perfect comic relief (a nice bookend to John Hannah’s Jonathan), but he also makes a nasty villain. It’s quite entertaining to watch the three Americans: Mr. Henderson (Stephen Dunham), Mr. Daniels (Corey Johnson), and Mr. Burns (Tuc Watkins) in their cat and mouse game with Imhotep as the Mummy absorbs their “organs and fluids” to regenerate his own body.

The Mummy is also a fun and spooky horror show with enough scary scenes to match the action. What reminds of Raiders of the Lost Ark is the quite moments of character and intimacy between Rick and Evie. Sommers can’t make Fraser and Ms. Weisz as convincing as Steven Spielberg made Harrison Ford and Karen Allen, but it’s good enough. No one here seems to pretend to greatness, but they seemed determined to please the studio and their potential audience with a hit film and they did.

Here, the issues are commerce and craft rather than art, and the craftsmanship is so good that we may very well return to this gem time and again. As goofy and throw away as it might all seem to be, The Mummy is fun stuff, pure cinematic magic.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2000 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Sound” (Leslie Shatz, Chris Carpenter, Rick Kline, and Chris Munro)

2000 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (John Andrew Berton Jr., Daniel Jeannette, Ben Snow, and Chris Corbould)

"The Mummy Returns" with the Same Old Fun

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 22 (of 2001) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Mummy Returns (2001)
Running time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for adventure action and violence
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Stephen Sommers
PRODUCERS: Sean Daniel and James Jacks
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Adrian Biddle
EDITOR: Ray Bushey III, Bob Ducsay, and Kelly Matsumoto
COMPOSER: Alan Silvestri

ACTION/ADVENTURE/FANTASY/HORROR

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, The Rock, Freddie Boath, Patricia Velasquez, and Shaun Parkes


The subject of this movie reviews is The Mummy Returns, a 2001 adventure and fantasy film from director Stephen Sommers. It is a direct sequel to the 1999 film, The Mummy.

It is 1933, ten years after the events of the 1999 film, The Mummy. The British Museum Curator (Alun Armstrong) has shipped the mummified body of the first film’s villain, Lord Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), to England. He and his partner, Meela Nais, a girl who is the reincarnated body of Imhotep’s ancient love, Anck-su-namun (Patricia Velazquez) have plans to resurrect the Mummy to conquer the world. They’ve set their sights on the army of Anubis; combined with Imhotep’s power and Anubis’s forces, they can rule the world. However, the army belongs to the Scorpion King (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), who Imhotep must defeat to control Anubis monstrous legions.

Standing in the way of the Mummy, his conspirators, and the Scorpion King, is the gang from the first movie. American adventurer Richard “Rick” O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) is married to Evelyn “Evie” Carnahan-O’Connell (Rachel Weisz). The have a 9 year old son Alexander “Alex” O’Connell (Freddie Boath), and Evie’s brother John Carnahan (John Hannah) is still around and up to no good. When the villains attack the O’Connell’s palatial London estate and Ardeth Bay (Oded Fehr) arrives in time for the home invasion, the gang is all set to return to the sands of Egypt to save the world from the forces of darkness. And there is some weird reincarnation and avatar plot elements to boot added to the mixture.

Directed by Stephen Sommers, the director and co-writer of the first film, The Mummy Returns is more of a fantasy/adventure with elements of horror than its predecessor, which was equal parts horror, fantasy, and adventure. The first winked and nodded at Raiders of the Lost Ark, but Returns is Raiders-lite, much more sugar coated than Raiders or The Mummy.

The effects are not so much dazzling as they are neat. In the first film, Imhotep raised a gigantic wall of sand with his visage on the face of the sand wall; in this film, he does the same trick with a wall of water. Both are impressive, but the second one seems more paint by number, simply because it’s done to repeat the sand trick of the first film. It’s one of many SFX shots meant to up the ante of the first movie. In the jaded world of popcorn cinema, the audience has seen so much that the makers of bam-socko movies have to always top what’s come before.

The acting is over the top, but quite functional; they know what they’re supposed to do and no actor lets his artistic ego get in the way of making thoughtless fun. And this movie is indeed fun, if not a little too long. The Mummy Returns careens madly across the screen like a ball in a pinball machine. Whereas the first was more coherent and a little scarier, this one is a thrill ride designed to have the feel of video game or a cat and mouse chase.

Sommers does his job quite well; like his cast, he doesn’t intrude artistically on the need for mindless entertainment. His gift is his ability to steer this bucking bronco of a movie. I don’t know if he can use the camera with any panache or creative skill, but he can make an above average, sit-back-and-be-entertained film that is neither too dumb nor too smart, to leave a bad aftertaste in the mouth, or any after taste for that matter – a good home video rental.

5 of 10
B-

Third Time Not Quite the Charm with "The Mummy: Dragon Emperor"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 80 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
Running time: 112 minutes (1 hour, 52 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for adventure action and violence
DIRECTOR: Rob Cohen
WRITERS: Alfred Gough and Miles Millar
PRODUCERS: Sean Daniel, Bob Ducsay, James Jacks, and Stephen Sommers
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Simon Duggan
EDITOR: Kelly Matsumoto and Joel Negron
COMPOSER: Randy Edelman

ACTION/ADVENTURE/FANTASY/HORROR

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello, John Hannah, Michelle Yeoh, Luke Ford, Isabella Leong, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Russell Wong, Liam Cunningham, Jessey Meng, and David Calder

The subject of this movie review is The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, a 2008 fantasy adventure film from director Rob Cohen. It is a sequel to The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001) and is based upon John L. Balderston’s 1932 screenplay and Stephen Sommers’ 2001 screenplay. Tomb of the Dragon Emperor moves from the Egyptian setting of the first two films to China, and is set some 13 years after the events depicted in The Mummy Returns.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor opens in ancient China and tells the story of Han (Jet Li), a brutal and tyrannical warlord. He unites the various kingdoms of China to form a single empire, and he also orders the construction of the Great Wall of China. Han becomes the Dragon Emperor, a master of the five elements (fire, water, earth, metal, and wood). His quest for immortality leads to the downfall of him and his empire.

In 1946, Alexander Rupert “Alex” O’Connell (Luke Ford) discovers The Dragon Emperor’s tomb in the Ningxia Province of China. His parents, Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn Carnahan O’Connell (Maria Bello), aren’t exactly pleased to find their son engaged in the kind of archeology that got them into so much trouble in Egypt. The family doesn’t have much time to fight, though. The rogue General Yang (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang) has hatched a conspiracy to resurrect the Dragon Emperor.

Now, Rick, Evey, and Alex, with Evey’s brother, Jonathan Carnahan (John Hannah), reluctantly following, must stop the Dragon Emperor from gaining immortality. Their allies include the mysterious mother-daughter tandem of Zi Yuan (Michelle Yeoh) and Lin (Isabella Leong) and also the drunken pilot, Mad Dog Maguire (Liam Cunningham). Can this group stop the Dragon Emperor and his Terracotta Army?

I am a big fan of Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy films, but I had only a passing interest in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor when it was first released back in 2008. I wanted the franchise to stick with its Egyptian themes, not move to China. I have watched bit and pieces of Tomb of the Dragon Emperor on television, but was not really interested in seeing the entire movie. I finally rented a copy so that I could watch it in its entirety in order to review it, and I only want to review it so that I can post it as a set with the first two films.

That said, I enjoyed The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. It’s ridiculous and frivolous and played entirely for fun, which is a bit different from the first film. The Mummy, for all its Raiders of the Lost Ark leanings, was something of a horror movie. Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is more like The Mummy Returns – a family affair. This is a fantasy adventure about a cast of characters that are family in one form or another, and this is for family viewing even with the profanity, mild sexual innuendo, and gunplay.

Yes, I did have problems with Maria Bello playing Evelyn Carnahan O’Connell. After all, my “Evey” is still Rachel Weisz. I eventually stopped thinking about the change, watched the movie, and accepted Bello, who is a good actress. I have watched The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, in parts or whole, countless times, and the first film is one of my all-time favorite movies. I won’t take The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor to heart in that manner. It is harmless entertainment, and because it is a way to see favorite characters again, it’s worth seeing… now and again.

5 of 10
C+

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Review: "Van Helsing" is a Loud Misfire (Happy B'day, Hugh Jackman)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 69 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Van Helsing (2004)
Running time: 131 minutes (2 hours, 11 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for nonstop creature action violence and frightening images, and for sensuality
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Stephen Sommers
PRODUCERS: Bob Ducsay and Stephen Sommers
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Allen Daviau
EDITORS: Bob Ducsay, Kelly Matsumoto, and Jim May
COMPOSER: Alan Silvestri

HORROR/FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham, Shuler Hensley, Elena Anaya, Will Kemp, Kevin J. O’Connor, Samuel West, Robbie Coltrane, Stephen Fisher

The film Van Helsing is set in the late 19th Century. Count Vladislaus Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) plots to use Frankenstein’s Monster (Shuler Hensley) to bring his brood of thousands of baby vampires (incubating in eggs) to life. The sole surviving member of the Valerious Family, Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale), has pledged to stop Dracula. Before the last Valerious dies, he or she must kill the Count because that is the only way the family’s souls will ever know salvation. If that wasn’t pressure enough for the valiant Anna, her brother has been transformed into a werewolf who serves Dracula.

Enter Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman), a no-nonsense warrior with no time for a pretty woman fighting monsters, but Van Helsing and Anna are soon bound by combat. Dracula, however, has a surprise for the famed monster hunter; he knows Van Helsing’s first name, plus, a whole lot more, and he’s offering Van Helsing peace of mind and his memories back, if only he’ll join the Count.

Stephen Sommers, who made his rep when he remade The Mummy into a successful franchise in 1999 and 2001, is a master of making thrilling, high grade, high tech, low brow monster movies. When he uses his favorite ingredients of special effects and CGI in the correct amounts, his films are quite fun, as is the aforementioned, The Mummy. When he just piles it on, the film is nothing more than a really cheesy creature flick, like the old black and white kind in which the monster is so painfully, obviously a man in a poorly made rubber suit. The creature in Sommer’s Deep Rising, an entertaining B-movie, was what has become the modern day rubber suit – overdone CGI that screams out that it’s fake.

Van Helsing falls in the cheesy category. It’s too much, too over the top, and too damn loud. More reliant on SFX than on plot or story, the film isn’t a motion picture, but it is a 3-D animated proposal for theme park rides and video games. The plot is a ludicrous excuse to get Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, and a werewolf together. Van Helsing isn’t entirely awful. It does have some good moments, but when it comes down to it, the film is more annoying than fun. It’s spectacular and spectacularly dull.

I was sadly surprised that minutes into Van Helsing I realized that the film was going to be two things: ponderous and shrill. And it’s so swollen with CGI and other SFX, that it’s an embarrassment of riches – like a French nobleman too clueless to realize that maybe he should play down his wealth in front of the club-wielding mob.

Hugh Jackman’s Van Helsing isn’t nearly as interesting as his Wolverine from the X-Men movies, and Kate Beckinsale is lost in a giant fright wig and too-tight clothing. Richard Roxburgh’s cool Dracula is also wasted on this poor film.

3 of 10
C-

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News and Reviews on The Wolfman

The Hollywood Reporter review.
Joe Neumaier reviews the film for the New York Daily News and more or less likes it.
For MSNBC, David Germain is bored and says the creature (Wolfman) isn't "that frightening."

Anthony Hopkins talks about The Wolfman and his role as Odin in next year's Thor (from Marvel Studios) at ReelzChannel.com.

The Los Angeles Times' Hero Complex blog has an article about The Wolfman's troubles on the way to local theatres.

Director Joe Johnston (who designed Star Wars character Boba Fett) talks to HitFix.

This USA Today article is on the art of the film's makeup and CGI.

Review: "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" is Still Fun

 

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 217 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Bud Abbott & Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) Black and White
Running time: 83 minutes
DIRECTOR: Charles T. Barton
WRITERS: Robert Lees, Frederic I. Rinaldo, and John Grant
PRODUCER: Robert Arthur
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Charles Van Enger
EDITOR: Frank Gross

COMEDY/HORROR

Starring: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon Chaney, Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, Lenore Aubert, Jane Randolph, Frank Ferguson, and Charles Bradstreet with (uncredited voice) Vincent Price

Bud Abbot and Lou Costello are hapless railroad baggage clerks Chick Young (Abbott) and Wilbur Grey (Costello). They receive a strange shipment meant for a local attraction called the House of Horrors, two crates allegedly supposedly containing the last remains of Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and Frankenstein’s monster (Glenn Strange). However, the infamous creatures are very much alive, and they leave their crates and slip quietly away to a secret island hideaway. Meanwhile, the House of Horrors owner, Mr. McDougal (Frank Ferguson), blames Chick and Wilbur for the disappearance of the crates’ contents, so the duo follows Dracula and the monster’s trail to the secret hideaway island. They discover that Dracula has also joined forces with a mad scientist, Dr. Sondra Mornay (Lenore Aubert), who is determined to transplant Costello’s brain into monster. The problem is that Mornay had been pretending to be in love with Wilbur.

In the intervening time, a strange man named Lawrence “Larry” Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.) showed up looking for the crates. Larry Talbot is really the Wolfman, and he joins Chick and Wilbur’s search for Dracula, Dr. Mornay, and Frankenstein’s monster, all the while fighting his transformations into the Wolfman every time the full moon appears (coincidentally several times in this film). Can Chick, Wilbur, and the Wolfman stop Dracula and the scientist before they remove Costello’s brain?

Many people consider Bud Abbott & Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (also well known as Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein) to be the comedy team’s best film outing. The film was a huge hit when it opened in 1948, and it has retained an international cult following. The other thing that the film has going for it is that frequent Abbott & Costello helmsman Charles Barton directed it.

Besides the presence of Barton and one of the 20th century’s finest comedic duos of the stage, film, and television, the other element makes the film a favorite is the fact that the film monsters, Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and the Wolfman, are played straight, and the actors: Bela Lugosi as Dracula, Glenn Strange as the monster, and Lon Chaney, Jr. as the Wolfman give inspired performances. They obviously take their roles and performances damn seriously, and it shows. The three classic creatures of Universal Studios’ film line, Universal Horror, are in top form and are as menacing as they ever were in straight horror films.

The blend of Abbott & Costello’s timeless comedy and the Universal Monsters horror creates a peculiar film. The union does show its seams; the flick is more odd than very good. The black and white photography gives it a gentle supernatural aura and lightly spooky atmosphere. Still, that only makes Abbott & Costello Meets Frankenstein unique, which might be the reason it has never grown old or less funny.

6 of 10
B

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