50 Reasons Why 'Time Crash' Is The Most Perfect 8 Minutes of 'Doctor Who' Ever

#6  The 'high-five'. It's such a simple, funny moment that totally sums up each of the Doctors. Tennant's Doctor tries to be cool and 'trendy', despite his barely hidden geekiness, while Davison is completely oblivious to the concept of the 'high-five'. It's a tiny sequence, and utterly hilarious and adorable. Genius!

 

Evermore Evil Reviews 'Ghostwatch' - A VideoBlog

Yes, this is me, and my first attempt at a video Blog. Warning: It's unplanned. Those who find cups of tea, eyeliner, and the colour black offensive, DO NOT WATCH!

PS...be gentle....

Whatever Happened To....? - A Poem

Am I a shadow or a man?
A whisper in the night?

A black hole or a star?
A legend on a plight?

Do you know who I am,

Better than I know myself?

Do you have all the answers,

To help prise me from this Hell?

Do I live on when I'm not there,

On your lips or in your dreams?
Or do I not exist at all,

Once I leave you life-stream?

Am I as noble as you say I am,

Or am I just a fraud?

Am I bitter, weak, and empty,

Or 'The Evil OverLord'?

Does my make-up make me,

Or just help to create me?

Black pits around my bright blue eyes -

Do they reveal the fake me?

Do I really choose to just wear black,

Or has black chosen to wear me?

Will I ever find true happiness,

Or drown in melancholy?

Questions all, but answers none,

As vacant as a dying sun

That once burned brighter than the rest

But now is fading into the past...

Will they speak my name in years to come,

Discussing my life story?

Or will they sit beside a fire,

Asking, "Whatever happened to Cory?"

© Copyright Cory Eadson, 2012 

50 Reasons Why 'Time Crash' Is The Most Perfect 8 Minutes of 'Doctor Who' Ever

#5  Murray Gold did the music. His beautiful scores are cinematic, epic on a grand scale. And yet, for this little slice of nostalgic fun, Murray Gold scrapped his soaring orchestras and multi-layered harmonies in favour of an 80's style symphonic score. It adds to the overall effect, another direct little nod to a past era of this huge show. Just check out the little "Dun dun DDUUNNN!" bit when it's apparent the TARDIS will create a Belgium-sized hole in the Universe. Wonderful.

Scarred But Still Standing - A Poem

"Scarred But Still Standing" has pretty much become a motto for me. It's a way of saying, "Yes, I've suffered, but I'm still here. I haven't given up. I'm still alive, against all odds!".

Twisting, writhing rage

Burns like acid through it's veins,

And a stabbing agony in it's heart,

Gets worse each passing day.

Ev'ry insult taken,

Stings deep down inside.

Ev'ry kick or punch,

Brings bitter tears to its' eyes.

Born in cold October,

Destroyed, age 13 onwards.

Reborn five years later,
As a heartless, damaged monster.

Black becomes it's symbol,

'Evil' – an adopted name.

Never forgetting those who caused

Such thoughtless, searing pain.

But Time has healed much,

A new Era can begin.

I can smile once again:

“Scarred, but still standing.”

© Copyright Cory Eadson, 2012

Dark Things 1 - A Poem

Just a little work-in-progress...Let me know what you think. Always after critique!

Dark Things 1

Lying on a bed of black roses,

Arms crossed,

And pennies over my eyes,

I wait.

Wait for the pumpkin sun

To fade behind the skull moon.

Shadows grow longer

(Like the ones inside my mind)

And stretch to nothing -

Swallowed, eventually,

By the impenetrable darkness.

The Darkness, my one true friend -

Hiding, in that fathomless black,

All manner of secrets,

All manner of Things.

Things that creep around my bed,

Lurk in my closet,

Writhe in the furthest recesses of my mind...

Maybe They know

That we are the same.

Maybe They sense

That I am unafraid.

An abrupt stinging pain in my heart

Suddenly grows more fierce -

Like a talon squeezing

All the life out of me,

And In my agony, I am forced to wonder:

Do They want me to join them?

 ©
Copyright: Cory Eadson, 2012

50 Reasons Why 'Time Crash' Is The Most Perfect 8 Minutes of 'Doctor Who' Ever

#4 David Tennant IS the Doctor! Tennant is clearly having a blast in this mini-story, especially considering Peter Davison was his childhood Doctor. The speech at the very end, which the Tenth Doctor delivers to the Fifth, was said to have been a direct tribute from Tennant to Peter Davison, only just staying on the right side of the Fourth wall! 

The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) - A Review

 

 'The Ghost of Frankenstein' is the fourth in the long line of horror movies based upon Mary Shelley's creation, and is the first NOT to feature Boris Karloff as the monster. However, the film does assemble a stellar line-up of Universal favourites, including Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, and Lon Chaney, Jr as the Monster.

The movie involves Frankenstein's monster once again being reawakened from his sulphurous tomb, and, led by Ygor (in a wonderfully perverse portrayal from Lugosi), sets off to find the son of his creator (the previous film was actually called 'Son of Frankenstein', and the Frankenstein in 'Ghost...' is the brother of the other son). Before long, this other Dr. Frankenstein (played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke) plans to replace the diseased brain of the Monster with the brain of a good person, curing the creature of its' evil. But Ygor, and the mislead Dr. Bohmer (Lionel Atwill) have other plans....

Unlike the previous three films, the plot here is decidely sillier and less important, and would set the scene for pretty much every sequel afterward. Mad scientists, incomprehensible science, and dead characters returning from the grave in ever more convoluted ways would become the standard. What  matters here is less what happens, and more, how it happens. 

Right from the off, the audience is drawn in to the so-called 'Curse of Frankenstein', with the ending of the previous movie explained away, and the return of the Monster from its' sulpher tomb dealt with just minutes after the opening credits. The angry mob, carrying their flaming torches and raiding a ruined castle to rid it of the evil within, has now become a staple of those old Universal films, and a cliche. It's a short-hand way of setting the scene and stirring up the action, and it is highly effective, if rather unoriginal. 

        Indeed, this film feels like a 'best of' of the Frankenstein films, with little in the way of totally fresh ideas. The Monster becoming friends with a little girl, for instance, is very similar to the 'flowers in the pond' sequence in the original, although there is no disturbing child death here. Saying that, the friendship between the Monster and the little girl (in a wonderful and honest performance by Janet Ann Gallow) is a beautiful sight to behold, and their initial meeting in the movie is one of the films' strongest moments.

Performance-wise, 'The Ghost of Frankenstein' is excellent. Bela Lugosi brings delightful menace to the character of Ygor, without going over the top. Seeing him play that peculiar horn in order to lure the Monster toward him is strangely fascinating, and his delivery of such poetic lines as, "Your father was Frankenstein, but your mother was the lightning!" is absolutely spot-on. 

        Indeed, despite the unoriginality of the plot, and the out-and-out lunacy of the brain-transplant idea (which comes to a head when Ygor has his brain put inside the Monster, so he can have a stronger body with which to rule the world!), Scott Darling and Eric Taylor conjured some gorgeous lines of dialogue in order to create a truly fantastical world, and it's something rarely seen in horror movies today.

        As Ludwig Frankenstein, Sir Cedric Hardwicke is believable, mislead, and not at all as villanous as one might expect. He brings a dignity to the role, and a fallibility that allows the audience to sympathise with him. Frankenstein's motives here are totally good, to rid the Monster of its' evil, and Hardwicke emphasizes this with his performance.

       Lionel Atwill, as the mislead Doctor Bohmer, is also believable, to a point. Once Ygor tells him that he has to put Ygor's brain into the Monsters body so he can rule all (without Frankenstein knowing, of course), you do have to wonder what Bohmer was thinking, going along with idea! But Atwill brings a nice edge to the character, and he also has a tremendous death scene as well, which is a nice plus.

         As the 'good guys' of the film, both Ralph Bellamy (as town prosector Erik), and Evelyn Ankers (as Frankenstein's Daughter, Elsa), have little depth or much in the way of memorable dialogue. The film favours the villains, and so Erik is the do-gooder who saves the day, and Elsa Frankenstein just has to act anxious a lot, scream when she has to, and look good doing it (and miss Ankers is utterly stunning - it's very hard to take your eyes off her!). They fulfill a specific role, and that's all that can be said, really.

        Lon Chaney, Jr, best known for playing the Wolfman, must have had the most difficult job. Boris Karloff had made the monster his own in three excellent movies, and yet, Chaney, Jr. takes on the role with gusto. Yes, he is perhaps the most miserable-looking of all the Monsters (which is no mean feat!), but he brings a touch of depth to the creature, particularly in the scenes with the little girl. He doesn't merely lumber around and roar, there's a subtle touch of substance that helps the audience relate to him. Lon Chaney, Jr. perhaps wasn't quite as good as Karloff in this particular role, but he does his best, and it's hard not to feel sorry for him when the angry civilians attack him (on more than one occasion!).

The climax of the film, all electric shocks and explosions, is very good, sharply directed by Erle C. Kenton, and not anywhere near as rushed as the endings of some later sequels. The production values in 'Ghost...' were not as great as the previous three installments', but Kenton, and producer George Waggner, ensured that they did the best with the resources they had at the time, and their ingenuity shines through.

All in all, 'The Ghost of Frankenstein' is the movie where things started to get silly. The depth and originality of the earlier films was discarded in place of audience-pleasing cliches and over-the-top mad scientist plots. But it is still a wonderful film. At times chilling, at times beautiful, poetic, funny, haunting, and lots and lots of fun, 'The Ghost of Frankenstein' is still a gem, with a top-rate cast and decent production values. If you fancy a slice of old-school horror, but want it with added popcorn-lunacy, this is the film for you. Indeed, it's a testament to the how good the film is, that horror-punkers The Misfits wrote a song about it last year. 'The Ghost of Frankenstein' lives on!

                                                  THE MISFITS: THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN

50 Reasons Why 'Time Crash' Is The Most Perfect 8 Minutes of 'Doctor Who' Ever

#3 Peter Davison IS the Doctor! We've had companions and monsters from 'Doctor Who's past returning left, right and centre, but to date, Davison is the only former Doctor to make a physcical appearance in the show. Seeing him, in the TARDIS, in that outfit, just feels right. And he doesn't take any nonsense from Tennant!

50 Reasons Why 'Time Crash' Is The Most Perfect 8 Minutes of 'Doctor Who' Ever

#2 Graeme Harper directed it. His 'Doctor Who' debut, 'The Caves of Androzani', was voted as the greatest 'Doctor Who' story of all time, and boasts some of the most gripping action scenes ever seen in '...Who'. He injects 'Time Crash' with the same breathless enthusiasm, and absolutely milks the two lead actors for all they're worth.

Nobody could have done it better.

50 Reasons Why 'Time Crash' Is The Most Perfect 8 Minutes of 'Doctor Who' Ever

#1 Stephen Moffat wrote it. He also wrote 'Blink', 'The Empty Child'/'The Doctor Dances', 'The Girl in the Fireplace', and 'Silence in the Library'. He is now in charge of 'Doctor Who' on television, and is an absolute, grade-A genius. He also cast Matt Smith as the Doctor.

Your arguement is invalid.

Once Upon A Time...

Once Upon A Time...

Once upon a time,
In a land so far away,
Lived a gorgeous little beauty,
Who smiled every day.

She smiled as she sang,
She smiled as she ate.
She smiled as she ripped,
Her brother’s face off with a rake.

Never did her smile falter,
As blood gushed everywhere.
She was glad to see the bastard dead,
For he’d brought her to despair.

When she was put on trial,
She grinned the whole way through.
Asked if she thought she’d reoffend,
She said, “My Lord, I do!”

Death was her swift sentence,
By hanging, as it were.
She did her hair and make-up,
So her corpse would swing with verve.

And swing it did for minutes,
A cold but pretty stiff.
The guards were so aroused,
They thought they’d have a bit.

By now she was in Hell,
Burning for all time.
But the little bitch still smiled,
As the Devil said, “You’re mine!”

Copyright Cory Eadson, 2012

The Misfits: 'The Devil's Rain' - A Review

The Misfits. A cult horror-punk band so influential, their inspiration can be noted from bands as diverse as Metallica, Guns 'N' Roses, and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Their grinning Skull logo is instantly recognisable (even though it was nabbed from a Marilyn Monroe movie, along with the band name), and they even have their own fan club.

But today, The Misfits aren't 'anywhere near as good as they used to be'. Not since Glenn Danzig left and the band first split back in the 80s. So many die-hard fans disregarded the 90s comeback with new vocalist Michale Graves, and snort with derision at the latest incarnation, which has seen the band's creator and bassist, Jerry Only, singing along to their haunting hymns. Without going into any sort of overlong band-history examination or defence, I'm going to say one thing. Those 'fans' are wrong. The Misfits were great when they came back, and I would argue that now, they're at their peak.

The Devil's Rain is the first full-length, original Misfits album for a Hell of a long time. After Graves was booted from the line-up, and Only took over as singer as well as bassist, the band released a rather good covers album of 1950s rock'n'roll songs, and then a 2 track single in 2009 about zombies, before finally unleashing The Devil's Rain upon the world. This new album lacks the raw, ugly aggression of the Danzig era, or the confrontational punk-metal of the Graves era, instead opting for a heavy-sounding rockabilly record. Apart from a few growling instances here and there, Only croons rather than screams, and there's a lack of swearing and overly-violent themes in the lyrics. This is an album more about the music itself than the shock value, an album that is proud to feature all of the horror hallmarks we've come to love from these guys, but with a new level of musicianship and polish rarely before heard in this band.

The opening track, and indeed the title track, is a mid-paced, melodic rocker. It's absolutely the right choice for an album opener, drawing the listener in with that thunderstorm sound-effect and the rising sound of the drums. Then the riff kicks in and we're off! It's a ridiculously catchy song, the lyrics no doubt inspired by the old-school horror film of the same name, and it's virtually impossible not to sing along to the chorus. We get a lovely guitar solo, courtesy of Dez Cadena, whose playing on this album is top notch, and a pounding and hypnotic drum beat from Eric Arce that drives the whole song. Straight away, the listener knows what to expect, and those after a 'Last Caress' or 'Attitude' will be extremely let down. Their loss!

Things do speed up with 'Vivid Red' though, an edge of thrashy aggression that, alongside the slightly more upbeat 'The Black Hole', wouldn't seem out of place on American Psycho or Famous Monsters. These tracks are separated by re-recordings of the songs from the 2009 EP, Land of the Dead. Both 'Land of the Dead' and 'Twilight of the Dead' are fantastic tracks, and the re-recordings are successful (although I personally prefer the original version of 'Twilight of the Dead'). The songs are catchy, singalong zombie anthems, and listening to them, one has to thank the stars that Jerry Only has retained his love of horror movies over the years in order to keep writing such fun lyrics.

It's all uphill from here, too. 'Cold in Hell', 'Unexplained', and 'Curse of the Mummy's Hand' are all heavy rock'n'roll anthems made for the live atmosphere (no surprise that on their latest tour, the band are playing pretty much every track off this album!), with Cadena really showing off his technical prowess. 'Dark Shadows' (based on the classic TV series and upcoming Tim Burton film) and 'Father' are a pair of Vampire laments that sound so fresh and original, even though Vampires have been done to death just recently.

'Jack the Ripper' picks up the pace a bit, with screeching guitars and aggressive growling from Only, alongside Arce's pounding drums. This is as close to a heavy metal song that The Misfits have probably ever done, sounding like a NWOBHM band in their prime. 'Monkey's Paw' slows things down a bit, essentially a 1950s love song, but about a cursed object that grants three dangerous wishes to its' owner.

'Where Do They Go?' again sounds like a catchy 50s track, with two female backing vocalists adding to the feeling. However, despite the upbeat and nostalgic tone of the song, its' subject matter is actually very dark - Only is singing about the many hundreds, or even thousands, of women found dead or having vanished in the Mexican city of Juarez. Taking something so nasty, and singing about it in such an upbeat way is pure Misfits!

Two of the remaining three tracks are, for me, a mixed bag. 'Sleepwalkin'' is catchy enough, but a bit long, and the same can be said for the album closer 'Death Ray', although kudos must go to the band for recreating all those science-fiction sounds. Between these songs, though, is 'The Ghost of Frankenstein'. All I can say is... gorgeous! Catchy, haunting, atmospheric...this is the clincher, the song that proves once and for all that The Misfits are as good, if not better, than ever before.

This may be a controversial statement, but I would argue that The Devil's Rain is THE best Misfits album ever. A collection of heavy, catchy songs about horror films and murders, with a trio of musicians at the top of their game, and only the barest bit of flab bringing the side down a touch. Go and listen to it with an open mind. You might just like what you hear.... 

Click on the songs below to give them a listen....

The Devil's Rain

01. "The Devil's Rain"

02. "Vivid Red"

03. "Land Of The Dead" (album version)

04. "The Black Hole"

05. "Twilight Of The Dead" (album version)

06. "Curse of the Mummy's Hand"

07. "Cold In Hell"

08. "Unexplained"

09. "Dark Shadows"

10. "Father"

11. "Jack The Ripper"

12. "Monkey's Paw"

13. "Where Do They Go?"

14. "Sleepwalking"

15. "Ghost Of Frankenstein"

16. "Death Ray"

The Misfits Are:
Jerry Only - Vocals and bass 
Dez Cadena - Guitar
Eric "Chubacabra" Arce - Drums

A Poem Without The Letter 'e'

Your soul is a labyrinth
With all its’ twists and turns.
Corridors spiral out of control,
Branching out wildly:
As irrational as that driving warmth burning within.

Passion is my guiding light
Through your multifarious shafts,
As my mission draws to its' conclusion.
I know, soon, that our spirits will link
In harmony, blossoming....always.

Copyright Cory Eadson, 2012

Welcome, All...

Greetings. I am Cory Eadson, the creator of this blog, and I will be sharing with you all sorts of opinions and facts from the deepest, darkest corners of humanity...And Beyond! This Blog will focus on my love of horror movies and novels, heavy metal music, and my biggest obsession: 'Doctor Who', alongside other random nonsense. I may even share some of my own pieces of fiction, for you to absorb and critique.

Come on in, don't be afraid...I won't bite. Hard....