Sizzlin’ Summer of Subterranean Psychotronica 2026: Gold Pencil and Alien Boy (1983)
Week 6 (July 26 – Aug 1) – Generic Cartoon Tapes “Every day is Saturday Morning at this Jo-Ann Fabric. Every space is liminal in Sylvester’s head (hand-drawn for PS1)” – Scumbalina A young boy discovers a mysterious extraterrestrial visitor, and this alien, imbued with unique cosmic abilities, forms an immediate, telepathic bond with him. Is this E.T.? […]
CULTPIX MONTH: The Bleeder (1983)
The Rock Cats, an all-girl hair metal ensemble, are touring the Swedish countryside in a van that probably smells like stale Oppigårds Golden Ale and Aquanet. When their engine gives up the ghost near a decaying manor, they do what any rational slasher protagonists do: they break in. In real life, I ask you to […]
VISUAL VENGEANCE BLU-RAY RELEASE: Born A Ninja/ Commando The Ninja (1987, 1983)
This shot-on-video martial-arts double feature from Joseph Lai and IFD Films unleashes pure 1980s ninja chaos as two unlikely heroes are dragged into a war over stolen germ-warfare secrets. Featuring disappearing ninja assassins, endless waves of thugs, criminal masterminds, insane effects and the mysterious hocus pocus magic fighting style. These are both full-tilt SOV insanity, […]
ARROW 4K UHD RELEASE: Blue Thunder (1983)
Directed by John Badham (Saturday Night Fever, Dracula, Stakeout) and written by Dan O’Bannon (Alien, Dark Star, Return of the Living Dead, Lifeforce) and Don Jakoby (The Philadelphia Experiment, Death Wish 3, Double Team), Blue Thunder stands between the conspiracy thrillers of the 70s and the big budget action films of the 80s. O’Bannon and Jakoby began lived together in a Hollywood apartment where […]
WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Krull (1983)
Krull should have been a blockbuster. But seriously, it’s a mess. A glorious mess. It’s like the craziest game of Dungeons & Dragons you ever played, filled with info about magic and strange lands that feel like they were invented five minutes before the camera started rolling. It has the most awesome weapon ever seen […]
WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Julie Darling (1983)
Between Pin, Cathy’s Curse and this film, what is it about Canadian families in horror films? Beneath a surface of politeness, is everyone this psychotic north of the border? Julie (Isabelle Mejias, Scanners II: The New Order) just wants to play with her pet snake, hunt with her dad, and, well, lie in bed with him. But […]
WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Joysticks (1983)
Jefferson Bailey (Scott McGinnis, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) owns the hottest business in 1983: a video arcade. It’s driving local business tycoon Joseph Rutter (Joe Don Baker, a man whose name I screamed into the ear of a sleeping girlfriend once, which is a long story I should really get to sometime) nuts, so […]
WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Frightmare (1983) and also Tromatic Special Edition Blu-ray release
Also known as The Horror Star and Body Snatchers, this is the tale of Conrad Razkoff (Ferdy Mayne), a horror film star who fakes his death or maybe not, but definitely exists beyond life and death as he wipes out a drama class. Before that, Ragzoff is in a dentures commercial, and the director argues with […]
EUREKA BOX SET: Furious Swords and Fantastic Warriors: The Weird Man (1983)
Taoist Priest Yu Ji (Cheng Tien-Chi) is asked to go to the people and perform miracles, healing them of sickness by pulling green slime from their bodies. He’s soon executed by General Sun Ce (Chiu Gwok) thanks to the advice of Prime Minister Xu Gong (Wong Lik), as neither wants the people worshipping a god […]
ARROW VIDEO SHAW SCOPE VOLUME 4 BOX SET: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (1983)
Directed by Alex Cheung, this features Eden (James Yi Lui), a private eye, and Li Tien Zhen (Cherie Chung) meeting when they both decide to jump in front of a train. He’s depressed at where life has taken him, and she’s been kidnapped by a UFO and lost her virginity, which ruins her marriage to […]
You must be logged in to post a comment.