Movie Clip: Solomon Kane

I've mentioned the bio-pic about legendary monster hunter, Solomon Kane. This Elizabethan Era adventurer is responsible for wiping out an African variety of vampire, and also a breed of strange pterodactyl-like humanoids. He was truly an inspiration to us all.

Anyway, here's one of the best fights in the movie. Kane had tried to give up violence after a frightening encounter with one of the Devil's minions. But he was eventually forced to see that evil won't always be persuaded by turning the other cheek. This scene dramatizes Kane's choice to pick-up the sword again.

Troll Chase

A snippet of shocking footage showing a 4-wheel Drvie vehicle chasing a towering troll across the Scandinavian wilderness.

Fortunately, it appears trolls are a species unique to Northern Europe and not found in North
America.

Terror in the School Years: Late Bloomer

An award-nominated short film out of Miskatonic University's Arts and Modern Multimedia Department.

Gear Pr0n: The Rambo Knife

Back in the 1980's, you weren't badass if you didn't have a "Rambo" Knife.

The movie First Blood introduced us to John Rambo, a Special Forces vet suffering from extreme Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and some form of dissociative disorder. Pushed too far, the rugged individualist Rambo struck back with his survivalist skills. And he used his trusty Bowie knife to help him out.

The first two movies set the pattern for the pop-culture phenomena of the Rambo Knife. He used large Bowie knives with sawbacks and hollow handles. An assortment of survival goodies were stored in the hollow, including a compass under the cap.

The third movie broke the pattern by using a knife without the survival kit handle. But the knife was still over-sized and created as an artfully-shaped Bowie.

The recent sequel went further. The knife was the biggest yet, but the shape had changed completely into a Jungle machete or parang type blade. Also, while the other knives had been handcrafted by artisan bladesmiths, the fourth knife was intentionally left more crude and primitive to reflect the storyline of the movie. (The knife itself, of course was still handmade by a bladesmith.)

Above are replicas of these iconic knives. And while the Rambo knife has had critics over the years, any of them will serve you well in the inevitable zombiggeddon. Just make sure you're buying a quality survival knife and not a $15 Taiwanese import.

Movie Trailer: Re-Animator (1985)

The notorious case of Dr. Herbert West -- the so-called "Re-Animator" -- was quickly covered up by Federal and Massachusetts officials. Officially, Dr. West was killed in a random act of violence and the government swooped in on his estate to confiscate material related to US Government research the doctor had been conducting intermittantly for decades.

But Dr. West, a graduate of Miskatonic University, was whispered about by his neighbors for years afterward. His strange fascination with Dr. Victor von Frankenstein of Ingolstadt had been well-known among his classmates. They simply had no clue how far he'd taken his hero-worship. They thought the warnings provided by Mary Shelley's fictionalized account were clear enough for any medical professional.

So with rumors swirling throughout small-town Massachusetts, and the active medical alumni of the MU Medical School, it really shouldn't have been a surprise when the writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft looked into the reports, discovered the abundant evidence, and published his own fictionalized account of Dr. West's activities. He was only able to get away with releasing the tale because the US Government pressured serious news outlets not to carry the story. Only the pulp magazines would deal with H.P. Lovecraft's bizarre stories. So Dr. West's hideous, foul crimes were hidden among equally lurid tales of horror, terror, and high weirdness.

In 1985, a brave film maker released a version of Dr. West's tragic and horrific career. He had no budget, and his talent at writing dialogue was negligible. But the movie was made anyway. You can view the trailer above.

Note: Dr. West's crimes were terrible, violent, and unspeakable. The movie did not shrink from depicting them in all their unnaturalness. The preview may not be suitable for younger viewers.