He's not from around here.

The 1986 film The Wraith. Directed by Mike "Hamburger" Marvin and starring Carlos Sheen, and the evernude Sherilyn Fenn. There are also a couple supporting roles from some of America's favorite lesser siblings to look forward to; Clint Howard as Rughead and Randy Quaid as Sheriff Loomis.

The Wraith is another movie that probably would've done a little better if it had a better-known word in the title. Much like The Changeling, I don't think a lot of people know what the hell a Wraith is. It's a lesser known word and it doesn't really have an attention grabbing ring to it. But then, unlike The Changeling The Wraith isn't a great and terrifying film, so maybe it wouldn't have helped too much after all. Couldn't have hurt though.

The soundtrack features 10 tracks, but looking at the IMDB listing I found several more songs not featured on the soundtrack. So I've rounded those missing tracks up and I've included them.

1. Tim Freehan - Where's The Fire
2. Honeymoon Suite - Those Were The Days
3. Stan Bush - Hearts vs Heads
4. LaMarca - Hold On Blue Eyes
5. Jill Michaels - Young Love,Hot Love
6. Ozzy Osbourne - Secret Loser
7. Lion - Never Surrender
8. James House - Bad Mistake
9. Ian Hunter - Wake Up Call
10. Bonnie Tyler - Matter Of The Heart

Bonus Tracks

Motley Crue - Smokin' In The Boys Room
Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love
Nick Gilder - Scream Of Angels
Lion - Power Love
Billy Idol - Rebel Yell

EERIE - UFOs Bring Terror To Earth and Stuff

Okay, and we're back with some more EERIE. 8 more, this set includes #84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90, 91 and 92. I don't currently have 87, but you know the drill, if it turns up you'll find it here later on. I just realized that I already posted #89 in the very first EERIE post I put up, so sorry for those of you who already got that one.

Looking at the cover for #85, I have one question...what purpose would nipples serve on a robot? You're already on thin ice trying to get away with painting a robot with a cowboy hat without it looking ridiculous, why add giant nipples? I mean really.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Also, just wanted to mention that Anubis was kind enough to supply a scan of Creepy #65 in the comments of the last Creepy post. I've added the link to the post, so scroll down a few posts and grab that one if you didn't do so already. Thanks Anubis! Also, thanks to Maney7 for offering up his own scan of the issue as well.

MST3K Escape 2000 - Review

Episode 705, Escape 2000. Not to be confused with the Brian Trenchard-Smith film Turkey Shoot, which is also known as Escape 2000. This is the 1983 Italian film Fuga dal Bronx, which is Enzo G. Castellari's followup to the previous year's 1990:The Bronx Warriors.

Escape 2000 follows the misadventures of Trash (Mark Gregory reprising his Bronx Warriors 1 role), as he attempts to stop Henry Silva and his army of men wearing ineffective fireproof suits from disinfestating the Bronx in order to build a better, kind of futuristic looking Bronx. "Disinfestate" apparently just means "to set people on fire", so clearly native Bronxians like Trash want no part of it. Joining Trash on this epic anti-Silva crusade is the partially insane badass Flank (or Stroke, or something) and his androgynous, prepubescent offspring Junior. (There's also some weird Jerry Lewis/Nosferatu lady with them for a while as well, I didn't catch her name though. She mostly just yells.)

As a big fan of bad post-apocalyptic films of the 1980s, this is one of my favorite episodes. Partly because these types of movies are a blast on their own, but the hilarious onslaught of riffage just adds to it. The guys are just scatting and bebopping allover this one. It does start off a tiny bit slow, but by the end the jokes are just relentless. Escape 2000 also features one of the all-time great characters ever in a movie on the show in Toblerone. Played by Antonio Sabato of all people, Toblerone is so incredibly over the top that Mike, Tom and Crow cheer whenever he makes an appearance. I haven't them this happy about a character since Kline in The Sinister Urge. I recommend this one to any fans of Italian schlock and the music of Francesco De Masi.

Now seriously guys, leave the Bronx.

TMM - A Brief History (in Banner Form)

A while ago someone mentioned that I should do a post with all of the banners I've used on the site. While I think it's a great idea, at first I thought it might seem a tad masturbatory and self-indulgent - sort of like I was patting myself on the back or something. Not sure how exactly, it just felt a bit cocky. Perhaps, but I thought it would be fun, since I have changed the banner several times since I started (I'd even forgotten some of these), so here are the banners of yesteryear (and a half).

The very first banner of The Manchester Morgue. While I think the idea of Bub the Zombie listening to music on headphones works perfectly for the site, I gotta say it wasn't a particularly eye-catching design. Maybe if I had used Bub in a different way, with a better font, and gotten rid of that insipid little white dot about an inch under the logo, it would've been better off. But I was very new at the whole concept of designing things, so I guess I can't be too hard on it.

I don't really have anything to say on this one. I love the artwork I found for it (can't remember the movie it was from) but it's just sort of thrown up there, with a seemingly randomly located logo. It's so-so.

One of my favorite examples of a movie poster that is way better than the film it advertised, Astro Zombies. I think this one was a step in the right direction. I also changed the template for the site, which I think makes it look more professional. Unfortunately I had a weird line down the middle of the page that it took me a while to fix. Man, I hated that line. And here it is again. Haunting me.

Nothing much to say about this one, just experimenting with different brushes, kinda liked it, so I used it. At least I got rid of that line.

My attempt at mixing Frankenhooker art with the font used for The Godfather didn't quite work out. I still love that poster art though. I'll have framed versions of that poster and the Astro Zombies poster hanging up somewhere in my house once I move. Or I'll die trying. And that picture of Steve Martin on the Grand Canyon cover still cracks me up.

This one was barely on the site before I changed it. The art is from the New Zealand sheep-run-amok film Black Sheep. I liked the movie (sheep fart jokes aside) so I wanted to advertise it's brief US theatrical run on the site. This also marks the first appearance of the Shaun of the Dead font that I've used on other banners and several of my compilations since. Hell of a font, that.

Taking the Shaun of the Dead thing a step further on this one by using not only the font, but Shaun poster art as well. I thought this one was pretty fitting, British corpses, Manchester Morgue...

And that brings us up to the current banner. Sure, you could just hit Home and shoot back up to the top of the page and see it, but I'll save you the trouble. Using the top half of a Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell poster, my trusty SOTD font and some root brush I found online somewhere (whoever made that, thank you, I forgot where I found it) I whipped up what I think is my personal favorite. I'm probably sticking with this one for a while since I've actually gotten a few compliments on it. Also, changing them up is a major pain in the ass.

Well, I think that's it. I could've sworn I had a few more that I had used, but I don't see them saved in my archives anywhere, so I guess that's all. I hope you've all enjoyed this brief, occasionally bad design work filled visual history of the site. If all goes according to plan I should have something Michael J. Nelson-ey in store for you guys this weekend. I'll see you then. But not really.

CREEPY - Chillingly Illustrated Horror Classics!

Time for more Creepy, this latest set includes issue #62, 63, 64, 66, 67 and 68. Sorry, I don't have issue #65, but my staff is working overtime to track down that issue.

As you can see, yet another cover featuring a homicidal Saint Nick. At least this one is extra demented, what with the Elves of Doom decorating someone's home with entrails and all. Plus Santa seems to be a little otherworldly, perhaps an alien of some sort, I guess. A Killer Klaus From Outer Space, if you will. Anyway, enjoy:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

I've managed to get issue #65, so click here to grab that issue. Thanks to Anubis for leaving the link in the comments!

Pantera - I Am The Night

Pantera's 1985 album I Am The Night. This album features Terrence "Glaze" Lee on vocals, Phil Anselmo didn't join the band until 1988's Power Metal album. Most fans of Pantera's later sound detest their earlier albums, but if you enjoy "Glam" metal (whatever the hell that even means) this is actually quite good. Goofy "evil-disco" album cover aside, the vocals and guitar work are pretty good at the very least.

I do wonder how many fans of "Cowboys" and beyond Pantera have actually heard any of their earlier albums. I'm sure at least a few of the negative comments come from people who haven't bothered to listen to the music and just think their 80's look was ridiculous. Which it was, of course, but every band looked like that back then, not really their fault.

Anyway, I think if you like stuff like Dokken or Ratt you should enjoy this album. Don't quote me on that though.

1 Hot and Heavy 4:08
2 I Am the Night 4:29
3 Onward We Rock 3:58
4 D*G*T*T*M 1:45
5 Daughters of the Queen 4:20
6 Down Below 2:41
7 Come-On Eyes 4:15
8 Right on the Edge 4:08
9 Valhalla 4:07
10 Forever Tonight 4:09

Prepare to Rock Onward!

Kaiju Valentine's Day

I hope everyone is having (or ends up having) a nice Valentine's Day. To celebrate this completely made up holiday I thought I'd share some pictures of the best V-Day cards $0.14 can buy.

I found these ridiculous Godzilla themed Valentines at K-Mart a few years ago marked down like 90%, and I just couldn't leave the store without them. Nothing says "Happy Valentine's Day" like giant monsters and screaming Japanese women.

Of course, being a grown man I have absolutely no use for them, but come on, it was Godzilla. You would've done the same thing.

EERIE - Cringe in Fear! Scream in Terror!

Man, it feels like I just posted some Warren comics yesterday. As you've noticed, no posts for about a week. I had a friend visiting from out of state so I was actually pretty busy for a change. But, I am back and ready for action. So, 8 new issues of Eerie for you this dreadfully cold Warren Wednesday. Seriously, it's like 14° outside. What's that about?

So this set includes issues #74, 75, 76, 77, 80, 81, 82, and 83. I don't have 78 or 79, so I'll be on the lookout for those in the future.

You know what they say, the only thing better than a big ass monkey wreaking havoc atop a building is a big ass naked woman wreaking havoc atop a building.

Part1
Part2
Part3

CREEPY - All New Stories and Art! Plus COLOR!

Welcome to Warren Thursday. I was out most of the day yesterday and completely forgot to put up any new comics. When I realized this I promptly smacked myself on the forehead, yelled "Oh!" (partly because of the sudden realization, partly because the head smack kind of hurt.). So, instead of waiting till the next Wednesday to put them up, I'll break tradition and put them up today. So here are 6 new issues of Creepy. For those of you not keeping track, this set includes issue #56-61.

Issue #59 features what has to be one of like a hundred killer Santa stories I've seen. What I want to know, where's the murderous Easter Bunny at? Or some dude dressed up like Abe Lincoln or Christopher Columbus offing people on their respective holidays? These lunatics escape from the wacko basket and the best they can do is dress up like Santa prior to/during their rampage? Seems so obvious, doesn't it?

Well, here are the links, 3 parts on Sharebee. Enjoy!

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Marvel Zombies - Fan Made Trailer

Check out this video: MARVEL ZOMBIES THE MOVIE

Thought I'd share this surprisingly impressive fan made trailer for the fictional Marvel Zombies movie. I know there is no chance of this movie happening, but I'd be ther first in line to see it if it actually got made. I really love the way the Hulk looks, quite badass in my opinion; better than that awful looking 30-foot tall Ang Lee Hulk. Don't get me wrong, I actually didn't think that Hulk was all that bad of a movie, but I hated the CGI Hulk design. Very cartoon-y, I personally thought it looked even sillier than the spray-painted Lou Ferrigno of the 70's. But then again I also hate the way Gollum looks in LOTR, and that was considered a massive achievement, so maybe I just have a strong dislike for CGI rendered characters. Anyway, I'm starting to ramble a bit here, enjoy the trailer, and stop back later on for some new music.