‘Zine Review: Rue Morgue #84
Johnny Butane
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Issue #84
November 2008
Editor in Chief Jovanka Vuckovic is a lot like me. For the most part she really detests vampire movies, for the same main reason I do; they’re just not scary anymore. However, in this month’s “Notes From the Underground” column, she lists off a shitload of good bloodsucker films, a list which I also agree with, making me question if I really do hate vamps as much as I pretend to…
It’s all for the love of “>Let the Right One In, quite possibly the best vampire movie made in the last decade, which is the focus of the issue, in case the cover didn’t give it away. Fantasia programmer Mitch Davis sits down with Right One director Tomas Alfredson to dig deep into the how’s and why’s such a beautiful film came to be and if you’re not chomping at the bit to see this when you’re done reading this issue, there’s just no hope for you at all.
But that’s not all the vampiric love this month’s Rue has to offer; no, sir. Monica S. Kuebler takes a look at the “>Twilight phenomenon, as well (kudos to RM for resisting what I’m sure must have been the tempting prospect of putting Twilight on the cover), and she even goes so far as to give readers a rundown of other vampire fiction that’s out there for young girls. Following that there’s a too-short one-pager on “True Blood”, which is far more deserving of a spread than Twilight.
Focus then shifts to the good old days with an article about the old 8mm horrors released by Castle Films, who would condense popular scare titles into quick 16-minute run times and sell the reels at local drugstores back before the advent of VHS. It’s a very cool bit of nostalgia that’s rarely ever touched upon and worth the read.
A bit on the original God of Hellfire, Arthur Brown, follows, giving some much-needed love to the original original shock rocker on the eve of his 40th anniversary. If, like me, you only are aware of Brown because of his song “Fire”, this is a good way to learn just how mad and influential this man was in his day.
Other highlights this issue include a positively glowing review for “>Five Across the Eyes (review … ’bout time more people starting praising this movie), a politically/lycanthropic-themed “Bowen’s Basement”, and, though not really what I would consider a “highlight” but is significant, the return of Pedro Cabezuelo to “Blood in Four Colours”. I loved Gary Butler’s column long time so Cabezuelo’s going to have to do a lot to carry his mantle; here’s to it!
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