Hallowe'en is coming..Misfits time!

If you like Misfits and aren't a douchebag then you know that Danzig and Graves were both excellent frontmen, with fine singing voices, and to say that the 'only Misfits is a Misfits with Danzig' is unfair and pretty short sighted. However it's perfectly fine to say Misfits without Danzig or Graves isn't really the Misfits, but I'd still go see the Frankenstein's Monster of a band that plays today, just for fun.

With Hallowe'en on the way, here's a sample platter of the ghoulish guys that inspired a generation of goth punks with Mypspace names like NightShayde. They are possibly known for their skeletal merch as much as their music - I distinctly remember a teenage neighbour of mine being in shock that they were a band and not a clothing company - but they have some good tunes too y'know. And to lay all my cards on the table - I prefer Graves-era to Danzig-era. Why? I just prefer things like good production, songwriting and superior singing..

I Turned Into A Martian



After hearing about the Misfits for a long time through the late 90s/early 90s punk bands I listened to, I finally got the album Walk Among Us. I was horrified. Not because of their imagery/lyrics, but because of the production quality. I had been raised on 90s production and this harsh noise was too much for me at first. But slowly the hooks embedded themselves in my brain and I began to appreciate a good 'woah' with this song.

Skulls



This was by far and away the standout song on Walk Among Us for me. I could see a direct link to Alkaline Trio (then and probably still now my favourite band) with deep, melodic pop-influenced vocals contrasting with dark lyrics. The chorus is a punk-hook masterclass; no woahs needed here.

Bullet



Ok, so here goes. Misfits recorded an album called Static age in 1978, which wasn't released until 1997, when some of the guitars were re-recorded. This is why it has an old-Misfits feel (including that 50s Rock N Roll vibe y'know) but the production doesn't sound terrible. This is the perfect bridge between old and new Misfits and Static Age is probably my favourite Danzig album.

Dig Up Her Bones



Oh yes. That's more like that. You hear that kids? That's good production! You feel how it caresses (sorry) your eardrums instead of stabbing them? And that's before the gloriously warm vocals of Michael Graves enter the fray. For some American Psycho was the death of Misfits, I thought it was the beginning of a new era. *insert Graves/Death/Undead/Zombie reference here* Now the riffs were heavier (and could be heard properly), the lyrics were still campy and horror influenced and the vocals were both familiar and fresh.

Scream!



Following American Psycho was Famous Monsters, the last album with Graves on vocals. Scream! is one of many songs that sounded instantly recognisable (the repeated 2 lines of the chorus, slightly altered each time echoing Skulls) while still feeling like a different beast to Danzig fare, through the energy and metal-influenced guitar tones.

Saturday Night



I couldn't leave this one out. 50s crooning that Danzig leant towards but never fully committed to. Never go full 50s crooner rock and roll ballad? That's a matter of opinion. One thing is for sure though, the ladies love it.

Halloween



And of course...for the month that's in it!

Dodgy Film Club: Birdemic 2

  
Ah the sequel.. once upon a time it seemed a rare thing, only used when the character-writing of a film was so good, or the story was so complex that another edition was a must. Of course now, sequels = $$$. So, where does that leave Birdemic 2? Will the sequel make lots of money? It might make some, but I doubt studios were engaged in a bidding war. So maybe it will be a natural progression of the story, that answers the (many, many) questions from the first? I wouldn't hold my breath...
 
Most importantly to me and other fans, would the sequel retain the vision, spirit and energy of the first?
Well, having solved climate change in birdemic, James now turns his attention to Hollywood! (Because, you know, he has made a few films in his time and I think he know's what he's talking about okay?



From the opening scene it's clear that James has decided 'if it's broke but it kinda worked, don't fix it!' Yes, just like in the first movie, there is a painfully long credit sequence, this time documenting some guy walking for 5 minutes (in what looks like real time) through Hollywood. The 'extras' are just people who happen to be on the street and a dramatic wailing siren is actually a real cop car that has nothing to do with the story. Also check out the blurred out movie ads. Besides wondering where the scene/character was going, I was also struck by how many people worked on this monstrosity.

Mr Nguyen puts his personal, clumsy stamp all over this movie and the message is again, as subtle as a brick. We're informed that the best indie movies are those where the director is given complete control and how Hollywood movies are like, sooooo expensive.

There's too much to talk about, so - in bullet form - some of the recurring features from the first film:

• Dodgy news broadcasts
• Creepy dudes chasing blondes down the street
• Awkward human interaction
• Extended clapping/celebration scenes
• Awkward dinner date
• A walk on the beach, complete with terrible, windswept audio
• Terrible graphics
• Awkwardness, so much damn awkwardness
• The unsure doctor/professor -"Don't you know that uh birds are the descendants of uh dinosaurs?
• SUPER awkward dance scene w/black singer singing with no audio/amplification equipment
• Obtrusive mom

But James didn't make a sequel of basically the same movie without some new tricks up his sleeve! New things to look out for include:

• A driving scene that looks like an 80s music video
• Flashbacks to cavemen times
• An underwater scene like nothing you've ever seen before
• Some biting satire of horror movies
• Zombies...

Also: The line where the kid explains how his sister died.

The drinking game, should you need it: Drink on the word 'dead'. Takes a while to get going, but, you'll get there.