I’m Back Baby!

Hello!

I know I have been gone for quite a while, and for that I am sorry. The truth is I am currently working on an MFA in Creative Writing for Entertainment, and that takes up quite a bit of my time right now. Maybe you’ll notice an improvement in my writing. Maybe not. Anyway, hopefully in the near future I will be writing lots of fun stuff for all of us to enjoy in many different forms of media.

It’s October again, and Pat is once again treating all of us to his 13 Days of Halloween Spectacular. So, while I will be making no promises like last year to update every single post he does this year; I will be making this post to remind all of you to watch Pat’s show. Click the giant link to check out episode #1 of this year’s special. The episode is about one of my all time favorite franchises The Evil Dead.

By the way I am still fairly active on Twitter, and if you want to get a glimpse of what I have been up to this last year check out my Tumblr page.

13 Days of Halloween 2015 – #1 “THE EVIL DEAD TRILOGY”

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

Day 5

SonicMercury.com

Day 5 of the 13 Days of Halloween has a less serious tone than our last entry. “Tucker and Dale VS Evil” is equal parts hilarity and brutal dismemberment. The story of two rednecks with hearts of gold “Tucker and Dale VS Evil” flips the script on the old horror movie trope of evil rednecks. In this case Tucker and Dale are just two well meaning guys with poor social skills. After making very poor first impressions on some young vacationers Tucker and Dale decide to head up to their fishing cabin and cut their losses. Guess where the vacationers cabin is? For more on this new classic we turn it over to our master of ceremonies Pat of the GessNation. Just click the link below.

13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN #5: TUCKER AND DALE VS

EVIL (2010)

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

Day 4

sonicmercury.com

For day four of the 13 Days of Halloween were taking a trip down under. Paul Hogan will not be making any cameos in this one though. Our Day 4 horror film is “Wolf Creek” the story of  some British tourists who encounter a disturbingly upbeat psychopath during their vacation in Australia. A thoroughly entertaining horror film albeit far more gory than Day 3’s film “Freaks.” “Wolf Creek” is most notable for actor John Jarrett’s performance as the movies antagonist Mick Taylor who steals the show and is ultimately one of the most underrated horror movie antagonists of modern horror. As is the case with most movies I can go on and on so I will stop here and let Pat tell you all about “Wolf Creek.” Just click the link below.

13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN #4: WOLF CREEK (2005)

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

Day 3

SonicMercury.com, The GessNation

Today Pat brings us a piece of cinema history. “Freaks” is a 1932 horror film directed and produced by Tod Browning. Tod is regarded by many film critics and historians as an incredibly talented artist of early cinema. “Freaks” is considered to be Tod Browning’s greatest film for it’s powerful story and unflinching look into the world of its subject matter, circus freaks. Most of the film’s characters are portrayed by real life circus performers. “Freaks” is an excellent edition to this list and a film all fans of not just horror but cinema in general should know about. Without further adieu I submit to you day 3 of the 13 Days of Halloween, “Freaks.” Click the link below to watch Pat’s review.

13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN #3: FREAKS (1932)

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

 

Day 2

Sonic Mercury.com The GessNation

“Dead Alive” or “Braindead” as it is called outside the U.S. is one of my all time favorite horror movies. I won’t give much away as Pat will give you the details on this merry trip down insanity lane but I will say “Dead Alive” wins a lot of points with me for its sheer creativity. This blood soaked gem from New Zealand is notable for its bizarre story line, at times impressive special effects and unpredictability. “Dead Alive” is an irreverent horror film that is as gory as it is zany. I guarantee when the credits finally roll on this film you will not have been able to predict any of the events that have unfolded. For more we turn to Pat at the GessNation.

13 Days of Halloween #2: Dead Alive/Braindead (1993)

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

Day 1

SonicMercury.com,TheGessNation 13 Days of Halloween The Re-Animator

The 13 days of Halloween has begun!

 

Pat kicks off the month of Halloween with an 80’s classic. H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Re-Animator” is the story of a medical student named Herbert West with a special serum that brings the dead back to life. As you can imagine things quickly go awry. For some reason bringing back the dead never seems to lead to things like medical breakthroughs or a higher level of general safety. “The Re-Animator” has an engaging plot that treads that fine line between horror and comedy exceptionally. A very entertaining film that also has some impressive special effects that still hold up pretty well.

Truly a must see for any horror fan and also a good choice for any Halloween movie marathon. Like most horror films from the 80’s “The Re-Animator” does contain gore, nudity and adult language so you might want to put the kids to sleep before pushing play. Without giving anything away the ending of this film is one of my all time favorites for its sheer level of twisted creativity. Surely a film you won’t ever forget here is the link to Pat’s official YouTube page TheGessNation home of Pat’s Metal reviews where you can checkout entry number #1 in his 13 Days of Halloween special.

 13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN #1: RE-ANIMATOR (1985)

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

13 Days of Halloween

TheGessNation, The Shred Shack, SonicMercury.com.Z3ROTH3RT33N, Z3R0TH3RT33n

Horror Movie Reviews Incoming!

Our good friend Pat the indomitable harbinger of the GessNation has bestowed upon us a glorious message promising a bounty of fictional picture records of crimes most foul upon the month of All Hallows Eve. With a 33 and 1/2 foot blade forged in the flames of the purest heavy metal glory Pat will cleave 13 horror movie reviews featuring his favorite moments and characters. Throughout the month of October Sonic Mercury will feature Pat’s 13 Days of Halloween and will post links to his YouTube channel for your entertainment.  While we patiently await his next transmission here is the link to Pat’s YouTube channel TheGessNation where he describes his Halloween special in his own words.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

Pat’s Metal Reviews

The GessNation, Sonic Mercury,

Pat is back with an all new hit list. Learn about one of heavy metal’s most popular sub-genres power metal. Pat lists 6 of his favorite power metal songs, breaking down the artists behind each song and why they resonate with him. For anyone interested in metal and music in general this is a good one to watch. Here is the link to The Official GessNation YouTube channel for your viewing pleasure.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

Pat’s Metal Reviews

Avenged Sevenfold, Protest the Hero,Sonic Mercury,The GessNation

Check out the newest episode of Pat’s Metal Reviews and don’t be afraid to like and subscribe to his YouTube channel. Join the GessNation dammit! Do it! Do it now!! In his latest installment Pat holds his first ever grudge match. Avenged Sevenfold Vs. Protest the Hero. Pat gives an in depth breakdown of each band and their newest album with side by side comparisons. Honest opinions from a true metal head packaged in an entertaining show for your enjoyment. So click the link here, Avenged Sevenfold Vs. Protest the Hero, to see how these two bands fare. Sit back relax and put your horns up its time for Metal!!!

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

 

Music Spotlight

Strap on your viking horns and join Pat on his review of the new Amon Amarth album “Deceiver of the Gods.” Pat gives an in depth look at “Viking Metal” as a whole and we find out the good the bad and the ugly for Amon Amarth’s newest offering. You can check out the review here. 

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

 

 

12 Days of X-Mas!

DAY 4
JINGLE ALL THE WAY

“Put that cookie down! NOW!”
I don’t care. I don’t care how stupid it is, I don’t care how the whole film basically hinges on one stupid premise and how Arnold has terrible comedic timing. I still find it really goddamned funny. And there’s only one thing that could have made this movie better, and that’s watching it with friends. Here’s the rule for maximum enjoyment of this movie: Take a drink every time Arnold screams, and they say the word “turbo”. And if you’re watching with Sean, be sure to have an extra one every time Jake Lloyd comes on screen. Because it’s bound to have a rage fueled “You Anakin Skywalking, Pod Racing Little prick”.

No it’s not the best Christmas movie. Hell, it’s not even the funniest Arnold movie. But once you get past the goofy faces, the stupid plot, and the little things that nobody seems to care about but me (Nobody notices that there’s a WORKING jetpack in this universe? Isn’t that like a world changing device, and they’re using it for a holiday parade in Minnesota?), it’s actually pretty damn funny. I guess if you’re so used to seeing Arnold in serious action roles, seeing him scream at toy store owners and run all over town to find an action figure may be a little hard to handle. But Arnie goes ALL OUT in this, more so than he’s done in any movie I’ve seen him in since. He plays a psychotic father surprisingly well, and you can tell he’s giving this his all, from his expressions to the little moments of actual acting. It’s surprising to see him so passionate about this when you consider that most of his career has been consisting of stonefaced catchphrase delivery, so when he has an opportunity to be funny, he usually is. And this has some really funny moments, from his fight with the Santas (one of which is The Big Show), to the greatest scene in cinema history: Arnold Schwarzenegger punching a reindeer in the face and then drinking with it.

The rest of the cast is… okay. Phil Hartman is channeling his inner Flanders as he is the absolute perfect neighbor, down to the cooking, decorating, and sexual advances towards married women. The line into psychosis is crossed a few times, like how he decides to hand out hot chocolate and let kids pet a LIVE REINDEER in his yard. I don’t care how much of an eccentric you are, and I love the holidays more than some people, but if you buy a reindeer for the sake of having it for one day in your yard, you are seriously demented. I really liked the chop shop filled with dirty Santas, I thought it was really funny having Jim Belushi run this workshop of black market toys and claim it was “for the children”. The timing of Arnold getting involved with them at the same time as the bust was a little contrived ut then again, the whole movie kind of was. I was surprised by how much on a recent viewing I liked Sinbad. I’ve seen Sinbad live on stage recently and he’s actually a lot funnier than people give him credit for, and in this movie he’s no different. He gives some pretty funny lines, and his character is involved in some scenes that I DEFINITELY didn’t get the joke in my first time watching it. I especially like when he explained how his wife has slept with everyone at the post office BUT him, and I also enjoyed the fantasy where Jake Lloyd was drinking from a whiskey bottle. You don’t see stuff like that in kids movies anymore! Not that I’m saying movies would be better if Anakin Skywalker got a little wasted on screen, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Speaking of which he’s… he’s just as good here as he is in Episode 1. It’s no wonder this kid quit acting after only like 5 movies.

This film gets a lot of hate that it doesn’t deserve… as well as all that it does. I think it’s funny where it needs to be and does a good job sending a message when it has to. There’s some moments that could be cut out but then again, it’s a family movie so maybe I’m a little biased. It’s by no means a great film, but I’m never disappointed when I watch it. It’s got pretty much everything I’d expect it to be: It’s a Christmas movie starring an Austrian action hero looking for a doll. If you’re looking for anything closer to a classic than what you got, chances are you’re terrible at judging movies by their poster.

-Pat G

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

12 Days of X-Mas!

DAY 3
ARTHUR CHRISTMAS

“We Claus’s used to be the only men in the world who could fly, Arthur. It was a gift.”

This is a new one, but it’s really a great film. It’s an interesting take on the Santa Claus mythos, it’s damn charming, and most of all it’s really, REALLY funny.

I like the idea that Santa has a long line of descendants, not just one magical man. It’s a family thing, and that’s where the heart of the story is. Every Santa Claus is different and each of them is a great character in and of themselves. Arthur (played by an almost stomach-churningly energetic James McAvoy) is caring to the point of almost hurting himself. His brother Steve, however, is more concerned with being efficient and strategic, letting some people get hurt in the process (“Arthur, Christmas is not a time for emotion”. Jim Broadbent plays a great santa claus with a bad memory and a genuine innocence about him. There are times when he seems a bit lazy, but honestly i think it’s just because he’s tired of being Santa. He’s watched the world go by and technology get better and better, and he just can’t keep up with it. And it’s understandable that Santa would be a lot less high tech than the elves (who do most of the work anyway). Speaking of the elves, the little Scottish elf has one of the best voices for an animated character i’ve heard in a long time. My favorite character in the whole thing has got to be the grandfather. He’s one of the funniest characters in any christmas movie i’ve ever seen. Everything he says is absolutely amazing from the tale of when he was shot during christmas of WWII (“Lost 3 reindeer and the elf. Fell out of the sleigh over Lake Geneva, never saw him again”), to probably the most absurd line i’ve ever heard in a children’s film (“That’s impossible!” “They used to say it was impossible to teach women to read!”) And he may not have the most… noble of intentions, but he’s still the greatest character in my opinion, and he gives Arthur the opportunity to deliver the last present in the first place. You could actually argue that he’s the most important character in the movie.

 

The animation is great too. Every flying scene is well designed, and absolutely beautiful. The opening cinematic with the elves delivering presents is so well done and fun to watch. The animation was done by Aardman Animations, who are most well known for the Wallace and Gromit films, and one of my personal favorites in the past year, Pirates: Band of Misfits. The models are much crisper and free flowing than you’re used to seeing with their style, and it’s refreshing for a christmas film. It takes a lot of things we know about christmas and puts a fresh spin on it. I like the idea that Santa’s sleigh is actually an air command center with hundreds of thousands of workers and that santa himself only does like, three houses. I like that they referenced other country’s traditions, like specifying that German presents should go in the shoes. The plot point about the ship being mistaken for a spaceship is also a nice touch.

And i can’t say enough how funny this movie is. The fact that the grandsanta doesn’t know that there’s people who live in Toronto, the detour to Mexico and Cuba (I didn’t know it was the Cuban Missile Crisis! I almost started World War III!), the bickering between Santa and Steve (This is about that pool table, isn’t it! You should have written to me!), and the elves all have funny moments too. My favorites are the crazy old elf warning everyone about 1816 when Santa was spotted, and how when every Santa goes to look for Arthur, the elves freak out and put the north pole into meltdown. But for every funny moment, there’s also a very caring one. You genuinely feel for Arthur as all he wants to do is help one little girl on Christmas. The scenes with the current Santa are also nice because you get a feel that he doesn’t want to leave his job but knows he just can’t keep up with it anymore. It’s also got a great ending with a lot of emotion for all the Santas at once.

 

This movie didn’t make a lot at the box office, and that’s a shame, because it’s really a nice picture with a lot of heart. It’s funny, it’s full of great entertaining animation, and it’s a pretty damn good story for the holidays. Not all the things i watch this month are all touchy-feely, but this one i hope becomes a classic in days to come. The next one will be more in my… age range. But dammit, this is great. So in the words of the Santa computer, “CHRISTMAS ACCOMPLISHED. COMMENCE DECKING HALLS.”

-Pat G

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

 

12 Days of X-Mas!

DAY 2
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984)

“Christmas comes but once a year, sir..”
“A poor excuse for picking a man’s pocket every 25th of December.”

A Christmas Carol is probably my favorite stage play, probably my favorite Christmas story in general, and I’ve seen A LOT of different versions of it. I recently saw the Jim Carrey version and there were parts of it that were absolutely brilliant. I always love the Muppets Christmas Carol, and Michael Caine plays a great Scrooge. But my favorite combination of everything, from the atmosphere to the acting to the truth to the original story, is definitely the 1984 television production starring the absolute man himself, George C Scott.

Scott plays probably the best Scrooge in my opinion. His absolute cold demeanor in the film is so genuine, and there are even lines where he seems to enjoy being so greedy. His face lights up when he basically robs a few men out of a few hundred dollars on a deal at the exchange. When delivering the classic “boiled in his own pudding” line, he’s actually laughing! What the hell man? But the part of Scrooge, as you should know, extends to a lot more than just being a curmudgeon for half of the film and then being happy about life. You need to see a genuine change in the character throughout the film, a visible understanding for the human condition by the time the last spirit gets to him. And that’s what you see in this version more so than any others. Scott plays an undoubtable bastard for the first part of the film, to the point where you can’t wait for the spirits to show up and knock some sense into him. But the thing is that really shows how great this Scrooge is being played are his reactions to each of the spirits. They are perfect. Christmas Past makes him sad that he’s let Christmas, and his family and loved ones for that matter, out of his mind. Present makes him feel that he should be more charitable to the people around him, from his employees to the homeless he called “idle people” earlier in the film. And then there’s Future which gives him perspective that even with all his money, nobody will remember him in the next generations and he has in fact ruined families. That’s what makes a good interpretation, and that is what makes this version shine. You see the change in him with every spirit, and the look of him happily getting ready to go out into the world on Christmas Day is just fantastic. You truly believe that this man is changed for the better.

The rest of the actors are great too. Frank Finlay is my other favorite part of this film, and his portrayal of Jacob Marley is the version that sticks out the most in my mind. Everything about his performance from the cold dead stare, to the rag he uses to keep his jaw shut until he has something poignant to say, to the powerful, foreboding voice. It’s just awesome. Even when he screams to prove that he’s a real ghost, it’s actually pretty damn scary. The Cratchit family is good too, but this needs to be said… THE TINY TIM IN THIS FILM IS HORRIFYING! I mean Christ on sale, he’s the scariest child I’ve seen outside of the Village of the Damned! The pale face, the sunken in eyes, the robotic tone of his voice, the Ghost of Christmas Future has NOTHING on this kid! The spirits are everything you’d expect them to be. Past is a brightly glowing woman with a very serious tone. Present is a very loud, booming man with a very sarcastic tone (It’s even more amazing when you realize that it’s the lead from The Wicker Man. I keep expecting Scrooge to see a sight that makes him say “Oh Dear God! Oh Jesus Christ!”). And future is… Death, pretty much. I’ve seen a lot of versions of the story where Future is portrayed by a woman in red, or someone with a scarred face, but it’s a lot more impactful when the spirit is a faceless spectre of death. In fact for most of his part, you don’t see him at all. Just his shadow. And it’s a lot more powerful than just some guy in a robe.

All in all, this is an amazing story and even if you’ve never seen A Christmas Carol, that’s the best thing about it. Every single interpretation is self contained, powerful, and memorable in some way. So as that creepy, dead eyed child says against all of our wishes, “God Bless Us, Everyone!”

 

 

-Pat G

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

12 Days of X-Mas!

DAY 1 MST3K: SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS “We’ve never disappointed the kids yet… (Except the poor ones!)” I don’t care who you are or what your sense of humor is, THIS should be a part of everybody’s Christmas schedule. Mystery Science Theater 3000 is one of my favorite shows, and I can’t thank them enough for introducing me to, and ripping apart mercilessly, the horrid 1964 film “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians”. The movie is about Santa Claus being abducted by aliens because… hey, Santa is freakin’ boss. And since Mars does not have anything like Santa Claus, they decide to take ours. And with the help of two kids caught in the middle of everything, Santa… wins? Makes it home for a Black Tooth Grin before going off on the sled? I’m honestly not sure. It’s kind of weird and stupid, but god damn it I watch it every year. The music in the film is terrible, the acting is wooden, and the story is beyond ridiculous (even for a Santa Claus story). Which is what makes the riffing by Joel Hodgson, Crow and Tom Servo that much better. This is absolutely one of my favorite episodes of MST3K (along with Pod People and Final Sacrifice) and it’s one of those shows where I think almost every line added by the three riffers is absolutely gold. Everything from Santa’s first appearance being interviewed by a television crew (Get the Hell out of my shop!) to the outrageous porn staches on the “aliens” (We’re leaving tonight. Pack your other mustache), to where Santa is passionately telling the two children about his tour in ‘Nam, I laugh my ass off every time. “Worst. Idea. Ever.” [pause] “Let’s do it.”’s also this episode that got me to appreciate the show that much more, and I support the current projects of MST3K’s cast and crew in pretty much everything they do now (Rifftrax more than Cinematic Titanic, but still). This 12 Days of Xmas list I have will be mostly movies that I genuinely ENJOY watching, but with the riffing in between the lines of this awful film, there’s few things I love watching more around this time of year. And as usual I’d like to wish everybody to have more than just a Merry Christmas. Have a Very Patrick Swayze Christmas everyone!!

 

-Pat G

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation

For the Fans!

Hey everyone the feedback has been amazing lately. I greatly appreciate the level of passion followers have. I wanted to thank everyone for supporting Sonic Mercury. When I started I wasn’t really sure what to expect but I think that I quickly found my voice. Clearly videogames have been at the forefront of my updates lately. I promise more metal and horror related articles will be included on the site to help diversify content in the future. I am thinking a top ten 80’s horror movie list is in order.

 

Gamescom was huge! So much stuff was shown off their it really was hard to break it down. Here is a quick overview. Someone at the Sony conference said something like “unlike others, we have had a clear path for our new console.” There was outrage. People were like “Cheap shot!” “ohhh Sony slams Microsoft again!” “Scandalous!!” Honestly at this point who cares? Microsoft messed up really bad and burned a lot of bridges with gamers around the world. Whats done is done. Lets get on with what we all really care about, the shiny new consoles and their respective videogames. Nonetheless people definitely tried hard to make this one comment in a 90 minute presentation a big deal. Seeing the comment in context it sounded to me like the speaker was just saying that they have been focused with the PS4 and the path Sony was taking with their new console. Anyone who saw this as a major jab at Microsoft was reaching.

 

The PS3 slim model will have a limited edition model available next year in the color blue. Special Microsoft employee  only editions of the XBOX One were shown off and they will be white. What is it about videogame consoles in different colors that makes them more desirable? Is it that we actually like the other colors or is it more just owning something that others don’t? “I have a new console!” “That’s cool, I have it to but mine is blue.”

 

Lets see other news from Gamescom. Battlefield 4 reportedly looks a lot worse than expected in the port from high end PC’s to the PS4 and XBOX One editions. This is very disappointing news considering the game is highly anticipated and every demo of the game up until the Gamescom hands on demo were visually impressive.

 

The new revamped Dualshock 4 controller for the PS4 received positive feedback at Gamescom with many FPS fans saying they would now be more likely consider playing first person shooters on the PS4 in the future.

 

Lots more happened at Gamescom but there are some highlights for you. Thanks again to everyone who has been following Sonic Mercury and I promise plenty more content on the way. Look for more info on Sonic Mercury’s new YouTube channel SonicMercuryTV in the next few weeks. Bookmark SonicMercury.com for more unique perspectives on videogames, horror, and heavy metal.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury