NewRetroWave could not be prouder to bring you “The Phantom Machine”, an action-packed feast for the senses. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, the video follows a lone traveller who crosses paths with a deadly force known as the Phantom Machine.

Directed by Jendo Shabo of Helios films and starring Shane Morris in the lead role, The Phantom Machine is nothing short of a tour-de-force in indie filmmaking and an awe-inspiring example of a passion led by pure passion and dedication.

Along with the film release, Waveshaper has also released an EP/Maxi-single  with a movie edit of the track along with the movie’s intro and outro.

For fans of Seth Ickerman’s Blood Machines and Masebrothers’ Cyborg : Deadly Machine, here’s one short you’re definitely not going to want to miss!!

The Phantom Machine EP is out now on Bandcamp and Spotify.

Fueled with that outrun inertia and supercharged with epic sci-fi soundscapes flirting with the likes of Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre, this latest record is every bit as grand as any connoisseur will come to expect out of Stockholm’s Waveshaper.

Credit and due praise is also due for the exceptional album art by frequent collaborator Xurxo G Penalta, whose Heavy-Metal inspired sci-fi visuals continue to fill us with wonder as we surrender our senses to yet another musical journey through space and time.

Favorite tracks: The Phantom Machine, Lost in the Cloud

Waveshaper’s ‘Mainframe’ is out now via Bandcamp and Spotify

But at 2a.m. I couldn’t have picked a better movie to throw $6.99 at for a 24hr PPV rental.

Mandy is a definite 80’s homage to midnight cinema but, more rooted in 70’s arthouse and grindouse films with some Argento sprinkled over it. Simple storytelling that can be summarized in seconds but, unraveling for a justifiable two hours. This film is indeed influenced by Heavy Metal; both the magazine and the music genre with the main title bleeding across the screen in Black Metal font. Its music vibrating and injecting mood and suspense throughout a obvious work of art, the last film to be scored by Jóhann Jóhannsson.

The opening title sequence was when my eyes melted into my television and I immediately knew this movie was made by people that are in sync with director Panos Cosmatos’ vision of the script. The film opens with an overhead view of the films setting, THE SHADOW MOUNTAINS in the year 1984 A.D. The slow creeping ‘Starless’ by Kind Crimson (from the RED album) starts playing.

There’s a limited but beautiful color palette all throughout this film.. Anyone who obsesses over early Michael Mann films will recognize the blues and red immediately. As well there’s moments that can easily be associated with other classic retro films especially one scene that just feel so much like it’s from Ridley Scott’s LEGEND. There’s a little bit of this and a lil bit of that movie but this is no friggin ripoff R. Zombie collage.. This is its own very vibrant and voluptuous tapestry.

Say what you want about Nicholas Cage. Many times, critics and casual movie goers will repeat some nonsense from the internet about Cage being the worst of the worst when it comes to film, I disagree. People said the same thing about Keanu Reeves yet are impatiently waiting for that third John Wick film. Keanu is a good actor when he is utilized correctly and the same is true with Nicolas Cage like in the films: Raising Arizona, Wild at Heart, Leaving Las Vegas, Bringing Out the Dead, 8mm and Adaptation. I’m still a fan of his tiny role as a pimp in his directorial debut, “SONNY” starring James Franco.

The rest of the cast is perfect. Andrea Riseborough reminds me of specific women that I easily fell for – down a love canal of vinyl records, band shirts, late-night B movies, pajama and chill nights; and shared cigarettes. There are scenes like one where her face is only lit by a bonfire where her facial features neckline and endless gaze invokes classic Psychedelic Metal drawings of Frank Frazetta women.

But I agree with other critics that one performance that must be talked about is Linus Roache (History’s Vikings and Batman Begins) who plays the leader of the Children of the New Dawn. A small Manson family like cult of hippie freaks and acid trippers. The bi-polar nature of his character is entertaining, unhinged, pathetic and vile.

The plot is simple – Bad group see girl, they hire some of the most disturbing bikers I’ve ever seen on camera to find them, they do some really messed up things and our hero must forge his weapon in the fire and seek vengeance like a blue collar Conan the barbarian.

This movie is awesome. I can’t wait to get it on BLUE-RAY. I want the poster on my wall next to my album art. I need more weapons in my house. I miss the forest. I miss the cold. The chill that comes in-between the seasons. This film is everything you could ever want. I haven’t been this hyped bout something since I saw: “Hobo with a Shotgun”, “Bronson”, “Good Time”.

Basicallly Panos has joined the list of my favorite directors, with only two films under his belt. That is significant. He’s nestled among the talents of Denis Villanueve, Nicolas Refn Winding, the Safdie Bros., the Coen’s, Michael Mann, Sam Esmail and others.

If you haven’t seen this movie yet or you live in a town that can’t carry it, I suggest you rent it through your cable provider or purchase it at your local Best Buy. Cult Movies like this usually get distributed to Best Buys fairly fast. So Go watch it. I insist.

Tune in next month when I review Panos Cosmatos first film “Beyond the Black Rainbow”. A psychedelic science-fiction thriller that’s David Cronenberg meets 2001 and Altered States.

Keep cool, Keep warm, Stay chill and always keep your fingers on that Rewind Button.

TRAILER:

This past week marked the anniversaries of two classic animated films. The first being the R rated cult film HEAVY METAL based on the adult graphic magazine of the same title or originally titled Metal Hurlant in France.

It was August 7, 1981 and Heavy Metal for some reason was made into an anthology animated feature film. A collaborative effect directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel. The stories within were taken from the pages of the source material coupled with new material.

The title sequence was written by Dan O’Bannon (Aliens, Return of the Living Dead). The story “Harry Canyon” was written by Daniel Goldberg (Meatballs, Feds, Stripes) and Len Blum (Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone); with the voices of John Candy and Richard Romanus. Den was directed by Robert Balser, using rotoscoping, written by Heavy Metal writer Richard Corben with the voice talents of John Candy, Jackie Burroughs and Marin Lavut. My favorite story of the bunch is Captain Stern, directed by Paul Sebella and written by legendary comic book artist Bernie Wrightson (EC Comics, Swamp Thing). Voiced by Rodger Bumpass (SpongeBob Squarepants, Joe Flaherty (SCTV), Eugene Levy (American Pie), John Vernon (I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Airplane 2, Josey Wales) and Music by Cheap Trick. B-17 written by Dan O’Bannon. So Beautiful So Dangerous written by Angus Mckie who wrote and illustrated the story originally for Heavy Metal magazine. The final story is “Taarna”, an original story by Daniel Goldberg and Len Blum; inspired by Moebius’ Arzach stories.

The release grossed nearly $20,000,000 in spite of critics dismissing the film (like Suicide Squad). Prior to official release on VHS and Laserdisc in 1996, the film was re-released to 54 theaters on March 8, 1996 taking in $550,000. The subsequent home video release moved over one million units. The film was released on Blue-ray Disc on February 1, 2011 as a Best Buy exclusive and it was later released everywhere on June 14.

The first sequel, titled Heavy Metal 2000, was released in 2000. A second sequel has been in various stages of development since, in other words who knows.

Second is TRANSFORMERS: the Movie. Released in North America on August 8, 1986 and in the UK on December 5, 1986. The film was co-produced and directed by Nelson Shin, who produced the originalTransformers television series, and features the voices of Eric Idle (Monty Python), Judd Nelson (Breakfast Club), Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek), Casey Kasem (Top 10 radio), Robert Stack (Airplane, Unsolved Mysteries), Lionel Stander, John Moschitta, Jr. (Micro Machines), Peter Cullen and Frank Welker. It also marked the final roles for both Orson Welles (Citizen KANE, Touch of Evil), who died the year before its release, and Scatman Crothers (Coonskin, The Shining), who died months after its release.

The story takes place in 2005, 20 years after the events of the TV series’ second season and serves to bridge into the third season. Yadda Yadda Yadda, you know who dies. The whinny one is the chosen one. Bad guy becomes even more super powered henchmen for Galactus… I mean Unicron. Autobots go here and then go there. Lazers. Lazers. Big fight. Boss Battle. Big Win. Explosions. Happy Happy. Killer Soundtrack, although not better than Heavy Metal’s. The End.

The film was released on 990 screens in the United States and grossed $1,778,559 on its opening weekend. It opened in 14th place behind “About Last Night” (great movie) which had been in theaters for six weeks at the time. The film’s final box office gross was $5,849,647 which made it the 99th highest-grossing movie of 1986.

So if you ask me, just watch HEAVY METAL.

Stay cool and keep your memories alive and your fingers on that damn rewind button.