Yeah, yeah…fuck yeah!!! The best cinema magazine is back and I‘ve just couldn‘t be happier! OK, that‘s debatable as I haven‘t won the lottery jackpot yet, but until that happens, the sentence is true.
No surprise, Weng‘s Chop is one of these rare publications going from strength to strength with every new issue, and just the feeling of this huge tome in one‘s hands provides the satisfaction of having patiently waited for it‘s new appearance.
Because it was soooo long since the last issue, but as everyone who has ever dabbled in the complicated world of publishing – a quality publishing to be more precise – knows, it‘s not easy to produce this behemoth of a publication. 246 large pages full of interesting information and some no-less interesting adverts, this will provide me some great readings for months to come. And let‘s put the last statement on repeat – Great readings for months to come, for months to come…
Indeed, I‘ve already read the opening article about Sunn Classic Pictures twice, and I am pretty sure I will read it at least once again till this years passes into the past. And the practice never changes. Read a paragraph, see some interesting title, google it…oh, it‘s available on Amazon…fuck, how much??? Shiiiit…OK, what‘s next? You know the drill, don‘t you?
The beauty of it all is that you even start to care about movies you haven‘t cared at all. For example, Witchfinder General and Jesus Christ Superstar are not exactly movies I‘d go crazy for, but articles about these two movies give me more insights of why I want to watch them now. Or, for example, Beneath the Planet of Apes. I actually have the complete boxset of original Planet of Apes movies, but to this day I haven‘t watched them all. Time to change that, and it‘s also thanks to the article contrained in Weng‘s Chop #11.
But even if you are as ignorant of some movies as I am, there is sooo much to drool over. Korean Horror Cinema? Sign me in, please!! From time to time Korea even surpasses my favourite Japanese horror flicks, but saying that, it‘s truly incomparable. Like the question – which kid of yours you like more? You know, that kind of comparison…Amazon…no, no…nooo…stop it, damn it!
Mike Hauss‘s article about Italian spaghetti westerns? Mike can write article about sweeping a floor in dirty saloon in Tombstone and I will read it with delight. Really, I haven‘t even know titles of movies he‘s watched, but I so want to watch them. And I will, one day.
For those adults want their movies dirty, and to enlighten themselves with some additional information, what‘s better than an article about Al Goldstein? I‘m not that old to (and I haven‘t even the chance) to remember Screw when it was published, and it‘s not even my cup of tea, but it‘s interesting anyway. It‘s like all that 42nd Street stuff, you know…I wouldn‘t really want to be there, but the reading about it is a pure delight and fascination. Talk about contradictions, haha.
My heart bounces with joy everytime I see „Pimping Godfrey Ho“ installment. As many of you know, Ho was/is just a a kind of twisted exploitation genius born once in a generation. OK, I might exaggerate a bit (I‘m not), but marked down are another two movies from this infamous HK movie persona to check.
And right next to it, Turkish cinema article. That‘s even more batshit crazy stuff, one which has to be seen to be believed (and it can‘t be unseen or forgotten, believe me).
My favourite trio of articles (liar, liar! They are four total), ok…let‘s rewrite it: The third one from my four faves in WCH is Greek VHS Mayhem series, this time with part X. I have to admit, originally they were one of the articles I‘ve read as the last ones, but as time has passed, this stuff had grown on me and now it‘s one I‘d read among the very first ones.
The fourth favourite is, of course, Hindi horror article, this time not exclusively by Tim Paxton, the greatest writer to write about Indian horror/exploitation cinema, but as the collaboration between Kinshuk Gaur and Tim. I haven‘t finished it yet, but you don‘t have to worry, I am still curious to find an article by Tim not conforming to the highest quality.
Enough praise though…I haven‘t mentioned other articles and sections, as I‘ve just browsed through them briefly (told you, it will be months to devour it all), but if all this presented doesn‘t convince you to fork out your lunch money for it, nothing ever will – but it‘s your loss.
And be forewarned – this shit should come with a warning label. It‘s so addictive. So be careful.
Not to forget – available at Amazon, both in black&white and also in color edition.
