• B-Horror Dates To Dismember
by Magister Matt G. Paradise

• The Golden Age
by Jason Quinn

• Rosemary Revisited: A Satanic Look at One
of the Scariest Movies of All Time
by Magister Matt G. Paradise

• Satan On Celluloid: The Dark Force In Film
by Magister Matt G. Paradise

(Note: We at The Sinister Screen do not necessarily advocate murder in this piece. You’d be a idiot to do so (especially if you infer such a point from this essay and act upon it), unless you like jail - at that point, it’s your responsibility. For entertainment purposes only.)

Ming The Merciless / Movie: Flash Gordon (1980)
Hail Ming! Ruler of the Universe! And the archetype that is He darn well merited it, if I may opine. I saw this movie in the theaters at the seminal age of 12 (and have been a big fan of the old serials since I was 10), and the visage and vigor of Emperor Ming still rings and resonates with me to this day. How dare that fair-haired Earthling known as Flash Gordon intrude upon the kingdom of Mongo and impudently assert his terracentrism with the conceit that it was the law of the universe. As if the vastness of all existence was dependent upon his solipsistic vision of egalitarianism and “human” rights. How insulting to those not of his carbon number. Ming was a thoughtful ruler, granted kingdoms to those of Will and might, and, like the majestic Vlad the Impaler, demanded no less than loyalty for his kind protection. Gordon was a shit-disturber of the lowest order and should have been executed immediately for his insolence and lack of gratitude in another’s lair -- or planet. Besides, was a social structure supported by Gap customers and future MTV robots really worth preserving? He was granted rulership over the Earth, and he declined. As a certain Maninblack would say: what a moron!

The Emperor / Movie: Return Of The Jedi
The CEO of the Sith was a shrewd businessman. He delegated authority well, kept track of dissenters, and orchestrated an entire empire. The Sith held order and provided prosperity to those who earned it. What were those ungrateful Rebels thinking? Only maybe domination that the Empire kept by force, and that they tried to take by force. Sounds like two corporations waging a war for control. So, it is only amusing that one is labeled bad and the other good, while both vie for supremacy. But, so is the Judeo-Christian irrationality that the dualistically-obsessed directors and producers of Hollywood perpetuate. It’s mind-boggling that some of them can even draw a line, let alone one between two oversimplified human constructs.

Louis Cipher / Movie: Angel Heart
“How terrible is wisdom when it brings no profit to the wise.” So saith the immeasurable erudition of Louis Cipher... if that is your name. DeNiro’s performance of the Devil is noteworthy, and of the highest order; a sleeper film, indeed. Mr. Cipher served as the catalyst for self-discovery for the main character: a detective who, while searching for a supposed other man, realizes that the man is him, protected by amnesia until the good Mr. Cipher allows him to ascertain his true identity. Only a just Devil would reveal this to one of this constituents. DeNiro’s Satan is suave, well-mannered, intelligent, and calculating: all of the signs of a Horned One that the Powers-That-Aren’t would rather you not see. And let’s all be envious of that gorgeous ring, shall we?

Roman and Minnie Castavet / Movie: Rosemary’s Baby
Such a nice old couple. They were worldly, educated, refined (okay, maybe just Roman), and appreciative of the Dark Force in nature. Must have been one Hell of a shock to theatergoers when their supposed “cult” actually celebrated the child’s coming and the woman who brought him into the world. Rosemary did smile at the end, you know. An elderly couple who challenged the masses’ comfortable delusions of what a Satanic husband and wife are. Good for them! Hail Minnie! Hail Roman! And hail that little guy in the black-draped bassinet as well. He has his father’s eyes, after all.

Darkness / Movie: Legend
“We are all animals, my lady.” A heaping helping of reality from this Tim Curry-assayed adaptation of our Brother-in-arms could not have been more exemplified in this motion picture. He acknowledged the threat to his existence, and carried out plans to thwart it. How many of the herd actually follow this example? Not many, if a view of the hapless sheep is any indicator. Darkness represented a being pleased with his life, and showed a capacity for pleasure and love (yes, love -- something most of the otherwise programmed bots of the motion picture industry wouldn’t dare explore in a controversial symbol such as Satan). Also, a stalwart figure of strength and recognition for those who saw the beauty in cherished solitude. Certainly, the most charismatic and provocative player in the film was he. Who could possibly compare?

Khan / Movie: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Khan was a true model of might; a real go-getter, and a man who knew what he wanted. Living the life of a true beast of the field, he realized that outer space was a largely uncharted region, free of human conceits and dictates. So, after the death of his wife and his banishment to Seti Alpha Whatever, his only understandable recourse was revenge. As any person would want. So, the Federation shouldn’t have been so surprised when he made the margin call, but they were. Silly sheep. With wisdom, eloquence, and an iron-fisted Will, Khan sought what was rightfully his: payment for the iniquities visited upon him by Captain Kirk and his myopic crew. A dish best served cold, indeed.

Damien Thorn / Movies: The Omen, Damien: Omen II, and
The Final Conflict
Disciples of the Watch, descend upon a willing flock of automatons! Damien Thorn personified so many Satanic qualities: success, fortitude, vision, relinquishing of enemies, knowing allies from foes, self-preservation, a sense of style, a taste for the carnal, and he was one Hell of a motivated gent to boot. And who could forget his magnificent and enlightening soliloquy in The Final Conflict? If you haven’t seen one or more of this trilogy, you are simply not giving the Devil his due, and you are denying yourself a profound proxy archetype from which to learn a thing or two.

The Wicked Witch of the West / Movie: The Wizard of Oz
Life was good for our willful little witch - until some bitch with a dog dropped a house on her sister, and stole her shoes, too. Revenge! And justly so. The so-called “Wicked” Witch of the West (yes, the direction a Satanic altar faces) was rightful in her want for payback, and that Kansas wastrel was in need of some serious bitchslapping. An eye for a eye, tooth for tooth, I say. Maybe a large dwelling should have been leveled upon little Dorothy! That’d teach those runty little munchkins - and their little “good” witch, too.

Roy Batty / Movie: Blade Runner
The life of your average Replicant is pretty rough: a four-year lifespan and a complete alienation from their own makers and the human race in general. It’s enough to make someone go... well, batty. Enter Roy Batty, leader of the Replicant crew. Akin to the mythological expulsion of Lucifer, Roy sought his own kingdom, questioned all, and sought an answer to a better life. But, those damn, pesky, insecure humans just couldn’t let him live. He was different, an outsider, and most of all, not human. What a crime, by popular definition! Unlike his pursuers, Roy embodied the lifeblood of self-preservation: inquisitive, hungry for knowledge, and full of piss and vinegar. His well-stated comments on the nauseating slave ethic and of human nature must have made him particularly harmful to the status quo, so wrapped up in its desperate reliance upon technology and outside protection. Perhaps, this is the rare exception when the machines have something to say. I’m certainly listening.

Travis Bickle / Movie: Taxi Driver
“Here is a man who would not take it anymore... here’s someone who stood up!” Sure, someone (?) could misguidedly wax Christian do-gooderness over our diligent anti-hero, but the inner layer reveals much more than a simple glossing over could. Mr. Bickle recognized the poisoning of society, and he wanted a cleansing of the scum of the streets. It’s astounding that the NYPD didn’t march right behind him, or is it that they’d want to, but have their hands tied in the matter? For the law and order advocates of our Citizenry, here’s your man. He’d actually do something, unmuzzled by Christian sympathy and unwarranted forgiveness, neither appropriate for justice to prevail.

The Goblin King / Movie: Labyrinth
Jareth, played by a certain glam rocker known as David Bowie, simply stole the show in this one as the ruler over the goblins, high atop the confounding labyrinth. As the Goblin King, he provided bored, suburban Sarah with a relatable fantasy: one filled with evocative characters, an alternate world (read: total environment) and, most importantly, a mystery to solve. What more could a disenchanted middle-class gal want? He was the man of might that she naturally gravitated towards, one with the metaphorical crystal ball that revealed her true desire. Instead, she reverted to her safe, cathartic bubble existence. He was doing her a favor, offering her a life of pleasure and honesty, and she, scripted by the sugar-coated pseudo-morality that held the writers of this film sway, turned away. How unrealistic. Sarah was certainly not the sharpest knife in the drawer.