CineVibez Fanzine #16

Satanic Vibez Part III: Satan's Minions & Part IV: Faustian Bargains

Satanic Vibez Concludes Today

Welcome back to CineVibez Fanzine, where every movie has a vibe. Boy oh boy, have I got a treat for you today. In addition to Satanic Vibez Part III: Satan’s Minions, you’re getting Satanic Vibez Part IV: Faustian Bargains. That’s right, two sub-vibez for the price of one! And next issue, I’m recommending a whole troupe of unique, toe-tapping flicks with that unmistakable, yet somehow undefinable, cinevibez style. Be sure to dust off your tap shoes for Dancin’ Vibez - coming to your inbox soon!

But first, we need to close out Satanic Vibez. Any movie entering the CineVibez Fanzine Canon must have that aforementioned special cinevibez style and pizzazz. That’s obvious. To enter the canon as a Satanic vibe specifically, a movie must also include one of the following elements:

For Satan’s Minions:

1. a character is an actual demon, or

2. a character works for Satan or a stand-in or representative of Satan

And finally, any films entering the canon as a Faustian bargain must include both of the following elements:

1. a contractual agreement between a character and Satan or a stand-in or representative of Satan is entered into, AND;

2. the agreement has unintended consequences

One final thought before we start rolling … going forward, one vibe = one ‘zine. All this subpart bullshit keeps dragging me down. It’s time to get back to basics. Dancin’ Vibez will still break down into subparts but you’ll get all of them in one email. Onto new releases!

New Releases

Your Final New Releases Segment

Superman: Superman is a good movie. Corenswet was born for this role. I enjoyed how he played the dual roles of our titular hero — from a bumbling, dopey Clark Kent to a disgustingly optimistic Superman. And Rachel Brosnahan had that “seasoned reporter who isn’t taking anyone’s shit” kinda vibe - you know, kinda like Margot Kidder.

Now combine the two actors and - whoa holy smokes! Va-va-voom! We’ve got chemistry! As long as James Gunn can maintain this balance between cartoonish comedy and sincerity, I see these two actors leading the franchise for many years to come. That’s fine by me.

Eddington: Eddington is the pandemic-era action comedy audiences have been begging for. In a way, this movie shares a lot of DNA with Aster’s other film Beau is Afraid; but this time around, Aster uncovers our collective anxieties as opposed to his own fears (like fucking Parker Posey to death). The result is a very funny, well-shot movie set in New Mexico during the pandemic. Just in case, tho, you may want to pop a valium before pressing play.

Weapons: This is Zach Kregger’s newest effort - he’s the guy who did Barbarian. I didn’t mind the script, although the dialogue is a little too hip and modern for my tastes. The cinematography has that contemporary digital glaze covering every shot as well. Meh.

The Naked Gun (2025): I watched Naked Gun with a packed crowd two weeks into its run. And ya know what? An engaged, responsive audience really makes a difference when it comes to comedies. I was by myself, but this comedy crowd welcomed me with open arms. I was on a first-name basis with a lady sitting to me before the first trailer played. That doesn’t happen when you see The Zone of Interest. Anyway, I absolutely loved this movie. The Lonely Island guys can do no wrong.

The Toxic Avenger (2025): Thirty-two days before I arrived on this planet, Melvin Junko fell into a vat of toxic chemicals, causing him to transform into the hero known as the Toxic Avenger. Troma followed up with three (now four) sequels, a Saturday morning cartoon, spinoffs, comic books, toys, merch and much, much more. Today, Troma President Lloyd Kaufmann still drags Toxie to conventions and theaters just to make a few bucks.

I always assumed Troma would release another Toxic Avenger sequel, but never with wide theatrical distribution. So it was pretty exciting to see a new one in 2025, especially since it was good! It’s not as extreme as past Troma films, but that’s probably a wise decision. The vibes felt similar to something like Guardians of the Galaxy (directed by Troma alum James Gunn).

One Battle After Another (2025): A masterpiece that is just as entertaining as it is timely and relevant. I wanted to watch again as soon as the credits rolled. Don’t wait to watch this movie on streaming or VOD. Don’t even wait for the 4K. Experience OBAA at the movie theater on the biggest screen they offer.

The Smashing Machine (2025): Benny’s direction was fine. I liked how he shot the fights from behind the ropes. The Rock suspended my disbelief a few times, although I don’t know if it deserves an Oscar nomination. I really wish Emily Blunt stopped taking these roles, but its not like she ruined the movie.

The script ruined the movie. There’s zero tension - its just the Rock meandering around and trying not to get mad.

Good Boy (2025): Adorable concept. A dog visits a haunted cabin with his human. The only problem is the human doesn’t see what our pup sees. Yes, I checked Does the Dog Die? before seeing this movie.

The Woman in the Yard (2025): The Babadook (2014) was better.

Satanic Vibez Parts III & IV

For a while, I wondered if you guys would forget I promised to break Satanic Vibez into four subparts. But no matter - I persist and push forward for you, the reader. And today, we close the necronomicon on Satanic Vibez with Satan’s Minions and Faustian Bargains:

Part III: Satan’s Minions

First up, Part III: Satan’s Minions, where a central character is 1) a demon, cult member, business associate, or relative of Satan or 2) anyone who works for or on behalf of the Devil. Witches and warlocks do not count. Nor do vampires (one exception).

Dark Angel: The Ascent (1994): Albert Pyon movies usually trade off big budgets for even bigger imaginations. Take Dark Angel, for example, which is a coming-of-age romantic fantasy about the love between a man and a demon. The film is structured like The Little Mermaid. It opens in Hell where we see the Dark Angel pining for the surface world. In Act II, she reaches the surface world and meets her Prince Charming. And of course, we learn Dark Angel will die if she stays on Earth in Act III. I won’t spoil the ending, but I love this sleazy, breezy and predictable movie I remember renting on VHS from Hollywood Video.

Lamberto Bava lands a helicopter in a movie theater because he can

Demons (1985): Damien Chazelle’s Babylon (2022) is the final word on movies about movies, but a close second goes to Lamberto Bava’s Demons, where the demons on-screen escape into a real world cinema by possessing the audience. It’s as awesome as it sounds. I mean a freaking helicopter lands inside the theater (see above).

Girlfriend from Hell (1989): A demon possesses a high-school wallflower to feed off the souls of her classmates (via sex, of course). Fortunately, Bobby from Twin Peaks, known here as God’s demon hunter and the inventor of the condom, is hot on her trail. You may find this VHS staple cheesy and sophomoric, but Girlfriend from Hell walked so Jennifer’s Body could run.

Little Nicky (2000): Any movie that casts Rodney Dangerfield as Lucifer automatically enters the CineVibez Canon. And, look I’m not delusional. I know I can’t persuade naysayers to revisit Little Nicky, but maybe Roger Ebert can. He gave Little Nicky 2.5 out of 4 stars, saying “actually pretty good—the best Sandler movie to date” You read that right - the best Sandler movie to date.

Child’s Play (1988): Charles Lee Ray’s experience in voodoo and occultism came in handy while bleeding out from a gunshot wound in a toy store. Via an incantation he learned from a witch doctor, Charles invoked Satan’s help to transfer his mind into a Chucky doll … and the rest, as they say, is history. Welcome to the canon, Chucky.

hmm, I wonder what decade this movie came out

Witchboard (1986): I enjoy a sincere satanic panic movie - especially when a love triangle is unnecessarily thrown into the mix. In Witchboard, a stand-in for the orange buffoon brings a Ouija board to his ex-girlfriend’s house party to introduce everyone to a little dead boy named David. The ex-girlfriend obsesses over David and cannot stop chatting with him (typical teen behavior). Too bad David is really Malfeitor, a demonic entity hellbent on crossing over by way of possession. The ensuing mayhem is a wild, chaotic and totally 80s.

Fallen (1998): This one made the VHS rotation regularly growing up. Azazel, a body hopping demon, torments Denzel for two hours. This movie pops into my head whenever I hear the Stones’ Sympathy for the Devil.

The Evil Dead (1981): Nothing good ever happens in an isolated cabin in the woods. Ash, played by Bruce Campbell, learns this the hard way. The Evil Dead is 90 minutes of ghouls and demons beating the shit out of Bruce Campbell. It’s a $250,000 practical effects masterpiece.

Evil Dead 2 (1987): The Evil Dead turned up to eleven.

Part IV: Faustian Bargains

The final subpart to Satanic Vibez is here. A movie qualifies as long as there is an agreement with Satan or a stand-in for Satan that subsequently causes unintended consequences. Once again, I’m avoiding the classics to bring you more obscure selections. That means no Rosemary’s Baby nor Damn Yankees.

The Devil’s Advocate (1997): Faust in a modern law-firm setting. I’m an attorney for my side-gig and the choices Keanu agonized over didn’t seem that serious. I’m pretty sure I do something similar every day for much, much less money. I haven’t even met Charlize Theron for heck’s sake.

The above photo was stolen by Ryan Reynolds

Spawn (1997): I have a strange affinity for Spawn. Despite never having read the comic, I learned a lot of Spawn lore in the late 90s. Todd McFarlene based a character on Tony Twist, a defenseman for the St. Louis Blues, my hometown hockey team. Tony didn’t like the homage.

You may remember the lawsuit if you have an incredible memory or if you’re from St. Louis. The national news probably covered it for a day, but our hometown station hoped to turn the story into a Pulitzer. It stayed in the headlines for months.

A few years later, McFarlane bought St. Louis Cardinal Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball for 2.6 million dollars, bringing him back into the local news. This guy is so obsessed with my city - it’s kinda creepy.

Anyway, I saw Spawn after all that local hubbub about McFarlane. A demon offers Al Simmons, a dead marine, another shot at life if and only if he commands Satan’s army during the upcoming Apocalypse. Simmons agrees so he can see his wife again. Unfortunately, she’s already moved on and remarried. All the elements have been met.

Bobby D likes his eggs raw

Angel Heart (1987): What a great movie with a stacked cast. Mickey Rourke and Lisa Bonet are on fire throughout the whole film, which follows Rourke’s character, a private investigator, as he works a case on behalf of a wealthy client played by Robert De Niro. I don’t think I should tell you much more, but I assure you I placed it in the right category. Oh and Lisa Bonet has one of the hottest scenes I’ve ever seen on celluloid.

Nic Cage's frostbite caused by method acting

Longlegs: I’m really enjoying Nic Cage’s late-stage renaissance, which is seemingly fueled by self-awareness. While it makes sense to start this new chapter at Mandy (2018) or even Pig (2021), I argue it started with Larry Charles’ Army of One. I recently watched the director’s cut on YouTube of all places - Cage is fantastic in it.

Anywho, Longlegs is another stop on the Cage Renaissance Tour. He loses himself in the character of Longlegs, who Director Oz Perkins (Anthony Perkins’ son) described as a loser who never left his parent’s basement. Per Perkins, that’s the type of guy who succumbs to Satan’s manipulation. He’s just an anti-social, personality disordered loser who is still listening to T-Rex on vinyl. One could argue the film contains a second contractual agreement between Satan and another character, but I don’t like spoiling modern films. You’ll see it.

The Mephisto Waltz: You guys, Mephisto Waltz is my favorite movie with a Faustian bargain. Alan Alda plays Myles, a pianist who never hit the big time. Now later in life, he is a music journalist who gets an interview with a guy named Duncan, the greatest pianist who ever lived. Over time, Duncan and his wife infiltrate Myles’ personal life and marriage to his wife Paula, who is played by Jacqueline Bissett. As the relationship strengthens, Myles’ piano skills begin to improve substantially. He’s also acting a little weird … What follows is more twists and turns than one of those twisty straws from 7-11.

Bedazzled (2000): In 2000, I was a huge fan of both Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley. The latter likely due to her stellar performance in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. The former because of Fraser’s entire filmography. Bedazzled is probably the most straightforward interpretation of Faust on this list.

When the Devil overhears Fraser wishing he could date a coworker, she seizes the opportunity and draws up a contract: seven wishes in exchange for your soul. Fraser gladly signs at the dotted line to start making wishes that make him look more desirable to his crush. Of course, everything eventually goes disastrously wrong.

Late Night with the Devil (2024): David Dastmalchian’s career trajectory really interests me. He suffered from michael jackson disease (vitiligo, not pedophilia) at a young age, which subjected him to relentless bullying in school. That probs contributed to his five-year long heroin addiction. Yet, through it all, Dastmalchian persevered - he kicked the drug habit and became a deep-sea fisherman in Alaska. And eventually, he found his way to Hollywood.

Once under LA’s yellow sun, David got the opportunity of a lifetime - a small role on Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Shortly thereafter, Denis Villeneuve cast him in Prisoners. Not a bad start for the new guy.

Anyway, Dastmalchian loves all things dark and macabre, and I suspect LNwtD was a passion project for him. I don’t recall any direct references to contractual agreements with Satan but it is heavily implied.

Sinners (2025): Throughout the film, the characters allude to a Faustian bargain between the Devil and Robert Johnson, where Johnson exchanged his soul for musical talent. That’s sufficient for our purposes. And besides, a central theme of the film concerns a similar idea of temptation. The vampires offer party-goers eternal life in exchange for a little sip of blood. But what the vampires take is essentially an individual’s essence or identity. That let Coogler to explore generational pain and appropriation in a pretty fun way.

Conclusion

Well, we made it. It’s closing time. One vibe ends so another can begin.

By the way, Fanzine No. 17 is nearly finished - I may even send it out early because I can barely contain my excitement. I hope you guys will like it - a lot of my dancin’ vibe recs are obscure, including a few movies logged by less than 100 people on letterboxd. So fun.

Also next issue, you’ll notice the new releases section is missing. I’m going to try something different - let me know if you like it.

Until next time, happy watching!

Murray