Albums, Posters and Cover Art - Battle Royale V

Tyler, The Creator - Cherry Bomb (2015) vs Madonna - Like a Prayer (1989)

Leona Lewis - Glassheart (Deluxe Edition) (2012) vs Natalie Imbruglia - Left of the Middle (1997)

 

D:Ream - Do It Anyway (2025) vs The Killers - Rebel Diamonds (2023)

Magnum - Evolution (2011) vs Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World (2001)

The Damned - Darkadelic (2023) vs The Cure - Pornography (1982)

Dayseeker - Creature in The Black Night (2025) vs This Is The Kit - Careful of Your Keepers (2023)

Tears for Fears - Songs for a Nervous Planet (2024) vs Falling in Reverse - Coming Home (2017) 

Born of Osiris - Through Shadows (2025) vs Korn - Korn (1994)

Laufey - A Matter of Time (2025) vs Kylie Minogue - Step Back In Time: The Definitives Collection (2019)

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (1977) vs Sparks - Big Beat (1976)

Everything Everything - Mountainhead (2024) vs Royal Blood - Royal Blood (2014)

Sad Night Dynamite - Welcome the Night (27 September 2024) vs Becky Hill - Believe Me Now (31 May 2024)

'Surfing' principle remains.

Now things get really exciting.

Michael Jackson - Thriller (30 November 1982) vs Lionel Richie - You Are¹ (1982)

¹Exact release date of 7" vinyl single is unclear, but logically before...

SeeYouSpaceCowboy - Coup de Grãce (2024) vs Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses (1993)

And.

Tom Waits - Rain Dogs (1985)

Adele - 21 (2011) vs The Very Best of... Sting & The Police² (2002 edition)

²Compilation album was initially released in 1997 with a different cover.

The above recycles:

Sting - ...Nothing Like the Sun (1987)

But hold the phone boys and girls.

Billy Joel - Greatest Hits - Volume I & Volume II (1985)

Nuff said.

Miscellany

Selena Gomez - Revival (2015) vs Striptease (1996)

Contra³ - Songs About Feelings (2004) vs Prom Night (1980)

³Also a 2010 album by Vampire Weekend.

Speaking of which.

Ann Kirsten Kennis sued XL Recordings and band for using the photo without permission.
In 2011, lawsuit was dropped after she was paid an undisclosed fee.

Porridge Radio - Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me (2024) vs The Possession (2012)

You see it too, right?

Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988) vs Fright Night (1985) 

Fright Night Part II⁴ (1988)
Apart from some superficial differences (building and the eyes of vampiric face), poster for Tommy Lee Wallace's muddled sequel is virtually the same, meaning artist Peter Mueller didn't have much to do.

⁴ntbcw Fright Night 2: New Blood (2013).

Wanna know something weird?

Great.

Fright Night: The Arcade Game
Amiga exclusive placed you in the role of Jerry Dandrige (surname spelled as Dandridge in other sources), who must turn victims at his house into vampires before sunrise.

Whether coincidental or not, cover art used the same yellow moon as film sequel.

Amusingly, game and Part II were both released in December 1988.

Iron Maiden - Brave New World (2000)

Title of twelfth album is a direct nod to Aldous Huxley's 1932 novel of same name, which itself is derived from Miranda's speech in Act V, Scene I of William Shakespeare's The Tempest.

"O wonder!

How many goodly creatures are there here!

How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,

That has such people in 't."

The upper half was created by band's perennial figure Derek Riggs, with the bottom half by digital artist Steve Stone.

While this iteration of "Eddie" is the same idea as Fright Night and/or Part II, what's more incredible is how ghostly face was 'discreetly' stolen.

Well shit.

Marty Supreme - The scoop and digest

Loosely based on the life and career of Marty Reisman, Josh Safdie directs and co-writes sporting drama with Ronald Bronstein.

Géza Röhrig portrays Holocaust survivor Bela Kletzki, who was inspired by Alojzy Ehrlich.

Timothée Chalamet - Marty Mauser

Gwyneth Paltrow - Kay Stone

Odessa A'zion - Rachel Mizler

Kevin O'Leary - Milton Rockwell

Tyler Okonma - Wally

Fran Drescher - Rebecca Mauser

Abel Ferrara - Ezra Mishkin

Emory Cohen - Ira Mizler

Koto Kawaguchi - Koto Endo

Larry Ratso Sloman - Murray Mauser

Luke Manley - Dion Galanis

Summary

New York, 1952.

23-year-old Marty Mauser works as a shoe salesman for his uncle Murray and is also a professional table tennis player.

He aspires to win the British Open, but needs $700 for his ticket.  His co-worker Lloyd gives him the money from the safe, staging shit as a robbery.

Once in London, Marty seduces former Hollywood actress Kay Stone and meets her rich husband Milton Rockwell.

He loses 3-0 to Koto Endo in the final and handles defeat like a petulant child.

Back in New York, Marty is fined $1500 by the International Table Tennis Association and banned from entering the upcoming world championship in Tokyo.

Aside from hustling with his friend Wally at a bowling alley, Marty makes up life as he goes along.

Wood and foam

Chalamet behaves like a right wonka, but electric performance is worthy of the hype.

Not to be outdone, those around him aren't exactly shabby either (and almost as unpleasant).

Ping pong action exudes furious energy and Darius Khondji's cinematography is majestic.

Unfortunately, the tournament in Tokyo isn't played out, but the rematch with Endo is exciting, which Marty narrowly wins 22-20.

Despite stating it was a 'biological impossibility' that Rachel could be carrying his child, Marty visits her at the maternity ward and breaks down in tears when he's shown his newborn son, proving even assholes have a heart.

Project MKHEXE - The scoop and digest

Gerald Robert Waddell writes, co-produces, stars (as The Dreamer) and directs an absolute gem.

Ignacyo Matynia - Tim Wilson

Jordan Knapp - Nicole Martin

Will Jandro - Sean Wilson

Jennifer Lynn O'Hara - Gloria Wilson

Dwayne Tarver - Donald Wilson

Joe Solana Wilson - Henry Baker Judson

Will Cavitt - Subject 23

Summary

In October 2013, one week after his brother Sean committed suicide, Tim finds Sean's belongings secretly disposed of by his parents Gloria and Donald, which include a variety of disturbing drawings, notes and recordings, focused around an online urban legend about a failed mind control experiment in the 1970's called Project MKHEXE.

Hypnosis techniques and subliminal messaging drove numerous test subjects insane, so shit was covered up by the US government, with its technology abandoned and research destroyed.

For all intents and purposes, MKHEXE does not exist.

But how did Sean compile such evidence over 106 days?

Over the following months, Tim and Sean's friend Nicole begin filming a true-crime documentary to investigate the truth.

The Aberrants of Kzathguul

MK = CIA cryptonym of secret projects done.

HEX = curse (English).

HEXE = witch or hag (old German).

You're welcome.

Combining cosmic horror, the occult, creepypasta and possibly inspired by the mythical arcade Polybius, found-footage fans must check this one out.

Absorbing candle burns slowly, and paranoia finally explodes during the final 20 minutes, as the "Box of Nightmares" and MKHEXE's origins are revealed.

After traditional disclaimer in end credits, we're informed and advised:

These events did not happen.

Project MKHEXE does not exist.

DO NOT BELIEVE.

Anaconda (2025) - The scoop and digest

Tom Gormican directs and co-writes meta-remake/reboot of 1997 cult classic of same name with Kevin Etten.

Jack Black - Doug McAllister

Paul Rudd - Ronald "Griff" Griffen Jr.

Steve Zahn - Kenny Trent

Thandiwe Newton - Claire Simons

Daniela Melchior - Ana Almedia

Selton Mello - Carlos Santiago

Summary

After Griff apparently secures the rights to Anaconda, he and childhood friends Doug, Kenny and Claire travel to Rio de Janeiro (actually Queensland in Australia), to reboot their favourite film (as The Anaconda), where they meet snake handler Santiago and Ana, who is tracking illegal gold miners.

However, a giant serpent terrorizing the Amazon jungle complicates matters.

Metaphor for monsters

First off, concept is nothing new, as demonstrated by Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000) and Human Centipede II: Full Sequence (2011).

But the best example is The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014), a unique meta-sequel set in a world where the 1976 original and real-life murders both exist.

Anyway, action comedy had huge potential, but unlike titular CG monster (which looked terrible btw), had no fangs.

Sony poking fun at themselves (and Hollywood) was the only thing that briefly raised a smile.

An interesting quirk is that Black (who replaced Nicolas Cage) and Rudd were 28 when the original was released.

Possibly coincidence, but Santiago says "only the unlucky ones survive", which may be a nod to the tagline of The Hills Have Eyes (1977), "The lucky ones died first..." 

Everybody remembers Jon Voight famously leering at Jennifer Lopez, but nothing like that happens. 

Ice Cube cameos towards the end and helps them blow bitch sky high in a pyro field.  When that fails, Doug delivers the killer blow to its head.

Before credits roll, J Lo (uncredited) tells Doug that she's doing another Anaconda and wants him to direct, but he faints in shock.

Tormented Souls II - Beyond the Horror

Despite looking the part, sequel was a royal pain in the ass to play.

https://nukesandknives.blogspot.com/2025/11/tormented-souls-ii.html

But you're here for other reasons.

Famous paintings

Christ Carrying the Cross - El Greco

Jesus with the Eucharist at the Last Supper - Juan de Juanes

The Lamentation over the Dead Christ - Andrea Solario

Silent Hill (1999)

Knife-wielding doll vs Grey child¹

¹Outside of North America, Midwich Elemenemy was redesigned and renamed Mumbler.

Yes I do look fucking stupid, now leave me alone.

Grunt, grunt.

Probably a pig house vs Probably a dog house 

Awesome stuff.

Wheelchair

Coming across the same thing In Silent Hill 3, Heather notes:

It's a wheelchair. Where's the person that was using it....?

Films

Cursed book vs Naturom Demonto - The Evil Dead

In the original, Caroline is knocked out and wakes up in Wildberger Hospital, finding her right eye has been surgically removed.  It's later revealed that a past version of herself did this on purpose so she can bypass a door.

Time travel bullshit is never explained.

Anyway.

Kill Bill

I'm certain Caroline's eyepatch is based on Elle Driver, aka California Mountain Snake, who in different circumstances, lost the same eye.

Fun fact.

Character was inspired by Madeleine (Christina Lindberg) in 1973 rape-and-revenge exploitation flick Thriller - A Cruel Picture.

Saw

Ugh... I think someone played a little game here.

Although Dr. Gordon did the unthinkable to escape filthy bathroom, we didn't see evidence until sequel.

Saw II

Continuity went astray

Saw III

Saw 3D aka Saw: The Final Chapter

Shopping mall

Part 1 - Movie posters

Back in Time² vs Back to the Future

²Also the title of Jason Aron's 2015 documentary on iconic franchise.

Haunted vs The Ring³ - Aidan watches the tape

³Scene from the first instalment in the American Ring series.

And just for shiggles.

Gruff Rhys - Sadness Sets Me Free

(Ahem).

Part 2 - Arcade

Great Warrior II (left) and Metal Yay (right).

Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting⁴ and Metal Slug

⁴Colour scheme ensures it's not The World Warrior (1991) or first update Champion Edition.

Yay Man (left) and Wall art (right).

Puck Man (Japanese title for Pac-Man) and Mortal Kombat (2011).

Multiples

HELP ME is written in blood on a mirror.

Two sources immediately spring to mind.

Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)

Manhattan Baby (1982)

In the Processing Plant, there's a dead Great White Shark.

Yellow barrels vs Jaws 

After using a crowbar to prise open its mouth, the manual jack rewards Metal Plate - Triangle.

Perhaps I'm reaching, but principle is nigh on identical to Deep Blue Sea (1999).

A licence plate from a Mako is removed.

A nod to what Hooper finds inside tiger shark.

Spielberg wanted to direct a James Bond film, and hoped tribute would convince the powers that be:

Live and Let Die (1973)

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.

Miscellany

The title of blackboard relating to a subplot of missing children reads:
Que la luz eterna envuelve a estos niños les brindes quesu recuerdo sea simpre fuerta y consuelo para quines los amos. 

Spanish to English translation:

May eternal light surround these children, and may their memory always be a strength and comfort to those who love them.

Giving an apple to dead teacher opens drawer containing snake figuerine. 

This is a classic tradition of pupils showing appreciation, as fruit symbolises a practical form of payment for knowledge.

As demonstrated in:

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Child's action figure vs He-Man

"I HAVE THE POWER!"

Plastic chair mod vs Devil May Cry 5

As originally intended.

It's not conclusive, but Vergil appears to leaning against demonic tree Qliphoth.

Finally.

Three colourful plants vs herbs - Resident Evil

I'm not a botany expert, but mixing all three fully restores health and cures poison.