The HAMMER Frankenstein Collection

Universal Studios denying Hammer the use of their trademarked monster make-up actually worked in the British company’s favour. It forced them to shift the focus from the monster to the creator—the man for whom the entire franchise was named—and in so doing enabled them to better explore the nuances of character that defined the Baron. That they managed to have Peter Cushing star in all but one of the films was the icing on a fortuitous cake.

Films on In a Nutshell:
01. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
02. The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)
03. The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)
04. Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)
05. Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)
06. The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)
07. Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974)

The Killer Vehicles Collection

Subgenres are beneficial to their parent genre. Without them there's a risk we'd get inundated with even more clones. That’s almost as bad as accepting whatever’s popular at any given time; i.e. pure hell for me. The killer vehicle subgenre is an odd one. I mean ‘killer’ as in the vehicle has a mind of its own, occupied with murderous intent or demonic vengeance, not that it looks sexy. Although, it can fit into both categories, I suppose. Mostly they’re B-Movies, yes, but not always bad movies, even if the concept is pretty bat-shit crazy. Here’s what we've got so far:

On In a Nutshell:
01. Killdozer (1974)
02. The Car (1977)
03. Death Ship (1980)
04. Christine (1983)
05. Maximum Overdrive (1986)
06. Trucks (1997)

This one doesn't quite fit the definition but it’s too similar not to get an honourable mention:
01. Duel (1971)

The Ringu Collection

I've read Koji Suzuki's original Ringu (1991) novel in translation. It's good, but the concept around which the story revolves works better as visual media. Yes, you can take that as meaning the film is better than the book if you want. However, you then have to ask: which film? It was adapted multiple times over a short number of years, some of which spawned sequels, forcing you to be aware of the running order. My advice would be to begin with what I consider the most successful trilogy: numbers 02, 04, and 06 in the list below, in that same order. If you're still intrigued after that, then check out the others.

Foreign Language Films on In a Nutshell:
01. Ring: Kanzenban (1995)
02. Ringu (1998)
03. Rasen (1998)
04. Ringu 2 (1999)
05. The Ring Virus (1999)
06. Ringu 0: Birthday (2000)
07. Sadako 3D (2012)
08. Sadako 3D 2 (2013)

English Language Films on In a Nutshell:
01. The Ring (2002)
02. The Ring Two (2005)
03. Rings (2017)

The Conquer Yourself Collection

"What is he?"

"He is you. Your Opposite. Your Negative."

For some people in this world the most daunting and terrifying foe they will ever face is themselves. Appropriately, these pieces of media have their heroes facing off with what they see when they look in the mirror (or, in one case, enter it). Dark, Shadow, Nega, Mad, The Memory of…—all terms that simply denote that the destructive part of one’s own nature has been given physical form and a confrontation is inevitable.

Who will win?

The outcome is literally in your own hands.

Films on In A Nutshell:

01: The Matrix Collection

02: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

03. The Dark Half
04. Army of Darkness

Video Games on Nut Load:

01: Silent Hill 3

02: The Legend of Zelda Collection

03. Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

04: The .hack//Collection

Music on Nut Suite:

01: GREEN DAY/ 21st Century Breakdown

The John Wyndham Collection

Perhaps best-known for giving the world creepy plants and creepy children, John Wyndham’s stories were about more than just invading horrors hiding in familiar forms. They were thought-provoking explorations of a dominant species' response to crises, using relatable tools that were themselves metaphors for many other things, each conceived in a markedly British, post-war frame of mind. The filmed versions may lack the same kind of layering depth, but are still mostly enjoyable on their own terms.

Films on In a Nutshell:
01. Village of the Damned (1960)
02. The Day of the Triffids (1963)
03. Children of the Damned (1964)
04. Village of the Damned (1995)
05. Quest for Love (1971)

TV Series on Nut Box:
01. Chocky (1984)
02. Chocky's Children (1985)
03. Chocky's Challenge (1986)
04. The Day of the Triffids (2009)

The Robert E. Howard Collection

You may not have heard the name Robert Ervin Howard before, but the chances are good that thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career you've heard of his most famous creation; Howard created Conan the Barbarian.
His stories of high adventure set in fantastical worlds appeared in numerous pulp magazines during his short lifetime, most notably in Weird Tales.
Much from that era has been forgotten or lost, but many of Howard's characters endure, enjoying a success in both print and on screen that he sadly never saw. He died in 1936 by his own hand, aged just thirty.

Films on In a Nutshell:
01. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
02. Conan the Destroyer (1984)
03. Red Sonja (1985)
04. Kull the Conqueror (1997)
05. Solomon Kane (2009)
06. Conan the Barbarian (2011)

The Matrix Collection

Blending sci-fi and action better than most films that came before it (and after) The Matrix managed to sate fans of both camps. It’s a cerebral and oft-times emotional journey that works on a number of levels. Not all of the paths are worth taking, but like a great poet once taught: the difference can sometimes be difficult to discern. Click links below for individual posts:

Films on In a Nutshell:
01. The Matrix (1999)
02. The Matrix Revisited (2001)
03. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
04. The Animatrix (2003)
03. The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

Books on Nut Ink:
01. The Matrix Comics

Music on Nut Suite:
01. The Matrix Music

Video Games on Nut Load:
01. Enter the Matrix (2003)
02. The Matrix: Path of Neo (2005)

The Kaijū Collection

Kaijū eiga (often shortened to kaijū in the West) is a Japanese term for what are essentially giant monster movies. More often than not it’s an actor in a rubber suit laying waste to amazingly detailed scale model towns, but the best have an important subtext that explores deeper concerns.
The most famous is Toho’s Gojira/Godzilla, affectionately called King of the Monsters, but there’s more than just Godzilla in the pantheon, so if you're interested in the merits of the genre don't stop there:

Genre Films on In a Nutshell:
01. Godzilla (1954—)
02. Rodan (1956—)
03. Mothra ((1961—)
04. Gamera (1965—)
05. Daimajin I, Daimajin II, Daimajin III (1966)
06. The X from Outer Space (1967)
07. Daigoro vs. Goliath (1971)
08. Attack of the Super Monsters (1982)

Films influenced by the genre on In a Nutshell:
01. The Host (2006)
02. Cloverfield (2008)
03. Pacific Rim (2013)

TV Series on Nut Box:
01. Daimajin Kanon (2010)

Comics on Nut Ink:
01. Godzilla

The Silent Hill Collection

Psychologically and morally complex urban explorers who find their way into the titular town are inevitably ferried down one (or both) of two twisted paths. Those seeking truth and atonement occasionally sidestep becoming part of Alessa Gillespie or The Order’s machinations but a few are not so lucky.

The town’s incarnations have manifested themselves in the realms of film and comics in addition to the foundational games and iconic music composed by Akira Yamaoka (and Daniel Licht).

Games on Nut Load:
00. Silent Hill Origins (2007)
01. Silent Hill (1999)
02. Silent Hill 2 (2001) + (ALT Vers.)
03. Silent Hill 3 (2003)
04. Silent Hill 4: The Room (2004)
05. Silent Hill Homecoming (2008)
06. Silent Hill Downpour (2012)
07. Silent Hill Shattered Memories (2009) (a reinvisioning of 01)
08. Soundless Mountain II (2008) (a worthy fan-made homage)

Music on Nut Suite:
01. Daniel Licht / Silent Hill Downpour (Original Soundtrack) (2012)
02. Various Artists / Silent Hill Downpour: Radio Songs (2012)

Comic Mini-series on Nut Ink:
01. Silent Hill — Past Life (2010)
02. Silent Hill Downpour — Anne’s Story (2014)

Films on In a Nutshell:
01. Silent Hill (2006)
02. Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)

Films, TV, and Literature that have influenced the Silent Hill games:

01. Jacob's Ladder (1990) (appropriately vaunted Godfather of the series)
02. 1408 (2007)

03. Blue Velvet (1986)

04. Carrie (1976)

05. The Cell (2000)

06. Con Air (1997)

07. Kindergarten Cop (1990)

08. Lost Highway (1997)
09. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

10. Session 9 (2001)

11. The Shining (1980)
12. The Walking Dead (1936)

13. The Wicker Man (1973)
14. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

15. Twin Peaks | Season 1 (1990) | Season 2 (1990-91) | Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

16. The Dune Collection
17. The Tempest (c.1610-11)

DANNY ELFMAN'S MUSIC FROM THE FILMS OF TIM BURTON @ The Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, B.C. 11/23/2013

Being a fan for nearly 30 years of film-maker Tim Burton and composer Danny Elfman's dark & quirky collaborations made this Vancouver Symphony Orchestra concert a very special night for me.  The show covered the duo's 15 feature length films that they had done together up to that time with newly arranged suites by Elfman while displaying artwork from Burton projected upon a large screen behind the orchestra.  John Mauceri waved the baton for this performance and he was perfectly suited for the job after his work on Elfman's 2005 work, Serenada Schizophrana.  10 year old boy soprano Noah Skarsgard did a wonderful job as did talented solo violinist  Dale Barlthrop, who made it hard to keep your eyes off with his enthusiastic performances.
I don't have a bucket list but if I did, I can scratch hearing live performances of Edward Scissorhands' Ice Dance, Batman's Descent into Mystery and the Mars Attacks! Main Titles off that list now.

5 breakfast machines out of 5

The Ray Bradbury Collection

Bradbury’s books and short stories are magical things. They’re nourishment for the hearts and souls of millions of readers the world over. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about many of the film adaptations of those same works. There are many reasons why that is, but I don’t have space to go into them. I can provide a list of the reviews that are currently on the Nuts, though:

Books on Nut Ink:
01. Ray Bradbury Books and Comics

Films on In a Nutshell:
01. It Came from Outer Space (1953)
02. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
03. Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
04. The Illustrated Man (1969)
05. The Electric Grandmother (1982)
06. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
07. The Halloween Tree (1993)
08. The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit (1998)
09. A Sound of Thunder (2005)

TV Series on Nut Box:
01. The Martian Chronicles (1980)

Video Games on Nut Load:
01. Fahrenheit 451 (1984)

The Ghost in the Shell Collection

Public Security Section 9 are a counter-terrorist unit that risk life and cyberized-limb in their daily dealings with specialised cyber-crime and data theft in a futuristic Japan. Each of the different versions is subtly different from the one that preceded it or came after, but they’re all 100% recognisable as GitS. The stories can sometimes be difficult to grasp, but they’re never wholly impenetrable. You can approach them from an action-orientated perspective, or you can delve deeper and engage with the philosophical questionings of self that underpin many of the situations. Either way, the team dynamic is ever-present, functioning as a stable point of reference.

Books on Nut Ink:
01. Ghost in the Shell Manga and Novels

Films on In a Nutshell:
01. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
02. Ghost in the Shell: Innocence (2004)
03. SAC: Solid State Society (2006)
04. SAC: The Laughing Man (2007)
05. Ghost in the Shell 2.0 (2008)
06. Arise - Border 1: Ghost Pain (2013)
07. Arise - Border 2: Ghost Whisper (2013)
08. Arise - Border 3: Ghost Tears (2014)
09. Arise - Border 4: Ghost Stands Alone (2014)

TV Series on Nut Box:
01. Ghost in the Shell: SAC (2003)

Music on Nut Suite:
01. Ghost in the Shell OSTs.