Dark Side Magazine
 

Two issues in on the new run and i'm liking the mags new format.

Any other fans glad to see the mag back?


The Dark Side

heres the link to their new website for the curious.

I'm glad to see it back, haven't picked up the latest issue yet though.

...Waits for everyone to start going on about the plagiarism and all that...

No!

I didn't know it had been away!

Dark Side was a godsend in the early to mid 90's and opened my eyes to a whole world of film I barely knew existed. So on thatc ount, I have a certaion fondness for the mag. Sadly, I think it lost its ways and ran into the problems we're all too familiar with.

They never 'borrowed' any of my work, but an Aussie DVD label lifted my review for I Spit On Your Grave wholesale and it was on the disc in text format as an extra! I'm not really bothered, but they could have at least sent me a complimentary copy. Oh well, c'est la vie. :doh:

Before it went away there certainly were 'issues' thankfully the new re-launch title is better than it ever was and has some interesting interviews from the lies of callum waddell.

nicking other peoples work is wrong, full stop. I know there was financial difficulties involved with dark side but thats no excuse. But from the first two new issues I think allan has got the mags act together.

Just want to do my bit to get it sales, it was a major influence on me as a teenage gorehound. Now at the ripe old age of 31 i'm glad its still about!

Great stuff, the new issues are really good and the customer service is 110%!

Does this mean that the Dark Side Zombie book will be back in print? Always wished I'd got a copy of it. i've got the Cannibal one.

is it just me or has anyone noticed that the filmstrip set of photos on the left side of the Dark Side cover makes the mag look like a UK version of Fangoria?

My thoughts exactly, The Dark Side was a fantastic read back then and I used to look forward to each new issue.That was mainly due to the articles of John Martin who, together with Chas Balun, remains my favourite ever horror journalist. :nod:

I wish they had brought John Martin back for the new DS, don't really like the new DVD review section.

Martin's Seduction of the Gullible is one of the best books on film i have read.

Is that stupid film guide in the new Dark Side? it wasted 8 pages every single issue.

No, thank goodness.

Seduction Of The Gullible is a good book and my copy has fallen to bits through constant reference!

However the reviews are overly flippant, often smug and frequently misguided, in my opinion.. Martin's boorish, matey, "pub comedian" review style annoys the hell out of me. This style seems to be a trait of The Dark Side over the years. not really my thing. I'm more a Sight And Sound kind of guy!

Still an invaluable resource though.

According to allan bryce the film strip look at the side is from the much earlier castle of frankenstein from the 60's.

apparently the dark side zombie book is still available from their old website as is a lot of their other publications. the new site is just for upcoming stuff.

Snob!


:D

I like JM review style especially when he used to have digs at internet forums.

Yes, I am an unrepentant snob when it comes to matters cinematic! :lol:

I never liked Rick Melton's articles. He would do a great piece of art for The Vampire Lovers for example, then have a page of text saying how crap he thought the film was.

He did this to so many films i love that i can't bring myself to say any of his Arrow work is any good. :mmph:

I like his articles but I can't bring my self to say any of his Arrow artwork is any good because it's not. Well, one or two aren't bad.

I like the filmstrip look. Maybe my initial comment came across as almost a criticism, it sure wasn't meant to be.

I'll have a look at the old site. Thanks for the reply:)

My quibbles with the new mag (not a lot mind you!):

- the DVD review section doesn't go in enough detail or mention flaws, it also doesn't give enough details (region, where to order them, comparisons with existing releases)

- Rick Melton's section is boring and I tend to skip it although I do like his artwork

I'm looking forward to the next issue! Hard to pass a month without my DS fix! :)

Anyone checked to see if DS is plagiarizing yet?

:pound:

I'm sure we'll all know about it soon enough if they are. Personally, I don't think DS will make the same mistake for a third time. Or will they? :lol:

So far so good with the mag as far as i'm concerned. Whats needed is more readers, more readers=more cash for articles. At the moment they seem to have stuck plenty of promotional pieces for dvd/blu-ray's getting released which is probably a decent revenue stream, but like any publication they need readers.

This is probably one of the main reasons I started this thread, the new issues came out of nowhere. Literally I walked into my newsagents to buy the paper and there it was. So I suspect plenty of people may not even be aware its out yet!

Perhaps i'm being overly zealous, but I grew up with dark side and i'm glad its back.

DS hasn't plagiarised since it got found out in 2005 and it was only the DVD review section. It's unfair that the others who wrote for the magazine get tarred with the same brush.

I can understand the writers affected being pissed off and wanting something done about it, but it always made me laugh when I saw people who had nothing to do with the magazine or those affected telling others to boycott it and going mad at those who buy it. You know, most people have their own things to worry about and really couldn't give a crap about what some magazine had done.

I picked this up from Forbidden Planet today, along with Horror Hound (couldn't seem to find the latest issue of Fangoria yet though :(). Looking forward to giving it a good peruse later. I've never read The Dark Side at all, so I'm quite interested to see what all the fuss is about.

:lol:They most certainly are, have you seen the cover? Nicked directly from Arrow's forthcoming Maniac Cop dvd cover.;)

I haven't read it yet, however on flicking through it the layout looks good, and you can see the text on the pages as well, i always had a grumble with that in the past.

My own latest edition of TDS is yet to be read too and based on the previous comeback issue i prefer the original look and layout of Allan Bryce's popular publication.:)

I bought the latest issue this morning in WH Smiths and got a free copy of The Times!

Yesterdays Times was quite good, some well written football news. I got a free Darkside with my copy. :lol:

If i'm not mistaken the latest issue of TDS features letters from our very own forum members James Morton and Keirarts.:)

I can't find any copies of The Dark Side in any newsagents in my town, including WH Smiths. :(

Its been out since July, probably all gone, a new one should be due soon.

Although its been three months since the last DVD World mag so who knows. Then again there is always a six month delay before they publish the one with a free dvd. Every three months my arse! :tsk:

The new one (#143 Sept/Oct) is already out. Some cracking interviews (John Russo, Ruggero Deodato, Allan Scott and Ian McCulloch) and a great feature on Night Of The Living Dead. Well worth seeking out.

Cheers, the website hasn't changed yet, still showing the Maniac Cop cover as the latest issue. (Well it was this afternoon anyway)

Yeah,where has dvd WORLD gone?? has Mr Bryce folded it? i have EVERY issue of that mag, as it suits my tastes more than Dark Side, as it covers CULT movies instead of just horror............i love hORROR, and Dark sIDE, but the balance in DVD WORLD was right.

Yeah, both the above mags generally hit the shelves the same time but not recently. To be honest, i think i probably prefer the former publication to the revamped version of the latter. There may be a new TDS out there but i don't particularly consider it an improvement over the old school variant.:)

[B][COLOR="LemonChiffon"]yeah, i have also noticed the reviews of Arrow product in /Dark Side have all appeared in Dvd World,. i know Allan Bryce uses these forums, so maybe he could tell us where Dvd World has gone or why its taking so long. COLOR][./B]

Next dark side promises a feature on films not yet released on blu-ray/dvd.

Considering the number of titles discussed on this forum it should be a weighty article!

I may write in and suggest BOOGENS and DONT BE AFRAID OF THE DARK, both of which are well overdue a release of some kind.

I believe this title is available as a DVD-R release as part of the Warner Archive Collection in the U.S.

Yours truly has had several letters of his own printed in TDS over the years but i've long since dispensed with the relevant issues. Some of my fan correspondence made it into the pages of Video World and Impact magazines too on a few occasions.:)