Godzilla 1954 kicked off an entire franchise of Kaiju films
Hello internet friends it’s been a while. Slick Dungeon here, back to review one of the most memorable and impactful films of all time, the one and only Godzilla. There will be spoilers for the 1954 version of the film. Multiple versions of this movie exist so to clarify, I am sticking to the one currently available for viewing on HBO Max. If you don’t want spoilers, run like there is a giant lizard monster about to stomp down your local cinema and watch the movie then come back here to read the review!
What is Godzilla About?
Put simply, Godzilla is easy to summarize. A giant lizard creature is awakened and stomps around Japan causing death and destruction in its wake. Heroic scientists debate about whether they should kill the creature or take nature’s warning in stride.
If that was all Godzilla was about there is no way this film would have the staying power it does. For a film about a giant monster, full of innovative effects for the time, and tons of insane destruction, this one goes deep. There are multiple levels upon which to understand the film and the eponymous creature.
It’s helpful to remember the context of when this movie was made. This is a post World War II film made in Japan smack dab in the middle of the cold war. It was a frightening time. And what country understood the dangers of nuclear powered weapons better than Japan? The whole film can be seen as a metaphor for nuclear armament.
What Happens in the Film?
Technically there are a few storylines happening in the movie. First we have the story of a little fishing island that has seen Godzilla and tries to warn the rest of the world. There is the story of a love triangle between a woman and two scientists, one of whom has made a discovery that could not only end Godzilla, but all of humanity. And there is the story of Godzilla.
His origins are murky as in the film he is referred to both as a creature who lived in the Jurassic era and as something new awakened by H-Bomb testing. Either way this creature is deadly.
The main draw of the film is watching Godzilla destroy everything in his path. Knocking over buildings is no problem for the creature. Bullets, electricity, and other types of weapons do nothing to slow his path. But there is a scientist named Dr. Daisuke Serizawa who has made a remarkable discovery. He has invented a device capable of sucking all of the oxygen out of water. Serizawa knows his invention is lethal and in the wrong hands could lead to the death of humanity.
I won’t give away if he uses this weapon or not just in case you haven’t watched the film. But if the fact that there are over 30 movies in the franchise tells you anything, seems like this solution wasn’t permanent.
Is Godzilla Worth Watching?
As the first true Kaiju film this is essential viewing. It’s emotionally deep, works on multiple levels, and simply put is one of the greatest monster films ever made. The effects seem quaint by today’s standards. But don’t let that fool you. This film has a lot going for it. One of the standout moments is a group of schoolgirls singing after much of the destruction has happened. In short, while this is a creature feature, it is one with real heart.
In Conclusion
You’ve probably seen a Godzilla movie. But not everyone has seen the original. It’s absolutely worth watching and upon each viewing I find a little more to appreciate here. It is in black and white and you likely have to read subtitles unless you speak Japanese but it is worth the effort. Almost all of the Godzilla movies are on HBO Max now so if you’re at all interested, start there with the first Godzilla movie.
Hey movie fans, Slick Dungeon here! I’ve got another independent psychological thriller/horror film to review for you. This time I watched a movie called The Plastic Men.
I was offered a screener copy in exchange for a fair review for this film. I’ll let you know what I think the strengths of the film are and where it could use some improvement. There will be spoilers but I will keep them mild. If you want to know more I’ve included the trailer below. You can find the film on Amazon on March 11th.
What is The Plastic Men about?
It’s the Vietnam war era and Johnathan Teller, played by James Preston, takes a trip with his buddy to Mexico. Unbeknownst to Jonathan, his buddy has purchased some illegal drugs. Before he knows it, Jonathan is pulled over by the cops, his buddy is dead and a judge gives Jonathan a choice. He can either go to prison for a long time or serve in the Vietnam war. Teller chooses Vietnam.
Upon his return from serving, Teller has a difficult time adjusting to everyday life. He’s haunted by things he did, sometimes prone to hallucinations, and the country looks down on his service. He turns to support groups to help but most of those men are just as traumatized as he is. On more than one occasion Teller contemplates suicide until a chance encounter changes everything for him.
The good
This film is on a shoestring budget but it’s a period piece. And it actually looks like it is set in the time it’s aiming for. The vehicles, the clothing, and even the supermarket Teller works at all feel like they are from another era. It’s nice to see such care taken in production value for a low budget film. And they make effective use of old news footage to make the time feel even more realistic.
James Preston has to go through a lot of emotion in this film, playing a man who is at the brink of a psychological break but still portraying his humanity. And he does a great job with the character. Teller feels like a real person who has a complicated background, much of which he regrets, but is trying to become a better man. And at the same time, Teller faces prejudice from the community around him, forced into a bad choice with few positive sides to it.
The film also makes good use of tried and true practical effects. There’s nothing groundbreaking here but those effects are tried and true for a reason. They work to convey the message, add a bit of shock value, and drive the story forward. There are a few images that will likely stay with you for a while after viewing.
The bad
Teller himself is a bit of an unreliable narrator. He is prone to hallucinations brought on by PTSD after all. Add to that the jumps forward and backward in time, and sometimes it’s a bit of a struggle to follow if the story is taking place in the present, past, or even in reality at all. It doesn’t ruin the film by any means but it is slightly confusing.
This is advertised as based on a true story but it’s quite hard to know how much of this is real. The film is based on an old Craig’s List ad where a Vietnam veteran was hoping to reunite with a woman who saved him from suicide decades ago. But the veteran and the woman he speaks about never identified themselves publicly after that so much of the film is still fictional. This is fine but take the “based on a true story” tag with a grain of salt here.
The ugly
There’s not a lot of ugly here. The film does hold up surprisingly well for such a low budget project. But, there are times this leans into the trope of the disturbed veteran returning home. I can’t fault the film too much for that because this is something that really does happen and especially did in the Vietnam era.
The other problem with the film lies in exactly what Teller did while serving. We get enough glimpses and pieces of it to have an idea. But it’s not altogether clear exactly what happened and why one incident in particular seems to stand out to Teller more than any other. Some of that again has to do with the fact Teller is not a completely reliable narrator but I feel the film loses some of the impact it could have had if we had a better idea of the circumstance that most haunts the main character.
Overall, these are relatively minor problems with a film like this but take them into consideration before renting.
The Plastic Men in conclusion
This film is worth watching if you like a good independent film. It’s low budget but they use all the best methods to make you forget that. Teller has an interesting story which leaves us on a pretty hopeful note.
And while much of this is clearly fictional, it does represent a lot of what the country felt upon the return of soldiers who served in Vietnam. The mundane could go from peaceful to horrible for many of these soldiers and there was a country who did not appreciate the trauma they went through. James Preston does a great job conveying the character to us. And while there are times the narrative is a bit disjointed, that doesn’t really harm the movie. So, if you’re considering renting a movie and are tired of the big budget same old stuff, give The Plastic Men a shot. At the very least, you’re supporting film makers who are trying to do something different, even if you don’t love the movie.
If you do watch the movie, I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments.
Independently yours,
Slick Dungeon
P.S. Want to see my thoughts on another independent film? Check out my review for Thou Shalt Kill!
Hello film fans! Slick Dungeon here. We’re just a couple hours away from the 2025 Oscars so I just have time to slip in my review of The Substance. It’s a great film but it’s decidedly horror so be warned before you watch.
Content warnings
Before I go into the plot of the film, as a good horror movie reviewer, I have to give you the content warnings of why not to watch this movie. Because this is a body horror film and there is no denying it. If you can’t stand gross out scenes, you are going to hate this movie. Also, if you don’t like needles, you are going to spend a lot of this movie with your eyes closed. And, if you don’t like watching a bunch of ugly men deciding who is beautiful and at what age women get to be considered worthy of being on camera, well, this is not for you either. Truly there is some shocking blood, gore, and body horror all over this film. Don’t go in not knowing that.
What is The Substance about?
As far as the plot is concerned it’s the story of a body transformation gone wrong. Elisabeth Sparkle, played by Demi Moore has turned fifty. She was once an adored Academy Award winner but now she hosts a workout program on daytime television. And the male producer of that show, Harvey played by Dennis Quaid thinks Elisabeth is too old to be on television anymore.
Elisabeth is frustrated and upset but she finds out about something called the substance. This stuff allows you to become a “younger, more beautiful, more perfect” version of yourself. I probably don’t need to tell you this sounds too good to be true.
What the substance actually does is birth, in horrifyingly graphic visuals, a new person directly from your spinal column. The old you has to be nurtured and cared for while the new you gets to go out and be the younger, more attractive version of yourself.
When Elisabeth takes the substance, the new version calls herself Sue. Sue is popular with Harvey and lands a prime television gig immediately. But there’s a catch. Every seven days, Sue has to switch places with Elisabeth. The movie shows us the bad stuff that happens when manufacturers instructions are not followed exactly. And boy does it get ugly.
The Awards
Any time a horror film is up for an Oscar, I’m happy about that. It’s the most popular genre of film yet it wins the least Oscars because, well, sometimes people look down on horror. (Almost all the time actually) So it’s great that The Substance is up for five Oscars this year. It’s up for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay.
As far as makeup and hairstyling goes? There are major accolades to be given here. But it’s competing with Wicked and I’m not sure which will win.
I hate to say this but I don’t see a world where The Substance wins best picture. It has too much competition and it’s a genre film so the odds are stacked against it.
I could see a win for best director though. This film took a lot of work as far as directing goes and it pretty much nailed every scene.
For both best actress and best original screenplay I see a possible win. No guarantee but I don’t think anyone would be shocked if either of those went to this film.
The Substance in conclusion
While I am happy a horror picture is being considered, this is not a perfect film. For one, it’s making a statement about beauty standards but it’s using Demi Moore, often considered one of the most beautiful actresses of all time to do it. And she’s 62 but playing a 50 year old so she just might not be the best representative to talk about beauty here. But she does nail her part extremely well.
I will also say, the movie kind of plays into this but the men in the movie are allowed to look, be, and act as ugly as they want with no repercussions. That’s often true in the entertainment industry but there is also a male standard of beauty that is hardly addressed in the film. I would have liked to see that be touched on just a little more here.
And there is a big snub here as far as the Oscars go. Margaret Qualley as Sue is fantastic. But she didn’t get a nomination for best supporting actress and that’s a real shame.
Ultimately, if you can stand body horror you’ve got to see this movie. It’s great. But if you’re squeamish about such things, stay as far away as you can.
Awardingly yours,
Slick Dungeon
P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!
Hello film fans, Slick Dungeon here! Today I am going to be reviewing the independent horror/thriller film Thou Shalt Kill directed by Richard Friedman. I was offered a screener copy in exchange for a fair review for this film. I’ll let you know what I think the strengths of the film are and where it could use some improvement. There will be spoilers but I will keep them mild. If you want to know more I’ve included the trailer below. You can find the film on Amazon here.
Thou Shalt Kill trailer
What is Thou Shalt kill about?
In Las Vegas there is a serial killer known as Priest, played by Vince Lozano, on the loose. He punishes sinners for their crimes and has gotten away with several murders already.
Meanwhile, recovering alcoholic Shannon, played by Augie Duke, has hit rock bottom. She is in the middle of a difficult divorce with her wife and is fighting for the custody of their son. When she feels all is lost, she goes back to drinking, only to find herself captured by Priest. Now Shannon has to fight for her life and protect her son by outwitting the dangerous killer. But at the same time, she has alcohol induced hallucinations and blacks out, causing frustration for the killer, and sometimes blurring reality for the audience.
The crux of the film is seeing if Shannon and her young son can survive the situation. And we also get some insight into her past through flashbacks building up to a larger story.
The Good
While the motivation of the killer is fairly standard and it reminds me of the villain in Se7en, Vince Lozano comes off as threatening and wholly believable in the film. He has a pretty nuanced performance and he’s enjoyable to watch as a bad guy.
Similarly, Augie Duke really shines as Shannon. She has to go through a multitude of emotions and she does a fantastic job for the most part. It’s easy to buy her moments of rock bottom and desperation in the film. And she plays it smart against the killer, not just bumbling into his manipulations or falling for his rhetoric.
For a low to no budget film, the cinematography works very well. And there a couple of well timed soundtrack songs that stick with you after the film due to the creepiness they impart. The film also makes good use of the short runtime and knows when to end the story.
The bad
There are some things in this movie that people might consider bad but are just a result of low budget. The film takes place in a car for a majority of the film. And a lot of the drama comes from a religious and philosophical debate between Priest and Shannon. Some people are not going to enjoy that but I had no problem with it. In fact, Hollywood has done this before in films like Collateral. I found the performances engaging enough to enjoy this part of the film.
There are a few flashback scenes that do feel a bit wooden to me. I don’t think this is anyone’s fault in particular but there were just a couple scenes that I think didn’t quite sell me on some of the past events. It’s not so pervasive that I couldn’t enjoy the movie but I found those scenes a bit distracting.
And in similar fashion some of the flashback scenes don’t entirely add up with what the characters (especially Priest) are saying in real time. Those scenes were a little less problematic to me though. And the visuals on some of Priest’s scenes are done really well. Sometimes they stretch credulity just a bit but they were fun horror style scenes.
This also looks low budget but that’s because it is. I don’t fault them at all for that and I am always in support of independent film making. But be warned it will look low budget.
The ugly
There’s one complaint I have about the film I can’t quite get past. The ending goes in a direction that I think does not work and it didn’t sit right with me. At a certain point I found myself thinking there was no way they would end it this way. And then they did. For some people this ending is going to be too much for the whole film. I’ll say it is a twist and I can see how they were trying to get there. It just wasn’t for me. Others might find it an incredible turn.
To the film’s credit, the ending wasn’t enough to make me dislike the whole movie. The really strong performances by Duke and Lozano kept me engaged. There is a lot of conversation in the film but I found it to be interesting enough to keep watching. After all, for most of the movie, the only weapon Shannon would have against Priest would be her words. But the whole film would have been made much stronger if they had tweaked the ending just a bit more.
Thou Shalt Kill in conclusion
Do I recommend this film? For some viewers yes. If you don’t mind low budget independent films and you’re comfortable with horror and thriller elements this can be a good watch. But, the ending is not as strong as I would like, and there are a few things that don’t fully add up in the movie.
However, it really is a good effort and there are two standout performances that make the film worth watching in my book. It’s always good to support independent films when Hollywood keeps just sending us the same old remakes, sequels, and prequels over and over. While not all of this film feels completely original, the film makers were trying for something new and independent and I think that is worth watching.
Have you seen this one? If so, let me know what you thought in the comments!
Independently yours,
Slick Dungeon
P.S. Want to see more of my movie reviews? Check out my review of Nosferatu.
Anna Cobb stars in We’re All Going to the World’s Fair
Hey everyone, Slick Dungeon here. I’m back to review another psychological horror film. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is a 2021 coming of age, psychological horror film centered on a girl named Casey. Casey is played by Anna Cobb. Normally, I would warn you against spoilers in this review but there’s really not a lot to spoil in this film so read away.
The movie is a bit of a hybrid of found footage and classic film making styles. At the beginning of the film Casey awkwardly makes a video talking about how she is going to take the “world’s fair challenge.” This is along the lines of any TikTok or YouTube challenge you might see. You prick your finger to draw blood, say, “I want to go to the world’s fair” three times and you’ve started the challenge. Then something is supposed to happen to you. You are changed in some way.
The good
Before I get into criticisms here I’ll point out what I like about this movie. It is low budget. I love to see independent, low budget horror. I think that’s some of the most creative stuff out there. Anna Cobb takes the lead and her acting performance was solid. She seems a bit understated most of the time but that’s the role. The soundtrack is pretty decent. And the cinematography of the non-found footage is good. Found footage scenes don’t look as good but they aren’t supposed to.
The bad
Also, before I get into the criticism here let me just say I like slow burn horror. It’s not for everyone but I do enjoy a good, slow paced horror film that can pack a punch at the end.
The problem with this film is there is no punch. For there to be a slow burn there has to be a fire at some point. There are some creepy images. A few things Casey says are disturbing. But that’s it. There’s nothing else there. You are supposed to be guessing if this is reality or supernatural. It’s clear the whole time which one it is.
The scenes are incredibly long. I’m okay with slow pacing but you’ll want to fast forward. You don’t miss anything if you do. Most of the film felt like someone new to YouTube struggling to get channel views. As a plot that’s fine but with this pacing, I might as well watch YouTube.
The only other character who relates to Casey is a man named JLB played by Michael J. Rogers. The dude just comes off as oddly creepy and way too interested in a teenager. But it’s not scary in any way.
In Conclusion
I wish I could recommend this film. But if you are looking for horror or psychological thrills you are not going to find them here. It’s good to support independent movies but this one doesn’t take us anywhere. You’re better off finding a different independent film if you want entertainment. But if you love slow dramas and just want to support an independent voice then it’s worth it. I do think the film makers tried their best and made the film they wanted to. If you want to be a low budget film maker it’s worth a watch. But if you want to see some horror? Don’t bother, it’s not here.
If you want to watch brilliant horror film with a slow build up, check out Hereditary.
Hello there internet people, it’s Slick Dungeon! I just watched Nosferatu (2024) and wanted to get my thoughts about it out here. There are some spoilers here but if you’ve seen or read Dracula in almost any form, you know the plot.
A quick summary
For a speed read of a review on this, the movie is just Dracula but with some elements changed and a different ending. While the changes are notable and interesting, I didn’t feel like this movie delivered as well as it should have. The production design is incredible and Nicholas Hoult and Bill Skarsgård have excellent performances. However, I personally felt there was a bit of overacting on the part of Willem Dafoe and Lily-Rose Depp. I can understand what they were going for but it just seemed a notch too high here and there.
There is some incredible makeup in the film. And it does deliver a decent sense of dread, especially in the first third of the movie. The middle section drags just a bit. The end of the film does wrap up well and there are some incredibly memorable moments but not all of them work.
The story
Dracula and Nosferatu (2024) share very similar story lines for a good reason. In 1922 a film was made called Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. And it’s a film classic. But it was an unauthorized adaptation of the book. So while the characters in Nosferatu are not named the familiar names of Johnathan and Mina Harker, and Dracula is instead called Count Orlok, the integral elements remain the same.
There is a young solicitor who has to leave his young wife to go to a castle in Transylvania and seal a land contract with the Count who lives there. While there, he is taken prisoner and has to escape to return to his wife. And the young wife seems to be somehow entranced by this count. You basically know how this story goes.
The creature
What I do find interesting about both the original Nosferatu and this one, is the look of our favorite vampire. This is no smooth and beautiful creature who charms women. This is an ugly demonic thing which uses its power to dominate both men and women.
There’s also an added element in the third act of the 2024 version that ups the stakes for not just our heroes but all of society. In my opinion, that was a good change. But it wasn’t enough to make me think this film is superior to other versions of Dracula.
In conclusion
Despite this being a rehashed Dracula, it is an entertaining film. There are some great elements of gore, makeup, and special effects. And the production truly feels like walking into the past. I am looking forward to seeing how director Robert Eggers handles werewolves in his next project.
But I also feel like if you don’t see this one in theaters, you’ll be fine streaming it whenever it gets to a service you have. It’s a good take on Dracula but in my opinion not a great one. I know a lot of people might disagree with me here, and that’s totally fine. It just didn’t fully sell me on it the whole way through. But I do love seeing big and bold horror productions so I hope we get more movies like it. I just hope they can be a tad more original and have a couple performances more grounded in reality.
Vampirically yours,
Slick Dungeon
P.S. Want to see a classic horror film? Check out Dracula (1931)!
Toni Collette and Milly Shapiro star in Hereditary
Hey everyone, Slick Dungeon here. I know I am late to this party but I just watched Hereditary and I’ve got to say it’s one of the best horror films I’ve ever seen. There are going to be some spoilers in this review but I’ll try to keep them mild.
The film is about the Graham family. The family is mourning the loss of the eldest member of the family, Ellen. The film stars Toni Collette as Annie Graham. Gabriel Byrne plays Steve Graham who is married to Annie. Alex Wolfe plays Peter Graham, Annie’s 16 year old son. And rounding out the cast is Milly Shapiro who stars as Charlie Graham. Ann Dowd also has a sizable role as a woman named Joan who befriends Annie.
Any time I see Toni Collette is in a show or movie I know there will be at least one amazing performance. Hereditary has at least five of them. Toni Collette does most of the heavy lifting but the quiet portrayal by Gabriel Byrne, the descent into panic by Alex Wolfe, and the somewhat strange and mysterious performance by Milly Shapiro give the movie weight and build up the tone to perfection.
At the start of the movie, Annie has suffered a complicated loss. It starts at the funeral of her own mother who she clearly had a fraught relationship with. Charlie seems to have been the favored grandchild of Ellen. So Charlie is the only one who is truly missing Ellen.
Annie goes to a support group to understand her complicated feelings and find some community surrounding her mother’s death. At the same time, her relationship with her husband and children are strained. The reason for this becomes more clear later on in the film but the tension is palpable.
And then a sudden event makes things excessively worse for her and every member of her family.
The lead up to the horror here is definitely a slow burn. But once the horror hits, it is relentless. And it’s not just the horror of jump scares or some lunatic running around with a knife. It’s also the horror of tragedy, of mental illness, and of family members not believing or understanding what is happening.
While the film has won its share of awards, it’s nearly criminal this didn’t win any Oscars. It’s the kind of project where this being a horror film makes the nuance of the performance even more necessary.
And the film delivers an absolutely unforgettable ending. There are those who might say the ending is not earned but if you watch it a second time, everything for the ending is set up in the film early on. It’s great not just on a first watch but on a repeat watch.
The movie is not overly gory but there are moments of gore and these characters are dealing with real trauma. For that reason it gets intense. So if that is not for you, stay away from this one. But if you are looking for an absolutely great horror watch, Hereditary is perfect.
Hey everyone, Slick Dungeon here! If you know me, you would consider me a cinephile. I see more films than most people and I like all kinds of genres. So, rarely does a film come along that is surreal, challenging, multi-layered, beautifully shot, and interesting that I have not seen. I can say without a doubt I Saw the TV Glow does all of that. However, there are some big cautions before I recommend it.
This is an A24 psychological horror film about two people who bond over a television show. If tell you much more than that, I will spoil the film. But not everyone will appreciate this one. The movie may very well challenge your patience. To say it is a slow burn is an understatement. There are long pauses and hyper-focusing on mundane events. Yet the surreal aspects in the movie do keep you guessing as to what is real and what is something else.
Overall the film provides a sense of dread and sometimes small bursts of terror but not in the traditional sense of horror. The story itself is multi-layered and the ending can be divisive but I think it works in the long run. There are several interpretations you can take away from the movie but I think, no matter what way you look at it, this film is ultimately about identity. Do we choose to accept who we are or bury ourselves deep in the ground?
The film is also a callback to 90s nostalgia. I think I’m just a little too old to truly appreciate that aspect but I’m young enough to recognize what is going on. If you were into oddball kids shows like Goosebumps in the 90s the show within the movie is going to feel familiar to you.
I can’t emphasize enough that this film expects both your attention and your patience. This is something we’ve almost entirely lost in film lately so I really appreciate it here. But if you are not comfortable with the surreal this may not be for you. And if you need constant action, this film will frustrate. But I promise you, you aren’t going to find a film like it anytime soon.
It’s a bold statement made by true artists. Whether you like that or not is up to you but I hope A24 does continue to allow their creators to take risks and tell us new stories. The more of that we get, the better film in general will be.
Some people will find the ending too abrupt. I admit, I was waiting for some kind of major event to twist things around and it never quite came. But the end they did go with is just as impactful. This is the kind of film that probably needs multiple viewings to be appreciated. And you have to be comfortable with a heavy dose of ambiguity and interpretation. But if you can keep an open mind, you’re in for a unique experience.
Hello everyone, Slick Dungeon here. I’m finally back to do the next entry in my How to play Call of Cthulhu series. This time we’re talking Skills. I’ll go over what they are and how they are used in the game. If you’re new to this game or haven’t seen my earlier posts, start here.
There is an extensive list of skills in the Keeper Rulebook so I won’t be talking about each one individually here. Rather we’re going to talk about the idea of what skills are, some ways they come up in game play, and some things to keep in mind when choosing skills for your investigator.
Skills defined
This will probably sound obvious but a skill is something your character can do. They will have some skills they excel at and others they are very limited in. A taxi driver in New York City might have excellent skill at Drive Auto but would be unlikely to have great skill in Pharmacy. It could happen but it’s just not likely. And it will depend on the background of your character and the circumstances of your campaign.
The skills in the game are represented by a percentage. The higher your investigator’s percentage is in a certain skill, the more likely they are to succeed at any checks made involving that skill. You are limited by the game rules as to how many skills and to what percentage your investigator can have. And you will want to think carefully about what skills would be best to cultivate not only for your investigator but for the era, location, and circumstances of the scenario you are playing in.
Below I will give you the example from the book so you know what skill points mean.
Skill points
On page 54 of the Keeper Rulebook they have a handy chart you can reference if you are not sure how skilled your character is.
Skill points reference chart from page 54 of the Keeper Rulebook by Chaosium
As you can see, it’s advantageous to be higher in any skill you might want to use in the game. But it’s very difficult to be higher than 89% in any particular skill. This wouldn’t be just someone who spent a lifetime honing a skill, they would also be someone who is more of an expert than almost anyone else.
On the opposite end, anyone with 01%-05% has no skill to speak of. When you have a skill this low, you are sometimes able to increase the skill during the game but you have low odds of succeeding on a skill check involving this skill.
The majority of your skills are going to fall somewhere in the middle of this range. There are differing degrees to which you can be successful with these skills. If your skill is above 50% you could make a living at it but you’re not considered a true expert here.
One thing to keep in mind as you are looking at your skills (and that I tended to forget when I first started playing) is that you typically want to roll under your skill percentage to succeed. This is beneficial because the higher percentage you have, the easier it is to succeed. However, progressing in that skill becomes more difficult the higher your percentage is. For example, if you are learning to skateboard and you have never done this before, it’s easy to go from novice to neophyte. But once you become a well known and skilled skateboarder it is much more difficult to go from amateur to professional. And even harder to go from professional to expert.
Skill specializations
Within certain skills there are specializations. For example your investigator might be great at a particular kind of science. Maybe they are a physicist. While a physicist understands science broadly, she isn’t necessarily an expert in biology. The rule book will tell you which group of skills have a specialization. Another example is fighting. You can specialize in certain types of fighting. But if the skill group is specialized you can’t be an expert in that general skill. Our physicist can be an expert in physics but she can’t be an expert in just science in general.
Opposing Skill
For many of the skills listed in the book, there is a section giving guidance about opposing skills and what the difficulty of success is. Let’s go back to our example of the physicist. She wants to conduct an experiment in her lab. She has all of the proper equipment and a hypothesis. She’s up to date on the latest academic research. And she’s got plenty of time to complete the task.
In this situation, the Keeper will likely call for an opposing skill check with a regular difficulty. This means to succeed at her experiment, the player would need to roll equal to or below the skill value of the investigator.
This is a normal experiment where things go well.
Now, let’s take that same example and add some complications. Instead of doing the experiment in her lab, our scientist has found a strange substance in the woods. It’s an area where people have been disappearing and there is no explanation for it. She goes back to her lab but it has burned down. She has some equipment at home and can use her small kitchen for the experiment. This is going to be far more difficult than the first example. This will likely be considered a Hard check by the Keeper. In this case, our investigator has to roll equal to or below half of her skill value. If her skill is 80%, instead of rolling equal to or under 80, she must roll equal to or under 40 to succeed.
Finally, there is an Extreme difficulty. For this, let’s use our example above but add more complications. Now, she’s in her house conducting her experiment but someone set a fire to her house and she has to work fast. In this case the player must roll under one-fifth of her skill value. She has to roll a 16 or less to succeed. Not impossible but very difficult.
Pushing and combining Skills
We’ll get more into this as I dive deeper into game mechanics in a future post but there are sometimes chances to “push” a roll. Basically what it gets down to is when you fail a check there may be circumstances which allow you to roll again. However, as nice as that sounds, there are risks. If you push a roll and then fail again, something even worse than your first failure is likely to happen. It’s a balance knowing when you should push a roll and when you should take the loss. And it’s one of the things that makes the game fun!
Another type of roll you might be asked to make is a combined skill roll. There are two ways this can happen. In the first situation you will roll once but compare your result against two skills. For this result to succeed you have to roll under both skills. If you have a skill with an 80% and one with a 60% and you roll 70 you do not succeed. The second way this can happen is the Keeper may allow you to use one roll and compare the result to either skill. In this example, if you have an 80% in one and a 60% in the other and you roll a 70 you do succeed because you rolled under 80.
This can feel a little awkward at first but as you play it will start to come naturally. And we’ll talk about it more in a later post.
Optional rules
There are some optional rules in the end of chapter on skills in the Keeper Rulebook. These have to do with transferable skills in the specializations and languages. I’m not really going to go into those here. These rules are optional so it’s up to the discretion of the Keeper. What they boil down to is when you become more of an expert in one particular part of your specialization, this might transfer into the skills in the rest of that skill group. It does make sense that someone who already speaks three languages might have less difficulty in understanding a fourth than someone who is monolingual learning a second language. But we’ll leave that up to your Keeper.
In conclusion
Skills in Call of Cthulhu are a huge part of the game and integral to how an investigator operates in the game world. The chapter on skills has a ton of options so it does help to know what the background of your investigator is before even looking in that part of the book. We’ll get more into how they are used as I continue this series.
In the next post I’ll get into some specifics about game play rules, not including combat, chases, sanity, or magic. I’ll touch on each of those subjects with later posts. For now, I hope this helps you to understand skills a bit and I’ll see you next time!
I review a lot of super hero comics on this blog. I love those. But there are so many more comics out there and many of them are worth reading. So, I decided I will be giving some recommendations here on comics worth reading that are not super hero comics. The first is my comic book recommendation – The Goon. It’s created by Eric Powell and has recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. Yet, I hardly see it talked about.
(Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through this post I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you)
What is The Goon about?
The titular Goon is a big tough mob enforcer type who’s just a regular guy. He hangs out with his buddy Franky and knows everyone in town. But there’s a rival gang of zombies who all hate the Goon and want to see him dead.
The stories are full of humor, violence, gore and oddball things like giant squids and fishmen who are also gangsters. There are plenty of gross out moments in the books so if you don’t find that funny or you are too squeamish for some splattery yet cartoonish gore, this won’t be for you.
There are also moments where the series gets some surprisingly touching moments as well. It gets pretty weird too. There are talking chainsaws, people rising from the dead, jokes about inflatable chickens, and just about everything you could imagine in here.
And while the concept is fun and odd and my type of read, what I think really makes it stand out is the utterly incredible artwork. Eric Powell more or less takes his time with this one and for that reason it tends to look amazing. I’ll give you a couple images below so you can see what I am talking about.
See how evocative and moody the above image is? It fully immerses us in the time period of the 1930s and brings up feelings of dread and impending doom. Now contrast that with the wild image below. It’s full of bright colors, over the top action, and quippy humor. Powell is able to straddle styles and fit moods in appropriate places while maintaining high quality artwork. It’s truly amazing to behold.
Hopefully that sells you on reading this but there’s a 25 year backlog of this comic so you might be thinking…
How do I get started?
The nice thing about this series is it’s not too overwhelming. At present there are around 54 issues of the first series of The Goon. The second series has at least 12 issues. But there are some spinoffs and one shots and things like that as well. And there are multiple ways to get started with it. The stories are generally self contained so you can pick up any trade paperback and be at a pretty good starting point. But there is a larger story so it can be fun to start from the beginning.
Here’s a whole guide put together by Trevor Van As with some insightful comments on content warning as well. There are some single issues missing from this as Eric Powell is still making new comics for the series.
While I think the so called, Fancy Pants editions are pretty neat, they have to be purchased on eBay so the price tends to run a bit high.
You could also start with the first trade paperback called The Goon Volume 1: Nothin’ But Misery which collects issues 1-4 plus a short story. This will run you $22 for a physical copy.
But that’s not the best deal because the first omnibus called The Goon: Bunch of Old Crap an Omnibus Volume 1 is just a few bucks more at $35. And it collects four of the trade paperbacks The Goon: Rough Stuff, The Goon: Nothing But Misery, The Goon: My Murderous Childhood, and The Goon: Heaps of Ruination. It’s even cheaper if you get it on Kindle for $10.99.
If ya wanna be a pal, consider using one of the links in this blog when you get it!
In Conclusion
I’ll be recommending more comics here, both superhero and non-superhero so if this one doesn’t float your boat, I’ll probably find one you will like later. But if you like funny comics, horror comics, great art, a bit of crude humor and some mob style enforcers in your stories, plus a healthy dose of weirdness, well, The Goon more than has you covered. And did I mention it has won five Eisner awards? In other words, this is a well regarded comic even among other comic creators.
Give it a read and let me know what you think!
P.S. want to see some of my superhero comic reviews? Take a look at my series on the Marvel 616 comics here!
