I don't recall the exact year, but it must've been around the early 90's that I first discovered Shocking Images. At the time, there was no such thing as a DVD or if I remember correctly, even eBay. Around that time, I was part of a small writing circle and we'd swap articles/reviews on foreign filmmakers like Argento, Rollin, Franco and Fulci, to name a few. I was interested in foreign horror but had little to my name so I'd swap widescreen dubs of my laser discs for dubs of uncut and import horror. I had newfound friends scattered throughout the US that I'd swap with, and my bootleg collection started to grow...eventually I'd have thousands of tapes.

In addition to swapping, there were those companies that you'd also purchase these dupes from - one such company was Shocking Images. Run by Mark Jason Murray, Shocking Images was more than an import horror film haven though. Mark also offered CD Soundtracks and books, among other collectibles for the horror fan. In addition, Shocking Images boasted having the official fan sites for Dolemite, Jean Rollin and Lucio Fulci. Monsters At Play, though modeled after many similar ventures, holds a place very close to what the original Shocking Images had to offer. If there were no Shocking Images, there very well may have never been a Monsters At Play.

Shocking Images has since changed it's name, and while it still holds an online review/fan site presence...has also moved back into print (something The Monsters have been considering for quite some time). Appropriately renamed Film Fanaddict - Issue #1 hit newsstands a while back, and I was more than happy to take a look.

Issue #1 of Film Fanaddict is an enthusiastically written, fan friendly 'zine - the exact approach The Monsters would take.

Here's what Issue #1 has to offer; An article/review of Shaun of the Dead, a Herschell Gordon Lewis Interview from 1994, a review of ArtsMagic's Takashi Miike's Black Society Trilogy w/ insert capsule reviews for more Miike madness like Bird People In China and Young Thugs, an interview w/ Tura Satana (Faster Pussycat Kill Kill) from 1997 (originally meant for the print version, Shocking Images #7 which never materialized), a retrospective of the Angel Guts series release from Artsmagic and a page of CD reviews.

The 'zine is B&W and while I'm sure budget concerns are high on the list, my one complaint is the cheaper stock paper and newspaper print - keep a handiwipe nearby, you're fingers are going to get a bit dirty. It's a minor quibble; everything else that Issue #1 has to offer is spot on. Intelligent, fan friendly writing that covers all aspects of the genre. From HGL, to zombie movies, to Miike a great mix of films that a genre enthusiast would potentially be into. It's great fun, in this day and age to be able to pick up a 'zine like this with fun articles and loads of ads for suppliers/filmmakers, just like in the good old days. Film Fanaddict is nothing more than a fun throwback to the 'zines of yesteryear, and for that, The Monsters are thankful.

Show your support, visit Film Fanaddict online for more info.