Thursday, January 31, 2008

Sangria


I've gotten my share of friends and neighbors sloshed on many occasions. No, I'm not a bartender nor a rich man habitually buying rounds for the house every night. But, what I can do is make killer SANGRIA. I have had many many people over the years ask me to make Sangria for them - and have enthusiastically done so. In fact, I made bathtubs full for my very close friend Andy's wedding several years ago - got about 250 people shit-faced on that hot summer day.

What's the secret? Simple. Don't add things that don't belong and you'll be swell, you'll be great... I go with a simple Castilian recipe taught to me while on my last trip to Spain, in the city pictured above, Fuenterrabia (sadly, 10 years ago - but I'm off to Espana again this spring). That's it. No kiwi, no strawberries, no pineapple, no bastardizing of any sort.

Let's say you want to make a batch for a group of like 5-10 people. Here we go:

1 Lemon
1 Orange
1 Apple
1 Pear (yes, a pear I learned this in the Basque Country)
1/2 "Bout" half a Cup Sugar
1 to 2 Bottles of decent Red Wine (Rioja would be best) but a nice Cabernet, Zin, or Merlot works too.
3-5 Cinnamon Sticks (3 for mild, 5 for bold)

Lastly, you'll need something to cut it with - a two liter of Sprite works nicely. Now then, cut the fruit into thin slices and put them into a punch bowl. Slowly add the wine into the bowl and put the cinnamon sticks in there at this time (if you don't have sticks you can use ground cinnamon, but it's hard to dissolve).
Store this in the refrigerator for at the VERY VERY LEAST 4 to 6 hours. In point of fact, all day is best - proper osmosis occurs after about 7 or 8 hours - this is when it starts to taste unbelievably good. Pull it from the refrigerator and add the sugar and Sprite to taste. Not too much sugar and not too much Sprite - add them slowly, tasting frequently. When you like it - STOP. You're ready to get yourself and your friends drunk - and BUT QUICK, Sangria creeps up super fast. Enjoy damas y caballeros. That is the secret to Fan-Damn-Tastic Sangria - don't fuck with it.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Fear Not Dear Readers


Previously on TRASH-AESTHETICS: I was concerned over the availability of the Don Knotts Scooby-Doo episodes, however - - thanks to my pal Chris, I DID manage to get a hold of "The New Scooby-Doo Movies!!!!" I know that most of you were worried about whether I would track it down or not. I received several urgent emails inquiring - - so no worries fans of Trash Aesthetics, I did in fact make out very nicely. The Don Knotts episodes are PRICELESS - especially when he's doing the Swedish maid - "Inga Shmorgasbord." Well, he's not "doing" her, rather, I should say, impersonating a Swedish maid. Yeah, bit better.

Ahhhhh, priceless

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

VAMPIRA'S FAREWELL

R.I.P MAILA NURMI 1921-2008
It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of a true cultural icon, Maila Nurmi, known to the world simply as VAMPIRA - the world's first Horror Movie Host. I spent much of my teen years (twenty years ago) trying to locate footage from her show, which ran on KABC - channel 7 in Los Angeles, until I found out (years later) that essentially no kinescopes of her show exist, just production stills, promotional stills, marketing ephemera, etc. I grew up with Cassandra Peterson's Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (just the absolute perfect age when she first debuted) but, in truth, I was much more saturated with images of Vampira through lurid ad-mats of movies (Plan 9 From Outer Space), magazines (Famous Monsters, Castle of Frankenstein) and culture in general.

It was wonderful to see Maila back in the limelight (beyond the adoration of cult fans) when Tim Burton helmed the quasi-bio-pic Ed Wood (1994). Ed Wood is one of my absolute all-time favorite films (despite its inaccuracies and despite my on and off relationship to Burtons' works). In fact, you will definitely be seeing it in the ever popular "Gone To Bed" series, I have seen this film many many many many times. Lisa Marie (at the time - dating Burton) starred as Vampira and did a fabulous job. Especially considering Lisa was not a formally trained actress. I don't know what happened to the lovely Lisa Marie - she is obviously no longer with Tim Burton and I don't think she pursued much 0f an acting career outside of Burton's Mars Attacks and Sleepy Hollow. Pity, I think she had natural talent. She was a successful model and is an accomplished musician - - - Hey Lisa, need a shoulder, or someone to commiserate with??? At any rate, she consulted with Maila on how to play the part and succeeded wildly in my opinion.



I truly loved Vampira and am so sorry to see her go. She did have a long roll of the die and I understand she died of natural causes - leaving a resonating and iconic legacy - not to mention - legions of fans. I commissioned artist BUZZ to do a piece for me a few years ago, which is exquisite. The cropped image below doesn't do this wonderful rendering justice. I frequently have BUZZ do pieces for me when he's in town for comic book conventions. Together, we've come up with some saucy and bizarre images. Below however, we wanted to give Maila a majestic, royal night to command. I think we succeeded.



One of my favorite authors, David J. Skal wrote a good deal on Vampira's resonating effect on society in the aftermath of World War II. He spoke of her ability to simultaneously evoke death and beauty - binaries to be sure, but somehow, despite her abject waistline and skull like visage -- Vampira was a vision of beauty. How can this paradox be? Read Skal's wonderful The Monster Show to hear his elaboration of post World War II trauma culture as viewed through they lens of the horror film.


Additionally and fortuitously, Kevin Sean Michaels was able to produce and direct Vampira: The Movie (2007) before Maila Nurmi passed away. This project looks very promising. It includes interviews with the aforementioned David J. Skal, Forrest Ackerman, Sid Haig - etc. I will be purchasing it soon and share my reactions with you. AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! Began Vampira's show. She would slink forward in her Charles Addams outfit until she got right up to the studio camera and would then (she would later claim that she was trying to portray a post-orgasm affect) say seductively and in a spent voice: "Screaming relaxes me so..." Rest now in peace Vampira. Thanks for the memories...

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Girls I Was (and still am) Ga-Ga Over

ROYA MEGNOT

Growing up there dozens and dozens of women that I would fall in and out of love with, and well, I've decided to blog about them. As I find this blog cathartic in many ways (from Gk. katharsis "purging, cleansing," from kathairein "to purify, purge," from katharsos "pure"), I find it nostalgically delicious (like Lucky Charms!) to revisit these pure, simple childhood crushes like - fading photographs in an old family album, scotch-tape stains and all.

Some you'll know, some probably not - but what binds them together (binds them together? There's a thought) for me is the doe-eyed adoration and dedication I showed to each of them. Natalie Wood will always be my hopeless "love" - but, there were many others. Here we go then, the first in a long list of posts I will call... "Girls I was Ga-Ga Over". I'm not crazy about that, too cutesy for me, but I like the alliteration.

Who to start with? I'll dig deep into the "girls I was ga-ga over" bag and pull out (fellow Michigander) ROYA MEGNOT. Oh My my. I was about 14 or 15 when I first encountered cow-eyed, pouty Roya. I fell instantly and madly in love. Roya Megnot is essentially a hybrid/fusion of Phoebe Cates and Jessica Alba and, in a word, gorgeous! I found Roya on ABC's daytime soap "Loving" where she played, wait for it...Ava Rescott Forbes Alden Masters (I think she even married a few more times). Of course, when I found lovely Roya she was still portraying Ava Rescott - pre-social latter climbing, gold-digging, merciless, cunning, manipulative bitch. Oh, she was still a bitch, just a relatively inexperienced one.

Early on, Ava portrayed the archetypal under privileged girl from the wrong side of the tracks, determined to marry rich, plot, scheme, get knocked-up or fake pregnancies, trap men, bloat her bank account, etc. And later on? Well, she merely got good at it. Essentially, I developed a weakness for the mean (but hot) tramp. Roya excelled at it, I mean she was good. At any rate, some other actress replaced her and the public really embraced the new "Ava" while I thought she was a poor substitute (at best).

There is very little on the net on Roya. I've seen jut about everything on her page at imdb which is deceptive, it's a short list of credits (mainly Loving and other television shows) which does not adequately address the demands that are made on a working actor on a daytime soap, which air daily. Pity that her career ends abruptly in the early to mid 90s - I imagine she married and started a family. I love her in the third season of Tales From The Crypt - where she plays a sympathetic love interest to tortured "artist" Tim Roth in "Easel Kill Ya" episode 8, 1991 - fantastic.

I'd love to see her return to the entertainment industry. I imagine she's as lovely and graceful as ever. In the meantime, there's really nothing to do, Loving is not in syndication - perhaps in Europe, I recall seeing some re-runs last time I was in Spain and France, but they were re-runs of the OTHER AVA. I've got the Third Season of Tales From The Crypt - so I can always throw on "Easel Kill Ya" and re-live old crushes. I'll try and alternate the "Gone to Bed" series of posts with the "Girls I'm Ga-Ga Over" posts. Of course, those two concepts frequently intersect when I go to bed to films with girls I was/am ga-ga over. Cheers.