Trash-Aesthetics

Diss is Done

2011-02-23T22:45:00.000-08:00

Dissertation Completed. Hallelujah! Almost three years later, I came out the other end...

Hopelessly and Desperately in Love...

2010-10-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

...with Gillian Jacobs. If you're not watching NBC's Community, you should be.

Gillian's Joke

Next time, go for 75 or 100 years Emmet.

2010-10-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

So, I am sitting here (praying for this tooth ache to subside, can't see the dentist until Tuesday) watching Back to the Future (1985), and I was suddenly struck by a comment that Dr. Emmet Brown just made.

Before I get to that, let me say that I was 15 years old in 1985. I was in high school and certainly was pretty aware of current events and the world around me. Not saying I UNDERSTOOD a whole lot of these events, but I was aware of them.

SO, right before the time travel snafu that spins the story into its major conflict, Doc says that he wants to go 25 years into the future and behold civilization's great advancements.

Hmmm. It suddenly dawned on me... That's right now. 1985 to 2010, according to my math (which speaking of high school was a failed subject more than once) is twenty five years.

Well, dear Emmet. Behold! Jack-shit has changed. Oh sure, many things have changed, no doubt. But, fundamentally, we're still the same bickering, noisy, polarized bunch of twits (congress anyone?) we've been since... a very long time now.

Next time Doc, shoot for 75 to 100 years and Maybe, just MAYBE, you'll get a pleasant surprise.

Good To Be Back

2010-05-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Forgive my long absence from this blog. This blog has been, and continues to be, an important outlet for impulses that are not always sanctioned though other channels. In other words, I can bitch and rant and rave and gush and boo hoo and applaud anything I damn well choose here, at my blog. It has also been a conduit through which I have made several friends - they're listed just below and to the right on my blogroll. Talented and generous amigos all.

After visiting the page with a pretty special person today, I realized I had to get back to some occasional posting. Trash Aesthetics has helped me over the years and I've neglected it in favor of more pressing work. Priorities can be a bitch...

I've been writing for the last year and a half a large project. It's been a long haul and this project continues to taunt me - but I am about 3/5ths done; light is showing at the end of this long tunnel.

So, while I don't have anything major to say tonight about anything in particular, I am SAYING that I will shortly. I've got some usual bugs up my ass about things here and there that I cannot keep bottled up forever. Or, I just may need to get back to some of my usual columns here at T and A that I love(d). Gone to Bed - Girls ga ga, and so forth.

All the best, Your Proprietor
Chick Young xoxo

Still Fishin'

2009-10-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

Still "Fishing" - but not for much longer. Back with a new post soon. Happy October!!

Gone Fishin'

2009-06-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of activity around here lately. I'm on a grant to write full-time right now. As a result, I am writing seven days a week to get as much done as humanly possible - sadly this leaves little time or energy for my blog. I'll be back soon however with some light posts - like the "It's 'fill in celeb here' Day" In fact, I've been thinking a lot lately that it needs to be "Wendy James" day around here or maybe Cathy Moriarty day. What I really want to do is write a review of "I Desire" as promised to a good mate in England (who sent me a copy all the way from England), but all my powers of criticism are focused on something else right now. Suffice it to say, until I get to that review properly, I loved it! I am however, I think, MORE nostalgic than my amigo in the U.K., who is incidentally the same age as yours truly. For now then, à tout à l'heure!

Your host and proprietor, Chick Young

xxoo

Draculas, Vampires, and Other Undead Forms

2009-05-04T19:23:00.001-07:00

I got a copy of the book (Draculas, Vampires, and Other Undead Forms - Essays on Gender, Race and Culture) I published a chapter in - it arrived a few days ago and am absolutely thrilled to find it a fantastic read. Every chapter is well-written, informative and rhetorically vigorous. I am especially enjoying a chapter on one of my favorite (and criminally neglected) Hammer films, Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972). And, it is indeed nice to see one's own chapter finally hit the presses... Our editors - Dr. Kay Picart and John Edgar Browning did a fantastic job, every contributor delivered a great chapter and Scarecrow Press published a very handsome book. This pub came on the heels of another honor - getting a picture of me included in Carlos Aguilar and Anita Haas' latest and very excellent publication - the book "Eugenio Martin - Un Autor Para Los Generos" which I have already read cover to cover. I had a great time interviewing Eugenio last October and am grateful to Carlos and Anita for including me in their most excellent new book and for sending me a copy (all the way from Madrid). I can gladly now return the favor and send you a copy of my recent publication.

So, if you don't mind a shamefull plug (trust me, I don't see a dime!), I think that Draculas, Vampires and Other Undead Forms is a really great read for those who love Vampires. I imagine a trade paperback will come out sometime in the not too distant future, but the hardcover is NICE.

Next up, a review of I, Desire when I can find a minute or two. Grading finals for four classes is munching all available time...

10 Favorite Film Characters

2009-04-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

The Task: Make a list of 10 of your favorite film characters.

Sure - as Rodney Dangerfield says in "Back to School" - "piece of cake!" Thank God this doesn't say ALL-TIME favorite film characters - as that would be very difficult if not impossible. When you've seen thousands and thousands of films it's hard enough to pick 10 random favorites, let alone all-time favorites...

Actually, I decided to play it pretty basic and simple here. I just...well, I just thought of 10 random and immediate characters that I loved for some particular reason or another and started to look for pictures of them. I won't go into great detail after each selection - some may require no explanation at all. This was very fun and actually not as complicated as I thought it would be. The trick was to just go with first thoughts, if I started to refine and cultivate a list, oh boy, that would be another story altogether!

Ard as portrayed by actor Martin Lavut
Heavy Metal (1981)

The single most bitchy, sarcastic animated character ever. That sly, effeminate, brilliant Ard. "Guards, castrate him..." "If you refuse, you die; she dies; everybody dies." "Norl" The Loc-Nar is mine! - Stupid bitch! Get away from me! - Give it to me! - The Loc-Nar is mine! It's my Loc-Nar."

Ramona as portrayed by Cathy Moriarty
Neighbors (1981)

If you have seen this film then I don't think I need to go into any explanation with Ramona. If you haven't, tsk tsk. GET ON THAT.

Chick Young and Wilbur Gray as portrayed by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
- Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

I can't say that I'd want to pal around with Chick and Wilbur all the time, but every now and then would be a hoot! Especially at Masquerade Balls!

Lawrence Woolsey as portrayed by John Goodman
Matinee (1993)

Clearly based off of legendary producer, director William Castle, Matinee's Lawrence Woolsey (beautifully realized by Goodman) is a real sentimental favorite of mine. He tells it like it is and with a great deal of insight and fatherly wisdom. What a mentor he is in this film! Keep your eyes open he advises us - don't cover them up during the scary parts. His parable of the first horror film (much like Plato's Cave) is a bit of movie magic genius.

Maximus Decimus Meridius as portrayed by Russell Crowe
Gladiator (2000)

"Strength and Honor." That's Goddamn right.

Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo "Tracy" as portrayed by Diana Rigg
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

I'll never ever forget the first time I saw this film. I was about 9 or 10 years old and had already seen EVERY bond film save this one. I was watching it by myself over Christmas break. I was wrapped up good and tight on that cold December night, drinking hot chocolate, loving this film. And, when James Bond proposed marriage - in that little shack - with those beautiful lines of dialogue - man, I was having one of my major cinema moments, seriously. A very special, one on one moment with this film. As you might guess then, I cried when the film ended and was depressed for a few days after... "We have all the time in the world."

Rev. Frank Scott as portrayed by Gene Hackman
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

A Fightin' Priest! God save Gene Hackman, in my opinion - America's greatest living actor. "Get on your knees and pray for forgiveness?" "I said I was gonna get everybody out of here and Goddamit I'm gonna do it!" "We have to go UP!" Hackman can do more with a potential throwaway line than anybody. Period.

Salvatore Di Vita as portrayed by Jacques Perrin
Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Quiet, still, understated. Perrin's facial expressions blow you away. He's amazing. The most sentimental, nostalgic film about films of all-time. If someone doesn't get weepy at the end of this film, don't trust them! They're inhuman.

Professor Fate as portrayed by Jack Lemmon
The Great Race (1965)

Those who know me well, and I mean WELL, know that this was my favorite film of all-time for decades. Professor Fate is, quite simply, my favorite Jack Lemmon character. "Push the button Max!"

Frank Galvin as portrayed by Paul Newman
The Verdict (1981)

"So much of the time we're just lost. We say please God, tell us, what is right, what is true. And there is no justice. The rich win, the poor are powerless. We become tired of hearing people lie, and after a time we become dead. ... We think of ourselves as victims, we become victims. We become, we become weak. ... "In my religion, we say act as if you had faith. ... If we are to have faith in justice, we need only to believe in ourselves. ... I believe there is justice in our hearts."

Never do you root for a Paul Newman character MORE than in the very brilliant (and my favorite) Paul Newman performance and film - Sydney Lumet's masterstroke, The Verdict.

Well, there ya have it. Ten quick gut reactions. I'm actually quite proud of this post. It took almost no time to put together (except for the Cathy Moriarty and Ard stills which I had to grab from their respective DVDs). It was put together quickly and I like my choices. If this HAD BEEN 10 ALL TIME favorites, I would've been screwed (I did have number 10 ready to go though - Robert Shaw's "Quint" from Jaws). And lastly, if my friend Taliesin should be reading - our review of I, Desire is coming up very soon!

I wasn't tagged in this meme - rather I saw it on some blogs and, on the spur of the moment, decided to join in. So, I can't in good conscience tag anyone else. However, should you want to participate - let me know you did with a tag back or comment. Cheers!

R.I.P. Marilyn Chambers

2009-04-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

R.I.P. - MARILYN CHAMBERS
1952 - 2009

How Sad.

Still Very Much in Love with Christina Lindberg

2009-04-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yours Truly and the amazing Christina Lindberg

This past Saturday night was very special. Over the years, as my career has blossomed, I've been lucky enough to spend quality time with many motion picture actors and directors. This has been facilitated by my good friends at Synapse Films, Jerry Chandler and Don May Jr, and my good friend, the historian, scholar and author Carlos Aguilar. Don and Jerry flew in the legendary Swedish actress, model, publisher, and popular culture icon, Christina Lindberg and her friend, promoter and Klubb Super 8 founder, Rickard Gramfors. This is indeed a rare occurrence - Christina retired from the industry many years ago to go onto a very successful career in aviation publishing. Her appearance at this year's Cinema Wasteland convention was THE cult cinema event of the year. Christina was constantly occupied. CONSTANTLY. Her popularity has not lessened or diminished in any way over the last thirty years - on the contrary, she has more legions of fans than she could possibly imagine. But more on that later. One fan, in particular, had driven from Florida for 20 hours STRAIGHT just to see her and get her autograph before returning back to Florida. Now, that is devotion. Speaking of devotion, check out this tattoo -

CINEMA WASTELAND, APRIL 2009

After the con shut down for the evening at 7pm, a small party of us went to a nice local restaurant to have dinner and relax. Rickard had asked, "would you like to sit next to Christina?" A rhetorical queston... What followed was a lovely time and what is and what will remain a very sweet and cherished memory.

Christina's trademark - no smile.

In fact, it is VERY difficult to find pics of Christina smiling. I've got a good little behind the scenes pic of Christina on the set of Thriller having a cigarette and coming close to a full-on smile, but not quite (at left). We talked of many matters. Since she had been answering questions about films all day, I steered the conversation more towards aviation, travel, culture, my times in Europe, etc. But, we did talk about Thriller, A Cruel Picture (a.k.a They Call Her One Eye) - she had a lot to say about the making of that film! Some great behind the scenes stories...

Thriller - A Cruel Picture (1974)

For me however, there was a very touching, tender moment. Christina had told me that she was VERY shy when she was young and still shy to this day (a few minutes later, I bore witness to this). When talking about travel, Rickard, Christina and I had a lovely discussion about Japan and the two films Christina made while living in Japan. I told them I had just published a chapter in a book that dealt with three Japanese Vampire films from the same period when Christina was living there. Rickard commented that perhaps a retrospective on Swedish Exploitation with Tokyo playing host would be a really good idea. Christina was very interested and had admitted that she had not been back to Japan since she left in the 1970s. A few moments later, after we had changed the topic slightly, Christina touched my arm lightly and asked "They are still interested in me in Japan?" The humility and vulnerability in her voice was genuine and very moving. I responded, "Yes. They are. Very much so." That moment branded itself in my memory and is what I remember most from our evening. What a remarkable woman.

Film Historian, Distributor, and Promoter - Rickard Gramfors
(Taken by Christina while I was giving her instructions - hence my weird, Hanson Brother face)

Christina Lindberg!

Always a good time in Cleveland

Christina and Don May Jr.

Our small dinner party had to break up as Christina's cult film "Anita" was playing (on a remarkable 35 mm print English dubbed print) at the major cineplex next door for a midnight showing, which Christina and Rickard were introducing. I headed back to the hotel and chilled with me droog Fred for a bit and then hit the road back to Detroit, with a perma-smile that is still plastered across my face. Thank you Christina Lindberg, Rickard Gramfors, and especially to my good friends Jerry Chandler and Don May Jr. for making this possible. You guys are the best.

Universal - Classic Monsters Montage

2009-04-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

I ripped this Universal Logo Montage from my Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) dvd.

This was the montage that was cut together for this first wave of Universal Classic Monsters dvd's - long since out of print.

I get a lump in my throat every time I watch it. I wanted to share it with you as I find it timeless and beautiful. It's MY WORLD. Please have a look - it's very short.

Recognition is Always Nice

2009-04-01T20:35:00.001-07:00

“The Dardos Award is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.”

I was awarded this very flattering award by my friend Taliesin of Taliesin Meets the Vampires (the greatest blog on all things vampire - full stop). I humbly accept this award and in the spirit it was given pass it on to some bloggers (some of whom may already have this award) who have made a constant and steady difference in my life. One is requested to pass on this award to five people who you feel embody the nature and spirit of this award. As such, to my friends:

Gilligan - who always leaves me a thought provoking comment or word of thanks and whose Retrospace is very often the highlight of a given day

Bill - my amigo in China whose Uranium Cafe always spellbinds. His new podcasts are even more illuminating - please keep them coming! Bill is the older brother I once had.

Ed - a good personal friend whose blog, though still young, is flourishing at a steady clip and providing me with a great deal of expertise on all things Hong Kong. Find him at Teresa Mak & Other Hong Kong Actresses

Erik - Another good personal friend and comrade in arms in our never ending doctoral endeavors. You can read all about Erik's Memorable Fancies

And lastly, to Joe - who inspired me to set up this blog in the first place. Joe, like yours truly, does not post as often as he would like, but when he is inspired to do so - you should take note. Joe, like his blog title, is Always Returning to my blog with many kind things to say.

There are many more of you (you know who you are) who I would like to share this with - and in fact I DO. These are just a few shout outs that I felt needed mentioning...

Cheers and thanks for reading my crap.

A Small, But Representative Sampling

2009-04-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

1980

Wanna go for a ride on my time machine? If so, read on, and buckle up cuz we're going 29 years back. Yes, grab your Jack Nicholson butcher knife, Olivia Newton John roller skates, and of course, ol' Billy Barool (Billy, Billy, Billy...) as we take a look at several months worth of releases from the year, our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty.

So, what exactly am I getting at in this blog post? Well, I was gathering data for a large project and stumbled across a listing of release dates, by week, of some major films spread across various studios during these months. The thing is - I've seen every single one of these film, some dozens of times and many at the theaters in 1980. And, it struck me. Motherfucker, that's some list of films.

So impressive in fact that it got me thinking just how much less we appear to demand from our culture industry "these days." Now, granted, that's not saying much, but look at the partial list of films below and, well, you be the judge. Not a bum film in the lot as far as I'm concerned.

Also granted, I'm looking at this list of films through the perhaps "corrective" lens of 29 years. So, just how much of this is nostalgia and how much of it is valid is debatable. However, I saw many of these films in the theater at the time of their release and the rest within a year or two later - on home video, on "ON TV", or on network television and I loved every single one of them. I ask you, when was the last time we had a four or five month stretch that read like this?

Friday, February 08th 1980
"American Gigolo"
"Cruising"
"The Fog" (saw in theater)
"Midnight Madness"

Friday, February 15th 1980
"Caligula"
"Saturn 3"

Friday, February 29th 1980
"Don't Answer The Phone"
"Foxes"

Friday, March 07th 1980
"Coal Miner's Daughter"

Friday, March 14th 1980
"Defiance"

Friday, March 21st 1980
"Forbidden Zone"
"Little Darlings" (saw in theater at least twice)

Friday, March 28th 1980
"The Changeling"(saw in theater)
"Don't Go In The House"

Friday, May 09th 1980
"Friday the 13th"
The Nude Bomb" (saw in theater)

Friday, May 16th 1980
"Breaker Morant"
"Fame"
"The Long Riders"

Friday, May 23rd 1980
"The Shining" (saw in theater)

Friday, May 30th 1980
"Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!)" (saw in theater)
"The Hollywood Knights"

Friday, June 06th 1980
"Up the Academy" (saw in theater)
"Urban Cowboy" (saw in theater)

Friday, June 13th 1980
"Mad Max"
"The Island"
"Wholly Moses!"

Friday, June 20th 1980
"The Blues Brothers" (saw in theater)
"Brubaker"

Friday, June 27th 1980
"The Stunt Man"

Wednesday, July 02nd 1980
"Airplane!" (saw about 4 or 5 times in theater)
"Alligator"

Friday, July 04th 1980
"The Blue Lagoon"

Friday, July 11th 1980
"My Bodyguard" (saw in theater)
"Oh! Heavenly Dog"
"Used Cars" (saw in theater)

Friday, July 18th 1980
"The Big Red One"
"Cheech & Chong's Next Movie"
"Honeysuckle Rose"
"Prom Night"

Friday, July 18th 1980
"Caddyshack" (saw at theater at least twice)

Friday, August 01st 1980
"Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" (saw in theater)
"The Final Countdown" (saw in theater)

Friday, August 08th 1980
"Xanadu" (saw in theater at least twice)

Some of my favorite movies of all-time (as well as most beloved by the public) are in this short and modest list. Caddyshack? The Blues Brothers? The Shining? Friday the 13th? Airplane? Mad Max? Caligula? Not to mention total cult faves like Little Darlings, The Final Countdown, The Long Riders, The Stunt Man and Xanadu. What the fuck do we get nowadays? For me, it amounts to a film I feel like seeing every two or three months and one that I actually go to every 4.

At any rate - if I dug up this time capsule and found these many reels of film, were I a cultural anthroplogist, I might conclude that - well I think you know what I would conclude...

I don't belong here - I belong there. Sure could use me a Tardis.

Best Review... EVER

2009-03-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

"Best Review, Ever"

Just a quick note today: The IMDB forums are always a wildly mixed-bag of citizen journalism; from insane off-topic conspiracy theories to the occasional serious-minded criticism. With that in mind, I have to say that this is my all-time favorite review from a registered viewer. I just don't think it gets any better than this - Regarding the brilliant "The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligans Island", one reviewer wrote:

Even Better than the Novel!

"This movie is incredible! Amazing! It had everything! It is truly shocking that it was a made for TV production, it has epic blockbuster written all over it. Name it and this movie has it. The Harlem Globetrotters, greedy developers, Gilligan, Mary-Ann, The Professor, The Skipper, the millionaire and his wife, the rest, tourists, basketball in an exotic Caribbean location....... this movie has everything! EVERYTHING! ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING! You should be grateful, very grateful, that we get entertainment such as this. The world is good."

Without question, I deem this review capsule "Best Review Ever." It's irrelevant to me whether the sarcasm is because this person truly loves this or is just having some fun. It's a bit of both to me and I love him/her for it!

I love my Gilligan's Island and with this in mind I give the following sidenote. I was watching Who Wants to be a Millionaire? just two nights ago and one of the easy, piece o' cake early questions was: "What character was the 'movie star' on Gilligan's Island? Of course, "Ginger Grant" was among the four choices and the contestant, a young woman in her, say, mid 20's was completely frickin' clueless. Meredith Viera kidded her that "c'mon this is easy" to which the young lady said, I'm prettty sure that this show was on before I was born - to which Meredith, feeling the victim of agism, gave the camera a "thanks a helluva lot ya little brat" look.

Ya know, the previous 4.5 billion years happened "before I was born" but that doesn't mean that I don't want to know a little something about them. Even if this was just a stupid bit of 'pop culture' icon trivia, I felt Meredith's pain... Ultimately, she had to poll the audience, 99% of whom told her who it was. You'd think on a television show that is all about pop culture trivia, a contestant wouldn't pull the "before my time" bit. Wow. Why do I constantly feel so out of touch with the generations that came after me?

Favorite Endings...

2009-03-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

Probably my favorite ending of any movie in the last twenty years is Noah Baumbach's Kicking and Screaming. I LOVED this movie. It was exactly about "me" when it came out (1995) - I was in the exact same place as the central characters, a quarter of a century old, a bachelor's in hand, the ability to think deeply about seemingly important matters but completely impotent at attending to them, not a farthing of wisdom, and a personal and professional compass that was impervious to magnetism - in other words... stuck.

The film centers around, among other things, a relationship between protagonist Grover (Josh Hamilton) and Jane (one of my favorite actresses, the lovely- Olivia D'abo, at left). The story is intentionally fragmented and disjointed - told in flashbacks and in the present. It is a beautifully realized relationship and it is expertly revealed to us, aided by remarkable dialogue and sparkling performances by the two leads. We are given bits and pieces of the many stages of their relationship (all the while knowing that Jane is currently in Prague) just as we are given bits and pieces of a telephone message that Jane has left from Prague. A message Grover can't really muster up the courage to listen to in its entirety. This propels us to the film's daring, original, and sentimental conclusion. I can watch it over and over and over and over...

Clearly, it is not my intent to discuss the ending - just to say that it is one of my favorite endings of all time and certainly claims the top spot for the last two decades at least. Can't recommend this film enough - especially should you find yourself at "Bachelor's End."

Cinematic Perfection: The ending of Kicking and Screaming

Who Watches the Watchmen? Mostly Idiotic Movie Reviewers...

2009-03-12T18:49:00.001-07:00

My good friend Erik and I went to see The Watchmen yesterday. Erik has written his initial, sort of knee-jerk, reactions (which are beautifully realized for only having an hour or two to digest the film). I have my own of course - but rather than discuss the film, I'd like to talk about something on which a portion of film studies is based - and that's reception.

I concur with my friend on all of his points. But, something bothers me greatly about The Watchmen. It has nothing to do with the film per se - it has to do with the general reception of the film. I'm confounded by the wishy washy, iffy, tentative, "you should pass on this one" reviews that I have encountered. Now, I have said over and over that I could give a rat's ass for movie reviewers and to this I emphatically hold. But, as we walked out into the bright sun yesterday, I remember saying to Erik that there seemed to be, to me at least, an odd similarity between one of the film's storylines (namely that the people of the world weren't ready for a particular truth regarding the outcome of the plot) and the reception of the film to date (only a week I know). I thought that perhaps The Dark Knight would have - to a degree - primed mainstream audiences for a certain amount of intellectual craft in their superhero films. The genius of The Watchmen lay in its adult (i.e., sophisticated) treatments of sometimes complicated plot and story elements - I felt that this SHOULD have been a major selling point. Here is a thinking man's superhero film. Here's The Thin Red Line vs. Saving Private Ryan. But therein lies the rub - for just as The Thin Red Line was unjustly maligned as "boring", "stupid", and "it sucked" by the popcorn gobbling masses - so too is The Watchmen receiving such witless/idiotic criticisms. What it comes down to is this: I think that The Watchmen is too smart for the average viewer and too slippery for your average critic. Just like the citizens aren't ready for a truth, the viewers of the film can't handle an intellectual superhero movie (Ang Lee's The Hulk befell the same fate). Well, what can one expect from a brilliant, ground-breaking 12 issue mini-series that is a treatise on the cruelty of human existence. SO, for the record, I thought The Watchmen was magnificent. But, I'm not done quite yet.

Alan Moore's guest spot on the Simpsons a few years ago predicted somewhat accurately the mainstream reception of The Watchmen. Too complicated - Watchmen Babies would have required less thought...

Do these whiny reviews of The Watchmen (one, in particular, claimed that the reviewer looked at his watch three and half times during the film, a valid criterion apparently of "good" and "bad", but at least it was his wristwatch [an icon of the film] and not his damned cell phone) in some way confirm or at least lean towards an affirmation that intellectualism is indeed very dead today? Erik pointed out that one "critic" claimed the film to be "dated" or "embalmed" in the 80s. What the fuck does that mean? Uhm, It takes place in the 80s. Is that really a valid criticism anyways? Gee, Glory feels dated, a little too "Civil War" for my tastes. I am certain that he was probably referring to the idea that thermo-nuclear war is just so "yesterday." Now what this film needs is a terrorist threat - yeah, the film would have resonated far more if there was a terrorist threat! PLEASE. Terrorism is NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING compared to nuclear war (one of the valid reasons the world polices nuclear proliferation - terrorists really shouldn't have those... but then again - who should?). There is nothing to terrorize in the aftermath of nuclear strikes...

The Watchmen dramatizes an age old dialectic of man vs. nature (a common theme in Moore's work and a common theme to many of the finest literature, cinema and philosophy of the last two centuries). The idea that human beings can harness the very energy of the sun is the greatest philosophical mind-fuck in history. As Eisenhower said - "from the musket to the small cannon to the hydrogen bomb in a single life-time" - well, that's moving pretty quick folks. This dialogue of man overpowering nature, taming nature is central to Moore's work - "If nature were to shrug or to merely raise her eyebrow then we should all be gone..." Have a look below at the 4:19 mark below to about the 9:00 minute if you please (thanks).

Richard Corliss of Time magazine said "...this Watchmen is more like a swatch-man." and I prefer not to hazard for sure what exactly that means, but I have an idea and I don't think it's too flattering. He also offered "It certainly contains its share of popcorn breaks: hit the concession stand whenever Dan and Laurie start their mooning." Wow, that's just harsh. To be fair, Corliss found some things to admire, but like most reviews I read - The Watchmen got DOGGED. I guess, according to the majority of reviews I peeked at, the world needs more shallow entertainment. So, Catwoman II anyone?

Apparently, nuclear destruction has "dated badly" (according to an NPR review)

The film receives the coveted highest ranking: The Klinger Statue of Liberty. Reserved for films that are of considerable significance in advancing the art of cinema - or at least that's the case in this man's humble opinion.

It's Shirley Manson Day!

2009-02-21T18:13:00.000-08:00

No time these days for my home away from home - my Trash Aesthetics... Too much happening, but I will try to occasionally get something up. Speaking of which - IT'S SHIRLEY MANSON DAY!

I love Shirley Manson. I would take the time and actually make this a love letter to her, but as previously stated, I am short on time these days... However, should she ever drop by Trash Aesthetics and would actually like to hear said letter - well Shirley, just give us a wink then. Kinda like this:

I always felt that Garbage was one of the more relevant bands of the 90s (and today). Around the time that alternative went mainstream Garbage came on the scene and did so with such grand style and talent that you HAD to stand up and take notice. Not to mention that this band's Scottish vocalist simply commanded your gaze. She was and (my oh my) still is so lovely and talented... Longevity and talent. A real library of great songs to this band, one of which has always been very important to me.

I'm Only Happy When it Rains is a masterpiece of a song. The phrase "Pour your misery down on me" is one of my favorite lyrics of all time. In any language it is poetic and certainly a powerful signifier. Pour - Your - Misery - Down - On - Me

The phrase in relation to the context of the song, and the WAY in which Shirley sings it GETS ME EVERY TIME - have a listen:

Amazing. Truly. That was in 2007 I think.

So, I love Shirley in Garbage, this much is clear. But wait! There's more! Beautiful and talented right - so she must be a total bitch or ego-maniacal or both or whatever stereotype should be by extension associated. Don't think so. She's very well-spoken, intelligent, giving of her time and energy to many causes, and self-effacing with the proper amounts of humility and confidence. In all the years I've had Shirley on my radar, she has exhibited true class while skirting the blender blades of the entertainment industry. I just love her. Marry Me Shirley!

Shirley has an incredible sense of humor and she has without doubt THE GREATEST LAUGH I have ever heard. GOD BLESS Craig Ferguson - who gets her to laugh constantly in this hilarious clip from his show. Two Scots - having a great time (okay, one former Scotsman - Craig would make a big deal out of that). Shirley is hilarious herself and I could watch these two all night - but my God, that laugh of hers. Could anyone ever truly tire of that?

And lastly, multi-talented Shirley has some very decent chops as an actress. I am loving her performance on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. For those who are not in the know - she plays a T-1000 (yup, one of them liquid metal cyborgs). Yup.

Ah, to be the lucky man who gets to listen to Shirley Manson laugh.

Gotta run. Be back in the near future with a post on Cathy Moriarty - All the best, Chick Young XXOO.

Alain Delon et Qui?

2009-02-13T13:38:00.001-08:00

Could use a little help on this one. Does anyone know who the girl is in this photograph with Alain Delon? I have a few guesses, but...

Happy New Year - R.I.P. 2008

2008-12-31T13:49:00.000-08:00

Well, another calendar year rapidly winds down. Wow, what a year. I'm going to just talk about frivolities briefly here because if I wanted to talk about the more serious issues and stories of this year - I wouldn't be able to hit "Publish Post" for another two weeks. I'm grateful for a healthy and productive year and look forward to 2009. Last year I wrote that 2008 would hopefully promise good things in the name of:

Conferences - That's a Check

Research in Spain - That's a Check

The first draft of a doctoral dissertation - Nope, but the first CHAPTER is coming along.

I also wished that my family would maintain its health and that my friends prosper in the new year and "That's basically a Check" too. As for media musings, apart from my never ending quest to recapture my childhood through nostalgic television viewing. The two things that brought me the greatest pleasure this year were...

1) - The Re-launch of FUTURAMA (which technically began in late 07') which has given us three feature length movies that are superior to the majority of films (in my opinion) in your local cineplex.

2) - My other major love affair this year was with the excellent 30 Rock. And why oh why is it that the shows that I love so much are always such a tough sell to others (even with all the Emmy's it racked up)?

As of now, I am still in love with:

The Simpsons South Park Supernatural The Majority of NPR shows and some other stuff I am sure, but let's keep this post manageable.

The only major divorce this year was with:
Smallville - but who knows, maybe I'll tune in again one day...

Right then, Happy New Year to you all. May it be a damn sight better than the old one.

New Year's Aboard the S.S. Poseidon

Miss Tessmacher!!!!!

2008-12-23T16:10:00.001-08:00

Where for art thou Valerie Perrine?

Hazardous Load - Indeed

A Great Moment

2008-12-20T22:03:00.000-08:00

I am really captivated by this photograph. The still photographer for "This Property is Condemned" (I'm guessing it's Bob Willoughby, but haven't confirmed this) has captured an incredible moment, which of course is the set photographer's job, but that doesn't necessarily follow that "incredible" is what they'll come up with. I collect a lot of photography books - especially as they relate to Hollywood.

I've always been a big fan of this film. Having first seen it as a child (which, if you listen closely, you can still hear it whizzing over my head) I didn't come to appreciate its adult themes until, well, I was an adult. I love how intently Natalie is listening to whatever the late great Sydney Pollack is saying. Whether it is "You're right, craft services did a bang up job with the tuna fish" or "I think you should consider playing a beat between your last two lines in this scene" - it really doesn't matter. I would have given anything to have her look at me at all, much less so attentively. Robert Redford also has a very fixed look on his face. Natalie and Redford were very close friends - in fact he credits her with much of his early fame. He narrates a TCM piece "Robert Redford on Natalie Wood" which I include here.

But, perhaps the most interesting portion of the frame is the background. The miles of cable, the tools of the industry, the very stoic looking Charles Bronson - looking every inch a walking billboard of Neo-Marxist proletariat ideology. He is dressed in classic proletariat hammer and sickle attire and seems closer in proximity and aesthetic to the tools of labor than the foregrounded director and lead actors of the film. Yes, it's fair to say that I love this photograph. Hope you find it of interest too.

Top 20 Favorite Actresses & HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2008-12-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

Firstly, Chick Young would like to wish you all a joyous, safe, and merry holiday season. Have a cup of human kindness on me! Hiiiiidy Hooo!!

Now then, there's been a meme going around to name your favorite 20 actresses. Although I haven't been tagged yet - I believe that it's only a matter of time. So, I've decided to join in and throw my two cents into the lot. This list is built from actresses whom I consider (for whatever reasons) to be my "favorite." A comprehensive, exhaustive list is neither attempted nor recommended. The following actresses are not listed by any "measurable" criteria other than my own personal tastes. The list is not in order of preference, with the exception being the number one spot, which while I am alive, will always belong to Natalie...

Natalie Wood

Audrey Hepburn

Raquel Welch

Ava Gardner

Barbara Stanwyck

Teresa Gimpera

Rita Hayworth

Edwige Fenech

Joanne Whalley

Angelina Jolie

Cyd Charisse

Sharon Tate

Joan Collins

Barbara Steele

Soledad Miranda

Emmanuelle Vaugier

Julie Newmar

Elsa Martinelli

Rita Moreno

Joan Fontaine

And in keeping with the season, why not add a few Honorable Mentions of a few actresses that I would have loved to have added - and so I did. Special thanks to Dr. Macro for many of these high quality and amazing scans.

Anne Gwynne

Christina Lindberg

Sondra Locke

Gale Sondergaard

Fran Jeffries

Chelo Alonso

Laura Elena Harring

Thanks for taking the time to stop by. Happy Holidays from:

- The Proprietor and Management of Trash Aesthetics.

Chick Young

xx-oo

R.I.P. Bettie Page

2008-12-12T06:46:00.000-08:00

1923-2008

I am profoundly saddened at the loss of this incredible woman. She has been in my mind's eye since I was a small child. The world will miss and grieve Bettie, but she will live on forever.

Spain - Day Five

2008-12-10T17:09:00.000-08:00

The Incredible Toledo - Just South of Madrid (photo: Wiki)

DAY FIVE

Firstly, click on that picture above - it's magnificent. Now then, as I said at the tail-end of the last post (DAY FOUR), I fell asleep quite late as was the custom by then and after about 2 hours of sleep, BAM! (btw, that's a Chef Elzar BAM!) - the phone went off. I thought it was my usual wake-up call, but was very pleasantly surprised to hear the voice of my former student and friend on the other end (the one who phoned while I was out, from the previous post don't ya know). "Wake up!" she exclaimed. I was truly dusting cobwebs out of my head - but eventually got on the trolley. "When the hell you coming down to Madrid? I'm only here a few more days." "Slight problem," she said, "I'm in Istanbul." "Istanbul eh?" I was not surprised. CNN had sent here there to oversee news activities as her Turkish (and French) are fluent - "Well then, I suspect you won't be rolling into Madrid anytime soon..." And so we wrapped for a good half hour, she had to get to work and I slept a bit more. She's really has amassed some significant accomplishments. In fact, I just got off the phone with her - and wow, she packed her bags in Istanbul and hurried to Mumbai to cover the tragic terrorist bombing and then finally headed back to Paris and then she is ultiamtely now in London. Talk about serious globetrotting! She has truly blossomed and I am most proud of her.

Well, after my shower, breakfast and such it was off to the Ministry of Culture. My time at the Ministry Filmoteca was always well-spent and memorable. Not a soul spoke English there, so my Spanish skills were consistently put to the test and I am happy to report that I got by just fine. There were times, I am sure, where I probably was sounding a bit like Tarzan, but overall there were no problems. I spent a good 90 minutes going over press release kits, marketing ephemera, publicity stills, office memoranda, and so on, photocopying and selecting stills to be scanned at a high quality for publication at a later date. I ordered about 15-16 scanned stills, (to be transferred to a disc) and was told to pick them up the following morning. Brilliant start to a great day!

El Caldero

I met with Carlos and Anita for a lunch at El Caldero. El Caldero is a FANTASTIC restaurant about 10 minutes from my hotel. This was one of my favorite meals (and one of my friends' favorite restaurants - I can see why). This was a BIG meal. The main dish was a paella based dish, not paella proper, but similar. The rice was incredible - each grain popped in your mouth and the saffron was an explosion. We killed a lot of wine, a lot of appetizers, desert, and if you spend a decent amount on a lunch (and are liked by the staff), it is typical in Madrid to be served a free decanter of liquer after your meal. This time it was, I think, a boysenberry liquer. It was the perfect way to end a great meal. After a quick coffee we departed.

Fantastic food at "El Caldero" - highly recommended!

The Plaza Mayor

After lunch we went for a grand walk - all the way down to the Plaza Mayor. I hadn't set foot in the Plaza Mayor since 1989 - just about 20 years. Although I had been to Madrid inbetween back then and this trip, it wasn't in the cards. So, as you can imagine, it was a significant moment when I entered. I recall having many drinks there when I was 19, the 38 year old me didn't have time to sit down and catch a few cocktails and tapas. Anita had to get to work and Carlos and I had business with a small but great movie memorabilia store called Casablanca. We arrived and Carlos set me up with the gentlemen who ran the place, Carlos knows everyone, everywhere. I probably spent 90 minutes going through the hundreds of stills, mini-posters and one-sheets. I felt that in order to commemorate my interviews with Eugenio and Jorge - that I should buy a poster from each of these directors. The decision was made easy for me based on what was physically on hand. They had Jorge's "The Living Dead at The Manchester Morgue" (the orig. Spanish one-sheet which is HARD to come by) and although I would have loved Eugenio's "Horror Express", the only poster they had of Eugenio's was for a Krimis style thriller that he did in the early 60s, "Hypnosis." Also on hand was a mini of Jess Franco's genius "Miss Muerte!" The Goods:

Casablanca (Bailén, 47, Madrid)

Eugenio Martin's "Hypnosis"

Jorge's Genre Masterpiece: "No Profanar El Sueno de los Muertos"

The unrelated but seriously desired killer Spanish One Sheet
For Mario Bava's "Bay of Blood"

And a Spanish mini of Jess Franco's "Miss Muerte"

I was a lucky boy indeed. The total for these posters was very reasonable and put a certain SNAP to my step for the long walk home. Speaking of which, the walk home from Casablanca was terrific. The guys at Casablanca told me to grab a taxi - that it was a long walk, I explained that a walk in Madrid was always a happy prospect. At a strolling pace it would have been about 30-40 minutes, but I was walking at a crisp pace - I should have stopped for tapas and cocktails on the way back but, as usual, I was pretty pooped after a full day of activities. After awhile I recognized a path that led me to the Plaza Tirso de Molina (lovely little square that I encountered daily) -

Tirso de Molina at Night

- which dove-tails into C/ Magdalena (where the Spanish Filmoteca is) which empties onto C/ Atocha which then takes you down to the Paseo del Prado (are you getting all of this down?) In retrospect, this was a really great itinerary for a walk and I should have done it more often. Had I been a proper flâneur, this would have been a regular route for me - I never really had the time. Next time for sure. I gave Carlos a call when I got back to the hotel and we set up lunch for Friday - I told him of my good fortune at Casablanca and he was very happy with my haul! I put the TV on and just tried to relax... That didn't last very long.

Feeling rather restless, I decided I'd try my luck at chasing some girls. This is a serious problem if you are unwilling to go to a nightclub/disco and it happens to be a Thursday night. Around 10:30 I decided to go for a looooong walk and pop my head into as many cafes/bars as possible to try and find some single girls to "practice my Spanish" on. This simple, reasonable, and not too ambitious plan did not blossom in any measurable way... Eventually, I just decided to eeeny meeny miney mo it and walked into a nice little bar that had not one single girl in it, but had plenty of character nonetheless. I ordered a Patxaran and began a long conversation with a cool guy named Angel who was originally from The Dominican Republic. We talked baseball, politics, travel, the States, and of course, women for at least an hour. Angel, who was a pretty smooth dude, told me that I needed to come back Saturday at 8 when he was getting off work and that he would gladly take me to the proper places to meet lovely Spanish ladies and with him as a "wingman" things would go very well. I told him that a raincheck was definitely in order as I was leaving Saturday.

Sooo, I walked back to my hotel and chatted with my buddy Jose in the lobby for about an hour and then set up lunch with Carlos and Anita the next day. After getting directions (it was walking distance) - I read for awhile and dozed off at the usual 3 or 4 a.m. Another fantastic day had sadly come to an end.

Lady Miss Kier - Lovely As Ever...

2008-12-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post while I prepare SPAIN - DAY 5. I'm coming to this party a little late as the election is clearly OVER. But, in a nod to my Girls I was/am Ga Ga Over series I present to you a woman that I just LOVE: Lady Miss Kier of Deee-Lite. I could go on and on about Lady Miss, but I'll wrap up succinctly by saying she has aged most gracefully and is, to me at least, as beautiful and lovely as ever. All that "rock the vote" stuff and "this the vote, and that the vote" I always found to be just a bit this side of ridiculous. It is a strange thing to have to be sold your constitutional rights... HOWEVER, in my humble opinion, if this little number from the divine Lady Miss doesn't make you just want to go out and vote for something, I mean ANYHING, then we are truly a lost society... Vote baby Vote indeed Lady Miss Kier.

Spain - Day Four

2008-11-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

The Amazing and Elegant Gran Via

You know the drill by now - alarm, shower, breakfast and taxi. The difference this particular morning (Wednesday) was the terribly shitty weather! All week long we had great weather - but the day Madrid decided to be temperamental - she did it with grand style. To begin with, it was cold - probably about 40 degrees (4 to 5 degrees Celsius) and WINDY! Thousands and thousands of umbrellas were blown inside out and destroyed, it was hailing and just generally shitty. It got a bit better later in the day, but this was the one stain on an otherwise perfect week of weather.

And, once again, I forgot to get a receipt from my Taxi. And, the taxi had a bit of a time finding the address - but he finally felt that we were in the right row of numbers and we pulled over. I arrived early and hung out outside of Eugenio's building. An older woman popped out of the building and I decided to make SURE that I was at the right address. Of course, I asked her, in perfect Spanish if this was the case and she immediately responded "Oh, you are English?!" No, I responded "From the States" - "Oh, she said, I lived in Seattle for 10 years" - "Was my Spanish that bad?" I queried. Oh, no, not at all, but I knew you were either American or British, I'm originally from Germany." "Fantastic, I said, I know it well." "Of course, I love Madrid, but I really wish I was back in Seattle..." - - - And, so it went like this for about five minutes. Lovely woman, but it's always disheartening when people respond to you in English when you're doing well with the host language... I had a cigarette while waiting in the downpour (always the stylish gentlemen, I had my umbrella) and Anita and Carlos came along a few minutes later. Very happy to see them, we moved into the lobby of Eugenio's building.

A few Ad Mats for Eugenio's Classic of the Genre, Horror Express (1973)

Some very accomplished poster art on the various one sheets and quads

A moment later, Eugenio Martin (83 years young) answered the door. How impressive a man he is. He's 83, looks 73, and acts 63. Incredible. We sat down and started the interview - Eugenio was a charming, gracious, and incredibly informative interview - having worked across multiple genres (especially the horror film and the spaghetti western) and having worked in and out of the Spanish film industry (and on many international co-productions), his life's work and cumulative experiences made for brilliant conversation. He has directed many major talents during his career including James Mason, Lee Van Cleef, Christopher Lee, Telly Savales, Peter Cushing, Gina Lollobrigida, Carroll Baker, Clint Walker, Judy Geeson, Michael Craig, Chuck Connors, among many others. He's a very modest man, when I told him that his legendary "Horror Express" was the centerpiece of many cherished memories (especially on one late-night occasion with my brother and grandfather) he thanked me - but I pushed a bit further to explain that mine was merely one story where there were many, many, many more (that particular filmed aired every month or two for the majority of the 1970s!) - he became very modest. I said, trust me, you've made an impact on many lives - at 83 years old, I would have been ashamed not to verbalize that.

(Left to Right) - Carlos Aguilar, Yours Truly, Eugenio Martin

Circulo de Bellas Artes

After our time with Eugenio it was of course time for lunch. The weather was still horrible and to top it off - the taxi ride was interminable. It seems there was some demonstrating in the center of Madrid (around the Gran Via area) by the police force, who, apparently, were very upset over wages, pensions, etc. It sounded like a soccer match - the chanting was incredibly loud and they were like a half mile away. At any rate, this demonstration was having a tremendous effect on Traffic and we just sort of sat for a long time. Carlos really wanted to take me for a great paella that day, but luck was not favoring us. His idea was to go to The Ciculo de Bellas Artes instead. I loved this place. Here's a nice summary from Frommers:

This former members-only club is now open to the general public, and if you dine out here, you may still get the feeling you're crashing a private party (a time-honored tradition in Madrid, incidentally). With its 1920s-style ceilings, chandeliers, artistic statues, and soaring pillars, the cafe lies in an arts center. Locals don't even know the place by its formal name, having nicknamed it la pecera, or aquarium. The food and drink are served in a palatial hall. At lunchtime join politicians and bankers from the nearby parliament or the Banco de España to enjoy a variety of pork, beef, fresh fish, and chicken dishes -- the menu is rotated daily

It was a lovely place and we were very happy to be indoors as the weather was still miserable. Not to mention we had a severely cute Andalucian waitress who took the pic of Carlos and I... Ahem, anyways... The food was great, the place was bustling with activity. Anita had to go teach her classes and Carlos and I stayed for quite some time enjoying a great after lunch hot chocolate which suited the weather perfectly.

Madrileños LOVE their hot chocolate

Should've talked more with the lovely Andalucian girl who took this pic!

Another gift for me - I lost track after awhile. There were many!

This book above is particularly important as it catalogs, or rather. provides an anthology of nearly every Spanish horror film produced in the 20th and 21st centuries and commentaries on them. I was confused by the exclusion of a few films, like for example, A Bell From Hell (La Campana del Infernio 1973). I realized later when I read more carefully that this was an inventory and history of the Spanish FANTASTIC canon of films. Films that were not fantastic (in the literary sense of the word, see Todorov) were not included. As A Bell From Hell has no supernatural elements it was not included. This book (which is impossible to find!!) was another in the long list of tremendous gifts from two good friends. Thanks you two!

I know that Carlos and Anita are going to laugh that I am including this - but, a running joke between us concerned a cologne/after shave that I love and had not been able to get here in the States. The bottle that I once had ran out about 20 years ago (my Grandfather had brought me a bottle back from Spain in the 70s). This scent has the distinguished honor of being Frank Sinatra's favorite cologne - he wore it daily. Of course, my logic is that if I wear it, then the modern equivalent of Ava Gardner will sniff me out... I am speaking of the legendary Agua Lavanda! Carlos wasn't a huge fan of it, but didn't mind it either - he wore it after shaving when he was in the military. I, on the other hand, love Agua Lavanda, and I'm not a Huge cologne guy - I definitely own a lot of different fragrances, but just put enough on so that only the person who should be smelling it - is actually smelling it. AND, I have worn this a few times since being home and have been told by two very lovely women (after hugging them) that it was amazing, "wow, you smell goooood" "what are you wearing?!" - proof's in the pudding amigo Carlos!

I also picked up another scent from Spain that I loved - Royale Ambree. It's very different from Agua Lavanda which has strong base notes and very light lavender mid-notes that linger. Ambree has a strong citrus note, a lot like 4711. I love it - I'm a big fan of having a GOOD after-shave that interlaces with your own natural scent. Why? Mostly, because, the girls that I have known like it too. So. That's good enough for me. These two have served me well in the past, and God willing, will continue to do so in the future. Okay, enough on after-shave - but ya know - it was a big part of the day. Day four ladies and gentlemen - all about the after-shave... Okay, not so much, but I'm glad I was able to find these - even if the lovely saleswoman was thinking that I was a Grandpa in my tastes (which she didn't). Hey, I always go with the classics. There's a reason they're classics. Agua Lavanda launched in 1940! Now, that's some legs for a cologne.

Carlos and I also stopped into the Objetos de Arte Toledano store from the previous post where I picked up a few items (mostly art prints). We parted late in the afternoon and I had a few phone messages waiting for me when I returned to the hotel. A former student, now close friend, and lovely young lady had been working in Paris for CNN and we had talked about her taking a train into Madrid - unfortunately she called on Antonio's shift. She spoke no Spanish, Antonio no English. Stalemate. She said she would call back. The other message was from my friend Pedro who is like a brother (we had lived together years ago and our families go back 60 plus years). Pedro lives north of Madrid in Bilbao (pictured) which is a home away from home for me. We had hoped to get together that week, but activities and business kept me in Madrid and he could just not break away. His message said that he would phone later too.

Typical square in Bilbao

I would have loved to get up to Bilbao. Pedro's family is my extended family and I had not seen his wife Nuria in ten years (no to mention their 4 year old daughter Paula). Plus there are sooo many special places in the Basque Country, San Sebastian, Fuenterrabia, Pamplona, and so on. At around 10 o'clock Pedro called and we talked 90 minutes or more about all sorts of things. His English is still VERY good and he was flabbergasted that my Spanish was so serviceable. We lived together when we were 18/19 years old - back then it was pretty awful. The funny thing is that I haven't practiced one bit since then!! We said adios and spoke a few days later. Either I am going back to Spain in the next year or two OR Pedro and his family are coming here for a decent visit - we've decided this much at least.

It was about midnight when Pedro and I finished up our lengthy conversation. I watched some television, relaxed on the balcony, went down and talked with my friend Jose at the desk for an hour and finally went to bed around 3. As usual, sleep didn't kick in until an hour later. Day 5 was moments away. Thanks for dropping in and checking out my trip, much appreciated dear visitor.

Spain - Day Three

2008-11-17T18:34:00.000-08:00

Plaza De Espana

DAY THREE

Day three in Madrid began exactly as day two save for one small difference - I was set to interview a man whom I admired greatly just after breakfast. This is definitely a good way to start a day! So, once again, an early wake up call, shower, breakfast, and then a taxi over to Jorge's lovely home.

The cabbie had a bit of a tough time locating the address (not sure why, it wasn't far away or too secluded) but Carlos reported the same thing from his taxi driver too. When I arrived, Carlos and Anita were waiting just outside for me. I hopped out of the cab (forgetting to get a receipt - which I did at least a dozen times, not good for an expense report) and the three of us headed up to Jorge's home.

Jorge met us at the door where I was introduced to him and his wife. After a few moments of conversation between Carlos, Anita and Jorge who were catching up on various current affairs, we sat down in a well lit corner (amongst Jorge's thousands of books) for the interview. I began by telling him of my admiration for his work and especially for the film that has brought him the most international acclaim, The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue (1974). If you are not familiar with this film and you consider yourself something of a zombie aficionado then you must get a hold of this film. It is a true masterpiece of the genre.

Ray Lovelocke in:
No Profanar el Sueno de los Muertos (The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue)

Me and Jorge Grau - a great guy and a wonderful interview

My interview with Jorge went perfect. Anita Haas had generously (on several occasions) lent her translation skills - my Spanish is good enough to get the gist of conversations, but one small word can completely change the meaning of a sentence or group of sentences. In the case of Jorge, her skills were definitely needed as Jorge spoke little to no English and my Spanish was reliable enough to follow his answers but not in total comprehension. Carlos, of course, was indispensable (the running joke was to be careful with my compliments, I had already called him a genius, a saint, nearing God-like proportions, and Anita was telling me that his head was growing measurably with my compliments).

After our visit with Jorge, the three of us went to their friend Jesus' DVD store. Unfortunately, Jesus was waiting for a shipment of many of the titles I was on the market for. It was still a lot of fun and I was able to buy several movies that I needed for my dissertation which are not readily available in the States. Anita had asked if I had a suggestion for something that her English students would both enjoy and learn from (as we're both educators). After a brief moment, my knee-jerk reaction (with Halloween rapidly approaching) was Walt Disney's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." I was very pleased to hear a few days later that my suggestion was a big success with her classes (well, how can you go wrong with Bing Crosby and Washington Irving?).

Jesus and I bonded over our love of Natalie Wood

Jesus had a great selection of titles - one in particular is below!

One item that I was THRILLED to find in Delocio Negocio was Max Ophüls' sublime masterpiece and 7 hanky tear-jerker "Letter From an Unknown Woman" 1948. It is criminal that one of the great masterworks of the 20th century is so hard to obtain. The dvd was multi-region and loaded up in the university dvd players when I returned home. I adore this film - it is the quintessential romantic film, bittersweet, tragic and heartbreaking. I am anxious to show this film to classes - I always wanted to screen it for the history of film courses, but alas, it was extremely hard to come by. So, in addition to a few titles that Jesus had in stock that I needed - this hidden treasure made the visit to the store all the more special.

Next up? Lunch of course. Nearby was a place that Carlos and Anita were very fond of - La Taberna Andaluza la Flamenca or "La Flamenca" on calle Alvarez. The meal was fantastic, really incredible.

A Modest Entrance - Great Pleasures Inside

An Andalucian Flamenca keeps you company while you dine - we sat underneath her.

The Spanish Saint of European Horor, The Toronto Majesty of Terror and The Chocolate Cake that I can still taste in my mind...

Lunch was, like all the lunches in Madrid, incredible. We three said adios until later and I headed home, but not before snapping a pic of this lovely fresco outside of the Tavern.

Beauty

After relaxing in the hotel for a little bit - chilling out with a good Spanish soap opera, a few ciggies on the balcony - I got restless and it was time for a gran paseo. On the way back from this long walk I stopped to take some photos of a great shoppe across from the Prado. It is quite famous in that area - it's called "Objetos de Arte Toledano" and I bought a few things in there a few days later. My only regret was NOT buying one of the Templar rings that they had for sale. Nevertheless, I've found some similar ones on ebay and Christmas is coming up... Overall, my favorite shoppe for gifts and Medieval items. Just look at the facade of this place!

Very life-like

A Museum of Medieval Templars? I'm ON IT!

"I dub thee... Blind Templar # 4 in Tombs of the Blind Dead"

Loved this place. A Templar ring is mine come Decemeber.

Back to the hotel - relaxed for a bit and then I felt I should get to a computer and prepare for my interview with Eugenio Martin which was scheduled for the next morning. It was incredible to be interviewing another director whom I held in such high regard and had contributed so much to the canon of Spanish cinema. My friend Antonio at the hotel desk gave me loose directions to an Internet Cafe that was supposedly nearby on Atocha. And so about 7 o'clock I felt I was up for an excursion - sure enough I found it - didn't take too long. Let's see if I can bring it up on Google.

Well dammit, I couldn't get Google Street to give me a pic of the internet cafe - but it was about 20 yards to the right of this pic on Atocha. You paid about 2 bucks for the hour - cheap enough. I quickly had a seat and checked email - and for fuck-sakes, I wound up answering emails from students about assignments and such for about 15 minutes - you go 7,000 miles away and there is just NO ESCAPE from teaching. Okay, so after that, I essentially just did some more research about Eugenio Martin's career apart from the films I was familiar with in order to have a productive and efficient interview with him in the morning. I farted around for a bit - and then headed back to the hotel - stopping by for a quick beer on the way.

I didn't eat dinner that night - instead after the beer I stopped in a store and bought some snacks for the room and big ass bottle of mango juice - which was soooooo good. Once again, I just couldn't get to sleep despite being OVER tired, Madrid just wouldn't let me - it kept whispering - "no, don't sleep - enjoy as much as possible" - and I did. Somehow I found energy every morning despite only getting a few hours a night all week long. Must be some magic dust in the Madrid ether.

Eugenio Martin on day 4.

Spain - Day Two

2008-11-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

Plaza de Cibeles

DAY TWO

These posts about my recent trip to Spain are structured around personal insights and memories - they will include silly minutiae that may bore you to tears. For this I apologize, but these entries amount to essentially a very personal project - and I would like to share it with anyone who is interested. So, continuing where I left off - when I returned from dinner and drinks with Carlos and Anita on Sunday night I had a new book in my hands. A book that was and is CRUCIAL to my dissertation. Carlos' Cine Fantastico y de Terror Espanol 1900 - 1983 (now out of print) which I quickly begain to devour - with a Spanish dictionary at my side I was pleased that I could understand just about every paragraph fully.

The first night's gift is the book on the left

I read for an hour or two and eventually faded off around 4 am. My wake up call was set for 7:30 and I hopped outta bed and into the shower. 20 minutes later I was having my standard breakfast. By the end of the week the staff knew exactly what to bring me - cafe con leche, fresh squeezed orange juice, and a kind of croissant with butter and apricot jam - simple, delicious and plenty to get me going.

First stop for the day was the Filmoteca Espanola (the Spanish Film Archive) which is an arm of the Spanish Government - Ministry of Culture. The building is a labyrinth of halls, stairs, rooms, floors - good Lord, it took me awhile to get to know this place - it was HUGE.

The Spanish Filmoteca

Damn Big Door

I met with a lovely and fantastic woman - Margarita, who had been a major critic for years and has been with the Archive for some time now. Margarita and I spoke casually for quite awhile and then the conversation turned very informative and morphed into an interview with Marga explaining, in good detail, the economic genesis of my period of inquiry as well as some of the literary traditions and aesthetic considerations. It was a lovely interview.

I finished with the Filmoteca and went back to the hotel. Carlos and I had made plans to meet for a light lunch around 2 o'clock. He chose one of his favorite (if not his favorite) restaurants for calamari (they claim to have the "Best in Madrid") which was right down the street at Atocha. The restaurant (and there's about 3 in Madrid) is called Brillante.

Brillante Claims - "The Best Calamari in Madrid" (photo: Noain)

Awesome Calamari - I agree. Great place & 2 minutes from Hotel (photo: as above)

Carlos met me in the lobby of my hotel and we strolled casually to Brillante (like 2 minutes away) where we had a delicious lunch. He also (again!) had another gift for me. Book two of his century long inquiry of the Spanish Horror Film, and like the first book, personally inscribed to me. We talked more and casually about our silver screen starlets, women that we adored, our favorite directors, movies, actors, writers, producers, you name it. Carlos has worked with and knows just about everybody in the European cinema world, not to mention that he himself is a celebrity! Carlos and I said our goodbye's and he told me to ring him that night for directions to Jorge Grau's home.

After lunch I did some excursions, stopping here and there for a drink - but I was still in the throes of jet lag and headed back to the hotel to rest for awhile. I came down for an early dinner (by Spanish standards - very early) and again was very pleased with the kitchen at my hotel. I had a plate full of chorizo, a fruit of the sea, fresh squeezed orange juice, a shit load of bread, a few glasses of Rioja, a boyseberry cake and cafe con leche (about 16 or 17.00 bucks - incredible).

Fruit of the Sea and a big ol' plate of Chorizo

After patting my belly and a few ciggies, it was time to walk off all that food. Un pequito paseo followed that meal (and every meal). I cherished these quality "alone" times. True, Madrid is a city of millions, but it was very quiet in many of the places that I strolled and It was always a good time for reflection. These walks also gave me ample mental time to clear any residual cobwebs and I could focus on important tasks at hand (like my interview with Jorge Grau the next morning).

Despite the millions, you can isolate yourself and your mind rather easily...

After a good and long walk I returned to my modest room to prepare questions for a man that I was very honored and excited to meet. The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue (Although, I prefer its Spanish title: No Profanar El Sueno de Lost Muertos) is entirely deserving of its legendary, cult status. It delivers many highly accomplished shocks, thrills, terror, and some rather biting (no pun intended) social commentary. It is beautifully shot and composed, paced, acted, and rates (in my opinion) just under Romero's contemporary definition of the genre (Night of the Living Dead, 1968).

After coming up with a collection of softball and hardball questions for Jorge, I went on to my balcony - had a smoke, and then bedded down for the evening. Sleep wouldn't come for awhile, but I did manage to get a few hours before the 8 o'clock wake up call. I will say (although this did not happen on DAY TWO) that in honor of my great meeting with Jorge Grau, I was able to buy the original Spanish One Sheet for The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue - and was a very very happy boy for it.

Ah, The Original Spanish One Sheet - Magnifico!

DAY TWO was easy and smooooth. I was slowly getting adjusted to the time change and had been the lucky recipient of the incredible generoisty and kindness of Carlos Aguilar and Anita Haas. All was well with the world...

"Un Hombre Con Un Backpack de Terror" or "Diary of an Academic Engrossed in Horror Films"

2008-11-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

Me in the Plaza Mayor (I hadn't stepped foot in there for 20 years)

DAY ONE

I worked hard for nearly a year to secure a grant from my University. The grant was designed around conducting international research in Madrid for my doctoral dissertation. It was a bumpy road. The money was elusive, but in the end, with the help of some very good people - it materialized and I set the week for mid-October. The bulk of the research (sadly, only a week) was centered around, archival investigations and interviews regarding the Spanish horror film boom of the late 1960s and 1970s. The quality and the quantity of my research turned out to be phenomenal - especially since I only had 5 weekdays to do it!

The day came to leave (Saturday, Oct. 18) and my Mom drove me to the airport. We reminisced about our memories of Spain. We had an apartment in Las Palmas (one of Spain's Canary Islands - just off the coast of Morocco). Las Palmas is one of the most beautiful places in the world and I forever gave my Grandparents shit for selling the apartment in 1980, but so goes life...

Check in at the North Terminal in Detroit was fast and easy. The flight to Chicago - the same. I had three hours to kill in O'Hare (not one of my favorite airports due to its hectic pace and HIGH volume of travelers). The Iberia gate opened, we boarded, and departed on time. Lovely. We landed in Madrid about eight hours later - I hadn't stepped foot on Spanish soil in ten years and it felt very, very good.

Barajas is incredible

Barajas is definitely NOT the major airport I remember from the 7os. The main reason for this is because it's NOT. It's a brand new airport that truly has no rival in Europe. Some of the data regarding Barajas: Terminal 4, designed by Antonio Lamela and Richard Rogers (winning team of the 2006 Stirling Prize), and TPS Engineers, (winning team of the 2006 IStructE Award for Commercial Structures)was built by Ferrovialand inaugurated on February 5, 2006. Terminal 4 is one of the world's largest airport terminals in terms of area, with 760,000 square meters (8,180,572 square feet) in separate landside and airside structures. Consisting of a main building, T4 (470,000 m²), and satellite building, T4S (290,000 m²), which are separated by approximately 2.5 km. Hong Kong International Airport still holds the title for the world's largest single terminal building (Terminal 1) at 570,000 square meter. The new Terminal 4 is meant to give passengers a stress-free start to their journey. This is managed through careful use of illumination, available by glass panes instead of walls and numerous domes in the roof which allow natural light to pass through. With the new addition, Barajas is designed to handle 70 million passengers annually. Personally, it reminds me of a Ken Adam production design from one of his many James Bond films - it is an AMAZING airport. ( data is from Wiki entry on Barajas).

I quickly found a taxi at the top of the queue and told the driver "the Hotel Mora, Paseo Del Prado." And thus began a week of intense Spanish. A word about my Spanish. It's not great, but it's not that bad either. It's actually really VERY good when I am having a conversation with myself. When I have the time (as opposed to real time) to form the sentences in my head - they are quite good. But the real time conversation is always more difficult, more fun, and challenging. I understand nearly all which is said to me and respond okay - but taking time to choose the right words is the rub. By the end of the week however, my Spanish was blossoming and had I another week or two - my Spanish tongue would have been quite a bit more cunning.

First pic taken. After much coffee I walked right over to the Prado and waited for it to open.

I got into the taxi queue at Barajas and we drove into a very quiet, sleeping Madrid. It was about 7 am on a Sunday morning. I chatted with the cabbie - testing my Spanish - I passed for the most part. We arrived to the Paseo Del Prado and I checked into my Hotel. As is the case when you arrive early in a city - you can't check in until typically 2 pm. It was 7:30. I had about 7 hours to kill. I checked my baggage with the hotel and 3 cafe con leche's and several cigarettes later - 9 am rolled around and the Prado Museum (just across the street mind you) opened its glorious doors.

So, I spent the morning with Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, Dali, Rubens, and my personal favorite Jose de Ribera. I was one tired dude though and the jet-lag was getting the best of me... After about 3 hours I stopped into the small gift shoppe in the Museum and quickly fell in love with the girl working there. In fact, I rehearsed a complex compliment in Spanish to tell her (roughly explaining to her that she was more beautiful than anything hangin in the entire building) but I chickened out in the last minute, I know, I know, but hey, I was very fucking tired... Truth be told, I was falling in love with a girl every two minutes - I couldn't help it. In Europe (especially Spain) the girls look like the just walked off of the set of a Fellini film - high heels, nylons, skirt, satin blouse, necklace, scarf, bit of make-up to accentuate the lips and eyes - JODER! Too much visual stimulation. In Detroit, girls walk around in sweats and Ugg Boots. By comparison, I was in heaven. This was one of the MAJOR reasons I was kicking and screaming all the way to the ariport a week later... Anyways, so where was I? Oh yeah, the masters - well here's one of em' for ya!

Goya (check out The Naked Maja at the Base!)

2 o'clock rolled around and I went back to my lovely little hotel and checked in. The lobby:

My room? Small? You be the judge...

Be it ever so humble...

Ah, but don't underestimate this nugget! My needs were simple, I needed a nice, clean, affordable hotel and Mora delivered beautifully. I was SO incredibly busy every day that my hotel was merely a place to go at the end of the day and essentially prepare for the next day's events and of course to take a load off and to sleep. The hotel is lovely, it has a great lil' cafe with very good food, a very friendly staff (I was hanging out with the staff at night regularly), is VERY centrally located, had a new plasma tv, a small but brand new bathroom and was only 60 Euros a night! Beat that! A hostel is only going to run slightly cheaper and I'm too damn old for a hostel these days - the Hotel Mora was perfect. Thank you Carlos for the recommendation - I will definitely stay there again next trip. Views from the balcony which is on the Paseo del Prado - to the right is Atocha railway station - yes it's that close.

Left View

Right View

Now, the trick was NOT to crash. Anyone who knows jet-lag - knows that even though you've been up for like 30 hours - you don't want to nap or you'll have trouble sleeping that night. I took a 20-30 minute power nap and then showered - grabbed some coffee downstairs and called the historian, author, critic, cinema personality, and all around fantastic caballero - Carlos Aguilar (with whom I had been corresponding for many months) I phoned his equally brilliant and super lovely wife, the Canadian author Anita Haas and the three of us set up plans to meet that night (Sunday) for drinks, food, conversation, and in retrospect, perhaps the most special night of my trip. We went to La Taberna de Conspiradores which was just around the corner - it was about 9:30 when we arrived. Carlos quickly told me he had inerviews set up with Jorge Grau and Eugenio Martin if I would like... If I would like?! Absolutely! What a great start to the week! Carlos also gave me the first of many gifts that night - more on that in the next post. We talked about many many topics and realized that we had a tremendous amount in common and it felt like we had been friends for a very long time, easily and comfortably we got to know one another - it was a very special evening (and my GOD, the food!!!!!!) How I wish I had that platter of Chorizo and other meat specialites in front of me again (what was the name of the hot one again? Jamon Potate?) and my personal favorite drink for relaxation in Spain -Patxaran.

Taberna de Conspiradores during the day

A Special First Night in Madrid - Carlos, Anita y Yo

I was OVER-TIRED when I got back to the hotel and didn't get to sleep until about 4 am - with a wake up call for 7:30 - but I didn't care. I was in Spain. A country I am always at home in. I'll post pics of yours truly at two years old in Las Palmas (back in 1972) - I am always welcomed in this country - she and I have had a long and beautiful love affair.

Where For Art Thou Eva?

2008-10-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

Ya know what? I sure miss Eva Save-A-Lot one Hell-uva-Lot

Craig Ferguson, "If you don't vote, you're a moron"

2008-10-07T15:34:00.001-07:00

I love Craig Ferguson. As only Craig can do, here's a nice mainstream, populist appeal to all citizens of voting age. Supremely funny shit.

I know many of you live in constant frustration that all eligible parties do not receive anything closely resembling mainstream media coverage or debate platform equanimity. I agree (which is why I still say that WIGGUM is the ticket for 08'). But, in the meantime, here's Craig from the Sept. 10 broadcast:

God Bless The Treehouse of Horror

2008-10-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

After Halloween, the second best thing about October is a new installment of Treehouse of Horor.

(Let's just hope it airs in October and not November as it has occasionally in the past based on MLB World Series dates - nothing against baseball, I just like my Halloween fare to air before Halloween - makes sense doesn't it??)

He Wasn't "Cool Hand" for Nothing

2008-09-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

WE ARE FAR LESS COOL NOW...

FAREWELL COOL HAND

PAUL NEWMAN: JANUARY 26, 1925- SEPTEMBER 26, 2008

It would take far too long to tell you how much I loved this man. I shed a tear the moment I heard. But, I would like to say, for the record, that I don't think Newman ever really had a self awareness in relation to what a truly great actor he was OR how incredibly handsome he was. Many of you know that I am a teacher at a University and well, I'd like to share a silly but fun story regarding Paul Newman. When discussing mise en scene with undergraduates (usually in Intro to Film, but I use this film in production courses and writing for film courses too) there are thousands of movies to show illustrative examples from with regard to what you are specifically talking about. And I do just that. One of the examples I often use when tying character to surroundings is the opening (credit sequence) to Newman's Harper (1966). William Goldman's credit sequence takes great care in revealing a wealth of information about Newman's down-on-his luck private investigator. He is already wide awake when his alarm clock goes off (Insomnia) and the white noise of the television has kept him company (Lonliness). He lets fly the window shades and is literally assaulted by the daylight (Hangover). To compound this and dramatize it further - he fills his sink with ice and dunks his face to make sure all mental cobwebs are brushed away... While getting dressed we see the lovingly placed 8x10 of his ex-wife (Janet Leigh) whom he nods to and then comes the best part... Newman appears to be out of coffee - what to do? He opens the trash-can and sees yesterday's filter and grounds and.... and... yes decides to brew it again. When it has percolated, he pours and takes a tentative sip: his look of disgust is, in a word, PRICELESS. Mind you, not a word of dialogue yet.

Students readily and immediately grasp the importance of props, wardrobe and blocking in direct relation to this scene and mise en scene in general. So much information has been transmitted VISUALLY. We then move on to about a good dozen other clips from other movies that show us classical, expressionist and mannerist mise en scene and then, of course, screen a film in its entirety that is recognized for its achievements in this category.

I used to just assume that students know (knew) who Paul Newman is (was), but - after all, we are dealing with (at the very least, or should I say most?) 18 year olds... Well, about 5 years ago, when I first screened the beginning of Harper to a class, I had about 10 or 12 girls waiting to talk to me. Wow, I thought, you really must be in your Harrison Ford "Dr. Jones" mode, apples in their hands? LOVE.... YOU... painted on their eyelids perhaps? I mean, wow, this is crazy. JUST GIRLS (no one else) swarming me??? ME???

With big eyes, and big smiles, they all said - "Uhm, so hey... who in God's name was THAT UNBELIEVABLY GORGEOUS GUY IN THE FIRST FILM YOU SCREENED?!?!?"

Ego bruising (still to this day, I mean, this happens evrery time I show it), I smile back and say, "That my dear students, is...... PAUL FUCKING NEWMAN. And you're right ladies. He was THE COOLEST."

RIP COOL HAND.

Oh, Bloody Hell...

2008-09-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

New semester, new course preps, dissertation woes, research in Spain next month = no time to write ANYTHING for my be it ever so humble lil' blog, Trash Aesthetics. I've barely had time to keep up with the amazing posts from my blog buds lately.

Anyhow, things are brewing up here (tapping my forehead) and as promised I will indeed get on top of that review for Wild Wild Planet as promised to Don. Speaking of which, Don was invited to Kevin Smith's big shabang premier of his latest film last weekend in Austin. I will be calling him in the next day or two to get the low down... Is it me or does it seem much more like a Kevin "Apatow" Smith film?

SHOCKTOBER is rapidly approaching. The smell of Autumn is unmistakingly making its way to nostrils everywhere in the midwest. Cider mills are bustling, pumpkins abound, it's the greatest time of the year. As much as winter sucks major ass, I couldn't live without the FALL. Halloween my friends, Halloween. As Sir Graves used to say, "Happy Haunting... Nyaa aaa aaaaaa aaaah!"

Oh, and PS: Friday the 13th: The Series came out today and I hauled ass down to Bestbuy to snag me a copy. This show came out my senior year of high school and I LOVED IT. Sweet nostalgia...

It's Coming Don...

2008-09-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

I promised good amigo Don May Jr. a review of Antonio Margheriti's Wild Wild Planet (1965) which he was kind enough to give me (among other movies {including an anamorphic print of Joe Dante's Piranha!!} - many thanks Donnie Boy) over this past weekend. And, it's coming. But, in order for this review to meet my usual high standards - I'll need some time. So, it's coming Don. Meanwhile check out the trippy, wild wild trailer to Wild Wild Planet.

It's Nancy Kovack Day!

2008-08-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

The Gorgeous Nancy Kovack as "Nona"

It's Nancy Kovack Day! Ahh, Nancy - was I the only 6 year-old who went mad for this lusty, cultured, Michigan born beauty?! I think not. My introduction to Nancy Kovack was, like many around my age, via her role as Nona (above) in the Star Trek episode A Private Little War, or as Queenie in the Batman S01, Ep 5 The Joker is Wild. and S01 Ep 6 Batman Gets Riled. But, it didn't take long for me at all to start noticing her in many of her Television appearances of the 60s and 70s, Bewitched, Get Smart, The Invaders, I Spy, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Perry Mason, Hawaii Five-O, It Takes a Thief, etc, and her film work - most notoriously, her role as Medea in Jason and the Argonauts and that amazing, erotic, super-charged dance sequence. As me Grandpappy used to say, "hubba hubba."

Born in Flint, Michigan, Nancy was a very brainy and very beautiful young lady. She entered the University of Michigan at a very young age, some reports claim she entered at 15 and graduated at 19 - going on from there to win numerous Beauty Pageants. She ultimately caught the eye of Hollywood and started out on the Jackie Gleason show, the rest is history. Nancy essentially retired after she married symphony orchestra conductor Zubin Mehta. I have not seen a photograph of her in a very long time. She didn't even do the Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Magnum PI, Simon and Simon, Fall Guy, Hotel, What Have You tour, which many many actors and actresses would do to for various reasons (from simply keeping busy and in the public psyche - to "hey I need the cash").

Early 60's "Coppertone" Advertisement

I miss Nancy - she hasn't been on the scene in a very, very long time. Hope she knows that she's got many loyal fans out there.

Forthcoming Publication

2008-08-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

I finally got word that my first publication is going to press. I answered a call for papers for an edited anthology on the Dracula myth (from a trans-cultural perspective) nearly two years ago. Anthologies can take a looooong time. But I received word from one of the two editors last night that Scarecrow Press is the publisher and the project is nearing completion. As a super cool bonus, the world's leading horror historian David J. Skal (pictured at left) is writing the introduction to the book. I love David Skal, anyone with even a passing familiarity with the genre knows his name. My chapter discusses the Toho Dracula Trilogy - here's a portion of the abstract: This chapter explores the curious existence of a trio of Japanese financed, produced, directed, and distributed vampire films from the early 1970s – Legacy of Dracula (1970), Lake of Dracula (1971) and Evil of Dracula (1974). This essay characterizes the cross-cultural properties of these films and then attempts to explain, beyond cross-cultural parameters, the more formal issues of identity in the modern Japanese horror film. These three films, marked with and odd "Western Gothic" aesthetic appear to be the product of much more than mere imitation/appropriation of a successful British economic and aesthetic model (Hammer Studios, the trilogy’s most obvious economic and aesthetic antecedent); they are representative of a fear and anxiety of foreign rule and interference consonant with the period under which they were produced. And so forth and so on... The picture that has been the calling card for Trash Aesthetics (at the top of this page) is taken from this Dracula trilogy. At any rate, it's very cool that this is finally being published. Now, back to the dissertation...

Here are some promotional materials and stills from these films to give you an idea of what my chapter is all about aesthetically.

It's Joan Collins Day!

2008-08-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right it's Joan Collins day here at Trash Aesthetics. Why? Hey, why the fuck not?

Is Joan Collins even one of Chick Young's favorite TOP gals of all-time you ask yourself? Absolutely! See, I've got very fond memories of Joan and was indeed ga ga over her. But, it frequently depended on the venue. Dynasty? Not so much (although I watched it - and let me tell you when Joan posed nude for Playboy in 81' or 82' that Playboy made the rounds at my Junior High School and I am sure it caused a fair amount of DNA to be spilled).

I recently bought a copy of Midnite Movies' double feature of Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror. Two very fine Amicus British horror anthologies from the early 70s (a decade careful readers will note that I am fond of). And I was hit with a powerful wave of Nostalgia for Joan as I put in Tales from the Crypt - which I had not watched in many years. While watching it, I was reminded of her beauty and charm and it got me motivated to have Joan Collins Day. That's the fascinating and gripping true account regarding the STORY BEHIND the story. True Story.

At any rate, it also got me thinking about the stories that were relayed in the first Natalie Wood biography I read when I was about 19. Collins was heavily involved with Warren Beatty while Natalie was making Splendour in the Grass with Beatty - and of course, Natalie and Beatty hooked up - Natalie dropped husband Robert Wagner for Beatty and the tabloids were convinced that Joan Collins would latch on to Robert so they could commiserate and presumably - fornicate. R.J. was devastated - left for Italy and didn't return for quite some time. Sad that. Warren dumped Natalie awhile later - according to the biography for a fucking hat check girl. Warren - what a snake. Time for another pic...

So, sometimes here at Trash Aesthetics, we have empty, bullshit posts about nothing in particular. Today, I honor Joan Collins. I always thought she was drop-dead gorgeous and still do. Here's to you Joan...

Now, that's a killer 70s publicity still if there ever was...

"No One is in Control. The World is Rutterless" - Alan Moore

2008-08-11T02:33:00.000-07:00

As I lie here at 2:30 in the a.m. watching a recap of the Olympics, hoping to get "sleepy", and contemplating the 147 things that need to be done tomorrow, I am struck with a palpable emotional overload. And, I might add, this palpable feeling has been growing steadily for years now.

What I don't exactly understand is why.

At the mere age of 38 I am saturated with desperate nostalgia for a "time better spent." I maneuver through a culture so completely different from the one I knew growing up that the thought of returning to it consumes me. I crave desperately to crawl back into a geographical and temporal womb. To kick off my shoes and put my feet up on an ottoman called "yesterday."

As a child of the 1970s, I must admit that I feel a complete and total disconnect from the youth culture of today. Not always mind you, I do teach hordes of undergraduates every semester and "connect" on various levels with various students. But, this feeling is a more macro disenchantment, ambivalence, and disenfranchisement in "general" which as a result, has left me clueless and disillusioned. I don't know how to navigate anymore - a captain without a compass or even a star to sail by. The world is rutterless...

I find something "good" everyday as there is much good in this world of ours. But, I yearn for the slower pace of my childhood. I yearn for rotary telephones, typewriters, family dinners, playing in the snow with my brother, fishing on those long, hot, dog day summer afternoons, the sting of sweat in the corners of my eyes as I reeled in a small mouth bass, the sweet plum compote that my grandmother would make, watching the four o'clock movie while eating an oatmeal raisin cookie (in a pre-cable society and on a television set that only received seven or eight channels because that's all we had). We all have a nostalgia for our childhoods, none of which were perfect, but they are remembered that way. I am not blind to the problems that I or we had back then. It's not so much that I want to go back to my childhood, I just want to go back to the 1970s - period. Did you know that while I sit around doing work - I have the Game Show Network on for several hours every day? Why? Because the re-runs of Match Game, Card Sharks, Family Feud, (and others) teleport me back to the mid to late 70s - a time where things made SENSE to me. Yes, I'm grateful for some of the "modern conveniences" of life today, but I would give them all up in a second to go back. The state of world affairs was a bloody mess then too - many dominant ideologies of that period are thankfully no longer sanctioned, political and economic matters were (as usual) chaotic, core issues that face us today were but whispers, and so forth and so on, and yet, I still would want to go, in spite of all that.

The cultural differences between 1970 and 1980 seem very small to me. The differences between 1980 and 1990 also seem insignificant. The differences between 1990 and 2000 are crater like. And 2008, just seems an extension of this chasm.

A student told me - just last week - that the technology of your average cell phone eclipses the technology put into the NASA spacecraft program that sent men to the moon. 1969. The year before I was born. That's the place I belong. I'm an anachronism in 2008. One of my heroes, Alan Moore, addresses this phenomena in the following, please watch:

Maybe I subconsciously chose a profession where I can keep the past alive and well because this society often leaves me cold.

The 12 Movies Meme

2008-07-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

Ross over at AiP (Anchorwoman in Peril!) has tagged me. As he himself was tagged just like this:

"Tag! You’re it... Or rather I’m it – at least for the rest of this post – because AiP has been tagged to take part in The 12 Movies Meme by Piper at Lazy Eye Theatre. Inspired by Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody’s recently announced programme for the New Beverly Cinema, Piper is asking other bloggers to imagine their own ideal twelve-night movie stint, preferably with some sort of thread uniting the whole thing."

Thanks Ross - I'll pick up the torch then:

As the curse goes, I have to tag five people when my list is done. Otherwise the pentagram will appear not only on my hand when the lunar cycle matures, but on the bodies of those I will kill! My cursed blood-lust must be satiated! So, I hope the five that I tag will comply.

As for my list? It's representative of my tastes in cinema and my personality - speaking generally. Now I'm not Diablo Cody or Satan Duke or Lucifer Magillicutty. I'm just Chick Young, and these are the films I would book into The New Beverly Cinema if I had my druthers.

MONDAY - TUESDAY

We'll kick things off with the film that Francois Truffaut claimed was "the most beautiful film in the history of cinema." And, ya know what? I agree. Sunrise is beyond beauty, it is perhaps the purest expression of cinematic "art" one can ever truly find. From the elegance of its simple themes to the sparse use of its intertitles (the film is almost entirely visual) Sunrise is cinematic transcendence - beyond the world of criticism, its a relic of otherworldly riches.

Pair Sunrise with Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (the author's favorite film of all time) and you've got one hot night baby. The film is a perfect synthesis of genuine thrills and solid comedic writing and performance. The monsters play it straight and let Bud and Lou provide most of the laughs; this may well be the secret to its endurance. I want to see legions of new fans flock to this mighty masterpiece!

WEDNESDAY - THURSDAY

Here's a melodrama medley. A super soaker full of tragic waters if you will. Max Ophüls' masterpiece Letter From an Unknown Woman and Robert Miller's brilliant The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Ophüls leaves you breathless with his dazzling camerawork and 7 hanky story while Miller's Lonely Hunter gives us Alan Arkin and Sondra Locke - a pair of misfits who find comfort in each other's company. Arkin will have the theater sobbing, Locke's last moments resonate long after the film ends. Incredible films.

FRIDAY - SATURDAY

"One day men will look back and Say that I Gave birth to the 20th century" Jack The Ripper, 1888. One day people will look back and say - "Murder by Decree is criminally underrated!" This is an AMAZING film. James Mason and Christopher Plummer simply spellbind. The cast is impeccable and Bob Clark is in his true element. A film I WISH TO GOD I had seen in the theater. Now's the chance kiddies!

Polanski's The Fearless Vampire Killers" is not only one of the most visually sumptuous films he ever made (or EVER made) but a very successful send up of the genre too. To see it on the big screen would be a great experience. Few directors have known how to fill a canvas as successfully and effectively as Polanksi. I would love the chance to see my beloved Sharon Tate dominate a screen once again...

SUNDAY - MONDAY

Two of my favorite films. Both films penned by screenwriting tag-teamers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. I love how each film shows us fractured, dysfunctional misfits creating their own versions of patriarchy and familial bonds. Wood and Flynt have a lot to say. Some of it may not be to everyone's liking. Therein lies the beauty at the heart of the 1st Amendment; they still have the right to say it and you can exercise your right to ignore it. Satire is crucial to the vitality of a civil society. Couple of great films that should be introduced to the generation that just missed them.

TUESDAY - WEDNESDAY

Super Fun Happy Documentary Tuesday & Wednesday. The Human Condition. Titicut Follies is a symphony in the most discordant tones and most minor key you can possibly imagine. Frederick Wiseman's legendary "observational" fly on the wall documentary is clearly one of the most disturbing accounts ever committed to film. Sadly, the state of mental health care has not progressed positively, or shall I say, in a commensurate fashion since the days of Titicut. Claude Lanzmann's Shoah, is, put simply (because there is nothing simple about this film and Lanzmann has always maintained that it is not a "documentary") the most necessary oral history of the 20th century. Remarkable film. Potent. Unrelenting. A testament to courage and human spirit - when those very qualities are impossible to manufacture.

THURSDAY - FRIDAY

Ah, the summer of 1986 was dominated by three films for me. I remember each all too well. Top Gun (I just got my drivers license and was diggin me some Berlin!), Aliens (saw that 3 times in the theater) and, everybody's favorite abject film of all time... Ding Ding Ding, Cronenberg's operatic The Fly. What can you say about The Fly? Never enough it seems. I've mentioned before that I keep this film alive and well in my history of film course and watching my students (sometimes there's close to 80 students) react to the film on the big screen in the auditorium - well, I kinda well up, I'm so happy seeing them squirm - and NO FILM makes people freak out like The Fly. Simply Beautiful.

And last but not least, the Big Dawg. The epitome of the Modern Blockbuster. JAWS. Jaws is in my top 3 films of all time. It's JAWS. Anything more need be said? To get a chance to see it on the big screen, listen to Williams score, watch people jump when Ben Gardner's head pops out - well, it's the stuff of dreams. My Dad came THIS close to taking me and my brother to the drive-in to see it. Didn't happen. Instead he bought me the Jaws game (pull shit out the shark's mouth) and my brother The Jaws Diver in the Bottle (he also got me a Mako's tooth and my brother a Great White tooth) - so we couldn't complain too much. We're talkin' JAWS people. That's all.

Well, actually that's not all:

Now then, I'm a big fan of contingency plans: A good business person covers their ass. In case the films are damaged, there's a fire, the reels get lost in the post, earthquake, act of God, whatever. I have two additional titles... JUST IN CASE. I was a boy scout ya know.

CONTINGENCY FILMS!

L'Avventura is my favorite foreign film of all time. I didn't quite "get it" when I first saw it (I was around 21) but, boy, its ability to entrance became much more profound as I gained a bit more age, wisdom, and experience. It's impetus may have been post-war disillusionment, but I find the film to be even more relevant now - I'd like to share it with the newer generations of film goers. As for Superman? Just to see its 70mm majesty once again - to hear Williams' thunderous fanfare, to see those title credits, marvel at a 30 foot Brando, bathe in Unsworth's cinematography... Someone told me that they re-released it when they did Superman Returns - well, it didn't come my way Dammit! I would've been first in line!

Okay, now I gotta tag some folks - 5 to be exact. I lay down the challenge to:

Ira Gabelsburger at The Gary Conservatory of Music

Bill Courtney at The Uranium Cafe

Taliesin at Taliesin Meets the Vampires: Perhaps he can do an ALL VAMPIRE program, hmm, hmm?

Erik Marshall at A Memorable Fancy (probably be all Woody Allen)

JMR at Always Returning

Gilligan, I left you off the tag buddy cuz of the mammoth meme you've just finished! So are you blokes up for the challenge?

Bloody Disgusting? How About Utterly Bloody Disgusted!

2008-07-27T22:08:00.000-07:00

I am frequently pained at and with the current state of my favorite literary and cinematic genre, horror.

I am very fond of the website Bloody Disgusting - I go there for news and general surveillance of the genre. So, for the record, I have no problem with the website, on the contrary, I dig it. I do however, have a major problem with the headlines that I read day after day, month after month, year after year. It's completely fucking tragic.

Why? Well, let's take a random sampling of some July headline posts, basically from about a 48 hour span. All headlines belong to Bloody Disgusting and are reproduced under the fair use act.

EXCLUSIVES
SDCC '08: 'Friday the 13th' Hard 'R', Deleted Scenes For DVD
Posted: July 25, 2008 @ 2:35pm

SDCC '08: Review of 'Lost Boys: The Tribe'
Posted: July 25, 2008 @ 4:49am

Warner Bros. To Revive 'The Twilight Zone'
Posted: July 25, 2008 @ 12:43am

'SAW V' Trailer Online NOW!!!
Posted: July 25, 2008 @ 12:13am

"Poltergeist' Remake Confirmed in Press Release
Posted: July 24, 2008 @ 10:32pm

BAM! Aronofsky to Direct 'RoboCop' Sequel/Remake!

Posted: July 24, 2008 @ 8:13pm

New One Sheet For 'Death Race' Remake
Posted: July 24, 2008 @ 7:48pm

Universal Launches 'Wolfman' Website
Posted: July 24, 2008

Okay, so, dear God. The sequel, prequel, remake climate that has proliferated without the SLIGHTEST measure of restraint "utterly disgusts" me. Remember, this is merely a sampling of July 24th and July 25th. When there are no more remakes in Hell... you know the rest. I mean take a look:

The Friday the 13th Remake
The Lost Boys "Sequel"
The Remake of "The Twilight Zone"
The Saw V sequel The Poltergeist Remake
The Robocop "Sequel/Remake"
The Death Race 2000 Remake The Wolfman Remake

(and believe me, there are many many more, The Day The Earth Stood Still remake, The remake of Dante's Piranha, ad infinitum, ad nauseum).

Do I have a problem with remakes? Sequels? Prequels? Ongoing series? The revival of classic Universal characters? NO, not at all. Do I have a problem with how these films have come to saturate (and saturate is putting it mildly) the market? Absolutely.

Genre theory tells us a lot about how cycles evolve, When a sub-genre (say, the Slasher Film) has burned itself out it typically does one of two things; it occasionally takes a breather and "re-invents" itself with clever re-negotiations of its social context (Scream), or it becomes the subject of satire/parody (Scary Movie). And, of course, these two films produced cycles and sequels of their own until THEY in fact, burned out.

But, if I may quote myself from an entry on another blog, the way I see the future of the state of horror (in a paragraph) is kinda like this:

"Suffice it to say that the state of the genre is also a good barometer for measuring the state of human affairs - which is a bloody mess. The most profoundly philosophical genre - horror is always with us - utterly ubiquitous. In a car, on a plane, on the beach, in a house, in an airplane, in the woods, in the desert, in our minds, etc. - it is not dependent upon a place or a time or a character (unlike other genres). Horror is locatable everywhere and usually is most profoundly found when looking in the mirror. To quote the great Stephen Prince, “The anxiety at the heart of the genre is, indeed, the nature of human being.” I am not thrilled with the climate of the remake, prequel, sequel culture (lazy, mundane, easy), which thrives not on the genuine creative impulses of a writer or director, but typically, more on the distinct ring of the cash register. This business practice and attitude is not new, but it is certainly far more pronounced than it has EVER been. And yet, in the midst of such transparent efforts, we get a modest little film from Spain in 2007 which scared the absolute shit out this 38 year old genre veteran. Yes, “.Rec” is that good - if you have not seen it, do yourself a favor and do so. So, there is hope for the state of the genre, but not because of anything the industry will or could do - there is hope because the diet staples that feed this genre are synchronic with social anxieties, fears, taboos and ideologies. And, dear friends, as long as these remain good and fucked up, we will continue to find repressed monstrosities to feed the machine." (written over at The Horror Blog final Roundtable discussion).

I mentioned earlier that the most dominant identifying feature of a genre is its social context. There is a triad between genre, text (film), and audience that is in constant flux, fusion, negotiation. One could argue then, rather pessimistically, that the remake culture that has been shoved down our throat (very aggressively the past 10 years) is symptomatic of purely economic motivations and a general complacency or laziness on the part of studios to recognize or take chances on the new breed of horror writer. Genre theory exists for various reasons that I shall not discuss now, but certainly one thing we can examine by studying genre is the various power relations and struggles that exist in society. To this I say, wow, I am even more disturbed now. With all things horrific and terrifying at this point in time, is it really necessary to constantly cull studio libraries for remake fodder? How about a horror film about... I don't know, how about 5 fucking dollar a gallon gas? What say you dear reader?

FINALLY, FUNKENSTEIN AGAINST THE WEREWOLF HOOKERS!

2008-07-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

MADtv's FUNKENSTEIN series is pure genius. In my opinion, MADtv has been the most consistently hilarious and clever satire/parody/slapstick show since SCTV. Saturday Night Live has been so wildly uneven in it's thirty great years - that I only drop by occasionally to see if it's gonna be funny. Sadly, that's not usually the case. MADtv delivers.

Shot in glorious FUNKAVISION - the Funkenstein series has my stomach muscles aching from convulsion like laughter. Actually, I find the episodes more entertaining than the 60 plus million dollar Grindhouse 2007 and, in certain aspects, they perform the same function.

The Series To Date:

The Bride of Funkenstein (Special Appearance by Blacula)
Funkenstein Against Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (Special Apperance by Ed "Too Tall" Jones)
Funkenstein Vs. The Creature From the White Lagoon Vs. A Special Appearance by Blacula
And,
My Personal Favorite (just a smidge above The Bride of Funkenstein) is:
Funkenstein Against The Werewolf Hookers. ENJOY!

One of my Insane Hobbies - Part IV (The Final Chapter!)

2008-07-19T20:00:00.001-07:00

JULIE NEWMAR - CATWOMAN

One of the hardest kits I ever tackled and the next best thing to having a Natalie Wood resin kit. Julie has had and continues to have a profound impact on me. I've met the Julie (got several autographed photos and an autographed print of a painting that I had too!) and found her to be a wonderful person. Prior to my lifelong love affair with Natalie Wood I was supremely in love with Julie Newmar. Batman reruns at age 5 will do that to a person. A lasting image of her was burned into my visual cortex then and is still with me (obviously) to this day.

The kit came in 5 pieces. Head and torso, arms, and legs. CONSIDERABLE clean up was necessary - lots and lots of mold lines that needed to be sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded. Once the kit was primed all the OTHER imperfections came out and so I sanded and sanded and sanded... Once I had her pinned with armature and assembled, I was able to start with metallic blacks for her Catsuit. But then once again, tremendous sanding - not to mention more sanding of the putty lines where I had attached her arms and legs. So, basically this kit was all about endless SANDING. Especially on the backside where her beautiful bottom meets her legs.

I was really happy with the way it turned out however. I used matte black for her boots, gold tones for her necklace, catgun, and nails - and a shiny metallic black for the Catsuit as already mentioned. I spend considerable time on facial tones - from dark to light. It was about 6 weeks worth of work.

When the kit was basically where I wanted it to be, I bought an unfinished balsa type treasure chest and plaque at Michaels and then painted them both. And Voila! She was done! Until I bumped the kit one day and it fell!!!!!!!!! Julie broke one arm and both her legs! Two weeks later - she emerged from surgery just fine. The results are below. This kit stands over a foot tall!

I think the plaque that I stained and the treasure chest which was also painted provide a good diorama and really sell her pose.

Some detail

3/4 Profile View

Backside. My, oh my.

Clealry, great care was taken when contouring Julie's posterior - which deified the natural laws of physics

Ahh, Julie...

Kit was purchased: Online through a modelers forum in 2001. A very kind gentlemen sold it to me at a very cheap price when this kit was going for 175.00. Scale is 1:6 (standard for figures like this)

Kit was completed: Around 2003. And about a year later when she broke.

Acrylic Paints - Various brushes and Airbrush for skin tones on face.

This is my last post on this topic for now and my pal Bill in China asked for more information about the hobby. I'll try and give a general sense of what's involved. When you buy a kit (and a good place to buy one online is Monsters In Motion or Ebay) you're entering into a challenging and painstaking hobby. The kits, which come typically in gray resin require ASSEMBLY. But, not typical assembly. The kits are generally broken into: Torso, Head, Arms, Legs - and then odds and ends like coffin, candleabra, arch, anxe, rats, whatever... The pieces need to be washed to release chemical agents used in the molds, then they need to be carefully inspected for imperfections and mold sprues. After that - you are free to prime the individual pieces. To affix an arm to a torso, for example, you need to drill a hole in the torso and in the arm - and glue a thin piece of metal, like a small finishing nail with the head cut off, into the torso. You then have created armature for the piece. Impale the arm onto the nail - glue - and then putty the seams so that kit the seal of arm and torso has no gaps. You will then have to sand away the excess putty and then you need to do the other arm, the head, the legs etc. It's ridiculously time consuming. Here are some pics to aid visually (complements of the Clubhouse and Gremlinz - two sites for the modeling hobbyist).

Drill holes in your kit when you need to establish armature between joints

Another diagram for establishing connection between abdomen and torso - you can see how the reinforcement works.

When you have a good fit - you mark the spots with X's and then drill holes to place an armature rod.

You can see an "X" on this piece. Match that X with the X on the other piece and then glue.

Once you have two pieces together and puttied, you can sand the seam until it is very very smooth. At that point you begin the final painting stages.

I hope that these pics can give you a general idea of what the hobby is about and the complexities that often arise. It's a tremendous hobby - one that fills you with pure joy. I love it - I just don't seem to have the money or time for it these days. I think that will change starting now. I have a massive Dark Horse "Bride of Frankenstein" cold-cast porcelain kit that I needs finishing. This sucker is massive and will take forever. I can't wait.

One of my Insane Hobbies - Part III

2008-07-18T12:09:00.001-07:00

LON CHANEY JR. - THE WOLFMAN

Here's another bust in my kit library. This time it's the legendary lyncanthrope Larry Talbot. I've always loved the character of Larry Talbot (as well as his European cousin, Paul Naschy's Waldimar Daninsky) because of the tragedy and pathos associated with the character.

This kit was purchased at the famous Apple Comics - on Melrose in Hollywood, a great Shoppe. In true fashion, I had just missed somebody important to me, this time it was John Landis who I apparently missed by five minutes. At any rate, this is the Geometric Wolfman Bust. A very fun kit to paint. As stated in the previous blog entry - busts require little clean up and virtually no assembly.

As for Larry Talbot. I did slow build ups of various shades of blue. Going from dark to light and then finally drybrushing much lighter shades on the contours of his shirt. The face was done using a wide array of tans, browns, ochres, yellows etc. Building slowly from dark to light - the same principle was used for his mane of hair. Some yellowish/ivory on his set of choppers was layered in and clear gloss gave it a good saliva quotient too. The base was painted to look like a plaque of wood. This is done by "blending" wood tones together - streaking them so as to imitate the grain, knots, and color of wood. The nameplate is in RED with a BLACK background. That's it!

Kit was purchased: Los Angeles, March 2002
Kit was completed: Summer 2004
Acrylic paints and various brushes.

And, again, as if I haven't said it enough - Jeff Rovin's RETURN OF THE WOLFMAN is the most seminal piece of revision fiction I have ever had the incredible pleasure of reading. I felt it would be appropriate to push it in this blog entry as we're talking bout good ole' Larry Talbot. If you love the Universal library of Monsters than this book was written just especially for you and you alone. Track down a copy - very imaginative, clever, and above all, well written. Find it and read it!

One of my Insane Hobbies - Part II

2008-07-17T19:15:00.001-07:00

BELA LUGOSI - DRACULA

Interesting timing for this post. I just returned from a section of Intro to Film at the University where I teach. When doing the unit on acting, I find that Tim Burton's Ed Wood (1994) is an exceptionally perfect film to show in support of the concepts on that unit. Not only is it one of my favorite films (A major GONE TO BED entry), but it is also a perfect text for self-reflexivity and the politics of taste. Ed Wood showcases the Hollywood Star System, the waning (basically dead) matinee idol capital of Lugosi's stardom, the dangers of being type-cast, the "use value" of a star, drug addiction, the original celebrity rehab icon, and the sad sad irony of Ed Wood and Bela Lugosi reaching unheard of levels of fan appreciation AFTER they had died. Not to mention that Martin Landau won an Academy Award for his amazing portrayal of Lugosi. This is especially paradoxical as Lugosi never received that type of Academy recognition. The film takes many many factual liberties - but nonetheless succeeds in its ambitions to alert new generations to the works of Lugosi, Wood, and other independent filmmakers whose ingenuity outweighed their talent!

Bela Lugosi is my favorite male movie icon/actor of all time. I have many others (and you all know that Natalie Wood is my favorite actress), but Lugosi is number one. So, I had to have a very good Lugosi kit for this hobby. Fortunately, there are several. I decided on this bust.

I bought this kit (sculpted by Tony Mcvey and also available as a MASSIVE full size kit too) at Creature Features which was on Olive in Burbank, CA (greater Los Angeles area). I don't know if it is still there or not - but it was a GREAT store. About three times the size of House of Monsters in Chicago. Loved that place. It was also very close to Dark Delicacies - a GREAT book store. I just missed Richard Matheson who was there for a signing the day before - ouch!

This is the kit unprimed and unpainted.

And here a couple of Profile shots:

The Gargoyle base is coated in many blacks, grays, whites - etc. Heavily drybrushed to add texture to the stone. Bela's flesh tones were airbrushed, working from dark to light and then adding washes under the eyes and rosiness to his ears - as if he had recently dined on a strapping young gal! The tuxedo is in a metallic black to add a satin-like shine. The Cloak is in a matte black as a subsidiary contrast. This shirt is off white and the vest is a sort of ivory - I airbrushed shadows where the best and shirt meet. That's about it. The hair was the only tough part. There was not a lot of texture to it - so it was difficult to do it in anything other than a slicked back black.

Just as my previous post about Peter Cushing representing the only "real" Van Helsing I ever knew, I can also say that Lugosi will always be the only "real" Dracula to me. Many wonderful actors have made this part their own, Chistopher Lee, Frank Langella, Gary Oldman, Jack Palance, and many others - but Lugosi forever defined the part. And his story, is, quite sad.

1/3 Scale (about 10 inches tall) and it is a VINYL kit - not resin.
Purchased: Los Angeles - in 2002
Completed: I'd say fall/winter of 2003
Acrylic paints - various brushes and I used an airbrush for all of the flesh tones.

In the next post I will discuss more about the hobby and how kits are manufactured and then assembled and painted. It's fairly complex. Sometimes it's great just to do a one piece bust as opposed to a 16-20 piece kit. If I remember correctly, the Mad Monster Party was 17 pieces.

Part III coming shortly.

One of my Insane Hobbies - Part I

2008-07-17T02:12:00.000-07:00

MAD MONSTER PARTY - OUR TIME TO SHINE

I thought I would share with you one of my most passionate on and off hobbies. On and off for various reasons. To begin with, Resin Kit Building demands money and time. LOTS of money (avg. kit is 100.00) and LOTS of time (avg. completion time: about a month). As we know, money and time are the two most prized resources in the world. And, when a kit requires the subtleties that only an air brush can provide, the project time can double to two months. This is why this hobby has been on and off for the last, about 7 years or so. I haven't been able to work on my kits for quite some time, teaching duties and other doctoral matters have kept me away for about four years. Now that I am finding ways to procrastinate advancing my dissertation, I may just take it up again and finish a few projects that were begun in 2004. I'm gonna kick things off with uploading some pics from previous kits. I'll start things off with my "Mad Monster Party" resin kit. This kit was called "Our Time To Shine" based off of the song that Gale Garnett sings to Count Dracula. The kit had a very limited pressing of 100 castings - and is indeed a rare kit.

HERE IS THE SCENE FROM THE FILM: (note: I was working from a very ratty old print of the film on VHS - several years before the DVD release. As such, the colors were very faded. For eg. in my print - her dress was quite yellow - in the DVD it reads more gold.

I'll discuss what the hobby entails in the next few installments - I've got a few kits I'd like to showcase on Trash Aesthetics. This was a pretty clean casting with some dremel work needed for sprues - but on the whole a pretty easy kit to prime, assemble, and paint. I did not need the air brush for this particular kit. The original Rankin Bass puppets for the movie had a "man-made" assembly aesthetic to them (which is what they were) so I preserved that by keeping the color palette simple and faithful to the colors of the figures as they appeared in the film. I bought this kit at the House Of Monsters, which was in Chicago, in Wicker Park - right where Damen, Milwaukee and North conflate. It was a great shop in the Flat Iron Building which sadly is no longer there. They are still in business on Ebay if memory serves.

Kit was bought: Chicago - around summer 2001
Kit was completed: around fall 2002.
Acrylic Paints and various brushes

Boob Shot For Tali

Who's The Greatest Van Helsing of All Time?

2008-07-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

So, who in your opinion was the "greatest" Van Helsing? I know who I feel (and I cannot be dissuaded) personified the character best on screen, but what do you think? Let's examine this diverse cinematic bullpen of actors who played the legendary Abraham Van Helsing (including "surrogate" Van Helsing's as well and in no particular order)

Edward Van Sloan - Dracula 1931

Aww, papa Van Helsing. I love Edward Van Sloan's portrayal of Van Helsing in Hollywood's (if not the world's?) first sound horror film. He is the closest personification of Stoker's genteel, wise, patriarchal Dutch doctor. Naturally then, what is downplayed is the additional idea that Van Helsing could be a physical foil for the Count as well. In 1927, he took a stab at the role (with Lugosi) on Broadway and later played the role twice on film - in Dracula and again in Dracula's Daughter (1935). He was the second Van Helsing I ever saw - Cushing came first when I was 5 years old and Van Sloan came shortly after when I was in first grade. He especially shines in the sequel, Dracula's Daughter. A Universal character actor, Edward Van Sloan is forever credited (along with Bela Lugosi, Tod Browning, Karl Freund, Jack Pierce, and Charles D. hall) with providing the template for what horror films would look and sound like for decades to come.

Jack MacGowran - The Fearless Vampire Killers or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth are in My Neck (1966)

Jack MacGowran's Professor Abronsius is nothing short of brilliant. As ineffectual as he is hilarious. We know right from the get go that he will be essentially useless when we see him arrive to the destination as a frozen Popsicle. Polanski took the archetype of Van Helsing and injected a healthy dose of Mr. Magoo. The result is pure slapstick heaven. Though not as slapstick on the nose as Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello, Polanski and MacGowran DO make an absolutely hilarious Gilligan and Skipper. Like a few other selections on this list, Abronsius is NOT Abraham Van Helsing, instead he is Polanski's Jungian equivalent. His fate is left open at the end of the film, but one can deduce that he will either accidentaly bumble himself into survival - or - well, once that sleigh reaches its destination...?

Richard Benjamin - Love At First Bite (1979)

Richard Benjamin is hilarious in Love At First Bite. Of course, he is a descendant of Van Helsing's (like Cushing's Lorimer Van Helsing in Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, or his portrayal in Dracula AD 1972). Here, Van Helsing's offspring has changed his name for "professional purposes: to Dr. Rosenberg. I love this film, I loved it when I saw it in the theater, I loved it 10 years ago, I loved it last night. I think it works beautifully and is still part of much of the vernacular among my friends. We quote it regularly. I remember Tim Lucas discussing his favorite Renfields of the past century in a Video Watchdog and I felt he really shortchanged Arte Johnson's masterful interpretation. True, he is lampooning Dwight Frye's legendary persona in the role, but he does it beautifully. There is not a bum note in his performance. Actually, there never was - Arte is a supremely talented actor.

Laurence Olivier - Dracula (1979)

Olivier's Van Helsing is superlative. What would one expect from an actor of Olivier's stature, respectability and talent? In keeping with the British method of acting, Olivier's externals are spot on. His accent, poise, demeanor, wardrobe etc., are all exceptional (especially the accent, Olivier even speaks some Dutch in the film). I have no criticisms of Olivier's interpretation, other than his inability to act when the time comes results in his tragic demise. Olivier and the rest of the cast and personnel are fantastic - Dracula 79' is a great film that greatly benefits from location shooting, outstanding visuals, a remarkable cast, and a sublime score.

Christopher Plummer - Dracula 2000 (2000)

I found Dracula 2000 to be a vastly under appreciated film. Christopher Plummer adds a great deal to the film with his Abraham Van Helsing. The film benefited from Wes Craven's hand stitching as exec. producer and a very original take on the Dracula origin. Plummer enhanced the script's originality by emphasizing the character's physiological flaw. He also produced a strong accent and physical mannerisms appropriate for the character. I think he was an extraordinary Van Helsing in an extraordinarily original re-fashioning of the Dracula mythology. I am so grateful that Plummer is still very active, his recent turns in The New World, Must Love Dogs, Alexander, A Beautiful Mind, and what should have been an Oscar in The Insider have lent each of these films a stature they would sorely lack were it not for his presence. His Sherlock Holmes in Murder By Decree is still one of my all time favorite performances. His summation and chastising of Anthony Quayle and John Gielgud is a virtual tour de force!

Anthony Hopkins - Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Anthony Hopkins is truly a great actor. I have seen this man play ANYTHING and play "it" as if he had been that character his whole life. This is what makes it so hard and sad to say that his interpretation of Van Helsing is absolute rubbish and so are parts of the film. I don't know just what the fuck he and Coppola were thinking engaging in a constant paradox. To have the balls to say "BRAM STOKER'S" Dracula and then casually make major and minor alterations is absurd and offensive. True, Hart's script, in spite of its many variations, is just about the most faithful adaptation of Stoker's novel (but, given its previous cinematic versions, that's not saying much). And, indeed, there are MANY things that I love about this film - one of them however, IS NOT Sir Anthony's crazy ramblings and dirty old man lusting. I don't want or expect to ever see a true to the letter adaptation of Dracula or any other novel. These are two different mediums that are incompatible in fidelity of representation. The trick, or course, is to capture the essence of the novel and get it on the screen in a manner that suits cinema's visual nature. Hart and Coppola essentially do this. Some of their choices I do not agree with or support. One of them is Hopkins' insanely over the top interpretation - almost the antithesis to Stoker's characterization. What...the...fuck?

Hugh Jackman - Van Helsing (2004)

Uhm, No. This is 21st century Hollywood's idea of Van Helsing and about as far from the literary origins as one can possibly stray. Nothing against Hugh Jackman, a very talented and diverse actor capable of strong work, but this movie was shit. Oh, sure, I enjoyed the empty eye candy of it all - it was interesting to look at (c'mon, Kate Beckinsale for Chrissakes), but I feel it was the BIGGEST waste of potential I have seen in a very very long time. THE TEMPLATE AND STORY FOR WHAT THIS MOVIE SHOULD HAVE BEEN WAS APTLY LAID OUT BY JEFF ROVIN IN HIS NOVEL "RETURN OF THE WOLFMAN." Somers, I am sure, had his own ideas on how to pull off the "horror extravaganzas" that Universal effectively delivered in the late 1940s, but let's just say that I didn't agree with, or care for, his choices. And why of why do we get the arbitrary name change? Gabriel? Is he an angel with a horn? Why? WHY? Logic please? Why change his name? To what purpose? How will it increase profits? Is Gabriel somehow a more "hip" name than Abraham? Or is it that he is so completely fucking different from his literary source that you decided to change his FIRST name? Moving on...

Before I get to my personal choice - a note about the inclusions. There are certain Van Helsing's that aren't accounted for. Nosferatu (1922), Herzog's remake of it, Jess Franco's Count Dracula, Mel Brooks', etc. I just didn't have the time to get to EVERY Van Helsing or stand-in Van Helsing. I just chose to highlight a few for the purposes of this post. On that note: Drum Roll if you Please...

Peter Cushing - Horror of Dracula (1958), The Brides of Dracula (1960), Dracula AD 1972 (1972), The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973), The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974) and surrogate Van Helsing in The Vampire Lovers (1970)

As for me? My vote for best cinematic rendering of this fine literary character goes to Peter Cushing - hands down. Cushing's interpretation retained all of the elderly wisdom and gentleness found in Stoker's characterization while also injecting into the profile an Errol Flynn dexterity and "man of action" mentality. This potent combination of scholarly curiosity, a gentle and kind ethos, and armorial bearings that read "don't fuck with me" made Cushing The greatest Van Helsing to date. Doomed (much like the hard-boiled detective) to romantic isolation, this man must fight evil forces - rid the world of "unholy cults" to restore social order, to bring balance to the scales of good and evil. Only in Cushing's interpretation do we see a brilliant, delicately balanced negotiation between these polars. And speaking of "good and evil" As Nietzsche once said in Beyond Good and Evil "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster..." We cannot attribute this stoic philosophical advice to most other portrayals of Abraham Van Helsing, ESPECIALLY Anthony Hopkins' awkward and unfriendly Doctor. Hopkins lusts after Mina, has no tact whatsoever (Stoker made Van Helsing the most elegantly quotable character in the novel) and often seems to become as monstrous as the creatures he hunts. When he says "We have become God's Madmen!" in point of fact - Hopkins plays Van Helsing as a fucking lunatic right from the start. While I think that both Laurence Olivier and Christopher Plummer made FANTASTIC Van Helsing's, as written, their characters lack the ability TO ACT selflessly while preserving their own mortality. Cushing was able to derail current or impending harm to others while simultaneously defeating his evil menace/nemesis AND preserving his mortality. Olivier and Plummer FAIL to achieve this; their moments of weakness or hesitation doom their fate.

A Doctor of Philosophy, a Doctor of Theology, a Professor of Metaphysics - Hammer's rendering of Van Helsing makes him the most formidable being in the world to defeat vampires, or in fact, their King. He is armed with the most potent of all weapons: knowledge. Knowledge and the ability to synthesize it while doing what MUST BE DONE AT ALL COSTS. Witness what happens when he falls victim to the tainting of his own blood at the hands of Baron Meinster (a disciple of Count Dracula - Brides of Dracula, 1960). Cushing buries an iron in a bed of hot coals until it is glowing red hot. He cauterizes the evil from the wound with the cleansing power of fire and then douses his neck in blessed (Holy) water. It is PRECISELY these types of moments, structured around fortitude and remarkable courage, that make Cushing's Van Helsing UNDEFEATED. His will and constitution are in tact, not for sale, non-negotiable. He then battles the Baron in a typically charged and athletic duel - and bests him. Yup, every fucking time. Cushing is unbeatable. What a remarkable role model to have while growing up, uncommonly kind and supremely "bad ass" when need be.

"For the safety of one we love - for the good of mankind, and for the honour and glory of God" Abraham Van Helsing (Stoker 326).

He is The King of all Van Helsings - there is none higher, sucker Van Helsing's shall call him sire.

There's a lot of honorable mentions here beyond the ones already stated above in the disclaimer. Andrew Keir - Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966), The David Soul/Lew Ayers combo of Salems Lot (1979), Roger Perry - Count Yorga (1970), Jason Miller and E.G. Marshall in Vampire (1979). And on and on and on and on... I haven't forgotten anyone, I just can't get to them all! Besides CUSHING IS Van Helsing.

In Defense of Sondra Locke

2008-07-03T23:10:00.000-07:00

My first encounter with Miss Locke had quite an effect on my fragile 9 year old mind. I must admit, looking back all these years later, that her "Lynn Halsey Taylor" did my head in quite a bit. My Mom took my brother (4 and half years older and wiser) and I to see Every Which Way But Loose back in 1978. She later regretted it - more for me than my brother - I think. There was a bit too much foul language and, ahem, adult situations for her tastes with regard to what she felt was "appropriate" for me. Granted, Mom never had any problems with me watching all sorts of stuff that I probably needed a bit of supervision with (my posts on Salems Lot and Horror of Dracula attest to this) - but it was a "different" situation when she paid money for tickets and concession goodies and sat down, the three of us in a movie theater - if you catch my drift. As for the movie.... Well... next paragraph if you please.

I was loving it. Until we got to the last third of the film. It then took a turn that my 9 year old self didn't quite "understand." My logic: Clint digs this girl. This girl seems to dig Clint. She's attractive, I like her too. I wish I had another box of milk duds. Okay, Clint gave this girl a lot of money and she vanished. Clint seems to think she might be in trouble. He and Orville are gonna go save her! Hey! There she is! Clint and the girl have some fun alone time together! (and my the music sure was pretty in that scene) Nice! Well then, things shall go nicely for Clint and Lynn Halsey... (side note: I had my Dad buy me the Eddie Rabbit single of the theme song).

Then came the material I didn't quite GET: That girl sure doesn't want to see Clint anymore. That's funny, they were just kissing and doing other "stuff" a few scenes ago. WOW, she's beating the shit outta Clint and telling him he's a big stupid, dumb, idiot! She's screaming that she hates him! She's clawing his damn eyes out! Uhm, Mommy? Why is that girl such a fucking bitch?

And then, of course, Clint throws the fight with Tank Murdock for reasons that I DID understand, but what about the skinny girl with the big eyes? What the fuck was THAT all about?

That film did a good number on me. And you know what? It's reverberations and repercussions are still felt today. I've dated my share of Lynn Halsey Taylors'. In fact I can recall with stunning clarity the events of a short but intense (on my part) liaison from last summer. I was very much into a young, pretty singer (not unlike Ms. Halsey Taylor) and I was interested in more than just her bed (Clint actually says to Lynn "Maybe I'm the first guy who's wanted to take you further than your bed" to which she starts to gouge his fucking eyes out) and my Lynn Halsey, well, she basically just shit on my feelings pretty darn good. Some life lessons learned take a few tries now don't they...

So, while my first encounter with Sondra Locke was completely confusing, shocking, and nonetheless titillating - I decided to stay clear of the doe-eyed vixen (Clint decided otherwise, but more on that later) for awhile. Well, that didn't last too long as good ol' WKBD was showing The Outlaw Josey Wales about a month or two after I saw Every Which Way in the theater. Now, as my friend Fred as well as good ol' Captain Spaulding are both fond of saying... "What the fuck is this shit?" Now the little minx is sweet and innocent?? Huh? Well maybe she's not so bad. And on that note...

So I thought this post was called in DEFENSE of Sondra Locke. Good point, and it is. For YEARS AND YEARS this woman has been shit on by the press, tabloids, other media outlets, and the general public. Why? Clearly, a lot of it was perceived as pure, simple GOLD DIGGING (and who knows, perhaps there was some, I don't know, you don't know, who fucking cares?). Save for one important point. Honest to goodness Gold Digging has a half life and is exposed as such long before a couple enter their 13th or 14th year together. If you place much stock in her auto-biography (and I place some, as in, there's her side, his side, and somewhere close to the middle - the truth) than I feel that Sondra was justified in all her actions towards Eastwood at the close of the 1990s. Her legal battles (of which she won all) took an additional negative toll on an already unpopular public opinion. She had two abortions while with Clint and later had a double mastectomy (breast cancer survivor). Pretty rough folks. Now, I love Clint Eastwood - as a director, actor, producer, icon, etc., but I can pretty easily state that if I was a woman, I probably wouldn't want to date the man.

Sondra could chomp a bit melodramatically on dialogue in her later films (Sudden Impact is an example, but I think her overall performance in that film is damn good) and her singing (showcased in the Every Which Way vehicles) was a bit, shall we say - untrained, but she had a fantastic spark and energy. I found her to be stunning and far more than just capable actress. She won a national talent hunt - sponsored by Warner Brothers - which got her the role of Mick Kelly in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter and a nomination at the Academy Awards in the supporting actress role. Not bad for a debut. The simple fact is that both Alan Arkin and Sondra Locke are incredible in their roles. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter resonates long after its first viewing - especially the very tender and sweet relationship between Arkin and Locke. It is a deeply profound and very unforgettable film. You owe it to yourself to check it out. Sondra's last moment alone in the film is VERY tear inducing. But, the film, on the whole, belongs to its lead: Arkin - wow, what a performance. Sondra is pretty spellbinding herself though.

I also love her in Willard (1971) - another touching performance. But, I must explain the glorious fun of watching 1977's (shot in 75 according to some sources) Death Game aka The Seducers. One fun film my friends. This dude's wife and kid are away - it's his birthday and Sondra and her friend show up on a dark stormy night (they are supposedly "lost"). What ensues is a helluva fun ride. Weird, campy, and over the top - Death Game is a complete and total hoot! I Loved every weird little minute of it.

So - that's my two cents on Sondra Locke. I wish she would come back to the industry - I feel that at 61 she's still got a lot left to show us. I have always loved her even though she confused the fuck outta me back in 1978.

More Blogus Interruptus

2008-06-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

More Blogus-Interruptus. Sadly, just haven't had time lately! Back with an update soon. I'm working on another Top Ten list. Thanks for dropping by. Back soon.

The Loss of a True "Patriot"

2008-06-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

My heart bleeds today for the tragic loss of Tim Russert, moderator of Meet The Press and NBC's Washington Bureau Chief. I feel like someone punched my in the gut forty or fifty times - I respected, admired, was motivated by, and loved this man. For years I have told my students that the day Russert retired we were all massively screwed. I never imagined that we would lose him so prematurely. My sense is that we've lost a real spokesman for ethical, responsible, and objective journalism; a profession that is frequently at odds with those qualities. Tim asked the hard questions and did it with an ease and delicacy that seemed effortless. This civility and professionalism was not effortless however - it required untold hours of "homework" for every single broadcast. It also required something that was almost an uncanny skill for Tim - the ability to recall statistics and facts in a matter of milliseconds AND synthesize this information into MORE than just data. Every damn Sunday, I would tune in because Tim could take all the BULLSHIT from any given week and give you the straight scoop - cut through the drama and mediation of it all - and simply tell you the TRUTH. You never knew his politics, you never knew his own personal rhetoric or propaganda - you only knew that he would tell it like it is... Barbara Walters had mentioned while on the phone with Keith Olberman just after news of Tim's death, that "We" (meaning NBC, The White House, New York) are all in mourning for the loss of our friend, but she said also that the country will be massively hurt by this, that people so admired and loved him that the crater left by his absence will be monumental. She is SO right. So right. I, for one, will mis him in more ways than I can express in words.

Thank you Tim and Rest in Peace. You lived a beautiful life.

House of Mystery presents "I... Vampire"

2008-06-08T15:53:00.000-07:00

This post is for a good mate of mine in the U.K. who has the single best "All Things Vampire Blog" on the net, at least in my humble opinion. The website I refer to is Taliesin Meets The Vampires. Do yourself a very great favor and check it out (even if he is completely wrong about the Salem's Lot remake, {couldn't resist!}). So, Taliesin, (formally addressing him now) the sheer weight and volume with which you post is superhuman. I don't know if you're familiar with the topic of this post or not - you cover a lot of literature and I am sure you've got a stout back log of things to review. But, if you're not pal, then I think you really need to get a hold of this particular run of The House of Mystery. It is a classic 25 issue run - that is sadly neglected or forgotten today.

I came to the "I Vampire" run of The House of Mystery late. I started buying issues from the local newsstand towards the very end of the run (this was in 1983) - with about four or five issues left until the series ended. It took about 10 years to complete that run, but I finally did - somewhere in the late 90s. What we are presented with is an incredibly rich, historically irregular, mosaic that I devoured back then and still dig out about once a year to re-read. The protagonist (and character of the title) is Lord Andrew Bennett, former commander in Queen Elizabeth's military (and hero in the war with Spain) turned court composer and balladeer. Well, rather than fumble with my own summary, here's the text from the Wiki entry on I... Vampire. "In 1591, after being turned into a vampire himself, Lord Andrew Bennett turned his lover, Mary Seward, into a vampire, and she became corrupted by the power. She took the name Mary, Queen of Blood and created a group of vampires called The Blood Red Moon bent on taking over the world. The series followed Bennett into the modern day as he tried to undo his mistake and take down Mary and The Blood Red Moon."

The plotting, character arcs, social commentary, and certainly the art - are all superior. You have the prime makings here for either A) an incredible television series that could easily run 4-6 solid seasons, or B) a movie franchise, trilogy, whatever, that would be (if done properly) outstanding - for some reason I always saw Gabriel Byrne as Andrew Bennett. And on this note I present a long and angry aside - sorry bout the rant, but - the majority of dumb fuck execs in charge of property development/acquisition at the major studios are both A) content (lazy, complacent) remaking EVERY damn film they have the rights to, or B) spend too much money on crap spec scripts - give me a call, I'm a writer and professor of film, I've got hundreds of ideas about what properties you should be developing, many of which you ALREADY own. These claims are based off of simple industrial analyses that your massive accounting departments apparently never bothered to commission. And, yes, we, the masses, your consumers, are tired of remakes. Just take a look at your receipts why don't ya (April Fool's Day - 12 million - pee u.). We can stomach them occasionally, but a new one every month is RIDICULOUS. Okay, back to I... Vampire.

I remember riding my bike to Metro News and buying this issue (to your left). The Last Issue. I pulled off into the woods, sat by my comic reading tree, drank some pop and ate some junk food and read it. I was very very sad that day. It was the end of the road for Andrew Bennett, I had lost a good friend - even though I had only read several of the issues, I identified with his his loneliness and his sense of right and wrong. Mostly, however, I think I was just fascinated having read fiction where a vampire was the hero. So there you have it Tali - my simple account of what I consider (along with Wolfman and Colan's brilliant Tomb of Dracula) to be absolutely top notch, fantastic, literature. I've sent you an email with some additional information that might be useful for you about the series run. If you do have this series, let's see a review! If you don't, then I hope I've fed your curiosity a bit. Cheers mate!

Top Ten Horror Movie Scores

2008-06-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

This Top 10 stuff can be fun. I'll think I'll go one more while I've got the energy and forward momentum. Here then is a personal list of favorite horror movie scores. The requirement for consideration was simple. The score had to be an original work composed by an artist(s) for the movie that was released. Compilation soundtracks are strictly verboten! I have emphasized films that contain complete symphonic scores (or at least suites) in addition to some prog-rock, minimalist synth works. The list is generated based on the following criteria:

A. The score's relative importance to progressing the genre and its "fit" with the motion picture. Does the score "work" with the film (by working with it, against it, completely 180 degrees from it, whatever) and does the score add anything remotely "new" to the genre with its use of non-diagetic sound? This criterion is much more objective than the following component:

B. My personal identification with the score. This factor not only emphasizes my own love for these scores, but also surveys a representative sampling of what may be deemed very profound, important, or recognized works.

Right then, off we go:

10. Dawn of the Dead (1978) - Goblin

Executive Producer Dario Argento brought in his tried and true Italian collaborators Goblin to provide the score for Romero's third (out of FIVE! now) segment of his ongoing "Dead" series. The result is fantastic. Goblin's score is desolate and creepy; providing a very uneasy sense of dread and claustrophobia that permeates the film. The cues have become so iconic that a few measures can easily cause Pavlovian salivation - as was the effect on me when I fist saw Shaun of the Dead. Edgar Wright knowingly and nudgingly used this cue during his credit preamble. My friends and I just flagged each other with knowing glances, like lighthouses. We loved it. The score resides in the number 10 spot because the music works beautifully within the structure of the film and not so much as a stand-alone score. The cues don't lend themselves to repeated listening, unless perhaps you are barricaded in a fucking shopping mall and have hordes of zombies outside - then, by all means, blare it from the loudspeakers all damn day.

9. Horror of Dracula (1958) - James Bernard

James Bernard's music is knotted into the fiber of Hammer's identity. Unravel it a bit and the whole skein will fray. Hammer reinterpreted the literary characters Universal mined for a much more weary post World War II generation. In doing so, they also reinterpreted the sound. Bernard's motifs, lyrical passages, romantic interludes, and brassy staccato bursts, loudly proclaimed HIS specific signature (which often echoed the syllables of the film's title, for eg: DRAC-U-LA). His romanticism (built largely from his formal, classical training and education) and lyricism were just the right combination for the aesthetic Hammer was developing visually. The fusion really worked. My childhood is riddled with Bernard's energetic melodies. His place in horror film history will, like Count Dracula, live on forever.

8. Halloween (1978) - John Carpenter

Carpenter certainly was the initial all-encompassing creative force behind this franchise. Carpenter stated that the first screening to the execs in charge of production and marketing was a disaster. He then decided he could "save" the film with the score. I don't think the film needed any "saving" whatsoever, it's all there on the screen. However, the score does add tremendous depth. Carpenter's resulting minimalist score is an exercise in the "simplest strategy is the most effective strategy" school of composition. The score is, in reality, a page from Herrmann's technique of short, staccato cells, that repeat ad infinitum and imprint themselves neatly into our consciousness (North by Northwest, Sisters, and Cape Fear immediately come to mind in this regard). These musical statements are never forgotten and also perform the dual function of acting as a leitmotif for heralding a character's presence. Carpenter went on to score many of his films after Halloween - but it's for Halloween that his musical talents are most remembered.

7. Deep Red (1975) - Goblin

This is not only Argento's first real masterpiece, but Goblin's too. The synergy between composers and director was certainly honed to a perfection in Suspiria (1977), but I'll hang with Deep Red's chilling and disturbing melodies as the benchmark between these two creative talents. Deep Red is a prog rock nightmare/dream come true. Unlike Dawn of the Dead, Deep Red virtually commands repeated listening. Moody and atmospheric fugue-like cues propelled with hip, funky percussions provide the center for this score. Even the childish nursery rhyme that intercuts with the main theme is horribly unsettling (as it's meant to be). This is a monumental score for a monumental film - Bach would've been proud!

6. The Fly (1986) - Howard Shore

*SPOILERS* contained herein:
Howard Shore and David Cronenberg have had a long and impressive collaborative relationship, The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, Crash, etc. For me, however, their greatest work together was 1986's The Fly. Whoooa nelly! There's too much to say about the film, so let's just get to Shore's operatic opus. A score without enough stones would simply be crushed under the weight of Cronenberg's abject re-visioning of this 1958 classic. So, Shore delivers a score that not only stands up to the film but significantly adds layers of meaning and depths of emotion to this, essentially, Greek tragedy. The last scene of the film and the music the accompanies it are just about TOO MUCH. Just as Geena Davis is saying/thinking the same thing No, no, I can't, this is too much - Shore is relentlessly giving us TOO MUCH too. Too much operatic/Wagnerian dark stuff of nightmares. The scene unhinges me - thanks in great measure to Shore's re-working of his earlier cue "The Plasma Pool." There is NO DENOUEMENT to this film, she blows Brundle-Fly's head off and the fucking credits roll. Unbelievable. I gotta mention this. I showed this film for a year straight to my History of Film classes (as a perfect document of the 80s) and MY GOD, they were just utterly speechless. Not only the ultimate abject gross out movie, but also one of the all-time bummer endings - you're knocked completely senseless and in tears to boot! Cronenberg and Shore are one of the all-time great teams.

5. Carrie (1976) - Pino Donaggio

The film marked a beginning for several distinguished talents. First and foremost, Stephen King and Brian De Palma; King's first novel shot him into a fabled sort of stardom and De Palma - yearning for the respect that his peers had earned - finally got a major critical and box-office hit. Donaggio's score is one of the most eerie and powerful scores ever composed for a horror film. From the melancholy, at times almost bucolic, bittersweetness of the Theme from Carrie to the ominous ambient moog and synth textures of School in Flames, the score never fails to entrance, illicit great pathos, and scare the shit out of you. Another highlight is I Never Dreamed Someone Like You Could Love someone Like Me - performed by Amy Irving's sister Katie. Her breathy and sweet rendering of the vocals ALONG with Spacek's unbelievable physical acting (just look at her when she fumbles the kiss during this song - AMAZING!) make for a dizzying and vortexish (not a word I am sure, vortex like then) dance at the prom. All the more fitting since Carrie White brings the whole shit house down shortly afterwards. One also has to admire the intertextual nods that both Donnagio pays to Herrmann and De Palma pays to Hitchcock. Fantastic.

4. The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - Franz Waxman

Franz Waxman delivered one of the first, complete, fully-developed scores for a motion picture ever. In an era when original film music was sparse and also light, The Bride of Frankenstein is a ten course meal of musical food. This score was a major leap forward in film music composition, it's influence is still felt today. A tear always wells up when Dr. Pretorius proclaims, "The Bride of Frankenstein" and Waxman's wedding bells swell layered in front of the main theme. It's one of the greatest moments in cinema history. The score is a tour-de-force of creativity and originality - providing themes for the Monster, Pretorius, the Bride - etc. In the Old Blind Hermit scene, where we have Christ analogies being drawn, Waxman beautifully captures the isolation, loneliness, and the beauty in their budding friendship. "Friend? Good?" The most iconic horror movie - certainly in Universal's library - arguably in cinema history - thanks in large part to Franz Waxman.

3. Psycho (1960) - Bernard Herrmann

Bernard Herrmann. The mere mention of this maverick's name brings a shiver to the spine. Along with Numbers 2 and 1 below, Herrmann's music advanced the genre. Feeding off of his own and Hitchcock's love of gothic thrillers - these two Titans of terror developed (what would become known as Hitchcock's "pure cinema" technique) a cinematic short-hand that proved extremely formidable. It has been told that Hitchcock's brutal firing of Herrmann over 1966's Torn Curtain was, in large part, due to the fact that Herrmann's contributions to Hithcock's work was becoming too enormous and too iconic. Very sad. If you can track down a copy of "Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann" - you will be very rewarded for your efforts. I remember when it came out (and was nominated for an Academy Award as well), I had recorded it off of PBS and then a few years ago (12-13 years later!) dumped it onto DVD for teaching purposes (great for Intro to Film). It is an incredible documentary - profiling and delving deep into the psyche of the man whose first score was Citizen Kane and last was Taxi Driver. A true genius.

2. Jaws (1975) - John Williams

I don't think that I can add anything significant (in terms of analysis) to the most identifiable two note intro to any film ever made. Seriously, "I can name that film in two notes" is very appropriate here. One of the things I truly love about Williams' score are the nautical flourishes it brandies about . Williams really is channeling (as he often did) the spirit of Korngold - morphing Jaws, at times, into a brilliant swashbuckling pirate movie, complete with (Y'aarrr) sea chanties - "Farewell and adieu to you fare Spanish ladies..." It is one of the most enjoyable and exciting soundtracks ever released. The tracks have been fully released and restored with the Anniversary Edition pictured above. It is a must have for any music or film or music from film lover. BUY IT! And, talk about a collective conscious - I'm watching game 6 of the Stanley cup finals as I write this and they ARE PLAYING THE JAWS theme right now; the most predatory musical cue ever written. Brilliant. I never, ever, grow tired of Jaws (in fact, I'm mentioned on the Wikipedia entry for the film) or it's score. I've yet to do my Gone to Bed on Jaws, but it is in my top 3 all-time favorite movies. I've always said it was the most "important" film of the modern era, and without John Williams on the bridge, at the helm of the orchestra - I would not make that claim.

1. The Omen (1976) - Jerry Goldsmith

So Primal. So Powerful. The only score that I have ever had people tell me to turn off because it was upsetting them. Wow. That's power. In my opinion, The Omen rates a very very few small (almost imperceptible) notches above Williams' Jaws, and Herrmann's Psycho (I'd be tempted to make it a three way tie). And I would - but for one small, but significant, reason. Goldsmith's score perfects everything that had come before it. The culmination of decades worth of forward momentum, creativity, ingenuity, and inspired genuis come to a head with this film and its score. Consider, Goldsmith makes great use of the theological and religious themes of the narrative by incorporating Latin chant and choral pieces. This, in and of itself became an incredibly influential strategy for the genre. Additionally, while Goldsmith terrifies and unsettles us he also enchants us with a beautifully conceived love theme. And I mean beautiful. It's shocking how gorgeous a melody it is and how subtly it is re-worked into small minor statements - played by a solitary piano - but now it is a signifier of terror and doom. Brilliant. It's hard to believe, but Goldsmith actually outdoes HIMSELF with his score to The Final Conflict which is even a grander statement than his work on The Omen! I believe this is the most influential horror movie score of the modern era and see fit to place it at number one. I saw Jerry Goldsmith at the Fox Theater in Detroit several years ago (also fortunate enough to catch Henry Mancini at Meadowbrook around 1990) and I will forever treasure the memory. The maestro is missed - there will never be another Jerry Goldsmith (240 films). Every damn one special. One Oscar (out of seventeen nominations) - guess which film he won for.

Very Honorable Mentions:
The Dead Zone (1983) - Michael Kamen. Kamen's score for David Cronenberg's The Dead Zone is a triumph. Talk about hitting the baton out of the park first time at bat - this was Kamen's first original score for a motion picture and boy does it deliver. It is, all at once, haunting, chilling, romantic, dreamy, subdued, and at times otherworldly (to mesh with Johnny's second sight). The romantic theme "Lost Love" is very painful and the now "Kamenesque" second sight phrasing of "The Dead Zone" main title is very very haunting. 1994 saw Milan's release of the cd which is long out of print. A re-issue is waaaaaaaaaay overdue. Incidentally this is my second favorite Stephen King novel - heartbreaking, painful, very sad.

Dracula (1979) - John Williams. Williams delivers a fully symphonic, highly romanticized, epic score to John Badham's 1979 variation of the Dracula mythology. Much like the film, Williams' approach is to emphasize the exoticism and foreign otherness of our Transylvania invader. Often treating him as a sympathetic hero (this was a misinterpretation of Langella's - in no place does Stoker ever try to evoke sympathy for his Count, he is at all times a monstrous threat, not a misunderstood hero). Once again, as with Jaws, Williams is reinterpreting the genre from an outsider's perspective. This results in a fully symphonic score - and one that damn near made the top 10. It's that good.

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) - Wojciech Kilar. Kilar's approach, like Williams before him is to accentuate a highly romanticized version of the Count - taking advantage of Hart and Coppola's "reincarnation" horseshit. Kilar incorporates incredibly realized Eastern European flourishes which are felt in the major themes as well as the major romantic themes, which are gentle and very beautiful. In stark contrast are the brass and bass heavy marches of the Vampire Hunters, which have been used in dozens and dozens of movie trailers. The last two pieces of the film, Love Eternal and Ascension are two of the finest cues I have ever heard in a film, horror or otherwise. A favorite of fellow countryman Roman Polanski's, Kilar is a profoundly deep-thinking composer.

Orca - (1977) - Ennio Morricone. I'll be honest with you. When I finally got a hold of this disc a couple of years ago - I was going through a tough time. Memories of the film, memories associated with the film, and the tough road I was currently on - made me seriously break down and cry. The score is exquisite and classic Morricone, filled with siren-like vocals and chilling, haunting melodies. The lyrics to the achingly sad theme of the two whales "We are one, cried my love, let me lead you through the stillness of the night, deliver dawn's first light, my love" - man, it got me (even though the song is cut from the release), the melody is there. I can't listen to the score anymore. But, you should.

House of Frankenstein (1944) - Hans J. Salter (with Paul Dessau). This amazing score is essentially a Symphonie Fantastique. It is filled with crazy, hyper, thrilling compositons. The Main Titles alone provide enough frenetic statements for a dozen Universal Monster all-star extravaganzas. Crazy brass, furious strings, xylophones approximating skeleton bones, passionate woodwinds, and musical themes for the major characters are what you will be treated to when listening to this AMAZING piece of work. Most highly recommended!!!!

Gods and Monsters (1998) - Carter Burwell. Carter Burwell's Gods and Monsters is ridiculously haunting and sad. Chronicling the life of legendary and openly gay director James Whale, director Bill Condon (using Christopher Bram's Father of Frankenstein) take some creative liberties connecting the dots of Whale's life, but get the tone and point of it all absolutely spot on. This score haunted me for weeks. It is genius - it is also extremely postmodern in its designs: Intertextual nods to Waxman (tonal cues, open ended cadences), using Waltzes (which works unbelievably well) for tracking painful memories, and so on. The last cue "Friend?" - where we find Brendan Fraser start to walk down an alley - and then suddenly begin to mimic the steps of Karloff's Monster blew my mind for days. Profoundly haunting.

Sleepy Hollow (1999) - Danny Elfman. Stunningly beautiful and lyrically complex (a choir & boy sopranoist solos) Elfman's hugely symphonic score to Sleepy Hallow is, in my estimation, his second greatest achievement (just below A Simple Plan). Remarkably complex, less imitative of Herrmann, and with utterly incredible action cues, Elfman (at that point in his career) had reached a maturity that was inevitable. His refinement has continued since 1999 - so as to emerge as one of cinema's elder statesman. I adore this movie and the score is absolutely sublime. The closing track "A New Day" is old Elfman at his best - magical.

I know that's a lot of honorable mentions, but I feel very strongly about them not being in the top ten. Lastly, major props to Harry Manfredini for his theme to the Friday the 13th franchise - a wonderful calling card for horror's all-time killing champ
&
also, to Nightmare on Elm Street's composer Charles Bernstein for his equally iconic, dreamy cue. Last shout out goes to Manfred Hubler and Siegfried Schwab for their Vampyros Lesbos - but, I'm too tired to write any more.

Well, I've got a dissertation to write. I'll be back in several days... And, The Red Wings WON!

Iron Man Delivers

2008-06-02T21:34:00.001-07:00

"STOP! In the name of Glove." Here are a few thoughts on Iron Man (2008). So what have been the normative practices of the remediation process of a graphic novel/comic book to a motion picture? Conglomerate Hollywood and synergy strategies brought DC comics to Warner Brothers where ownership has remained to this day. The standard technique (at Warner Brothers or elsewhere) has been to synopsize a character’s origin (usually a superhero) and then pit him/her/them against a villain from the character’s story world. Frequently, this constitutes a condensing of (minimum thirty, frequently more) years of story and history into less than two hours. The Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Blade,and X-men franchises, The Shadow, Daredevil, Elektra, Catwoman, and The Fantastic Four, are just a few examples of this process. This dilemma of adaptation is endemic to the comic-book industry at large and is what spurred many filmmakers and screenwriters to try and somehow perfect the transliteration process. I presented at a conference in Florida a few years ago about this very topic in relation to Frank Miller's/Robert Rodriguez's "Sin City (a lot of that conference paper dealt with digital new media, but there was a substantial covering of transliteration processes too). Well, Iron Man was Marvel Entertainments first self-produced motion picture (distributed through Paramount) and I think it shows. Because ya know what? I think we're starting to get there friends and neighbors. I really do. The odd thing is that we were "there" thirty years ago and, I think, have just had a hard time "getting back" there despite the technological advances.

By this, I mean to suggest that Richard Donner's Superman (1978) is really the quintessential benchmark for all other comic franchise adaptations. It's really a perfect film. Do you know I STILL get starry eyed and goose pimply during the pre-credit role - the curtain parts, the comic book opens, the daily planet, we move beyond it to space, and John Williams takes care of the rest... It's cinematic fantasy perfection. Credit to the very brilliant decisions made early on. The Salkinds' hiring Mario Puzo to pen the first, massive script - providing all of the material for Superman and its sequel. The Salkinds' hiring (then later, in a classless and slimy manner, firing) Donner, Donner bringing aboard the ever brilliant Tom Mankiewicz (one of my ALL-TIME favorite screenwriters) as a "creative consultant" and then the decision making just gets better and better. Geoffrey Unsworth, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Glenn Ford, John Williams, and so on. In my opinion, no film based on a comic book has surpassed this early blockbuster era masterpiece. Frankly, I doubt this will ever happen - we really don't have a cache of Glenn Fords', Marlon Brandos', Geoffrey Unsworths, or Dick Donner's anymore. Batman Begins comes close in my estimation, though not perfect, it was a great re-launch of a franchise. And, Sam Raimi's tenure with Spiderman has yielded some very fine efforts. His casting of Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben is most certainly a nod to Glenn Ford's Jonathon Kent. But, I don't think any comic-based film has equaled Superman. Oddly enough, I still come across people (usually with one or two active cells left in their brain) who say, "Man, that movie sucked, the shit with the world spinning, worst ending, total cop out, blah blah blah." It is a fruitless endeavor to tell them that they missed the entire point of the film (Americana, myth, A selfless morality, hope, etc) and that if they've already suspended their disbelief concerning: Krypton/Kryptonians, A flying man powered by our "yellow sun", laser beam vision, a woman who can't tell a man from his glasses, and so forth - than this logic defying ending should be taken in such same spirit. Spielberg always said (regarding Jaws) that if they were with him until The Orca was sinking, then they'd "swallow" the one in a million "smile you son of a bitch" oxygen tank massacre magic bullet scenario. And, we completely fucking did.

I thought this post was supposed to be about Iron Man? Well, it is. I just wanted to share my philosophy with how I measure comic book-based motion pictures. First consideration is, naturally, based upon the film's own merits - as a solitary entity. The next level of analysis comes in direct relation to the genre and it's (if any) recognized masterworks. And, Iron Man fares well on both fronts. I think that despite all of the booze, I would call this the most sobering translation of a mainstream franchise character. Robert Downey Jr. is perfect. The dialogue is perfect for him, the character is perfect him, the timing is perfect for him. And, this film, unlike Superman Returns, is not ashamed of itself. The script, while not perfect, is perfect for this well chosen cast. Major props to Gwyneth Paltrow for her soft and subtle, yet polished and in control performance of Pepper Potts, my personal favorite executive asst. in all of Marvel's universe. I'll spare you synopsis or thematic analysis of the plot - etc. Just some basic knee jerk reactions - that was the aim of this post.

Me and my fellow droogies were wondering if they would do anything with the television theme, for those of you who remember it - "Tony Stark makes you feel, he's a cool exec. with a heart of steel, as Iron Man all jets aflame, he fights and smites with repulsor rays!" Well, when Tony is to accept a humanitarian award the band strikes up this theme as he's "supposed" to take the stage. It's also Tony's cell phone ring tone! Great little touches that just add to the enjoyment of this very good and highly recommended film.

IMDB reports that in 1999 Quentin Tarantino was approached to write and direct this project. Uhm, uh... Er... All I can say is that I know now what that whizzzzzzzzzzzzz was back in Oct. of 99'. It was the bullet that I unknowingly dodged. Don't need Tony and Pepper spouting dialogue about what they call Chicken McNuggets in Kuala Lumpur. The last thing I want to say is that I am an avid comic book collector and have been on and off since early childhood. My favorite comic book as a youngster was Iron Man (a close second was Dr. Strange). This is essentially the film I have been anticipating for all these years. Sequel Please!

Sherm says:

"I hereby give this film my official Sherman T. Potter Okey Dokey. Fan-Damn-Tastic!!"

Jesus, I learned of all of these deaths just today

2008-05-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

Harvey Korman is dead at age 81. A brilliant comedian and multiple Emmy winner, Korman was indeed a favorite. He was often at his best with two other formidable talents, Carol Burnett and Mel Brooks. Dick Martin and now Harvey. I will miss them. Froggy Love Daddy? Daddy loved Froggy - an awful lot.

The Film and Television Academy lost two very great composers this week. Two composers that I was a big fan of and whose melodies are in the hearts and minds of hundreds of millions.

Alexander Courage has died at age 88. Courage, who was best known in the industry for his conducting, arranging, and orchestrating is best known to the public for his composing. The opening measure to his Star Trek theme is known the world over and is associated with boldly going where no man has gone before. Alexander has boldly gone - but has left us with a profound legacy.

Composer Earle Hagen has also died. Another composer most famous for his television work, Hagen's melodies were embedded in our national psyche and we've lost another major talent. Quoted from filmmusicmag.com "His television work included composing original music for over 3,000 television episodes, pilots and TV movies, including theme songs for That Girl, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." His classic "Harlem Nocturne" became the theme for Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer.