Insomniac Theater Presents: Dead Birds (2004)

If a movie as slow paced, poorly developed and predictable as Alex Turner's Dead Birds doesn't nod me off, it is time to start looking at chemical sleep aids.

Following the exhausted formula of a group of unlikeable characters in a spooky place being killed one at a time by a supernatural force, Dead Birds failed to deliver any pleasurable thrills.

What I watched last night: The Vagina Monologues

Myself and a group of friends went to see my wife perform in Miami University's Vagina Monologues. Profits from the production were donated to the Butler County Rape Crisis Center.

The Vagina Monologues is a theater piece derived from interviews with a wide range of women about sex, sexuality, and their genitals.   Vacillating between humorous and challenging, each vignette offered original (and graphic) insights into the most intimate parts of women's lives.

Adrienne's enacted I was there in the room, written by author Eve Ensler about witnessing the birth of her own grandchild.

Insomniac Theater Presents: Daughters of Darkness (1971)

When I was kid, before VCRs, there was no way to see the movies unless they played on television.  This was great for mainstream movies, but anything else was impossible.  Therefore, I had to use my imagination to create my version of a film by studying a few frames from a book or magazine about horror movies.  Harry Kümel's stylish vampire film, Daughter of Darkness was one of those tantalizing movies.  Every book on horror movies tantalized me with this images like the one to the right.

Olivia and I were able to watch Daughters of Darkness a few nights ago.   It is a beautiful and subtle film that re-watching brings more enjoyment and understanding.  I grabbed some screen captures to show some of the beautiful imagery from the film.

Good-bye, Tura Satana

If you say you like movies and don't know who Tura Satana was, you have been watching the wrong movies.  


I was trying to capture the voice of Varla, Tura Satana's signature character from Russ Meyer's 1965, girls gone wild masterpiece, Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!  but I am hopeless at recreating Varla's sassy, nihilisism.

Tura Satana was a strong, outspoken woman who approached life with a (literal) no holds barred attitude that she infused into her characters.  Varla, the homicidal, invective hurling, Go-Go dancer, was chaos personified.  She dished out the attitude she wouldn't take from anyone else and anyone who tried, did so at their own risk.  Both Kali the Destroyer and Kamakhyer, goddess of love, passion and desire, in one, she shook, shimmied, and cut down anyone or anything that got in her way.  Tura played the role with such gusto that Varla became an icon of American cinema.

Insomniac theater presents: Paranormal Activity 2

Large portions of both
films are in night vision

Possibly one of the most horrifying, real life moments in recent memory was Halloween weekend, 2009, while I was watching Paranormal Activity (2007, Oren Peli).  Liza, a friend, was visiting from out of town and staying in the extra bedroom in our house.  Everyone had gone to bed except me: I stayed up to watch the movie.  During one of the long, slow, blue and white scenes filmed from the surveillance cameras, and unobserved  by me, Liza came out of her room and started walking to the living room, I was so engrossed in watching the screen for any sign of whatever might happen that I jumped about a foot when I saw her moving towards me down the dark hallway.

Heavy Rotation on My iPod: The Cramps

I have been fascinated by The Cramps since 1982, when I heard their early single "Uranium Rock" from the International Record Syndicate's compilation album (that is right; two, 12 inch, grooved vinyl discs) that I picked up at the Sandusky Mall.  Also included were the first single by The Police, early music by Danny Elfman, in his old band Oingo Bongo, and a song by The Damned.  I can't remember what else was there, but there was plenty of history.

By then, The Cramps had been performing and recording over five years, having put out Psychedelic Jungle and the more polished Songs the Lord Taught Us.

There is plenty to say about The Cramps, their look, their style of dress, the stunningly beautiful female guitarist, their sound (a cross between rockabilly/roots rock and roll, punk rock, and classic psychedelic), but to me, they were just too much fun not to love.

Heavy Rotation on my iPod: Gangster Soul: Girlz Harmony Vol.1 & Vol. 2

Thursday, January 27, 2011 10:42:34 PM

Sometimes I like to listen to sad songs; my first choice is usually Gangster Soul: Girlz Harmony, Vol. 1,  a collection of soul recordings featuring female vocals, probably from the early 1970's. Last night I received volume two of the series and I am enjoying it as much as the first.

I may be wrong, but it seems that every region of the country had its own thriving soul and rhythm and blues recording label at one time.  These countless soul singles, from artists almost completely forgotten, turn up in these anthologies to remind us of what glory there is in the human voice.

What I (Half) Watched Last Night: Godzilla v Hedorah

I haven't been posting much lately because I just can't seem to stay awake long enough to write anything.

The other day I came across the classic, Godzilla v., Hedorah  at crackle.com, a HULU type streaming site. Here is what Crackle has to say:
     "One of the grooviest and weirdest of all Godzilla flicks thanks to a hippie-rock soundtrack and a terrifying toxic foe."  Psychedelic Gojira?  I love Godzilla movies, always have, ever since I was a kid.
I didn't make it through the whole movie, but what I did see was pretty typical until the nightclub scene.   To set the stage, the seas around Japan are beset by a mysterious monster that seems to feed on industrial waste-who knew? When the creature first slithers onto land to feed and fight with Godzilla, Yoshimitsu Banno, the director, cut in scenes of a psychedelic band playing in a nightclub, complete with a liquid light show:

Vitriolic Venting

To all my fellow netizens who post pictures in public and semi public places and are either too lazy (or stupid?) to orientate them correctly, your Internet privileged should be revoked.

Also to those of you who send Email from your smart phones or similar, mobile devices and haven't changed the signature from "Sent from my really cool gadget," to anything else, you need to go back to land lines and answering machines.

Lastly, to all the self indulgent bloggers that occupy yourselves complaining about the inadequacies of people's behavior, change your diaper before you get a rash.

The Lessons of Avatar

Thursday, January 20, 2011 09:06:11 AM

I don't want to admit it, but I love my new iPod Touch. Despite my ravings about open source this and open source that, the gadgets that gets the most use in our house are the iPods even though they tend to make me feel more like an indentured servant to Apple. When my beloved, 5 ^th generation, 30 gigabyte iPod stopped holding a charge, I decided it was time to either get a new battery or a new iPod. There was not that much of a difference in price between having a new battery installed and getting a used, 2 ^nd generation iPod Touch on eBay. It hasn't been in my possession for 48 hours and already I am having trouble remembering life with out it. We truly do live in an age of wonders.

That said, I was recently treated to watching James Cameron's magnum opus, Avatar at a friend's house with a set up that probably rivals, if not surpasses, most people's idea of a private screening room.

And wow, what a treat for the senses it was. Even to the end of the three hour version we watched, the visuals were amazing. I totally accepted the idea of an eight foot tall, blue Sigourney Weaver. She definitely would have made that other Alien weep in terror, if it had eyes. l I know that my friends wanted to really crank up the volume, but it would have played havoc with my delicate circulatory system, so the aural aspect was less potent than its potential.

If you are reading this, you are probably well aware of what Avatar is and have some idea of how it came into being, so I will summarize the lessons Avatar teaches:

Much of the human race is comprised of infants in adult body suits-by and large other than meeting their own wants and needs, the rest of the known universe can go die.

All conflicts can be successfully settled by the appropriate use of superior firepower or expendable bodies.

Sometimes, some of the Ewoks have to die.

There was a fourth one, but it escapes me now. I will add it when I remember it.

Please feel free to leave your comments below.

Thursday, January 20, 2011 09:52:05 AM