recommendations

film

Alejandro Jodorowsky - 'Fando Y Lis' 'Holy Mountain' and 'El Topo'

WARNING- CLIP ABOVE IS NOT 'WORK SAFE'

After a long and difficult legal rights battle, ABKCO films has finally seen reason and the films of Alejandro Jodorowsky are back in cinemas.

Part mystic, part pulp fanatic, Jodorowsky's films have created quite a stir in the film world since the initial 1968 showing of 'Fando Y Lis' caused a riot to break out (and Woddy Allen just keeps making the same movies with the same reactions... what a world).

His films are political, post-modern and visually maddening. Watching 'Holy Mountain' and 'El Topo' you may be filled with disgust that such movies were ever made. Filled with scenes of a Christ-like figure having his body moulded to make a series of knock-off copies, historic battles played out by frogs, the future of the high-rise shown as individual caskets strun together to make a skyscraper... his movies will either click with you or you'll hate them. They're that good.

Granted, the non-linear narrative, violence and nudity might cause the casual viewer to dismiss Jodorowsky as a crackpot... But this is far from the truth. His films are full of strangely unsettling images and the type of framing sequences, characters and narratives seen only in Grant Morrison comics (where'd you think HE got his influence? Hmm?)

Finally on DVD (<-click here to purchase from Amazon.com) and back on the big screen (<- click here for movie listings), I urge you to catch his films while they are still available for viewing.

I'd say don't bring a date, but at least the conversation on the ride home would be interesting.

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dvd

The Films of Kenneth Anger Volume One

Rock 'n' Roll surrealist Kenneth Anger is a short film maker whose work has earned him a large cult following. Despite the ready availability of Knight Rider and Soap episodes on DVD, it's taken ages for these incredible short films to be released by Fantoma Films.

Obsessed with the occult and the supernatural, Kenneth Anger's work is a wonderful trip into another world. Using low-fi film techniques he creates strange setting and impossible landscapes that exist in both the realms of dream and nightmare.

Do yourself a favor and pick this DVD up for an evening viewing you'll never forget.

Beverage recommendation: Chimay.

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monthly youtube finds

paul is dead - the rotten apple

I just realized today that I do not own a single Beatles CD. This isn't on purpose or as a way to say that I'm 'too cool for school' but... it is odd.

The 35 (to date) short films put up on youtube by iamaphoney look closely at the intensely paranoid theory that Paul McCartney died horribly in a car crash leading to the Beatles hiring an impersonator who is still impersonating Paul McCartney.

I'm not saying I'm buying the conspiracy theory that Paul's death was covered up but... his later work really is terrible, isn't it? To go from 'Black Bird' to 'Jet'? Are you kidding me?

Whether you are into this kinda thing or not, the short films are addictive (I watched them all in one go) and very creepy.

Wonder Woman Mego Ad

Creepy on a different level is this Mego toy ad.

For those of you NOT in the know, Mego was a Long Island based toy company that produced doll-sized action figures of all the greats in the 70's including Planet of the Apes, Star Trek, Marvel Super-Heroes and ofcourse DC Super-Heroes.

They are still regarded as the best toy company by many and created the most adored and commercially successful line of toys aside from perhaps Marx in the UK and later Kenner (thanks to Star Wars).

The weird bit here is that the narrator's voice is either from the pits of Hell or slowed down due to poor source quality. Also, isn't that theme tune catchy? I've had it in my head for ages... aren't they making a new Wonder Woman movie? They should totally use that jingle.

GMX ad

Once again showing how I'm living in not only the wrong time, but also the wrong country, this GMX TV ad just blows my mind.

By depicting several scenes of people either floating or trying to be weightless, I was not sure where the video was going... I certainly had no idea that it would end up as an ad for a communication service.

This comes to you from the good people at Millus.de, who also posted a very favorable review of Effin' Kids back in February.

I just wish I knew German.

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comic

Bluesman
By Rob Vollmar and Pablo G. Callejo

I put off reading these three books sent to me from my brother for a few months. I don't know why.

They are without a doubt amongst the finest comics I've read in a long long time. The books follow the trail of Lem Taylor and 'Ironwood' Malcott from shack to shack where they play the best blues to the smallest crowd. Eventually they get picked up to record an album... but then things get a little complicated.

With excerpts from 'American Troubadors: Blues Musicians of the Deep South' throughout the series, both fact and fiction pull the reader through what ends up being a magnificent tale of the Blues and of Americana.

The Vesuvius Club: A Lucifer Box Novel (Graphic Edition)
by Mark Gatiss and Ian Bass

Better known (by me, anyway) for his work on The League of Gentlemen and Doctor Who (wouldn't he make a fab Doctor?), Mark Gattis is also a rather gifted novelist. With his Lucifer Box series, he has created a unique Victorian era detective story. Filled with secret meeting places with government officials, tangled mysteries and conspiracies, The Vesuvius Club is a gripping read. It's also a laugh with absurd situations and characters alongside tongue-in-cheek randy prose. Ian Bass lends a capable hand as illustrator, giving the novel life for the first time as a graphic novel. Look for this book at your local shop and if it ain't there, ask the proprietor why!

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music

My First Billy Childish CD

Video for the Buff Medways below:

Billy Childish's musical career is a long and tangled one. With a sound as booming as the Jam and as free as early Who, Childish makes rockin' look easy.

He's formed collaborations with Holly Golightly ('In Blood') and several great bands including Thee Headcoats and The Buff Medways. Since most his work is difficult to find, this is as good a place as any to start. Assembled by the folks at Damaged Goods as a kind of primer for Mr. Childish's music library, the album features 18 great tracks including songs by The Mighty Caesars as well as his latest band The Chatham Singers. There's also a couple of tracks with Thee Headcoatees (Feat: Holly Golightly) & The Buffets.