May 07 2011
That’s right, today’s the day when comic book stores across the country are giving away free comics and having special sales! If this horror-related free comic from Dark Horse Comics isn’t enough to convince you to head out to your local comic book store, perhaps this vintage GdL16 article will.
Happy Free Comic Book Day!
May 05 2011
Since last year’s Cinco de Mayo celebration involved a lengthy look at the life and career of El Santo, I thought I would do something similar (but shorter) this year.
While looking for something to post about, I found news that a once lost variant of Santo en el tesoro de Dracula (translation: Santo in “The Treasure of Dracula”) had been rediscovered! Back when the film was completed (1968 or 1969, depending on what source you read), someone had the bright idea to add in some sex scenes in an attempt to increase the film’s marketability overseas and retitled it as “El Vampiro y el Sexo” (The Vampire and Sex, like I really had to translate that)! Something similar was done with 1970’s Santo contra los jinetes del terror (Santo vs. The Riders of Terror) to create Los Leprosos y el Sexo (The Lepers And Sex, quite possibly the least sexy movie title ever conceived). As you’ve undoubtedly guessed, these adult versions were nowhere near as popular and faded into obscurity. However, El Santo’s son (El Hijo del Santo) apparently got wind of this news and blocked this version from getting rereleased out of concern that it would tarnish his late father’s image. We here at Gravedigger’s Local 16 don’t claim to know much about who owns the El Santo filmography or Mexican copyright law (save that the duration is currently life of the creator plus 100 years), but we suspect that this has more to do with the Mexican equivalent of personality/publicity rights than copyrights. It’s a tough situation: Although we at the Local support film preservation and the release of all alternate versions whenever possible, we can also see why El Hijo del Santo would feel embarrassed about the film, despite his father not appearing in the sex scenes. Especially since his father is a Mexican pop culture icon, their equivalent of Superman. Still, we hope that the location of the film is carefully documented and the reels are properly preserved so that it can be released when another member of the Santo clan who is less uptight about such matters will give their approval.
In the meantime, here’s some footage from from another El Santo film involving Dracula, 1973’s Santo y Blue Demon vs Drácula y el Hombre Lobo (Santo and the Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man):
Despite the fact that it came out years after Santo en el tesoro de Dracula, the film acts as if the 60’s encounter never happened!
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
May 05 2011
A Handful of Dirt asks a person five questions they wouldn’t normally expect or receive in any other credible interview.
In consulting the Serendipiter Bag o’InquiryTM, we pose a series of questions to come up with a bit of knowledge unknown before – a handful of dirt.
We will let the subject of this week’s A Handful of Dirt introduce herself to you, since no other words might lend her as much potency:
My name is Michelle, and I host a radio show called GO KAT GO! spinning rockabilly, honky tonk, western swing, psychobilly, surf and the like each and every Tuesday night from 8-10pm on WNHU 88.7FM! You can listen LIVE online from anywhere at www.WNHU.net!
I’ve been on the air since May 2001, but have been involved in the local music scene for nearly 20 years. My day to day life revolves around music…whether it’s at my regular day job at a commercial station, working on GO KAT GO!, organizing shows and events, promoting bands…my life encompasses the music and culture. If I’m not doing any of those things, then I’m going to see a band play live!
Help celebrate a decade of bringing good music to the airwaves by going to the official GO KAT GO! Radio site and joining the Facebook page. For those of you in the New England/North East, you’ll want to book mark the GO KAT GO! Concert Calendar, the most comprehensive of listing of music events.
What main motivating factor do you attribute as the main source of drive in your career (ed: in this case, we can say the career is the ten years of Go Kat Go Radio!.)
I’ve always had such a passion for music and the genre. It’s really just a way of life for me. But I’d say, quite simply, being able to spin and promote the bands that I love. Bands that aren’t getting exposure on mainstream radio or really anywhere else for that matter. And turning people onto a style or genre that maybe they never knew existed.
What is your music guilty-pleasure? (artist, song or album)
Oh boy! There are so many! Hahahaha! OK…here goes…Weezer (specifically The Blue Album), Creedence Clearwater Revival, Journey and 80s metal!
What meal/drink/foodstuff do you/would you make at home when you’re trying to impress people?
I am great at baking, and love to make fancy looking desserts. They take a lot of time and effort, but I really enjoy doing it, and I think it shows in the end result. Most recently I’ve made dark chocolate mousse in white chocolate shells and coffee meringues dipped in chocolate. MMMMM!
Someone decided it would be funny to transport you into a Igmar Bergman’ THE SEVENTH SEAL. When facing Death, what board game do you challenge him to play in order for your freedom?
That’s easy…Twister!
If you could make a book required reading for all grade/high schoolers, which one would it be?
Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”
UPCOMING “GO KAT GO! PRESENTS” EVENTS:
Saturday, May 14th – A night of honky tonk, vintage twang and western swing featuring Girl Howdy WITH The Roy Sludge Trio at Café Nine, 250 State Street, New Haven, CT
Sunday, May 15th – Be prepared to be blown away by the heavy hitting, instru-rock-surf sounds of Alabama’s DAIKAIJU along with The Headcutters at Elm Bar, 372 Elm Street, New Haven, CT
Wednesday, June 1st – An early and intimate performance from Orange County, California KINGS of rockabilly…Big Sandy And His Fly-Rite Boys at Café Nine, 250 State Street, New Haven, CT
Tuesday, July 12th – The vivacious, titan-haired Los Angeles based singer/songwriter, Kim Lenz And The Jaguars PLUS The Colonel’s Original Recipe at Café Nine, 250 State Street, New Haven, CT. Rolling Stone raved, “If Elvis had been a woman, he probably would have sounded just like Kim Lenz.”
Saturday, August 13th – A night of swing and R&B featuring The Gas House Gorillas AND The Shiny Lapel Trio at Café Nine, 250 State Street, New Haven, CT
MORE GREAT SHOWS ARE ALWAYS IN THE WORKS!!!
(click each image for bigger)
May 04 2011
Zombie Surf Camp
Zombie Surf Camp
Can a vampire ever be a convincing lower-class dredge? There are many attempts to give the creature a grittier edge, though outside of a return to the inhuman version of NOSFERATU, the vampire will have a lot to overcome before it turns out to be something less-than-beautiful. Since the creature’s glorification has rendered it an aristocrat by nature, I think any efforts to marry the vampire with something like punk or working class has a handicap to overcome.
Punk as a music genre has always been closely associated with a contrarian perspective and not just a “No!” idea, but a “fuck no and fuck YOU” sentiment. It’s a sense of never being satisfied, being against everything and rejecting the current situation, whatever that is. Applied to a vampire, and the often result is a fangula being moody about once being human, turned vampire against his/her will, and hating the situation. Sort of half of INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE or emo kids with teeth.
This is why Zombie Surf Camp works as an idea. “Zombie” is a less-than-desirable condition; outside an ‘Ugly Americans’ plotline, I can’t recall a recent example where green, decaying and flesh-hungry is a way to go through life. It’s not a case of “Oh yeah! I’m a zombie!” but “Oh, no. I’m a zombie.”
ZSC is the combination of surf, punk, zombie and environmental consciousness. Folks might point out that surfing zombies aren’t new and point to both The Surf Zombies and various movies where the undead go underwater. What sets ZSC apart is that if a ZSC zombie were to ambush a beachgoer, they would devour the brains while disposing of the remains in the designated recycling bins.
If this has made ZSC sound like a joke, they’re not. The success of Zombie Surf Camp is that they’re not campy. The self-titled Surf Zombie Camp album is a great mixture of earnest surf and punk music, fusing the two elements together to make a fantastic album that stands on its own in either camp.
The band blends the elements together fluidly, so well that one neither overpowers the other. The punk doesn’t reduce the guitar work to a series of power chords, nor does the music lose its oomph when the guitar work resembles less RKL and more Dick Dale.
Zombie Surf Camp might be considered the mutation from exposing the skillful song styles of Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet to the radioactive punk wailing of Mr. Chi-Pig from SNFU (which are both Canadian bands, though ZSC originates from San Diego.)
It was a good decision to have “What’s Eating You?” open the album; if you were to ever use the word “conventional” to describe ZSC, “What’s Eating You? would be the closest as it resembles a conventional punk song – a great display of songwriting, the pairing of guitars and solid rhythm section to support the wild flowing of the vocals. If were to an alternative dimension where modern radio wasn’t completely horrible, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear “What’s Eating You?” between The Butthole Surfers and Beck.
“Flipper” flips (pun intended) the situation of ‘dolphin-free-tuna’ to ‘human-free-ocean.’ It’s the first of three songs that deal with the idea that harmful industrial pollution is going to literally “come and bite us on the ass,” as well as the arm, the neck and the brain. The band’s bio lists ZSC as a group of surfers who swam during a toxic spill from the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant, something addressed in the song “Now, I Am A Zombie.”
Another diss of pollution comes in “Sewage,” which brings some humor the concept that the dead have come back and have started surf-punk bands. Moon Voggy’s vocal interactions with Resin A. Gain are played against some really choice surf riffs.
Voggy’s singing on the song is his bellowing wail, though he demonstrates a very regal voice on “Surf Zombies On Parade,” which a live performance is detailed as ‘Zombies on St. Patrick’s Day.’ The almost effortless switch between MC5’s Rob Tyner to Bobcat Goldthait is impressive. Similar vocals can be found on “Midnight Sun.” the album’s quote-unquote ballad and “Remains.”The band kicks the punk up on “Culture of Life” and grinds a mean surf on “Corpse in a Barrel.”
This is a great album and will be a welcomed addition to your music library. But if you’re not convinced – Zombie Surf Camp has offered their first album for free. Head on over and you’ll find a torrent of Zombie Surf Camp available.
You’ll also find them on Facebook, MySpace, ReverbNation and Twitter.
May 04 2011
That’s right, it’s that time of year again. The first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day, which is quickly approaching. So clear some time in your schedule for May 7th, because you don’t want to miss any of the free goodies!
May 03 2011
Beat Black
http://www.etsy.com/shop/beatblack
I Heart Brains Necklace (Grey Matter)
The rains of April have left the ground damp and fresh with the reborn green as we march our way into the summer. We will be felled by the coming heat and humidity but for now, we enjoy the moment of peace.
Around the Department of Rights and Equality for Animated People, Officer Nemi Lem was spotted hanging some of the yearly posters for Zombie Awareness Month. Around this month, Lem’s duties bring her up to talk about what procedure we should experience a recently resurrected body. There hasn’t been a zombie sighting at Quiet Side in a good seven decades and even then, the findings of the late 30’s were deemed inconclusive. If there was a need for the department’s services, there would probably be a bigger budget and she could hire more than one worker (and even Gregory is part-time.)
Young Gus takes offense at the idea that Quiet Side would have any problems with the recently undead. He’s just a man who takes pride in a work, who has gone on record saying “When I bury a body, it stays buried.”
We sympathize with Officer Lem, though. She’s just doing her job, even though she does often go above and beyond the call, even when no one made the call in the first place.
It’s Nemi’s work that brings this week’s Tuesday uEtsy to Beat Black, and their selection of zombie-related accessories.
Brain Cufflinks (grey matter)
If you attend the Department formal fundraiser at the end of the month, it would be wise to don these pair of cufflinks. It matters not the color of jacket you wear, for Beat Black carries them in three flavors: grey matter, lunch meat pink and moldy green. Fashionable. Subtle. Classy.
I Heart Brains Best Friend Necklaces
Perhaps you want something more informal? This Best Friends necklace takes the concept of “giving you a piece of my mind” to the literal sense. Offer a bit of grey matter to someone who matters to you, forever saying that your thoughts (in some sense) are always with that person.
Beat Black Heart Necklace
One of Lem’s ongoing efforts is to dispel the stereotype that any resurrected person only consumes the organ between your ears. No, the general consensus is that your average reanimated body will maintain an appetite. Those who do are often considered hazardous and won’t start at your brain. Perhaps this black heart will remind you of that bit of tastiness that’s easier to get to than what it will take to crack your skull. Or what will be beating out of your chest as you run.
Black Lungs Necklace
While she was visiting a few months ago, the Intern noticed something around Nemi’s wrist. “Oh,” she said and explained that it was a bracelet she got the day her mother’s clean bill of health came back. As a daughter of a cancer survivor, Nemi participates in many events: walks for cure; sitting on an advisory board. It also motivates her to keep track of those who pass due to cancer and similar diseases. Someone who died of cancer comes back with greater complications. It’s sad, and Nemi is tireless in her work. While these Black Lungs shouldn’t bring about the connotation of such sadness, perhaps they can remind you to celebrate your ability to breathe or what others go through for that luxury.
Zebra Squared Necklace
It’s not all organs over at Black Beat. They have a wide variety of broaches, earrings, cufflinks and necklaces. This Zebra squared necklace is a wonderful piece that can be worn all year ‘round. It’s something that Lem could wear, complementing her daily uniform. Plus, no animals were harmed in making it, which is something we know she would enjoy. It’s rough trying to save the world; doubly so when you’re still on duty after it dies and comes back.
You don’t need to die to wear these fashions. You just need to go over to Beat Black’s Etsy Store. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to check out the official Deviant Art account as well as the Flickr stream. When you’re done making the scene with your new zombie inspired bling, come back next week for another Tuesday uEtsy.
May 02 2011
“Greatest” music video – what does this mean? Different people have different tastes so there will never be a consensus on what is the greatest music video.
However, if you’re reading this site, it’s likely you and I have similar tastes So I give you this, a Nomination for the Official Video of Gravedigger’s Local 16: The Ramones, “Substitute.”
Qualifications: This is a video for a song originally done by The Who, covered by The Ramones. The video features Rudy Ray Moore, Lux Interior, LEMMY, Sean Yseult (of White Zombie and the equally awesome Famous Monsters!!), Michael Berryman and a bunch of other people I probably can’t name but are awesome in their own right-oh, and that Pinhead? That specific one in this video was created/made by Norman “Baron Shivers” Caberera of The Ghastly Ones.
[youtube id=”wIWpfS_MFHw”]
Yes? No? Other Nominations?
Apr 30 2011
As I noted back when I reviewed Winterbeast, I have a fondness for regional horror films. There’s just something about the rough, “do it yourself” indie vibe combined with the time capsule nature of such films that speaks to me. The best way I have to describe it to someone who has never seen such a film is that grainy footage of an alligator jawbone hanging on a porch by a meat hook from the opening title sequence of True Blood. Truth be told, that brief clip excites my imagination far more than the actual show does! So when I stumbled across a reference to a 1988 horror short called The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster, you know I immediately had to look into it.
The Pope Lick Monster is said to reside in Louisville, Kentucky. More specifically, under the Pope Lick trestle that stretches over Pope Lick Creek. Why the funny-sounding name? The term “lick” refers to a type of small stream while the “Pope” part is a reference to the surname of an important historical figure from the area’s past. Legend has it that the Pope Lick Monster is a satyr-like combination of human and goat who delights in luring unwary passers-by onto the tracks to meet their doom when a train goes by. As is the case with many urban legends, there are numerous contradictory versions of the creature’s origin and motives. Personally, I think the theory that parents made up the monster in an attempt to keep children away from the dangerous trestle is the most likely. After all, there have been plenty of people who have been killed or injured due to their visiting the trestle.
Naturally, this alleged creature captured the imagination of a filmmaker. Independent filmmaker Ron Schildknecht, to be precise. In 1988, he and a small cast put together a 16 minute black and white short film about three youths growing up in the area and one’s brush with the monster. Although the $6,000 film was able to premiere at a local movie theater, not everyone in the area was pleased with the idea. Officials from Norfolk Southern Railway (who own the trestle) were concerned that the film would inspire people to visit the trestle and possibly even attempt a dangerous stunt depicted in the movie (which was actually filmed at a different, safer location for that particular segment of the short film). To prevent any accidents, they had a statement warning of the danger read before The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster was screened.
When I sought out information about Mr. Schildknecht and the film, I fully expected to either find a dead end or a bemused man who would express shock that anyone outside of Louisville knew or cared about a film that was only shown once. Instead, I found that one could purchase a DVD of the film at his official website, along with DVDs of his more recent works! Interestingly enough, the online press material for the film claims the monster is half sheep! I was also pleased to see that he had uploaded a clip from it onto Youtube to promote the DVD:
Although the DVD only contains a single short film, it also boasts “digitally remastered video and sound; English subtitles; Stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound audio; Scripts; [and] Outtakes.” Not bad for an independent short film. If you order a copy, please write in to let me know what you thought of it. I suspect that orders will go up thanks to the upcoming release of a feature-length horror film about the monster. However, Mr. Schildknecht has nothing to do with the film, simply titled Pope Lick. Only time will tell how it compares to The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster.
UPDATE: The full film is now available on Amazon in streaming form!
Apr 30 2011
You know you’re in trouble when the creepy occult guy you’re doing business with suggests that you try a more traditional method of revenge rather than summon the ancient demon of vengeance that you’re paying him lots of money to do. But the mystery man in the movie insists on using the demon and after a little bloodletting, Killjoy appears. But he demands more blood as not only is he only partially formed (his hair is gone, revealing a nasty set of horns), but he also wants some helpers this time around. Using aspects of other demons, he creates: Punchy the boxing hobo clown (Behemoth), Freakshow the Kuato twin mime (Gemini) and Harley Q…er…Batty Boop (succubus). But the revenge-seeker vanishes before the necessary sacrifice and the demonic clowns are sucked into a mirror.
Meanwhile, a house party is broken up and four college students (Sandy, Roger, Erica and “Zilla”) are left to clean up the mess. Over the course of their clean-up, it’s revealed that Sandy is house-sitting for one of her professors (who is due to return within a few days). As you’ve probably guessed, the professor is the man who paid to have Killjoy summoned and the mysterious mirror that gets delivered to the home is the one containing Killjoy and company. Thanks to the mirror’s magic, the friends are magically trapped in the house and they’re soon lured into Killjoy’s realm. Who will survive and what’s the professor’s agenda? You’ll have to watch to find out…
I’ll admit it, I really wasn’t looking forward to watching Killjoy 3. I remember having my enjoyment of a promotional video from Full Moon being dampened by the clearly SOV clip from the first Killjoy appeared and drastically contrasted with the quality of the other clips. I recall the near-universal hatred of the films back when they first came out and I’ve always associated the character with the sort of cheap, “farmed out to an other production company” films from the dark days of Full Moon’s near death. But to my surprise, Killjoy 3 wasn’t that bad. In fact, it’s easily the best entry in the Killjoy franchise. Granted, that’s hardly the greatest of achievements, but it does suggest a positive future for the series should they continue making installments. Ever wondered how a clown-themed demon with a relatively modern name could be an ancient demon of vengeance? It’s actually explained in this film, with the revelation that Killjoy has appeared under many names and forms in the past, with his Killjoy personae being the most recent. There’s also some stuff about how belief creates demons which, although never explicitly stated, could explain how Killjoy went from being the result of a black magic ceremony involving a toy in his first appearance to being an apparently well-known ancient evil in the second film.
But there are plenty of problems mixed in with the good stuff throughout the film’s 78 minute running time. Even though Killjoy and his cohorts are clowns, most of the humor isn’t actually funny. The attempt at doing a live action of the Looney Tunes referee routine is particularly painful. I only recall laughing at some Rocky references during a boxing scene and Killjoy’s reaction to a character’s bargain is a scream. Come to think of it, the sequence where Zilla tries to convince Punchy to rebel against was pretty amusing (and clever, to boot). It’s a shame, as the actor who plays Killjoy (Trent Haaga) is a very talented and funny guy. It’s a shame that he didn’t write the script (or was given complete freedom to improv), as the end product would probably be a ghoulish laugh riot under those circumstances.
But the lack of genuine laughs isn’t the only problem. Despite the constant references to Zilla’s childhood in the movie, no background is ever given. Instead, his background as an awkward nerd who bulked up and became a star football player is briefly mentioned in the making-off segment. Another scripting oddity is the mirror world itself. At first only a person’s soul enters the mirror realm, but later people are actually transported there. While the members of Killjoy’s posse are somewhat interesting, they’re treated as being largely disposable by the film, especially towards the end. Another aspect of the characters that annoyed me was the handling of the “created from aspects of other demons” origin given to them. The Behemoth one was fine, but the Gemini twins can hardly be considered demons and would it have really killed the scriptwriter to visit Wikipedia to actually get a succubus name?
The widescreen transfer and audio are both excellent. I was very happy to see that this didn’t appear to be shot on video like the original. There were some moments where the visuals seem dull, but the behind-the-scenes featurette seems to imply this was actually an intentional choice using a fog machine. Speaking of which, “Killjoy 3: Behind the Scenes” consists of a series of promotional Youtube vidcasts that were made to promote the movie while it was being filmed in China. We get to see parts of the movie being filmed, the Chinese crew building the set, actors talking about their roles (watch out for spoilers) and the like. The main attraction is Trent Haaga, who hosts many of the videos while in full costume (and in character). He really hams it up as our personal tour guide through the studio and I laughed more throughout the featurette’s roughly 16 minute running time than I did during the entire movie. It also answered my question about how it was for the actress portraying Batty Boop, whose “costume” was merely a wig and body paint. The camera tastefully shows her from the neck up during the application of body paint and she’s seen in a robe between takes. If she hadn’t been pointed out when she appears out of make-up and in regular clothing, I never would have made the connection!
Up next is “Killjoy: Vintage Behind the Scenes,” the SOV making-off segment from the first movie. Why was it included? My guess is that it’s here both to reinforce Killjoy 3’s connection to the first film and to show how the franchise has evolved since then. One look at the original Killjoy make-up (and performance by Angel Vargas) drives that point home real quick. Clocking in at just under 12 minutes, it provides a nice mix of clips from the film and behind-the-scenes footage. Everyone involved is incredibly enthusiastic about the film, and the executive producer corrects predicts that there will be a sequel.
Rounding out the disc are the trailers, which include Puppet Master: Axis of Evil, Demonic Toys 2, Skull Heads, Oblivion The Haunted Casino and all three Killjoy movies. The one for Oblivion seems to be the original trailer from 1994 rather than a newly made one promoting the DVD release (a nice touch), while Big City Pictures and Tempe are credited in the previews for Killjoy and Killjoy 2 respectively. As was the case in The Haunted Casino DVD, the trailers vary in aspect ratio and quality.
Bizarrely, there is no chapter selection menu despite the fact that chapter stops are included on the disc! When I contacted Full Moon about this, the person who responded to me theorized that this was an attempt at “streamlining” the disc. Given that the film was originally only available as part of a Killjoy boxset, it’s not impossible to think that it was treated like a bonus disc and wasn’t given the same treatment as a DVD that had originally been available separately. No matter what the case was, Full Moon should never omit a chapter selection from its DVDs, lest they wish to make their products seem like something from the cheapest of the bargain bin DVD companies.
Special thanks to Full Moon Features for the review copy!
Apr 30 2011
Back when I was just a tiny tot, I once read a children’s “making of” book about Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. One of the facts listed inside was that some of the creatures in the famous cantina scene were actually recycled costumes from horror movies. It made sense to me, especially due to the werewolf-looking alien that briefly makes an appearance. Although disappointed by the book’s lack of information about which aliens came from which movies, I assumed that I’d eventually see the movies the costumes were from someday.
But as the years went by, I became more suspicious of this claim. Despite seeing more horror movies than I can count, I had not seen a single monster in one that looked like one of Mos Eisley patrons. Similarly, searching through numerous official trivia guides and countless websites yielded no reference to reused costumes. Was the fact I had read years ago false?
After much fruitless searching through the IMDB’s trivia pages for each installment of the original trilogy, the trivia section for 1978’s infamous Star Wars Holiday Special had something interesting in it. Apparently, a rat costume from The Food of the Gods was used to create an alien being in the special’s version of the cantina. Perhaps that book from my youth had gotten its cantina facts mixed up?
No, it hadn’t. After much research, I stumbled across proof of horror movie prop repurposing in the classic film. According to this, special effects legend Rick Baker recycled some monster gloves from It’s Alive for one of the aliens. He also reused a furry costume that made for a Halloween show based on The Exorcist given at Bob Burns‘ house and some masks he had made as a fun way to test his skills (which he also used for Halloween)!
In celebration of my finally solving this puzzle after so many years, here’s a song that uses the same title as this article:
Apr 30 2011
To quote the description given at our third episode’s official listing:
“‘May is Zombie Awareness Month! So before you get sick of them (if you’re not already), we bring you this episode of 6′+ dedicated to the decaying. That’s right – it’s all ZOMBIE related music for this episode.”
So be sure to have a listen, in addition to bookmarking 6ftplus.com. After all, you don’t want to miss a single episode, do you?
Apr 29 2011
I suppose it all began when I was putting together last year’s Christma(dnes)s article. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was bad enough, but an even lazier knock-off of a lazy novel? And a knock-off based around A Christmas Carol? No thanks. Seeing not one, but two zombie poetry books only added to my displeasure on the overexposure of zombies. Even CNN Health’s Twitter feed actually devoted a day to zombie questions, complete with a “#cnnzombies” hashtag for crying out loud! But what finally pushed me over the edge was the endless parade of zombie merchandise out there. And no, I’m not referring to the numerous “zombie apocalypse survival guides” floating around out there.
If there were only one “survival guide from a zombie’s perspective” out there, I wouldn’t mind so much about the fact that zombies are rarely able to read or how, being creatures of instinct, a zombie would have no use for a guidebook. After all, it would just be a one-off spoof of the above-mentioned guides. But when the parodies start to rival the source material in volume, then I’m free to point out the flaws in the humor.
How to Speak Zombie: A Guide for the Living wouldn’t be so bad if they were just selling the sound module or if it was a short book whose pages alternated between the word “brains” and random groans. Sadly, we get attempts at humor like “aaaaYYYrarhhhhmMUHHHTT?” translating as “Can I borrow your yoga mat?” Ugh.
I don’t know what annoys me more about The Zen of Zombie: Better Living Through the Undead: The fact that it exists or the fact that it spawned a series of follow-up books, including The Code of the Zombie Pirate. If you think that last one sounds like a hilarious idea, kindly leave this website and never return.
Do we really need a “Zombie Survival” energy drink? Or what about a zombie-themed magnetic poetry kit? If you think that I should cut these some slack due to their being novelty items, I invite you to look at some zombie novelties that not only don’t suck, but almost made me not write this article. For example, this zombie shooting gallery rules. While both the toilet sticker prank and zombie survival kit are well-made and would be perfect for Halloween, the kit gets extra points for actually doing something interesting and useful with the “zombie survival guide concept.”
But leave it to the official Pride and Prejudice and Zombies calendar to get me to change my mind back to writing this. Even if we put all of the knock-offs and wannabes aside, I’d still hate that novel for its quick-and-dirty grafting of the latest pop culture buzzword onto an old public domain work that so many somehow found innovative and clever. But 501 Things to Do with a Zombie makes Pride and Prejudice and Zombies look like a masterpiece of hard work and originality. For you see, none of the things to do are zombie-related (save for a brief reference to Dawn of the Dead, a rare moment of actual humor)! It’s just brief snippet after brief snippet of things like “Thumb wrestle” and “Adopt a pet.” This book could easily be applied to ANYTHING just by changing the title. I can’t believe somebody actually published this.
A book that combines Chicken Soup for the Soul and zombies? What a timely and humorous joke since it’s 1993. OH WAIT.
If you think that I’m overreacting to the above items, then check this out: Star Wars zombies! It has a sequel, too. Now do you think that zombies are overexposed?
Although I don’t hate zombies, the sheer amount of overexposure of the walking dead is definitely going to make me avoid anything relating to them for quite awhile. That said, I’m sure I’ll be able to look at zombie stuff again without instinctively grimacing sometime later in the year. After all, that I Walked with a Zombie DVD on my shelf isn’t going to watch itself…
Apr 28 2011
A Handful of Dirt asks a person five questions they wouldn’t normally expect or receive in any other credible interview.
In consulting the Serendipiter Bag o’InquiryTM, we pose a series of questions to come up with a bit of knowledge unknown before – a handful of dirt.
Caleb Emerson is an auteur the likes of Woody Allen, Orson Welles, Clint Eastwood and Ed Wood, contributing a renegade sense of style to his filmmaking endeavors. Either bringing a great underlying performance of character as an actor (CITIZEN TOXIE, SPLATTER DISCO, POULTRYGEIST)or commanding a renegade eye behind the camera (DIE YOU ZOMBIE BASTARDS! and the new FRANKIE IN BLUNDERLAND), Caleb Emerson is a gift to the modern cinema.
You can locate the official page for Caleb Emerson here, as well as his presence on Twitter.
How would you describe your current/most recent creative endeavor (ed: in this case, FRANKIE IN BLUNDERLAND) – is it a continuation of a previous aesthetic/idea or a radical change induced by a newly discovered influence?
Well…is some ways Frankie in Blunderland is similar to Die You Zombie Bastards! and in a lot of ways it’s very different. First, the similarities: They both center around a very non traditional protagonist who is on a quest to rescue their kidnapped wife. IN DYZB!, Red is a goofy serial killer whose goofy cannibal wife, Violet, is kidnapped by a mad scientist. He sets out on a quest to find her and encounters all sorts of obstacles and monsters along the way who he has to fight.
In FIB, Frankie is a sad sack loser who lets the world walk all over him. His hateful bitch of a wife, Katie is kidnapped (twice) by his asshole best friend Tommy and Frankie sets out on a quest to find her (even though the LAST thing she wants is to be found). Along the way he encounters a bunch of weirdos and obstacles that he must deal with. Both films are sore of set in another world. It’s earth…but the real rules of every day life don’t necessarily apply. They’re both surreal and at times perverse and ridiculous.
But the biggest difference is that I think the characters in Frankie in Blunderland are much more human. There are a lot of real life feelings and emotions that you can (or at least I could) relate to. They’re mostly very unpleasant feelings…but they’re based in a lot of what I can only assume is real life experience. You’d have to ask the screenwriter, Marta Estirado about how much of that is true…but sadly, she passed away last year shortly after I shot the film.
So I guess DYZB! is more of a straight fantasy, where the fantasy in Frankie is more psychological fantasy or perhaps mental illness/unrest. Strangely, DYZB! is much more of a gleeful film and it was made during a less happy time in my life, while Frankie is pretty dark and unhappy and things are going pretty well for me at the moment. That part I can’t explain. The tone I was going for in Frankie in Blunderland was “Combat Shock” meets “Repo Man”, neither of which are new influences…they’re just what I thought of when I read Marta’s script.
After being transported back in time (by a Wizard, naturally,) you take up your living as a barbarian warlord. What is the name that inspires fear in all your enemies and sends their children crying out in the night?
Peanutch.
What was the least romantic activity you once participated in while on a date?
I’ve always been interested in true crime stories and I go around and visit locations where horrible people did horrible things. I can’t explain it, it’s just always been a fascination since I was a kid. I spent a lot of time in LA in 2004 while DYZB! was being edited and while i was there I started becoming obsessed with the Masnon case. I had always been interested, but being in the place where it happened sparked something in me. Daniel Strange was editing the film and every couple of months I came out to LA for a long weekend to work on it with him and every trip I would pick one spot to go and visit because I would always wake up really early because of the time change. I never made it out to Spahn Ranch though, which was one of the spots I really wanted to see.
Anyway, the following year I came out for a week or so (the movie was already finished and i wanted to come to LA and actually get to enjoy the city) with my girlfriend. So, on Valentines day 2005, she and I sent the day hiking into the spot that used to be Spahn Ranch. There’s the main part that you can just walk onto from the street, but I wanted to see the depths so we did a 2 hour hike in from behind.
We got covered with ticks that were the size of M&Ms, stumbled on a dead rattlesnake, were followed by a loud, angry hawk and kept finding mountain lion tracks…just so I could see where the Manson family used to live 35 years earlier. I had an amazing time, but most people would find that an incredibly unromantic date. Apparently my girlfriend didn’t cause she married me 2 years later.
What’s a movie that you love that virtually no one knows about?
Well…I loved “Thundercrack”. Lots of people don’t know about that one. I also really love “Reflections of Evil”. I recently found out that Damon Packard, the guy that made that movie lives not far from me and I’ve been helping him with his new movie “Foxfur” which I’m very happy to be involved with. He also edited the opening title sequence of “Frankie in Blunderland” and he’s in it playing the Convenience Store Clerk. I’m sure people who are into underground and cult movies will be well aware of both of those films, but I think they go pretty undetected by the general public.
If you could name a drink after you (ed: “the Caleb Emerson”), what would it be, ingredient-wise?
I’m not much of a drinker, so probably Turkish Coffee. The ingredients are coffee and water.
Apr 27 2011
The Arkhams
Road to Arkham
As if having the name The Arkhams wouldn’t draw in the psychobilly fiends and spooky kids, the Ed Rothized picture of C’thulu on the front of Road To Arkham will definitely make your horror punker friend pick the disc up. Then, the real horror begins.
The Arkhams are one of those bands that are psycho in spirit and not in song. On Road To Arkham, there are no songs about zombies, vampires, psychotic murderers, undead love or even any of the eldritch nightmares conceived by the inventor of the band’s namesake, H.P. Lovecraft.
You know what? That is perfectly a-oh-kay. Why? Because there are roughly five-THOUSAND-other psychobilly bands with records chock full of all those songs about every horror aspect imaginable. So it’s forgiven if a band decides not to.
Does this make the band a psychobilly band, though? If I were to start up “Strange Jason the Axe Murdering Blood Bather and His Cavalcade of Carnivorous Circus Cats” and do nothing but covers of Debbie Gibson and the Chantels, would I classify as a pyschobilly band because of the upright bass player’s black pompadour? Yes, only if I do those covers with attitude.
As with small/ne niche music genres (and subsequent scenes) there is the rise of the dreaded purity test, right? Punk and Rap have well documented issues with bands that were not real enough for some crowds. Having not been involved deeply within any community to witness such trials, I come to the argument as an outsider. So, it’s plausible that there have never been a moment when an audience has looked onto an act and deemed them publically “posers” in the psychobilly scene. It would be idyllic to have some kind of musical genre that was welcoming of all.
However, I’m a cynic and will assume the worst. Perhaps people wouldn’t take to SJtAMBB&HCoCCC even if the attitude was there. Perhaps people have talked shit about the Arkhams. If the latter is true, that’s a shame. Road To Arkham is a good album with some pure (poetic justice!) rock and roll.
Perhaps the band foresaw the possible criticism and included “I Want a Woman (Generic Rockabilly Song #8675309)” as both a dismissal of the criticism, an appeasement to their fans and a tribute to Tommy Two-Tone. Generic it might be but rockin’ it still is, along with the songs “She’s Got The Power,” “She’s Lost Control” and “Drivin’ Me Insane” – a trio of songs detailing the complicated process of having relations with someone. What makes the band a psychobilly band is that there’s a subtle implication of madness behind every song.
While it’s there in the title of “Drivin’ Me Insane,” the lyrics of “She’s Got The Power” and “She’s Lost Control” imply that there’s something more than an earthly force at work. They don’t come out and say it because, as said above, there are plenty of other bands that do that. I think, whether a conscious decision or not, The Arkhams have gone a different route to be distinctive and different.
The album is full of full body guitar riffs, stompin’ bass strummin’ and music that veers from surf explosion to roots rock. If you’re into rock and roll, rockabilly, pyschobilly, or just the kind of music that made your grandfather a punk, you’ll find that the Arkhams cover all the bases and are a welcome expansion to your library. Pick them up and expand.
Robert Frost said the worst word in the English language was “exclusive.” Let’s not be such monsters.
Comments are welcome down below about any kind of scene-snobbery you’ve experienced, or if there are some exemplar of the Psychobilly scene might shed light on this where I can only provide darkness.
Apr 26 2011
Got Decalz?
http://www.etsy.com/shop/gotdecalz
ZOMBIE HUNTER KILL OR BE EATEN – Vinyl Decal Sticker – FREE SHIPPING
May 2011 is this year’s Zombie Awareness Month, making sure that the general public is fully aware of the concept, implementation and possible destruction of zombies. As the recent horde of zombie-related material in the last handful of years has (possibly?) reached critical zombie mass, so it’s hard to find someone who ISN’T aware of zombies.
There are multiple places on the Zombie Question that one might stand. We here at the Local have the official stance of the following: “A ruin of a perfectly good grave.” Other than that, being alive, dead or somewhere in between is a personal choice and we do not discriminate.
However, you might be of more discerning tastes when it comes to Zombies. And with the Awareness month approaching, perhaps it’s time you made the world AWARE of where you stand. Thankfully, we have the store of this week’s Tuesday uEtsy to help you out.
I’D RATHER BE KILLING ZOMBIES – Vinyl Decal Sticker – FREE SHIPPING
Got Decalz has a full library of decals and to be put on your glass, your windows, your door or any flat surface you have available. Along of many of causes, statements and images, their collection of zombie related images are available for you to show your pride. The above statement “I’d Rather Be Killing Zombies” sums up a person’s position right there. Fishing too slow and you can’t hold your beer? Go hunting zombies.
I DONT BRAKE FOR ZOMBIES – Vinyl Decal Sticker – FREE SHIPPING
Poinsettia is getting ready for her learner’s permit. We know it’s a stressful time for Bernie Freakshow, with Loretta pregnancy and Poinsettia’s mobility coinciding together in a wild overlap. We’d buy this I DON’T BREAK FOR ZOMBIES decal for Poinsettia to put on the Freakshow Family Car but Bernie would never work with us again. However, if you are comfortable displaying your lack of deceleration in terms of shambling pedestrians (be they live or be they dead) then slap this puppy on (do not slap puppies.)
ZOMBIES WERE HERE – Vinyl Decal Sticker – FREE SHIPPING
Depending on the condition of your apartment, house or general workspace, you could be surrounded by decay and filth. We don’t judge. Life’s busy and sometimes, you don’t have time to clean. The ZOMBIES WERE HERE decal explains the condition of anything that is less pristine than MINT. Got a dent on your car? Zombie did it. Haven’t done dishes in two weeks? Zombies. Got a chunk of your living room wall missing? Z-O-M-BIE.
I HEART ZOMBIES – Vinyl Decal Sticker – FREE SHIPPING
Of course, not everyone is against Zombies. The local representative of the Department of Rights and Equality for Animated People, Nemi Lem, has to be notified in case of any kind of undead happenings around these parts. Officer Lem is good about instructing folks about what they can expect depending on their situation so we suspect this green hearted symbol might be on the back of Lem’s car. We’ll check next time she comes around to conduct her monthly survey.
Zombies Heart A Girl With Brainz – Vinyl Decal Sticker – FREE SHIPPING
Speaking for all of us at a local, it’s not just a Zombie that enjoys a woman with intelligence. Of course, Zombies might enjoy one that’s well in use for its robust proteins while we at the local enjoy hearty conversation and involving dialogue. To each their own – are you a zombie looking for a female with a well active organ ‘tween her ears? Well, display it proud and loud.
You can discover the force behind Got Decalz? on Facebook, Twitter and, of course, at their Etsy store. Take a look, take a bite, take your time and buy a lot. We’ll wait here for you and when you come back, we’ll have another Tuesday uEtsy ready for you.
Apr 24 2011
The objective is the same as the one last year: Find all of the articles that reveal hidden “Easter Eggs” in the disc being reviewed that are hidden among other articles without them. We’ll even give you a bonus “Easter Egg” to help you get started. Let the hunting begin…NOW:
Winter’s Eve
Winter’s Knight
Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: Chaino
Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: Daikaiju
Music to Haunt By: Nox Arcana
Music to Haunt By: Buzz-Works
Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: The Waitiki 7
Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: The Moon-Rays
Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: Strange But Surf
Music to Haunt By: Michael Hedstrom
Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: The Sound of Tiki
Music to Haunt By: Midnight Syndicate
Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: Witches in Bikinis
Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: The Ghastly Ones
Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: The Mission Creeps
Music to Haunt By: House of Nightmares
Happy Easter!
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