“Don’t Stop Believing” music video for Creating Rem Lezar. Tonight 9:30 pm @ Brewvies.
Posted January 31, 2012 at 2:15pm
ISMN: “Frankenstein’s Planet of Monsters” & “Creating Rem Lezar” - Tuesday, Jan. 31st, 9:30 pm @ Brewvies
Our 2nd public screening of each of these films!
By permission Lost Media is releasing “Frankestein’s Planet of Monsters” for the first time on DVD! Available the night of this event :)
Half the proceeds go to the original producer/screen writer/actor etc.
The DVD includes photos of the original VHS artwork plus bonus short film “Alone” by T.R. Brooks.
See you Tuesday!
- BCS
Posted January 27, 2012 at 7:52am
Video clip from “The Wishing Machine” (1967)
PS. You can buy this on DVD for WAY cheaper than advertized above at our Mondo Music and Video site ;)
Posted January 16, 2012 at 11:33pm
ISMN: “The Wishing Machine” (1967) - Thursday, January 19th, 8:00 PM @ the Springville Mansion
(aka AUTOMAT NA PRÁNÍ)
(1967, Czechoslovakia/France)
Not available on Netflix #22
VHS/Color/Dubbed/83 Mins/Not Rated
Another from the rare Xerox Films VHS collection. It’s been a while since I’ve viewed this one, but I remember it being quit surreal, beautiful and perfect for a group ISMN.
They just don’t make films like this anymore. Especially thoughtful sci-fi and fantasy at this degree for children.
Because there are several other reviews of this film, I thought that I would just link you to a couple of the best @ http://www.kiddiematinee.com/w-wishing.html
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Bonus Short Film: Fishing With John - Episode #1: Jim Jarmusch (1991)
DVD/20 Mins/Not Rated
In this episode Jim Jarmusch and John Lurie attempt to catch a shark with cheese and a pistol.
My second favorite episode!
“Together the two of them fish, while the soundtrack, visual effects and voice-over parody the reality TV/cheap documentary style of a Discovery Channel programmes – the kind of thing you’d see at either 3am or 3pm on weekdays, perhaps. The result is the most bizarre and hilarious TV series ever committed to VHS tape.” - onemetal.com
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PS. This Thursday is also Will McAllister’s Birthday! It’s optional, but bring food, burnt waffles and presents if you would like to help us celebrate :)
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Time: Thursday, January 19th @ 8 PM
Place: “The Springville Mansion”, 363 w 300 s, Springville, UT
Plenty of parking at this location, and more space than my living room.
See you Thursday!
(Birthday cake, Presents, Pop corn, pizza, drinks and potluck welcomed at your discretion.)
- BC Sterrett
Posted January 16, 2012 at 11:24pm
ISMN: “Vivian Stanshall: The Canyons of His Mind” (2003) - Saturday Jan. 14th, 8 PM at the Springville Mansion
Not Available on Netflix #21
DVDR/60 Mins/BBC Documentary
I suppose I never got into the band “Death Cab for Cutie”, because they were named after a song written by Vivian Stanshall. My guess had been that they probably saw him perform it in The Beatles’ movie “Magical Mystery Tour”, but had never listened to his other music and I can’t really see them as fans of “The Bonzo Dog Band”…their own music doesn’t seem to attest to it anyway. ha ha
Regardless, this documentary was long over due, in dedication to a true musical eccentric and visionary.
I became a fan while seeking out unusual music during my Oddity Rock Radio days (beginning circa Fall 1997) and was in love with Viv’s debut “Bonzo Dog Band” album “Gorilla.”
Not knowing their history in the beginning, “Bonzo Dog Band” often reminded me of the “rock version of Monty Python”, odd British psychedelia and old black and white cartoons.
Which makes sense because their name derives from the 1911 cartoon character by George Studdy, featured in some of the world’s earliest animation and who became widely commercialized during the 1920s.
I was very glad to see this film and find out more about a band I was already fascinated by and to learn more about their place in history. What I didn’t know about was what Vivian’s life was like after leaving the band, his body of music, film and stage that followed, and his tragic untimely death by fire (probably caused by a drunken night smoking in bed.)
IMDB review:
While most people would admit that Viv Stanshall’s work in music and film was an acquired taste, this profile should whet anyone’s appetite. Using a mix of archive footage of Bonzo appearances (Canyons of Your Mind, of course, amongst them) and various stuff after, with interviews with the likes of Neil Innes, Rodney Slater, and Stephen Fry, it manages to make a fair assessment of the increasingly bizarre songwriter, who died ten years ago next March at the unfairly young age of 51.
Part of BBC4’s ‘originals’ series which have focused on the most off-the-wall contributors to the world of music, this is in-depth TV at its best, and made me for one go back to the songs I already knew about and seek out some I didn’t. The series itself underlines yet again that we are fast running out of people like Viv, true creative spirits who make the world that bit better while they’re in it.
You can also read the original BBC review of this film @ http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/05_may/05/stanshall.shtml
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Bonus Short Film: Fishing with John: Episode 4 - Willem Dafoe (1991)
In this episode John Lurie and Willem Dafoe go ice-fishing in Maine and practically starve to death.
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Time: Saturday, January 14th @ 8 PM
Place: “The Springville Mansion”, 363 w 300 s, Springville, UT
Off the main road in Springville, turn right before “Allen’s Super Market” on 300 S. Drive straight for several blocks and it’s the last house on the left that looks like an old mansion by the train tracks. Go in the side door from the driveway.
Plenty of parking at this location, and more space than my living room.
See you Friday!
(Pop corn, pizza, drinks and potluck welcomed at your discretion.)
- BC Sterrett
Posted January 12, 2012 at 1:15am
Another old favorite Bonzo track. If “Death Cab” sounded like this, perhaps I would listen to them.
Posted January 12, 2012 at 1:09am
The Bonzo Dog Band - “Laughing Blues”. Often used as the closing track on my Oddity Rock Radio show during the late 90’s on KWCR.
Posted January 12, 2012 at 1:07am
“Robot” by The Tornadoes. Written by the late Joe Meek :) I still wish MTV was more like this.
ISMN: “Johnny in the Valley of the Giants” (1950) - Friday Jan. 6th, 7:30 PM @ The Springville Mansion
(Not available on Netflix #20)
This week’s feature: “Johnny in the Valley of the Giants” (France, 1950)
(aka “Johnny the Giant Killer” or “Joe Petit Boum-Boum”)
DVD/Technicolor/Dubbed/80 Mins/Not Rated
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Let’s ring in our new year of adulthood with a foreign French forgotten animated matinee oddity!
If my life were an animated cartoon, it would probably be like this.
I’m sick in bed and I just previewed this film in its entirety for the first time and I have to say that this is one of the most random, bizarre, kitschy, and hilarious animated films ever. I can’t believe that it has taken me this long to see the entire thing! Totally worthy of Lost Media stardom.
(It probably got lost in the mix because I picked it up it many years ago as a forgotten slim cased dollar DVD with double feature “Alice of Wonderland in Paris” at the Family Dollar store. I bet I never flipped the disc over because I remember watching the “Alice Paris” film and it was pretty awful.)
Johnny and the Giants totally rocked my world! (in a ridiculous way.)
The animation is stylized, trippy, very random, fluid, and deliciously outdated. This is a total head film and seems to me something that should’ve been more appealing to drug heads than say Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland”.
I went a little overboard taking pictures of this film with my cell phone during the pre-screening. Smaller pictures are borrowed from http://www.kiddiematinee.com/index.html)
So this time my review will be told mainly with pictures. (Beware Contains Spoilers!):
One night Johnny and his weird shaped headed (boy scout?) friends are reading a scary story in a tent about a giant who eats children by “popping them in a sandwich”.
“No!” says one of the boys. “The wicked man. I’m going to tell my Daddy. He’ll punish him!”’”
“What’s wrong with us?” replies Johnny courageously. “We can pay him back ourselves!”
Turns out the giant’s castle is just down the path at the end of the forest!
One inside the kids are treated to a carpet roller coaster ride.
…and this happens!
Escaping being smashed on the ceiling, the scouts fall into holes in the floor and are caged.
After going through a miniaturizing machine, Johnny is boxed and magically slides down hallways ‘til he reaches the giant.
After witnessing the giant making sandwiches out of miniature animals, he sets a group of caged animals free. Causing himself to be the next caged victim…
…with a worm that barks like a dog.
Upon escaping, he sees this.
And gets lured into a dew covered spider’s web.
Ever stop to think about how wet and gooey Nature is in general?
Johnny gets rescued by a swarm of bees and suddenly it’s like you’re watching a different guided tour documentary film about the life of bees!
(The saucy speaking guide seems to have some awkwardly dubbed English dialog and sounds created only to fit his mouth movements.)
The film actually depicts bees making honey by throwing up into honey combs! (Which is scientifically correct.)
He also secretly witnesses the queen bee laying lots of eggs, including a tiny malformed one and visits the scary nursery.
Jack and his guide then proceed to spy on bees doing private flower things.
After one bee brings back pollen on his legs, a strange dancing celebration begins!
What a treat! (I think).
… to the music of the guide playing flute music on his telescope???
Finally he gets to meet the queen in person who um, takes an immediate liking to him!
Which gives Johnny thoughts of grandeur.
He likes her too. But can you blame him? The queen bee is pretty hot.
More music begins!
And gaiety!
While an insect carnival takes place, Johnny decides to spend his time waltzing with the queen…
….in the sky among the stars and fireworks. So romantic!
Too bad, because he’s missing out on the tunnel of terror where glowing insect “skeletons” are flashed before your eyes???
Watch out for that snail skeleton!
Oh the entertainment that ensues with acrobatic ghost worm thingies.
Then, an attack!!! By the “evil” tribe! ….Hornets perhaps?
Stay here and rest dear queen, I’ll be right back.
Ugh!
You want honey? I’ll give you honey!
Johnny slice and dices some hornets with the now legendary “spinning top” move. After the pieces fall back together, the evil corpses suddenly have halos? Are they now going to heaven?
Oh, the carnage!
Back in the bee throne room, Johnny suddenly remembers that he once had human friends who are about to be boy scout sandwiches!
Send out the troops!
… and those three ants who ride worm wheels under their bums! (ring worms maybe?)
Meanwhile, the sandwich!
Needless to say the giant is attacked by swarms of various insects.
His left eye gets swollen up by bee stings and some random beetles snip off the top of his ear with their pinchers, etc etc.
Now big again, Johnny finds his mini friends.
There’s a little more to the end of this tale, but you’ll just have to see this film and find out what it is for yourself!!!
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Bonus short film:
“Fishing with John”: Episode 2 w/ Tom Waits
DVD/20 Mins/Not Rated
Hey why not? The fishing continues!
This episode just seemed to go better with this week’s film. (It’s also the most famous and loved episode of the series.)
Modern Jazz musician John Lurie and celebrity Tom Waits go to Jamaica …for fish.
(It’s no secret: In this episode Tom gets sea sick, talks about cheese, and puts a fish in his pants.)
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Time: Friday January 6th @ 7:30 PM
Place: 363 w 300 s, Springville, UT
Plenty of parking at this location, and more space than my living room.
See you Friday!
(Pop corn, pizza, drinks and potluck possibilities welcomed at your discretion.)
- BC Sterrett
PS. Forgive the silliness of this post. I’m sick, dizzy, achy and sneezing in bed, so you gotta expect that I’m not all there in the head a little bit.
(Above: A few paintings that I assume are from the press-book for US release).
