Monthly Archives: April 2019

Music Video of the Day: Peace by Alison Wonderland (2019, dir by CUE THE BIRD)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I’ve actually had several dreams that are just like this music video.

Now, I’m sure that someone out there is probably saying, “CUE THE BIRD?  Is that really the director’s name?”  Well, actually, CUE THE BIRD is the name use by the creative duo of JP Stiles and Harrison Mack.  According to their bio over on Vimeo,  “CTB specializes in creating and curating content for the short attention generation.”  That may be one reason why I like this video because, as any regular reader of this site should know by now, I’ve only got a four-minute attention span.

You can take a look at more of CUE THE BIRD’s work by clicking here!

Enjoy!

Weekly Reading Round-Up : 03/31/2019 – 04/06/2019, Aaron Lange And Brian Canini

Posted on by Ryan C. (fourcolorapocalypse)

Ryan C. (fourcolorapocalypse)'s avatarRyan C.'s Four Color Apocalypse

Better late than —ah, let’s just get to it, with the latest from old friends of this site Aaron Lange and Brian Canini.

The insanely-talented (and sometimes controversial) Lange landed back on my radar with a package containing his three most recent comics ‘zines, issues 7, 8, and 9 of Cash Grab!, once a side-project that seems to be his main outlet now with his more traditional, narrative-driven publication, Trim, either being on an extended hiatus of sorts, or simply shuttered altogether. Sometimes less is more, and Lange, to his credit, seems to be “zeroing in” on his strong points with just one comic on his metaphorical “plate.”

Cash Grab! #7 bills itself as yet another entry in his occasional “sketchbook selections”series, but that title’s a bit misleading even if he does include obsessively-detailed portraits of the likes of “B”-movie actress Kari Wuhrer. To me, the more intriguing…

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A Dollar and a Dream: THE EVIL DEAD (New Line Cinema 1981)

Posted on by gary loggins

gary loggins's avatarcracked rear viewer

In 1981, the inspirational British sports drama CHARIOTS OF FIRE edged out Warren Beatty’s sweeping socialist epic REDS for Best Picture at the 54th annual Academy Awards. Bah. I’m here to say THE EVIL DEAD is a better movie than either of them! At the very least, it’s a helluva lot more fun! It features a stunning debut for writer/director Sam Raimi, who, though he had far less money to work with than Beatty or CHARIOTS director Hugh Hudson, demonstrates some mega talent on a mini budget.

Sam Raimi (r) and Bruce Campbell, 1981

Raimi was a movie mad kid from the suburbs of Detroit who experimented with making Super-8 shorts as a teen with his friends, including EVIL DEAD star and cult icon Bruce Campbell . They put together a 1978 supernatural slasher called WITHIN THE WOODS, hoping to attract attention and make it into a feature. Raimi managed…

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Artist Profile: Edward Dalton Stevens (1878 — 1939)

Posted on by Dazzling Erin

1906 Illustration by Edward Dalton Stevens

This is a sad story.

Edward Dalton Stevens was born in 1878 in Virginia, the son of a technician at an oil company.  He was the younger brother of the illustrator, William Dodge Stevens.  Like his brother, Edward was eager to pursue a career as an artist and, just as William had done, Dalton left home at the age of 20 and enrolled at the Chicago Art Institute.

After Edward graduated in 1902, both he and William moved to New York City, where they worked together and eventually set up an art studio in Greenwich Village.  Both William and Edward found success working as commercial illustrators and they were responsible for some of the most memorable covers of the pulp era.  Edward and William both continued to live and work together through the Great Depression and both were highly respected and acclaimed for their work.

Tragically, at the start of the 1930s, Edward Dalton Stevens started to lose both his eyesight and his hearing.  Eventually, he became totally blind.  Unable to work and feeling that he had become  burden to his brother, Edward Dalton Stevens committed suicide on August 14th, 1939.  The following obit appeared in the New York Times:

As can be seen from the sampling of his work below, the artistic legacy of Edward Dalton Stevens continues to live on:

Music Video of the Day: Star Guitar by The Chemical Brothers (2001, dir by Michel Gondry and Olivier Gondry)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I love trains.

Well, to be honest, I love trains in Europe.  One of my fondest memories of Italy was riding the train to Venice.  And, when Jeff and I were in the UK last year, I discovered that I absolutely loved the London underground.  Everyone told me that I wouldn’t but I did.  Of course, I also usually took a Dramamine or two before boarding so I was often kind of out of it.

Outside of the DART train in Dallas, I’ve never really spent any time on any trains in the United States.  To be honest, I’m always a little bit shocked to discover that Amtrak is actually a thing.  A few years ago, I read an article where someone was complaining that people in the South and the Midwest don’t ever use Amtrak and, as a result, we don’t ever elect politicians who understand the importance of funding the trains.  To be honest, down here, we really don’t care about Amtrak.  We all own cars and we know where the highways are so we don’t need the trains.

As for this video, Michel Gondry put it together from footage that he shot while riding ten different trains across France.  Gondry carefully edited the footage so that, while appearing like a seamless journey, the landscape changes in time to the music.  It creates a wonderfully dream-lie and surreal atmosphere, one that reminds me of Gondry’s later work on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Enjoy!

Lisa’s Week In Review: 4/1/19 — 4/7/19

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This week really made me appreciate my friends, my family, and my boyfriend.  I spent most of the week feeling sick and kinda down but, when I admitted that I needed help on Friday, so many people rallied to my side that it brought tears to my mismatched eyes.

I’m feeling better now and looking forward to the rest of 2019!

Movies I Watched:

  1. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
  2. Billy Madison (1995)
  3. Bring it On (2000)
  4. The Dirt (2019)
  5. Evelyn (2002)
  6. Flash Gordon (1980)
  7. For the Love of George (2018)
  8. Happy Gilmore (1996)
  9. The Highwaymen (2019)
  10. I Nearly Married A Serial Killer (2019)
  11. Lady In The Lake (1946)
  12. The Lawnmower Man (1992)
  13. The Mummy’s Hand (1940)
  14. My Killer Client (2019)
  15. Strangers on a Train (1951)
  16. Team Foxcatcher (2016)
  17. The Terminal Man (1974)
  18. Top Gun (1986)
  19. Triple Frontier (2019)
  20. Winter’s Bone (2010)
  21. Young Adult (2011)

Televison Shows I Watched:

  1. 9-1-1
  2. American Idol
  3. Antique Roadshow
  4. A.P. Bio
  5. Bar Rescue
  6. Barry
  7. Behind the Gates
  8. Broad City
  9. Doctor Phil
  10. Face the Truth
  11. Ghost Whisperer
  12. House Hunters
  13. House Hunters International
  14. In the Dark
  15. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
  16. King of the Hill
  17. Our Planet
  18. Ozark
  19. Project Runway
  20. Selling Mega Mansions
  21. Selling Yachts
  22. South Park
  23. Superstore
  24. Survivor 38
  25. The Twilight Zone
  26. Veep
  27. What We Do In The Shadows
  28. World of Dance
  29. Young Sheldon

Books I Read:

  1. All His Jazz: The Life and Death of Bob Fosse (1990) by Martin Gottfried
  2. Fosse (2013) by Sam Wasson

Music To Which I Listened:

  1. Adi Ulmansky
  2. Avril Lavigne
  3. Big Data
  4. Britney Spears
  5. Calvin Harris
  6. The Chemical Brothers
  7. CUT_
  8. DJ Judaa
  9. DJ Snake
  10. Emma Bunton
  11. Falco
  12. Flight of the Conchords
  13. Goblin
  14. Jakalope
  15. Justin Timberlake
  16. Kazaky
  17. Lindsey Stirling
  18. Loren B
  19. MARINA
  20. Master Blaster
  21. Saint Motel
  22. Swedish House Mafia
  23. Taylor Swift
  24. The White Stripes

Links From Last Week:

  1. On her photography site, Erin shared: April Is Here, In My Office, In The Front Hallway, Weeds, Trees, Chair and Table, and Call Before You Dig!
  2. Over at Horror Critic, I reviewed The Lawnmower Man!
  3. On my online dream journal, I wrote about a clown dream and a leopard dream!
  4. I reviewed the latest episode of Survivor!
  5. On my music site, I shared music from CUT_, MARINA, The White Stripes, Justin Timberlake, Emma Bunton, Britney Spears, and Master Blaster!
  6. Britney Spears says she’s taking a little ‘me time’
  7. Britney Spears enter mental health facility
  8. The Beyond (1981) to be released with four different prologues
  9. The Cats Movie Will Shrink Actors to Feline Size and Add Performance Capture Fur
  10. Sam Mendes’ WWI Drama ‘1917’ Is Reportedly Comprised Of One Long Shot
  11. Francis Ford Coppola Ready To Make ‘Megalopolis’ And Is Eyeing Cast
  12. Justice Department Warns Academy Over Potential Oscar Rule Changes Threatening Netflix
  13. DOJ Lawyers Now Want To Be Involved In The Oscar Nominations
  14. You Won’t Believe What’s Holding Up Martin Scorsese’s New Mob Flick, The Irishman
  15. You Can’t Make Up How Absurd Lori Loughlin’s First Court Appearance Was
  16. Boom!  An Autopsy of the media after the Mueller bombshell
  17. Mexican musician appears to kill himself after MeToo claim
  18. What Was The Washington Post Afraid Of?
  19. The Company Behind Fearless Girl Has Voted Against Several Gender Pay Equity Resolutions, New Study Reveals
  20. Prince Harry Calls for Fortnite Ban in th UK
  21. Fortnite: Is Prince Harry right to want game banned?
  22. The streaming age is making it easier than ever to discover great movies
  23. Fifty shades of white: the long fight against racism in romance novels

Links From The Site:

  1. I reviewed First Blood and paid tribute to Roger Corman.  I also shared music videos from Frank Stallone, Calvin Harris, Kazaky, Lindsey Stirling, Flight of the Conchords, Lindsey Stirling (again), and David Douglas!
  2. Case reviewed the 1st episode of the second season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina!
  3. Erin shared the following artwork: Puck, Thrilling Wonder Stories, Psycho Circus, Shock Illustrated, Contact, Georgia Boy, and Little Al of the FBI.
  4. Doc wished everyone a weary April Fools Day!
  5. Gary reviewed Black Dragon’s Revenge, Burt Reynolds’s autobiography, and The Letter.
  6. Leonard shared the trailer for The Joker!
  7. Ryan reviewed Episode Seven of Doom Patrol, Coyote Doggirl, Father, Soft Fascinations, A Different Sky, Nick’s Rainow Pepsi Blood, Plaguers Itnl, and Jesus Freak!

Want to see what I did last week?  Click here!