Latest “Song of the Day” comes from episode 11 of the ecchi anime series Binbougami ga! and comes at the very end. It’s simply called the “Song of Fanservice”. It’s a very brief song but one that goes straight to the point. It has been picked up by fans of the fanservice as the anthem that best describes why ecchi anime series are so beloved by many anime fans worldwide.
So, with this brief detour from all things horror, I present to you “Song of Fanservice” from Binbougami ga! and let your fanservice flag fly.
What better way to end another month of horror here at Through the Shattered Lens than with a showing a the greatest music video ever made (not even a contest or a question). No matter what one’s personal opinion of Michael Jackson as a person there’s no denying the genius talent the man had and this video just speaks to the horror fan even if one was not into his music.
It has a werewolf (though here it’s a werecat), 50’s horror trope of the girl in distress, zombies, John Landis directing, Vincent Price with one of the best spoken word performance in a music video…and did I say zombies courtesy of make-up FX guru Rick Baker.
A music video that was more a short film plus horror musical, Thriller would become a cultural phenomenon that spread across the globe. It didn’t matter whether one lived in the US or the furthest corner of Mongolia. Everyone saw and enjoyed this music video. Even it’s detractors could only nitpick flaws from the final product.
Oh yeah, it has ZOMBIES!
Hope everyone had a great, happy and safe Halloween!
Thriller
It’s close to midnight, and something evil’s lurkin’ in the dark Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart You try to scream, but terror takes the sound before you make it You start to freeze, as horror looks you right between the eyes You’re paralyzed
‘Cause it’s a thriller, thriller night And no one’s gonna save you from the beast about to strike You know it’s thriller, thriller night You’re fighting for your life inside a, killer, thriller tonight, yeah
You hear the door slam, and realize there’s nowhere left to run You feel the cold hand, and wonder if you’ll ever see the sun You close your eyes, and hope that this is just imagination Girl, but all the while, you hear a creature creepin’ up behind You’re outta time
‘Cause it’s a thriller, thriller night There ain’t no second chance against the thing with the forty eyes, girl (Thriller, thriller night) You’re fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight
Night creatures call and the dead start to walk in their masquerade There’s no escaping the jaws of the alien this time (They’re open wide) This is the end of your life
They’re out to get you, there’s demons closing in on every side (boom!) They will possess you, unless you change that number on your dial Now is the time, for you and I to cuddle close together, yeah All through the night, I’ll save you from the terror on the screen I’ll make you see
That it’s a thriller, thriller night ‘Cause I can thrill you more than any ghoul would ever dare try (Thriller, thriller night) So let me hold you tight and share a killer, diller, chiller thriller here tonight
‘Cause it’s a thriller, thriller night Girl, I can thrill you more than any ghoul would ever dare try (Thriller, thriller night) So let me hold you tight and share a (Killer, thriller)
I’m gonna thrill you tonight
(Vincent Price voiceover)
“Darkness falls across the land The midnight hour is close at hand Creatures crawl in search of blood To terrorize your neighborhood And whosoever shall be found Without the soul for getting down Must stand and face the hounds of hell And rot inside a corpse’s shell”
I’m gonna thrill you tonight (Thriller, thriller) I’m gonna thrill you tonight (Middle of the night, thriller) I’m gonna thrill you tonight Ooh, babe, I’m gonna thrill you tonight Middle of the night, babe
(Vincent Price voiceover)
“The foulest stench is in the air The funk of forty-thousand years And grizzly ghouls from every tomb Are closing in to seal your doom And though you fight to stay alive Your body starts to shiver For no mere mortal can resist The evil of the thriller”
The song itself doesn’t sound very much like horror. It’s got the down home country rock, but listening to the lyrics it’s very much belongs with any song full of doom, gloom and horror. It may be down home country with toe-tapping melody, but make no mistake the latest “Song of the Day” is quite horrific when one listens to it carefully.
I’m talking about Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 1969 hit “Bad Moon Rising”.
One of the singles to come out of their classic Green River album, “Bad Moon Rising” is all about the titular bad moon on the rise. A sign of a bad omen or, if one was to take things to the extreme, of an impeding doom. The lyrics to the song speaks of natural disasters, catastrophic events and just about anything bad that would kill you the moment you step out onto the streets.
It’s a song of existential horror as it points out that no matter what we do there’s no preventing the infinite ways that Death can just come in and take one’s life. It’s quite the nihilistic tune and one that fits in well with Through the Shattered Lens horror-themed month.
Bad Moon Rising
I see a bad moon rising. I see trouble on the way. I see earthquakes and lightning. I see bad times today.
Don’t go around tonight, Well, it’s bound to take your life, There’s a bad moon on the rise.
I hear hurricanes a-blowin’. I know the end is comin’ soon. I feel rivers overflowin’. I hear the voice of rage and ruin.
Don’t go around tonight, Well, it’s bound to take your life, There’s a bad moon on the rise. Alright!
Hope you got your things together. Hope you are quite prepared to die. Looks like we’re in for nasty weather. One eye is taken for an eye.
Well, don’t go round tonight, Well, it’s bound to take your life, There’s a bad moon on the rise.
Don’t come around tonight, Well, it’s bound to take your life, There’s a bad moon on the rise.
It’s that time of the year. It’s October here in Through the Shattered Lens and that means one thing: horror-theme month.
October has become a sort of favorite month for us over here at Through the Shattered Lens. While other genres and topics will be posted and and get their time in the sun, this month always brings the site back to the shadows and things that made us fear the dark. Horror has been a common thing which drew Lisa and I to continue the site from it’s fledgling early months to going on almost 6 years.
I’d like to start my contribution to all-things horror by introducing those who haven’t experienced one of the best shows on TV which also has one of the most unique horror theme’s on either big or small screen.
The theme for Showtime’s Penny Dreadful was composed by Abel Korzeniowski. It’s a theme that gives an audience of hint at the show’s Victorian Age gothic setting with just the right amount of dark romance and psychological themes the show has become famous for.
So, here’s the latest “Song of the Day” set for the witching hour.
It was in the Fall of 1990 when I first heard of the latest Song of the Day. It was during Ken Burns’ excellent The Civil War documentary series on PBS where I heard “Ashokan Farewell.” This haunting “Scottish Lament” by Jay Unger and Molly Mason made Burns’ documentary on the U.S. Civil War feel more alive instead of just another academic exercise on learning one of the pivotal events in U.S. history.
The song became an instant classic the moment it started playing during the series. Ken Burns’ loved the song so much that he used it several times (25 times officially) during the 11-hour running times of the series. Each time it played the song evoked strong emotions from all who heard it, but none moreso than when it was the accompanying music for a reading of a Union Major Sullivan Ballou to his wife prior to the start of the First Battle of Bull Run. Even the most critical viewer of Ken Burns’ documentary sees this sequence and the accompanying “Ashokan Farewell” a major reason why this series became an instant classic and continues to be the standard bearer of how a documentary should be done and done well.
Through good times and bad I have always been a huge fan and follower of Metallica. Even as they foolishly went off track following the path Bob Rock set for them throughout most of the 1990’s through the disastrous St. Anger debacle as they tried to return to their earlier sound, I have always followed this band which made up the original Big 4 of thrash metal (Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth).
It was on their 1998 cover album, Garage Inc., that the band released one of their most popular songs. It wasn’t an original, but a cover of the classic Bob Seger hard rock song about the hard road and life of a musician. Seger’s “Turn the Page” is just one of those hard rock tunes that latches onto the listener and forces them to listen and understand. Most such songs tend to be quite pretentious with nothing much to say once the listener really pays attention. The same cannot be said about Seger’s song.
Metallica decided to cover this song for their Garage Inc. album which was all about them covering their own favorite hard rock and metal songs of the past. While Metallica kept the original’s tempo, they added their own heavier and harder edge to song that straddles the line between hard rock and heavy metal. Even James Hetfield’s alcohol and cigarette ravaged vocals lent a sense of the hard road and life the track sings about.
The biggest change from the Seger song to Metallica’s cover has to be the accompanying music video which still remains one of the most controversial in MTV’s music video history (well, when they still played music videos). Seger’s song was released in 1973 when the concept of music video was nonexistent. With Metallica’s cover it was almost a guarantee that it would get a music video and what a video it was and still is.
The video was directed by Jonas Akerlund who had made a name for himself directing some of the most creative and innovative music videos of the day. His take on the song switches from a musician’s hard road and life on the road to that of a single mother trying to make ends meet as an erotic dancer by day and a prostitute by night to provide for her young daughter. The video was banned from receiving any sort of airplay on MTV as it dealt and showed the disturbing side of such a life. The fact that the tamer version of the video (below) still couldn’t make it on the airwaves just showed how much more haunting and controversial the uncensored version turned out to be.
Turn the Page
On a long and lonesome highway, East of Omaha You can listen to the engines Moanin’ out it’s one note song You can think about the woman, Or the girl you knew the night before But your thoughts will soon be wanderin’, The way they always do When you’re ridin’ 16 hours, And there’s nothin’ much to do And you don’t feel much like ridin’, You just wish the trip was through
(Chorus)
Here I am, on the road again, There I am, up on the stage There I go, playin’ star again, There I go, turn the page
So you walk into this restaurant, All strung out from the road And you feel the eyes upon you, As you’re shakin’ off the cold You pretend it doesn’t bother you, But you just want to explode Yeah, most times you can’t hear ’em talk, Other times you can
All the same old cliches, Is it woman, is it man And you always seem outnumbered, You don’t dare make a stand Make your stand
(Chorus) Ah But here I am, on the road again, There I am, up on the stage Here I go, ah playin’ star again, There I go, turn the page Woah
Out there in the spotlight, You’re a million miles away Every ounce of energy, You try and give away As the sweat pours out your body, Like the music that you play
Later in the evenin’, As you lie awake in bed With the echoes of the amplifiers, Ringin’ in your head You smoke the day’s last cigarette, Rememberin’ what she said
What she said
Yeah, and here I am, On the road again, There I am, up on that stage Here I go, playin’ star again, There I go, turn the page And there I go, turn that page
There I go, yeah, Here I go, yeah, yeah There I go, yeah, Here I go, yeah Here I go, There I go And I’m gone
So, after weeks of waiting we finally got the trailer for the Deadpool live-action film set to release on February 2016. I’m sure that people will be flocking to Youtube to look up two songs that were featured during the trailer. The latest “Song of the Day” comes courtesy of the second song in the trailer and a classic hip-hop track of the early 2000’s.
DMX was what one would call a giant of hip-hop when he first entered the scene in 1998 and dominated the hip-hop landscape in the next five year with five albums that debuted No. 1 in the charts. His presence and charisma was such that even Hollywood even came calling and DMX starred in several action flicks. It’s from his 2003 film Cradle 2 the Grave that our featured song comes from.
“X Gon’ Give It to Ya” was part of the soundtrack to Cradle 2 the Grave. Whether one actually thought the film was any good would be up for debate. Now the song itself was a hit and continued to cement DMX as the hardest and most recognizable voice in hip-hop at the time. Other rappers made more money. Others were more socially aware. Yet, when it came to just an all-out lyrical assault on listeners DMX still reigned supreme.
X’ Gon Give It to Ya
Arf arf, yeah, uh, yeah (Grr) Yeah, uh (Grr) Yeah, don’t get it twisted This rap shit is mine, motherfucker It’s not a fuckin’ game Fuck what you heard, it’s what you hearin’ (What you hearin’) It’s what you hearin’ (Listen) It’s what you hearin’ (Listen) It’s what you hearin’ (Listen)
X gon’ give it to ya (What?) Fuck waitin’ for you to get it on your own X gon’ deliver to ya Knock knock, open up the door it’s real With the non-stop pop-pop of stainless steel Go hard gettin’ busy wit it But I got such a good heart That I’ll make a motherfucker wonder if he did it Damn right, and I’ll do it again (Yeah) ‘Cause I am right, so I gots to win Break bread with the enemy (What?) No matter how many cats I break bread with I’ll break who you sendin’ me (Yeah!) You motherfuckers never wanted nothin’ but your life saved Bitch, and that’s for the light day I’m gettin down, down, make a nigga say “freeze!” But won’t be the one endin’ up on his knees, bitch please! If the only thing you cats did was came out to play Stay out my way motherfucker
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll Then we let it pop, don’t let it go (What?) X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll Then we let it pop, don’t let it go X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya
Ain’t never gave nothin’ to me But every time I turn around Cats got they hands out wantin’ somethin’ from me I ain’t got it so you can’t get it (Yeah!) Let’s leave it at that ’cause I ain’t wit it (Yeah!) Hit it wit full strength, I’m a jail nigga So I face the world like it’s Earl in the bullpen You against me, me against you Whatever, whenever, nigga, the fuck you gon’ do? I’m a wolf in sheep’s clothin’ (What?) Only nigga that you know that can chill Come back and get the streets open I’ve been doing this for nineteen years (What?) Niggas wanna fight me? Fight these tears (What?) I put in work and it’s all for the kids But these cats done forgot what work is (Uh-huh!) They don’t know who we be (Lookin’!) But they don’t know who they see, nigga!
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll Then we let it pop, don’t let it go (What?) X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya (C’mon) First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll Then we let it pop, don’t let it go (C’mon) X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya
Ayo where my niggas at? I know I got them down in the game Give ’em love and they give it back Talk too much for too long (What?) Don’t give up, you’re too strong (What?) Dog to the wow wow hunnies (Yeah!) Shoutout to niggas that done it (C’mon!) And it ain’t even about the dough It’s about gettin’ down for what you stand for, yo
First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll Then we let it pop, don’t let it go (C’mon) X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya (C’mon) First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll Then we let it pop, don’t let it go (C’mon) X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya (C’mon) First we gonna rock, then we gonna roll Then we let it pop, don’t let it go (C’mon) X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya X gon’ give it to ya, he gon’ give it to ya (C’mon)
It’s been awhile since we’ve had a new AMV of the Day. With con season in full gear it’s been tough waiting to see what new AMV’s come out of these conventions. The problem with finding new and interesting anime music videos, especially in the United States, has been the tendency of the same videos winning awards at North American conventions. Name recognition has become the norm when voting which videos make the grade and, in the end, win the prize in their chosen category.
Not saying that these videos and their creators don’t deserve the recognition and accolades for their work, but it does make finding new fresh voices and visual styles in the field harder and harder to discover. Foreign videos tend to be the last realm for people who are into AMVs to find rare gems in the rough.
This latest AMV of the Day is “Breaking” and by the creator Pat [AMVCON-2015] and meshes together some of the more popular and action-oriented shonen (and some shoujo) anime to the tune of Linkin Park’s “Breaking the Habit.”
Anime: Amagi Brilliant Park, Bleach Movie: Hell Verse, Btoom!, Ga-Rei Zero, Kokoro Connect, Kyoukai no Kanata, Madoka Magica: Rebellion, Naruto: Road to Ninja, Nerawareta Gakuen, One Piece: The Movie 70, Persona 3: Spring of Birth, Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji, Sword Art Online 1 and 2, Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryōiki no Déjà vu, Suzumiya Haruhi no Shōshitsu, To Aru Agaku Railgun S
Austin to Boston is a documentary about a group of mostly British folk musicians who, in 2012, toured the United States. The group included a few familiar names (Ben Lovett of Mumford and Sons, for example) and several up-and-comers (Ben Howard, The Staves). Traveling across America in five VW campers, the bands went from Austin to Boston in two weeks. Along the way, they stopped and played at everywhere from Nashville to Woodstock. The documentary, which is narrated in a memorably grizzled fashion by driver Gill Landry, follows them as they discover America, deal with shows that are both good and bad, and, most of all, make music. Make no mistake, this is a musical documentary. While the musicians do occasionally talk about their lives, for the most part, we get to know them through their music.
I have to admit that I was a little bit surprised by how much I enjoyed Austin to Boston. My taste in music tends to run the gamut from EDM to more EDM so, to be perfectly honest, spending 70 minutes watching a bunch of folk acts should have been pure misery for me. (Someday, I’m going to write an article about the Tyranny of Acoustic Harmonizing.) But, even if it wasn’t my type of music, I could still appreciate that the musicians traveling from Austin to Boston were damn talented and had beautiful voices. Could I have done without that gospel song that seemed to go on forever? I certainly could have. But, if that’s your type music, you’ll probably really enjoy hearing it because it’s being performed by some seriously talented people.
And even if it isn’t your type of music, Austin to Boston is such an intensely likable documentary that it really doesn’t matter. There’s something really sweet and special about watching these British musicians discover and, to a certain extent, fall in love with America. And, speaking as an American, Austin to Boston made me better appreciate my frustrating home country as well. Over the course of this short but achingly sincere film, we get to see a lot of American scenery and it reminds us of just how beautiful it all can be. When you live here, you tend to take it for granted and sometimes, I think it’s good to take another look through non-native eyes.
Did Austin to Boston awaken any sort of dormant love that I may have for folk music? No, it did not. To a certain extent, I wish it had because it really is such a heartfelt documentary. But, in the end, The Staves all have beautiful voices but it’s just not my type of music. But it did make me better appreciate both my home country and the way that music — regardless of style or genre — can bring us all together.
And you know what? If this is your type of music, you’ll freaking love this documentary. You’ll watch Austin to Boston and you’ll say, “What the Hell was that EDM-loving redhead talking about? THIS IS GREAT!”
Austin to Boston can currently be viewed on Netflix.
John Wick wasn’t just a surprise hit (relative to it’s modest budget) of 2014, but it was also one of the best films of that year. It was part of a renaissance in action film making that was ushered in by the two-punch combo of The Raid and The Raid 2 that came out of the mind of Gareth Evans.
This Keanu Reeves revenge action thriller didn’t just excel in the visual mayhem and the alternative world the title character lived and killed in, but it also was accompanied by a kick-ass soundtrack created by the underrated film composer Tyler Bates.
“Killing Strangers” is one of the songs from the film’s soundtrack. A song that perfectly captures the character of John Wick that’s sung by Marilyn Manson and composed by Bates himself.
Killing Strangers
This world doesn’t need no opera We’re here for the operation We don’t need a bigger knife (Cause we got guns) We got guns, we got guns We got guns, you better run (you better run, you better run, you better run)
We’re killing strangers We’re killing strangers We’re killing strangers, so we don’t kill the ones that we Love We’re killing strangers We’re killing strangers, We’re killing strangers, so we don’t kill the ones that we Love, love, love, love
We pack demolition We can’t pack emotion Dynamite, we just might So blow us a kiss, blow us a kiss Blow us a kiss, and we’ll blow you to pieces
We’re killing strangers We’re killing strangers We’re killing strangers, so we don’t kill the ones that we Love, love, love, love
We got guns, we got guns Motherfuckers better, better run We got guns, we got guns Motherfuckers better run And we got guns, we got guns Motherfuckers better, better, better run We got, we got guns Motherfuckers better run
We’re killing strangers We’re killing strangers We’re killing strangers, so we don’t kill the ones that we (better run!)
We’re killing strangers (we got guns!) We’re killing strangers (we got guns!) We’re killing strangers, so we (we got guns!) don’t kill the ones that we Love, love, love, love Love, love, love
Through the Shattered Lens