Last week I reviewed Michael Ferentino's latest BEDTIME FOR ROBOTS album, Big Sleep, Small Death. On the heels of that daring endeavor, we're now blessed by an equally eclectic production from Michael and Jennifer Ferentino: a monthly, half-hour Facebook/YouTube series entitled "After Hours".
"After Hours" is an absorbing (and sometimes irreverent) blend of storytelling, with atmospheric dashes of "Twilight Zone"/"Night Gallery"/"Tales from the Darkside", coupled with an old MTV type structure. In other words, it taps into a time when anthology television yet thrived and music-video experimentation was at its celebrated peak.
In addition to Ferentino's engaging musical/movie material (btw: "Bizzarnage" will stay with you long after you view it), the initial episode includes the imaginative samplings of innovative WEATNU artist, Almark Thaolen, whose visual/audio manifestations are nothing short of mesmerizing. Trust me, they'll elevate your senses a hundredfold; Thaolen is truly that good. (Accompanying the material is an interactive section where one can share comments and creative jaunts, based on the episode's eccentric inspirations.)
"After Hours" is the sort of stellar show we need more of, but alas, material of this sophistication is a rare in today's sea of mediocrity. The Ferentino series, however, compensates for that, leading us into the boldest explorations imaginable, and for that, we should be most grateful.
(To document "After Hours'" growth, I'll faithfully comment on the series' continuing installments below this post. Stay tune!!!)
Thank you for the great review :)
ReplyDeleteYou're most welcome, Almark. Thank you for your mesmerizing talent.
DeleteEpisode 2 premiered on July 16; check out my July post for an overview!
ReplyDeleteJust posted a August entry for Episode 3: damn good one. The series is developing beautifully. What a great idea this is; it should have lots of creative mileage.
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