RIP DICK MILLER...

When I meet you in the early '90s, you were as cantankerous, humble and straightforward as I'd always imagined--and more than willing to sign my precious VHS copy of "Bucket of Blood". (Thank you, Walter Paisley--ha, ha.)

Not only did you star in the latter for the great Roger Corman, but the director/writer/producer's "Little Shop of Horrors"; "The Terror"; "It Conquered the World"; "Not of This Earth"; "Premature Burial"; "Man with the X-Ray Eyes"; "Space Raiders"; "War of the Satellites"; "The Trip"; "Wild Angels"; "Crazy Mama"; "Big Bad Mama"; "Carnival Rock"; and "Rock All Night". 

There's also "Piranha"; "Gremlins 1 and 2"; "The Howling"; "The Burbs"; "Innerspace"; "Explorers"; "Twilight Zone: the Movie"; "Small Soliders"; "Matinee"; "Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy"; "Amazon Women on the Moon"; "Hollywood Boulevard" (the latter string for the amazing Joe Dante, btw); "Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype"; "After Hours"; "Chopping Mall"; "The Terminator"; "Heartbeeps"; "1941"; "Night of the Creeps"; "Demon Night"; "White Line Fever"; "Wild Wild Winter"; "Project X"; "Pulp Fiction"; "Mask of the Phantasm"; "Rock 'n' Roll High School"; "That Guy Dick Miller"...and the list goes on and on and on, not to mention the endless television shows you graced...

You worked with infinite zeal and blessed our lives with fun, villainy and quirkiness: a character actor who set the standard for others--and those yet to come. You'll be missed more than words can express, Mr. Miller and be forever perceived as one of the enduring greats.

HAPPY NATIONAL GORILLA SUIT DAY 2019!!!

Doctor Who? Angus Imrie--that's Who!!!

Word has it that Jodie Whittaker is jumping ship...er, TARDIS, that is...as our latest Time Lord, and if so, what direction (if any) should "Doctor Who" go?

I propose this: Go the young-lad route. And what thespian would hit the mark? Why, Angus Imrie, of course.

Imrie left a fine impression as Merlin in "The Kid Who Would be King", layering quirkiness and brilliance into the slender magician. With only minor tweaking, the Doctor would be reborn, and considering the series' alarming ratings dive, all for the better.

Yeah, I know, Imrie is a guy, and some will, therefore, presume my wish is based on some chauvinistic whim, but it's not. I merely think the young chap would better fit the franchise's required flair--regenerate it, that is. (Then again, I believe Patrick Stewart, "The Kid'"s other Merlin, would make a swell Doctor, too; so would Tom Mison, whose Ichabod Crane held loads of Doctor-ish charm. And know what? I wouldn't object to Jaime Murray for the coveted spot, but oh, that's right, she can't help but flaunt her beauty, and heaven forbid we stick glaring glamour within the reverse-discrimination craze.)

Anyway, Imrie possesses obvious potential to draw and maintain a younger viewership. I don't believe older, faithful fans would object to him, either, as long as his adventures were well rounded, unlike what we've witnessed during Whittaker's phase. 

Ah, who am I kiddin'? No one's gonna listen to me... Still, I'm tossing my two cents out there, if only in that minuscule chance my suggestion could catch wind...

I saw King Arthur Jr...

I guess with Guy Ritchie's "King Arthur" perceived as too mature, a more subdued version was opted; and so we're served writer/director Joe "Ant-Man" Cornish's "The Kid Who Would be King": a heart-in-the-right-place, family fantasy hampered by modern mollification. 

The next-generation Arthur Pendragon, otherwise called Alexander Elliot, is played by Louis Ashbourne Serkis (yep, Andy's son) and his pal, Bedders by Dean Chaumoo, both of whom are bullied and in desperate need of self-esteem. The duo gains such when Alexander extracts Excalibur from a construction site. From there the lad gains the predestined gumption to coax the bullies, Lance and Kaye (Tom Taylor and Rhianna Doris) into joining their crusade, which is (drum roll, please)...

Defeating Morgana, aka Morgan le Fay (Rebecca Ferguson), King Arthur's exiled half-sister who wants to rule (what else?) the whole, bloody screwed-up world, as she anticipates escape from her smoky pit. She's also got lots of monster-making magic to accomplish the self-serving task, but thanks to Merlin, portrayed with spell-snapping, eccentric command by both Angus Imrie (in long-term, spry guise) and Patrick Stewart (for the occasional cameo), her plans may not reach fruition. 

Besides, Alexander grows ever more courageous along his discovery trail, inspiring his budding knights to shed their doubts and fears to confront the tendriled villainess, thus establishing (through symbolic gesture) a potential Camelot II.

The concept sounds nice and noble, but it's slanted by Arthur's schoolboy boundaries, which favor Harry Potter (via verbal and visual means) as much as the classic legend. The mythologies don't mesh, and if I must explain why, then you're a fan of neither and/or your philosophical knowledge is damn weak. So be it...

For the record, I am a King Arthur fan--have been since way back when. I've long fancied the idea of a humble youth ascending to royalty or some form of great, non-conformist leadership. The execution needn't be as brash as Ritchie's or as splashy as James Wan's "Aquaman" to work, but it should always adapt an edge far sharper than sole Excalibur exudes. 

Arthurian legend requires toughness, a serious degree of prolonged sadness and rage to accompany its glory. That's where "The Kid..." skids. Though it moves well enough on a rudimentary level (and there's never a dull moment throughout), it never hits its emotional peak. That's frustrating, because the concept has "Spider-verse" reach, and to have nurtured it, it had only to deliver on its title.

MICHAEL FERENTINO'S DEAR DEPARTED: THE PAST AND FUTURE, ENLIGHTENING THE NOW

Michael Ferentino, mastermind behind Love in Reverse and Bedtime for Robots, has released his first solo album in sixteen years. It's a remarkable achievement that covers many melodious levels: well worth the wait, but how did we ever exist without it?

Dear Departed consists of ten, exquisite tracks: the first half being a lyrical tribute to the pleasurable, eclectic music we (that is, "older" folks) grew up on, with the second half taking a leap into hopes and visions yet to populate.

Each track is haunting, sweet, woeful and optimistic, hardened by thoughts of loneliness, fulfillment and identifiable desires, enriched by sweeping, empathetic chords and Ferentino's always moving, magnetic voice. The album has become my new, magical soundtrack. (In fact, the title track has been my steadfast companion ever since I got a taste, distinguishing my sunlit trails and raucous reveries. Dear Departed's "futuristic" entries will surely accompany my writing binges, in that they invoke the sort of driving, get-off-your-ass blast that only Ferentino can form.) 

To anyone who's absorbed his musical visions, Ferentino is an insightful genius of the best and most sublime kind. Dear Departed only fortifies this view. You're gonna like what you hear--and feel--in a most monumental way!!!

Snap on those headphones and give a listen at ... https://www.facebook.com/mferentino/videos/10157040809347138/UzpfSTEwMDAwNzY4OTE4Mzc0MToyMjEwMzg1NzUyNTYxMDQz/.  

I saw Polar...

I dig Mads Mikkelsen. Think the world of him in "Casino Royale", "The Salvation"; "Doctor Strange", "Rogue One", "The Hunt"; "Hannibal" (the series, that is)--you name it. The man is versatile, distinguished, humble and when it comes to getting down and dirty, frickin unparalleled. 

I suppose that makes him the ideal fit for Netflix's explosive, action submission, "Polar", based on the Dark Horse graphic epic by Victor Santos and Jim Gibbons.

For the movie adaptation, Jason Rothwell supplies the script, with Jonas Akerlund as its frame-whipping director. What bursts forth is as dark as noir can be, with a gutsy, irreverent ambiance to rival Frank Miller's "Sin City", Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner's "Red" and various Guy Ritchie flicks. 

Duncan Vizla, "the Black Kaiser", is the story's cool anti-protagonist: an assassin of expected, pinnacle lethal skill, but behind his rough exterior, a nice, stoic guy...more or less. Mikkelsen covers the conflicting extremes with deft command, sporting an eye patch that gives him a touch of Nick Fury, Snake Plissken and Captain Harlock, matched by the virtuous prowess of John Wick.

To boot, Vizla is a fifty-year-old bloke, who's paid his assassin dues, at least per his agency views, though now forced into "retirement": sorta like the Carousel deal in "Logan's Run", though not quite as symbolic. On Vizla's heels are spry recruits, but our suave veteran isn't afraid to beat 'em to the punch in what becomes a wild, laser-fanning, bullet-zinging, dog-eat-dog free-for-all. In other words, as much as they polarize him, he out-polarizes them, with a focused cunning that'll make one's head spin. 

Prompting Vizla's trouble is the mad, Sting-haired Mr. Blut, played by Matt "Doctor Who" Lucas. When he's not around to stir the pot, there's assassin-group leader Robert "Monster Brawl" Malliet's Karl to instill the chill for all you WWE fans. Let's face it: Any hero is only as good as his adversaries, and these sonsaguns (and really, the film's henchman collective is pretty damn daunting) define Vizla to the maddening tee and would hold their own with any DC, Marvel or James Bond baddie. To rephrase: They're easy to hate, and because of it, appreciate. 

To heighten the film's glitz, gorgeous gals populate, with Vanessa "Powerless" Hudgens as Camille (striking even when we're suppose to believe she's unassuming); Kathryn "Vikings" Winnick as crafty liaison Vivian (a sassy femme fatale if ever there was one, so much so that she shoulda earned a bigger part); Ruby O. Fee as Sindy; Inga Cadranel as Regina; Fei Ren as Hilde; and Anatasia Marinina as Evalina (among bewitching others), each capping the overflow of violence with cunning sweetness and (to irritate those feminists who should so choose to watch), the shameless need to tease and please their men. 

I had a great time with one...would have loved to have seen it on the big screen. Still, I gotta give credit where it's due. Netflix was on the ball this time, and perhaps to capitalize on the film's inevitable fanfare, we'll get a sequel based on one of Santos' many other Black Kaiser stories. If that's not to be, then at least some other rough-edged entertainment for Mikkelsen to lead. (I suppose, the upcoming "Arctic" will fill that bill, but for the here and now, it's not a "Netflix Presents...".) 

Anyway, fingers crossed that the pay-to-view-it execs don't go down the sappy Gillette road. We damn well need more movies with balls firmly attached. 

AIRSHIP 27 PODCAST (JAN '19): READY FOR TAKEOFF!!!

A new year commences and so does another fabulous string of Airship 27 podcasts.

Captain Ron Fortier and Chief Engineer Rob Davis set forth the great "shape of things to come" with their Jan '19 installment, discussing such thrilling titles as Wayne Carey's haunting Civil War epic, "Company of Shadows"; "Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Vol 13"; Robert J. Mendenhall's espionage exploit, "Codename--Intrepid"; plus Ron Fortier and Mark Justice's "Dead Sheriff: Cannibals and Bloodsuckers", along with its Fred Adams sequel (set for a summer release). There's also swell scoops on Captain Hazard, Marty Quade, P.I. and the next "All-Star Sports Stories".   

Climb aboard at ... 
http://zone4podcast.com/airship-27-podcast-47/?fbclid=IwAR1j8v15PPmh1MrTI5aeEWxgZnOjcfIinF13d0yM_X8hSjWj7YJ54dLIPJ0

Collectible Time: Superman/Mole Men, Cat-Women and Jekyll's Daughter Lobby Cards from Dear Donna

My wife, Donna surprised me with a set of vibrant, lobby-card reprints for my birthday: the entries based on my current, cinema leanings. Donna is so observant...

Among the impressive trio is a promotional salute to the first, feature-length movie based on DC's "all-time ace of action": Superman!!!

Directed by Lee "Tobor the Great" Sholem and scripted by Robert Maxwell and DC veteran Whitney Ellsworth, "Superman and the Mole Men" stars George Reeves as the eponymous champion, his initial appearance as such, with Phyllis "Teenage Frankenstein" Coates debuting as Lois Lane. (For the record, Kirk Alyn portrayed the Man of Steel prior to Reeves in two serials, costarring Noel Neill, who'd again portray Lane after Coates exited the "Adventures of Superman" television series.) 

The movie was a terrific way for Reeves to enter the franchise, since the story takes a strong and poignant stance against bigotry. Though devoid of flashy effects, "Superman and the Mole Men" still stands as one of the best and most meaningful superhero movies ever produced: one of my all-time favorites.   

Next up is a captivating slice of marketing for director Arthur "the Big Chase" Hilton's libidinous "Cat-Women of the Moon": a 3D space opera starring Sonny "Serpent Island" Tufts, Victor "the Shadow" Jory, Douglas "Macumba Love" Fowley, William "the Snow Creature" Phipps and sultry Marie "Swamp Women" Windsor. 

What the movie lacks in sophistication, it compensates with plenty of fun--and plenty of enchanting Cat-Women. Its successful formula was rehashed five years later for the equally fulfilling "Missile to the Moon".

Last but not least is a variant on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of dueling duality: "Daughter of Dr. Jekyll". 

The sequel was produced/penned by fantasy-film specialist, Jack Pollexfen, directed by exploitation legend, Edgar G. Ulmer and stars gorgeous Gloria "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" Talbott in the titular role, teamed with Arthur "Tarzan and the Slave Girl" Shields, John "The Thing from Another World" Dierkes and monster-movie icon, John Agar. The film's antagonist is, in truth, a werewolf, but any werewolf is a Hyde at heart.

I watched "Daughter of..." on various weekend afternoons during the joyous '70s, so anything attached to it gives me warm feelings. (FYI: "Daughter of..." was double billed with another Talbott favorite: "The Cyclops".)

Donna purchased these reproductions from Filmfax, which lists many printed pieces of movie memorabilia each issue. (For the record: I used stock photos for this post, if only to share keener clarity than some in-thing, digital device could capture.) The actual cards measure 11" x 14" and are printed on high-quality, acid-free paper to simulate the look and feel of the real deal.  

I'm appreciative of dear Donna for knowing me all too well. This set sure gave me a nostalgic, birthday boost. I'll cherish these swell collectibles for years to come. 

DER FINGER'S LE CINQUE STAGIONI: JARRING JAZZ TO SPARK THE MIND AND STING THE SPINE!!!

Le Cinque Stagioni is a new album, released for international consumption by Toten Schwan Records, composed and performed by the Moscow-based band, Der Finger, featuring Anton Efimov (bass guitar), Evgenia Sivkova (drums, sax) and Edward Sivkov (sax, bass clarinet, bass domra). If you enjoy edgy, avant-garde music with a film-score twist, Le Cinque Stagioni is certain to spark your mind and sting your spine through five, fantastic phases...

The initial track, "Verwirruag" invokes a Vivaldi vitality, though this baroque prelude is more in Gothic sync with Phantom of the Opera and Frankenstein than the jazzy gist that the band favors. Still, the evocative entry works as a practical, flustering warm-up to Der Finger's more modern, though no less tingling tracks.

"Zweittracht" follows: the album's sedulous flight of fierce fancy, prompting thoughts of tipsy Terence Stamp zooming down a dark, discordant road in "Spirits of the Dead". "Zweittracht'"s immediate companion piece, "Unordnung" stalls the engine's roar, hinting a fate of painful disarray and grisly death. (Remember Stamp's fate? Ouch!)

Despite the threat, death doesn't come, paving instead a nurtured anguish, thanks to the bodacious "Beamten herrschaft". The track's vibrant vibrations precipitate an urge to duel and dominate, its notes recalling such aggrieved, adolescent flicks as "Blackboard Jungle", "The Violent Years" and "High School Confidential".

Once the contention subsides, the redeeming "Realpolitik" explodes, instilling images of buck-the-system Kirk Douglas in "Champion"--no, make that "Spartacus"--but what good is a bone-battered victory if it spurs no residue? To ensure that the coup d'etat reaches far and digs deep, one must (and with great relish) re-listen to all five, emotional sessions, again and again... Ah, pure, psychoanalytical bliss. 

To sample the jarring jazz of Le Cinque Stagoni and/or to order Der Finger's fabulous, limited-edition, Toten Schwan CD, visit...  https://totenschwan.bandcamp.com/album/tsr-106-le-cinque-stagioni.