Bedtime for Robots has launched a bold, new album: Electrical Hymnal.
Thanks to the project's mastermind, Michael Ferentino, it plays like an off-kilter, religious experience, with persistent interludes that reference secular sensations: a blending of both worlds, if one wishes to see--and hear--it that way.
To accentuate the effect, the album shifts between euphoria and horror: an audio equivalent to what the best, experimental art can produce.
On the album's "terrestrial" side, we're treated to "Ancient Roots": an allusion to the earliest forms of judgmental justification. Its seeds sprout further and farther with the ritualistic/percussive "Dungeonface", "Traumatic Extraction" and "Scarfleece", which showcase a psychosis spawned from a skewed, theological perspective. The dial-shifting "Shockflux" and "Stateless" harness their masochistic content in other ways, filtering one's need to believe through the cries of electronic angels.
To enhance this more-or-less "spiritual" side, we get the organ-ic "Possession", which yanks one from sickly repression, guiding one's adventurous spirit "Near Nipple Gate at Smoking Bones", and let us not bypass the infernal but smooth confessionals of "Burn it All Down".
For the sake of its scarier components, "Nightling" and "Stone Glass" invoke parasitic compassion, though more within the the cosmos' far regions than the clawed, coffined earth. "Frozen Concentration" is the churned air that's gasped to prevent eternal decay, with "Hologram Sam" as its cool reinvention. However, the poppin' "Succubus Crush" springs one to a humid perch, where demonic devastation prompts pure, ecstatic exclamation.
"Zazen" is the rock-hard kick-off to all these emotional flings, combining industrial funk with fever-dream zeal, and the mighty "Robot Monster" fringes each and every warped warble by underlining Phil Tucker's misunderstood masterpiece of bubbling high tech and gorilla-suited invasion.
Without question, this hymnal blast blankets all bases: a roller-coaster ride that not only gets one groovin', but acts as an ideal prayer.
And for those so bold to take a backward path, there's Lanmyh Lacirtcele, a version of the album where the tracks are stacked in loving reverse. (Believe or not, the effect is just as effective. Utter genius!!!)
Summon either edition at
https://blackboxrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/electrical-hymnal?fbclid=IwAR12fTzHgYexyYOXjE6_xjQLPgapyZeCnP0XvJC5z_XwgR5ddia2sMFta80, and/or
https://blackboxrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/lanmyh-lacirtcele?fbclid=IwAR3TmsagSWIzLzK5wT2Osa-4j6RcQw21N_i3MH7dIb6KbUtblqJ7xQEJgSE.
Ron Fortier and Rob Davis blast off for another energetic Airship 27 Podcast.
The Oct '19 episode covers such spellbinding characters as Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Domino Lady, Sinbad, the Persona (from yours truly and the biggest Airship 27 seller for its third quarter, I might add) and Eva Lynd (the famous, Swedish model of men's mags and now the subject of a hardback edition, edited by Robert Dies and Wyatt Doyle).
Updates on Radio Archives releases and the company's current big sale come our way, as well. (BTW: Radio Archives reaches its thirteen anniversary, with inexhaustible, old-time radio shows and pulp-action fiction for the audio domain.)
Listen and behold the latest installment at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQqzHfTBtvM&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0L5d8jaCdpBpeeOVXTLWlYr4dEDk3_T_neZxguZQKJyDrW_oKw7C6mr-8.
To have caught a first-run, classic "Twilight Zone" at Halloween would have been such a treat, but to catch a first run of Michael Ferentino's "Virtual Halloween Party" is without question on the same melodramatic par.
Michael Ferentino's latest Black Box Recordings experiment (done in the style of his haunting "Exquisite Machines" segments) captures the season to the creepy tee with tortured souls, bloodsuckers and reanimated corpses, delivered via vintage trailers, hallucinogenic sweeps, and crisp, Halloween vignettes. (There are even a few gorgeous gals at play to supplement the dreamy delight. Hot cha-cha!!!)
The culmination is as warm as a jack-o'-lantern and as equally well lit: an hour-long beacon for the crusty-leaf season and a musical spell sprung to instill weird awe and wonderment: a grand gift from some of the best avant-garde artists in the world.
Let Ferentino's "Virtual Halloween Party" seize you now with its autumnal bait. You'll find the ingredients no less than chillingly great:
https://www.facebook.com/mferentino/videos/10157753271847138/UzpfSTEwMDAwNzY4OTE4Mzc0MToyMzk4MjI0MTc3MTEwNTMy/.
DC/WB's "Wonder Woman: Bloodlines" is the latest in its successful run of animated movies, written by Mairgharead Scott and directed by Sam Liu and Justin Copeland. It's also a partial, current-day retelling of Diana Prince's intro, equipped with all the necessary furnishings, including the good, the bad and the deceitful.
The retelling ties Wonder Woman (Rosario Dawson reprising her vocals) to a young lady named Vanessa Kapatelis (Maria Averopoulos) who seems innocent enough on the surface, but is susceptible to dark-side callings. This set-up contrasts to Prince's rise from Themyscira (Paradise Island) and her inherent need to do good. Courage is required to take either side, but we all know which is the preferable. It's up to dear Diana and U.F.O. tracker Steve Trevor (Jeffery Donovan) to drive the melodramatic point home, if they can.
In the process, the film spotlights Wonder Woman's queue of adversaries (btw, Cheetah and Medusa are at their monstrous peak) and the genesis of Vanessa's alter ego, the wicked and winged Silver Swan.
Silver Swan is, therefore, the all-encompassing center of the story, setting it apart from other Wonder Woman adventures, whether live action, printed or animated. Swan a formidable, spiteful supervillainess, but not without pathos, giving the story a redemptive quality.
The story otherwise doesn't (re)define the mythology, but rather carries it in a rich, thoughtful fashion, with emphasis more on characterization than action. The latter, however, still beams bright, and in those scenes where it rolls, man, does it ever deliver in the best two-fisted way.
On the whole, despite its redundancies, "Bloodlines" is a solid entry, which does a resplendent job of promoting Wonder Woman's virtue and veracity. Check it out.
Three, new entries of Mr. Lobo's "Cinema Insomnia" are now available through Alpha Video (oldies.com). Each presents exceptional, DVD entertainment, certain to satisfy one's offbeat and "misunderstood" urges.
There's "Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome", a big-time favorite among fans, which spotlights the suave Ralph Byrd as the famous, comic-strip detective and the great Boris Karloff as Tracy's angry antagonist. Mr. Lobo injects cheerful charm into this one, per his dry wit and irreverent perspective. (There's even a special appearance from sexy Lady Skankenstein.)
Next we have "(Gappa) Monster from a Prehistoric Planet": a Toho/Rodan-ish wannabe (and "Gorgo" variant) that more than matches the keenest, kaiju stompers. Thanks to Mr. Lobo, this quirky submission gets an ebullient face lift, with weird, exotic fillers woven throughout its apocalyptic run.
Our final submission is the uplifting "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians": a low-budget labor of love that's been misunderstood for decades. This Cold War entry sports sentimentality, sci-fi hi jinks and one helluva catchy theme song. Mr. Lobo's celebratory, tongue-in-cheek exclamations make the production's colorful, cosmic concept all the jollier.
Add these cool, "Cinema Insomnia" additions to your library today:
https://www.oldies.com/collection-view/Movies-TV.html?sort=top.
I adore Rock Baker's Cartoon Cuties. I've praised Issue #1, and I'm now going to do the same for Issue #2.
The latest edition is as invigorating, humorous and of course, cute as the first, kicked off by curvy heroine Crissy Carrots (aka Crissy Ralphwit) and her dear friends, Minerva and Daisy for the surreal adventure, "Babes in the Woods".
Baker's exploit combines mystery with sci fi as it introduces a couple towering, green, glamour gals who'd give "Star Trek'"s Orion slave girls a hardy run for their money, not to mention "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" and "The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock".
To offset "Babes in the Woods", Baker follows up with an earnest tale of redemption entitled "Undercovered Undercover", starring sexy she-wolf Mala Winston. Mala must engage in some steamy, decoy action, which is certain to grip one's eyes with its film-noir attributes.
The sizzling Missy Mouse also makes the scene with "The Whole Story", stealing the show at every turn, but much the same can be said of Louise Beaumont in the sugary "Photo Fun". These chapters overflow with Annie appeal and give Baker ample chance to demonstrate why he's the creme de la creme, pin-up artist in the world.
As an neat, bonus treat, Issue #2 even gives us a "Pretty Poem", which highlights the adorable Doris Flowers. If this one doesn't put a smile on one's face, I don't know what will.
In many ways, Issue #2 pumps up the melodrama and characterization to an higher degree than the first, bringing Baker's mythology to full, invigorating life. One can see the developing intricacies in his quaint storytelling, with special focus on nuanced scenarios and crisp, dialogue exchanges.
Above all, Baker is an amazing artist, as is evidenced by each and every panel of Cartoon Cuties. While his images reference the styles of Harvey and Dell, they're never so imitative to lose distinction. (It should also be noted that Jim Ludwig's excellent use of color enhances Baker's designs with ideal, loving care, and Rusty Gilligan does equal justice to Baker's joyful cover.)
Bottom line: There's only one Rock Baker and only one, groundbreaking saga called Cartoon Cuties.
Treat yourself to Cutie history-in-the-making at
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1690996161/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
After a long stretch, a "Zombieland" sequel comes our way, directed by Ruben Fleischer and penned by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Dave Callaham: all but the latter having worked on the first flick.
The original chapter was culled from a proposed, television series that didn't reach fruition due to its violent content. (This was long before "The Walking Dead" rose on AMC). In the theatrical film's wake, another "Zombieland" show was proposed. That also fizzled, thus circling back to another, big-screen treatment, subtitled "Double Tap".
"Double Tap" begins where the first left off (well, ten years after, in fact), with the same flippant but sensible, survival tips displayed on screen and the same neurotic characters enacting them: Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg); Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson); Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). They're comedy's answer to George A. Romero's classic living-dead strugglers and hold their own with "Walking Dead'"s somber sect. They're western heroes at heart, but that only goes to reason, since the "Zombieland" saga is a disguised western at heart.
The sequel's concept grants a further dip into self-discovery, with two of the leads branching beyond their comfort zone: an allegorical essay on why kids (and spouses) sometimes decide to stray. We got a taste of this in the first flick, but the motif is more involving this time, since there's more at stake, considering the members have formed a stronger, long-term, family bond.
The zombies are more cunning than they were before (well, speedier and stronger, that is, much like those of "Dawn of the Dead '04"). For any of the leads to fly the coop could place all in jeopardy (whether directly or indirectly, close or from afar), including the film's new participants (Rosario Dawson, Avan Jogia, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch and Zoey Deutch). BTW: Bill Murray is back, but not as a zombie. Thank the Lord for clever flashbacks.
What works here worked in the first film: Harrelson is masterful at delivering his dry, everyman humor. (His respectful nods to Elvis Presley are even funnier than his expressed love for Twinkies.) Eisenberg is equally effective as a zombie-apocalypse Jean Shepherd. The two click as well as any Stan and Ollie wannabes could.
On the down side, one could argue that, despite its better traits, "Double Tap" doesn't inject anything new into the genre, but at least (unlike the recent "The Dead Don't Die") it doesn't get all damn preachy and divisive. "Double Tap" works because it knows it's another zombie comedy, no more or less. It's also an ideal submission for Halloween. That's good enough for me. If you're a zombie fan who likes a lotta bite in your survivalist fight, it'll be good enough for you.
