Thursday, March 26, 2009

Disturbing Movies and TV shows i saw as a kid that warped me forever

Here are some intensely scary things i saw as a kid that are a little too scary. These images still frighten me even to this day. Why oh why oh why were 80's kids movies and TV so fucking scary?

1. LEGEND

This movie is kinda like if your unicorn trapper keeper from grade school became a film and Tangerine Dream did the soundtrack. It has fantastic sets and special effects and wow Tim Curry is fucking brilliant in it as what... the devil? However i remember seeing this on the ole USA network back in the day and being freaked the fuck out by MEG MUCKLEBONES see below

When i first saw this : Ran to my room crying, pants filled with poop.



2. RETURN TO OZ

Ok Lets make a sequel to The Wizard of Oz based on the original books. Oh by the way this one is going to make you want to hide behind the couch because there is a witch who can change heads , scary wheelers, Tick Tock, and  a rock man thing that eats people. Did i mention Dorthy's electro shock therapy? What the hell is going on here?  As a side note Henry Selick ,director of The Nightmare before Christmas, did the character designs for this movie. Can you tell?  Take a close look at the pumpkin head. Exactly the same as Jack Skeleton  in the beginning TNBC...






3. COUNT DUCKULA

This isnt so much scary but it was strange. A duck vampire that eats vegetables instead of drinking blood. Genius. I love the animation in this show. I always thought it should be made into a kids animated movie... Listen to the ending credits song. So fucking badass!





4. DAVID THE GNOME

Last episode... they die! Well turn into trees? This is soooo creepy/sad/ poetic? Look how sad the fox is!!!! This is were my love of orchestra/synth comes from...





5.TIME BANDITS

Oh Terry Gilliam what you did to my childhood just ain't right but it was fun....er.... um. Yeah this movie is weirder than weird but i lurve it. Its dark and involves time travel. Dont forget the ultimate evil. 



6. THE NEVERENDING STORY

You are never going to tell me that rock creature wasn't scary. Look at those googly eyes! I love the sets in this movie. Forests done a studio. Gotta love it. But yet again very dark looking?



7. LABYRINTH

Besides the fact that this movie is David and his "Bowie" its also a great kids movie that has some frightening imagery. Yet another film entirely done in a studio and It shows. What the fuck are these things??????



And this???



8. DARK CRYSTAL

The name says it all. This whole movie feels like one big scary acid dream. Those little evil chicken/raptor things are soooo freaky! They just makes me want to rip off my face.




9. WIZARDS

I used to watch this movie all the time when i was a kid. Its so strange and highly inappropriate for children ( crazy nazi references,and atomic war!) . Yet i watched this when i was 6 and have loved Bakshi's films ever since.



10. FERNGULLY
I know you want to tell me to save the rain forest from pollution but please dont do it this way...

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Snakefinger

Snakefinger

Ah yes! The brilliant Snakefinger the mastermind behind The Residents guitar work. He's been called an "avant garde guitarist"  and you'll never be able to play like him. 
He worked with The Residents for a majority of their work in the 70's and 80's and has several excellent solo albums. Most notably Chewing Hides The Sound that has the best cover of Kraftwerks "The Model" ever slapped on vinyl.  
He unfortunately  suffered a fatal heart attack in 1987 on stage the same day he released the single "There's no Justice in Life"
I still get chills listening to the guitar solo(?) in  "Moisture" off The Residents "Commercial Album". The video to this song is one of THEE best things I have ever seen. I can watch it any day, any time, anywhere. The image of Snakefinger popping up on the moon playing guitar like a deranged Artie, The worlds strongest man , from Pete & Pete fills my blessed ears and eyes with supreme nacho chalupa joy. err....ew....


Santa Sangre

Santa Sangre, is a movie by Alejandro Jodorowsky, and one of my all time favorite. I make it a point to watch this movie at least once a year.  
Originally Jodorowsky was supposed to make this movie about a famous Mexican serial killer. He scrapped that idea for parts and made this surrealist masterpiece that closely resembles Psycho . From tattooed vixens to an elephant funeral that has to be seen to be believed this movie is fucking brilliant. 

Oh la la


I am a bit peeved that i have to hold on to my battered video cassette from the early 90's to watch this baby. There is a DVD but I don't feel like shelling down the bucks for an all region DVD player just to watch the import edition. 
So come on Jodorowsky! Whats keeping this one out of  us yanks hands? I know it has nothing to do with The Beatles, John Lennon, or  Alan Klein. So wheres the beef


Monday, March 9, 2009

Enki Bilal






Enki Bilal is an amazing comic book artist from France. I discovered his work hidden away in midtown comics in a graphic novel called "The Beast Trilogy 1&2". The artwork just floored me.
However, trying to find more of this guys work in the states is a little bit difficult. Some of his work has been brought over by DC comics but even then they are still hard to find. His masterwork the The Nikopol Trilogy has completely vanished except for some pretty expensive imports via amazon.com. Thank god my friend Agethe ( who has told me that Bilal is a comic book superstar in her native France) scored me one. Although it is in french, its still fun skimming through the unbelievable artwork and well worth the time painstakingly translating it.
You can still see The Nikopol here in the states albeit film form via Immortal, a film Mr. Bilal directed himself. I've heard this film is god awful and by the looks of the trailer, the extensive use of CGI is sickening. I'd stick to his fantastic comics.
Happy Hunting :)

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Chrisma!

Chrisma is one of my favorite bands from Italy. Formed in 1976, husband and wife  duo, Maurizio Arcieri and Christina Moser, caused quite a stir with a trick Maurizio used to do by pretending to cut off his finger onstage. They had an international hit with "Lola" then changed their name to Krisma in the 80's, and became lame. 

So are they electroclash? maybe 

Goth? ehhh 

Punk? somewhat...

Badass & Sexy?  Fuck Yes!

"Black Silk Stockings" sounds like the soundtrack to the giallo you've always wanted to see... 












Ubik speaks

New blog. Why? cause i cant change my old blog. DEAL WIT IT YO!