This 1982 Italian production was shot on location in New York City. It's all the good aspects of The Warriors and Escape from New York combined, but way funnier. Essential.
8/31/10
1990: The Bronx Warriors
This 1982 Italian production was shot on location in New York City. It's all the good aspects of The Warriors and Escape from New York combined, but way funnier. Essential.
8/30/10
Happy 67th Birthday to R. Crumb
Crumb has drawn so many hundreds of great comics, but I decided to go with this short autobiographical tale of his second-greatest obsession (click to enlarge):
8/29/10
Robot 2-XL
There's something so... utopian about this commerical. Robot 2-XL can't help but to make every aspect of your life better. Meet your new mechanical master. By the year of 1980, every human will obey Robot 2-XL:
Went to the LA flea market today and picked up a bakelite Stori-Viewer (with included stereo color slides of Fairyland Caverns, $15), a Marx Indian ($1) , and 2-XL, my new robot friend, for just one dollar.
From 1978, 2-XL was made by - once again - Mego, the red-headed stepchild of toy companies. It took different cartridges with diverse titles like "Metric System", U.S. Presidents", "Monsters, Myths and Legends" and "Adult Puzzles". These were standard 8-track cassettes. You had only four buttons of interactivity: "question" and "A", "B" and "C". As you'd suspect, those did nothing more than select the four channels of tape on the cassette. "Robot" is a little bit of a stretch.
Mine had no power supply and no cartridges. But for a dollar I thought I'd take a chance. I got it home and tried out a standard 9-volt DC adapter with a standard 1/8 phone plug, and it worked right away with an old 8-track tape I dug out of the garage. I shot this little video of him lounging in the man-cave:
I don't want or need any of the 2-XL cartridges. That voice is too neurotic and irritating for me to stand. If you want to find out for yourself, try playing with the admittedly cool simulator here. But freed of servitude, he's a perfect companion for Pin-Bot (in the background), and the amp on this thing gets really loud. Time to find my old Devo and Men without Hats 8-tracks.
Went to the LA flea market today and picked up a bakelite Stori-Viewer (with included stereo color slides of Fairyland Caverns, $15), a Marx Indian ($1) , and 2-XL, my new robot friend, for just one dollar.
From 1978, 2-XL was made by - once again - Mego, the red-headed stepchild of toy companies. It took different cartridges with diverse titles like "Metric System", U.S. Presidents", "Monsters, Myths and Legends" and "Adult Puzzles". These were standard 8-track cassettes. You had only four buttons of interactivity: "question" and "A", "B" and "C". As you'd suspect, those did nothing more than select the four channels of tape on the cassette. "Robot" is a little bit of a stretch.
Mine had no power supply and no cartridges. But for a dollar I thought I'd take a chance. I got it home and tried out a standard 9-volt DC adapter with a standard 1/8 phone plug, and it worked right away with an old 8-track tape I dug out of the garage. I shot this little video of him lounging in the man-cave:
I don't want or need any of the 2-XL cartridges. That voice is too neurotic and irritating for me to stand. If you want to find out for yourself, try playing with the admittedly cool simulator here. But freed of servitude, he's a perfect companion for Pin-Bot (in the background), and the amp on this thing gets really loud. Time to find my old Devo and Men without Hats 8-tracks.
8/28/10
8/26/10
Auction Pick: Atari Video Music
Released in 1976 for a very short time, This analog device, when combined with your "television set" and "hi-fi", will provide many hours of mindless complacency. Just look at all those knobs and buttons! Fun!
Wikipedia sez,
As the legend goes, when Atari was on tour promoting the device, a Sears representative asked what they were smoking when they invented it. With that, a technician stepped forward holding up a lit joint.
Devo used one as a background in the video for The Day My Baby Gave Me A Surprise, as well as Daft Punk in their video Robot Rock. The unit never gained enough popularity and was in production for only a year.
You cannot live without this hi-tech juggernaut. Bid
here.
In all seriousness, I'm not paying that sort of money for something that dumb, but if any futurechimp readers know of one of these which is available in any condition, I have a plan to integrate one into a homemade modular synthesizer.
8/25/10
Bluebird
there's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too clever, I only let him out
at night sometimes
when everybody's asleep.
I say, I know that you're there,
so don't be
sad.
then I put him back,
but he's singing a little
in there, I haven't quite let him
die
and we sleep together like
that
with our
secret pact
and it's nice enough to
make a man
weep, but I don't
weep, do
you?
-Charles Bukowski
8/24/10
Cafe Flesh - For Kids!
Why should Cafe Flesh, the 1982 New Wave Post-Apocalyptic Hardcore Porno, be just for an adult audience? A kind and generous youtuber has supplied us with a family-friendly edit. (warning: although there is no sex or nudity, there are some swears).
I loved this movie ever since I was 21, just barely old enough to rent it at the video store. If you're unfamiliar, the synopsis is thus: At some point in the distant future, nuclear fallout causes the vast population of the planet to be not only sterile, but physically ill whenever they attempt to have sex. So they go to cafe's to watch the 1% of humans capable of congress performing on stage, as required by law.
This may or may not be a statement on the nature of pornography itself, but either way, it's anti-porn. By this I mean "impossible to masturbate to". The intercutting between the hardcore action and the leering faces of the audience, many of them hideously affected by lesions presumably caused by fallout, is a mega-boner-buster.
Now I've learned it was co-written by the One and Only Jerry Stahl. And pay particular attention to the synth score; that's by Mitchell Froom, who went on to be a top-dollar music producer. In this article he describes the Cafe Flesh soundtrack, his first recording:
The director told me, "Look, these pussycat theaters are funding this film, so I've got to shoot this porn footage, but my idea is to shoot it with the instructions that everyone act as if their mother just died. I want it to be really dark. So just score this film as an R-rated film, and in these sections just add on a few extra minutes, but make the music real disturbing." So, of course, the film came out and was released to these theaters, and it closed in about two days. It was, you know, not "satisfying." And then somebody found it and released it as a midnight-movie kind of thing, an art film. It got a following in L.A. for a few months, and the result was that Slash Records got interested in letting me release the soundtrack".
That was retitled as Key of Cool. I can't find it available anywhere. Still, nice stuff.
(related post here)
I loved this movie ever since I was 21, just barely old enough to rent it at the video store. If you're unfamiliar, the synopsis is thus: At some point in the distant future, nuclear fallout causes the vast population of the planet to be not only sterile, but physically ill whenever they attempt to have sex. So they go to cafe's to watch the 1% of humans capable of congress performing on stage, as required by law.
This may or may not be a statement on the nature of pornography itself, but either way, it's anti-porn. By this I mean "impossible to masturbate to". The intercutting between the hardcore action and the leering faces of the audience, many of them hideously affected by lesions presumably caused by fallout, is a mega-boner-buster.
Now I've learned it was co-written by the One and Only Jerry Stahl. And pay particular attention to the synth score; that's by Mitchell Froom, who went on to be a top-dollar music producer. In this article he describes the Cafe Flesh soundtrack, his first recording:
The director told me, "Look, these pussycat theaters are funding this film, so I've got to shoot this porn footage, but my idea is to shoot it with the instructions that everyone act as if their mother just died. I want it to be really dark. So just score this film as an R-rated film, and in these sections just add on a few extra minutes, but make the music real disturbing." So, of course, the film came out and was released to these theaters, and it closed in about two days. It was, you know, not "satisfying." And then somebody found it and released it as a midnight-movie kind of thing, an art film. It got a following in L.A. for a few months, and the result was that Slash Records got interested in letting me release the soundtrack".
That was retitled as Key of Cool. I can't find it available anywhere. Still, nice stuff.
(related post here)
8/21/10
Movie of The Week Super-Special Coming-of-Age-at-Summer-Camp Double Feature
It's the end of Summer, and what better way to commemorate than to revisit those growing pains we all went through at camp, via two of the finest films on the subject?
First up is Little Darlings, with Kristy Mcnichol and Tatum O'Neal as two 15-year olds competing to see who loses their virginity first. It's a girl movie, but I still like it for the realistic, tough characters. Think of it as a cross between "Meatballs" and "Born Innocent". Unavailable on DVD, so this'll get pulled eventually for copyright reasons.
Next is Sleepaway Camp, in which the shy and sensitive Angela learns to love and care, and maybe discovers a few things about herself along the way. Think of it as a cross between "Meatballs" and "The Bad Seed".
A few years ago, either here or on another blog, I cited this as the most traumatic ending I'd ever seen. I first experienced it as a teen, and since then whenever I'd even think about the movie, I'd start feeling physically ill and anxious. So it's strange what time can do; I just saw this again, and the whole movie is hilarious. And the ending is a perfect punchline.
If you don't know it ends, then for God's sake, see this movie soon before someone ruins it for you. Get it on dvd through netflix and whatnot, or watch it here:
First up is Little Darlings, with Kristy Mcnichol and Tatum O'Neal as two 15-year olds competing to see who loses their virginity first. It's a girl movie, but I still like it for the realistic, tough characters. Think of it as a cross between "Meatballs" and "Born Innocent". Unavailable on DVD, so this'll get pulled eventually for copyright reasons.
Next is Sleepaway Camp, in which the shy and sensitive Angela learns to love and care, and maybe discovers a few things about herself along the way. Think of it as a cross between "Meatballs" and "The Bad Seed".
A few years ago, either here or on another blog, I cited this as the most traumatic ending I'd ever seen. I first experienced it as a teen, and since then whenever I'd even think about the movie, I'd start feeling physically ill and anxious. So it's strange what time can do; I just saw this again, and the whole movie is hilarious. And the ending is a perfect punchline.
If you don't know it ends, then for God's sake, see this movie soon before someone ruins it for you. Get it on dvd through netflix and whatnot, or watch it here:
It's A Small World
All imagery is from a photo album purchased at a flea market.
See the filmmaker's other videos here.
8/19/10
1 - Bit Symphony
Agh, this guy took my idea of putting musical circuitry into a CD case (although it was an idea I had about 20 years ago which I never acted upon, and I since then I learned that Cornelius also did it at some point in the 90's). No matter, it's a great execution, and you can pre-order this fine product for yourself here. Just $29.
I understand that it's a composition and not a toy, but it would be really interesting if some cheap interactive electronics, like buttons, piezo's or light sensors could be introduced, so the listener can also be a participant. Might as well take advantage of the whole "music in real time" potential.
(referral: boingboing.net)
8/17/10
Bieberphonics
San Francisco Wax Museum in 3D
New snaps of the San Francisco Wax Museum are available in 3D. Get your glasses on and click the above image to start the slideshow.
And check out this other random shot. It's one of my favorite 3D compositions yet, a view of the inside of a mold I'd just rotary-cast in urethane (click to enlarge):
8/12/10
Auction Pick: Kong on Stilts
In 1976, developmentally challenged toymaker Mego released a slew of King Kong merchandise in conjunction with Dino DeLaurentis' awful movie. One item was this snap-together plastic model of him straddling the twin towers. Looks like he caught that plane just in time! It's as if... oh forget it.
This auction is opening at just $14. As of this posting, it has no takers. Adopt an unloved ape HERE.
Speaking of things no one needs, I'll be at the San Jose Toy Show this Saturday. Look for the weird guy selling human thumb drives, Cthulhu bobbleheads and homemade viewmasters.
8/11/10
Sedona in 3D
On a recent trip to Sedona, while making music on the laptop and watching the sun set over the red rocks, I paused to take this 3D snap. (click to enlarge)
Memento Mori
Memento Mori
(to be viewed from approximately six inches away)
7 x 9 x 2"
two-way mirror, motion detector, strobe lights, plastic skull, picture frame, AC power plug, transfer lettering
After completing the extremely time-consuming diorama triptych, I wanted to do something easy. This took me two days, and my total cost of materials was fifty cents; that's what I paid, at a flea market, for the Halloween decoration that provided most of the necessary parts. Everything else was salvaged from my garage.
I ditched the batteries and added a transformer with a socket and removable plug, an old picture frame I've had for 20 years, and some transfer lettering and scrap plexiglass to build a box behind the frame. I also stripped the cheap paint job from the injection-molded plastic skull, and did a combination airbrush / ink wash. The AC power lets you keep it on as long as you want. When someone breaks the motion detector's range of four feet or less, strobing incandescent lamps reveal the skull for a few seconds.
For being only two inches deep, it has an uncanny sense of depth behind the mirror. And as the title indicates, if you're at the correct distance, it seems to provide a real-time X-ray of your head. I dig it.
This is a piece I've wanted to do for about five years, ever since reading instructions to build one in a reprint of a circa 1900 stage effects book. My plan was to use a full-size cast of a skull, knock out a hole in the wall behind the mirror to make it more unexpected, and have it activated by a pressure-sensitive floor mat. This way of doing it was much simpler.
8/9/10
And Now, 116 Seconds of "Zapped"
Enjoy this guaranteed Baio-free clip featuring Albert Einstein, Scatman Crothers, LaWanda Page, Griffith Observatory, centurions, salami and weed.
8/8/10
Vincent Price's Tips for Demonic Invocation
In this cut from the late 60's double LP Witchcraft & Magic-An Adventure In Demonology, Vincent Price walks you through your very first demonic summoning.
Listen to the whole album here:
part 1
part 2
part 3
part 4
It has a similar creepy vibe to Seduction through Witchcraft, with dead-serious narration and abstract electronic sound effects and voice treatments. Good stuff.
And check out the this huge Vincent Price Audio Archive. It includes the multitude of radio plays he did in the 40's, some ghost story records from the 60's and 70's, and his audio courses on cooking and wine tasting.
8/6/10
Work in Progress 8-6-10
With the first and second parts of my diorama triptych complete, I've gotten down the circuitry and layout for the third. It's a 'Pepper's Ghost' effect, employing a figure hidden from the viewer's perspective, and given lighting and a reflective surface to make it seem to appear and disappear. Observe:
The demon is enclosed in an all-black box. It's lit with two red LED's (at his feet) that ramp in cycles, up to full brightness and down to completely off, as explained here. That bounces off the sheet of plexiglass you see in the center of the groundlayer. The edges of that will be disguised by tree trunks.
As with the other two dioramas, everything is powered by a single 9-volt battery. I managed to pack the animation circuit, as well as the lighting circuit (three colored LED's, one high-intensity LED and a couple of resistors) underneath the ghost box. This whole thing will be hidden from view by trees and shrubs.
Put the lid on it and look through the stereo viewer, and:
Amazing. His Demon Master appears before him, while an army of skeletons emerge from over the hill. Diamond dust on the walls and ceiling reflect the hidden high-intensity LED to create the illusion of a starry night sky.Just need to add the landscaping to this one, and have some custom engraved silver nameplates made for the outside of all three boxes, then try to get them exhibited somewhere.
8/3/10
The Demon Lover
Look, it's a seven-minute edit of The Demon Lover (a.k.a The Devil Master). Even at this length you might get bored, so skip to 6:00 if you must, but I think it's all worth it.
Like Coven and the record of its making, American Movie, Demon Lover isn't nearly as legendary as Demon Lover Diary, the 16mm document of the trials and tribulations behind the film.
Shot by Joel DeMott (the girlfriend of a the film's hired cinematographer) in 1975, Demon Lover Diary won acclaim and awards when it finally screened in 1980. I've never seen the whole thing, but these highlights are promising:
The couple travel to the outlands of Michigan to work with director / asshole Donald Jackson and producer / actor Jerry Younkins, who admits on camera that he purposely severed his fingers on the job to collect insurance money to finance the film. After weeks of compulsive decisions, flared tempers and horrible acting, they go to Ted Nugent's estate and borrow one of his loaded firearms for a scene. Things really start to fall apart at this point. Some of the crew quits and attempts to get out of town, only to be chased down by gun-toting local redneck film fans who want to see the production finished.
Anyone know where I can get the rest of this movie?
8/2/10
8/1/10
Aphrodisiac! The Sexual Secret of Marijuana
Cool, I've been waiting for this to show up on the internet. I've been a fan ever since I found it as a bonus film on Something Weird's Alice in Acidland DVD. It seems to be very obscure - there isn't even a imdb.com page - but should have become a cult classic decades ago.
This weird hybrid of social commentary and stag film is NSFW with its borderline-hardcore sex scenes. John Holmes is even in one of them. But it's youtube, which is strictly no nudity, so there must be some edits.
part 2
part 3
part 4
part 5
Wizards of the Lost Kingdom 2
Man o man, this looks goo-oo-ood. Not prepared to sit through the whole damn movie to find out for yourself? Perhaps you may be enticed by this most excellent promo reel:
Sid Haig! Lana Clarkson! David Carradine! Action! Adventure! Idiocy! Start Here:
Sid Haig! Lana Clarkson! David Carradine! Action! Adventure! Idiocy! Start Here:
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