12/31/11
12/24/11
The Star Wars Holiday Special
Two hours of pure TV Hell are available for your Holiday viewing enjoyment. You may want to claw your own eyes out, but it's at least a hundred times better than "Revenge of the Sith". Happy Life Day to all.
(a well-researched article from the archives of Vanity Fair can be read here, and unsurprisingly the Star Wars Holiday Special has its own website.)
12/23/11
Soundlab for Persephone, Moog and Rhythm Machine
Just found a live-to-video improvisational recording in the archives. There's a Roland TR-33 rhythm machine (offscreen), Moog Source, Persephone and Franksynth modular (offscreen). At the time I thought it sounded too cluttered, but I like it more now, a few months after it's been forgotten.
The Adventures of Pondo Sinatra
I just watched The Party Animal in its entirety (again) after waking up at 3 a.m.
12/20/11
Movie of the Week: Nocturna, Granddaughter of Dracula
Haven't seen this one yet, but have been wanting to for awhile. It just turned up on youtube. Singer/dancer Nai Bonet stars in a film she produced herself, shot on location in New York city in 1978. Gloria Gaynor sings the disco theme song, there's the Munsters' own Yvonne DeCarlo as Jugulia Vein, poor old down-on-his-luck John Carradine as Dracula, and a substantial role by legendary nutcase Brother Theodore.
Truth be told, the only reason I'm selecting this as movie of the week is so I'll have a reason to embed this Nai Bonet Scopitone:
12/18/11
Movie of the Week: Deadly Friend
I saw this for the first time a few days ago, and can't decide if it's great or terrible. Maybe you can help me figure it out.
It's worth a laugh, at least, but this was Wes Craven's followup to Nightmare on Elm Street, a movie that gets under your skin. It seems he's not even trying to suspend disbelief. For example, the Deadly Friend herself, a girl who's died and been re-animated with the brain of a robot, looks like my friends and I did when we acted out Shields and Yarnell at the playground in the third grade. How is this not supposed to not be absurd?
Everyone says, "skip the movie, just watch the 30-second basketball scene on youtube and be done with it". I'm not so sure. The ending is at least as ridiculous as the basketball, for one. To say that just the basketball makes the movie exceptional doesn't give it nearly enough credit; from beginning to end it's one of the dumbest films I've ever seen, but it has a certain appeal.
12/17/11
Last Chance for Etsy Savings...
Hey look, MAN-TON (upper left) has shed his sportcoat to better display his finely tailored threads. The newly available MAN-TON 2 (upper right), anatomically identical to the original MAN-TON but with different clothing, is flaunting his dapper raincoat, while SPIDER-MAN-TON (bottom) relaxes before a long night of fighting crime.
The last 2011 shipment from the Etsy store to your home will be this coming Monday, December 19. Priority shipments will arrive on Wednesday the 21st, First-Class within a couple days after that. Despite the "allow seven days" disclaimer, everything available for purchase is currently ready to ship.
Once again, the coupon code is FREESHIP1. Enter that at the prompt and get free shipping on your order, a savings of up to $10 per item.
Shop Here
12/12/11
Taboo
I started this as an accompaniment piece for theremin, but my abilities weren't up to the task. So I played it on the keys instead. I also shamelessly appropriated percussion sample loops and a downloaded midi file. Why not? I have no artistic integrity to lose.
Originally composed by Arthur Lyman. Instruments: minimoog (bass, e-piano, electronic percussion), absynth (choir), cs-80 (lead pad), sample loops (percussion).
12/11/11
The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield
Under the working title "Jayne Mansfield Reports Europe", the actual footage following the famous sex symbol around Paris and Rome was shot in the spring and summer of 1964, with additional filming in New York City later the same year. Existing footage from two of Mansfield's previously shot films Loves of Hercules (1960) and Primitive Love (1964) were later inserted into this mondo-doc. Following Mansfield's death in a 1967 auto accident at the age of 34, portions of her narration for this film were recorded by a "sound alike."
12/9/11
Mod-o-Tron
I've taken a Korg Monotron (which now costs $40 with a mail-in rebate) and added a 20" ribbon, same as my Frankenribbon synth. The audio output was moved to the bottom part of the body, and I added a rechargeable battery pack. There's also a toggle switch that inverts the ribbon's pitch, so you can choose to play it standard (on a tabletop, with the right hand) or like a guitar (with the left hand controlling the pitch instead). I personally always prefer playing standard, but the guitar mode allows for Ace Frehley-esque showmanship.
A disadvantage: the range is much too short for a ribbon of this length; only 16 semitones, same as the Monotron's default ribbon, and about the same as a one-stringed guitar. In comparison, the Frankenribbon covers 5 octaves (about four times the range). So to play most melodies, you have to ride the monotron's pitch knob, which covers several octaves, and have a quick ear to make up for the difference on the ribbon with the other hand. It takes some practice, but it works. I plan on making at least one more to sell, 'cause this thing is very versatile and very fun to play.
I still need to add a couple of bolts (for attaching a guitar strap) and put a volume knob in the very cramped, 5/8" deep body. In the meantime, here is an obnoxious video:
12/3/11
Movie of the Week: Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks
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