I Like Bats (1986) follows a young Polish vampire as she navigates the difficulties of love after she falls for a psychiatrist. Wonky in a fun way. Part of the House of Psychotic Women set. I’ve been blasting Model Citizen’s 2006 Save It for the Campfire while I get ready for the new album coming … Continue reading Marginalia #17
Comedic anarchy that feels like the Marx Brothers meets MAD Magazine–though MAD didn’t exist in 1941. There’s a great dance sequence provided by Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers with music by Slim Gaillard and Slam Stewart. Beauty! I can’t explain the excitement of discovering this release. Blood Harvest features Tiny Tim as a potential killer clown. The … Continue reading Marginalia #16
Happy New Year! More regular posts and updates coming with the new year. Some playlists for now if you enjoy that sort of thing: Musicalia #3: Will Hell Be Your Santa Claus? Musicalia #4: Don’t Lettum Dance on Your New Carpet. Continue reading Say it with song.
Ahh…the Sight and Sound list of greatest films. I’m glad I don’t take those things seriously anymore. I do appreciate seeing the variety of critics’ lists because it challenges me to see movies I may not have come across on my own. Finally saw Vigo’s last film, L’Atalante, which I had confused with von Sternberg’s … Continue reading Marginalia #15
I was able to read the second edition that’s coming out next year. Great as a reference, especially if you consider the scores and credits sequences more interesting than most shows themselves. It’s fascinating to get an insight into the process and how it changed over time. The arrangers must have been mainlining speed in … Continue reading Marginalia #14
A fascinating history for the film obsessive in your life. While being focused on the development of synching sound to image in movies, it is also a decent history of the studio system. If you’re already interested in the morbid, melancholic, and macabre, then there will be some old friends here. I found the biggest … Continue reading Marginalia #13
I’ve been rereading some classic horror including Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla and Stoker’s Lair of the White Worm. Le Fanu is the better writer and sets up a lot for Stoker’s Dracula almost three decades later. These and M. R. James’s ghost stories have filled up my October reading. Kyua (Cure, 1997) is part of … Continue reading Marginalia #9
Artaud’s manifestos on the Theater of Cruelty. Certainly transferable to other art forms. I read this 20+ years ago after discovering various early-20th Century avant-garde manifestos. Worth a reread with fresh eyes and more experience. Holbein’s paintings are favorites and I’ve always wanted to track these down. Functions like a Memento Mori Tarot. Le danse … Continue reading Marginalia #7
This was repeatedly recommended to me, so I finally read it. Very practical if you’re open to it. If anything, it may help refine your current processes. I tend to set goals that are too general and even though I know tracking is important, I often stop doing it. Here’s to making that a habit. … Continue reading Marginalia #6
Stephen McClurg 