First and foremost, a few notes about this sputtering “all of the above” blog, which covers screenings/events, silent movies, animation, film noir, psychotronic Z-movies, sometimes music (mostly modern jazz, swing, blues, r&b and rock - am not knowledgeable enough to post about other genres). We're sputtering but, remarkably, still going at 1183 posts.
Once we started singing that ditty Along Came Coronavirus, invariably off-key, the masterminds behind this blog pretty much posted exclusively about online events, but almost never about psychotronic cinema (with the exception of KFJC Psychotronix Film Fest offshoots at the Orinda Theatre). There have been more silent movie events on Zoom that we can cover, but not much on the 1950's sci-fi and low-budget flicks we love.
That is due to the fact that, of all the celluloid genres mentioned here, the wonders of Del Tenney, Edward D. Wood, Jr. and Irv Berwick MUST be seen in a theatrical setting with an audience. Zoom events simply will not suffice.
Only like watching Z-flicks on TV or MacBook as part of a Mystery Science Theater 3000, RiffTrax and Cinema Insomnia binge. These well-intentioned kernels of entertainment, which are not bad movies, just misunderstood, demand not just an audience but an enthusiastic and preferably loud one. All of these shows have YouTube channels.
Bride Of The Monster and Manos: The Hands Of Fate demand a rowdy SRO crowd, all of whom own copies of Michael Weldon's Old Testament of B, C, D and Z-films, multiple Mystery Science Theatre 3000, Cinema Insomnia and Cinematic Titanic DVDs and have seen Patton Oswalt of The Comedians Of Comedy AND Dana Gould do standup comedy at least twice.
Speaking of Dana Gould and Plan 9 from Outer Space . . .
Have posted numerous times about film noir and the Noir City film festival, so, while we miss a night watching hard-boiled noir thrillers on the big screen tremendously, it has been great to watch the Noir City SF YouTube channel through 2020-2021 lockdown.
Every Thursday, Eddie Muller a.k.a. The Czar Of Noir and the Film Noir Foundation's Anne Hockens talk noir and neo-noir movies, as well as noir fiction and answer viewer questions. Here’s the July 15, 2021 edition of Ask Eddie - enjoy.
We strongly recommend following this with a trip to the Ask Eddie Broadcast Archives for past episodes. Eddie, Anne and their cats make it a fun watch.
As far as animated cartoons go, we are thrilled that Steve Stanchfield and Jerry Beck post amazing stuff on Cartoon Research and their YouTube channels all the time, and love the outstanding Cartoon Logic podcasts Bob Jacques and Thad Komorowski have been doing, but quite disappointed that the Anthony’s Animation Talk commentaries have been banished from You Tube. Hope this is not a permanent state of affairs. His audioboom channel is still online and Anthony’s interview with voice artist, author, impressionist and Jay Ward Productions expert Keith Scott in particular is a beaut.
Fortunately, commentaries by Looney Tunes Critic and Anthony’s Animation Talk guest Trevor Thompson a.k.a. Ferris Wheelhouse remain. Trevor promotes his YouTube channel as “not your grandfather’s commentaries”, and, as this animation buff is at least 30 years older than both Anthony and Trevor, the at times in your face attitude of the latter’s videos can rub this cartoon nut the wrong way. Don't recall specifically WHICH posts bugged me, in all honesty. Since I enjoy the no-holds-barred satire of Bill Hicks, Richard Pryor, George Carlin and other standup philosophers, this reaction remains a bit mystifying.
So disregard the tone, say “dag nab it” and “you kids get off my lawn” three times, then check the Looney Tunes Critic's informative and entertaining commentaries out. You may agree with the analysis, you may disagree. Who cares? Watch and enjoy!
As card-carrying guitar geeks at Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog, we talk guitarists frequently and note that today, July 18, is the birthday of Gibson Flying V virtuoso Lonnie Mack (1941-2016), one of the key links between Delta blues and rock n'roll.
Lonnie is one of the answers to the question of who is on the short list of American guitarists who, like Buddy Guy and Otis Rush, were not just listened to but studied note-for-note by British rockers.
Electric bass ace, Parliament-Funkadelic/Bootsy's Rubber Band stalwart and funkateer Bootsy Collins elaborates on the sound, songs and records of Lonnie Mack.
Closing today's post: a very entertaining analysis of a 1986 performance by guitar slingers Stevie Ray Vaughn & Lonnie Mack by Fil from Wings Of Pegasus. The ever-cheerful, knowledgeable and insightful British rock guitarist ranks near the top of the list of Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog's favorite YouTube posters; his commentaries covering far-flung musicians in varied genres - and not just guitar players - are a pleasure to watch. Watching Lonnie and Stevie tear it up, Fil is fantastic as usual. We wish him much success in his musical endeavors.
All this blues-influenced music is making me hungry! Time for a KFC bowl. Luckily, a cardiologist is free with each order.
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