Okay guys - this will be my last proper post for a few weeks as I'm going on holiday! It is the playlist I listen to whilst writing my latest feature, Swear Forever, a haunting, psychological horror about...
"Love that refuses to die, like a dream that long since became a nightmare."
Will You Love Me Tomorrow? - The Shirelles
Without You - Lana Del Rey
Magic Summertime - Eleni Mandell
With or Without You - Keane
If You Want Love - K.S. Rhoads
My Love Won't Wait - Two Gallants
Woke Up Dead - Kyla La Grange
Tokyo Transfigured (from X The Movie)
Run Boy Run - Woodkid
Coming Undone - Korn
Sea to Sky - Dream Boat
Cradel (Cradle) of Forest - Akira Yamaoka featuring Joe Romersa
Catalyst - Kyla La Grange
No Rest - Dry the River
Run - Blonds
Snake Eyes - The Milk Carton Kids
Here Be Monsters - Ed Harcourt
Mein Herz Brennt (Piano Version) - Rammstein
Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? - Paloma Faith
Carnival of Souls (1962, directed by Herk Harvey, written by John Clifford) wasn't thought of as much more than a B-movie when it was released however it is now considered a horror movie classic influencing the works of zombie king George A. Romero and master of the weird David Lynch.
The film is about Mary Henry who, after surviving nearly being drowned, moves to a small town near an abandoned carnival to become their new church organist. Mary is independent, feisty and most definitely not religious but finds her modern views being tested when she begins to suffer from strange visions of a terrifying man and feelings of not being part of this world anymore. She is certain that all her answers lie in the abandoned carnival but will she like what she finds?
Due to the film's shoestring budget Carnival of Souls relies on atmosphere much more than it does on special effects (though being black and white instantly creates a certain eerie atmosphere). Because of this you most definitely do not need to be a typical horror fan to appreciate it - it is dreamlike and haunting rather than full of jump-scares and gore. The character of Mary and her sleazy creep neighbour John are straight out of a Hitchcock film. The ghouls hark back to the sinister torment of a German Expressionist film. The Gene Moore score shows off the beauty of the organ (very hard to do for a modern audience) and perhaps aided by the slightly distorted sound quality of the old film rounds off the haunted feel.
Carnival of Souls is now in the public domain meaning you can download it for free here or can watch it for free online (though if you do watch it online you will need a good pair of speakers to enhance the sound).
Then you can have a good old LOL watching the trailer for the 1998 Wes Craven remake:
For this week's Friday Feature I thought outside the box and picked my favourite under loved entertainer Frank Gorshin: actor, comedian and singer. Frank is probably best known as an impressionist and the Riddler from the 1960s Batman series but before, during and after this role he also sang...and was damned good at it.
<geek moment> It would not be exaggerating to say if it wasn't for Frank Gorshin the Riddler (how we know him today...bar New 52 Riddler) would not exist. For instance he gave Riddler his trademark giggle (inspired by Tommy Udo). More importantly design-wise Frank saw in the character a dignity which could never be fully expressed when he pranced around in a green body stocking. Frank persuaded the producers to allow him to wear a suit and bowler hat to symbolise this dignity. Not only did this give subsequent writers a reason to write Riddler with an emphasis on charm, ego and self-respect but a sharp green suit and bowler hat became his iconic, signature costume. </geek moment>
Where will I have heard him before?
Frank has acted on screen over 137 times so I'm not going to list them all! He made multiple appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and Tonight Starring Steve Allen, was the black and white racist alien on Star Trek, appeared in many feature films and as well as being Riddler was also sometimes the voice of Professor Hugo Strange in animated Batman series! He performed on stage in plays and also musicals. He also appeared on EPs and albums including 'That's The Trouble with Love / You Went Right on Dancing', 'Never Let Her Go', 'Free', 'Turn Around, Look at Me', 'The Riddler' and George and Ira Gershwin's 'Girl Crazy' where he performs a version of But Not For Me.
Featured Song: That's The Trouble with Love
Where can I hear more?
There is only one CD / mp3 album easily available with Frank on - 'Girl Crazy' (1990 recording) where he appears as Gieber Goldfarb. If you're not into classic musicals go YouTube surfing and you'll find Frank performing everything from 1960s pop to jazz...'dialectic jazz' (such as this example of pre-Riddler charm-fail from the film Where the Boys Are):
Basil: Like athletes however we sometimes become too finely trained and we need to re-establish social contact with our public. ((to Melanie)) Date me tonight Baby Ruth!
Melanie: Booked.
Basil: ((to Merritt)) Date me tonight Big Girl!
Merritt: I got a date.
((Basil turns to Angie but can't quite bring himself to ask her.))
Angie: ...Well let's not be insulting!
Basil: ...Date me tonight Short One.
Angie: ((forgets she's angry)) What time?!
Next week: We will resume usual service with Swim Deep.
For this week's Friday Feature we're going back in time to discover what girls did in their garages in the 1960s. This was the era of original garage rock and is often considered to be 'protopunk' due to its raw, DIY rock nature.
As the name suggests, 1960s garage rock was not elitist, all you needed was a garage, a guitar and Bob's your uncle. Teenagers and young adults from all walks of life formed garage rock bands. This is most apparent in garage girl groups where the quality to performances ranged from raw, distorted crooning to super polished close pop harmonies. Garage girl groups took musical influences from everywhere including rock, jazz, doo-wop, early R&B, pop and Beatlemania. Song topics were mostly about teen traumas. Though some songs were superficial, because the groups were all female, many were a source of early feminism with urges of rebellion, individuality and independence. Many songs were about crushes and relationships with bad boys and the girls wanting their own bad sides released. Some songs were warnings of what happens when you give your heart to guy who doesn't respect you. Often with garage girl groups the music is sweet, young and feminine whilst the lyrics express a yearning for the edgy, wild and free.
My favourite lyrics have to come from the spoken bits from 'Give Him a Great Big Kiss' by the Shangri-Las. I usually hate spoken bits in songs but these are so iconic:
When I say I'm in love you best believe I'm in love L-U-V!
Well what color are his eyes?
I don't know he's always wearing shades...
Is he tall?
Well, I've got to look up...
Yeah? Well I hear he's bad!
Mmm, he's good bad, but he's not evil.
Is he a good dancer?
What do ya mean is he a good dancer?
Well how does he dance?
Close, very, very close...
Here are some of my favourites:
Give Him a Great Big Kiss - The Shangri-Las
The Hurtin' Kind - The Bittersweets
Only Seventeen - The Beatle-Ettes (Beattle-Ettes)
Quite a Reputation - The Chymes
Bend Me Shape Me - The Models
Baby I Dig Love - The What Four
Big Bad Wolf - The Sham-Ettes (I LOVE this song!)
Next week: I thought I'd continue the 1960s theme with the music of Frank Gorshin
This week's Friday Feature is a little different: the anime Kids on theSlope / 坂道のアポロン, / Sakamichi no Aporon. Kids on the Slope is the coming of age story of Kaoru set in a small Japanese town in the summer of 1966. Kaoru is constantly moving from town to town thanks to the nature of his father's job. It has meant he has few friends and has become very introverted. Kaoru expects to be just as miserable and lonely in this new town however Sen, the school's bad boy, takes a shine to him and has decided whether Kaoru (or 'Richie' as Sen likes to call him) likes it or not that they are not only going to be friends but jazz partners. Sen originally seems a total blockhead however the more Kaoru gets to know him the more he sees he is a complex, passionate, protective friend. Through his relationship with Sen, female friend Ritsuko and other visitors to Ritsuko's grandfather's record shop, Kaoru learns the power of friendship, the pain of love and music's ability to bring even the most unlikely of people together.
Kids on the Slope has three good things going for it:
1) As you can see the animation is film quality and truly a feast for the eyes,
2) The story and characters are deep and involving,
3) If you have even the most basic interest in jazz you will love the soundtrack. Each episode features at least one performance of a classic jazz standard and to get the animation of the performances as realistic as possible these scenes are rotoscoped from performances by real jazz musicians. The cherry on the musical cake is that the original score (also jazz) is composed by Yoko Kanno, of Cowboy Bebop fame.
What jazz standards are featured?
Lullaby of Birdland
But Not for Me
Easy Waltz
Moanin'
Bag's Groove
Blowin' the Blues Away
Satin Doll
Four
Milestones
Someday My Prince Will Come
My Favourite Things
Featured Song: Kaoru & Sentaro Duo in BUNKASAI (Medley "My Favourite Things - Someday My Prince Will Come - Moanin'")
Since this blog is new I thought I'd post some of my recent work. Today is The Riddler Song video and The Option You Shouldn't Have Chosen!
THE RIDDLER SONG
The song is performed by Frank Gorshin who was the Riddler in 1960s Batman TV series and I drew the images. I hope you enjoy it! My friend Adele says I cannot rest until this video goes viral so....please help it go viral!
THE OPTION YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE CHOSEN
This picture was inspired by the Arkham City Riddler design and the song Loverboy by You Me At Six. You can see bigger versions HERE.
Edward Nigma / Nygma / Nashton is my favourite Batman rouge. He is my fictional crush!
