Chelsea Wolfe

 

I'm a bit late to the game on the second track to be released from Chelsea Wolfe's upcoming album She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She, out February 9th (pre-order HERE). I'd listened right after it dropped, but in keeping with my practice, for artists like Ms. Wolfe, I will listen to pre-release tracks, but not overly so. I'm way more interested in preserving the experience of the full album. Anyway, I ended up watching this video twice last night - the photography herein is a complete visual level-up for what she's doing. Written, Directed, Shot and Cut by George Gallardo Kattah, I had to look this guy up; however, there's not a lot out there. Mr. Kattah, to take nothing away from your accomplishments to date (his portfolio can be found HERE), you will do wonderful things, sir. I'm still just absolutely blown away by this video.

---

---

---

NCBD:

Here's my Pull for this week:

I've still only read the first issue of Jeff Lemire's Fishflies, but I'm definitely in for the entire series, whether that's simply through the fourth and final issue solicited thus far or beyond. A special magick occurs when the writer is also the artist, and Lemire's style is unlike anyone I've ever seen. 

Okay, let's see what this Cult of Mephisto is all about. I've stated here previously that I'm really hoping for something that rivals Mike Baron and Klaus Janson's take on the Jonestown cult waaaay back in original Punisher series numbers four and five. We'll see.

The finale to Louise Simonson's Jean Grey series. A nice, tight, four-issue romp through the character's past and, presumably, future. 

Totally on the fence with this one. I know nothing about it, and although I've become a huge Tynion fan over the previous year, I don't read everything he does. That said, two things will most likely sway me to grab this. 1) the artist on the book is Joshua Hixson, who also did Vault Comics' The Plot a few years ago. That book was good enough to endear the entire creative team to me forever. 2) This is another three-issue series, much like The Closet, which I loved.

One more to go after this. Still standing by my predictions for Captain Krakoa, although I don't think we're getting that answer until issue five.

Love this cover. 

---

---

---

Watch:

A quick, behind-the-scenes video of David Fincher's The Killer? Yes, please.

I imagine I'll probably be talking about this one for quite some time; I actually re-watched it already last night, and it was even better the second time. I guess one of the major things that I like about The Killer is that, I'd all but given up hope on Fincher making a 'fun' movie ever again. Mank, Gone Girl, Benjamin Button, I suppose they're all fine, well-crafted films even if I can't remember nearly anything about them, but The Killer feels more akin to his early work. Fight Club, The Game, Se7en (wouldn't necessarily call that last one 'fun') - these are all ingrained in my psyche. For the last two decades or so, other than the Netflix stuff he's known to Produce but not direct (Sex, Death and Robots; Mindhunter), David Fincher's work had become the cinematic equivalent of fine china for me. You watch with extreme attention to detail, then carefully place on a shelf and never touch again. Not this one. I could watch The Killer again tonight.

---

---

---

Playlist:

Tyler Bates & Chelsea Wolfe - X OST

Cartoonist Kayfabe - November 14, 2023

Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss

Gazelle Twin - The Entire City

††† - Good Night, God Bless, I Love U, Delete.

Run the Jewels - RTJ4

Willie Nelson - Pretty Paper

---

---

---

Card:

From Aleister Crowley and Lady Freida Harris' Thoth Deck:

• Five of Cups - Debauch

• Prince of Wands

• Ten of Cups - Saiety

Drive will disappoint us, but still somehow end up fulfilling us in the end. Not sure what exactly that has to say about my current situation, although, now that I've typed those words, it occurs to me that I've been writing every day and haven't really felt like I'm making progress. Which, of course, is wrong. You're always making progress if you're working on the project. 

Shoplifters of the World!

 

I've been on a bit of a Smiths kick lately, and it was cool to see David Fincher's new film The Killer pretty much use their greatest hits as the soundtrack for the titular character (to say nothing of the brilliant Rezner/Ross score).  Now, let's talk about that movie...

---

---

---

Watch:

I had somehow missed that a new David Fincher movie was on the horizon until just a week or two ago. I knew nothing about The Killer going in except it was Fincher directing from a graphic novel I am unfamiliar with and that Michael Fassbender would star. 

Everything about this flick worked for me, from how Fassbender's character dressed like Raoul Duke to the pop culture references on his IDs.  The lighting was to die for, and Erik Messerschmidt's cinematography was soft and fluid, even during the brutal scenes (Messerschmidt also shot Mank for Fincher and, more memorable to me, The Empty Man back in 2020). The Killer was a total homerun for me - possibly my favorite non-horror flick of the year. 

---

---

---

Read:

After hitting Amazing Fantasy in Frankfort, IL for my secondary pull there (mainly consisting of stuff I had trouble finding here in Clarksville for whatever reason), I was able to catch up on Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows' The Ribbon Queen.

This book is super gnarly as far as the kills, and that's part of what makes The Ribbon Queen feel right in line with all the books Avatar pu that company published in the mid-to-late 00s. This one's a Horror story on the surface, with underlining themes that touch on a host of modern issues, particularly those surrounding Police. As usual, Garth knows how to cut the shit and exploit the fallacies of both sides of the argument. 

---

---

---

Playlist:

Blackbraid - Blackbraid II

Frankie and the Witch Fingers - Data Doom

BABADNOTGOOD - IV

Jamiroquai - Return of the Space Cowboy

Jamiroquai - Canned Heat (single)

The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs

Danko Jones - We Sweat Blood

David Bowie - Outside

Type O Negative - Life is Killing Me

Screaming Females - Desire Pathway

Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting

NIN - With Teeth

Goatsnake - Black Age Blues

Seatbelts - Cowboy Bebop OST

Hexis - Aeternum

Code Orange - The Above

---

---

---

Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Bound Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Six of Swords - Greater objectivity required

• Three of Cups - Family. Together

• Six of Cups - Emotional Balance

I love seeing these spreads that are so exactly the hammer on the head of a pin currently sticking out of my life. Moving my parents almost feels bleak right now; there's a level of having to accept that they won't be out on time (this Friday) and will need to pay the extension to stay. They are inbound to us now, coming down for another round of house hunting. The spread tells me to shove all my defeatist bullshit into the corner, remain objective and balanced, and that will eventually create stability.

It's a Wonderful Knife

Budos Band live on KEXP - talk about a great way to kick off the weekend!!! 

---

---

---

Watch:

Last night, I headed out to my local Regal to see the new film by Freaky writer Michael Kennedy. Directed by Tyler MacIntrye, It's A Wonderful Knife had been on my radar since I made a last minute decision to miss it at this year's Beyondfest. Here's a trailer:

I LOVED this movie! Ostensibly this one is an intentional hybrid of the Hallmark Holiday movie formula and the Slasher formula, and if that doesn't sound like it would work, it most certainly does! This one gave me all the feels, and looks like it opens wide for the rest of the week (until next Thursday by us), so if you're in the mood for a, uh, feel-good holiday slasher, this is it!

I recently resubscribed to Netflix so I could watch The Fall of the Hosue of Usher. As luck would have it, the timing is advantageous for several reasons, one of the biggest of which is the release of David Fincher's newest film, The Killer today! Here's the trailer (which I won't be watching; I know NOTHING about this film):

I've only been remotely aware of this one in the run-up to its release, and I relish the chance to go in 100% blind on such a big Director. 

---

---

---

Playlist:

Ghost - Impera

Crystal Castles - II

Rina Mushonga - In A Galaxy

Nabihah Iqbal - Dreamer

Screaming Females - Desire Pathway

Fvnerals - Let the Earth Be Silent

Faetooth - Remnants of the Vessel

David Bowie - Outside

Drug Church - Hygiene

Deftones - Gore

Oranssi Pazuzu - Live at Roadburn 2017

Gazelle Twin - The Entire City

---

---

---

Card:

Just one quick pre-travel card from my portable Thoth deck:

Perfect. The beginning of a new journey. 

7 Days of Ozzy - Day 6: Suicide Solution Live from the Randy Roads Tribute

 

Because I had to pull something off the Live Randy Roads Tribute Album. Classic.

I remember the first time I heard this - or one of the first times it made an impression beyond, "oh, Ozzy. Cool" - some friends and I were outside at my neighbor's house. This kid was two years younger, rich AF and a total latchkey whose parents' bought him all kinds of shit to make up for the fact that they were never home. They were the first people I knew who had an inground pool, and this thing was huge, with large gazebos on either side of it and a massive wooden deck that ran all the way around the pool and then snaked around the back of the house. This would have been circa Freshman or early Sophomore year. We were smoking cigarettes and drinking Keystone in those gross-ass tall cans it came in. I was buzzed and sitting in a gazebo, staring at the flames on the tiki torches that were staged around the pool at regular intervals. My Tribute dub was playing from a boom box further down the porch but we had it loud, and I remember thinking that I felt like I was there, at the show.

Good memory.

---

---

---

Watch:

This show is nuts, and I'm happy to see it coming back for a third season.

  

 

All things considered, I'd rather David Fincher return to Mindhunter, but we all know that might not happen. In the words of William DeVaughn, be thankful for what you got. 

---

---

---

Playlist:

The Mysterines - Reeling

La Hell Gang - Thru Me Again

Anthrax - Attach of the Killer B's

Anthrax - Spreading The Disease

The Jesus Lizard - Goat

Kate Bush - Hounds of Love

Ozzy Osbourne - Tribute (Live)

David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

Windhand - Eternal Return

Dean Hurley - Analog Resource Vol. 1

Joseph Bishara - Malignant OST

---

---

---

Card:

Lots of feminine energy, which is good. Ruthless determination can be a bad thing; sometimes passion needs to be tempered and Will focused. And sometimes you need to ask for help.

2019: January 26th

I'm a pretty big fan of Jim Jarmusch the filmmaker, and Only Lovers Left Alive is probably my favorite of his films. But Jarmusch also makes music: sparse, eerie, haunted music. Lately, as I've gone deeper into his musical collaborations with Jozef Van Wissem, I've found my favorite of their work is the OST for the same film. The Only Lovers Left Alive OST is a deep dive record; despite the epic rock-dirge of the opening track, embedded above, this album pulls me down into what feels like a sacred, cavernous place in my psyche. A place daily life makes it hard to get to often. It's a great feeling, to connect with myself through music like this, especially when it's not dependent on the application of mind-altering substances to get there. It's literally just 'Press Play and Go.'

This past week, K and I went through the first season of David Fincher's Mindhunter series on Netflix. It is fantastic. I've heard some folks say this is 'boring,' but I don't get that at all. Fascinating is the word I'd use. And I often avoid sequence, *ahem*, serial killer stories because they disturb me too much. Something about the way this one unfolds is very balanced though, so that even though you go a lot of dark places, it's not all there is. Can't wait for the second season.



Oh! And Hannah Gross - who I got to know as the lead in Dead Wax late last year on Shudder - is a co-star, and she is terrific!

Playlist from 01/25:

Tool - Aenima
Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity
Explode into Colors - Quilts
The Effigies - Remains Nonviewable
Boy Harsher - Careful
Gary Numan - Replicas
Boy Harsher - Country Girl EP
Curtis Harding - Where We Are (Single)
Specimen - Azoic
David Bowie - Low

Card of the day:

Loud and clear. See, what's happening is, when I finished the book and began reading it to K, I expected to find some problems areas that needed edits. I made it through a near-pristine first act, only to get four chapters into the second act (of three) and get caught up in a chapter that I have now been re-writing for five days. It's all there, I just can't seem to get it fluid. There's a social obligation we have today, and I'd been wondering if I should skip it to write. This tells me my hunch is correct.