A couple of years ago at Beyondfest, my good friend Missi and I went to a free screening of Jaron Henrie-McCrea's wonderful film The Gateway (previously titled Curtains), we were treated to not only the main feature - which I've just discovered is included with Prime and is definitely worth your time - but also a short feature titled El Gigante by Luchagore Productions. I believe I've posted about El Gigante here before, but I wanted to again because in their latest email update, Shudder announced El Gigante is coming to their platform this month!
Also, the latest in the Hulu/Blumhouse Into the Dark series, Culture Shock, is a Luchagore release, so congratulations to them for scoring so high profile a gig. Here's the trailer:
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Finished Stranger Things 3 and it is by far my favorite season of the series. Loved the ending, loved the new additions to the cast, and absolutely loved the monster - probably my favorite monster ever. Well done, Duffer Brothers and crew, can't wait for Season 4!
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Playlist from yesterday:
John Carpenter - Lost Themes II
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Card of the day:
Lots of sixes, which implies stability. Which feels accurate. Lots of work ahead of me though, so now I have to kick it into hyperdrive.
Mike Wellman and I were joined by writer/director Adam Marcus this past Friday for a Drinking with Comics Memorial to Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard's 15 year comic book epic, The Walking Dead. Losing my tentpole title after the thirteen years it's been my favorite comic comes at a strange time in my relationship with the medium, and although we won't really touch on that, Adam, Mike, and I look at the industry ramifications as well as our personal reactions. I had a lot of fun doing this one, so if you're a fan of The Walking Dead, check it out.
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Despite or perhaps because of lofty expectations, I had a hard time with the first two episodes of Stranger Things 3. Then, halfway through episode three, the story really got going and things clicked for me. Currently about to start episode six, I think this is definitely the best season of the show so far. I'm perhaps a bit biased because something about underground tunnels always wins me over, but here there's so much more. Without going into spoilers, the plot is great, the editing and pacing punchy and engrossing, and the way the Duffer Brothers continue to weave homages to the works they love into new and, frankly, inspiring genre idea off-shoots blows me away. And I love the way they add to the cast of characters on this show. Might be spending the rest of my day finishing this, although that's a huge hit to my timeframe. We'll see.
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Playlist from 7/06:
Blur - 13
Paramore - All We Know is Falling
Nothing - Guilty of Everything
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
Frank Black and the Catholics - Pistolero
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Card of the day:
Seems to be a nod toward sitting in and binging Stranger Things. I don't really see how that's a plus though, other than it's obviously what I want to do. Which means I shouldn't do it. The body and the mind can err on the side of inactivity because, as we know, a body at rest tends to stay at rest. Let's fuck with some science and climb right up and over that inertia.
This showed up in my youtube feed last night and frankly, listening to it was so exciting I had a bit of trouble falling asleep afterward. This band continues to amaze me; while this track obviously bears more than a little passing resemblance to the standard 'Zeal & Ardor Sound,' there's more than enough that's 'new' here to show that Manuel and crew are continuing to stretch that signature sound in new directions, without eschewing the core ideas that made them so awesome in the first place. Not an easy thing to do, but they're doing it. So coupled with Baphoment, the new track K and I saw them play at the Roxy back in August, that's two new tracks. Let's hope we get another new album sooner than later. That said, don't rush it guys. Just keep doing what you're doing.
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Tuesday night after work I drove up to Hollywood, and my friend Keller and I attended something of a dream event - Harmony Korine's 1997 film Gummo in 35mm at the Egyptian Theatre, with Korine present after the film, interviewed at the front of the room by a long-time friend.
It was magnificent. Gummo has, since shortly after I first saw the film back in, oh, probably '99, occupied a spot in my top-five favorite films of all time. And while the movie disgusts many folks, this screening cemented my observation that it is both one of the most ugly and simultaneously one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. There is such life here! After the movie, Korine talked about casting, and how he wanted to put people in the movie that you normally would never see in a movie. You can argue that there's an element of exploitation here, but to that I'd counter that Korine documents and puts himself in the film, which to me dissolves the barrier between filmmaker and subjects. He's one of them, not above them, and I think he makes this very clear. I feel real love in Gummo, and while there's definitely some terrible stuff contained within, it's documented objectively, not celebrated or diminished.
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Because I was out late Tuesday, I'd already secured yesterday off from work. The caveat to myself though, was if I stay home, I have to work. So, I spent the entire day, from about 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM working to finish Shadow Play, with only the distraction of the occasional break to read a comic and several loads of laundry between sessions. There was some major dialogue sculpting I had to do in some of the final chapters, and one serious flaw in a certain character's logic that caused a massive reassessment and overhaul of the last ten chapters. Nothing plot-wise, but all the tiny nuances that go into this disparate collection of characters' lives and machinations all coming to a head in a penultimate moment needed to be massaged something fierce. You know, you change something here, you have to follow the ripples through to the end and make sure they all gel. And although I was exhausted and in need of an ice cold Sierra Nevada by 6:15 PM, I am quite happy with the work. Four more chapters to record and I'm ready for that final go-through. Can't wait.
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I worked with such focus yesterday, that I was able to ignore two major trailers that dropped and had everyone talking. I'll post them here now as I watch them for the first time.
Wow. Kudos on the use of Baba O'Riley. Also, that's quite the monster near the end, right? And this one, well, I just can't wait for this one:
Playlists from the past few days:
3/20:
John Carpenter and Alan Howarth - Prince of Darkness OST
3/19:
Talking Heads - Remain in Light
The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium
Finn Andrews - One Piece at a Time
Kevin Ayers - Bananamour
Canadian Rifle - Peaceful Death
John Carpenter and Alan Howarth - Prince of Darkness OST
Card of the day:
I keep seeing this one. There's definitely something more below the surface here, something I don't have the time to research at the moment. Deep dive later on.
