It's been some time since I broke out the Vitalic, but a few weeks ago this song floated to the surface of my mind and I spent an afternoon at work revisiting the French DJ's 2005 debut album, OK Cowboy. Good times. My Friend Dario is such a perfect little electro-pop song that I'd imagine would have been all over the radio in a sane world. If there's one thing the intervening years since this record's release have taught us, it's that this is most definitely, not a sane world. Sometimes, like Dario, don't you just feel like driving too fast, taking your hands off the wheel and...
Watch:
The second episode of HBO's adaptation of Matt Ruff's Lovecraft Country aired last night and I have to say, this show is fantastic. HBO seems to know how to change story elements so that, while they are clearly trying to meet inclusive agendas, they do not sacrifice story elements. In fact, I'd say so far, between this and last year's Watchmen, the changes HBO makes improve the material. Again, as I said last week, in no way am I casting aspersions on Ruff's novel, because it's great. However, it does not feel like "pop" to me. This does, and the fact that anyone has made a Lovecraft-adajacent show "pop" blows my fucking mind.
If you're unconvinced, HBO has the entire first episode up on their youtube channel, so maybe give it a whirl. The episode opens with a particularly crazy, CG dream sequence, so don't let that convince you. The graphics are good; not great. About on par with those from Ash Vs Evil Dead. There's a lot of shit going on in this dream sequence and none of it's in the book, but seeing Jackie Robinson fight Cthulhu proved to be one of those things I never knew I wanted until I saw it happen:
After Lovecraft Country, as K and her mother sequestered themselves in another room to watch a reality show they have a long-standing tradition of watching this time of year, I settled in for a weekend wrap-up flick. I'm getting better at circumnavigating the 'paradox of choice' that streaming has inspired in me, where I flip through Shudder, Prime, Netflix, HULU, HBO and never settle on anything. Last night, I went straight to Shudder, saw that Jay Baruchel's new slasher flick Random Acts of Violence had landed, and settled in for what turned out to be a pretty damn fantastic viewing. Here's the trailer:
I really liked this flick! First, it was so good to see Jesse Williams, who you may remember from Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard's Cabin in the Woods. Second, I pretty much instantly fell in love with the way Baruchel and cinematographer Karim Hussain capture the locations and sets here. They really know how to convey the mood of traveling the interstates that lay at the heart of this country. There's what I call "truck stop paranoia" seeping from the darkened highways, crappy motels, rest stops and dank bars with only ancient beer logo lamps for lighting.
Playlist:
Otis Redding - Otis Blue
Low Cut Connie - Hi Honey
A Place to Bury Strangers - Exploding Head
The Haxan Cloak - Eponymous
Emma Ruth Rundle and Thou - Ancestral Recall (pre-release single)
Deftones - Koi No Yokan
Iress - Prey
Vitalic - OK Cowboy
Ritual Chair - Pain and Decay
Cult of Mary (Ritual Chair) - Praise
Ritual Chair - Brock Turner
Thou - Heathen
Perturbator - New Model
Perturbator - The Uncanny Valley
**
Card:
And before I even post this one, I've let something trivial at work influence an otherwise good mood. I'll need to fight my way back to a positive mindset, and the best way to do that is strap on my headphones and work.
