Pretty Bleak

CHILDREN OF MEN-2006-This nightmarish thriller is based on a novel by mystery writer PD James. It’s set in a violent, chaotic London of 2027 in a world where no baby has been born for 18 years. Office worker Theo (Clive Owen) agrees to help his ex-girlfriend (Julianne Moore) protect a young pregnant woman (Clare Hope Ashitey) and take her to “The Human Project”. They wind up in the crossfire between the government and revolutionaries. Michael Caine plays Theo's old hippie friend.

The direction, cinematography and music are all well done but I thought the violent and episodic story itself could have been better. Director Alfonso Cuaron (from Mexico) directed Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN and HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN.

"A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it"-Oscar Wilde

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Everything's Gumby!

GUMBY DHARMA-2006-If you’re my age (over 50; ok I admit!) and you watched a lot of TV as a kid in the ‘60’s then you probably were a fan of “Gumby” the clay animated character created by Art Clokey. This is a documentary about how it all started.

Clokey (still alive at 87 at the time of this writing) is interviewed throughout. He tells of the genesis of the clay boy and his pony pal Pokey, how Hollywood producer Sam Engels produced the TV pilot and that the reason Gumby’s head is that funny shape was the prototype looked to phallic! He says two supporting characters “Goo” and “Itchy” were inspired by a talk British Philosopher Alan Watts gave!

After making the first two batches of shows (and DAVEY & GOLIATH) Clokey dropped out and became a hippie, met Timothy Leary and dropped acid. Steel guitar playing Sneaky Pete Kleinow (who died in 2008) wrote the theme (and many later episodes) and was paid 100 dollars for his efforts. The great Ray Harryhausen says Clokey helped keep stop motion animation alive. And “Moody Rudy” isn’t forgotten either! Great stuff!!

"A book is a mirror. If an ape looks into it an apostle is unlikely to look out"-Georg Christoph

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Tripping With Corman

THE TRIP-1967-This Roger Corman directed psychedelic drama is the first and best of ‘60’s “drug culture” films. Although it’s sparse on storylines and character development Corman manages to keep it all together in a low budget miasma of lights, sex scenes and various weird scene changes. Peter Fonda is a director of TV commercials who’s going through a divorce with his wife (Susan Strasberg). Bruce Dern convinces him to try LSD. The remainder of the story has him wandering the city “tripping”. Corman uses a lot of quick editing and weird lighting to achieve this and basically succeeds but there’s not much of a plot.

Two years later Fonda and Hopper would team up to make EASY RIDER.

THE TRIP also features appearances by Barboura Morris, Dick Miller, Luana Anders, Michael Blodgett and Angelo Rosetti. Screenwriter Jack Nicolson had an un-billed role in Corman’s THE ST. VALENTINE’S MASSACRE and co-starred in HELLS ANGELS ON WHEELS and THE SHOOTING the same year.

"Perhaps it’s a mutation. There’s a lot of that going around"-Patrick O’Neal in “Fear of Spiders” (NIGHT GALLERY TV episode)

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RIP

Patrick McGoohan: 1928-2009

Miike Strikes Again!

ZEBRAMAN-2004-Japanese maverick director Takashi Miike scores again with this insane super hero comedy/drama/takeoff. Shin’ichi (Sho Aikawa) is a doormat teacher who’s ridiculed by the school staff and students, his wife cheats on him, his daughter is a slut and his young son is bullied at the school. To escape reality at night he dons a home made costume of Zebraman, based on a long forgotten TV show. But when slimy real aliens actually invade the Earth it’s up to Shin’ichi to become the real Zebraman and save the world! The first half hour is tough going but after that it really takes off. Star Aikawa also appeared in Miike’s DEAD OR ALIVE series. Miike made this after ONE MISSED CALL.

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Good Bye Ray...

RIP Ray Dennis Steckler 1938-2009





Steckler's low budget movies were some of the most entertaining ever made. His alter ego was Cash Flagg who starred in many of his early movies. Besides the one above he also made WILD GUITAR (starring Arch Hall Jr.), THE THRILL KILLERS, BAT FINK A BOO BOO, THE LEMON GROVE KIDS MEET THE MONSTERS (a Bowery Boys take off), BODY FEVER, BLOOD SHACK, THE HOLLYWOOD STRANGLER MEETS THE SKID ROW SLASHER and LAS VEGAS SERIAL KILLER. He also directed porno films under a variety of alternate names.

Maid For Horror

THE MAID-2005-A girl named Rose (Alessandra de Rossi) leaves her home in The Philippines and goes to Singapore to live and work with a superstitious family (husband and wife and their mentally challenged son). She begins to see ghosts and other strange apparitions that seem to lead to Esther, the young girl who worked there before Rosa. Death by burning, rape and a plan to marrying Rosa off to a ghost all figure in this weird and entertaining horror film from director Kelvin Tong.


"Most of us love from our need to love, not because we find someone deserving"-Nikki Giovanni

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