Butthole Surfers - footage from UK & Spain December 2008

Almost as an afterthought, I gave a quick search on YouTube for the Butthole Surfers and skimmed through the results finding primarily clips I'd already viewed or posted. But buried several pages into the search results were a few newly posted clips from the Butthole Surfers recent European shows from early December. It's great to see that they are sounding very raucous and together with these clips providing several great selections from their back catalog. Was prevented from going to see their mid-December gig in Brooklyn (with the mighty Black Dice as the support - no less) due to severe lack of extra funds/extra vacation day. Can only hope that 2009 produces an extended tour with a show in Boston.





December 2008 - Minehead, England








12 December 2008 - Barcelona Spain, Apolo [2]

Reasons why I watch Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

selections from The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

This television special tie-in to the wildly successful feature film was a rather unusual prospect when it first aired in 1978 with content best described as a bizarre train wreck of a program. I have not included the entire special, only 4 selections. Unlike the film this is connected with, The Star Wars Holiday Special has several musical interludes. Songs from Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia and Bea Arthur as the cantina bar keep can be viewed below. The cartoon segment is notable as the first appearance of the popular character Boba Fett. If you want to nerd out even harder, you can easily find the entire program on YouTube or elsewhere. Happy Life Day!


opening segment




cantina scene




cartoon segment




Princess Leia sings

My Breakfast with Blassie (1983)

The comedy stylings of one Mr. Andy Kaufman often provide side splitting laughter in some folks, while leaving others scratching their heads curious as to what the fuss is all about. I've always sided with those who found most of his output to be comedic gold and the following movie is what I consider one of his finest creations.



My Breakfast with Blassie – part 1




My Breakfast with Blassie – part 2




My Breakfast with Blassie – part 3




My Breakfast with Blassie – part 4




My Breakfast with Blassie – part 5




My Breakfast with Blassie – part 6

The Beach Boys – 1970 Paris & on Chicago's Rockin' New Year's Eve 1975

The two clips immediately below are from some professionally shot and clear sounding footage used on French television. It's a Beach Boys era of which I'm a huge fan. Nice to check out some of these live versions, albeit without Brian Wilson performing of course.


Gaumont Palace, Paris - 8 December 1970 and interview segments – Part 1




Gaumont Palace, Paris - 8 December 1970 and interview segments – Part 2





These next two clips are a time capsule view into what was probably one of the higher rated New Year's Eve specials that December 31st. I'm sure my pre-school self didn't stay up past my bedtime to catch this show, but I do enjoy watching it now. At the time this was shot, I believe The Beach Boys had entered into a big deal with the same management team working with Chicago. This resulted in several co-headlining tours involving the two bands, as well as The Beach Boys singing on the Chicago hit "Wishing You Were Here" as seen below.


The Beach Boys on Chicago's Rockin' New Year's Eve 1975
Good Vibrations & Darlin' – Part 1




With Chicago – Wishin' You Were Here & Surfer Girl – Part 2

Peace on Earth (1939) & Good Will To Men (1955) animated shorts

I came across these oddities while poking around YouTube for some Christmas animation from the 1930's. Never before had I heard or seen anything concerning this pair of anti-war Christmas cartoons. Both tell the story of a post-apocalyptic world in which humans have killed themselves off, leaving only cute talking animals to populate the Earth. The 1955 version is a near replica, with only a final nuclear assault replacing the final rifle shoot out of the 1939 version. As mhirtes12 states in the text accompanying the post on YouTube, it's a big difference to see Hanna-Barbera creating something of nearing Disney quality in their 1955 remake. The Hanna-Barbera I know (and sometimes still enjoy) from 1960's and 70's shows I viewed in reruns or first runs (when Saturday mornings meant big fun and cartoon time) is a more an assembly line product than what is on display here. Check 'em out and let me know what you think...


Peace on Earth (1939)





Good Will To Men (1955)

King Diamond – No Presents For Christmas – studio & live versions

Always preferred King Diamonds' work with Mercyful Fate more than his solo stuff, but it's hard to not enjoy this guilty pleasure of a rocking anti-Christmas, heavy metal style Christmas number. This fits nicely next to FEARs' "F... Christmas" on my holiday play lists. One for the whole family to enjoy.





2003

The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl – Fairytale of New York – the video & live version

When it come to Christmas mixes or playlists, The Fairytale of NY always has a place between such other holiday favorites as Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys or anything off The Carpenters or Elvis' Christmas records. An unconventional holiday song for sure, but that's a good thing when relatively new and worthwhile additions are often difficult to discover.

Spinal Tap – Christmas with the Devil & interview – The Arsenio Hall Show – 1992

A nostalgic blast of yuletide metal from this 1992 episode of The Arsenio Hall Show. Can't say I watched this on its original airing, but I've always considered This Is Spinal Tap (1984) a comedy classic and film favorite. Still have not watched the dvd version, which I'm told has tons of extra scenes.


The elves are dressed in leather
And the angels are in chains
(Christmas with the Devil)
The sugar plums are rancid
And the stockings are in flames
(Christmas with the Devil)
There's a demon in my belly
And a gremlin in my brain
There's someone up the chimney hole
And Satan is his name
The rats ate all the presents
And the reindeer ran away
(Christmas with the Devil)
There'll be no Father Christmas
'Cause it's Evils holiday
(Christmas with the Devil)
No bells in Hell
No snow below-
Silent Night, Violent Night
So come all ye unfaithful
Don't be left out in the cold
You don't need no invitation, no...
Your ticket is your soul









plus this bonus

Spinal Tap on the Joe Franklin Show

David Lynch 1997 interview w/Tom Snyder & Lynchs' first film - Six Men Getting Sick (Six Times) - 1966

In his tenure hosting The Late Late Show in the late 1990s, Tom Synder always walked a tightrope of being an interesting interviewer on one end and a boring Paleozoic relic on the other. In this specific case he lands more on the former with this compelling content. I enjoyed this segment with David Lynch from 1997, when he was doing publicity for Lost Highway. As a long time fan and follower of his art and work, there was enough vibrant material to keep me entertained and hopefully you the reader/viewer as well.

Also, included here is David Lynchs' first short film Six Men Getting Sick (Six Times) - 1966, created while he was still in college in Philadelphia. This short, along with his other early works and ongoing feature length films, are referenced and spoken about in his chat with Tom Synder. Six Men Getting Sick (Six Times) is a fascinating peek into the moment where his handiwork went from static to moving pictures.







Six Men Getting Sick (Six Times) - 1966

Uploaded by suicida21

Howlin' Wolf - Spoonful (1960) plus more...

Howlin' Wolf (aka Chester Arthur Burnett, June 10, 1910 – January 10, 1976) began playing music with a band in 1948 and made his first recordings in 1951. From that point forward he performed and recorded regularly and to worldwide acclaim.




I've had his 1960 version of Spoonful stuck in my head for the last few days, so I thought I'd share that tune and a few others.


Howlin' Wolf - Spoonful (Willie Dixon)
From the album "Howlin Wolf - The Genuine Article" (Chess MCD11073)
Recorded: Chicago, June 1960




Howlin' Wolf - Back Door Man (Willie Dixon)
From the album "Howlin Wolf - The Genuine Article" (Chess MCD11073)
Recorded: Chicago, June 1960




Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightning (1964)




Howlin' Wolf - Shake It For Me - 1964 performance



Howlin' Wolf - How Many More Years - 1966 performance

Slayer - 31 August 1988 - Felt Forum, NYC

A VHS bootleg of this show has been around for years. It's not quite as consistently clear as the Reign In Blood era footage from earlier, but this is a complete and entire set from the World Sacrifice tour.



This show is from the 31st of August 1988 and is in New York City. A few days earlier, on the 26th of August, I had been in attendance at their performance at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.



Went with a couple friends and we got there while Trouble was playing. Always dug Trouble with their Sabbathy heavy grooves. Even with their very pro-God, positive lyrics in the face of a Slayer crowd; a huge number of folks were down with 'em. Solid and heavy set. Danzig was next. He was a lil wobbly at first, but sounded great as his set progressed. Cool to hear a few Misfits tunes too; London Dungeon and 1 or 2 others I think. Everyone was there to see Slayer, and looking back now it may have been Slayer at near peak performance perfection. Bringing some more down tempo parts and songs helped diversify their sound & power. The South of Heaven release takes a few knocks from some Slayer die-hards for not being as fast from start to finish as Reign In Blood, but I'm a huge fan of the record and it's addition of slower material. This 1988 Aragon show stands out as my favorite of all the many Slayer shows I've been witness to and as such I had to bookend the earlier Slayer blog with this additional, blistering live footage from that same tour in 1988. The crowd in NY literally starts ripping up cushions and chairs as more mayhem descends towards the end of the show, but Slayer rips with a killer set.

Many speed metal thanks to manuker for getting this slice of sonic history up on YouTube.

Hope ya dig it as much as I do!




South Of Heaven




Raining Blood




Silent Scream




At Dawn They Sleep




Read Between the Lies




Fight till Death




Mandatory Suicide




Kill Again




Behind the Crooked Cross




Postmortem




Reborn




Die by the Sword




Altar of Sacrifice




Jesus Saves




Chemical Warfare




Ghosts of War




Angel of Death

Slayer - 1986 - Ritz NYC

In the past I've posted a few of these clips as comments on my own or other folks MySpace pages, but presented here now is as a complete assemblage of this one show as possible. This footage comes from exactly the same time I first became aware of and a huge fan of Slayer. So while I was not in attendance at this performance, it does bring back a boat load of memories. Saw them in Chicago several times during this period at the Aragon Ballroom (aka Brawlroom), which is somewhat similar in layout to the Ritz. This seems a pretty accurate representation of my now getting hazy memories of those first few Slayer shows. Really gnarly heaviness and sonic power coupled with insane speed. Still actually own the t-shirt shown below. Mine no longer looks similar to this photo. It's a washed out gray color now, with a few holes and has shrunk far below it's original XL size.



The visual quality of the clips below are ok, but the sound quality is uniquely clear and good. Really good. Well, check 'em out below and lemme know what ya think.

All clips were posted on YouTube by evilaggression and I extend hearty thanks for their existence.



Raining Blood / Angel of Death




Hell Awaits




Necrophiliac




Postmortem / Epidemic




Praise of Death




Chemical Warfare




Altar of Sacrifice/Jesus Saves

Tex Avery’s “…of Tomorrow” cartoon series (1949-1954)

A giant in the world of cartoons, Tex Avery generated a rich legacy of many colorful, playfully surreal and truly entertaining shorts for folks of all ages. From the late forties to the early fifties Avery created the "...of Tomorrow" series: The House Of Tomorrow (1949), Car of Tomorrow (1951), T.V. of Tomorrow (1953) and The Farm Of Tomorrow (1954). In my opinion, unjustly derided by some Avery purists, these cartoon nuggets are un-pc time capsules, presenting a tongue in cheek - but truly optimistic view for the post World War 2 future.


The House Of Tomorrow (1949)




Car of Tomorrow (1951)




T.V. of Tomorrow (1953)




The Farm Of Tomorrow (1954)

FETISH – David Lynch's photos of Christian Louboutin's shoes (2007)

FETISH was an exhibition featuring David Lynch's photos of Christian Louboutin's shoes. Taking place in late 2007 in Paris at the Galerie du Passage, this fascinating artistic undertaking from David Lynch is striking and visually lush. Since I was financially unable to make the scene back in '07 and also unable to purchase any prints or exhibition catalog (if they even exist); this blog affords myself (and you readers as well) the opportunity to partake.

"Premonition Following An Evil Deed" (1995)

Released in 1995, Lumière and Company is a unique venture in which 40 film makers were given the opportunity to create under some rather specific stipulations. As a tribute to the 100 year anniversary, they could only shoot with the original Cinematographe which was invented by the Lumière Brothers and also film while working under conditions similar to those of 1895. Other rules included a time limit of nothing more than one minute, no synchronized sound could be utilized and no more than 3 scene takes were allowed. The line up of directors was a list of the internationally renowned and includes Wim Wenders, Spike Lee, Lasse Hallström, John Boorman and David Lynch amongst others.


I found the most interesting of the bunch to be the segment from a longtime favorite, David Lynch. Eraserhead (1977) was the first of his films I discovered and was hooked from that point forward. Still harbor fond memories of trekking to downtown Chicago for the midwestern premiere of Blue Velvet (1986) with a buddy and loving the guts out of that flick. David Lynch still manages to tickle my gray matter and massage my eyeballs with most all of his artistic endeavors and this short film does not disappoint on any level.


Titled "Premonition Following An Evil Deed", this black and white film offers up a fever dream vision from Lynch. Distinctive and disturbing in even measures, there is more visual storytelling and evocative imagery at work here than in most any of the top Hollywood movies of the last ten years. Enough of my blather, I'll let the film speak for itself, followed by Mr. Lynch commenting briefly.

Jac Mac & Rad Boy Go! (1985)

In the 1980s, the USA Channel was the spot to watch for the late night, hodge podge on the Stuart Shapiro produced Night Flight program. With content that included music segments, short films and features, Night Flight provided a cornucopia of entertainment from off the beaten path. In a pre-internet and YouTube free world, this show was gold. A syndicated version also existed briefly in the early 1990s.


A cartoon that received many airings on Night Flight, as well as becoming a favorite of mine, was Jac Mac & Rad Boy Go!; created, directed and written by Wesley Archer. A colorful mix of anarchy and wild action, this cartoon rocks and rolls before culminating in a message for the youth. So if you're not careful, you just might learn something. Wesley Archer went on to continue working in animation and illustration with work involving: the films One Crazy Summer (1986) & Idiocracy (2006) and television programs such as - The Tracey Ullman Show, The Simpsons & King of the Hill, amongst other projects. Mike Judge has admitted being a fan; so it's not a stretch to make the connection between this short and the dynamic duo of Beavis and Butthead.


Kick back with a cold brew-haha and check out the animation!

David Cronenberg – Long Live the New Flesh (1986) documentary

David Cronenberg talks about his first film SHIVERS.



David Cronenberg and the cinema of the extreme – BBC documentary (Part 1 of 4)



(Part 2 of 4)



(Part 3 of 4)



(Part 4 of 4)

John Carpenter: Fear Is Just the Beginning... UK documentary

China 9, Liberty 37 (1978)

Blindman (1971)

David Cross – The Pride is Back (1999)

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Part 4



Part 5



Part 6

Submit to Me (1986) – Richard Kern

Primitive? Distasteful? Immediate? As statements of a deeper artful intent or simply as deviant and prurient improvisations, I find that Richard Kerns films hit the mark as often as they miss. It's the same conundrum once said about the Butthole Surfers. Are they an art band masquerading as wild eyed hardcore psychos, or out-of-control madmen playing the role of an arty hardcore band?

It's worth noting that Butthole Surfers tracks, primarily Cherub, help flesh this out with darkly psychedelic sonic accompaniments that rival the outrageous on-screen action for your attention. The Surfers and Lydia Lunch connections were what initially got me to check these films out.

Often collaborating with others such as Nick Zedd, Beth B or Lydia Lunch, my favorites from Kern remain the more non-narrative / less linear pieces in which it's all about the visuals. During the 80s, he surrounded himself with similarly minded miscreants, artists and freaky ne'er-do-wells to populate his creations, many times performing with an amateur zeal.

Dark and extreme, often created to provoke; these are not for everyone. One of his better known pieces, Fingered - a collaboration with Lydia Lunch, created a firestorm, especially in the punk community when first released with protestations that it was just violent porn hurled about. The disclaimer provided for the film stated "Although it is not our sole intention to SHOCK, INSULT, or IRRITATE, you have been warned that we are CATERING only to our own preferences as members of the SEXUAL MINORITY."

I say make up your own mind, but be forewarned this is not for general taste or consumption...


Submit to Me (1986) – Richard Kern

Sonic Youth - Death Valley 69'
Uploaded by scootaway