A Disturbance in the Force - Carrie Fisher Passes Away

We all felt a disturbance in the Force early this week. The entertainment world lost Carrie Fisher, AKA Princess/General Leia Organa. As soon as I heard this, I thought of the loss of another Star Wars actor, Kenny Baker (R2-D2) back in August. Gads, what is happening?

It was in the 1977 Star Wars (its was not yet dubbed A New Hope when it was first screened) that I first saw young Carrie. Her distinctive double hair buns style became a topic of conversation - and jokes - the world over, whether you worked in a hair salon or not. And that gal was pretty handy with a blaster, too. The sci-fi/fantasy epic was only Fisher's second film, yet it truly kicked off a busy career in Hollywood - and beyond.

Though Leia got a lot of attention for her Jabbakini (my word invention)

outfit in Return of the Jedi, it was her cruller-shaped hair adornment in the

very first Star Wars movie that made her instantly recognizable

Naturally, I also watched Fisher reprise her role as Leia in the follow-up Star Wars chapters, including last year's The Force Awakens. Though her most famous character had very little screen time in the most recent movie, fans the world over sighed happily just to see yet another familiar face from the original trilogy. Han and Chewie got the first giddy response from viewers, but Leia's appearance sort of sewed up the "relationship" part of the story. 

It must have been in the late 70's or maybe 80's when I caught Fisher's first movie, Shampoo, on TV. For me, it was forgettable... just not my kind of movie, at least at the time. In the early 80's, when my friends and I started renting videos, we enjoyed seeing Carrie as John Belushi's crazed jilted ex-fiance in The Blues Brothers. Exploding bombs and blasting a machine gun - she was hilarious!

Fisher appeared in dozens of movies, though I saw very few of them. The ones I remember were The 'Burbs, When Harry Met Sally, the first Austin Powers flick, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Fanboys. She was just as busy with dozens of television appearances, usually doing cameo guest spots on shows like Laverne and Shirley, Frasier, Rosanne, Weeds, 30 Rock, and Big Bang Theory. Oh, and that embarrassing (for cast, creators, and fans alike) Star Wars Holiday Special back in '78. Pew! As far as I could tell from the few shows I saw her on, Fisher played variations of her real-life self, a wacky, messed-up character. Quite unlike her rock-steady, in-charge General Leia character. 

Carrie Fisher was more accomplished than many of us realized; along with her acting career, she also wrote several books - fiction and non-fiction, some plays, and movie screenplays. She even voiced her Leia character in a couple of video games. 

It's a shame Fisher endured bipolar disorder and addictions throughout her life, though she somehow remained a hard-working and disciplined contributor to the arts. Her untimely demise is a shock to all. 

RIP, Carrie.... and may the Force be with you, always.

Between the Covers - Part 1

This is the first installment of Between the Covers, something I'll publish now and then, to discuss an original song and its remake (one of them, if there are several). The whole idea of this sort of series came to me recently when I was thinking about one of the weirdest cover versions of all time, Devo's take on the Rolling Stones' (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction. That would be worth examining, I thought to myself. 

And of course, there are the myriad other covers out there, some faithful to the original, some not, some by the books, some taking risky artistic freedom. Occasionally, you hear a cover that actually improves upon the original, or at least rivals it by showing us a fascinating new way of interpreting the song. 

I wanna rock'n'roll.... er, honky tonk all night.

Party on, Garth!

First up, the Stones' Satisfaction, as deconstructed and reconstructed by 80's new wavers Devo. Barely recognizable outside of the lyrics, this new reading bears the herky-jerky style so typical of Devo, and it actually works! What was originally a gritty rock'n'roll anthem of the 60's became a modernized, industrial machine-like tune. Almost alien its performance. Here, Satisfaction is fun in its quirky inventiveness, for which Devo is famous. Gone is that legendary Stone's riff, replaced by expertly wonky rhythms on guitar, synthesizer, and madcap percussion. Less melodic and more beat-driven, the song becomes more textural and busy after it's run through the Devo filter. 

Back in the 90's, I was impressed by country star Garth Brooks' version of Hard Luck Woman, written by Kiss. Now technically, Brooks didn't cover the song so much as sing lead while the actual band Kiss backed him up. But still, that good ol' boy showed respect by doing an honest job on the tune. He and the face-painted fellows pretty much did a note-for-note rendition. It sure helped that Hard Luck Woman was written with a country feel, so this wasn't exactly a stretch for Brooks. Plus Brooks admitted to being a Kiss fan when he was a boy - he probably played air guitar to it like all the other kids on the block. So... I guess he's not entirely bad. 

A mellow evening with Slayer... the stage and audience slick with

(fake) blood, which rained down during the song Raining Blood (duh!)

Raining Blood is among the heaviest slabs of metal ever produced by Slayer. That intensity and ferociousness was key to this masterpiece of horror and mayhem. Totally in yer face! Now take such a tuneless and violent song and put it in the hands of Tori Amos, who massages it into a quietly haunting piece. Slayer is about the visceral - loud, fast, and aggressive. Amos' simple arrangement placing her hypnotic vocals over piano accompaniment weaves an evocative spell, about as far from Slayer as one can get. Interestingly, I get more chills listening to Tori softly crooning the dark cryptic lyrics written by team Slayer. Rather than headbanging, I'd instead be filled with dread, cowering in the corner. 

Let's dig back into the swinging sixties again: Gimme Gimme Good Lovin', by Crazy Elephant (hey, I'd never heard of them until now, either). But in the 80's, when Canadian hair-metal band Helix revamped this oldie, I knew I'd heard it somewhere before. So a quick search on Youtube, and Crazy Elephant comes up. A one-hit wonder, apparently. Anyway, their 1969 CCR-tinged pop ditty spelled radio success. Years later, clad in leather and spandex, Helix played the song fairly faithfully, just beefing up the guitars with a metal edge and substituting a 6-six solo for the plinky keyboard break of the original. Both versions are good-time party anthems, so I can enjoy each on its own merits. 

Christmas Pop Songs

More than a decade ago, I compiled a CD of my favourite Christmas songs. I've still got that CD, and play it at least on Christmas day, if not during the weeks leading up to the day. As I look at that playlist that I laboured over all those years ago, I realize that several of my faves were, and still are, not traditional fare, or even new versions of those tunes, but newly-written songs of the pop genre... which were mostly during my era. A few came before my time, but I still heard them throughout my childhood, and later... to this day.

Yo yo yo... Christmas in Hollis with Run-DMC

So these are my personal favourite Christmas pop songs, originals as performed by the artist, not renditions of traditional songs of the season. There are plenty of versions of the classics by every singer and band that ever existed. I think it's no small feat that a pop/rock artist can write a song that instantly becomes a Christmas standard and can endure alongside the oldies like Jingle Bells and Rudolph. 

These songs aren't shown in any particular order, though what I think are the best ones appear closer to the top. What you see here is not the tracklist of that ancient CD, but it does reflect my choices on it, and there are a few brand new additions. Yes, this list is short, but again, these are almost strictly originals, with just a couple of updates to existing pop songs, which are less numerous than re-do's of the oldies. 

2000 Miles - The Pretenders
All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey 
Last Christmas - Wham! 
Christmas Wrapping - Spice Girls (original by The Waitresses, 1981... a new wave band!)

Jingle Bell Rock - The Muppets (original by Bobby Helms, 1957)

Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - U2 (original by Darlene Love, 1963)
Christmas In Hollis - Run-DMC 
Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley 

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
Christmas All Over Again - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Step Into Christmas - Elton John
Run Run Rudolph - Chuck Berry
Merry Christmas, Darling - The Carpenters
Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid

Snoopy does a little soft-shoe, or is that soft-paw?

A Charlie Brown Christmas, 1965

Plus a few honourable mentions... bending the rules a tad:


The 1964 TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer features the now-classic We're a Couple of Misfits, and We Are Santa's Elves, just a couple of the shows catchy and memorable tunes. Not really pop music by today's definition, but still...

Put One Foot in Front of the Other and The First Toymaker to the King are highlights from the 1970 TV special Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Again, not pop, but this original Christmas music is certainly embedded in the psyche of more than one generation.

All of the original songs from the 1965 TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas, including Skating, and Linus and Lucy. Even though these tracks are jazz music, they have been established as pop culture classics, having been covered dozens of times by other artists - jazz, pop, and otherwise. 

Dench, Judi Dench

Actress Judi Dench celebrates a birthday on December 9th. It was in 1934 that Dench was born in Heworth, England. Her mother hailed from Dublin, Ireland and her father, a doctor, was from Dorset, England. Young Judi was exposed to acting through her parents' participation in local theatre. A bit older, she attended a Quaker secondary school, where she became a Quaker (the religious group, not the brand of oats).

In Britain, Dench has been recognized as one of the greatest actors of the post-war period. She performed in theatre, including an enormous number of roles in Shakespearean productions, before moving into film and television in the mid-60's. The nominations and awards continued to roll in for all of her endeavours. She was also appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire, Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order of Companions of Honour, and a Fellow of the British Film Institute, among many other honours. 

It was in 1995 that I first saw Judi Dench.... in the role of M, head of MI6 of the British Secret Service, in the James Bond film Goldeneye. Dench impressed fans and critics alike with her solid female take on the traditionally male role in the Bond universe. She racked up an impressive seven film appearances as James Bond's superior. It was easy to warm to the woman; as M, she was tough and straightforward while also serving as a strong and decisive parent-figure for Bond, who was  orphaned at a young age. When James needed to be sorted out, old M was there to do it. A little brow-beating now and then kept him in line.

Whether Dench was behind a desk or in the field (a rare thing to see), she handled the role of M with a fiery sternness that sometimes startled others (in the film stories) but was usually delivered out of a protectiveness for her department - and Bond. But that was also tempered with a calm cool that, of course, made her an effective leader. 

I only really knew Dench from her work in the Bond films, but I could easily see her talent as an actor. Whether opposite Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig in the 007 part, she always held her own and did her bloody best to keep a rein on her best (if occasionally reckless) agent. 

Now aged 81, Dench is still active in film and theatre. It was a sad moment when I witnessed the death of Dench's "M" character in the second to last James Bond movie, Skyfall (2012). Hey, every casual and serious Bond fan felt that blow. Never had a such a significant character in the long-running series met their maker on-screen. But I suppose it was a fitting way - M died in the field, so to speak, rather stuck in an office - to usher out one MI6 head and to bring in a new face. 

But Judi Dench will always remain M to me. Happy Birthday!

Deep Cuts - Rock Albums - Part I

The songs that we hear daily on the radio form a wallpaper to our world. We've heard Roxanne, Welcome to the Jungle, and Give a Little Bit so many thousands of times that we barely give them a thought now when we hear them playing while working or shopping. Usually. We are surrounded by the hit singles of the past and present, whether we like them or not. 

But think about the albums of origin... that first Police album, Outlandos d'Amour (where Roxanne appears), for instance: even though not every song was a radio hit, nearly every track is imprinted on the public's consciousness because the disc has been designated a "classic". Over the decades, most of those songs have been appropriated for ad jingles, appear in movies and TV, hum over supermarket sound systems... you name it. So the hits aside, songs like Hole in My Life, Peanuts, Born in the 50's... even if the titles aren't familiar, you'd recognize the tunes if you heard them.

So today I'd like to explore the recesses of some well-known (and well-received) albums, to identify and talk about the lesser known, underappreciated, maybe even undiscovered, songs that deserve some attention... even though they were perhaps tucked away on side two (near the end) of your favourite albums. Here you have it, my first installment of Deep Cuts:

Masoko Tanga, by The Police, of their debut disc, Outlandos d'Amour. A world music-infused pop jam, sprinkled with obscure lyrics, English and otherwise. Sting's prominent bass jangles with the sprightly percussion as simple reggae-style guitar twangs along on this mostly instrumental piece. Fun and boppy, the song never even became a fixture in The Police live shows. Interesting how their music grew a bit more tonally quieter and spare on their next album, yet veered back into Masoko Tanga territory on their third release.

It's Easy, by Boston, from the Don't Look Back album. Pristine recording and meticulous mixing give this whole disc perfect headphone sound, even back in '78. It's Easy has long been a fave song, yet it wasn't among the record's three charting singles. Thick, massive guitar hooks drive the piece, yet it is the contrast of the clean, bright strings in passages that imbues the song with a happy, almost dancey vibe. High, clear multi-tracked vocals create such a big sound that it makes my heart swell.

You're Going To Lose That Girl, by The Beatles, from the Help! album. This song was very nearly released as a single (to accompany the Love Songs LP) years after it first appeared on Help! and The Beatles had broken up. So... the song was never a single, a hit, or even charted... yet it's so catchy and lush with the lads' famous vocal harmonies. I remember first hearing this in the Help! movie and it remained among my favourite Beatle tunes. 

Hard to Believe, by Pat Benatar, off the Precious Time album. A successful blend of hard rock and pop, heavy on the chorus, light on the verse. Benatar's versatile vocals, upbeat tempo, and bright, dynamic guitars provide this track with a fun kick that makes me wonder why this wasn't a hit along with Fire and Ice, Promises in the Dark, and Just Like Me. Still, it says a lot about a deep track when it's just as good as its album's hit singles. That's one solid LP, from the gate to the finish line.

Mandocello, by Cheap Trick, from their self-titled debut album. The Trick album that most people, besides super-fans, don't know about or forget about. For me, the LP is among my favourites of all time. The musicianship... the songwriting, Zander's vocal magic, the mastery of instrumentation... is perhaps better shown here than on subsequent Cheap Trick albums. The boys weren't writing for the radio here, instead opting for nuanced compositions, balanced by some gritty, rowdy numbers. On the subtle side, Mondocello is a beautiful song that provides Zander plenty of room to soar; Petersson's metronomic bass creates the rhythmic interest while Nielsen adds six-string colour with light brush strokes, especially on the solo.

Is It True? by The Eagles, off the On The Border record. Short and sweet, the track carries all the signature sounds of the band, boasting a gentle, catchy mood, accented by lively rhythmic touches, and finally punctuated by yet another soulful guitar solo by Glen Frey. I guess not every song can be a hit, especially with a group as talented as The Eagles, whose output was pretty consistently golden (or platinum). 

Rascal Houdi, by Max Webster, on the A Million Vacations album. I couldn't do this list and not mention at least one Canadian act, could I? Max Webster remains among my fave rock bands of all time, so here goes: Rascal Houdi is a bizarre rocker, one moment metallic guitars and the next dancey melody energized by quirky keyboards. Though Vacations pumped out massive hits with its title track, Let Go the Line, and Paradise Skies, this one slipped through the cracks. The album does offer up a curious collection of tunes ranging from soft ballads to otherworldly prog excursions to outright Canuck classic rockers. Rascal Houdi is the latter, with its jump-started frenetic guitar heroics, unbalanced lyrics, and arena rock fun.

Lessons, by Rush, from the 2112 LP. Okay, one more Canadian band....and sure, every self-respecting Rush fan knows and loves EVERY song on this album. But I've known the odd "fan" who claimed an affection for 2112 and yet was hazy on the contents of side two (I still think of the vinyl record I used to own). But move past side one's epic 2112 suite, dig into the flip side, and you'll find some terrific Rush gems that never made it onto rock radio. Lessons is one of those, and I recall the song making a big impression even back when I first played my brand new 2112 record in 1970-something. Lessons was one of guitarist Alex Lifeson's few lyrical contributions to the Rush canon, yet his words pack a punch... made all the more powerful assisted by his metallic electric leads and smooth, flowing acoustic rhythms. Geddy's distinctive "shriek" is in full force here, breathing fire into Alex's penmanship. This may be one of Rush's few songs where the drums are tucked tidily into the background (no diss to Peart, just an observation of his laid-back approach here). 

Best Movies of 2016

As 2016 winds down, I feel the need to assess the movies released (theatrically, not at festivals) this year and assemble a list of those that impressed me the most. I know the year isn't over yet, so I might yet find another gem to add. There are at least a few key films that I missed and will try to view soon, so that I can perhaps update this list. I know I'm a little premature doing this list, but here are my favourites, ranked pretty much in order:

The Witch - excellent, intelligent, and subdued horror in a very authentic historical setting

Sing Street - feel-good film of the year... bursting with fun and musical energy
Arrival - smart sci-fi that'll leave your brain humming for days

PeeWee's Big Holiday - silly and entertaining beyond belief. After all these years, a winner!
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years - what can I say? It's The Beatles!!!

Zootopia - this hilarious and terrific-looking animated comedy took me by surprise
Neon Demon - bold and stylish, not Drive quality, but certainly hard to forget
The BFG - a fun fantasy about a lovable old giant, thanks to film-meister Spielberg
Don't Breathe - a breath-taking thriller about punks robbing an old man blind
The Jungle Book - a fun adventure with Mowgli and his jungle animal pals - visually amazing
10 Cloverfield Lane - a bit of a hidden gem... unsettling and fun with fine performances

Everybody Wants Some - director Linklater hits one out of the park with this college baseball day-in-the-life
Hail, Caesar! - the Coehn brothers at their lightest and most fun... not their best, but still....

Honourable Mentions, in no particular order:

The Invitation - creepy and horrific, a lean and effective thriller

Weiner-Dog - an oddball film about a sweet Dachshund who links together quirky short stories
The Lobster - strange and wonderful, thoughtful and absurd... hard to describe, but riveting

Midnight Special - suspenseful and tense, building to a climax that doesn't exactly underwhelm, but leaves you with a sense of something hopeful and unfulfilled

Albums That Changed My Life

I have listened to a lot of albums over the years. And as you know, as a listener, one passes through many phases in his or her life-long musical journey. The simple pop tunes that capture your heart as a child may be of no interest as you find more exciting and challenging music as a teenager (but that doesn't mean you'll never come back to them when you grow older and more nostalgic). And even as a teen, what's cool one year may not be the next. Trends and fads can influence your likes and dislikes. Or not. Some people know what they like and are very single-minded about their musical tastes, listening to nothing but dance-pop or country music their whole lives. That's fine, too, but that's not me.

Even early on, I found something to like in all sorts of genres. Hell, for a while there as a kid, I was even hooked on a weird old Jerry Lewis record ( he sang!) I found in my mom's collection. Once I'd graduated from kids' records, (story albums adapted from Disney films, stuff like that) and I was buying pop and rock for myself, there were no rules. Some Stevie Wonder here, some Pink Floyd there, a little BeeGee's, the movie soundtrack from Star Wars. You see?

But when I think long and hard about truly important albums, ones that I later realized defined me as a person, I am now able to spot the sign-posts in my development as a music fan and as a human being. So what albums really changed me, gave me new direction, and contributed to who I was, and who I am today?


Here are The Albums That Changed My Life, in chronological order:

More of the Monkees... the first record album I ever bought, this began my appreciation for pop and rock, not to mention it made me a Monkees fan for life. I loved the TV show as a kid, maybe not so much now, but the music was timeless perfection. Light and fun and expertly composed by professional songwriters early in the Monkees' career... after a few albums, they insisted on writing and playing on their own songs. I admire the boys for wanting more than a few bucks for miming onstage. 

The Beatles' Second Album... the second long-playing record I ever bought, this North American release began my personal Beatlemania and interest in guitar. I've still got the Great Songs of Lennon & McCartney songbook I used to learn my first tunes (like the Daytripper riff) on guitar. It took me years to finally get all of their original albums, but along the way, I snapped up tapes of the odd release. My mainstays were the two double-album compilations, the first of their early years, the second of their later years. Today, I am Beatles complete, though there are loads of outtakes and alternate recordings that I'm missing. I'm happy with the studio albums and the smattering of rarities on my shelves.

Kiss... their self-titled first album was my introduction to heavy rock. My love of hard rock and metal endures to this day. Even though their later disc, Destroyer, would become my fave Kiss album, I give credit to the first one for instilling in me an appreciation for earth-shaking music, shouting out loud, pumping my fist, and considering wearing Kiss make-up... but never doing it. Oh, well. I never saw 'em in concert but I did catch an "official", Kiss-endorsed tribute band one time... pretty impressive, and nearly as good - if not as good - as the real thing. 

Rocky, movie soundtrack... a frequent reminder of the powerful boxing film that I loved when I saw it in the theatre at the age of twelve, and inspired me to start and continue to keep fit and healthy for the rest of my life. I never boxed, but I "tried" some jump rope, and did stick with a weight program and cardio (running and cycling) for many years. Also, as my first soundtrack, this introduced me to music other than guitar-oriented pop/rock. Hey, I was a blank slate and open to anything.

2112, by Rush... this heavy, epic concept album quickly became my favourite in my collection. 2112 kicked off my Rush fandom and love of progressive rock and metal. My obsession bled into all areas of my life... I did artwork of the band members, saw them in concert several times, assembled massive "scrapbook" binders loaded with photos and articles and all manner of collectibles, I amassed a whole wack of Rush posters - over forty of them (only a few actually made it onto my walls), hunted down scads of memorabilia, and wore a "concert jacket" covered with dozens of Rush pins, buttons, badges, and patches to shows. And more. Thankfully, the mania has subsided and I now carry on a relatively normal life. Hmm, or do I?

Fragile, by Yes... this opened up a wider world of prog rock to me, which included more varied instrumentation than even Rush offered. I grew to recognize the genius in this band, from Howe's stellar guitar work to White's intricate percussion to Squire's complex yet melodic bass, and Wakeman's god-like virtuosity on keyboard. As any self-respecting Yes fan would know, I was well aware that the band had many personnel changes, yet even the substitutions of Kaye, Bruford, Horn, and Downs were successful. I saw Yes in concert a few times... with different line-ups each time.... but the music was masterful and spellbinding. My love of Yes led me to check out other UK proggers of their era, like King Crimson, Camel, and Caravan.

Beethoven's 9th Symphony... this was the first classical recording I ever owned. I bought the Deutsche Grammophon (Von Karajan conducting) cassette tape back in the early 80's. It was the film A Clockwork Orange that first acquainted me with the music of Ludwig Van Beethoven, and it was the 9th Symphony that played a prominent role in the movie. I fell in love with the piece, so it was only logical that the 9th would be my first classical purchase. And of course, that led to me buy all of the symphonies... plus some collections of concertos, sonatas, and so forth. Then about a decade later, I upgraded to CD, and found even more Ludwig tunes to enjoy for the rest of my life. My interest in classical expanded from there; I built a modest collection of the works of most of the greatest composers of all time (Bach, Dvorak, Mussorgsky, and Stravinsky among them).

Time Out, by Dave Brubeck... the first jazz album I ever owned, captured on tape from a family member's record. I kept and played that tape for years, eventually buying a proper CD version, which led to my broader love of jazz, which included the legendary Miles, Rollins, Blakey, Coltrane, Guaraldi, and Monk. I got into the habit of attending the local jazz festival each summer, and even saw the 89-year-old Brubeck in concert back in 2010. Amazing, even at that age!

All For You, by Diana Krall... this was just a random CD I borrowed from the library, but I immediately adored Krall's smoky vocals and plucky piano renditions of Nat King Cole standards, so I quickly bought my own copy. This was the second jazz album I ever owned, after Brubeck's Time Out. All For You sparked my love for Krall's music and marked the start of my serious jazz album collecting. I saw Krall in concert back in 1999, just before she skyrocketed to international fame. Good timing, for my tickets were easy to get, affordable, and the seats were great.

Tranced Out and Dreaming... I can't recall how I came upon this... it must have been an arbitrary choice at the CD store back in the mid-90's. Anyway, I tried it out at a listening station, bought it, and loved it so much that I would conduct weekly test-runs of unknown-to-me electronic music CDs, discovering a lot of strange and beautiful stuff. Early on, I stuck mostly with compilations, so I could get a taste of the many sub-genres and decide what I liked most and wanted to investigate further. I built myself a tidy little library of great experimental and progressive electro... which included faves like The Grid, Leftfield, BT, 808 State, FSOL, Fluke, and Empirion. Funny how that exotic-sounding trance album led to a long-time affection for electronic music and even some modern dance-pop. I also find myself listening closely to movie music, which often features amazing electronic artists worth checking out. 

Movies That Changed My Life

We all have favourite movies. I have many, including Lost in Translation, The Double Life of Veronique, The Thing ('82), The Wolf Man ('41), From Russia With Love, and Alien. But those aren't necessarily "important" movies to me, meaning they did not necessarily change me or my life. I'm talking about pivotal films, ones that truly affected me, changed me, made their mark... an impression... on me, and influenced my choices in movies... and maybe even in life... for years to come. 

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.... I remember seeing this in the movie theater when I was a kid. It must have been a re-release or something. I remember being freaked out as Snow White ran through the spooky forest. But beautifully painted backgrounds, terrific classical animation, thrilling music... everything... cemented this as my favourite Disney feature of all. And I've been an animation fan ever since. I even worked in a studio for a time.

The Wizard of Oz.... a love/hate relationship here. This amazing adaptation from book to silver screen was magical. I have always loved the flying monkeys best, and those "realistic" (to my young eyes) tornado shots gave me nightmares and a life-long fascination and fear of twisters. Wonderful acting, direction, music, and visual effects... such a timeless classic! All I have to do is think about The Wizard of Oz and I smile fondly as I recall seeing it as a child. Twisters and all.

Frankenstein (1931).... the first horror film I ever saw, I believe... it made a huge impression, leaving me with a taste for fright films, especially the oldies, for the rest of my life. Today, I prefer Universal delights like The Wolf Man and Creature From the Black Lagoon over this - but ol' Frank was an important movie for me.

The Nutty Professor... the original, starring Jerry Lewis. I'm pretty sure this was the first Lewis solo picture I ever saw, and I do know that I wanted to be just like that goofy clown when I was a youngster. I mimicked Jerry's walk and talk and mannerisms for friends, but they just gave me puzzled looks in return. Bah, what did they know? But I recognized comic genius when I saw it. And I still crack up when I watch one of these oldies... and not necessarily this one, for I now consider The Bellboy and The Delicate Delinquent more durable comedies. 

A Hard Day's Night, and Help!... determined my life-long love of Beatles music. After seeing these two movies on TV, I was obsessed for several years as a young lad and teen, collecting their records and books about the band. Since I discovered the Mop Tops well after their break-up, I made a point of seeing the Beatlemania stage show when it hit Toronto in 1981. That was as close as I ever got to seeing the real thing. Pretty close. 

Jason and the Argonauts (1963)... the sea god Triton scene scared the daylights out of me when I first saw this as a child, and for months I had recurring nightmares of simply watching that scene on TV. Crazy... and crazy good. Still among my favourite movies of all time, and this, along with the Sinbad movies of that era, fostered a love of fantasy in films and literature (from The Hobbit to Pan's Labyrinth). 

Star Wars (episode IV - A New Hope)... Long-awaited and life-affirming. stunning and timeless, my favourite sci-fi/fantasy movie of all time. I read the fan magazines for months leading up to its release, and it far exceeded my hopes and dreams. Even today, after all those sequels and prequels and spin-offs, the very first Star Wars film remains both my favourite and the most influential in my life. 

A Clockwork Orange.... an ultra-violent "art" film with scope and vision by auteur director Stanley Kubrick, with memorable performances, a story brilliantly adapted from the novel, inventive camera-work, and powerful music (which led to my love of all things Beethoven). And an appreciation for the high-falutin' talents of the meticulous and wacky old Stanley. An important movie in my life, even if it does not make my Top Ten. 

Music Collection Oddities

Ever since I was a dumb kid I enjoyed the odd musical deviation... something weird and not always in the mainstream, at least at the time I discovered it. I wasn't one of those people who simply gravitated to - or intentionally chose - the oddball stuff just to rebel against everything and everyone else. 

As a young lad, I liked 70's novelty tunes like Convoy and Disco Duck almost to a fault - I played those quirky ditties endlessly on 45 rpm singles. As a teen and 20-something, I enjoyed a smattering of the Weird Al Yankovic songs that littered the radio airwaves for a couple of decades... from his early tracks My Bologna and Another One Rides the Bus to Eat It, Like a Surgeon, Fat, and I Want a New Duck. 

Never too cool for school - Devo, just too weird for the sub-humans

My current CD collection includes some strange albums, or at least ones that probably aren't on many other folks' music shelves. Sometimes I hear something bizarre and find it unbelievably beautiful... maybe in a funny way, or perhaps it simply speaks to me and it gropes at my brain stem or plucks at my heartstrings. The originality of oddities can jump right out at me.... like I cannot believe how uncool and yet wonderful that is! Sure, I could name Devo as one of those types of bands, but hey, after all these years, I think we all now agree that they are definitely cool. Fave tunes are Working in a Coal Mine and Through Being Cool. 

I suppose the most unusual thing on my shelves right now would be the Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass collection, featuring his brilliantly melodic and fun Lonely Bull, Spanish Flea, Love Potion No. 9, Whipped Cream and more. These 60's "hits" have found their way into popular culture in one way or another, either in movies or TV commercials or even re-mixed into other artists' songs. Spanish Flea must be the best known of Alpert's tunes.

There was a fellow name Scott Walker who made vital yet mostly unknown musical masterpieces from the 60's through the 70's. He sort of re-invented himself a few times, yet carried on an admirable career that spans until this day. Very different and unusual, his earlier material was amazingly approachable, but his later, very experimental music was quite challenging and even off-putting. I struggle with some of his later stuff, but I absolutely love his early solo work. I like his band work with the Walker Brothers, but it's his own personal music that really knocks me out. Very brave and adventurous forays into new realms of expression. I highly recommend his first four solo albums. 

Glammy, gothy, heavy, poppy... Gene Loves Jezebel

Then there are these Gene Loves Jezebel albums from the late 80's and early 90's on my shelf. I sort of missed this music (I must have seen their videos back then, but dismissed them) as I focused on heavy metal, but a little after the fact, I discovered I liked the band's work. GLJ sort of fell within the goth movement when they launched their career in 1980, and found some commercial success even with their dark alternative sound. Strong, emotive vocals and engaging songwriting backed by very able instrumentals gave the band a distinctive sound that I've long admired. Tasteful guitar solos fit nicely with the moody, heavy vibe. Heartache, Desire (Come and Get It), and Jealous are among their best tracks.

And now for something completely different: Ani Lorak is a Ukrainian pop singer who is idolized in her home country, yet has barely made a splash overseas. A friend introduced me to Lorak's music several years ago, and while I really like a few songs, I can't say I love it all. But I did invest in an import compilation that included Shady Lady, my favourite track by the stunning singer. 

And she sings! Ani Lorak, Ukrainian dance-pop star

Best of the Beat Generation contains a selection of tracks from a more comprehensive three-disc set and follows up that set with many additional notable pieces. The title says it all.... legendary Beat artists Jack Kerouac, Lenny Bruce, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs are among those who appear here. It's been a long time since I've given this a hard listen, but I do remember the wonderful ambiance here.... a smoky lounge, tinkling jazzy piano, and spoken word (which inspired rap, I'd say). Mind expanding without any risk.

I've got a CD by Alma Tadema and JPS Scorpio which I bought backstage after a show they played at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival back in the 90's. I was initially a bit jarred by the stripped-down and unusual use of electric bass with voice. But as the show progressed (and other audience members filtered out... dummies!), I found myself entranced by the mystical droning strings and unconventional vocals. The CD package describes its contents as "Neo Gothic Noise". Today, I can find virtually nothing on the internet about this highly experimental act; maybe the duo vanished into a creative vortex after I saw them perform. It's a good thing I went backstage, met them, and picked up this album. A rarity? 

The 30 Rock Original Television Soundtrack is one of my most prized possessions... a double-CD set loaded with original songs and incidental music from the Emmy Award-winning TV comedy series. The light and whimsical pieces make me smile and even feel a bit wistful at times. The music drifts deftly from silly to sad and back again. Jeff Richmond was the Modern Mozart responsible for the super-catchy theme song and for the creation of everything else that appeared on the show. Prominent wacky tracks are Muffintop and Werewolf Bar Mitzvah. I bought this as a special edition with a hardcover book about 30 Rock, which may rise in value in a future world ruled by Jewish werewolves. 

Creatures of the Night: Scary Rock Music

Halloween is approaching, and I'm watching a lot of - mostly old - fright flicks. Films about things that go bump in the night. Evil and supernatural beasts and sometimes even humans who've gone off the deep end. I thought I'd assemble a little list of rock songs that feature creepy and monstrous characters and unnatural beings from horror movies or otherwise. Feel free to throw some more ideas my way... there must be plenty more out there that I'm missing. Enjoy!

Bela Lugosi's Dead, by Bauhaus (okay, so Bela was a real-life actor, but you know....)

Feed My Frankenstein, by Alice Cooper
Werewolves of London, by Warren Zevon
Night of the Demon, by Demon (I still remember this lesser known NWOBHM* song)
Season of the Witch, by Donovan
Witchy Woman, by The Eagles
Zombie Stomp, by Ozzy
Frankenstein, by Edgar Winter
Phantom of the Opera, by Iron Maiden
The Ripper, by Judas Priest
Mr. Crowley, by Ozzy (a real life occultist who practised black magic, among other things)
Maxwell's Silver Hammer, by The Beatles (a light-hearted ditty about a serial killer)
Psycho Killer, by Talking Heads
Freddy Krueger, by S.O.D.
Creature From the Black Lagoon, by Dave Edmunds
Vampira, by The Misfits
Abominable Dr. Phibes, by The Misfits (instrumental tribute to the Vincent Price classic)
Pumpkin Head, by The Misfits (a nod to the 80's horror creature feature)
I, Zombie, by White Zombie
Mummy Dust, by Ghost
Godzilla, by Blue Oyster Cult
Mothra, by Anvil

* NWOBHM = New Wave of British Heavy Metal (late 1970's through early 80's)

Re-viewing Favourite Horror Films

We all have favourite movies, ones that we revisit over and over again. Long ago, before home video came along, I used to find great flicks on TV, and my faves were shown repeatedly, not just over the years, but even within a single year. 

Just within the horror genre, I delighted in the fun oldies featuring the Wolf Man, Frankenstein monster, the Mummy, and Dracula at least a couple of times a year on the tube. Public television (TVOntario) ran a neat show called Magic Shadows from Monday to Friday, and on there, host Elwy Yost showed these stalwarts of the genre in serialized form... we'd get, say, Dracula split up over maybe four or five nights. Kind of a cool way to enjoy a film, At least I though so as a kid. Maybe not today. And come the weekend, there was Saturday Night at the Movies (again with host Elwy), which featured any number of October-y classics (commercial-free), like those mentioned above, and even The Phantom of the Opera (1925), Bride of Frankenstein, King Kong, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939). 

Even on weekend mornings, I'd often locate on TV something like Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man or one of the Abbott and Costello "meet the monsters" movies (Mummy, Drac, Frank, etc).. 

Who ever said you couldn't build a great monster on a low budget?

Pumpkinhead (1988)

As a grown-up, and I'd assembled a reasonably-sized home video library, I watched and re-watched those ancient gems, and found other wonders to add to my re-watching experience. It's amazing what you can pick up from films on second, third, and fourth viewings... details you'd missed before, small things or actions in the background, quietly or quickly spoken dialogue, nuances in the acting - facial expressions and gestures, sets and locations, camera shots - like interesting angles, framing and lighting, use of music for effect, and so on. You can develop an even greater appreciation for these masterpieces of cinema through a re-watch. Or even learn to like the not-so-great flicks by noticing aspects besides the bad acting... even the so-called duds can have redeeming qualities!

Here are a bunch of my most re-watched movies up until a few years ago. I've since found I've simply seen these so many times - and know them so well - that I need much longer breaks, like years, in between viewings. These are still great, but I can't watch them very often now:

The Thing ('82)
The Uninvited
The Haunting 
The Changeling
Dead of Night
The Woman in Black ('89)
The Innocents
Curse of the Demon
Curse of the Cat People
Dracula (by Francis Ford Coppola)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932)
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
Son of Frankenstein (actually, most of the old Universal monster movies)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
An American Werewolf in London
The Shining
Pumpkinhead
The Thing From Another World
Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Brides of Dracula (and several other Hammer horror films, including the following three...)
Curse of Frankenstein
Curse of the Werewolf
Horror of Dracula

The totally wacko last segment in Prometheus (2012)

And here are some of my most current favourites, movies I'm still avid about checking out at least once or twice a year. Somehow Alien has jumped off my "watched too much" list back onto my "re-watch" list... truly an enduring classic. The Wolf Man and Creature oldies are my faves of the Universal Silver Age... it seems they'll never lose their appeal. And since the 50's giant bug films were relatively newer discoveries (except Them!) for me, I am seeing them with fairly fresh eyes... I love the crisp B&W photography that captured the U.S. southwest desert regions, where atomic testing took place in the 1950's... often the reason for the monstrous proportions of the movies' antagonists. Here you go:

Alien
The Wolf Man
Werewolf of London
Creature From the Black Lagoon... and its sequels 
Prometheus
Under the Skin
The Howling
Witchfinder General
Them!
Tarantula
Black Scorpion
Deadly Mantis

Scary Stuff, Kids - Ramping Up for Halloween

'Tis the season for witches and hauntings, black cats and devils, and all manner of creepy and spooky beings. It's October, when on the 31st day we celebrate All Hallows' Eve, more commonly known as Halloween. For the youngsters, it's a time for costumes and parties and decorating and trick-or-treating. For the older kids and grown-ups, there may still be variations in those same activities, but many of us (like me) simplify the ritual to just watching scary movies. 

My two Universal Monster plastic model kits - Drac and

Wolfie - from when I was a kid... still holding up!

I watch horror movies all year long. If you've read some of my other posts, you already know that I'm a fan of the genre. Ever since I was a little kid, when I first stumbled upon Frankenstein and Dracula on TV, I have adored films that frighten. My fascination extended to literature, though not extensively. As a young teen, I read Dracula, Frankenstein, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I remember reading a few books about the folklore of vampires, werewolves, and ghosts. Of course, one Stephen King came to my attention back in the 70's. I was drawn to his movies and books for a while. And as an adult I read several of Anne Rice's and Nancy Baker's horror novels, plus a smattering of other supernatural books... collections of short stories and so forth. I suppose the most recent tales that gripped me were The Historian (a very cool modern day hunt for Dracula) and The Demonologist (a spine-tingler that I'll re-read often). 

Back on the movie side of things.... ever since the mid-1990's, I have been amassing a collection of films on home video. Of course, back then videotapes were still in vogue, so I grabbed everything I could find, horror and otherwise, to build a library of favourites. When the DVD format came along, I decided not to become an early adopter, instead buying at cut-rate prices all the VHS tapes my friend was selling off as he upgraded to disc. This was how I gathered together an impressive set of the best horror films of all time, stretching from the early days of cinema (1920's) until present day. Eventually, I did the same as my friend, and I sold off my tapes as I upgraded to disc, both DVD and Blu-ray.

A few of my old VHS tapes... still hanging onto them since some

are scarce on DVD, and are actually worth something

This October, as with every October, I itch to add something new to my shelves of horrific viewing material. I took care of that shopping early so that I'd have things to watch during the month... a disc of old Twilight Zone TV episodes (including The Monsters are Due on Maple Street, and Nightmare at 20,000 Feet - starring Bill Shatner) and a set of five 1950's sci-fi chiller B-movies. When those collections of fun drive-in oldies are so reasonably priced, I can't help myself... it's only a few bucks per movie, and I can enjoy them over and over again.

I even go so far as to program my horror viewing for October, not designating a certain film for a certain day, but selecting and making a list of flicks to choose from whenever I'm ready to watch something... right on up until Halloween night. Out of that bunch, I pull a core of favourites that I'll want to see on the final days leading up to the 31st, and finally one or two of my best-loved movies for the big night. Very often, I choose The Wolf Man (the 1941 classic starring Lon Chaney Jr) for that evening. As a kid, I loved those old Universal monster movies, and I still do. Even if they aren't exactly scary, they are loads of fun in a nostalgic way, very atmospheric, and I can appreciate the craftsmanship that went into producing those cinematic gems. I believe that I'll put on The Wolf Man again this year, with that Twilight Zone episode about poor Shatner as a warm-up to the main feature. Yes, there will be popcorn or chips, or both. 

Universal Studios Monsters... cookies???

I ate 'em (not great) and kept the cool box.

Since I have many shelves of film history at my fingertips, I do re-watch a lot of movies. Within the horror genre, I certainly have favourites that I gravitate to at least once if not twice a year. For this October, I've picked out some of those faves, plus some stuff I'm less familiar with, both modern and older. Plus I plan to watch some old Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, and Thriller episodes as warm-ups to the main features. Some of my key choices this year are:

The Awakening (on Netflix.... already watched it... pretty good ghost story)
The Lodger (watched it.... a great 1944 re-imagining of the Jack the Ripper tale)
Cult of the Cobra (one of those fun and crazy 50's B-movies.... already watched it)
The Leech Woman (watched it... rather awful 50's B-movie, but still watchable)
The Land Unknown (watched it... infamous for its cheap visual effects and rather a fun time!)
Vampire Circus (watched it.... a Hammer film, not great, but cool in its weird & bloody way)
Midnight Son (watched it... a very effective '11 film with a neat spin on the vampire concept)
The Blob (the 1958 original... I barely remember it, but it's a B-movie standard)
Repulsion (director Polanski's 2nd film... a young woman goes mad, all alone in an apartment)
The Invisible Man (the Claude Rains classic... more madness!)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920... stars John Barrymore, Drew's grandfather)
Nightmare, & Night Creatures (two of the lesser Hammer films)
Countess Dracula (there's no Dracula, but more of a Lady Bathory story)
one of the old Universal Mummy sequels... I'll decide later
Murders in the Rue Morgue (loosely based on the Poe tale, starring Bela Lugosi)
The Black Cat, The Raven, Black Friday (all starring good ol' Bela, two with Boris Karloff)
Carnival of Souls (didn't like this zombie flick on first watch, but I'll give it another chance)
Bell, Book and Candle (a supernatural comedy starring Jimmy Stewart)
The Mad Magician (Vincent Price in one of his more horrific roles... pretty gruesome for '54)
Under the Skin

On my final week leading up to Halloween, I'll try to check out these goodies:

The Creature Walks Among Us (this Black Lagoon sequel has really grown on me; weird & fun)
House of Dracula OR House of Frankenstein OR Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (mash-ups starring ALL the monsters)
Prometheus (yes, sci-fi, but still eerie and monster-ish... and a fave of mine)
The Howling V - The Rebirth (strangers gather at a castle, one of them a werewolf)
Pin (a bizarre 1988 Canadian thriller that fascinated me on first watch.... so, back at it)


And I believe this'll be my line-up on Halloween Eve:

The Warm-up: Nightmare at 20,000 Feet (Twilight Zone episode)

Main Feature: The Wolf Man (1941)