Funky:
Incongruous:
Maudlin:
Friday, February 17, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Acid Jam...Again!
Word is this was a big underground hit in Germany at the time. I would have liked to have been at that underground party.
Saccharine Everythings, Part 48 or Maelstrom Shmaelstrom I'm Taking a Nap.
I long to screw up a snooty society party.
I forget where I snagged this photo. All I can say is that there is something about it that makes me depressed.
I began College in 1987. I was ready academically, but emotionally I was a wreck. My father died that year. The woman I was dating (who was ten years older than me) broke up with me the day before my first class. I felt (quoting the great Richard Brautigan here) "like a sewing machine that's just finished sewing a turd to a garbage can lid.”
The College's library had a copy of the book pictured above. I spent a lot of time in the library back then. More specifically, I spent time in the libraries smoking room. It's hard to imagine one could lite up a butt in a room in close proximity to microfilms and rare research texts, but it was the case back then...
I spent much of the time with that book, a book that contained critical studies of Leonard Cohen's novels and poems, and a collection of English dirty limericks that dated back to the Victorian era.
Each one helped me out of a depression so thick and deep that I could actually cut slices of it and serve it as a party snack.
Depression (when served hot) tastes like French pastries.
I miss spending hours in libraries and smoking cigarettes.
Now - in 2012 - this is the sort of thing that washes the blues away
Friday, February 3, 2012
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Halloween Hangover.
I will not go gentle into the Christmas Season.
This post goes out to my late Grandma Murk.
She realized the young me was obsessed with horror films, so she exploited that love by spoiling me rotten with monster gifts:
A Lon Chaney Sr. as the Phantom of the Opera Puzzle, any horror-themed comic that she found in the aisles of Mungo's Knick Knack Hole in Suckwater Township, Monster models, weird books (from Edgar Allan Poe to this odd one from Edgar Rice Burroughs), novelty records (she turned me on to the Benny Bell classic, Shaving Cream) and old time horror-themed radio.
So in her honor here is Peter Lorre in The Black Cat which was part of the Mystery in the Air radio series. It originally aired on September 18, 1947.
Peter Lorre in The Black Cat by Hallandgorcey
The announcer is one Harry Morgan of Dragnet and MASH fame. As of this writing, Harry is still among us!
This post goes out to my late Grandma Murk.
She realized the young me was obsessed with horror films, so she exploited that love by spoiling me rotten with monster gifts:
A Lon Chaney Sr. as the Phantom of the Opera Puzzle, any horror-themed comic that she found in the aisles of Mungo's Knick Knack Hole in Suckwater Township, Monster models, weird books (from Edgar Allan Poe to this odd one from Edgar Rice Burroughs), novelty records (she turned me on to the Benny Bell classic, Shaving Cream) and old time horror-themed radio.
So in her honor here is Peter Lorre in The Black Cat which was part of the Mystery in the Air radio series. It originally aired on September 18, 1947.
Peter Lorre in The Black Cat by Hallandgorcey
The announcer is one Harry Morgan of Dragnet and MASH fame. As of this writing, Harry is still among us!
Monday, October 31, 2011
31 Uncanny Bits of Terror for October - Day Thirty One: The Bleeding Mirror...A Terror Brewed in Cleveland, OH.
Let us end on a dark, Cleveland-based Note...
I collect and love Halloween-themed records. I have obsessed over them. I have spent ridiculous amounts of money on them. I've wondered about how sitting by yourself, drinking beer and listening to Halloween sound effects records might not be healthy. I suppose it is a way to go back in time, capture a bit of lost youth, because they DO NOT make Halloween records like they used to...
If I did not suffer from untreated Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, I would love to write a whimsical book about how the records of Wade Denning helped shape me as a person, helped make me the person I am today...maybe one day...
Anyway.
I came across this mysterious, Cleveland-based (that is, recorded here in the best location in the nation) record a few years:
The Bleeding Mirror and other original tales of the supernatural.
I have yet to find any information about it - other than what the liner notes tell us:
The theme of the album is horror - sheer occult horror to ice your spine and tingle your nerve ends. These are stories for a stormy night, when the fire is low and the hour is late.
The author of these tales are uniquely fitted for the task. Evelyn Martin and William Wray were both born with a caul - that birth membrane sometimes called "a veil over the face." Those people are blessed - or cursed as the case may be - with a caul over the face of birth, are supposed to have second sight and be granted the power to see things supernatural.
Martin and Wray certainly kept the legend alive, both separately, and since their writing partnership began. Many of these experiences are chronicled in their book, DAMNED THINGS. Since then they have authored several books, including DEVIL'S ARCHWAY, BITTERWEED, and THE DAY THE ANIMALS LEFT.
The Bleeding Mirror is a true story, as is The Rocking Chair. Both Martin and Wray have seen the light at Maco. The authors have been repeated guests on the Alan Douglas Show, (NBC) discussing their supernatural experiences.
Martin and Wray together with Ilene Latter who enacts the female voices on this album, are founders of the Physical Research Society of Northeastern Ohio.
Miss Latter is equally well known in the world of the theatre and the world of radio and television commercials. She is featured on the album together with William Wray and Carl Reese, actor and personality with Storer Broadcasting.
The album is produced by Evelyn Martin. Recording and production engineer is Bob Nowac. The album was recorded at Alcon Recording Studios, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Obviously, these folks are not out to snag the "monster kid" market of the 1970s - this is some serious stuff here. The fact they founded something called the Physical Research Society of Northeastern Ohio, which, I will assume, must have been some sort of organization that did paranormal research tells us that these folks are not out to just give sugared-up kids the creeps.
And the early 1970s is my guess as to when this record hit the shelves or was part of some weird mailorder catalog or was featured as an item for sale in one the illusive books written by Martin and Wray - who knows! It was released on the Macabre record label. The labels logo was just a black circle enclosed in a box - you can see it in the bottom right corner of my shoddy photo.
There was a record label associated with the studio in which the record was recorded. The releases on the label look like they fetch a pretty penny from the hardcore collectors of Northern Soul.
The Halloween records of the 60s/70s were fairly graphic. When I played the classic, Famous Monsters Speak, record for my children, I was taken aback a little by the grotesque descriptions of murder described by Frankenstien's Monster.
Of course, my kids loved it...
But...
Wow...the description of bones cracking in a monster's horrid hands is nothing compared to the much darker regions explored on The Bleeding Mirror and other original tales of the supernatural.
Leave it to a couple of mystics from Cleveland to present us with a tale about the end of the world and the death of...well...listen to "The Answer":
The Answer by Hallandgorcey
Admitedly, some of the performances on the record border on the hysterical. "Don't Bury Me!" for one is a doozy. And, yes, the word "original" in the title of the record might be stretching things more than a bit considering every one of these tales has a classic tale of terror that influenced it. "Don't Bury Me!" is an obvious ode to Edgar Allan Poe's tale, The Premature Burial. "Maco Light" was surely influenced by Charles Dicken's wondrous fright tale, The Signal-Man.
And so on.
But.
For homegrown, obscure "horror-themed" records, Evelyn Martin / William Wray / Ilene Latter / Carl Reese's presentation of The Bleeding Mirror and other original tales of the supernatural is quite fine for this and many other Halloween's to come. Especially the last track of the record...Sheesh!
side 1 - The Bleeding Mirror / Don't Bury Me! / Reincarnation / Maco Light / The Spider
side 2 - Baby Doll / The Rocking Chair / The Ivy Plant / The Answer
Get scared Here!
For more info on Halloween records the ONLY place to go is here. When I discovered Jason Willis and his amazing site six years ago I felt, well, less alone in the dark. HAhahahhahahHAahahaha!
I collect and love Halloween-themed records. I have obsessed over them. I have spent ridiculous amounts of money on them. I've wondered about how sitting by yourself, drinking beer and listening to Halloween sound effects records might not be healthy. I suppose it is a way to go back in time, capture a bit of lost youth, because they DO NOT make Halloween records like they used to...
If I did not suffer from untreated Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, I would love to write a whimsical book about how the records of Wade Denning helped shape me as a person, helped make me the person I am today...maybe one day...
Anyway.
I came across this mysterious, Cleveland-based (that is, recorded here in the best location in the nation) record a few years:
The Bleeding Mirror and other original tales of the supernatural.
I have yet to find any information about it - other than what the liner notes tell us:
The theme of the album is horror - sheer occult horror to ice your spine and tingle your nerve ends. These are stories for a stormy night, when the fire is low and the hour is late.
The author of these tales are uniquely fitted for the task. Evelyn Martin and William Wray were both born with a caul - that birth membrane sometimes called "a veil over the face." Those people are blessed - or cursed as the case may be - with a caul over the face of birth, are supposed to have second sight and be granted the power to see things supernatural.
Martin and Wray certainly kept the legend alive, both separately, and since their writing partnership began. Many of these experiences are chronicled in their book, DAMNED THINGS. Since then they have authored several books, including DEVIL'S ARCHWAY, BITTERWEED, and THE DAY THE ANIMALS LEFT.
The Bleeding Mirror is a true story, as is The Rocking Chair. Both Martin and Wray have seen the light at Maco. The authors have been repeated guests on the Alan Douglas Show, (NBC) discussing their supernatural experiences.
Martin and Wray together with Ilene Latter who enacts the female voices on this album, are founders of the Physical Research Society of Northeastern Ohio.
Miss Latter is equally well known in the world of the theatre and the world of radio and television commercials. She is featured on the album together with William Wray and Carl Reese, actor and personality with Storer Broadcasting.
The album is produced by Evelyn Martin. Recording and production engineer is Bob Nowac. The album was recorded at Alcon Recording Studios, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Obviously, these folks are not out to snag the "monster kid" market of the 1970s - this is some serious stuff here. The fact they founded something called the Physical Research Society of Northeastern Ohio, which, I will assume, must have been some sort of organization that did paranormal research tells us that these folks are not out to just give sugared-up kids the creeps.
And the early 1970s is my guess as to when this record hit the shelves or was part of some weird mailorder catalog or was featured as an item for sale in one the illusive books written by Martin and Wray - who knows! It was released on the Macabre record label. The labels logo was just a black circle enclosed in a box - you can see it in the bottom right corner of my shoddy photo.
There was a record label associated with the studio in which the record was recorded. The releases on the label look like they fetch a pretty penny from the hardcore collectors of Northern Soul.
The Halloween records of the 60s/70s were fairly graphic. When I played the classic, Famous Monsters Speak, record for my children, I was taken aback a little by the grotesque descriptions of murder described by Frankenstien's Monster.
Of course, my kids loved it...
But...
Wow...the description of bones cracking in a monster's horrid hands is nothing compared to the much darker regions explored on The Bleeding Mirror and other original tales of the supernatural.
Leave it to a couple of mystics from Cleveland to present us with a tale about the end of the world and the death of...well...listen to "The Answer":
The Answer by Hallandgorcey
Admitedly, some of the performances on the record border on the hysterical. "Don't Bury Me!" for one is a doozy. And, yes, the word "original" in the title of the record might be stretching things more than a bit considering every one of these tales has a classic tale of terror that influenced it. "Don't Bury Me!" is an obvious ode to Edgar Allan Poe's tale, The Premature Burial. "Maco Light" was surely influenced by Charles Dicken's wondrous fright tale, The Signal-Man.
And so on.
But.
For homegrown, obscure "horror-themed" records, Evelyn Martin / William Wray / Ilene Latter / Carl Reese's presentation of The Bleeding Mirror and other original tales of the supernatural is quite fine for this and many other Halloween's to come. Especially the last track of the record...Sheesh!
side 1 - The Bleeding Mirror / Don't Bury Me! / Reincarnation / Maco Light / The Spider
side 2 - Baby Doll / The Rocking Chair / The Ivy Plant / The Answer
Get scared Here!
For more info on Halloween records the ONLY place to go is here. When I discovered Jason Willis and his amazing site six years ago I felt, well, less alone in the dark. HAhahahhahahHAahahaha!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
31 Uncanny Bits of Terror for October - Day Thirty: A William Conrad Halloween.
I admire William Conrad. What a career the man had!
He was a radio personality.
A welcome heavy in any film noir.
The narrator of one of the best cartoon series known to man or moose!
A TV star.
And a director.
It is this field that William Conrad seemed to find a quirky, sinister voice that deserves a cult following. He did a lot of directing of TV shows throughout the 50s and 60s, but it is his five full-length features that deserve a look by any viewer who digs a bit of darkness. His first, The Man from Galveston (1963), is a fast paced courtroom drama dressed in cowboy duds. It is in the four films that came after that Conrad chose to wander down darker alleys. It is these that we will concern ourselves with during this scary time of year.
He was also the producer of the earliest three, so we can assume he had more control.
Two on a Guillotine (1965)
Based on a story by Henry Slesar, Two on a Guillotine is a spooky ride! Coffins, Morgues, Lunatic Magicians, Cemeteries. What more can you ask for? It is Halloween after all.
My Blood Runs Cold (1965)
More insanity here as Troy Donahue thinks Joey Heatherton is a long dead ancestor....
Brainstorm (1965)
Mr. Conrad seems to really love using insanity as a plot device. Jeffrey Hunter fakes insanity to get out of a murder charge in this excellent film noir which is probably the best of the three films he made in the 1960s.
All four of the films he directed in the 60s are available on DVD via the Warner Brothers Archive Collection.
The most obscure (meaning you can only find it on VHS) of the William Conrad directed oddities is the film Side Show (1981). It was produced by Sid and Marty Krofft (?) and it is probably the weirdest of all his full-length films. I own it, but it has been years since I have viewed it. I hesitated to comment much on any of the films listed here, because I have not seen them in a LONG time. They all sit upon my shelf, so I will get to it one of these days!!
You see...I was too busy ripping a copy of William Conrad's Halloween Record for all of you to enjoy.
Spirits and Spooks For Halloween summoned up by William Conrad (1973 - Caedmon Records)
Side one - The Merry Night of Halloween / The Ghost's Song / Fereyel and Debbo Engal the Witch
Side two - The Hag / The Secret Commonwealth / The Horny-goloch / How a Witch Tried to Kill a King / Suppose You Met a Witch / The Strange Visitor
Get it HERE!!
He was a radio personality.
A welcome heavy in any film noir.
The narrator of one of the best cartoon series known to man or moose!
A TV star.
And a director.
It is this field that William Conrad seemed to find a quirky, sinister voice that deserves a cult following. He did a lot of directing of TV shows throughout the 50s and 60s, but it is his five full-length features that deserve a look by any viewer who digs a bit of darkness. His first, The Man from Galveston (1963), is a fast paced courtroom drama dressed in cowboy duds. It is in the four films that came after that Conrad chose to wander down darker alleys. It is these that we will concern ourselves with during this scary time of year.
He was also the producer of the earliest three, so we can assume he had more control.
Two on a Guillotine (1965)
Based on a story by Henry Slesar, Two on a Guillotine is a spooky ride! Coffins, Morgues, Lunatic Magicians, Cemeteries. What more can you ask for? It is Halloween after all.
My Blood Runs Cold (1965)
More insanity here as Troy Donahue thinks Joey Heatherton is a long dead ancestor....
Brainstorm (1965)
Mr. Conrad seems to really love using insanity as a plot device. Jeffrey Hunter fakes insanity to get out of a murder charge in this excellent film noir which is probably the best of the three films he made in the 1960s.
All four of the films he directed in the 60s are available on DVD via the Warner Brothers Archive Collection.
The most obscure (meaning you can only find it on VHS) of the William Conrad directed oddities is the film Side Show (1981). It was produced by Sid and Marty Krofft (?) and it is probably the weirdest of all his full-length films. I own it, but it has been years since I have viewed it. I hesitated to comment much on any of the films listed here, because I have not seen them in a LONG time. They all sit upon my shelf, so I will get to it one of these days!!
You see...I was too busy ripping a copy of William Conrad's Halloween Record for all of you to enjoy.
Spirits and Spooks For Halloween summoned up by William Conrad (1973 - Caedmon Records)
Side one - The Merry Night of Halloween / The Ghost's Song / Fereyel and Debbo Engal the Witch
Side two - The Hag / The Secret Commonwealth / The Horny-goloch / How a Witch Tried to Kill a King / Suppose You Met a Witch / The Strange Visitor
Get it HERE!!
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