Tuesday's Overlooked Films and/or Other A/V on Thursday: more links

Sin Takes a Holiday

Below, the links to this week's reviews and citations; terribly sorry for the various delays this week. As always, please let me know in comments when I've missed yours or someone else's...and, as always, thanks to all our contributors and to you readers...

April Richardson and Paul F. Tompkins: Saved by the Bell: "Class Rings"

Anne Billson: The Tall Man

Bill Crider: The Big Easy  [trailer]

The Big Easy

Brian Arnold: City of Philadelphia Archival Films

BV Lawson: Media Murder

Dan Stumpf: The Hatchet Man

David Vineyard: Serenade; Moonlight Murder; My Gun is Quick

Ed Gorman: Decision at Sundown

Ed Lynskey: Kraft Suspense Theatre (aka Suspense Theatre aka Crisis): "Are There Any More Out There Like You?"  [a Kraft Suspense Theatre blog]

Jessica Biel in The Tall Man

Elizabeth Foxwell: A Shriek in the Night; Rod Serling

Evan Lewis: Here's Flash Casey

Francis Nevins: Mike Hammer (1950s tv series)

Gary M. Dobbs: My Name is Nobody

George Kelley: The Escape Artist

How Did This Get Made?: Mr. Nanny

Iba Dawson: Eli Wallach

Ivan G. Shreve, Jr.: Pat Novak for Hire

Jack Seabrook: Alfred Hitchcock Presents: "The Last Remains" (by Henry Slesar)

Jackie Kashian: Helen McCarthy and Andy Ashcraft and Josh Jordan at A-Kon

Farscape

Jacqueline T. Lynch: The Great Caruso

Jake Hinkson: Raymond Burr

James Reasoner: Some Came Running

Jayme Lynn Blaschke: Farscape: "Till the Blood Runs Clear"

Jerry House: The Adventures of Superman (1940s radio); He Walked by Night

J. Kingston Pierce: You Tubing

John Charles: The Breed

John Grant: The Clock; The Young Captives; The Spy in Black; Out of the Past (1947 film); The Awful Truth; A Public Ransom

Jonathan Lewis: Battles of Chief Pontiac; The Amazing Transparent Man; Girls on Probation; Fire Over England 

American Gigolo

Kliph Nesteroff: Paul Mazursky; The Joey Bishop Show 1968: Susan Hayward; Don Rickles

Laura: West of the River; Chase a Crooked Shadow; The Counterfeit Plan

Lucy Brown: Kind Hearts and Coronets

Martin Edwards: American Gigolo; Frenzy

Marty McKee: Tarzan's Greatest Adventure; Harper Valley PTA

Mystery Dave: Under the Tuscan Sun

Patti Abbott: The Book of Mormon; Femmes fatales in film

The Last Seduction

Prashant Trikannad: Flight of the Phoenix (2004 film/remake)

Randy Johnson: Trial; It Can Be Done, Amigo (aka Si può fare...amigo)

Rick: Robinson Crusoe on Mars; Elizabeth R

Rod Lott: The Legend of Hercules

Ron Scheer: Jimmy P.

Sergio Angelini: Archangel

Coherence

Stacia Jones: The Battered Bastards of Baseball; Coherence

Stephen Bowie: The Andy Griffith Show

Steve Lewis: Three Violent People; The King Murder; No Hands on the Clock

Yvette Banek: Sin Takes a Holiday

Michael Stamm notes: "[This is] a dark, lovely and enchanting short (just over 10 minutes) fantasy film with some very eerie elements:" "Premier Automne"
Premier Automne from Carlos De Carvalho on Vimeo.

Saturday Music Club: some punk rock (one of the video images, below the opening images, is probably NSFW)

The Ex: "Ay, Carmela" 
(contrast the Weavers' "Venga Jaleo" and Lila Downs's "El Quinto Regimiento")


Jawbox: Peel Session 1994: "Static"; "Tongues"; "Chinese Fork Tie"; "Cooling Card"; "68"


Jawbox: Austin, Texas 9/94: "Tongues": "Motorist" (inspired by J. G. Ballard's Crash)

"Motorist" from the album For Your Own Special Sweetheart

The Adverts: "Gary Gilmore's Eyes"


X: "Surprise Surprise" (in concert at Farm Aid, 1986)


Autoclave: "Dr. Seuss"


Husker Du: "Could You Be the One" (most of it) after brief foolish Bryant Gumbel i/v on The Today Show


Spitboy: "Ultimate Violations" 


Crucial Youth: "Positive Dental Outlook"


Jello Biafra interviewed in France last year:

at last, another FFB: SUPERNATURAL FICTION WRITERS: CONTEMPORARY FANTASY AND HORROR 2nd Edition, edited by Richard Bleiler (Scribners 2003)

In this ridiculously busy week, after a busy and extremely sad week, I've been considering doing posts on several books (and notable magazine issues) but have been putting them aside for now, so that I could read further and think about them some more...and I've noted that while several libraries share online an awkward table that lists the subjects and contributors to this fine (if very expensive) supplementary second edition to Richard Bleiler's father's 1985 Supernatural Fiction Writers, I've taken the data from that table and made it a bit easier to parse...subjects in italics first, contributors second:

Volume 1 Introduction p. xi List of Contributors p. xvii Peter Ackroyd Paul Kincaid p. 1 Robert Aickman John Clute p. 9 Joan Aiken John Clute p. 21 Poul Anderson Ed McKnight p. 33 Piers Anthony Solomon Davidoff p. 45 Paul Auster Paul Kincaid p. 53 Clive Barker K. A. Laity p. 61 Peter Beagle Darrell Schweitzer p. 71 Michael Bishop Paul Di Filippo p. 79 James P. Blaylock Mark Wingenfeld p. 89 Robert Bloch Stefan Dziemianowicz p. 99 Ray Bradbury Willis McNelly p. 115 Scott Bradfield Claude Lalumiere p. 123 Marion Zimmer Bradley Paula Johanson p. 129 Poppy Z. Brite Brian Stableford p. 147 Terry Brooks Nick Andreychuk p. 153 Steven Brust Patricia Brogan p. 161 Pat Cadigan Don Riggs p. 169 Ramsey Campbell K. A. Laity p. 177 Orson Scott Card Gary Westfahl p. 189 Jonathan Carroll Brian Stableford p. 201 Angela Carter Gina Wisker p. 209 Nancy Collins Monica J. O'Rourke p. 221 Storm Constantine Christopher Treagus p. 227 Glen Cook Gary Westfahl p. 233 Susan Cooper  Elizabeth Hand p. 239 John Crowley Elizabeth Hand p. 245 Avram Davidson Henry Wessells p. 253 Charles de Lint Christine Mains p. 267 Samuel R. Delany Brian Stableford p. 277 Paul di Filippo Claude Lalumiere p. 285 Thomas M. Disch Darrell Schweitzer p. 293 Stephen R. Donaldson Walter E. Meyers p. 299 Tananarive Due Mary Anne Mohanraj p. 309 Dave Duncan Martin Morse Wooster p. 315 David Eddings John D. Teehan p. 323 Harlan Ellison Gary K. Wolfe p. 331 Steve Erickson Paul Kincaid p. 341 Dennis Etchison Fiona Kelleghan p. 347 Raymond Elias Feist Scott D. Vander Ploeg p. 355 Esther M. Friesner Gary Westfahl p. 361 Neil Gaiman Gary K. Wolfe p. 369 Alan Garner Brian Attebery p. 377 Ray Garton Michael T. Huyck, Jr. p. 385 Charles L. Grant  T. Liam McDonald p. 391 Alasdair Gray Jeff VanderMeer p. 403 Elizabeth Hand Cherie Wein p. 413 M. John Harrison Elizabeth Hand p. 419 Mark Helprin Maureen Speller p. 427 Russell Hoban Brian Stableford p. 435 Robert Holdstock David Langford p. 445 Tom Holt Ian Nichols p. 455 Barry Hughart Jeff VanderMeer p. 461 Rhys Henry Hughes E. F. Bleiler p. 467 Robert Irwin Brian Stableford p. 473 Shirley Jackson Jack Sullivan p. 479 Diana Wynne Jones Helen H. Thompson p. 485 Robert Jordan Neal Baker p. 493 Graham Joyce Brian Stableford p. 503 Volume 2  Guy Gavriel Kay Christine Mains p. 509 Jack Ketchum Fiona Kelleghan p. 517 Stephen King Richard Bleiler p. 525 Kathe Koja Steffen Hantke p. 541 Dean Koontz Greg Beatty p. 551 William Kotzwinkle Bud Webster p. 561 Nancy Kress Maureen Speller p. 569 Katherine Kurtz Kelly A. O'Connor-Salomon p. 575 Mercedes Lackey Justin Gustainis p. 585 R. A. Lafferty Chris Morgan p. 593 Joe R. Lansdale Stefan Dziemianowicz p. 603 Ursula K. Le Guin Elizabeth Cummins p. 613 Tanith Lee Jessica Reisman p. 633 Fritz Leiber Brian Stableford p. 643 Thomas Ligotti Darrell Schweitzer p. 653 Bentley Little Keith Neilson p. 659 George R. R. Martin E. C. McMullen Jr. p. 667 Richard Matheson Keith Neilson p. 673 William Mayne John Clute p. 685 Anne McCaffrey David Langford p. 693 Robert McCammon Richard Bleiler and Hunter Goatley p. 705 Ian McEwan Jack Slay, Jr. p. 715 Patrick McGrath Jay McRoy p. 723 Patricia A. McKillip Jessica Reisman p. 729 Michael Moorcock Rhys Hughes p. 737 James Morrow Brian Stableford p. 749 Kim Newman Claude Lalumiere p. 757 Andre Norton Charlene Brusso p. 767 Joyce Carol Oates (and, briefly, Kate Wilhelm) Todd Mason p. 775 Tim Powers Ian Nichols p. 785 Terry Pratchett David Langford p. 791 Katherine Ptacek Richard Bleiler p. 803 Philip Pullman Andrew Butler p. 809 Anne Rice Christopher Treagus p. 817 J. K. Rowling Brian Stableford p. 825 David J. Schow Darrell Schweitzer p. 833 Michael Shea Brian Stableford p. 839 Lucius Shepard Graham Sleight p. 845 John Shirley Jeff Prickman p. 855 Robert Silverberg Arthur Hlavaty p. 863 Dan Simmons  Greg Beatty p. 875 S. P. Somtow Gary Westfahl p. 883 Brian Stableford David Langford p. 891 Peter Straub John Clute p. 903 Thomas Burnett Swann John Clute p. 915 Lisa Tuttle Janice M. Bogstad p. 923 Sydney J. Van Scyoc Janice M. Bogstad p. 929 Jack Vance Thomas Marcinko p. 935 Jeff VanderMeer Ian Nichols p. 945 Howard Waldrop  John Clute p. 951 Nancy Willard  Brian Stableford p. 959 Chet Williamson T. Liam McDonald p. 967 F. Paul Wilson Justin Gustainis p. 973 Gene Wolfe Robert Borski p. 981 Chelsea Quinn Yarbro Janice M. Bogstad p. 993 Jane Yolen Gary K. Wolfe p. 1003 Roger Zelazny Jane Lindskold p. 1011 Index p. 1025 That first, 1985, edition, with a much though not totally different "cast"...

The essays in the 2003 set are a mixed bag, with the worst of them offering at least useful pointers and some interesting observations about the writers in question; my own essay is neither the worst nor the best, was written and (more importantly) researched in the time around my often overtime-heavy job among other matters, and manages at least to slip some discussion of Kate Wilhelm into the book, she being more worthy than a few who were selected by editor and contributor Richard Bleiler, probably in negotiation with his editors. (The copy-editors did an excellent job on my essay, by the way...not something one hears often these years, even or perhaps particularly in academic publishing.) And the best of them are excellent surveys of their topics, as one could hope from the assembled scholars (several of these essays are by the most devoted scholars one could imagine undertaking the task, such as Henry Wessells on Avram Davidson...that John Clute doesn't do the Elizabeth Hand essay robs us of a certain perspective that life-partnership can bring, but otherwise is probably a good idea, even as not having Hand do the Hand essay herself, despite a handy potential title "On Hand, by Hand"). The gang here ranges from fellow UConn present and former faculty (such as Kate Laity)(Go Huskies!) to folks spread, rather thinly at some edges, around the Anglophone world (there are no primarily non-English-text writers as subjects in this volume, arguably a flaw, but so many other such surveys would seek Respectability in highlighting self-tagged or [like Mark Helprin] foolishly fantasy-resentful magical realists at the expense of the Robert Blochs, or even the Shirley Jacksons or Angela Carters). Perhaps at this point, S. P. Somtow, who would sign early work as Somtow Sucharitkul, has published a fair amount of fiction also in Siamese; other exceptions might apply.

The writers covered are a mixed bag, as well, most among the key fantasists of our time, some in for being important rather than actually good (Terry Brooks, Stephen Donaldson, Robert Jordan, Piers Anthony most of the time; I would perhaps more controversially also suggest Orson Scott Card, as, say, Brooks's appeal has never been strong to critical readers) and a few in for being more excellent than influential (Pat Cadigan as fantasist probably qualifies thus and Oates almost does--though she's continuing to notably contribute to the fantasticated; R. A. Lafferty almost so, though if there's a single grandfather, rather than nine hundred [labored injoke warning], to the New Weird, he's Lafferty)[engine-searching "Nine Hundred" and Lafferty will answer the question you might now have...it the book is reasonably priced, you should buy it].

This remains the only writing of mine between boards (aside from a high-school yearbook and passages quoted in someone's doctoral thesis, published by a small press) that I'm aware of, but the scope and ambition of the work is most of the reason I can encourage you to Go Look at library copies, unless you're very wealthy and/or very lucky in stumbling across an inexpensive copy...younger Bleiler, with some obstacles in his way, tapped some of our best critics and researchers and sophisticated fans for these essays, and this, particularly collectively, carries the day. 

The proud editor/contributor, Richard Bleiler

For far more prompt FFBs on this holiday (this one either several hours or a week late or both, depending on how you look at it), please see Patti Abbott's blog.

Tuesday's Overlooked Films and/or Other A/V: the links

Reign of Fire

Below, the links to this week's reviews and citations. As always, please let me know in comments when I've missed yours or someone else's...and, as always, thanks to all our contributors and to you readers...

Anne Billson: City of Angels among other 1998 releases and rereleases; The Life of Oharu (aka Saikaku Ichidai Onna)

Bill Crider: Reign of Fire  [trailer]

Brian Arnold: Primary Colors

BV Lawson: Media Murder

David Vineyard: A Fine Pair; Stormbreaker

Ed Lynskey: The Petrified Forest (1936 film)

Elizabeth Foxwell: 23 Paces to Baker Street; Mrs. Pollifax: Spy

Evan Lewis: Philip Marlowe, Private Eye: "The Pencil"

George Kelley: The Spectacular Spider-Man (tv animation)

Iba Dawson: A Coffee in Berlin (aka Oh Boy); Eli Wallach 

Ivan G. Shreve, Jr.: Marcel Perez silent comedy shorts; blogathons; TCM in July

Jackie Kashian: manga and anime with Kristen Maguire (live at AKon)

Jacqueline T. Lynch: Mrs. Miniver; The World in His Arms

James Reasoner: Dazed and Confused

Jerry House: NBC Matinee Theater: "Dark of the Moon"

John Charles: Frostbiter

John Grant: You Have to Run Fast; Violent Moment

Jonathan Lewis: The Beast of Hollow Mountain

Kate Laity: Leicester Comic Con

Kliph Nesteroff: Orson Bean

Laura: Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion; TCM July

Lucy Brown: Judy Garland Week

Marty McKee: Never Take Sweets from a Stranger

Mystery Dave: Aeon Flux (the film)

Patti Abbott: Wake in Fright; films you'd watch even with commercials

Prashant Trikkanad: Musings on films and more

Randy Johnson: The Rifleman (tv); Rojo (aka El rojo)

Rick: One of Our Aircraft is Missing;  Glynis Johns

Ron Scheer: Longmire

"Rupert Pupkin": Dust Be My Destiny; Saturday's Children

Sergio Angelini: Book to Movie Challenge

Stacia Jones: Whitey: The United States of America v. James J. Bulger

Stephen Bowie: Seamon Glass

Steve Lewis: Docks of New Orleans (Charlie Chan); The Utah Kid (with Boris Karloff); Forty Naughty Girls

Walker Martin: Frank M. Robinson, 1926-2014

Yvette Banek: Special Bulletin?

Obligatory feline gallery (now visible in most browsers):

Niki (tan and white tuxedo female), Domino (large white and black tom), Emma (smaller white and black female)--Domino is economy-sized, Emma travel-sized.

Ninja (young tabby female) about to begin a mission.

Emma (almost) asleep in one of her favorite blankets.

Niki in her favorite toy/throne. ("I have a basket!")

Emma liked a lot of blankets, however.



































Domino curled up with a fairly recently vet-shaved patch on his side.

Domino and Ninja, looking in the general direction of Niki...

Photos by Elizabeth Hoepfner, Alice Chang and Todd Mason

June's Underappreciated Music: the links

The monthly assembly of undervalued and often nearly "lost" music, or simply music the blogger in question wants to remind you reader/listeners of....or, in Bill's first example, to remind you why the past isn't solely a treasure-trove...

Judith Owen: "Let's Hear It for Love"


Patti Abbott: Tuesday Night Music; Saturday Night Music; Theme Music; Ennio Morricone Week+

Brian Arnold:  XTC: "Mayor of Simpleton"

Jayme Lynn Blaschke: Friday Night Videos

Lucy Brown: Judy Garland

(Mr.) Terry Gibbs Quartet featuring (Ms.) Terry Pollard: "Nutty Notes"

Jim C.: Terry Pollard

Sean Coleman:  Jimmy Nicol and his time with the Beatles

Bill Crider: Forgotten Music: The Ethel Merman Disco Album; Song of the Day 

Jeff Gemmill: First Aid Kit

Jerry House: Patrick Sky; Hymn Time; much else on a daily basis

Randy Johnson: Robert Cray: Strong Persuader

George Kelley: The Animals: the original band

The Animals: "Worried Life Blues"


Evan Lewis: Riders in the Sky: "The Ballad of Davy Crockett"

Todd Mason: Horace Silver; the biggest hits of the 3rd Stream; newish folk-rock/new music/adjacent; Indonesian dance

Lawrence Person: Shoegazer Sunday

Rainy Day (the album)


Charlie Ricci: Sterling Harrison: South of the Snooty Fox; Judith Owen

Ron Scheer: Family musicale, ca. 1870

Judith Owen, Richard Thompson, Debra Dobkin: "See My Friends"