David Carradine vs Michael Jai White — Kill Bill 2 : deleted scene
December 29th, 2011 by Mr. C
I never knew about the deleted scene in Kill Bill 2 that showcased the fight between David Carradine and Michael Jai White…Kung fu style, until one of the outlawz from planet chocko reminded me about this! Now I know why the scene was deleted. It looks like it was Quentin Tarantino’s attempt to pay homage to the old skool kung fu movies with the horrible but humorous dubbing that we all grew up to love! In any event, the deleted scene was comical and had potential but it definitely seemed out of place. How cool would it have been if the fight sequence was done straight up with a more serious & pissed off Michael Jai White in all his badass karate glory vs the tag team of Carradine & Uma Thurman?! Then again, Kwai Chang Caine probably wouldn’t have wanted that!
Check out the deleted scene on the Kill Bill 2 DVD extras or see it below…
courtesy of muzzlewump via @youtube
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All Star Western #1
December 27th, 2011 by Mr. C
“He had no friends, this Jonah Hex…But he did have two companions…one was death itself..the other, the acrid smell of gun smoke.“
Part of the new 52 from DC comics, I finally caught up with ALL STAR WESTERN #1. The story takes place in the sleazy & grimey-urban confines of Gotham City set in the 1880’s. Jonah Hex, a severly scarred up, outlaw bounty hunter outfitted in a confederate uniform accompanied by his only friends, two long barreled revolvers on each hand, steps into this urban hell-hole known as gotham looking to collect bounties on 3 men. Right from the start, bullets & bodies would start flying around like there was some cheap fire sale going on! In parallel, a string of serial murders involving prostitutes would spring up in gotham. Dr. Amadeus Arkham, a medical doctor with specialties in the psychology realm would get enlisted to help with solving these murders of passion. Unfortunately, Amadeus will need the help from an abrasive-cranky one man machine known as Jonah Hex.
Story written by Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti — artwork by Moritat.
Hey, can someone tell Jonah that the civil war is over & that his side lost!?
All Star Western – Check it — Thumbs up!
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5 Pointz – long island city
December 19th, 2011 by Mr. C
We went strolling by the mecca of graffiti in queens yesterday on a cold sunday afternoon and discovered a few new goodies on the wall including a dedication to Jam Master Jay by Obe,Peril, & Paris, a hip hop tribute by the jellybean lady of 5 pointz straight outta Japan — Shiro, & a neat piece by Lake! Yok and Creepy made their presence known with an Owl & the Bird Man! There was also a really cool wall outfitted with an octopus getting quite intimate with a skulled out statue of liberty!
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Fred Armisen played Other Music
December 17th, 2011 by chocko
Last Sunday, Fred Armisen was scheduled to make an appearance at Other Music, a local NYC record store for what was billed as Fred Armisen’s Playlist LIVE. I was totally expecting the well known comedian of Saturday Night Live and Portlandia to just show up to the store, plug in an ipod and press play. Little did I know, Armisen would bring the noise while surrounding himself with amps, guitar pedals and playing a variety of instruments including an electronic drum set, guitar, bass, and a Drum Buddy which is a light activated, rotating drum machine invented by New Orleans musician, Quintron. Drum Buddy…youtube that shit. It’s crazy!
The crowd that showed up was treated to a special night of songs by bands such as The Clash, The Stranglers, Kraftwerk, Hüsker Dü and Devo. Armisen utilized every instrument on nearly every song with the help of a loop pedal. Some highlights from the set were “Police On My Back” by The Clash, “Pocket Calculator” by Kraftwerk and “Life Goes On” by The Damned which he described as his favorite song ever! Armisen joked around with the crowd in between songs and did a little “showing off” by playing the bass line to Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” and taking an audience request of Prince by playing a snippet of “Raspberry Beret.”
Armisen announced that he wanted to make this a weekly event somewhere in the city (he mentioned Union Pool in Brooklyn as a possible spot) where he could just get on a stage and play some of his favorite songs. He also invited anybody that wanted to play or sing to be a part of it too. Clearly he is passionate about his music and hopefully we get a chance to see Armisen’s one-man punk band play again soon.
Fred Armisen performing “Police On My Back” by THE CLASH
Fred Armisen performing “Life Goes On” by THE DAMNED
(photos by chocko)
Tags: drum buddy, fred armisen, in store performance, nyc new york city, portlandia, punk, saturday night live, snl
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Bamboo House of Dolls (1973) — Congrats, Sir Run Run Shaw!
December 16th, 2011 by Mr. C
Director: Gwai Chi Hung
Producer: Shaw Brothers Studio
Stars: Betty Duth, Lo Lieh, Wong Hap
Genre: women in prison, exploitation
What’s up y’all! I’m back from a lightweight bout riddled by a case of the peking opera-holiday blues. A few stomps on some old fax machines and the removal of some flairs proved to be a nice remedy of wonton-noodle soup for the soul! Now, back to the movie un-reviews of trashy hong kong gems to smash any remnants of fake festive cheer!?
First off, congratulations to 104 year old Sir Run Run Shaw on his retirement from Hong Kong TVB at the end of this year! What’s the ancient chinese secret for longevity, Mr. Shaw? Lo Pan (James Hong) from Big Trouble in Little China can probably take a few pointers from you! If you ask me, I think the magic elixir could be traced back to the creation of his Shaw Brothers studio! A nice dosage of sexploitation, kong fu, T’s and “A” , & cute chicks will turn any frown upside down! Ah-hemm, this seems to be a nice segue to drop down mentions about the Shaw Brother film, Bamboo House of Doll’s!
Some say this is a cheap copycat of similiar proportions from the women in prison films by Roger Corman like The Big Doll House starring Pam Grier in particular and they are probably right, but hurt me-hurt me…I still enjoyed it!
The Big Doll House & Bamboo House of Dolls shared the same quality with the women in lockdown theme while being sadistically tortured and raped but Bamboo is centered more towards nationalism and the Japanese troops invading China on a mad hunt to look for this pot of gold. Any guerillas or rebels in china standing in their way would get killed without any rice spilled. Chinese women and a few american red cross nurses would get rounded up and imprisoned into a concentration camp for further pleasure prodding & poking by the Japanese militiary which includes some girl on girl action initiated by Miko, a Japanese lady in command! Even the blind would not be left untouched! In certain scenes, the ladies in prison looked like they were having entirely too much fun for damsels in extreme distress especially during the sensual bathing sequences! Hey, that works for me! Food fights escalating into full blown cat throwdowns dissolving into frolicking & rolling around on the ground with their tops yanked off was pretty festive or cough, cough….horrible!
It wasn’t all fun & games though as the distraught ladies looked for an escape route as the Japanese looked for ways to coerce one of the captives, Hong Yulan into divulging the location of where the gold was. Here’s the kicker – one of the women captives is acting as a spy for the japanese! Another surprise would cast Shaw Brother great, Lo Lieh – playing the role of Cui Guidon, a chinese orphan raised by the Japanese. He would be a very important piece to the story!
Bamboo House of Dolls is every bit as distasteful, gaudy, & sadistic as a Shaw Brother exploitation film can get which makes it all so fun! It was nice seeing Lo Lieh sink his fangs into a white woman as his love interest instead of his usual roles of playing a badass martial arts master like in “King Boxer” otherwise known as “5 Fingers of Death” ! This movie is worth your time if you like trashy & smutty films — Shaw Style!
Tags: mr c, shaw brothers
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Pooperazzi: Photos From Outer Space 2
December 12th, 2011 by chocko
Tyrese at J&R Music World for the release of his new album, Open Invitation. I got him to sign a comic book he wrote titled Mayhem.
Fred Armisen at J&R Music World during his Portlandia Season One DVD Signing. He’s such a nice guy! Don’t you wanna high five the photo?
Lynne Ramsay (director), Tilda Swinton and some little cast members at the premiere of We Need To Talk About Kevin at Sunshine Cinema. Kathy Griffin seen at the Creperie NYC in the West Village.
Sasha Grey at San Diego Comic Con promoting her voice acting in the video game Saints Row: The Third. Olivia Munn and the OMFG hang out on the grass during the SDCC for a game of duck, duck, goose.
Charlie Wilson at J&R for the release of his new album Just Charlie.
Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and Henry Rollins at McNally Jackson Books for the release of Henry’s photo book titled Occupants.
(all photos by chocko)
Tags: fred armisen, henry rollins, photos, sasha gray, tilda swinton
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The Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival 2011
December 10th, 2011 by chocko
The Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Fest, a celebration of cartoon and graphic art took place last week at the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church. The gym and basement were packed with exhibitors from the underground to the more established Drawn & Quarterly, Fantagraphics and Top Shelf crews. The place was buzzing with art and creativity and every year it is an inspiring place to be. The BCGF has been a free event and this year they included programming at a nearby venue, Union Pool and a film series at Spectacle Theater. Going to this festival has become a yearly tradition and hopefully there are many more BCGF’s to come.
Jack Davis. This guy is the man…an American master of cartoons and illustration since the 1950’s, drawing for EC Comics, MAD Magazine, and Humbug. We went to the Q+A panel where Mr. Davis talked about his early days in his career and how he later got jobs illustrating movie posters, album covers and drawing for publications such as Time Magazine and TV Guide. He spoke with a slow, charming southern drawl and treated the packed room to many recollections and stories. He is a humble gentleman with amazing work ethic and endless talent. Fantagraphics just released a book titled Jack Davis: Drawing American Pop Culture – A Career Retrospective. I need that on my book shelf!
After his Q+A, Jack Davis hung out signed books, posters, and record albums at the Fantagraphics table. I got my Humbug Box Set signed!
Box Brown of Everything Dies was at the Retrofit Comics table along with Josh Bayer and Pat Aulisio. I picked up Josh and Pat’s recent insane collaboration, The Unforgiving Blade of Conon. I also bought a copy of Box Brown’s Roussimoff which is about the life of Andre The Giant.
Fort Thunder’s C.F. and underground legend Gary Panther sketch at the debut of Kramers Ergot 8 released by PictureBox. I saw Gary sketch with his eyes closed. It came out better than what I could ever draw.
Gabrielle Bell and Dash Snow keep their head down, busily drawing while Frank Santoro demonstrates his comic book kung fu skills.
Panels and Q+A’s took place a couple of blocks away at Union Pool and were also free and open to the public. We got to see Jack Davis in a rare public appearance, Phoebe Gloeckner talk about her new project about the unsolved murders of women in Ciudad Juárez and C.F. and Brian Ralph from the Providence, RI art scene talk about comics and their start at the now defunct art space, Fort Thunder. Pictured above is David Sandlin, John Porcellino and Garbrielle Bell discussing their writing techniques.
Tags: bcgf, gabrielle bell, gary panther, jack davis, kramers ergot 8, retrofit comics
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Chiller Theatre 2011
December 2nd, 2011 by chocko
Last October, the Chiller Theatre Expo invaded the toxic suburbs of New Jersey, uniting fans of horror, sci-fi (shout-out to the late Forrest J. Ackerman!), b-movies and everything in between straight out the basements. There’s always something for everyone at the the bi-annual convention from special movie screenings, guest panels, model & art contests and live music. Special guests from around the globe made their appearance to shake some hands and autograph stuff. Chocko and Mr. C went on a Friday night for a less crowded and funky experience. The next Chiller is in April. Don’t you ghastly ghouls and giddy goons miss out!
The very cool Planet Of The Apes Costume Exhibit…too realistic and kinda scary. “Take your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape!”
Torrie Wilson looking more than ready to wrestle
Michale Graves…ex-Misfits vocalist, singer of Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg and solo artist. Excellent makeup job-sure to drive the ghouls crazy!
Richard Kiel, the 7’2″ steel-toothed villain of Moonraker takes a coffee break. Kiel was the original choice to portray the Incredible Hulk in the 70’s television series, but after 2 days of filming he was replaced with the more musclebound and bulky Lou Ferrigno.
Elvira makes her last east coast convention appearance. Say it isn’t so!
Pam Grier, one of my all time favorite actresses and the kick-ass queen of blaxploitation films! I wanted her autograph, but at 35 bucks a pop, this sucka’s keeping the wallet closed! Bo Svenson was also in the house…he was in the original Inglorious Bastards (1978) and will be making his 3rd cameo in a Tarantino movie in the upcoming Django Unchained.
Ed Repka…you might recognize his artwork. He’s done the art on a ton of heavy metal albums including Megadeth, Toxik, Municipal Waste and Death. He drew me an awesome Crimson Ghost sketch.
Here is an original Roger Kastel oil painting which was on display along with other art pieces. Roger is the artist of the Empire Strikes Back movie poster but probably most well known for the iconic Jaws movie poster art. Roger Kastel was so friendly and a pleasure to talk to.
Traci Lords was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. That lady got me doing a triple take…nearly broke my neck. Nosferatu was also seen walking the halls of Chiller. The Legendary Horror Host Zacherley the Cool Ghoul was also in the house! We got Mad Respect for the Horror OG!
There was plenty of stuff for sale at the vendors tables…dolls, movies, models and Zacherley mugs! I bought a few movies: Ilsa She Wolf of The SS (a smutty, trashy classic-definitely not for the squeamish!), Mondo Topless (a documentary by Russ Meyers…the title speaks for itself) and a sci-fi blast from the groovy sixties, Wild Wild Planet.
Santa Claus was in the building styling and profiling.
(photos by chocko)
Tags: chiller theatre, convention, elvira, horror, pam grier, zacherley
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Ronnie Spector at south street seaport–christmas tree lighting
November 27th, 2011 by Mr. C
Probably more parts scrooge than festive usually, we landed the planet chocko mothership on the cobblestone streets of cannon’s walk by South Street Seaport to celebrate the OTHER more diminutive christmas tree lighting in NYC. The main attraction that really drew us in was the performance by the legendary Ronnie Spector (The Ronettes), NYC—East Harlem’s own! But, before we were served with Ms. Spector’s rock n roll with soul–christmas edition, we would be treated by the festive sounds of the Darren Wallis Jazz Trio who threw down some funky renditions of familiar holiday tunes. The School of Rock band from NYC would be next as they covered Nirvana (About a Girl), The Beatles (Because), & a Kinks song that escapes me right now.
The Big Apple Chorus would bat next as they added more fuel to the fire as they lit up the christmas tree with their wonderful harmonies & melodies in addition to a special guest…a scrooge singing on the top row of the chorus! They performed classic holiday music like Have yourself a merry little christmas, Feliz Navidad, Santa Claus is coming to town, Rockin around the xmas tree, Alvin & the Chipmunks’ (hula hoop), Little Saint Nick (Beach Boys), a Jewish hymn, & an Angel Hymn. It was really neat watching the chorus and their facial expressions as they sang! They really got into the performances! The Beach Boys, Alvin & the Chipmunks, & Feliz Navidad songs were my favorites!
Last but not least, the rock n roll bad girl herself–lead singer for The Ronettes from the 1960’s–Ronnie Spector graced south street seaport as she was decked out in glamorous claus wear! She still has the attitude, stage presence, & the soulful–piercing vocals! Chocko & I had last seen Spector perform in the summer at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch park to celebrate girl groups from the past! Before that, planet chocko would usually get treated to Ronnie Spector performing as a special guest at The Ramones’ birthday bashes at Coney Island High & the Continental in the east village! Boy, we miss those days!
Ronnie performed a 4 song set backed by the Big Apple Chorus to celebrate the Christmas Tree lighting at the Seaport as Santa Claus greeted her on the stage! She belted each tune out of the park as she sang Christmas once again, Sleigh Ride, Frosty the Snowman, & Baby I love you! I had a brief & smokey dream of Joey Ramone and The Boss joining her with the festivities!
If you guys haven’t picked up Ronnie Spector’s rendition of Amy Winehouse’s–Back To Black then you should! It’s a great cover & a wonderful tribute to Amy. All proceeds of the single will be donated to Daytop Village, a NYC-based substance abuse center.
Spector is scheduled to perform at the Cutting Room in NYC on December 16 & 17th! Get your tickets, folks! It’s gonna be Ronnie Spector’s best Christmas party ever! Literally!
(all pics by mr. c)
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Kicksville Confidential
November 23rd, 2011 by chocko
This new comic book features true torrid tales by Billy Miller and art by Avi Spivak. The book starts with the story of how Billy, a Brooklyn record dealer, met Miriam Linna, an avid record collector and The Cramps first drummer. The two really hit it off and eventually started Kicks magazine and then in 1986 began releasing some of the sickest, rarest tunes on their own label, Norton Records. Norton Records have been around for 25 years now and still going strong, releasing the best records around from all types of genres including rare rock n’ roll from the fifties and sixties, soul, rockabilly, jazz, garage band music and punk rock.
The book is busting at the seams with facts, profiles and outrageous stories about the artists on the Norton label such as Hasil Adkins, Esquerita, The Mighty Hannibal, Link Wray and Rudy Ray Moore to name a few. One of my favorite stories involved one of my favorite actors of all time…Rudy Ray Moore a.k.a. Dolemite! I never knew he started his career as a blues and R&B singer. I also enjoyed reading how The Mighty Hannibal stole a circus elephant and rode it through the streets of Manhattan. Reading about Esquerita and his street fight with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was definitely a highlight too.
The art in the book is all in glorious black and white, but is very dense with a lot going on in the drawings and panels. The artist, Avi Spivak, also writes and draws a NYC music ‘zine titled “Human Being Lawnmower” where you can find band interviews and more of Avi’s comics. I’ve been a fan of his cartoons and drawings ever since seeing his art on punk rock flyers in NYC. I recommend buying this book and support stores that sell underground comics and keep digging in those dusty record store crates!
Tags: avi spivak, hasil adkins, norton records
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High on Crack Street: Lost lives in Lowell
November 23rd, 2011 by Mr. C
Revisiting this documentary shadowing 3 lost souls with a harrowing crack addiction in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1993 just put a whole new perspective on Thanksgiving day for me. High on Crack Street would follow Brenda, Boo Boo, & Dick Eklund (former pro boxer & older brother of “Irish” Micky Ward) for 18 months up & around in crack houses, jail, rehab, a boxing gym, & a medical clinic. God only knows how much HBO put forth in compensating the troubled trio for their on screen services & voracious habits.
Lowell, Massachussetts was known at one time as being the largest producer of cotton textile in the United States which gave them the title of being the 1st land industrial city in the US. Unfortunately, in the 1920’s most of the cotton textile industries in Lowell began to move down south which caused the city to empty out. Fast forward to the 1990’s and the city still has a roughneck disposition to its existence. Drugs, unemployment, & lack of education would slay any dragon.
Boo Boo would feed his $200+ a day rock habit by rhymin’ & stealin’ and not by the Beastie Boys’ code of ethics either. The film showed him going into a store and blitzing right out with a set of golf clubs without paying of course. I guess you can say the film crew was an accomplice to the crime as they provided the getaway for the operation.
Brenda was another victim of the night of the living baseheads as well. She has an on/off relationship with Boo Boo as she hooks on the streets of Lowell to feed her habit. She also has an on/off relationship with rehab, too. Things get a little complicated when Brenda finds out that she is prego but who is the father? Hmmm, can it be Boo Boo, ex-boyfriend Mike, or one of her paying friends from the streets? The prospects of abortion will be discussed.
Another bomb would drop on boo boo when he discovers that he is HIV positive.
Dicky Eklund, a former boxer whose most famous bout was against Sugar Ray Leonard in July of 1978 is the most dangerous of the night of the living baseheads! Being hopped up on crack and possessing two lethal hands as weapons is not a good combination. Eklund feeds his habit by robbin’ & stealin’ using lethal force by any means neccessary including assistance from a sawed off shotgun. Eklund finds himself in/out of jail as he uses boxing as a solace point but eventually the demons would come a calling once again. Dicky awaits trial for a more serious offense and the consequences can land him up to a decade in jail. The mother sets up a benefit at the local VFW replaying the 1978 boxing match between Eklund vs Sugar Ray Leonard in order to collect funds to try and bail out her son from jail. Who would know that this benefit would generate fisticuffs of their own?! Eklunds relationship with his professional boxer-brother Micky Ward has also been a rollercoaster of emotions. Training his brother for a fight seems to keep him out of trouble…for the night, but unfortunately the baseheads would eventually come knocking on his door.
The three would seem to go on a path of self destruction as AIDS, a pregnant crack addict, & a man prone to a life of violence can only lead to the calling from the crimson ghost.
To get a drama filled replay of Dicky Eklund on screen, watch The Fighter. It’s definitely a piece of work! This movie is mostly about Micky Ward — the boxer and his family, but Dicky Eklund played by Christian Bale in the movie really stole the show!
And remember, Crack is Wack, folks! Happy Thanksgiving?!
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The Last Fight (1983) — friday night fights at the movies!
November 18th, 2011 by Mr. C
Director: Fred Williamson
Stars: Ruben Blades, Willie Colon, Fred Williamson, Don King, Nereida Mercado, Darlanne Fluegel, Joe Spinell, Tony Sirico
Genre: boxing drama
Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, former NFL football player from the 1960’s directed and starred in this entertaining nuyorican-barrio piece playing the role of Jessie Crowder–private investigator & ex-cop! This was a fun movie especially because it entailed boxing as the main course with a badass brother from another mother doing some CSI work. The cool breeze salsa soundtrack was performed by the Fania All Stars with two main members from the band, Ruben Blades & Willie Colon starring in film as well! Bada-bing, even Tony Sirico was in this movie portraying the role of what else…a gangster! Cameos included Celia Cruz (Fania All Stars), Don King, boxer-Jose Torres, boxer-Salvador Sanchez, Johnny Pacheco (Fania All Stars), Hector Lavoe (Fania All Stars), referee-Tony Perez, & Producer-Bert Sugarman! The film was shot in various locations throughout NYC including the upper west side of manhattan & the Gramercy boxing gym. The west side highway & west end avenue played home to a few street scenes as well.
The story unfolds with a troubled Andy “Kid Clave” Perez (Ruben Blades), an up and coming jr. lightweight boxing contender by night & professional salsa singer all other times, who is trying to get himself out of a huge gambling debt. With a sick mother bedridden in a hospital, he decides to sign a contract with Joaqin (Willie Colon), a local gangster who promises to wipe out his debt & help take care of his mother’s medical bills along with the prospects of sharing Kid Clave’s boxing earnings 50-50. Papa, the manager & trainer is disgusted with the news and despises Joaqin as the local, no good crook. The trainer decides to go to the boxing commission to appeal the contract. Bada bing, bada boom…soon, henchmen would arrive at the gym in the late hours to talk some sense into Papa amongst other things. The ex-champ, Jose Torres would share some fisticuffs with the goons!
Big bad Jessie Crowder arrives on the scene as a private investigator to survey the situation. It was funny & ironic that Don King would be consulted by Crowder about the no good Joaquin! Can someone say mirror image?
Meanwhile, Kid Clave fights with a heavy heart and a blood clot in his brain sustained from a brouhaha in a club. Things are not quite the same with the salsa warrior in the ring. The ballgame would change once the Kid begins to unravel the truth with the help of his girlfriend! A few explosions later and Andy would find himself in a rage like “Tony Montana”! Fred Williamson would also drop the hammer on some unsuspecting fools. The climax of the film would also include a boxing match to determine the featherweight champion of the world between Andy “Kid Clave” vs the legendary champ, Salvador Sanchez playing himself!
Go see this film, y’all! When will you ever see two legendary nuyorican salsa performers play a boxer and a gangster while also providing the smooth & rhythmic twist your hips type of soundtrack for the film? That coupled with Fred “The Hammer” regulating and inoculating the opposition sounds like a winner to me!
On a sad note, the legendary mexican boxer, Salvador Sanchez died in an automobile accident shortly after the film was made. This movie was in dedication to him.
Yo Puedo Vivir del Amor – Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
Tags: boxing, fania all stars, fred williamson, mr c
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