Category: Film

Monster Road Out On DVD

For those of you who didn’t get to see it in your local theatre: Monster Road, the award-winning Bruce Bickford documentary, is out on DVD. The film offers a fascinating look into the life and spirit of a true American excentric and his absolute dedication to the one thing he lives for: clay animation. Much like Zappa’s, Bickford’s work lives in a self-shaped universe where reality, logic and social convention are bent and skewed into something entirely unique. As far apart as both their worlds may be, it’s no coincidence that Zappa took a keen, perhaps even anthropological interest into Bickford, as documented in Baby Snakes and Dub Room Special. Though they are opposites in many ways, one trait brings them together: deviation from the norm.
Get the DVD — you won’t regret it. Long live deviation from the norm!

Dark Side Of The Wizard

I had never heard about this but apparently, several years ago a rumor began to circulate about a strange connection between Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon (1973) and the MGM classic The Wizard of Oz (1939). Synchronize the film and the album, a number of coincidental events occur.

“The Great Gig in the Sky” begins as the tornado approaches Dorothy’s farm, builds as the storm worsens, and slows when Dorothy is knocked unconscious; “Brain Damage” plays as the Scarecrow sings “If I Only Had a Brain”; and the album concludes with the sound of a heartbeat as Dorothy puts her hand on the Tin Woodsman’s chest.

Want to see for yourself? YouTube has the entire synchronized version. (via)

Robert Carl Cohen On Mondo Hollywood

Interesting comment from Robert Carl Cohen on the Mystery Disc page:

To Whom It May Concern
I am the Writer-Producer-Director and owner of all rights to MONDO HOLLYWOOD. Among the various misrepresentations made about my film are the following:
1. That the music of Frank Zappa and his group, THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION, was edited out of the film. He and his group were, indeed, filmed by me at one of several parties, scenes from which are intercut in the film’s final “Freakout” sequence, but I did not record their music at any time. I shot them silent, using a non-blimped Arriflex 35-C. The few shots of them seen in my film constitute all the footage recorded. There were no out-takes.
2. A certain “Kim Fowley” claims to have recorded Zappa and his group during the MONDO HOLLYWOOD party; and has been selling what he claims is the music from that party. The truth is that there was no one professionally recording the music performed at that event. I am in possession of signed releases from everyone who was present. I have no idea where Fowley acquired the music he is selling as “The sound track from the MONDO HOLLYWOOD party scene, or whose music it is, but it was never a part of my film.
Sincerely
Robert Carl Cohen

Burton’s Sketches

The Guardian offers a peek in Tim Burton’s sketchbooks.

“They help me think more than anything else. They calm me down and, also, they’re a way for me to think subconsciously. I prefer to act out of my subconscious – I find if I think too much, I start to confuse myself again.”

By the way, I really enjoyed going to see Charlie & The Chocolate Factory last Saturday. As ever, Johnny Depp makes a brilliant performance and — to my delight — the movie never turns into the kind of big sappy musical where, every two seconds for no reason, the entire cast will burst into song.