Rant
'n
Reel
WAIT FOR THE VIDEO
By Mike Matlock
It's easy to pick a film apart, chew
on it up and spit it out in a thousand
disgusting pieces, criticizing it for its
bad taste and blandness. It's much
more difficult to appreciate a film's
finer points and savor them. This
summer's movie market, however,
consisted of just too much spoiled
meat. Sure, there were a few prime
cuts. but they were deeply hidden
beneath a pile of moldy wieners. I
think it's about time some bright pro-
ducer-types started reading scripts
more carefully and stopped making
crackerjack stories into lackluster
movies. It's hard to imagine that so
many millions of dollars are squan
dered on films that are losers from
the moment they're conceived.
Something is going to have to
change, and very soon, or else a
few movie companies are going to
be saying bye-dee-bye to the great
powers of the masses; the movie
goers.
The biggest cause of this sum
mer's multiple flim bombings would
have to be the video industry. Why
spend five or six bucks when you
can enjoy a film in the privacy of your
own home where the possibilities of
added entertainment are only as
limited as your imagination. People
are no longer forking over major
money to see poor or mediocre
movies that have no spectacular
Tlash because they can wait for
them to come out on tape in a few
months. The biggest movie house
successes are those few films that
use the larger and wider screen cre-
atively and to the best advantage.
They provide greater impact, the
something extra that cannot be
attained on a TV screen. Movie com-
panies will have to deal with this fact
and better movies are going to have
to be made. Remember, this is the
era of "Teast expended energy, and
If it is easier to stay at home and see
a movie cheaper, hey, it'll be done.
Here is a small sampling of some
films that adorned our theatres this
summer and what to expect when
they fall into the pre-destined video
market.
TEEN WOLF-This picture could
be likened to a frozen pie crust; flat,
cold, flaky, unflavored and in need
of filing. It's an anemic attempt at a
werewolf movie and was originally
68
killed but later brought back to life
by Michael J. Fox's dynamic skate
to stardom. This wasn't worth going
to a theatre to see and should only
be viewed as a novelty on video,
something to rent if there is nothing
else available.
THE EMERALD FOREST-Here.
is a visually stunning fim that must
be seen on the largest indoor screen
possible to be fully appreciated.
Superbly plotted, acted and filmed
with a dreamlike quality that makes
Emerald Forest a delight to the
senses. You can almost feal the
damp coolness and small the sweet
tropical gardens surrounding you as
the story progresses. It will be a sad
day when this comes cut on tape
because the picture's mesmerizing
quality will never come across on a
puny TV screen. It's one of the few
films of the year that deserves never
to be seen on video.
YEAR OF THE DRAGON-Yessir,
this is a regular smorgasbord of vio-
lence. It possesses a plot not unlike
that of Brian De Palma's Scarface: a
young, ambitious, not-as-smart-as-
he-thinks-he-is drug lord striving
wrecklessly to be the kingpin of his
trade while leaving a blood strewn
trail in his wake. Here, our man is
pursued by a hard-nosed cop, heroin
in the drug and the locale is
Chinatown. If you're a gangster
movie addict Dragon is a must see
and our number one pick for the
video racks. There won't be a great
deal lost in the transition to video
and it may even become easier to
watch and understand when seen
on a more compact screen.
EXPLORERS Explorers is the
movie that dared to picture a
skateboard on its promotional poster
to drag in the unwary youth crowd.
The only time I remember seeing a
board in the entire film is when a kid
rides one clumsily to school. There
are some interesting effects but the
story line is about as exciting as
milktoast. It's like a dull Twilight Zone
episode stretched into a two hour
movie. Third graders may like this
fim and giggle at the funny monsters
(seen in the last 15 minutes), but if
you have something better to do,
say, peel the paint off of a patio deck,
do that instead of renting this on
video.
RECORD
CAMPER
VAN BEETHOVEN
Telephone Free
Landslide Victory
RS
COLLECTION
Independent Project Records
Ok. crazy gais and guys, ready
for some western rock steady
skanking go bop? Here's the
closest thing to England's Splodge-
ness Abounds: Camper Van
Beethoven. Wacky, hilarious, full
of blue beat and mad violins
screeching away, Telephone Free
Landslide Victory features the best
in sounds popularized in the mid
60's as in pop and ska traditions,
with some of the wildest lyrics yet.
Each number will either have you
dancing the floor or rolling on it in
uncontrollable laughter. An ingeni
ous attempt at comical relief
through mellow rhythms that are
fun and toe tapping. The madness
is evident in Take the Skinheads
Bowling." "Where the Hell is Bill?",
"Opi Rides Again Club Med
Sucks" and a laid back version of
Black Flag's "Wasted" which get
those sides hurting in chuckling
frenzy. And when it's not bust up
time, they're hitting ska driving
beats in Bacalaika Gap," "Border
Ska, Skinhead Stomp" and more.
This first edition is limited to 1,250
albums with nice silkscreen covers
in the Independent Projects tradi-
tion, so blast down to your music
junky store and grab one of these
asphalt pizzas
LAZY COWGIRLS
TAIN 'T WASTEN TIME ANYMORE
RESTLESS RECORDS
1 ain't wastin time anymore" a
great idea and the chorus of the first
song on the Lazy Cowgirls' album.
The Cowgirls don't waste any time
whippin' up a whole batch of great
songs like Rock Of Gibraltar,
Jungle Song' and the above quoted
Anymore
Chris D. adds his production skills
to the cowgirls' debut album and he
gives the band a great sound.
Check out the drums on Jungle
Song and you'll see what I mean.
Keith Telligman, Pat Todd. Allen
Clark and Doug Philips (bass,
vocals, drums and guitar respec-
tively) make up the Lazy Cowgirls
and yes, that's right, none of them
are girls, and yes, none of them are
lazy. These Cowgirls play their
asses off, igor sez check 'em out.
NICK CAVE
AND THE BAD SEEDS
Tupelo
Homestead Records
Tupelo is the name of his latest
record and with it Nick Cave redi-
fines what it means to wear cowboy
boots. I was expecting another
tribute to Evis, instead I was ac-
costed with Cave's howl, telling of
The Beast that Tupelo Bound."
Nick Cave is the cowboy from
Australia, a real misplaced country
and western type. His cowboy
boots must not fit and that pain is
reflected in his voice. He may never
fit in, but he is a genuine misft with
a great sense of humor. Barry
Adamson, Mick Harvey and Blixa
Bargeld again provide a dramatic
musical background for Cave in this
song. The flipside includes "In the
Ghetto, the Moon is in the Gutter
and The Six Strings that Draw
Blood." again proving that Nick
Cave and the Bad Seeds are.
boss.
PHAIDIA
in the Dark
City Rocker Records
Murmurs of horror-laden sonatas
embrace the aura as an uncanny
guitar howls in blood-curdling tright.
Dark, terrified pieces of doomy
music from Japan in the tradition of
Christian Death, unearth the
graves as this four piece rises to
create a vivacious blend of haunting
tempos. Phaidia have put together
a unique ten song Lp that crawls
with earle effects of frightening fever,
echoing with frenzied psychopathic
shrills of vocal enticing. Ghoulishly
demented, the music captures the
conscious state and hands it to fear
with frigid smiles. If this be the
chamber of homid visions, the
sounds are appropriate for the occa
sion, shivers with freezing delight.
Phaidia are ghastly and fiends on
the prowl should identity with those
danceable, black melodies.
How'd you like a T-shirt to prove
you're cultured beyond belief?
Send only $9.50, (shipping and
handling included) to: IGORS RE-
CORD COLLECTION T-SHIRT, c/o
THRASHER MAGAZINE, PO.
BOX 884570, San Francisco, CA
94188-4570.
PUB
the rest. Incredible, this record will
be well sought after and again, due
to finances, only 500 were made.
On Death Enema Records, c/o Tim,
Вох 1403 Meaford, Ontario,
Canada, NOH- IYO.
Who took the world by storm with
his Rocketeer character and his
pen and ink. Each issue proves to
be exceptionally strong. Check out
issue #41, (haven't we seen that
cover design before?). Mechanics
is a collection of tales from the Love
and Rockets comic magazine, but
Metallica recently played the Cas- newly colored and on quality paper.
tle Donnigton Rock Festival in Eng- Done by one Jaime Hernadez,
land where the fans were so ecstatic whose style is sophisticated "Archie
they threw a freshly decapitated pig's but quite a bit beyond, especially
head on stage. According to guitarist with those story ines. Interesting
James Hetfield, "All of a sudden this tales of women and men, published
bloody pig's head comes flying up-through Fantagraphics Books. You
these people are crazy-then the might recognize Jaime's art, if you're
rest of the pig comes up piece by familiar with some of the art Dr.
plece. And while on the subject of Know or Stalag 13.
Metallica, they have left for Den-
mark to record their third Lp entitled
"Master Of Puppets" which is slated
for release in December, a guaran
teed hot one. Also putting out new
releases for this holiday season is
Samhain, as yet untitled, they are
in the studio currently finishing up
the Lp. The Misfits Legacy Of Bru
tality Lp will also come out, some
rare unreleased tracks from the earl-
ler days of the Misfits. Poison Idea
are recording a new Lp entitled,
Kings Of Punk supposedly showing
the total speed and strength of this
band. Poison Idea's lead singer
Jerry will carve the words "Kings Of
Punk into his stomach for the full
color cover. This will be an eyesore!
Also SSD has a new release coming
called Break It Up along the same
lines as their How We Rock Lp.
Looks to be a blasting X-Mas!
lovely rendition of women? Well
Dave Stevens, one of the fastest ris-
Ing artists in comicdom, evidences
a sharp clean brushpen style.
Eclipse has just released the entire
collection of Rocketeer stories in
comic form, with 6 new pages of
story and art. An exceptional book
to get for sure, enjoyable stories and
awe inspiring art. Brian Bolland's
Black Book is a nice rendered edition.
of Bolland's stuff previously unseen
in America. You might be familiar
with Bollard's art from the ever popu
lar Judge Dread and Camelot 3000
series. It's a one-shot of some
crazed horror stories that are quite
creepy. D.C.'s series, Crisis on In-
SKATE
ROCK
Top of the ranks of up and coming
fanzines are this month's entries:
Pounder, a thick zine devoted to
speedcore type music with good in-
terviews, interesting reviews, up to
date info and much more. #3 fea-
tures Death, Possessed, Hirax,
Raw Power, Wargod and more.
From Jason Mantis, 117 Wither-
spoon Rd., Baltimore, MD 21212.
And how about all you lovers of
Maximum Rock N Roll?Well there's
Maximum Rock N' Paul. Paul
Hamerlinck's hilarious fanzine with
the second issue featuring the Sex
Pistols playing baseball on the
cover. Inside, you'll find "Dance Les-
sons With Hank Rollins", "Punk Rock
Days Are Over", "What Will They Be
Doing?" and much more. A lot of fun
and great for a few laughs. Good
comic charicatures also, $1.25 to
1610 Michigan Ave. SE, #4, St.
Cloud, MN 56301. Over in England
ther is a nifty little zine called
Raising Hell, chock full of bands,
reviews, addresses, zines, com-
ments and lots of info. Box 32,
59 Cookridge St, Leeds, W. Yorks,
L52 3AW England.
Newsprint paper doesn't domi-
nate comics that much anymore;
various types of high grade papers
are now seen between those slick
colorful covers. A lot has changed
in the world of comics, including art,
stories and offbeat new approaches,
so this is a stab into that world by
the Puszone. By far a personal favor-
ite is D.C. Swamp Thing, recently
reworked and getting the rave re-
views with the team of Alan Moore
on the incredible stories, Steven
Bissette and John Totleban doing
THRASHER
finite Earth, has been giving the axe
to some old superheroes. First,
Supergirl bit the dust and the the
next issue saw the death of Flash.
For all you old fans it can be quite
a letdown, but the comics are trying
things not done before. And lastly
an old favorite, the Fantastic Four
has been showing some quality is-
sues with John Byrne on story and
art, well worked and captivating, lots
of fun reading while cranking those
tunes.
Hey zoners, get the Puszone
design on a heavy-duty Beefy T shirt
for $9.50 Check or money order
to THRASHER PO. Box 884570,
S.F., CA 94188-4570.
SKATERGCK3
THRASHER
GAZINE
Please rush me THRASHER MAG'S
SKATE ROCK. I'm enclosing a check or
money order for $7.95 each, or, $15.90
for any two.
Check choices:
Vol. I (Lp or cassette)
Vol. I (cassette only) Vol. ill (Lp or cassetta)
(Add $1.00 each for postage and handling)
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