This Just In: Russian Grave-Robber Charged


Russian Historian Mummified Bodies, Police allege.

Ah, the kind of heart warming tale you just don’t hear enough of any more. Sure the Golden Age of grave desecration was perhaps the pre-Victorian era where cadavers where harvested for medical purposes. The practice, I gather, has largely gone underground, so to speak if this little news bit is any indication.

The guy’s an historian. The lengths that some academics won’t go for research, I tells ya.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/07/russian-historian-mummified-bodies-police

Flint Horror Convention

My traveling companion “Igor” and I stopped in at the first annual Flint Horror Convention yesterday and had ourselves a blast. Since it was the first year for this convention, we knew the edges might not be brightly polished but we didn’t know if they’d be jagged and bloody, if you dig what I’m saying. I’m very pleased to say that for a small con, the inaugural Flint Horror Con was both well run and pretty darned satisfying.

The dealers’ room had a nice mix of vendors from across the state, each one hopped up and enthusiastic about their work. Sure they were selling something but most of them need to have a day job to fund their participation in the horror subculture. Like at any con, it was more about passion than cash. Readers of the DailyNightmare will have detected my predilection for artsy snob horror – not to diss the schlock-meisters and camp-crafters but it’s just not my thing. Let me note a couple artists who really delivered what I was looking for:

• Ash of 13 Foot Fall.com snaps graveyard photos that transcend the well-worn “ooky-spooky” feel so prevalent in other tombstone photography I’ve seen. As to be expected, he’s mastered and moved beyond capturing the sombre colors and rich textures of memorials left to the elements. His most effective work, for me, focused on toys left at the graves of children. At their best, they achieve that yearning tug of loss and nostalgia, with a nice dollop of revulsion and creep-out.

Steve Jenks of Lost Highway crafts movie posters for classics of the genre – I snapped up his “Hellraiser” and “Halloween.” What delighted me about Steve’s work was how it used immediately recognizable subject matter but did more than simply reproduced a familiar screen capture. His posters express a synoptic vision of the movie as a whole encapsulated within the vernacular of the drive-in movie poster. That’s art school-speak for “he makes posters for well-loved horror movies that are both familiar and fresh.” Digital illustration gives him a clean precision and his clever use of color mimics the printing techniques of yore.

• Steven J Bejma of Classic Horrors is a generous, warm-hearted guy who memorializes horror greats in the classic media of oil paint and stretched canvas. My favorite piece of his was a portrait of Tor Johnson. In life, the face of Tor Johnson scares me about as much as a pile of cold mashed potatoes but Steven’s portrait transformed it with a greenish cast and subtle warts to a visage that is truly scary. Well done.

I also picked up discs from several Michigan film makers that I hope to view and review in the coming months and a few other trinkets here and there. I was really encouraged to see so many bright eyed horror creators from my home state venturing out from their crypts to support a new convention.

My eyes were still dripping full of movies from the Three Corpse Circus the night before, so I didn’t spend much time in the movie room, sad to say. “Igor” described a situation where the sound cut out on one of the films and an audience member familiar with the production rose to the occasion to lip-sync the missing dialogue. Sounds like a hoot.

I knew I just had to catch the panel discussion with Lucifer Fulci, a musician whose work I knew literally *nothing* about. Call me superficial, but I thought to myself, someone who looks that cool MUST be serious. Lucifer’s remarks didn’t disappoint if for no other reason than they go against the stereotypes some have about “those darned rock-n-roll types.” He’s vocally and un-apologetically anti-substance use. He holds down a respectable day-job in social work. He’s family man – heck Lucifer’s proud parents were sitting in the front row…. which is a sentence I never thought I would have the occasion to write. I appreciated his insistence on the theatricality of horror, the art and artifice, if you will. Horror is not about cruelty as it is about persona and presentation. A foundational influence on Lucifer’s work was, you guessed it, KISS.

Igor and I had a séance to get to so we had to bug out early. I would have liked to hear the panel about making movies in Michigan. Alas. The Masonic Temple was a cool, lightly creepy location for the convention and personally, I *loved* the opportunity to lunch again at the original Halo Burger. Next year, the Flint Horror Convention promises to be even better and I already plan to be there. And to stay the whole day.

Three Corpse Circus – Second Annual Horror Film Festival


The second annual Three Corpse Circus shambled its way into the historic Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor last Friday night for another evening chock full of exceptional short horror films.

And I mean shambled quite literally. The event this year kicked off with a Zombie Walk. Yes, yes, I’ve spoken out against the zombie menace before and it certainly takes a lot for me to warm to the chilled flesh of the reanimated. But, really, there is something wonderfully theatrical about having a stream of undead patrons dragging themselves up the street and then into the movie house. Like a stamp of approval: horror movies that monsters like. Plus rotting remains got cheaper tickets. Think of it as a senior discount taken one step beyond. The Three Corpses also arranged another clever tie-in, this one with the American Red Cross – Dig the cool graphic they designed for this alliance. Donate a pint of blood, get cheaper tickets. Such pro-social team-ups can’t help but raise the reputation of horror fandom in the wider community.

The scope of the festival grew to be three full sets this year, three rings of the circus if you will. To cope with a presentation that long, attendees need to be prepared to step out for refreshment, smuggle in sustenance or push fleshly needs aside and revel in the sheer gluttony of film. An unrepentant glutton was I.

What rocked my world?

I am once again a little embarrassed for my county to note that most of the truly exceptional horror films originated outside of the US. We Yanks didn’t disappoint entirely though, and I think the “Backwater Gospel” stood at the top of the class for domestic product. This tale of fear and religious intolerance was told with crisp, presumably digital animation. Maybe not the most probing and insightful story but the design of the characters was tight and the sense of stylization was consistent. Well done.

The award for Most Deeply and Profoundly Disturbing (and well done) goes to “Lipstick,” directed by and starring Shannon Lark. I have oft found myself being labeled as a politically correct drone just because I want to see culture made by a wider variety of folks than is available currently. “Lipstick” is exactly the kind of deeply sick, deliciously twisted piece that a straight white guy would likely never come up with. No paraphrase could do it justice, I think. It’s a fresh and different kind of disturbing and frankly aren’t we getting a little bored with the same old kinds of revulsion? The Three Corpses got several of their offerings this year from the Viscera Film festival which celebrates largely female driven horror. These — well dare I call them “sick chick flicks?” — were quite inspiring because of the new vision they promise.

Another domestic shout out has to go to Daywalt Fear Factory, not primarily for any specific piece but for the generally high quality of their many entries. Daywalt Fear Factory had over a half dozen short films sprinkled throughout the festival. To be honest, some succeeded better than others but most of them had some spark of originality and accomplishment, from the makeup prosthetics of “The Many Doors of Albert Whale” to the presumably digital effects of “Bedfellows” to the narrative restraint of “Five Minutes Earlier.” Keep an eye out for Daywalt Fear Factory.

My flat out favorite of the festival was the British film”Don’t Lose Heart” and, like the Danish Opstandelsen last year, it made me set aside my seething hatred of zombie movies. The first thing I loved about it was the main character, an elderly woman who kept focused, kept motivated and well, never lost heart even as the post-apocalypse dragged on. Camera work was tight. Editing was especially good in the economical montage sequence that first showed the highlights of her day then suggested how those days stretch on and on. The sequence not only wasn’t repetitive, it effectively built tension. The filmmakers cleverly resolved the problem of “dialogue” in a one-person piece by having her listen over and over to a zombie preparedness loop played on a hand-cranked audio player. The only thing I can say against it was that it was a zombie picture. I just hate those things.

Runner-up, if I have the guts to admit it, I think was the French language film “Fantasy” by Izabel Grondin, a kinky tale of non-standard desires and practices. Pacing was great and the look was careful and precise. It successfully built a sense of extreme discomfort for the most part visually; the polite banter was nicely efficient (if the subtitles be trusted) but the images were what made the piece powerful.

Given enough time, I sure I’d have something to say about all the films. “Elsa L.” my date for the evening particularly liked “The Ghost and Us.” The situation and the script were quite well done with characters having an emotional depth not usually found in horror movies of any length. “Igor” my horror buddy lauded “Together” which was, I agree, another gem of the night, a beautiful euro-horror piece that didn’t explain too much. Even though I could go on and on, the take-away lesson has to be the same as last year: If you’re into Horror and you’re in Michigan, get to the Three Corpse Circus. Get there early and maybe tuck a snack in your pocket.

Other Haunts: Comparative Skeletons

I am a serious fan of skeletal systems, those bits of organic sculpture / architecture that each of us carry around inside us — pardon, of course to the readers of this blog that are cephalopod or who have exoskeletons. You critters are too wonderful for mention. Don’t go changing.

So imagine my delight when I found eskeletons.org, an electronic archive of primate skeletons. (http://eskeletons.org/index.html)

Certainly IMHO the skulls are the coolest, like this multi-view scan of a human skull but the other bones are fascinating as well.

The only thing you can’t do with these bones is make broth.

http://www.eskeletons.org/

Other Haunts – Theatre Bizarre

Theatre Bizarre had the best spread at the Maker Faire Detroit this weekend. These humble photos don’t do proper justice. Six foot tall hand-painted banners. Carefully decrepitized ticket booths. The works. They were so awesome my first assumption was that they weren’t local. But I was wrong. Theatre Bizarre host (ed) a miscreant Halloween party down by the old Michigan State Fairgrounds. The parties went on for nearly a decade until they were shut down last year.

A documentary is in process about Theatre Bizarre. It’s actively soliciting funds. Toss ‘em a few if you get a chance.

This Just In – Man in Morgue Not Quite Dead

You’ve heard this advice before but it bears repeating: double check before sending someone to the morgue. This goes for family members, “private undertakers” and heck, probably especially for the folks who work at the morgue.

Sometimes folks are just unconscious, not fully deceased.

http://www.capetimes.co.za/man-wakes-up-in-morgue-1.1104810

This Just In – “Certainly Someone’s Head”… For Sale


They don’t make souvenirs like they used to.

The BBC reports (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13522546)that up for auction this week is a human skull complete with hand-crafted display box. It likely came to the British Isles from Europe under the arm of some young landed gentry during a Grand Tour of the continent. “Grand Tour” was their loftier version of “Spring Break.”

There are rumors that it’s the head of a saint, perhaps Saint Vitalis of Assisi, the “Saint of Venereal Diseases” but that’s not the key part of the story, for me at least. I believe the auctioneer said it best himself “….it’s certainly the head of someone.” Indeed. It’s a HUMAN HEAD and it’s FOR SALE. Oh and the box looks cool as hell. It would look perfect atop the antique spinet I inherited from Aunt Gertrude.

I can’t bid on this item-a bit short on cash. But I take some comfort in a classic line from The Big Lebowski “You want a toe? I can get you a toe.” When I have the money, likely there’ll be a dessicated relic on the market somewhere in this wonderful, global economy.

Blog – Prospectus for my Doctoral Dissertation on Fear… Submitted!

Please forgive the dust, the cobwebs, the sepulchral silence that has befallen this site as of late… unless you’re into that thing, and given the topic, it’s likely you might. But it’s no excuse for the appalling boredom and lack of new material. My only excuse is that I’ve been hammered, er, I mean, hammering away at the prospectus for my doctoral dissertation. And yesterday morning, Boxing Day, I boxed it up and sent it off. There will be pain – oh, yes, overflowing tumblers of sweet, delicious pain and hours, dreadful hours stretched to ennui before I can rightfully assume the title of “Doktor Leech” but this first hurdle has been, well, hurdled.

The topic of the dissertation might also amuse readers of this blog because it is about fear. Specifically it’s a philosophical examination of fear from the perspective of epistemology (how we know the things we know) and aesthetics (the meaning of our sensations.) I eschew both enlightenment rationality and postmodern irony for an approach I’m calling encouragement. Blah-blah, blah and blah. My favorite section is the one where I get to talk about horror movies. I picked the Saw franchise because it’s a franchise which allowed me to discuss it as an economic object, it got sucked up in the whole “torture porn” discussion which allowed me to discuss it as a social object. And then of course it’s relatively novel with respect to the serial killer as social critic sub genre. Yawn. I know you’re falling out of your chairs. But there’s also dollops of Hegel and Adorno and Nietzsche and maybe a spatter of Freud and Sun Tzu and Seneca, Aristotle, Horace… yup, it’s a regular Kellog Variety Pack of philosophers.

It’s not done — in fact, I’ve just *started* throwing my heart to the dogs — but it’s noticeably closer than it was a week ago. Someone give me a shout out, will ya?

This Just In – Send More Exorcists!!!

When I was a kid, everyone I knew thought “The Exorcist” was the scariest movie they’d ever seen. Me? When I watched it, I had the overwhelmed sensation “Damn, that looks cool.” Forget fireman or doctor or lawyer, I wanted to be an EXORCIST!

Trouble was, the high school guidance counselor didn’t really have much advice for that career path. Things might be changing though, following this report:

Catholic Bishops: “More Exorcists Needed”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40151974/ns/us_news

The most recent guidelines appear to have been updated in 1999 – so they won’t be able to address any juicy new demons that the 21st century has spawned. And of course, they’re written in Latin, which wasn’t exactly one of my strongest classes. I suppose the most damning blow to my demon-evicting job search is that I’m not Catholic must less a priest nor am I likely to become one in the near future… like this life-time.

Maybe I’ll have to fall back on my other childhood dream job: astronaut who leaves earth never to return.

Other Haunts: Hexing Hitler

In 1941, a group of folks assembled to put a “hex” on Hitler. Life Magazine – the internet of those times – was on hand to record the event with some snappy photojournalism. Godwin’s Law be damned: this is a hoot, that is, using the “forces of Darkness” to combat “Evil incarnate.”

http://www.life.com/image/ugc1017252/in-gallery/36172/putting-a-hex-on-hitler-1941

Your position on the utility of hexes or the authenticity of these particular would-be pagans is not the point. We humans need to feel as if we are doing something that is meaningful, that our actions have an effect especially during times of distress. During WWII, we had collections for scrap metal. We grew “victory gardens.” Contemporary reflection somewhat pessimistically notes that these activities didn’t really help the war effort as much as they bolstered the moral of those on the home front. So why not “hexes?”

There was great recent controversy when someone planned to burn multiple copies of the Qu’ran. It prompted folks across the Muslim world to burn effigies of just about everyone they didn’t like… even though, as I read it, it’s a cultural proscription, if not cardinal no-no to make graven images of humans. This emphasis on non-representative art is a contributing factor to the splendor of Islamic geometric mosaics, I’m told. Would there have been such an outrage if the American protest only burned – or put a hex – on representations of Bin Laden?

If you’re getting hung up on the whole black magic thing, perhaps because of christian baggage, then call it an “imprecatory prayer.” Lord knows there are enough bible-belters using such language as veiled threats against the president. You’ve maybe seen the bumper stickers that say “Pray for Obama – Psalm 108 8 & 9″ Look those lines up, will ya? They’re not the cuddly Loving Shepherd. They say “May the days of his reign be few; let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.” Ah, explain to me how that’s NOT outright sedition?

Public Service Announcement: Wolfsbane in Bloom

“Even those who are pure of heart, and say their prayers at night,
can become a wolf, when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.”

As a public service announcement to all readers who are werewolves, shape-shifters or otherwise lycanthropic, this is what wolfsbane looks like. It comes into full bloom this time of year, right around the time when animosity against the lycan community tends to be highest.

Be aware.

Movies: Three Corpse Circus (review)

Three Corpse Circus took over the historic Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor, MI last night, Devil’s Night and presented four hours of short horror movies. Yup, four whole hours of films, contests and costumed tomfoolery. If you weren’t there, you done goofed up bad. I spoke briefly with one of the organizers Jonathan Barkan who says they hope the Circus will grow to be more than just a film festival, that Three Corpse Circus might become a rallying point for the horror community in Michigan. Last night was a excellent start.

The films were better than I’d feared, a notch above the mixed bag you’d expect from a college town. A couple were real gems. Others were arty and experimental. Some cute and amusing. And to be frank, some were unspeakable, trite, poorly shot, not acted at all… dumb. Bad even for Youtube. But what I saw last night were movies I never would have seen elsewhere. Most of the pieces had some aspect that was pretty interesting. Their failures were mostly in consistency. Technically, I suppose many of the movies were “mediocre” but I mean a kind of expectant and exciting mediocrity. They left me with a sense of anticipation, that I’m really interested in seeing the NEXT movie by these film makers.

A great example of this category is “The Lair.” (http://www.thelair-movie.com/) The acting was more than good enough, much better than many commercial horror movies. There was evidence of actual script composition and, egad, character development, again a relative rarity in short horror. Competent editing built actual suspense and didn’t rely on cheap jump scares, well, not excessively. OK so the setting was the tried and true deserted campground and, granted, the premise wasn’t the most original. But the piece was generally effective. If I had to be a dick – and critics are supposed to be dicks, right? – the footage shot at night was too grainy. But where else would I have had the opportunity to see this film except at a film festival like Three Corpse Circus?

A gem of the evening was “Connected,” one two offerings from Denmark. (http://www.ov43.com/) Clocking in at barely 8 minutes, “Connected” gets in, does the job and gets out and it does so ENTIRELY WORDLESSLY. Great futuristic costumes, a convincing post apocalyptic backdrop and a clear situation, conflict and bleak resolution. It was probably dark science fiction more than straight out horror but, damn, it was a joy to watch. And again, I never would have even heard of it if I hadn’t attended the Three Corpse Circus.

The true highlight of the evening for me was the other Danish film Opstandelsen (“Ressurection”) which was as good a zombie movie as I’ve ever seen – and this is coming from someone who doesn’t find zombies particularly compelling. The movie is shot in and around an old austere church and incidentally, they shot the HELL out of this location. There are scenes in the sanctuary, the basement, UNDERNEATH the basement, the bell tower… I’ve whined in the past how easy access to fantastic ancient locations can make even crappy European movies into something watch-worthy, but the makers of Opstandelsen squeeze every bit of ambience from this place. It’s not just a cheap and easy backdrop. The prosthetics were first rate and relatively understated. The blood and gore was believable and I think the tone of its color grew progressively darker until the blood was nearly black by the end. The make up especially on the female survivor was exceptional. By the end of the movie, she was basically wearing corpse paint – her skin so pale as to be nearly white with drippy spatters of dark blood around her eyes. Lovely! The script showed off nice characterization with juicy familial strife. All three of the primary survivors had character arcs that led to satisfying conclusions. Damn, it’s hard to find something to complain about but, perhaps the range of the acting was a bit constrained – one character always stuck on high, another on low with the coke-snorting protagonist being a nice blend. I’d have to see it again before I said it was perfect but since it’s a 50 minute movie, a length too short to distribute commercially and too long for the internet, there is likely NO chance I would have been able to see it at all except at a film festival like Three Corpse Circus.

You’ve picked up on my take-home message by now. If you’re into horror and you’re in Michigan, get to the next Three Corpse Circus. It was well worth while this year and every indication is that it’s just going to continue to get better.

Halloween Playlist: 13 Songs about Ghosts

Thirteen songs are enough to anchor a good Halloween party playlist. Not all of these are on your iPod, I’ll bet either. If your friends are like mine, their creativity shines brighter when they have a set theme to work on. The theme of this party could be “Ghost Town” and folks could dress up like ghosts or Wild West characters.

1) (The Obvious) Ghostbusters (From “Ghostbusters”) by Ray Parker Jr (or should I say Huey Lewis… a lawsuit alleged that the melody is highly reminiscent of “I Need a New Drug” but frankly the bass line of BOTH songs sounds like “Pop Muzik” by M) If you can get the video to “I’m in Love with the Other Woman” see if you can project that somewhere because it features a haunted house. This track is so obvious that is has to go somewhere. Succumb.

2) (Ghost) Riders In The Sky by, heck hasn’t EVERY authentic country western group recorded a version of this classic? – If I had to pick one, I think The Highwaymen did a serviceable rendition. Consider using several different versions of this track on the playlist, as a refrain. The Cowboy Cultural Society, an internet radio station, often plays a half hour of “G.R.I.T.S.” with different versions.

3) My Wife and My Dead Wife” by Robyn Hitchcock off Fegmania. This is a subtle alternative/folks ballad about domestic troubles caused when a husband is torn between his current wife and his dead ex. Told with Hitchcock’s typical irony yet with heart of genuine emotion. A nicely sing-able chorus too.

4) Ghost Of A Texas Ladies Man by Concrete Blonde. A little more raucous alternative rock tune by the band that brought you “Joey.”

5) Johnson’s Love (LP Version) – Dwight Yoakam. Straight ahead country. Mournful tale of a love that lasts longer than life.

6) Haunted House Blues– Bessie Smith. Do you really need a reason to put Bessie Smith on a playlist? She carved out a gutsy place for the female voice within blues of the early 20th century. A fun surprise from 1924.

7) The Ghost In You (Album Version) – The Psychadelic Furs. Moody, haunting love song that makes you want to mousse up your hair and wear tight 80′s style pants. Does she love you? Is she dead? Who knows, but it’s all sadness and doom. The Counting Crows do a just-as-sad acoustic cover version of The Ghost In You

8) The Ghost Of You– My Chemical Romance. A sad song to be sure, especially with the repeated line “Never coming home.” Since music and music videos have become fused in our culture and in our minds, it’s hard to hear the song without thinking of scenes of soldiers getting one last dance at the USO before they head off to the trenches of WWII.

9) Wuthering Heights– Kate Bush. Like a bit of literature mixed in with your art pop music? Kate Bush delivers a lovely concoction in this emotional song which went on to become her biggest selling single. Sung from the point of view of Catherine, who pleads outside Heathcliff’s room “I’m so cold. Let me into your window.” The lyrics take on a sinister twist if one considers the events of the novel; she may well be a ghost, inviting Heathcliff to join her in death.

10) Walking With A Ghost (Album Version)–Tegan and Sara. A good song to dance to while trying to exorcise the ghost of a ex-boyfriend or the nightmare you had last evening. Covered by the White Stripes too.

11) Spirit In The Sky — Norman Greenbaum. The tune combines psychedelic rock and gospel music with its distorted electric guitars, loud drums, tambourines and hand-clapping background singers to produce a feel-good song about meeting up with the Spirit in the afterlife.

12) My Life As A Ghost– Tanya Donelly. A sweet and sad song from the ghost’s point of view. She’s happy as she follows him around but seemingly has no impact on him.

13) Walking In Memphis (Remastered)– Marc Cohn. Anthematic 1991 hit from singer-songwriter Marc Cohn. The guy in the lyrics follows the ghost of Elvis to the gates of Graceland and later rock outs with a gospel band.

Halloween Playlist: 13 Songs about Wolves, Werewolves and Shapeshifters

Thirteen songs are enough to anchor a good party mix. Not everything here are tracks you’ll love but mix and match. It’ll all turn out OK. The idea of these themed playlists is that a lot of folks end up with lame costumes, not because they can be anything but because they can’t choose. Help them. Throw a Halloween party with a specific theme. This playlist is for a lycanthropic party. Show movies with the sound turned down. Serve theme-related snacks – for werewolves, I’m thinking lamb and that means gyro sandwiches. You got the idea. Run with it.

1) (The Obvious) – Werewolves Of London (2007 Remastered) by Warren Zevon off “Excitable Boy” or “Genius.” It’s the obvious track because everyone knows it and it’s clearly related to the theme. It’s got the same name at least as a classic werewolf movie, though as with all of Zevon’s tunes, he was likely referring to something else entirely. Give in. It’s got to go on the mix somewhere.

2) Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival. This tune was linked forever to the werewolf mythos through “American Werewolf in London.” If you don’t want to be SO obvious about it, use the very servicable cover version of Bad Moon Rising by Raspuntina.

3) “Hungry Wolf” by X off Under The Big Black Sun. Classic X, driving beat, tight harmonies that made it almost as much as folk as punk. Personified wolves.

4) Will the Wolf Survive? by Los Lobos (get it? “the wolves”) A band from the other side of L.A. uses wolves as a metaphor for the difficulties of human life. Relatively profound lyrics and a catchy tune.

5) She Wolf by Shakira off the album of the same name. A bouncy latino-pop track from that lady who, I swear, has an extra vertebra in her spine.

6) Dire Wolf (Remastered LP Version) by the Grateful Dead. The studio version is on “Working Man’s Dead” and that rendition at least has relatively clear lyrics for those unfamiliar with the tune. A gabillion live recordings as well, most of them with a bit more verve and life. A jaunty rhythm and an odd, singable chorus “Don’t murder me.” the song tells tale of a card game with a 600 pound wolf.

7) Born To Be Wild by Steppenwolf. This has no explicit werewolf references, other than the “wolf” in the band’s name which is actually an artsy reference to a German novel. Blue Oyster Cult does a version and live they used to ride a motorcycle onstage. The idea of a biker gang of werewolves actually has been turned into a movie “Werewolves on Wheels (1971)”

8 ) “My Werewolf Mama” by Lenny Bruce – This track often is played by Dr. Demento but I wrestled including it because it’s just so darned corny.

9) I’m a Werewolf, Baby by The Tragically Hip from their first EP Tragically Hip – The Hip are a solid act. Their lyrics are literate, their music is blues-y and raucous rock and their fan base is rabid– that is, if you’re from Canada. North of the border they’re more popular than the Beatles but in the U.S. hardly anyone has heard them. This track isn’t their best tune by far but heck, it fits on the list.

10 ) Lil’ Red Riding Hood by Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs – I knew this song primarily through a version my brother in law would croon. Research it unearthed some fun details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lil’_Red_Riding_Hood

11) “Du riechst so gut” by Rammstein – This track is a bit of a stretch but the video is all over the RotKäpchen (er, little red riding hood, in German) thing. If you’ve got the ability, stream the video too. The title translated is “you smell so nice”

12) Werewolf by the Five Man Electric Band. Obscure track from the mid 1970′s that I think I can bet no one at the party will have heard. Tells the tale of a boy gone feral and his family’s attempts to cope. Using a gun.

13) I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1989 Digital Remaster) by the Cramps. Heck, if you’re pressed for time, you could drop on a whole album of the Cramps. There’s a movie link of course to Michael Landon (Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie) in the title role.

Party: Jell-O Blood Worms

Worms are the ideal finger food, high in protein, plentiful on earth, green-friendly.

But if the folks you’ve invited are simply not cool enough to devour the real thing, try these amazing simulations. The technique is elegant and the effect is perfect.

These squiggly wonders are jell-o formed in drinking straws. Once set, run straws under warm water for a moment to loosen and use a rolling pin to extrude.

Yuck and yum!

Credit Sequence (Fan-Made) for “Walking Dead” adaptation

I’m not that a true-fan of zombies as a mega-genre but this credit sequence has enough crack-snapple-and-bop to get me interested in seeing the actual adaptation of the long-running comic “Walking Dead.”

Walking Dead Credits

And of course, here’s the actual trailer:

Walking Dead Trailer1

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid83327935001?bctid=59356961100

Blog – Home-Repair “Nightmare” and the Secret Tenant

To be honest, very little is nightmarish about the repairs we’re making to the bathroom. The buddy of mine who’s helping is scary efficient and competent, though he occasionally sings along with the radio which I’m attributing to that irresistable urge to sing while in the proximity of a shower.

The real horror show was the condition of the place before we started: spongy floor, tiles that stuck to your feet (i.e. not to the subfloor) and hidden terrors like load bearing walls with large gaps in the joists.

And one secret tenant.

We found a mummified rodent encased in the wall. It’s clearly not the remains of Poe’s Black Cat, which is good, I suppose for several reasons, one of which is that I rather like cats. I really can’t convince myself that it’s a rat – though again that would pump up the goth factor of the Ye Old Homestead a bit. It was, in fact, a squirrel – a kind of creature I have no spare love for – and in its current condition, it’s cool as hell. See for yourself:

So the stinger to this tale is what my daughter said when we broke the news to her.

Me: “Eric found something in the walls”

Grown daughter: “Was it a dead baby?”

It’s the chance exchange like this that reminds me she’s my kin, that there was no mix-up at the hospital, no abandoned basket on the doorstep. Where my first thought was a dead rat, like a nice and proper piece of Nosferatu set dressing, Dear Daughter’s imagination shot straight to an essential gothic plot device: a buried child.