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Roberto Rampinelli（Italian, b.1948）

Vento di primavera（Spring wind） 2008 Aquatint etching, 3 plates 　via more

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“Freaked” (1993)

-this surreal comedy tries several gambles that usually land the hopeful flat on their face…but pulls it off. With style and whimsy.

-among the daring leaps; having several extremely different effects houses and their work appear coherent, the hilarious merciless beating of a child, and the non stop explosive energy that comes off as exceedingly charming (not tiring)

-bravo to Alex Winter and Tom Stern

-I further love how they play lead Ricky Coogin as the most unlikeable piece of shit. Really laying it on thick, so his comeuppance hits strong

+it also helps that Winter has a puppy dog charm underneath

-Randy Quaid gives a sizzling performance (aided by over the top appearance the costume and makeup department must have loved)

-the way he reads and parses “styrofoam cup” just had me in stitches

-Winter & Stern get wonderful comedic performances out people not necessarily thought of as funny; Brooke Shiekds, Mr. T, Bobcat Goldthwait, and so forth

-they even get my 2nd favorite joke out of a hammer

-the effects are truly incredible, and the motifs of the film allows us the audience to roll with five different studios providing them

-what I find most beguiling is how manic the energy of this film is, but it never out wears its welcome or becomes a chore. I seriously do not know how they did that

-finally, mother of mercy, the sheer shit kicking Stuey Gluck (played by actor Alex Zuckerman) takes is ray of sunshine on my heart. Everything about it gets progressively more absurd and even funnier

-this is a film that clearly got re-edited against the filmmakers wishes; but even in its compromised form it provides some of the biggest belly laughs in recent memories. It is gross, preposterous and most of all utterly hilarious.

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Bep Jordens(1903-1987)

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“Sinbad; Afro and Bell-bottoms”

Sinbad was ubiquitous was I was a child, but I never actually heard any of his stand up. A random encounter gives me the chance to dive deeper.

Sinbad’s strength lies not in his different slant to material but his charm, energy and absolutely radiant presence. He is a strong reminder that personality is just as important as intelligence to success and happiness.

He finds himself pining for the days of his youth, the 1970s. He is not grumbling, but highly amused at the passage of time. He stresses respect for the people who marched so he could be on this stage, but also notes “the kids have a point; not every elder deserves respect. Some have done questionable stuff”.

He frequently peppers in “man” and “jack” as periods and punctuations. His grim when doing so makes him rather winsome. He is simply utterly invested in his material. “Don’t try to lose weight for that high school reunion, man!” You were fat then! Enjoy your 30’s; be fat!”

It’s clear why he was in a lot of tv and films; he had a magnetic personality. He didn’t have (at this time, at least) any new angles on the world around him, he is simply riffing on humans around him with joy in his face. I like that.

-/-//-/—

I’m highly amused at him saying in 1993-“you can’t make these kids leave the house! They don’t want to leave the house!”. Wonder what he thinks of the world post high speed internet and smart phones.

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In the beginning. Delightful stories. 1888.

Internet Archive

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“Resident evil 3” (2020)

What a glorious romp. Resident Evil 3 (henceforth RE3) starts with good times, adds more good times, and is over with pretty much nothing boring put into it. A remarkably focused and fun game.

This also means it’s pretty short. It’s kinda like a music EP, it sprints out the gate and never slows down. I consider it this a superb move, one that makes RE3 rather re-playable.

For the first time in the series, Resident Evil has a side character that is actually fun. In fact, those sections with Carlos are possibly the best parts of the game. Somehow they got “Contra” peanut butter in my Resident Evil chocolate.

There was never a moment playing with Ashley (Resident Evil 4), Ada or Sherry (Resident Evil 2 & RE2) or anyone else that was as fun as Carlos blasting away at the zombies with machine gun fire.

In fact I dare say I rather liked this part more than the entire play through of Leon or Claire in the preceding Resident Evil 2 (2019) remake, aka RE2. It’s a smooth update, almost like “Street Fighter 2 Turbo”.

A lot of this enjoyment was based on playing RE2 (which Carlos’ first section is based on) and knowing how I would want to blaze through the police station while still experiencing it in a new way. I even remembered the same safe combinations.

Mowing down zombies with machine guns in short sprint levels that are stilly moody and creepy is fun.

Jill’s sections are enjoyable as well, and here the RE3 team are trying new ideas.

I was compelled and thrown off kilter at the opening sequences in Jill’s apartment, entirely in first person perspective. It’s an unusual gambit but really drew me in.

I really enjoyed the jewel puzzle stand, where each new piece gives a different unlockable item. It makes it more fun to constantly return to it, knowing there are multiple rewards.

The puzzle pieces in general are pretty sparse, but this is a deliberate decision to increase the pacing of the game, and it completely works.

This also allows the personality of the game to shine through. The implication that the design of Mega man for the American nes release is a popular character in this universe is hysterical.

Other jolts of personality are the letters in the game (particularly the “love” letter about the sewer creatures, and their “character flaws”), the rolling of a certain head, and Carlos inflecting a nasally nerdy voice trying to fool the voice ID door code.

These moments underscore the decision of the game designers; this is more an action romp, of agreeable meat headiness. Of bravado charm.

Carlos himself is clearly based on Keanu Reeves’ John Wick and (to a lesser extent) Jill takes a grab from Milla Jovovich’s Alice in the Resident Evil film series.

Indeed, the shorter run time allowed the developers to fine tune the game and add their goofy humor.

I’ve mentioned this run time again not to complain, but to make clear this is a game that is more interested in fun, re-playability, and the utter lack of slogging through sections (first part RE2 mostly had, but was almost totally lacking concerning the 2nd and 3rd part).

This is a decision that comes from the top down. Even if many players will feel thwarted.

The biggest improvement between RE2 and RE3 is that the boss battles in the latter are excellent. Frequently surprising, often different, it is a series of challenges I look forward to setting new personal bests on.

I like Nemesis more than Mr X. His action figure type variants, with new weapons, are delightful.

X was good, but he largely only worked in tight spaces and was more annoying than scary after initial encounter. Since RE3 has a much bigger landscape it makes sense that this giant would be faster, can jump, use flamethrowers etc.

The enemies are in general all improvements over RE2. The sewer frogs do indeed have more personality than the clumps in RE2. The eyeball whips are more freaky than the garden bodies. The hunters, wow, what a sick bastard of an enemy.

The zombies are about equal, there is notably less body decay animation for them in RE3, but this is a decision based on having them in bigger numbers with more light. All is forgiven when the hospital hordes come battering in.

My few complaints are that the final form of nemesis is a step down (I’m over giant blobs as end bosses), there could be more impact weapons (shotguns, crossbows) in Carlos’ sections, and there are no extra modes.

The last part is somewhat mystifying considering RE2 had four mini scenarios and that engine execution was not half as fun as this one.

But in general this is a serious improvement over RE2. Honestly it’s more like a side story, as it compliments and fills in extra details to the environment of RE2, and contains none of the slog that is the back half of that game.

I’ve been advocating for short games with no filler for a while and here the bullseye is hit perfectly.

-/-/-///-

Nice to see the weapons and other rewards are unlockable through points. Why make a bazooka only for those who beat hardest difficulty in under 2 hours? What’s even the point then?

Though, again, why is there no infinite ammo for shotguns or explosion weapons below a bazooka, or weapons that are completely different than the main ones?

—//-\\_\__

I loved the remix parts in Nightmare mode (the return of Brad was hilarious and shocking) but I kinda wished it was playable below that difficulty. A sewer frog leading a pack of dogs is awesome, why should I have to bust my hump to get there?

-/-/-/-/-

I’ve never played 1999/PS1 Resident Evil 3: nemesis (REM). Honestly doesn’t matter, this was a total blast. I’m sure that enthusiasts who know REM by heart were mad, but that’s not the entry point for me playing RE3.

-/-/-/

Frankly I would much rather play 3 games exactly like this than remake a perfect game like resident evil 4.

Make them cheaper price wise and pump them out.

Maybe even with some dinosaurs in crisis…

—/-/:-//—

Hell, have a whole game of nothing but Carlos doing short parallel missions.

Maybe one where he keeps running into Mr X but this time he can actually die and you get ammo for taking him out

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TSUDA Seifu（津田青楓 Japanese, 1880-1978）

from the book Collected Sketches for modern design via

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“Jason and the Argonauts” (1963)

-it occurs to me the reason Harryhausen is so remembered as an special effects artist; he takes time to animate characters.

+Full of movement, weight, and personality. They must also be overcome by the heroes to proceed. They are a necessary part of the world

-the placing of them is really fascinating

-the most famous sequence (an all timer in motion pictures), the evil skeleton warriors, happens in the last ten minutes

-it is still utterly dazzling. Gorgeous even

-then the pictures ends a minute later, so we stagger out of the cinema still gasping at we saw

-the Bernard Herrmann score is lovely. No matter that it strips a bit from his past, it is effective in its brassy splendor

-Talos, the giant statue, is almost as memorable as the skeletons. His imposing size is a marvel

-it’s pretty funny to see Honor Blackman as Hera, a few years before vamping it up as Pussy Galore in “Goldfinger”. She does great in both parts

-I would call Don Chafey’s directorial work adequate. He’s clearly in-betweening the effects sequences, more a hired hand. His blocking is serviceable, his use of actors fine

-I give full credit to the creative team for respecting the material. There is no winking at the audience, and all myth alterations were done with entertainment in mind

-I see my love of heroes going from destination to destination, vanquishing foes in a gauntlet type way, was strongly influenced by seeing this picture so many times

-I’d call this rated G for…”the Gods (of fun) command you to see this!”

-still great

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Sunflowers. Elementary Science by Grades: Book One. 1930. Internet Archive

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“Neon Maniacs”

-here is a film that has ten bucks of imagination, and (barely) two quarters to rub together to friction its budget

-it’s also straight up unfinished, held together by chewing gum and paper tape

-and yet I devoured it, warts it all

-a part of me wants to see it remade with a huge Christoper Nolan budget, and keep all the weirdness

-the premise is that 12 maniac monsters are on the loose, and teens beware, they be killing

-where in the fuck do the (essentially) giant sized trading cards of the maniacs come from?

+who cares, it’s awesome

-I feel the first third of this film is the best, and papers over many speed bumps it later runs into (I bet a ice cream scoop this was all shot before money ran out and they had to shut down for a few months)

-I’m beyond shocked that actress Donna Locke (the film geek girl in the “Alien”/Nostromo hat) never has another credit to her name (different alias?). She has a face and body language perfect for cinema

-another neat little detail, all the parents hounding the survivor of maniac massacre, not really believing their kids are dead despite the clear evidence. Thunderous denial

-what is up with that music at the battle of the bands? Discount store Hall & Oates is not what I expected at all

+ not complaining, just… what the fuck?

-the black cop stealing a juvenile bicycle and making “wheeeee” noises as he goes downhill is a tremendous bit of business

-so the maniacs are vulnerable to water (never explained-not a deal breaker) leading to the giggle worth sight of a cop pulling a translucent Tommy gun shaped water pistol out of his trunk

-Leilani Sarelle looks so much like Emma Stone here (Gwen Stacy era meets birdman era) which is a huge plus in my book. She’s also quite good

-the scream of terror our male hero makes in the subway-delightful

-if you can ride hard through this film not being all that connective or resolved, there are a great many scenes of bliss and giddiness. But I would not be opposed to another go at it by a second director

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A youth discovers he has butterfly wings. Les Belles images. November 28, 1912.

Gallica

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“Don’t Torture a Duckling”

-bizarro Italian surrealist horror filmmaker (among other skills) Lucio Fulci unleashes a lurid, narratively strong, handsomely mounted murder mystery

-that has more than a little stinging criticism about small town bigotry, the punishment of outsiders, and the corruption of those in religious positions

-there is absolutely no sentimentality in this film, and its ruthlessness is intoxicating

-nudity and sex appeal is practicality a necessity in these Italian films, but its use here, and the startling uncertainty of where it will go, is spellbinding

-there seems to be a misconception that one character is a sexual abuser where I think it’s really that he’s a puritan (an emotional abuser)

-compared to a great deal of Fulci’s other films, the production is lush and the craft is supplied by well paid technicians

-I enjoy the contrast of the big city policeman who feels such simple minded local superstition is pointless, and the weary town chief who knows it will die out no time soon

-anyone coming into this film on Fulci’s name expects wincing violence. Here, even though it is very early in his dramatic career, I think he hits a high note never to be equaled again

-the music, its lyrical contrast, makes the graveyard scene of death utterly memorable

-personally I’d like to see a double feature of this and the somehow even better “The Wailing”

+two titanic films that make never ever want to visit the local flavor again (positive)

-Fulci directs with a film playful hand, and I for was only too happy to give myself over to his direction of misleading bravado. A utter joy

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Andy Warhol（1928-1987） 25 Cats Named Sam and One Blue Pussy

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Two or Three Things about “The Marvels”

-/-/-/—

There is an unbelievably delightful scene involving alien cats getting a crew off a space station. Through swallowing them.

This is possibly the hardest I have ever laughed at a marvel movie.

And the musical selection, a volcanic cherry on top.

I’ll cherish this in my memories for a good long while.

-/-///-//—

If Brie Larson is the John Wayne of this film (all business, caring the emotional boulder up the hill) then Iman Vellani is bouncing all over the play in joy, clearly in full Walter Brennan mode.

Vellani is a charismatic, watchable thespian and I’m looking forward to her future adventures (cheekily noted near the end)

-/-///-

This feels like it should have been a hang out movie. There is a bit too much plot, getting in the way of the three senoritas bullshitting around more, as humorous as jump rope teleportation and bilingual yelling are

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The Cat on the Pillow (Adolf von Becker, S. XIX)

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“Moonraker”

-a thrillingly goofy James Bond film that includes some of the giddiest sequences ever captured on film

-since Bond, with very rare exceptions, exists more as a series of set pieces more then an actual connective narrative spine, this works pretty well in its favor

-first off, the moment where Bond is on a boat, another boat drifts by, a man comes out of a coffin with knives being thrown, bond returns the favor, man falls back into coffin truly dead

+and then the coffin hits a bridge, falls into the water, sinks

-it is fucking impossible for me not to love this scene. It is so dumb and so relentless in its conviction to entertain it tickles my soul

-Bond fighting a ninja in a glass art museum. Where it must hold a record for most shattering in a single area. Delightful

-Bond’s boat turning into a car, underscored by a double take from a pigeon

-a lover of bond who is hunted to death by dogs, in a beautifully shot forest

-the US marines fighting the yellow minions in outer space, with lasers and jet packs that makes it seems like a fever dream mash up of the arcade game “asteroids” and how you imagined all the toys battles when you were a child

+pew! Pew! Zap! Zip! Etc

-the indestructible behemoth of a brute (“jaws”, making his return) falling into a circus from a plane with no parachute

-speaking of, there is a certain thrill in seeing a man jumping out of a plane, knowing that camera operator had to jump out of another plane to record it. Stirring

-it’s been reported that the budget for this film was so massively out of control that they were paying interest on it 10 years later. Believable, because this film looks awesome and expensive

-the sets alone are gobsmacking, then the rain forrest et all

-props to one of the best double entendres in the series; when Q is asked where Bond is(he’s having sex in zero gravity)”I believe he’s trying for re-entry”

-John Barry does a pretty terrific score

+wild to think he did this, “the black hole” and “starcrash” in the same year.

-Spy peanut butter in outer space jam. What’s not to love?

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Sun rays. The three furlongers. 1914. Cover detail.

Internet Archive