The Projection Booth - Episode 4 - Dune

Let all eyes turn to Arrakis as Mike and Mondo Justin defend David Lynch's flawed gem, Dune.

This much-maligned 1984 sci-fi epic was panned upon its initial release, expanded for television, and swept under the rug by all those involved. We look at the wild history of Dune and defend it against its detractors as a film that deserves a second chance.

Special guest this week, Ed Naha, screenwriter of Chud II and author of The Making of Dune.

Music by Shiryu, Peachy, and Astral Projection.

Listen to the episode:

Or, right click and "Save Link As" to download it:

Everything Chris Klein Says in Legend of Chun Li

Thank you Paracinema.

Everything Chris Klein Says in "The Legend of Chun Li" from Jeff Rubin on Vimeo.

HorrorHound Weekend Wrapup

It's always a nice feeling to fit in. That's not how I felt at HorrorHound Weekend.

Mondo Justin and I pulled into the Marriott East Indianapolis, loaded to the gills with copies of Impossibly Funky, postcards, and free DVDs. The plan: Justin would pass out DVDs and postcards to people waiting in line to get in to the convention while I manned the table with Greydon Clark, selling books while Greydon sold his movies, posters, and stills.

It took me a while to get over the idea that I was spending the weekend hanging out with Greydon Clark. I may have gotten a little fanboyish at times but I tried to keep my cool. Had you told me twenty years ago that I was going to work with the guy who directed Black Shampoo, my head may have exploded.

On Friday we got a little bit of a late start as we ran over to WFYI for an interview with film guru Matthew Socey. Wanna hear what happened? Easy enough -- click here.

Sitting at the table most of the weekend, I didn't see too many other celebs. As we were setting up, however, Sid Haig came up to our table. It was nice to see him and Greydon chatting; the first time they had seen each other since the release of The Forbidden Dance (Is Lambada) back in 1990.

I spent most of my weekend manning the table with Greydon and his gal pal Marlene while Justin worked the crowd and met up with a few video distributors with whom he's friends. Unlike the other celebrities, major and minor, Greydon didn't get a very good spot on the selling floor. We sat on the end of a row rather than against a wall. Maybe that's why most of the people who said they'd see me at HorrorHound via email, Facebook, or Twitter never showed up.

I didn't do much browsing at the convention. I definitely didn't want to spend any money and there were so many people around that I utilized my all access pass to wander around before the show started. That's when I saw some wonderfully-disturbing masks.

We only left the table briefly on Saturday afternoon for the screening of Without Warning. Again, this could have been better. Everything I had read put the screening in "Room B." Surprise! There is no Room B. There's Salon B but, even then, we were in Room 2. It was an adequate space with an inadequate A/V system. Rather than showing the movie on the large screen in the room, the video projector had crapped out and we ended up having to screen the movie on a 43" TV. Everyone huddled in the front of the room.

I had a blast watching Greydon work with the people that stopped by the booth. Seeing him talk up his movies and why people need to see them gave me a glimpse into how he probably got funding in the past. I tried to mimic his patter to move books but I couldn't hold a candle to him.

In all, I sold seven books and gave away three. I don't know if it was my sales technique, the content of the book, or the context of the event. There's not much horror in Impossibly Funky. Other than Greydon, I doubt that I mentioned anyone at the convention within its pages. Well, maybe Corey Feldman...

Seven books couldn't even pay for a tank of gas from Detroit to Indianapolis these days. It certainly couldn't pay for Greydon's hotel room, meals, and airfare. Fortunately, Greydon offset the outlay of cash by splitting all of the sales with me right down the middle. Still, none of us (including Justin) came close to breaking even.

Monetarily, the weekend was a bust. Socially, it was fun as I got to hang out with Greydon and Marlene, see quite a few social network pals that did manage to show up, occasionally catch up with Justin, and have dinner with my pal Richard Edwards and his wife, Sybil Brownfield.

I had a blast people-watching and interacting with some very interesting people like the guy who showed up that wouldn't buy anything but wanted to entertain us with his cartoon impersonations.

On Sunday Justin and I interviewed Greydon for an upcoming episode of The Projection Booth. Stay tuned...

Thanks again to everyone who patronized the table. If you're looking for Greydon Clark gear, be sure to check out his website GreydonClark.com.

Taking of Pelham One Two Three

The latest episode of The Projection Booth is now available for download! Go over to iTunes and subscribe or open it up in your favorite podcast device.

Don't forget to rate and review it!

Radiodrome Interview!

The episode of Radiodrome is now available in their archives! You can download the episode right here. Hosted by Cinema Snob and Josh*, it's a weekly show that covers the old days of video -- VHS tapes, Laserdiscs, DVDs, and more. It plays every Thursday night at 10PM EST/9PM CST.

*You may remember Josh for his terrific article about TV pilots ("Piloting Murky Waters") from Cashiers du Cinemart #15.

Bad Movie Podcast: Drive Funky

I'm honored that I'm on Episode 45 of the Bad Movie Podcast. Is it just a coincidence that the majority of the episode deals with one of my favorite actors, Nic Cage, and his recent film Drive Angry? I think not!

Get on over to their website and check it out!

Projection Booth: Abar - The First Black Superman

It's here! The second episode of The Projection Booth podcast. This week Mondo Justin and I take on Abar: The First Black Superman including an interview with the leading man Tobar Mayo!

Also, we've got Chris Gore talking about how he once made Charlie Sheen a hero to the community and Tim Mallos reading "Star Wars: The Lost Cut" from Impossibly Funky: A Cashiers du Cinemart Collection. It doesn't get much better than this... until the next episode, at least!

• Subscribe via iTunes
• Download via Another Service

James O'Keefe and the Five Dollar Words

This story on NPR's On the Media cracked me up.

My favorite bit is James O'Keefe's obtuse diction. Check out this line at 5:07:

No, we show these egregious statements on tape and I don't think that anything is mitigated by that. It's a logical nonsequiter for you to say, "Well, in the other parts of the tape he said non-egregious things, therefore it exculpates him."

It seems that O'Keefe's thesaurus is missing a few pages. He just keeps using the same five dollar words repeatedly like at 7:34 in:

Unless you can point to a specific thing in the tape that mitigates or exculpates the egregious statements made by the employees, you're just using obfuscation.

He sounds like one of those under-educated people who latch on to a few important-sounding words and bandies them about without knowing what they really mean.

Film Soceyology

On Friday 3/25/2011, I'm going to be on the air at WFYI again with Matthew Socey of Film Soceyology. I'll be joined by Greydon Clark and Mondo Justin where we'll be talking about HorrorHound Weekend, Mr. Clark's illustrious career, Mondo Video, Impossibly Funky and, undoubtedly, the recent death of Elizabeth Taylor. What a combination!

Listen Live on WFYI 90.1 FM HD2 (The Point) or via their website at 5PM Friday 3/25/2011. You can also listen to the broadcast via their archives next week. But that's not nearly as fun as listening to us live, now is it?

BTW, I'll be tweeting throughout the proceedings @impossiblefunky.

I'm sure I'll be making at least one reference to my favorite bit from Best Worst Movie:

Chicago International Movies & Music Festival

I'm heading out to Chicago in April for the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival. I'm going specifically for the premiere of Freaks In Love, the Alice Donut documentary co-directed by my good pal Skizz Cyzyk.

Freaks in Love (USA)

4/15/11 10:00 PM
Society For Arts: 1112 N. Milwaukee Ave
This is 25 years in the world of underground rock, as seen through the eyes of freakshow psych-punk band Alice Donut. From the glory days of CBGB to grinding nationwide tours in beat-up vans to the big time (sort of) opening for Blind Melon, Alice Donut lived indie music. We know the story of the bands that went international, led by Nirvana, but Freaks in Love is the story of the rest of the scene. Featuring Jello Biafra and the Meat Puppets.
In person: Directors Skizz Cyzyk and David Koslowski, along with members of Alice Donut
World Premiere
Director: Skizz Cyzyk & David Koslowski
Documentary: 100 min.

The Rondo Awards 2011

Apparently no one nominated Impossibly Funky for the Rondo Awards this time around. Don't worry, I'll get over it... in a few decades. Until then, there are some great things nominated for the awards this time around. Here's what I'm voting for:

1. BEST MOVIE OF 2010 - Daybreakers
2. BEST TELEVISION PRESENTATION - Fringe
3. BEST CLASSIC DVD - Crack in the World
4. BEST CLASSIC DVD COLLECTION - Fantomas
5. BEST RESTORATION - Metropolis
6. BEST COMMENTARY - Stephen Romano, Star Crash
7. BEST DVD EXTRA - M
8. BEST INDIE FILM OR DOC - The Rock: The Ed Wood of the 21st Century
10. BOOK OF THE YEAR - Destroy All Movies
11. BEST MAGAZINE of 2010 - Paracinema
12. BEST ARTICLE - 'The Blu Planet: Return to Ape City', 'We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes'
13. BEST INTERVIEW - Allan Arkush: 'Rock 'n Roll Cult Classic,'
14. BEST MAGAZINE COVER - Paracinema #10
15. BEST WEBSITE - Trailers from Hell
16. BEST BLOG OF 2010 - Schlockmania - http://www.schlockmania.com/
19. FAVORITE HORROR HOST OF 2010 - Svengoolie
20. BEST HORROR AUDIO - Rue Morgue Radio
24. CLASSIC IN NEED OF RESTORATION - Blackmail (Hitchcock)
25. WRITER OF THE YEAR - Kimberly Lindbergs
27. ARTIST OF THE YEAR - Jim Rugg (www.jimrugg.com)

In case you're interested: All voting is by e-mail only. Simply copy this ballot and send an e-mail with your name and picks to taraco@aol.com by midnight, March 27, 2011.

Please take the time to vote in this event! And, if you want to write me in Impossibly Funky, I won't object.

HorrorHound Weekend!

Progress continues for HorrorHound Weekend. This weekend -- March 25-27, 2011, Mondo-Video.com and I will be bringing in my favorite director, Greydon Clark, to Indianapolis, IN for the festivities.

I'll be sharing a table with Greydon where we'll both be selling/signing copies of Impossibly Funky: A Cashiers du Cinemart Collection.

Also, there's going to be a screening of Clark's Without Warning at the convention with a Q&A afterward. As this movie still isn't available legitimately on DVD this screening is quite a treat for film fans. If you like Predator, see the movie that inspired it!

What:	Screening Without Warning (WSG Greydon Clark)
When:	4:00 PM, Saturday, March 26, 2011
Where:	Room-B Marriott Indianapolis East 7202 East 21st Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46219
Sponsored by:	http://wwww.mondo-video.com

RSVP via Facebook and show your support!

If you're coming out to Horror Hound, please give me a shout so I can look for you there!

Harper Woods Film Festival - March 18, 2011

The Harper Woods Film Festival is a one-night only Michigan film centered event. The fundraiser will help further the mission of the Harper Woods Public Library in 2011 and beyond.

Friday, March 18, 2011
7:30pm - 10:00pm

Harper Woods High School
20225 Beaconsfield Street
Harper Woods, MI

The evening will feature trailers, short fiction and short documentaries from some of the state's top independent filmmakers.

Come and see what homegrown talent is all about. Mix and mingle with local filmmakers and learn how they create their wonderful, new visions.

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Some of the films in the program:

"Cell Phone Trailer" – Directed by Michael Pfaendtner
A quick reminder to turn off your cell phone in a movie theatre or grave things can happen.

"Fairview St." (trailer) – Directed by Michael McCallum
"Fairview St." is an award winning Lansing made feature film about a paroled man who returns home to make amends but finds himself pulled back into a world of crime. "Fairview St." is currently available on DVD. http://www.fairviewstreet.com/

"The Wars of Other Men" (trailer) – Directed by Mike Zawacki
"The Wars of Other Men" – Set in an alternate World War I era Earth, "The Wars of Other Men" tells the story of a nameless Lieutenant fighting for an army on the verge of defeat. The enemy has begun to dominate the battlefield with their new chemical super weapon known only as "the Fog." When his superiors learn the location of the facility that manufactures the Fog, the Lieutenant is ordered to lead a squad through the war torn city to capture its creator at the cost of sacrificing his men and unleashing the Fog upon soldiers and civilians alike. The Lieutenant must choose between being a good soldier and a good man. www.paradisevalleymedia.com

"Declaration Detroit" (trailer)
"Declaration Detroit" is a promotional film for the non-partisan political/social action group called "Declare Detroit". The short speaks of the principles of the group as they focusing on making Detroit a better place to live, work and play. http://declaredetroit.wordpress.com/

"Factory 2" (animation) – Directed by Electric Otto
"Factory 2" is a short animation created by Electric Otto incorporating the music of local hip-hop artist Robo-Robb and Moonchild. The song is from their recent album "Save the Music". http://electricottosfunkfactory.com/

"Paint a Burnt House" (documentary) – Directed by Steven McGee
"Paint a Burned House" is a short documentary featuring the collaborative art project, "Imagination Station." The "Imagination Station" campus is near the Michigan Central Station in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood. http://facethestation.com/

"Louder than Love: the Grande Ballroom Story" (trailer) – Directed by Tony D'Annunzio
"Louder than Love: the Grand Ballroom Story" is a feature documentary about the legendary Detroit rock and roll venue and its impact on music, not only locally, but worldwide. "Louder than Love" will be released later this year.

"Auction Sale" (documentary) – Directed by Michael Pfaendtner
Shot in rural Macomb County in 1979 in glorious black and white, "Auction Sale" features farm auctioneer Paul G. Hillman as he talks about his long career in the auction business dating back to 1945.

"Retreat" (fiction) – Directed by Robert Joseph Butler
Alexis is an alienated teenager who is shy, isolated, and keeps to herself. Disconnected from her family, classmates, and environment, she gravitates to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan to get in touch with her mind and spirit. www.nuwavefilms.com

"The Message" (fiction) – Directed by Mike Zawacki
"The Message" – A voice from the past unites a fragile trio of survivors coping with life after a catastrophic epidemic. www.paradisevalleymedia.com

"A Little Knowledge" (fiction) – Directed by Clark A. Eagling
"A Little Knowledge" – A young woman thinks she saw something -- or did she? When an amateur sets out to do a professional's job, she finds a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Winner of Best Film, Best Directing, Best Sound Design, and Best Thriller/Suspense at the 2009 Detroit 48 Hour Film Challenge competition. www.paradisevalleymedia.com

"Dog Gone" (fiction) – Directed by Paul Lenzi
Life ain't half bad for Ginger the Pug. Ginger is rewarded with delicious biscuits every time her owner, Bella, asks a nagging question. That is, until Mr. Sprinkles arrives and turns this doggie's world upside down. Can Ginger get Bella back? www.paullenzi.net

"Pigment" (fiction) – Directed by Kyle Dufendach
Like every girl, Amanda wants a change. She seeks out an artist who magically transforms her appearance by simply painting over her image on paper. The possibilities of the artist seem limitless, but Amanda wrestles with who she is becoming and how far she must go to be truly happy. www.storytellingpictures.com

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Door Prizes will include films on DVD and Blu-Ray as well as film related books and other prizes donated from our sponsors:

The Criterion Collection
Troma
Cashiers du Cinemart (Mike White)
Mitten Movie Project

ME! by Alvin Ecarma

Alvin Ecarma's "ME!" -- an incredible short film wherein Ecarma (director of LETHAL FORCE) channels the ecstasy of GHETTO FREAKS. This is the original version, well loved by all.

Gearing Up for Horror Hound!

Progress continues for HorrorHound Weekend. On March 25-27, 2011, both Mondo-Video.com and I will be bringing in my favorite director, Greydon Clark, to Indianapolis, IN for the festivities.

I'll be sharing a table with Greydon where we'll both be selling/signing copies of Impossibly Funky: A Cashiers du Cinemart Collection. I'm working hard to be a bit "cutthroat" and will try to make sure that no one leaving the table will walk away without buying a book.

Between you and me, there might be a screening of Clark's Without Warning at the convention with a Q&A afterward. As this movie still isn't available legitimately on DVD this screening is quite a treat for film fans. If you like Predator, see the movie that inspired it!

If you're coming out to Horror Hound, please give me a shout so I can look for you there!

It's Away! Projection Booth Podcast 1

It may not be perfect (we're still learning) but the first episode of The Projection Booth is now available for downloading/listening. It has yet to show up on iTunes but I hear it takes a little while for their system to catch up with all the podcasts being added to it.

Visit Feedburner to subscribe or listen to the episode now! Enjoy!

Renegade Angel - Deluxe Edition

From Wikipedia
Bad For Good is an 1981 album by American songwriter Jim Steinman. Steinman wrote all of the songs and performed on most, although Rory Dodd contributed lead vocals on some tracks.

The songs were originally intended to be recorded by Meat Loaf as a follow up to Bat out of Hell, titled Renegade Angel. However, Meat Loaf suffered vocal problems and was unable to sing. However, he would record several tracks from Bad for Good for his later albums.

The critical reaction to the album was rather mediocre. Many reviews commented that Steinman's singing voice was inadequate for the songs.

Many of the tracks, or elements thereof, on Bad for Good have been recorded by other artists, including projects that Steinman has been involved in.

He produced Barbra Streisand recording "Left in the Dark" for her album Emotion. The intro to "Stark Raving Love" was used for "Holding Out for a Hero", a 1984 hit for Bonnie Tyler.

Meat Loaf has recorded most of Bad for Good:

• "Surf's Up" - Bad Attitude;
• "Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through" - Bat out of Hell II
• "Out of the Frying Pan (And Into the Fire)" - Bat out of Hell II
• "Love And Death and an American Guitar" ("Wasted Youth") - Bat out of Hell II
• "Lost Boys and Golden Girls" - Bat out of Hell II
• "Left in the Dark" - Welcome to the Neighborhood;
• "Bad for Good" - Bat out of Hell III: The Monster
• An excerpt of "The Storm" is used as intro to "Seize the Night" on Bat out of Hell III.

Being the obsessive that I am, I've collected all of these tracks together along with the original Steinman album, live versions of the song (of good quality) and other versions of the songs (as mentioned above) into one torrent file.

Download Torrent File

Name	Artist	Disc
Seize The Night	Meat Loaf	1
Bad For Good	Meat Loaf	1
Lost Boys And Golden Girls	Meat Loaf	1
Love And Death and an American Guitar	Meat Loaf	1
Out Of The Frying Pan (And Into the Fire)	Meat Loaf	1
Surf's Up	Meat Loaf	1
Left In The Dark	Meat Loaf	1
Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through	Meat Loaf	1
The Storm	Jim Steinman	2
Bad For Good	Jim Steinman	2
Lost Boys And Golden Girls	Jim Steinman	2
Love And Death And An American Guitar	Jim Steinman	2
Stark Raving Love	Jim Steinman	2
Out Of The Frying Pan (And Into The Fire)	Jim Steinman	2
Surf's Up	Jim Steinman	2
Dance In My Pants	Jim Steinman	2
Spoken Introduction / Left In The Dark / Spoken Ending	Jim Steinman	2
Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through	Jim Steinman	3
Overture	Dance Of The Vampire Demos	3
The Opening of the Box	Pandora's Box	3
Wasted Youth (Speech) (Live)	Meat Loaf	3
Out Of The Frying Pan (And Into The Fire) (Live)	Meat Loaf	3
Out Of The Frying Pan (And Into The Fire) (Live)	Meat Loaf	3
Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through (Live)	Meat Loaf	3
Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through (Live)	Meat Loaf	3
Left In The Dark	Barbra Streisand	3
Holding Out For A Hero	Bonnie Tyler	3

Download Torrent File

Cover art by Baron Von Watermelon

Without Warning at HorrorHound Weekend

I'm happy to announce that HorrorHound Weekend (March 25-27, 2011) will include a screening of Greydon Clark's Without Warning. This movie still isn't available on DVD. If a public screening isn't enough to get you there, Greydon Clark will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. Be sure to attend!

What:	Screening Without Warning (WSG Greydon Clark)
When:	4:00 PM, Saturday, March 26, 2011
Where:	Room-B Marriott Indianapolis East 7202 East 21st Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46219
Sponsored by:	http://wwww.mondo-video.com

RSVP via Facebook and show your support!

And don't forget... I'll be at HorrorHound all weekend with copies of Impossibly Funky for sale at the Mondo-Video.com table. Get one and get it autographed by Greydon and me while we're there!