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Saturday, October 31, 2026
THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON - LORD MELODY | sonicandvisualsurprises
THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON - LORD MELODY
1957
A tropical twist on terror
Hollywood gave us the creature; Lord Melody gives it a calypso soundtrack.
A fine excuse to take the Halloween playlist somewhere a little less predictable.
Dangerous Minds : Yorgos Lanthimos ‘Dogtooth' +
The Greek Weird Wave: How civil unrest gave the world Yorgos Lanthimos
Everything just feels weird, doesn’t it? It might sound childish to say, but then everything from movies to politics to pop culture, whether it’s in English, Greek or Mandarin, is saying it too, so we must be onto something, right?It’s completely bent out of shape, and the people in charge seem to be able to do nothing more than wring their hands about it. Saying that they’ve done everything they can to solve the issue, except for the thing that would actually solve the issue, which they can’t do because the world’s far more complicated to have any sort of simple solution to it. Anyway, we can solve climate change by sorting out soft plastics from our hard plastics, so chop-chop. We’re all trying to save the world, aren’t we?Few countries have faced as much debilitating strangeness as Greece has over the past two decades. The one-two punch of the riots surrounding the murder of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos by Athens police in 2008, followed by the complete collapse of the Greek economy in 2010, saw the country profoundly destabilised.Throughout it all, art provides a way for a country’s citizens to express that feeling, and in the 2000s, there was a number of exciting directors coming out of the Greek independent film scene willing to do just that.The issue was that they were working via funding provided by the country’s Greek Film Centre. Funding that the country, y’know, didn’t have anymore. The widespread emergency austerity measures put in place after the country went bankrupt affected the arts first, and suddenly, these directors were forced to reckon with their country’s state of national emergency with a budget of 20 bucks and a tub of tzatziki. Credit to ’em though, the mad bastards actually did it.The best example of this is the first film to make waves outside of the country from this time, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Dogtooth. On the surface, the movie is nothing more than fairly static shots of people in a house talking. Yet Lanthimos employs every trick in the book to make the picture a profoundly surreal experience, and the surface-level simplicity only serves to heighten just how profoundly strange the rest of the movie is.Every stilted line delivery. Every shot that lingers minutes too long. Every bizarre plot non-sequiter. Every time that shockingly dark concepts and deeds are talked about with the same everyday attitude you’d discuss the week’s shop with, all helped define the movement that would come from this period of profound civil unrest and upheaval, known as the Greek Weird Wave, and while Lanthimos became the most famous export from it, he was far from alone.Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Attenberg and Alexandros Avranas’ Miss Violence all used similar tactics at the same period of the mid-2000s, as did Lanthimos’ follow-up movie Alps. These were followed up in the early 2010s by the wave splitting into two. The most high-profile version of the movement came thanks to Tsangari and Lanthimos receiving offers from the UK film industry and Hollywood, respectively, after impressing with their early works. Their 2015 works, Chevalier and The Lobster, respectively, showed what they were capable of with a bigger budget without sacrificing the strangeness of their early work.However, the success of their early work also led to more Greek directors following in their footsteps. The likes of Yorgos Zois, Christos Nikou and Jacqueline Lentzou were arguably given the space to make the movies they wanted to make thanks to the success of their previous directors and prove that the Greek film industry is in much ruder health than it’s been in a long, long time.All thanks to movies unafraid to be weird, off-putting and disturbing. Just like real life.
DOGTOOTH- Official Trailer
Trailer for Kinds of Kindness
The Lobster- Trailer
Poor Things Official Trailer
Just watched this and love it beyond words . . . . . more
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Bugonia . . . . .
Others we have lost this month . . . . . .
After learning from Diamond Dave that in addition to Patrick Stewart there was Beatles Recording Engineer Phil McDonald
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_McDonald
but also the incandescently voluptuous Elke Sommer
Susan St James
Tom Skerritt, actor known for 'Top Gun,' 'River Runs Through It' and 'Picket Fences,' dies at 93
once described as a character actor locked in a leading man’s body a description he greatly enjoyed
‘Chekov’
Walter Koenig, Ensign Chekov on original 'Star Trek' series, dies at 90
it’s all too too much
sad times . . . Halloween with Butterboy!🎃
🎃 ButterBoy HALLOWEEN EDITION🎃
PLAY ME IF YOU DARE 🩸🩸🩸
Now there’s challenge . . . if it don’t play here . . . . go hereThe guvnor dresses up for All Hallows Eve!
The Blockheads say: If you're dressing up as Ian for Halloween this evening, you could take great inspiration from another classic bit of sartorial genius!
I will buy you Scarlet Ribbons . . . . . Bernard Cribbins!
Oh, Segovia!
If reason be needed!
Birthdays : JOHNNY MARR [Johnny Marr: It’s Time]
Happy birthday to Johnny Marr, born as John Maher in Manchester on Halloween in 1963. He is human and he needs to be loved, just like everybody else does. Route reminds us
The official video for ‘It’s Time’ by Johnny Marr. Listen here: https://JohnnyMarr.lnk.to/ItsTimeID Taken from the new album 'The Age Of Everything', out 2nd October. Pre-order/pre-save here: https://JohnnyMarr.lnk.to/theageofeve... Follow Johnny Marr: Instagram - https://johnnymarr.lnk.to/Instagram Facebook - https://johnnymarr.lnk.to/Facebook iTunes - https://johnnymarr.lnk.to/iTunes Shot at Castlefield Bowl, 9th July 2026
Iris DeMent - Mamas Opry / Let The Mystery Be - Iris DeMent H.Q.
I wouldn’t have known this country gal were it not for John Prine (In Spite of Ourselves ?) for that’s how he worked . . . . . . not always comfortable to the unattuned ear or those not accustomed but once you get used to it it will not leave your heart strings alone. I swear!
Iris DeMent - Mamas Opry
After listening last night to her wonderful song about beliefs ‘Lt That Mystery Be’ (sound advice!)
I came across this
we should revisit the Mystery huh?
Let The Mystery Be - Iris DeMent H.Q.
Iris Dement - vocals & guitar
Russ Barenberg - guitar
Jay Ungar - fiddle
Molly Mason - bass
Donal Lunny - bouzouki [R.I.P.)
Noticing that it has Donal Lunny on it who we lost earlier this month
Armstrong and Miller Prisoners of War
not ENTIRELY sure that Armstrong & Miller travelled well outside the UK but they used to make me howl!
This is why!
James Hogg reminds us "Any sketch that bears the sentence
“ What are you going to do, shoot me in the head with your gun? This isn’t Nazi Germany!” in what is supposed to be Nazi Germany, is liable to make me guffaw, but the whole thing this is an absolute belter.
Incidentally, did you know that Ben Miller is a distant cousin of Abraham Lincoln ‘tis true."
I miss Armstrong & Miller!
(Wot are you some sort of massive gaylord or something?
Isn’t it?
Standard!
Isn’t it tho'!?)
ADVERT BREAK: Johnny & Lillie Flynn ‘Beam Cottage’
Johnny & Lillie Flynn will be releasing an album together titled ‘Beam Cottage’ on 6th November.Pre-order the record on Corn Yellow/Black Vinyl or CD via Johnny’s store.
Now a long time fan since coming across his wonderful theme for The Detectorists comedy series (Mackensie Crook and Toby Jones with the wondrous Rachael Stirling) I keep think Johnny has released an album I really expected to hear . . this is almost never the case. From his work with The Sussex Wit (quite rocky) to pieces in collaboration with people like Laura Marling, Johnny never fails to throw us a curved ball. This collaboration with his sister continues that theme as it was FAR from what I expected. Check out the music here and expect something very much sonically compositionally darker than I ever expected . . if you want a nice finger style guitar playing folkie think again . . . . . he is simply quite extraordinary
Randy Newman, Ry Cooder and featuring Linda Ronstadt ‘Rider In The Rain
Aww Linda, Randy and Ry . . . . yeah you heard me!
Linda Ronstadt sings "Rider in the Rain" with Randy Newman and Ry Cooder
from the DVD release Randy Newman Live at the Odeon
Louis Price (The Temptations) - Change is Gonna Come
I’m Sorry!?! This is a REHEARSAL!?
the poster says: "I had no clue how much I needed to see this until I watched it. 🤯
Anytime somebody shows this much love for their craft, it warms my soul.
From his time with the Temptations to this clip, Louis Price definitely is a master of his craft!”
BE WARNED IT IS CLIPPED!
[why WHY would you do THAT?]
Elle Cordova & Toni Lindgren - Darlin' Where You Been . . . . . a spooky murder ballad
🎃 HALLOWEEN YOU SAY!?🎃
Well here’s a jolly Murder Ballad from Elle and Toni
Darlin' Where You Been - Elle Cordova & Toni Lindgren
Elle says:
Darlin' Where You Been? - an original murder ballad
"A haunting little tale of betrayal and murder most foul under the full moon. Pairs well with hot cider, caramel apples, and, I'm told, candy corn (if you're a weirdo like that).
This song is out everywhere now, so add it to your spooky playlists"
THE TRAVELLING WILBURYS - END OF THE LINE 1988
Well I keep trying to find different Wilbury tracks and we (you! - ED) forget the classics at our peril!
THE TRAVELLING WILBURYS - END OF THE LINE 1988
remastered and video treated 2016
Let’s start the day here . . . .
Friday, October 30, 2026
Grace Slick’s Birthday! (87)
“We took what we thought was cocaine. But we took it out of the wrong box, and we took LSD.
So, about 15 minutes into the set, we looked at each other and went, ‘Oh boy. Oops.’”
- Grace Slick
Jefferson Airplane -1967- Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil
I always play White Rabbit and Somebody to Love so here’s a different one
Peter Green - ‘Heavy Heart’ on Top of the Pops 1971 | Blues In Colour / Smiling Corgi Press article
I found this extraordinary piece on one of the pages I visit on Facebook Blues.In.Colour and it makes for a sad story and I followed up with further reading . . . . note this performance on Top of The Pops (extraordinarily enough) is post the night of the LSD trip in Germany that triggered Peter’s schizophrenia or certainly psychotic episodes and whilst it is largely believed he did little to nothing after that and his leaving his beloved Fleetwood Mac that is not the full story . . . .
Peter Green - ‘Heavy Heart’ on Top of the Pops 1971Final clip for Pater Greens birthday and kind of apt with a mimed performance to promote his debut solo single, “Heavy Heart” (aired on 17th, June, 1971).Please support the channel, it’s greatly appreciated! https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/bluesincolourIn 1971, Peter Green was in a state of deep personal and professional flux. Having walked away from the global fame of Fleetwood Mac the previous year, his life in 1971 was defined by a bizarre, temporary return to his old band, a fleeting attempt at a solo career, and his worsening psychological decline.The most famous event of Green’s year happened entirely by accident. In February 1971, while Fleetwood Mac was on tour in Los Angeles, guitarist Jeremy Spencer walked out of the hotel to buy a magazine and never came back, he’d left the band to join a religious cult called the “Children of God”.Desperate to fulfill their remaining 6 weeks of U.S. tour dates, Mick Fleetwood called Green and begged him to help. Green flew out immediately but refused to be billed as a headliner. He performed under the pseudonym “Peter Blue”. He did occasionally step up to the mic, singing “Black Magic Woman” and playing a medley of old rock ‘n’ roll tracks.Once the tour wrapped up, the band hoped he might stay. Green, however, made it clear his return was strictly a rescue mission, and he walked away for goodIn June 1971, he released a standalone, beautifully melancholic instrumental solo single titled “Heavy Heart”. To promote it, he made this rare appearance on the BBC’s Top of the Pops, playing the track alongside co-writer Nigel Watson on bass. The track showcased the haunting, fragile guitar tone he was famous for, but it did not achieve massive commercial success.
further reading at the excellent Smiling Corgi Press - Peter Green by Dave Kelly
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