Tag Archives: 1981

08/21/2016 · 4:58 pm

Animation Analysis: Heavy Metal

When analyzing or criticizing animated feature films, it’s important to keep three factors in mind:

The talent
The resources
The date of production and release

Production designer: the late great Michael Gross, who gave you National Lampoon Comics and the Ghostbusters logo (for a movie Ivan Reitman directed that you might have heard of).

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Filed under Animation Analysis, Faint Signals, Girls of BIUL, Movies You Missed, Nostalgic Obsessions, O'Shloktoberfest, Saturday Movie Matinee, Thousand Listen Club, Unfairly Maligned

Tagged as 1980s, 1981, Angus McKie, Animal House, animation, Bernie Wrightson, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, breasts, comix, Cornelius Cole III, DEVO, Donald Fagen, Elmer Bernstein, Eugene Levy, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Frank Frazetta, Harold Ramis, Heavy Metal, Hey Good Lookin', Iron Maiden, John Candy, John Vernon, Journey, metal, Michael Gross, Moebius, movies, National Lampoon, NSFW, Percy Rodriguez, Ralph Bakshi, Richard Corben, Riggs, Rodger Bumpass, rotoscope, Sammy Hagar, Star Wars, Stevie Nicks, The Transformers: The Movie, Watership Down

07/29/2016 · 7:14 pm

DEVO: The Good, The Bad, And The Mutated

I have been a DEVO fan- a “DEVOtee”, if you will- for a very long time. 35 years ago, I was witnessing the video for “Whip It” for the first time, on the brand-new cable channel MTV. I knew a lot of spoiled kids.

When a good time turns around.

It’s not one of my favorite DEVO singles, but I appreciate its historical importance. Even today, it sounds truly weird. However, it came to be so closely linked with DEVO and their visual style, eventually it was the only song anyone brought up. Continue reading →

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Filed under Bad Influences, Faint Signals, Nostalgic Obsessions, Thousand Listen Club, Unfairly Maligned

Tagged as 1970s, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1980s, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1988, Akron Ohio, Alan Myers, alternative music, Bob Casale, Bob Mothersbaugh, Brian Eno, David Bowie, DEVO, Gerald V. Casale, Kent State, Mark Mothersbaugh, Murray the K, music, New Wave, nitrous oxide, punk, Ramones, Spazz Attack, Sun Ra

07/16/2016 · 8:11 pm

The B-52s

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Filed under Bad Influences, Comix Classic & Current, Don't Know Don't Care, Faint Signals, Girls of BIUL, Thousand Listen Club

Tagged as 1980s, 1981, 1990s, AIDS, alternative music, Athens Ga, Bands I Useta Like, Bob Marley, Cindy Wilson, cocaine, David Byrne, Frank Zappa, Fred Schneider, Georgia, Iggy Pop, John Lennon, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland, Mojo Nixon, music, Nancy Reagan, New Jersey, Ralph Bakshi, Ricky Wilson, Ronald Reagan, strips, televangelism, The B-52s, Vic Chesnutt, Ziggy Marley

06/21/2016 · 5:23 pm

Soul Coughing

All comics I produced from 2006-2008 were written and drawn during the production of my movie, John’s Arm: Armageddon. I jumped the gun by putting a “release date” on my shirt in the opening panel. Here’s why.

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Filed under Animation Analysis, Bad Influences, Comix Classic & Current, Faint Signals, Thousand Listen Club

Tagged as "Weird" Al Yankovic, 1980s, 1981, 1990s, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2000s, 2007, 2008, Adult Swim, advertising, Alive From Off Center, alternative music, animation, Bands I Useta Like, Bill Frisell, Cartoon Network, Chris Rock, comic, despair, DEVO, Freddie Hubbard, Gerry V. Casale, Jim Woodring, John's Arm:Armageddon, loops, Mark Harmon, Mary Tyler Moore, Mike Doughty, Mike the Pod, movies, music, New Jersey, Ohrwurm, PBS, Raymond Scott, Saturday Supercade, Soul Coughing, Stanard Ridgway, strips, Wall Of Voodoo

04/03/2016 · 1:07 pm

Forrestal

Forrestal (?-1936) was a competitor of the archaeologist Henry “Indiana” Jones, Jr. (1899- ). He was good. He was very, very good.

On June 12, 1981, Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in theaters. It was rated “PG”, which stood for “Parental Guidance”. The basic idea behind this MPAA rating was that parents should be ready to provide guidance for any offspring that might be negatively affected by the film. When things get too “scary”, it’s time for a parent or guardian to step in and say “it’s only a movie.” Which it is. It can in no way physically or mentally hurt you, and anyone who tells you differently is an escaped lunatic. Continue reading →

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Filed under Bad Influences, Faint Signals, Movies You Missed, Nostalgic Obsessions, Saturday Movie Matinee

Tagged as 1980s, 1981, Alfred Molina, George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, movies, MPAA ratings, PG: Parental Guidance, political correctness, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Steven Spielberg, Transformers

03/26/2016 · 6:07 pm

Movies You Missed: Apocalypto

Here is a fine example of “apology culture”; I’m about to write an article about a Mel Gibson movie, and unless I want the average reader to think I’m misogynist, racist, or anti-Semitic, I have to open by addressing Gibson’s reputation outside of film.

You know what? I don’t care what people think. I’m not here to signal virtue. I’m going to discuss the Mel Gibson film Apocalypto based upon its own merits, which are considerable. Had Gibson never acted and spoke as he did, according to the police reports and gossip vultures, I’d be talking about an Oscar winner for Best Picture. Apocalypto is the kind of film John Boorman used to make. See it if you’re skeptical. If you have acquaintances who might look askance at you for enjoying the work of Mel Gibson, go elsewhere. Continue reading →