Stuff I Wanna See: Moonlight Mask

I was doing some browsing on Facebook when I saw the poster to your left. I was intrigued by the retro-coolness of the poster design as well as the inexplicable yet awesome outfits on display (the turban and sunglasses combo, the tidy 1950's hat and suit, the dude with the skull mask in the left hand corner, etc.) I love offbeat Japanese movies and this was one that I knew nothing about.

So I did a bit of exploring using the vast resources of the Internet and discovered that the poster in question was an advertisement for a film in the "Moonlight Mask" series. Moonlight Mask, apparently, was a Japanese superhero from the late 1950's. Wikipedia (which, granted, isn't the best source in the world, but my resources were limited here) describes Moonlight Mask's appearance as follows, "Decked out in white tights, white & red cape, white scarf, yellow gloves & boots, dark glasses, face cloth and Indian-style turban (pinned with a 'moon' ornament), Moonlight Mask is armed with a whip, two six-shooters, shuriken and moon-shaped boomerangs. He also rides a motorcycle." Moonlight Mask made his debut on television in 1958. A film trilogy was released in the same year, presumably to capitalize on the popularity of the property. The poster I've included in my post is for the second film in the series, Moonlight Mask - Duel to the Death in Dangerous Waters. The series was apparently revived a handful of times, by way of a 1970's anime series and a 1981 film. There also exists a parody of the franchise titled "Kekko Kamen", which follows a topless and pants-less masked superheroine who incapacitates her enemies by shoving her crotch into their faces (?!?!).

Anyhow, I'm getting off topic. The reason I posted this is because the old-school 1958 Midnight Mask stuff looks awesome (in a kitschy, campy way) and I'd love to watch it/learn more about it. Unfortunately, though, I'm having trouble finding info about the series in English. Are there any fanboys or girls who know where I could get my hands on a subtitled copy of the original 1950's TV episodes or movies? This looks like a piece of pop history that's too compelling to let slip by.

Best Music Writing 2010: The Highlights

I recently read, and thoroughly enjoyed, a book called Retromania by Simon Reynolds.  When I was done reading that, I hopped over to Amazon.com to grab some advice on what to read next.  Whilst browsing through the links I saw a compilation entitled Best Music Writing 2010.  I read a few pages online and thought it seemed decently engaging so I picked it up. 

I just finished reading the last entry the other day.  Overall, I enjoyed this title.  The book is composed of thirty-six different articles, each somehow related to music, that was published in 2009 (the "2010" of the title refers to the date the compilation itself was published).  The articles vary greatly in both content and form.  There's an impressive range of music genres and personalities covered, and the writing styles on display include interviews, profiles, personal essays, and investigative pieces.  I enjoyed the variety in this volume as it exposed me to stuff I would never normally read about, and thus slightly broadened my worldview in the process (always a good thing).  Anyway, for those who enjoy reading entertainment journalism, this is a solid read that, on the whole, is well edited and assembled.  Only one article, the needlessly pretentious "Lady Gaga in Hell" (which bizarrely compares the "Poker Face" video to poet William Blake's description of Hell), came across as a complete dud.  All the other articles were amusing or interesting or both.

Now with that said, I'd like to switch up my normal book reviewing routine.  Since this is a compilation of a number of different writings, I'd like to take this space to highlight the articles I found particularly interesting or worth-reading.  I've picked three (a nice, arbitrary number) articles that particularly clicked with me, though of course I urge any interested parties to pick up the book and decide for themselves what's hot and what's not.  With that disclaimer out of the way let's begin the countdown:

1)  "The Gossip Takes Paris" - Michelle Tea.  This article opens the collection, and it's a strong opening indeed.  "The Gossip Takes Paris" is a retelling of author Michelle Tea's experiences at Paris Fashion Week as she follows Beth Ditto, lead singer of The Gossip.  One of the reasons why I enjoyed this piece was because of its characterization of Ditto.  I knew little about her before reading this article, and truthfully found her outspoken persona a bit repellent.  Tea's writing helped humanize and endear Ditto to me.  Hearing about Ditto's anxieties (she makes the author leave the room during a photoshoot "because loomers make Beth nervous when she's getting her photo taken") helped to give the eccentric pop star a relatable vulnerability.  Also of note in this essay are the author's descriptions of the various fashion shows and parties that occurred during fashion week.  Now I'm not one for fashion, so it's a testament to Tea's writing that I was actually interested in the events described.  One of my favorite parts in the article was the description of Jean-Charles de Castelbajac's Muppet themed collection.  It sounded so offbeat and fun, with the zany clothing designs and the onstage antics (the models threw fake money into the crowd at the end of the show). 

2)  "Michael Jackson: An Appreciation of His Talent" - Jason King.  This is the second of two articles in this compilation that were written in response to Michael Jackson's death in the summer of 2009.  And of the two articles, this one's my favorite.  King's article is useful both as a quick overview of Jackson's career and as an analysis of his public persona.  The historical overview of Jackson's career as presented here is thorough yet incredibly readable.  I loved the comparison King draws between Thriller and the blockbusters of the 1970s, "...1982's Thriller defined the pop album as a blockbuster mega-spectacle.  It did for music what Jaws and Star Wars did for film, turning an art form into an event".  Also interesting is King's analysis of Jackson's public persona, which manages to be sympathetic while still packing a critical punch.

3)  "Vanishing Act: In Search of Eva Tanguay, the First Rock Star" - Jody Rosen.  I loved this article because it exposed me to a historical entertainer I knew nothing about.  Eva Tanguay, as Rosen describes in her article, was born in 1878 and gained fame in the early 1900's as a vaudeville star.  What makes Tanguay such a fascinating figure was her outspoken eccentricity.  Of particular note is Tanguay's dramatic fashion sense, described by Rosen as follows, "The costumes, which Tanguay claimed to have designed herself were avant-garde and architectural: hats that rose several feet above her head, constructed from ribbons, bells, leaves, ostrich plumes; gowns made of feathers, beads, dollar bills, seashells, coral.  A particular cause celebre was Tanguay's '$40 dress' - a garment fashioned from 4,000 pennies"   Tanguay's stage persona was brash, loud, and overconfident.  Her hit song was entitled "I Don't Care" and the lyrics painted a picture of a outspoken and supremely confident female star.  Rosen's article approaches the figure of Tanguay under the angle that her star is "...forgotten, but not gone".  In other words, while Tanguay's name may have faded into obscurity, her legacy lives on in the careers of modern, image conscious female pop artists such as Madonna and Lady Gaga.  Rosen's article is a compelling testament to how art is indebted (often unconsciously) to the pioneering works that preceded it.  Plus Tanguay seems like an unbelievably awesome character and I'm glad to know about her.

My Favorite Things

THESE ARE MY FAVORITE THINGSSS!!

*Audience of middle-aged women screams at the top of their lungs*

And so it goes.  Well, I know I'm no Oprah, but that doesn't mean I can't rip her show off all the same.  In the spirit of the departed Oprah show (and in the spirit of materialism and happy holidays) I thought it would be fun to blog about my favorite stuff.  Now, as I said earlier I'm no media mogul, so there's no free shit here.  If you're looking for complimentary cars, I can tell you that I have none.  But what I do have are a very particular set of geeky interests, which make for entertaining (if not self-indulgent and fan-ish) blog fodder. 

Okay, before I continue let's lay down some ground rules.  First thing, being that this is a petite blog post there's no way I'm gonna fit everything I currently like on this thing.  I'm not even going to try to make this a comprehensive list, so no tears if you notice that I missed something awesome/cool.  Life's not fair.  So with the limited scope of the list in mind, let me give you some further idea of how I've organized this list.  I've picked two categories: movies and books.  In each of the two categories I've picked three different things that I happen to like.  Now, these three things are random- they may be something current or an old favorite or just something in between.  Rest assured, if I mention something here then I think that it's pretty cool and it is given the Hedorah stamp of approval.

Now without further ado, let's get the party started.  These are a few of my favorite things:

Movies:
In Bruges - I have loved this movie since I first viewed it in a Chicago theater with my friend El Lobo back in 2008.  Recently I decided to revisit it after combing through my DVD collection during a fit of boredom.  And you know what?  It's still awesome.  Beautiful European scenery, unflinching violence, and an awesome cast of oddball characters are all selling points, but it's the darkly witty dialogue that really makes the movie for me (ex- "A lot of midgets tend to kill themselves. A disproportionate amount, actually...not the R2-D2 man; no, he's still going").  Not to sound like a snob, but a lot of modern mainstream comedy leaves me cold.  In Bruges was just dark, biting, and smart enough to break past my pretensions and make me laugh.  And the fact that the movie still entertains on the fourth or fifth time 'round is a testament to how well-written this film is.

Outrage - Outrage is a Japanese yakuza flick from 2010.  I recently had the chance to see it in the theater and I thought it was a pretty solid picture.  Outrage tells the blood-soaked story of power struggles amongst members of modern Japan's criminal underbelly.  It's a pure adrenaline rush of a movie as betrayals and power grabs among the yakuza lead to inventive and increasingly brutal moments of violence (the film's unconventional use of dental equipment is unforgettable).  Couple these punchy moments of violence with some sharp black humor and you have a movie worth the price of admission.

Curse of the Golden Flower - I saw this movie in theaters way back when it first came out in '07, but I decided to revisit it recently after watching Red Sorghum (the 1987 film that marked the directorial debut of Zhang Yimou as well as the acting debut of Gong Li) earlier this year.  Despite some dated CG, I found that Golden Flower still thrills.  The movie's story is Shakespearean in scope and it's fun to watch the characters' tortured relationships play out as their dark family secrets come to light.  Plus, the elaborate costumes are spectacular and Gong Li is awesome as the Empress who tries in vain to defy her husband's rule.  The action scenes here are pretty rock solid as well.

Books:
Retromania by Simon Reynolds - Reynolds is a music critic/commentator who noticed a trend of recycling and repackaging in modern pop music and decided to investigate.  Reynolds spends 400+ pages mining the culture behind the recycling of old musical material and theorizing on why the nostalgia market for old musical acts/styles has grown so bloated in recent years.  The author is prone to go off on tangents, but for those with an interest in pop culture these tangents will be just another enjoyable part of the ride that is Retromania.  While Reynolds is specifically interested in music, his book will appeal to anyone interested in pop culture creation and consumption in a broad sense.  I found his chapter on Youtube to be particularly awesome.

The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman - I loved the Sandman series in high school and recently went back and read the first few volumes.  Guess what?  They're still compelling pieces of storytelling.  The Sandman series is so hyped that I feel like any praise I have to give is redundant at this point, so I'll just leave it at this: the series is awesome and you should read it if you have not yet done so.

Witchcraft Through the Ages by Jack Stevenson - a quick read that sheds light on an interesting though relatively obscure figure in film history - Benjamin Christensen, the director of the cult 1920's film Haxan.  While much of the book focuses on Haxan, it also details Christensen's life and career before and after the making of his most famous film.  Lovers of the obscure or the offbeat will delight in this slim, yet informative title.  It also makes a great companion piece to a viewing of Haxan.

Benjamin Christensen himself as Satan in Haxan!