Could it be that our real existences can frighten us deeper than what imaginations may conjure?
Atmospheric movies and artful live stagecraft can make flesh crawl. Or even startle audiences out of their skins. Continue reading Monstrosities
Category Archives: Pop Culture
Samples of His Seraglio
A Las Vegas acquaintance sought to pry some odd information from me. He asked the male equivalent for boudoir pictures. Until he’d wondered aloud, who knew one existed? Continue reading Samples of His Seraglio
The Spear Carriers
Chewing the fat with long-time Las Vegas residents never tires. By that I don’t mean retirees who’ve descended here from elsewhere. Those people invariably have nothing interesting or worthwhile conversationally to add. Just complaints about today and regrets regarding opportunities deferred then dismissed through lengthy delay.
There’s only so much wistfulness one should hear until it starts burdening the present. Besides, once here and once monotony sets in too many of them become pill-poppin’ day drunks. Continue reading The Spear Carriers
Chagrin and Bare It
Once, reporters wore the label of an “ink-stained wretch” as a badge of honor. Okay. At least a snarly backhanded compliment.
Now, with electronic media shrinking the importance of hard-copy print on the public mind, more and more of those purporting to be reporters weigh lighter anchors in their professed profession. Although a higher percentage of today’s byline bearers hold masters degrees, perhaps better preparatory might’ve been working on a factory assembly line. Continue reading Chagrin and Bare It
Two from Las Vegas
The Singing Monument
Met a fellow staying at El Cortez. He was in his late 20s, just on the cusp of grasping the ways of the world. Or so I incorrectly presumed. Continue reading Two from Las Vegas
Persuasion at 24 Frames a Second
Too bad the ancients never divined movies. That way the celluloid art could take its rightful place among the other nine Muses. Instead if old enough in the eyes and opinions of the young and callow, films of certain vintages do not share wine’s ability to age well. Continue reading Persuasion at 24 Frames a Second
Nightmares in Black & White
From now until Halloween night fright film fans ought to be in their peculiar heaven. Continue reading Nightmares in Black & White
Places Between Spaces
It’s summer. Time to fire up the theremin. Continue reading Places Between Spaces
Frights Abound
Modern horror movies have done a terrific job robbing audiences of the pleasure behind being frightened inventively. Continue reading Frights Abound
Music as Menace
This February cool cats should’ve observed what would’ve been the 90th birthday of Bo Diddley. Burly, commanding, Diddley could not have been mistaken for one of the Golden Era of Rock’s cutesy teen idols.
As Bo Biddley himself would’ve proclaimed, “Bo Diddley was a man!”
A seminal rock ‘n’ roller, Diddley resides on a lower tier than, say, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, but Diddley contributed greatly to the genre nonetheless.
Way more than Elvis Presley. Continue reading Music as Menace