Maverick at the Movies will be having a special Halloween program, set to air October 31st at 11 PM on 89.7 KMSU FM.
The special will include a variety of tricks and treats, some yet to be determined, but film music will be the mainstay of the program, providing the soundtrack to your Halloween. The special is aimed to bring this month of programing to a fun conclusion. I will also take some time to comment on the unique relationship between film and the Halloween holiday.
Be sure to checkout the show this weekend, Sunday, October 28th. It will include a look at the score to Clive Barker's Hellraiser in salute to the film's 20th anniversary.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
David J. Skal Interview
Today's episode featured an interview with David J. Skal, author of Vampires: Encounters with the Undead and The Monster Show. Skal also provides the commentary track on the DVD of Universal's classic 1931 Dracula film staring Bela Lugosi.
The interview with Skal can be downloaded from the Maverick at the Movies features page as an MP3.
The interview with Skal can be downloaded from the Maverick at the Movies features page as an MP3.
Additional Reviews
As was announced on today's episode, the Halloween themes of the October shows and the large amount of films released this month have kept me from reviewing a lot of movies before they left local theaters. I will be doing a lot of catch up, especially in November, on the films that are currently in local theaters. For now, however, I have posted my reviews of the following films on the Maverick at the Movies website without broadcasting them on the show.
You can follow the links to the full text reviews of these and every film reviewed on Maverick at the Movies in the Reviews section of the website.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Thank You!
Thank you to all who participated in 89.7 KMSU FM's Fall Pledge Drive. Your support of independent public radio is greatly appreciated.
There are still spots available for the 12 Hour Film Festival, now for only a $20 gift to the station, although no more t-shirts are available. More information is available here.
There are still spots available for the 12 Hour Film Festival, now for only a $20 gift to the station, although no more t-shirts are available. More information is available here.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Lucifer Rising
Today, Maverick at the Movies continues its month long Halloween theme with Bobby Beausoleil's entire score to Kenneth Anger's film Lucifer Rising.
Lucifer Rising is an infamous short film from experimental filmmaker Kenneth Anger. The film portrays the birth of Lucifer to Mesopotamian gods Isis and Osiris and the birth is a metaphor for the start of a new age. The film was a part of a series of shorts by Anger, who had written the book Hollywood Babylon, a tell-all of scandals in Hollywood. Anger was also an avid reader of Aliester Crowley’s writings and was also involved in the formation of the Church of Satan. He interpreted the Age of Aquarius and the counter cultural movement as the Age of Horus that Crowley had anticipated and viewed making films like casting spells. He had been quoted as saying, “I consider myself working evil in an evil medium.”
The original version of Lucifer Rising was supposedly finished in 1967 and was to be publicly screened at The Equinox of the Gods, an event that included live music and performance art. In the initial version of the film, Bobby Beausoleil was cast as Lucifer. However, in between the production and the event, the relationship between Beausoleil and Anger had disintegrated. Anger accused Beausoleil of ripping off 1600 feet of film and some of the camera equipment and, being a practitioner of the dark arts, supposedly put a curse on Beausoleil. Beausoleil has denied this, claiming that Anger's accusations were a cover to the film's investors for work that was never completed.
Anger picked up the remaining pieces of the original version of Lucifer Rising and assembled a new short film, Invocation of My Demon Brother. He had attracted the interest of Mick Jagger and Kieth Richards of Rolling Stones and Jagger is credited with the score to Invocation of My Demon Brother. Subsequently, Anger was at least a partial inspiration for “Sympathy for the Devil” by Rolling Stones.
After working with Anger, a series of tragedies befell the Stones, including the death of Rolling Stone’s guitarist Brian Jones and the Altamont disaster seen in Gimme Shelter. Meanwhile, Beausoleil had joined the Manson family and found himself in prison for murdering a drug dealer. This was unrelated the Tate and LaBianca murders that turned Charles Manson into the social pariah.
Anger began to remake Lucifer Rising in 1970. He contacted Jimmy Page, who apparently shared Anger's interest in Crowley's writings, to produce the score. Unfortunately, Page was unable to produce enough music to fill the duration of the film. At the same time Beausoleil had formed a band inside of prison and got back in touch with Anger, and the two of them patched up their relationship. Anger fired Jimmy Page and rehired Beausoleil to complete the musical score from the film, although Page's score has since been released as bootleg. Anger and Beausoleil worked with minimum interaction with Beausoleil scoring inside of prison and together, the two men produced a legendary piece of underground cinema.
For more information on Lucifer Rising see the following:
Lucifer Rising is an infamous short film from experimental filmmaker Kenneth Anger. The film portrays the birth of Lucifer to Mesopotamian gods Isis and Osiris and the birth is a metaphor for the start of a new age. The film was a part of a series of shorts by Anger, who had written the book Hollywood Babylon, a tell-all of scandals in Hollywood. Anger was also an avid reader of Aliester Crowley’s writings and was also involved in the formation of the Church of Satan. He interpreted the Age of Aquarius and the counter cultural movement as the Age of Horus that Crowley had anticipated and viewed making films like casting spells. He had been quoted as saying, “I consider myself working evil in an evil medium.”
The original version of Lucifer Rising was supposedly finished in 1967 and was to be publicly screened at The Equinox of the Gods, an event that included live music and performance art. In the initial version of the film, Bobby Beausoleil was cast as Lucifer. However, in between the production and the event, the relationship between Beausoleil and Anger had disintegrated. Anger accused Beausoleil of ripping off 1600 feet of film and some of the camera equipment and, being a practitioner of the dark arts, supposedly put a curse on Beausoleil. Beausoleil has denied this, claiming that Anger's accusations were a cover to the film's investors for work that was never completed.
Anger picked up the remaining pieces of the original version of Lucifer Rising and assembled a new short film, Invocation of My Demon Brother. He had attracted the interest of Mick Jagger and Kieth Richards of Rolling Stones and Jagger is credited with the score to Invocation of My Demon Brother. Subsequently, Anger was at least a partial inspiration for “Sympathy for the Devil” by Rolling Stones.
After working with Anger, a series of tragedies befell the Stones, including the death of Rolling Stone’s guitarist Brian Jones and the Altamont disaster seen in Gimme Shelter. Meanwhile, Beausoleil had joined the Manson family and found himself in prison for murdering a drug dealer. This was unrelated the Tate and LaBianca murders that turned Charles Manson into the social pariah.
Anger began to remake Lucifer Rising in 1970. He contacted Jimmy Page, who apparently shared Anger's interest in Crowley's writings, to produce the score. Unfortunately, Page was unable to produce enough music to fill the duration of the film. At the same time Beausoleil had formed a band inside of prison and got back in touch with Anger, and the two of them patched up their relationship. Anger fired Jimmy Page and rehired Beausoleil to complete the musical score from the film, although Page's score has since been released as bootleg. Anger and Beausoleil worked with minimum interaction with Beausoleil scoring inside of prison and together, the two men produced a legendary piece of underground cinema.
For more information on Lucifer Rising see the following:
- Lucifer Rising by Gavin Baddeley - A book on the history of Satanism and popular culture, focusing mostly on music and film, and includes an interview with Anger.
- Lucifer Rising soundtrack - This two disc release of Beausoleil's score by Arcanum Entertainment includes unreleased and unused music and a booklet that includes linear notes by Anger, Beausoleil, and Michael Mynahan
- The Films of Kenneth Anger - A two volume set of Anger's films. Volume II includes Lucifer Rising and Invocation of My Demon Brother and features commentary by Anger and a booklet of essays and photos.
- Bobby Beausoleil's website - Includes biographical information and Beausoleil's current artistic and spiritual endeavors.
- Senses of Cinema article on Kenneth Anger - Includes biographical information and a short filmography.
Here is a look at Anger's work in the form of two trailers for Fantoma's compilations of Anger's work:
Saturday, October 6, 2007
KMSU Pledge Drive
Starting on Friday, October 5, 89.7 KMSU FM will be having its fall pledge drive. This is your chance to help the station stay on the air. Aside from supporting the overhead costs of running the station, KMSU is preparing to construct a new tower and needs to install an antena system for the new transmitter. This is going to be extraordinarily expensive, but is vital to keeping the station on the air.
As with every pledge drive, there are some premiums available. This year, Shuffle Function hosts Tim and Shelly has put together a 12 Hour Film Fesival to screen on the MSU campus on November 3rd. For a $50 pledge, listeners will get a t-shirt and admission to the film festival. The films to be screened include: This Is Spinal Tap, Dr. Strangelove, Gimme Shelter, Animal House, Shaun Of The Dead, and Blue Velvet. You can find out more about the film festival here.
In the interest of full disclosure, I do not see a penny of the pledge funds. Maverick at the Movies, like many local programs on 89.7 the Maverick, is produced on a volunteer basis.
To pledge, call 507-389-5678 or 1-800-456-7810, or visit this page to make an email pledge. If you get voice mail or send an email, include your full name, mailing address, phone number, and the amount you wish to pledge. Thank you.
As with every pledge drive, there are some premiums available. This year, Shuffle Function hosts Tim and Shelly has put together a 12 Hour Film Fesival to screen on the MSU campus on November 3rd. For a $50 pledge, listeners will get a t-shirt and admission to the film festival. The films to be screened include: This Is Spinal Tap, Dr. Strangelove, Gimme Shelter, Animal House, Shaun Of The Dead, and Blue Velvet. You can find out more about the film festival here.
In the interest of full disclosure, I do not see a penny of the pledge funds. Maverick at the Movies, like many local programs on 89.7 the Maverick, is produced on a volunteer basis.
To pledge, call 507-389-5678 or 1-800-456-7810, or visit this page to make an email pledge. If you get voice mail or send an email, include your full name, mailing address, phone number, and the amount you wish to pledge. Thank you.
Maverick at the Movies Celebrates Halloween
All throughout the month of October, Maverick at the Movies will be playing Halloween themed programing. This will be reflected in the music and DVD picks as well as some other features to be added as the month goes on.
This Sunday, October 7, will feature music from films about ghosts and the other side, including music from Ghostbusters, Poltergeist, and Candyman.
Throughout the rest of the month, Maverick at the Movies will include music of slasher films, vampire movies, and other Halloween related content. Be sure and tune in for a very special broadcast of the entire score to Kenneth Anger's Lucifer Rising to be broadcast later this month.
This Sunday, October 7, will feature music from films about ghosts and the other side, including music from Ghostbusters, Poltergeist, and Candyman.
Throughout the rest of the month, Maverick at the Movies will include music of slasher films, vampire movies, and other Halloween related content. Be sure and tune in for a very special broadcast of the entire score to Kenneth Anger's Lucifer Rising to be broadcast later this month.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)