Wednesday, December 31, 2014

BUTCHER'S BILL 2014

AS THE YEAR DRAWS TO A CLOSE, WE REMEMBER THOSE WHO LEFT US IN 2014.

Juanita Moore, actress "Imitation of Life"

Mike Vraney, film distributor "Something Weird Video"

Jay Traynor, singer "Jay and the Americans"

Bernard Glasser, film producer "Day of the Triffids", "Return of the Fly"

Saul Zaentz, film producer "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

Alicia Rhett, actress "Gone With the Wind"

Phil Everly, singer "The Everly Brothers"

Run Run Shaw, producer "Shaw Brothers"

Bill Conlin, sports columnist "Philadelphia Daily News"

Larry Speakes, former White House press secretary

Ariel Sharon, Israeli Prime Minister

John Horsley, actor "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin"

Alexandra Bastedo, actress "The Champions", "The Ghoul"

Roger Lloyd-Pack, actor "Only Fools and Horses", "Doctor Who"

Russell Johnson, actor "Gilligan's Island", "It Came From Outer Space"

Dave Madden, actor "The Partridge Family"

Hal Sutherland, animator/director "Filmation"

Sarah Marshall, actress "Twilight Zone - Little Girl Lost", "Star Trek - The Deadly Years", "Thriller - God Grante That She Lye Stille", "Thriller - The Poisoner"

Dennis Frederikson, singer "Angel", 'Toto"

Claudio Abbado, conductor

Luis Avalos, actor "The Electric Company", "Hot Stuff"

Pete Seeger, singer

Ann Carter, actress "Curse of the Cat People"

Harry Gamble, football executive "Philadelphia Eagles"

John Cacavas, film composer "Horror Express"

The Mighty Hannibal, singer

Arthur Rankin Jr., director/producer "Rankin/Bass"

Maximilian Schell, actor/director "Judgment at Nuremberg", "The Black Hole", "Marlene"

Philip Seymour Hoffman, actor "Capote", "Doubt"

Christopher Barry, director "Doctor Who"

Shirley Temple, actress "Curly Top", "Captain January"

Sid Caesar, comedian "Your Show of Shows"

Ralph Waite, actor "The Waltons"

Birgitta Valberg, actress "The Virgin Spring", "Smiles on a Summer's Night"

Ken Jones, actor "Porridge"

Jim Fregosi, baseball player/manager "Philadelphia Phillies"

John Henson, puppeteer "The Muppets"

Christopher Malcolm, actor "Absolutely Fabulous", "The Rocky Horror Show"

Mary Grace Canfield, actress "Green Acres"

Bob Casale, guitarist "Devo"

Malcolm Tierney, actor "Dr. Who: Trial of a Time Lord", "Star Wars", "Braveheart"

Garrick Utley, TV journalist "NBC News"

Harold Ramis, actor/director "Ghostbusters", "Caddyshack", "Groundhog Day"

Franny Beecher, guitarist "Bill Haley & His Comets"

Bhob Stewart, writer "Castle of Frankenstein", "Heavy Metal", "Wacky Packages"

Jim Lange, game show host "The Dating Game"

Tim Wilson, comedian "Chucky Cheese Hell"

James Tague, witness to JFK assassination

Alain Resnais, director "Last Year at Marienbad"

Ken Utsui, actor "Starman"

David Brenner, comedian

Clarissa Dickson Wright, TV host "Two Fat Ladies"

Scott Asheton, drummer "The Stooges"

James Rebhorn, actor "Scent of a Woman", "Independence day"

David A. Trampier, artist "Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook"

Eddie Lawrence, actor/comedian "The Old Philosopher", "What Do You Want For Christmas"

Derek Martinus, director "Doctor Who - Spearhead from Space", "Doctor Who - The Ice Warriors"

Kate O'Mara, actress "Doctor Who", "Absolutely Fabulous"

Bob Larbey, scriptwriter "The Good Life"

John Pinette, comedian

Mickey Rooney, actor

Phil Hardy, author "The Overlook Encyclopedia of Horror Movies"

Edna Dore, actress "EastEnders"

Otto Peterson, comedian/ventriloquist "Otto & George"

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, author "Love in the Time of Cholera"

Bob Hoskins, actor "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"

Al Feldstein, artist/writer "Mad", "Tales From the Crypt"

Efrem Zimbalist Jr., actor "The FBI", "Batman: The Animated Series"

Dick Ayers, comic book artist "Fantastic Four", "Ghost Rider"

H. R. Giger, artist "Alien"

Ernie Chataway, guitarist "Judas Priest"

Magoo Gelehrter, actor "Penny Dreadful's Shilling Shockers"

Bongani Masuku, singer "Johnny Clegg", "Savuka"

Jerry Vale, singer

Malik Bendjelloul, director "Searching for Sugar Man"

Gordon Willis, cinematographer "The Godfather", "The Godfather Part II"

Radu Florescu, author/historian "In Search of Dracula"

Herb Jeffries, actor "The Bronze Buckaroo", "Two-Gun Man From Harlem"

Wojciech Jaruzelkski, Polish president

Maya Angelou, poet/author

Ann B. Davis, actress "The Brady Bunch"

Rik Mayall, comedian "The Young Ones"

Ruby Dee, actress

Jimmy Scott, singer

Carla Laemmle, actress "The Phantom of the Opera", "Dracula"

Francis Matthews, actor "Dracula, Prince of Darkness", "Revenge of Frankenstein"

Casey Kasem, radio host/actor "America's Top 40", "Scooby-Doo"

Daniel Keyes, author "Flowers for Algernon"

Patsy Byrne, actress "Blackadder II"

Horace Silver, jazz pianist "Songs For My Father"

Mary Anderson, actress "Lifeboat"

Gerry Goffin, songwriter "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "

Dickie Jones, actor "Pinocchio", "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"

Steve Rossi, comedian "Allen & Rossi"

Teeny Hodges, guitarist "Take Me To the River", "Love and Happiness"

Eli Wallach, actor "The Magnificent Seven"

Caleb Bankston, reality show contestant "Survivor: Blood vs. Water"

Mary Rodgers, author/composer "Freaky Friday", "A Billion For Boris", "Free To Be...You and Me", "Once Upon A Mattress"

Bobby Womack, singer "Across 110th Street"

Meshach Taylor, actor "Designing Women", "Mannequin"

Paul Mazursky, director "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice", "Down and Out in Beverly Hills"

Bob Hastings, actor "General Hospital", "All In the Family", "McHale's Navy"

Dick Jones, actor "Pinocchio"

Rosemary Murphy, actress "To Kill A Mockingbird"

Ken Thorne, film composer "Help", "Superman II"

Dave Legeno, actor "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"

Paul Horn, flautist "Inside the Taj Mahal"

Charlie Haden, jazz bassist "Steal Away"

Tommy Ramone, drummer "The Ramones"

Lorin Maazel, conductor

Johnny Winter, guitarist

Elaine Stritch, actress "Two's Company"

James Garner, actor "The Rockford Files"

James Shigeta, actor "Die Hard"

Dick Smith, special effects artist "The Exorcist"

Dick Wagner, guitarist/songwriter "Alice Cooper", "Only Women Bleed"

Jake Hooker, musician/songwriter "The Arrows", "I Love Rock & Roll"

James Brady, White House press secretary

Marilyn Burns, actress "Texas Chainsaw Massacre"

Karlheinz Boehm, actor "Peeping Tom"

Ed Nelson, actor "Boris Karloff's Thriller"

Robin Williams, actor/comedian

Arlene Martel, actress "Star Trek - Amok Time", "Outer Limits - Demon with a Glass Hand"

Lauren Bacall, actress "To Have and Have Not", "The Big Sleep"

Alan Landsburg, TV producer "In Search Of...", "That's Incredible"

Don Pardo, TV announcer "Saturday Night Live", "Jeopardy"

Brian G. Hutton, actor/director "King Creole", "High Road to China", "Where Eagles Dare"

Jean Redpath, singer

Andrew V. McLaglen, director "McLintock", "Mitchell"

Derek Reith, percussionist "Pink Martini"

Richard Attenborough, actor/director

Bill Kerr, actor "Gallipoli", "The Pirate Movie", "Hancock's Half Hour"

Roy Heather, actor "Only Fools and Horses"

Joan Rivers, comedian

Jane Baker, TV writer "Doctor Who - Mark of the Rani"

Joan Lorring, actress "The Corn is Green"

Martha Hyer, actress "Some Came Running", "Sabrina"

Richard Kiel, actor "The Spy Who Loved Me", "Moonraker", "Eegah"

Joachim Fuchsberger, actor "Dead Eyes of London", "The Black Abbot"

Sir Donald Sinden, actor "Two's Company"


Ian Dean, friend

Audrey Long, actress "Born To Kill", "Desperate"

Bob Crewe, songwriter/producer "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore", "Lady Marmalade"

Joe Sample, musiciain "Street Life", "The Crusaders"

Theodore J. Flicker, writer/director "The President's Analyst"

George Hamilton IV, singer "Abilene"

Polly Bergen, actress "Cape Fear"

Maggie Stables, actress "Big Finish Doctor Who audio adventures"

Sam Hall, writer "Dark Shadows"

Paul Revere, musician "Paul Revere and the Raiders"

Geoffrey Holder, actor

Bill Campbell, sportscaster "Philadelphia Eagles"

Shirley Yamaguchi, actress "House of Bamboo"

Jan Hooks, actress "Saturday Night Live", "Designing Women"

Michael Hayes, director "Dr. Who - City of Death"

Elizabeth Pena, actress "Jacob's Ladder", "Lone Star", "Rush Hour"

John Holt, singer/songwriter "The Paragons", "The Tide Is High"

Gerard Parkes, actor "The Boondock Saints"

Mark Bell, producer "Bjork", "Depeche Mode"

Lynda Bellingham, actress "Dr Who - Trial of a Time Lord", "All Creatures Great and Small"

Ben Bradlee, editor "The Washington Post"

Jack Bruce, musician "Cream"

Marcia Strassman, actress "Welcome Back Kotter"

Tom Magliozzi, radio host "Car Talk"

Angus Lennie, actor "Tunes of Glory", "The Great Escape", "Dr Who - Ice Warriors", "Dr Who - Terror of the Zygons"

Acker Bilk, musician "Stranger on the Shore"

Steve Dodd, actor "Gallipoli", "The Matrix"

Carol Ann Susi, actress "The Big Bang Theory"

Big Bank Hank, rapper "The Sugarhill Gang"

Renee Asherson, actress "The Way Ahead", "Pool of London", "Malta Story", "Theater of Blood", "Rasputin the Mad Monk", "The Day the Earth Caught Fire"

Richard Schaal, actor "Mary Tyler Moore", "

R. A. Montgomery, author "Choose Your Own Adventure"

Ernest Kinoy, writer "X Minus One", "Dimension X", "Roots"

Ken Takakura, actor "The Yakuza", "Black Rain"

Richard Pasco, actor "The Gorgon", "Rasputin the Mad Monk"

Glen A. Larson, producer "Battlestar Galactica", "Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries"

Jimmy Ruffin, singer "What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted"

Dave Appell, musician/producer/arranger "Cameo-Parkway Records"

Mike Nichols, director "The Graduate"

Marion Barry, mayor of District of Columbia

P.D. James, author

Ian McLagan, musician "The Small Faces", "The Rolling Stones"

Bob Montgomery, songwriter "Back in Baby's Arms", "Heartbeat", "Wishing", "Love's Made a Fool of You"

Nick Talbot, singer "Gravenhurst"

Ken Weatherwax, actor "The Addams Family"

Mary Ann Mobley, actress "Diff'rent Strokes", "Falcon Crest", "Night Gallery"

Tom Adams, actor "The Great Escape". "Dr. Who - Warriors of the deep", "House That Dripped Blood"

Virna Lisi, actress "La Reine Margot"

Mandy Rice-Davies, model "The Profumo Affair"

Billie Whitelaw, actress "The Omen", "Hot Fuzz", "Carve Her Name With Pride"

Joseph Sargent, director "Taking of Pelham 123", "Night That Panicked America"

Joe Cocker, singer "With a Little Help From My Friends", "Feelin' Alright"

Jeremy Lloyd, screenwriter "Are You Being Served?"


David Ryall, actor  "The Singing Detective"

Rhodes Reason, actor  "Voodoo Island"

Merrill Womack,  gospel singer

Luise Rainer, actress  "The Good Earth", "The Great Ziegfeld"

Edward Herrmann, actor  "The Lost Boys"

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

THE PENGUIN AWARDS 2014

AND HERE WE HAVE THE WINNERS OF THE 2014 PENGUIN AWARDS.

SONG OF THE YEAR
BUSY EARNIN' -  Jungle
 
 
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
BAND OF BROTHERS  -  Willie Nelson
 
 
DUET OF THE YEAR
BEING WITH YOU  -  Smokey Robinson & Mary J. Blige
 
 
COVER SONG OF THE YEAR
SO BAD  -  Smokey Robinson

Willie Nelson - Band of Brothers


DISC 02 12 Smokey Robinson So Bad


Smokey Robinson and Mary J. Blige - Being With You


Jungle - Busy Earnin'


Tuesday, December 16, 2014

THE 2014 PENGUIN AWARD NOMZ

A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT . . . HERE ARE THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2014 PENGUIN AWARDS. 

 
SONG OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
 
BLUE MOON  -  Beck
BUSY EARNIN'  -  Jungle
CLOUDS  -  Prince
DO I WANNA KNOW?  -  The Arctic Monkeys
FAMILY TREE  -  Kings of Leon
JUGGALO JUICE  -  Insane Clown Posse
THE MIGHTY DEATH POP  -  Insane Clown Posse
POMPEII   -  Bastille
RAINY TAXI  -  Spoon
RED RIVER  -  Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
RIGHT NOW  -  Mary J. Blige
RISE LIKE A PHOENIX  -  Conchita Wurst
SHE USED TO LOVE ME A LOT  -  Johnny Cash
SOMETHING FROM NOTHING  -  Foo Fighters
THOU SHALT ALWAYS KILL  -  Dan Le Sac & Scroobius Pip
TURN BLUE  -  The Black Keys
THE WALL  -  Willie Nelson
WHOLE DAMN YEAR  -  Mary J. Blige
 
 
ALBUM OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

ART OFFICIAL AGE  -  Prince

BAND OF BROTHERS  -  Willie Nelson

DECEMBER DAY: WILLIE'S STASH VOL. 1 - Willie Nelson & Sister Bobbie

HYPNOTIC EYE  -  Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

IT'S ALBUM TIME  -  Todd Terje

THE MIGHTY DEATH POP (BOX SET)  -  Insane Clown Posse

MORNING PHASE  -  Beck

NOSTALGIA  -  Annie Lennox

OUT AMONG THE STARS  -  Johnny Cash

SONIC HIGHWAYS  -  Foo Fighters

THEY WANT MY SOUL  -  Spoon

TURN BLUE  -  The Black Keys
 
 
DUET OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
 
 
BABY RIDE EASY  -  Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash
BEING WITH YOU  -  Smokey Robinson & Mary J. Blige
GRANDMA'S HANDS  -  Willie Nelson & Mavis Staples
HE'S SURE THE BOY I LOVE  -  Bette Midler & Darlene Love
I'M MOVIN' ON  -  Johnny Cash & Waylon Jennings
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND  -  Barbra Streisand & Billy Joel
THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS  -  Smokey Robinson & Elton John
 
 
COVER SONG OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
 
 
BLUEBIRD  -  Corinne Bailey Rae
GUESS MY RELIGION  -  Insane Clown Posse
I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND  -  Spoon
I PUT A SPELL ON YOU  -  Annie Lennox
IT'S NOT FOR ME TO SAY  -  She & Him
IT'S THE GIRL  -  Bette Midler
JOHNNY AND MARY  -  Todd Terje featuring Bryan Ferry
JUMP AROUND  -  Insane Clown Posse
OF THE NIGHT  -  Bastille
PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ  -  Pomplamoose
ROLLING IN THE DEEP  -  Aretha Franklin
SO BAD  -  Smokey Robinson
THE SONGWRITERS  -  Willie Nelson
STAY AWHILE  -  She & Him
WHAT'LL I DO  -  Willie Nelson and Sister Bobbie
YESTERDAY  -  Willie Nelson


Tuesday, November 04, 2014

A NEW DAILY FEATURE: TODAY'S WEATHER IN HELL

I'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE A NEW FEATURE ON THE BLOG. 
Sure, Halloween's over and we're all a little bummed because we miss the Countdown to Halloween.  However, now you can get your daily hellascious dose of brimstone with a daily weather forecast in Hell!  That's right, over there on the right hand column you will find today's weather in hell.  Check back every day to see what clothing you should wear should you this very day be . . . well,  damned to eternal hellfire and whatnot...

Friday, October 31, 2014

WE WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY HALLOWEEN

AND SO, ALL HALLOW'S EVE HAS COME AT LAST! 
The Jack O'Lanterns are flickering and the ghosts try not to get their sheets caught in the autumn tree branches.  A Halloween witch flies across the pale moon while the Wobblin' Goblin tries to keep up with her on his own broken broomstick.  Black cats prowl and werewolves howl.  A vampire bat flaps its wings in the night.  And all through the evening, little children dressed in fantastic costumes move from house to house filling their plastic pumpkin pails or pillow cases with candy.  My name, of course, is Dr. Adam Spektor and, on behalf of The Land of Cerpts and Honey blog,  I would like to thank all of you who visited for our annual Countdown to Halloween.  But always remember that Halloween doesn't just end on October 31st.  It is this blog's motto that Halloween is 365.  There is no time during the entire year when we can't enjoy something spooky; from a classic horror story to a frightening film.  The spirit of Halloween will always flourish as long as we keep alive our sense of wonder and imagination.  Have yourselves a happy Halloween!   

WHEN HALLOWEEN COSTUMES WERE CREEPY PT. 2

HERE'S ANOTHER BATCH OF TRICK OR TREATERS FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF THE 20TH CENTURY WHO REALLY KNEW HOW TO LOOK CREEPY & DOWNRIGHT BEE-ZARRE!













 
HAPPY HALLOWEEN

TRANSYLVANIAN PROVERB # 5



art by John Severin

WOMEN OF HORROR: TIFFANY SHEPIS

THE PRINCESS OF SCREAM. 

Ever since her early days with Troma, Tiffany Shepis has been all over the horror genre:  from TROMEO & JULIET to this year's SHARKNADO 2:  THE SECOND ONE and beyond.  Her incredible beauty is matched by the force of her one-of-a-kind personality making her that rare movie conundrum -- the gorgeous character actress.  Screen Sirens staff writer Jason S. Marsiglia put it this way:  "This talent and knack for bringing in such a fierce presence in her films has ranked her among the likes of horror icons such as Barbara Steele and Ingrid Pitt. Women who pioneered that amazing ability to entrance their audience with their stunning beauty, and in the same instance, run a sharp, icy chill down the spine."
That lil devil
after a hard day's mayhem
 
Sharknado 2:  The Second One
 
getting a moon tan 
 
 
TODAY'S "WOMEN OF HALLOWEEN" SONG ON MY AUDIO BLOG "BATHED IN THE LIGHT FROM ANDROMEDA" IS "IT'S HALLOWEEN" BY THE SHAGGS

Thursday, October 30, 2014

76 YEARS AGO TONIGHT

THE INFAMOUS "WAR OF THE WORLDS" BROADCAST OF ORSON WELLES' "MERCURY THEATER OF THE AIR" SUPPOSEDLY PANICKED AMERICA! 

On the evening of October 30, 1938, a war-jittery U.S. became the fall guy for one of the most uproarious pranks every committed on them.  The Mercury Theater of the Air went on with the opening announcement that they would be presenting a dramatization of the famous H.G. Wells novel "THE WAR OF THE WORLDS" followed by an introductory monologue by show-runner/director/star Orson Welles.     After this, the show segued into what sounded like a music broadcast from the Meridian Room of the Park Plaza Hotel with Ramon Rocquello and his Orchestra performing a selection of dance music.  Various news bulletins (false ones, of course) began interrupting the programme reporting the appearance of explosions on the surface of the planet Mars and interviews with noted Professor Pearson (played by Orson) about what they could mean.  Announcements followed stating strange objects were falling from the sky; most notably (for our purposes ... and Orson's) landing on a farm at Grover's Mill, New Jersey.  Reporter Carl Phillips (former SHADOW Frank Readick doing his best Herb Morrison "Hindenburg reporter" impression) did the blow by blow on the scene reporting as Martian cylinders emerged from the crater and fried everyone with heat rays. 

Unfortunately for many listeners, they didn't hear the beginning of the programme because . . . well, frankly, Orson's MERCURY THEATER show wasn't very high in the ratings and not a lot of people listened to it.  The vast majority of the Sunday night listening audience tuned into THE CHASE AND SANBORN HOUR starring ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his dummy Charlie McCarthy.  After Bergen & McCarthy's opening comedy routine, a male singer came on and that's when most everyone switched to another station . . . and caught the already-in-progress WAR OF THE WORLDS broadcast with it's faux news flashes.  The legend, of course, is that America was so scared they began heading for the hills.  In truth, the majority of those listening didn't panic but the phone lines WERE jammed with frantic calls to loved ones as well as calls to beleaguered CBS studios who were putting on the MERCURY THEATER broadcast.  Tales of mass panic, car crashes, suicides and accidental deaths caused by the radio  broadcast were largely apocryphal; however the media fallout the next morning was considerable for Orson, his Mercury Theater and the CBS network as reporters puffed up the urban legend aspect of death and destruction caused by Welles and his Halloween pranksters.   Welles gave a press conference appearing (apparently) contrite looking like an unshaven Christian martyr and parlayed the instant worldwide notoriety into a sweet movie deal from RKO to make CITIZEN KANE.  The panic broadcast has gone down in history of probably the most famous radio programme ever broadcast and three quarters of a century later it's still a really fun listen.  For perfect Halloween listening, I've provided the entire original radio broadcast in a youtube video below.  Also below (for as long as it lasts) is a video of the recent episode of the PBS documentary series AMERICAN EXPERIENCE dealing with the WAR OF THE WORLDS broadcast; it can also be viewed (by clicking here) at the actual PBS site.

"War of the Worlds" 1938 Radio Broadcast


Documentary | American Experience War of the Worlds


WOMEN OF HORROR: DENICE DUFF

DENICE DUFF ENTERS THE PANTHEON THROUGH THE DARK FORESTS OF TRANSYLVANIA. 

With the exception of the first film in the series, Duff portrayed the doomed Michelle in Full Moon's SUBSPECIES movies.   I'm rather fond of this series as it takes me back to the video rental days when my friend Cheeks and I would visit the local Knockblister to find the new Full Moon Video on the shelf.  We enjoyed all of Full Moon's low-budget, direct-to-video releases because they were a lot of fun; however, I think the SUBSPECIES films are the best quality-wise the company ever put out amongst it's . . . shall we call it uneven output.  Vicious vampire Radu (Anders Hove) was a cross between Lord Byron and Graf Orlok and he wanted to make poor Michelle his "fledgling"; in this he somewhat succeeded as Michelle was vampirized.  Her struggles with her new vampiric state underscored all the SUBSPECIES films Denice appeared in.  

Poor Michelle! with Anders Hove's Radu
 
There's a lot at stake for Michelle in this scene
 
Family portrait with Radu and his beloved "Mummy"
 
Autographed photo for BLOODSTORM: SUBSPECIES IV
 
 
TODAY'S "WOMEN OF HALLOWEEN" TRACK ON MY AUDIO BLOG "BATHED IN THE LIGHT FROM ANDROMEDA" IS "MR. FOX" BY THE FOLKTELLERS