Rabid Dogs (1974)







I'm off to Rome for 2 months so it's possible there may be even less posts than of late and if there is some, then it will most definitely be music but until then i'll leave you with this classic Italian B-movie to chew on.



Audi 5000



(oh and thanks Michele)

The Firm (Alan Clarke, 1988)



Originally made for TV, directed by Alan Clarke and written by Al Ashton. The film is based on the activities of the Inter City Firm, football firm of West Ham United during the 1970's and 1980's although in the film the firm's name is changed slightly to become the Inter City Crew (ICC).

info

Hurlyburly (1998)

"In the Middle Ages everyone really had to worry about Witches and Goblins, but what we have is stuff eating at us. We've got stuff we don't even... I mean, why do you think that all the warlords of the world are so anxious to get their own personal little stash of chemical weapons. They call them weapons of mass destruction, but they're not. They're very *very* selective about what they destroy. They annihilate people and preserve *things*. They love things. You and I would be dead, gas... puke... gone. Whereas, you know, other earlier older people - the ancients - could look to the heavens, which in their minds was inhabited by this thoughtful, meditative, you know, maybe a trifle unpredictable and wrathful, but nevertheless up there - this divine onlooker. We've got Anchorpersons and Talking Heads. We've got politicians who decide life and death issues on the basis of their media concerns. That's what we've got."

Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah

A PBS documentary made in 1982 about an East Oakland Chicano gang called Barrio 60's and the Parkin family. Check out Oakland's Chicano Cholo and Lowrider culture of the early 80's, this is what the town used to be like back in the days.

Children Of Violence (PBS, 1982)...



Take an ordinary Detroit car, customize it inside and out, and lower it to the ground. The focus of a Mexican-American social scene that includes cruising on weekend nights, car shows and hopping contests. The car is driven slowly, the better to be appreciated. It is art. Not museum art, but street art, living art, folk art.

Low 'N Slow: The Art Of Lowriding (PBS, 1984)...



Some history

From her recordings, it is apparent that Jenkins had little sense of pitch and rhythm and was barely capable of sustaining a note. Her accompanist can be heard making adjustments to compensate for her tempo variations and rhythmic mistakes. Her dubious diction, especially in foreign language songs, is also noteworthy. Nonetheless, she became tremendously popular in her unconventional way. Her audiences apparently loved her for the amusement she provided rather than her musical ability. Critics often described her work in a backhanded way that may have served to pique public curiosity.
Despite her patent lack of ability, Jenkins was firmly convinced of her greatness. She compared herself favorably to the renowned sopranos Frieda Hempel and Luisa Tetrazzini, and dismissed the laughter which often came from the audience during her performances as coming from her rivals consumed by "professional jealousy." She was aware of her critics, however, saying "People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I didn't sing."

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Liner notes