ANALOG MEDIUM NOVEMBER 2008

ANALOG MEDIUM NOVEMBER 2008

META
BAD BOOK by KID EPOXY

FRESH
Daniel Jordan talks about his friend, Rudy Ray Moore (aka Dolemite)
Daniel Jordan's Greatest Anti-Hits
Watch Léon: The Professional (1994) Online
Watch Speedracer: The Movie (1967/1993) Online

AM Scrape - November Part I
Death By Link - November Part I

MOVIES
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) Review
House on Haunted Hill (1958 and 1999) Double Feature Review

GAMES
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES 1988) Game Genie Codes

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES 1988) Game Genie Codes

AISKTIAL - Start with more energy
AZSTTIAL - Start with less energy
SZSSYLSA - Infinite energy
PASGLILA - Start with 1 life
TASGLILA - Start with 6 lives
PASGLILE - Start with 9 lives
IZSKZIAI - Start game with 25 hearts
IYSKZIAI - Start game with 75 hearts

- NES Cheats - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
- Castlevania II: Simon's Quest @ Wikipedia

Source: GameGenie.com

BAD BOOK by KID EPOXY

by KID EPOXY

KID EPOXY is our new Analog Medium contributor. Check out his new blog, BAD BOOK // BAD ART (badbook.analogmedium.org) now on AnalogMedium.org. It's a huge collection of collage, sketches, re-appropriated images and found-art. And at 250 pages so far, it's a thicky.

Watch Speedracer: The Movie (1967/1993) Online

So the animated Speedracer: The Movie isn't actually a feature film, but three episodes that aired in 1967 jammed back-to-back for VHS in 1993. But it's still better than the live-action piece of shit. And without all the cruelty to animals. It's up on Hulu right now. And I must confess, I've watched it three times since I found out about it.

- Watch Speedracer: The Movie Online @ Hulu
- Buy Speedracer: The Movie @ Amazon.com

Source: AM Auxiliary

Daniel Jordan's Greatest Anti-Hits

Our old pal and Analog Medium contributor, Daniel Jordan, has released a greatest hits album of sorts. Greatest Anti-Hits to be precise. It's a great collection of singles and unreleased stuff we hadn't even had a chance to hear yet. Horrorcore, hip-hop, funk, punk, Daniel Jordan is the man. The two stand-out tracks are, of course, the tracks featuring the late, great Dolemite. Track 5, I Live 4 The Funk features Dolemite (as Petey Wheatstraw) and Blowfly and was featured here on Analog Medium back in April. The Human Tornado on track 7 features Esham and Dolemite in a super hot homage to the Rudy Ray Moore movie of the same name.

To really appreciate hip-hop of this nature, one must embrace sleaze, narcissism, deviant behavior, and a mix of anger and nihilism. As deviants ourselves, AM not only can embrace, but to relate to that kind of material. My favorite tracks, were definitely Escape From Babylon (track 2), Airplane Crash (track 3), and Don't Belong (track 9). Out of the three, I'm in love with the furious, punk-laced Airplane Crash. Featuring such lyrics as "I hope you die in an airplane crash / I hope you crash and it kills your ass" and "I'm gonna break in your house / I'm gonna stab your face." Instant classics. And Daniel Jordan is fitting to blow-up. We can't wait to hear his upcoming album, Daniel Jordan is the Stranger.

- Add Daniel Jordan on Myspace
- Buy Daniel Jordan's Greatest Anti-Hits from Twilight
- Rudy Ray Moore (aka Dolemite) @ Wikipedia
- Blowfly @ Wikipedia
- Esham @ Wikipedia

Watch Léon: The Professional (1994) Online

If you don't know about Léon: The Professional, you gotta check it out on Hulu.

Or, if you're one of those la-ti-da above-ground dwellers, you might consider buying the DVD from Amazon.

And if you don't know about Léon: The Professional, read up on Wikipedia. But watch out, they've got the whole plot on there. So if you're not into that sort of thing, just be careful not to read the plot synopsis.

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) Review

Watching Assault on Precinct 13 for the first time, I remember I saw ritualistic bloodletting by a multiracial revolutionary street gang and I thought to myself, "This is what John Carpenter is all about. He just doesn't give a fuck!" The sheer audacity of his scenes make you believe in his movies. He forces you to. Assault on Precinct 13 was a perfect choice for Carpenter to direct as his second feature film. His first, Dark Star, was based on a college collaboration between Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon which got some attention from a Hollywood producer.

You might remember Dan O'Bannon as the writer of Alien. That same script also inspired the story "B-17" from the animated feature Heavy Metal. Want more nerd credentials??? Dan O'Bannon also wrote and directed Return of the Living Dead. Carpenter and O'Bannon steam rolled the attention they got for their college-produced sci-fi short into a feature film deal and busted out Dark Star. Assault on Precinct 13 was the first film Carpenter had a chance to give birth to that was destined from the get-go for play in theaters. It wasn't until Carpenter followed up Precinct 13 with Halloween that his career really took off, though. I'm sure there are some OG fans of Carpenter's out there who remember watching Precinct 13 when it first came out, but I wasn't even conceived at that point. I came into this movie already knowing Carpenter's style and loving it.

It was awesome having a chance to see the birth of his film technique. I think video game developers, in the early days, must have been largely influenced by Carpenter's films. All the essential elements are there: average, working-class-kind-of guy falls backwards into a crazy adventure and he's forced to increase his skills in order to overcome the countless enemies and obstacles he is pitted against. Assault on Precinct 13 has an epic level of goons on camera. The story consists, essentially, of a shit-crazy street gang assaulting a semi-abandoned police precinct building. The few people on duty, and the few lunatics locked in the cells, are forced to go to war with endless throngs of street punks (who seem perfectly willing to throw their bodies in front of bullets). I couldn't help but fondly reminisce about such classic NES games as Renegade, and River City Ransom. Assault on Precinct 13 is a must see for AM-ers.

- Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) @ Wikipedia
- Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) DVD @ Amazon.com

House on Haunted Hill (1958 and 1999) Double Feature Review

Reposted from FEBRUARY 2007

House on Haunted Hill, both the original and the remake, are perfect representatives of what was popular in horror when they were made. When viewed in succession, they provide a textbook example of what has changed in the genre, as well what has happened to low-budget horror. Basically, low budget horror has ceased to exist. At least for mainstream audiences. House on Haunted Hill (1958) was made on a shoestring budget. You could literally see the strings. House on Haunted Hill (1999) was made for about 20 million big ones. If anyone had proposed a 20 million dollar horror movie back in 1958, they’d have gotten run out of Hollywood. So, assuming that a bigger budget means a better movie, and taking into account the advances in special effects over forty years, it stands to reason that the 1999 version should be the better movie. Of course, reason doesn’t go very far when you’re talking about horror.

The folks at Dark Castle (Robert Zemeckis and Joel Silver) committed the same folly that so many modern filmmakers commit when trying to tackle horror. Time and time again I hear someone say something to the effect of “modern audiences have grown accustomed to better special effects.” Improving the special effects doesn’t mean that you should spend less time on story and character, though! The $20 million that went into all the fancy CG effects in the 1999 version still don’t hold a candle to the stark black and white imagery and low-key lighting of the original. Robert Castle, the producer/director of the original, did more than any team of FX wizards could do just by dangling a skeleton from some fishing line. Another thing that Castle understood was audiences need to be engrossed in the horror for suspension of disbelief to take hold. From the first minute of House on Haunted Hill (1958) the characters address the audience, pulling you into the story and orienting you in the plot. Castle even went so far as to rig movie theatres with elaborate pulley systems that would swing a skeleton out over the audience at the climax of the film. Now that’s classy.



Also, I like Geoffrey Rush and everything, but he’s no Vincent Price. Everything Price lent his name to is gold in my book. Just to name a few, Vincent Price was intimately involved in House of Wax, The Fly, The Last Man on Earth, Edward Scissorhands, and Michael Jackson’s Thriller (you thought the voice of the narrator sounded familiar, didn’t you?) The guy was a freakin’ genius, and he understood horror. Price once said, “I sometimes feel that I'm impersonating the dark unconscious of the whole human race. I know this sounds sick, but I love it.” I love it too, man. In a totally hetero way. Anyway, I was watching the special features and someone mentioned that Rush modeled the portrayal of his character more off of the personality of filmmaker John Waters than off of Price himself. I think that’s just insulting. If you’re following in the footsteps of the masters, at least have the decency to show them the respect they deserve.



All ranting aside, House on Haunted Hill (1999) wasn’t a terrible movie. Jeffrey Combs shines, as always, in his small part as the former head doctor of the insane asylum that was once operated out of the titular house. Combs did more with a look and a smile than Taye Diggs did with 50 pages of dialogue. And I have to admit, some of the FX were pretty cool, especially for 1999 (that was 8 years ago already!) I liked some of the freak-outs and hallucinations, but the “darkness” effect at the end bugged me. It was like they didn’t know what to make the ghostly presence look like, so they made it an amorphous black blob. Give me a skeleton on strings any day. It’s also disappointing that the new version failed to improve upon the original. There were certain aspects of the 1958 original that could easily and effectively been updated or improved, like the ending. Unfortunately, everytime the 1999 version tried to do so it just made me want to watch the original that much more. In the end it comes down to this: don’t remake horror movies! Think up something new. But please, try to make it classy. Movie goers need to be treated like adults.

Death By Link - November Part I

- Fors Yard is "A Chronological Retrospective Of The Sega Genesis." It's thorough, except that the writer never played Toejam and Earl?!

- Now you can watch Speedracer: The Movie online at Hulu. Not the new crappy one, the old animated cool one.

- Read Image Comics' The Walking Dead #51 in its entirety for free online at Myspace Comics.

- Download classic video game soundtracks from explod: bucky's corner of bleeps and bloops. Including such classics as Bubble Bobble.

- Download Mix Master Mike's Explosive Box Cassette from Mixtape Mixtape.

Sources: AM Auxiliary, The Creeping Linker, MURDER DEATH KILL, Radio Free AM, Read the Label Vol. 02

AM Scrape - November Part I

DEATH BY VIDEO: Alien News (via RobSchrab)

For November I've gone around AnalogMedium.org and rounded up some nice new stuff the Droogs have been working on.

- DEATH BY VIDEO is back, and this time it's personal. May I recommend some crazy shit?

- Master Blasphemy has re-invigorated his Blasphemy Reader. For all us book nerds.

- RETROBIONIC is new, but not really new at the same time.

- Read The Label Vol. 02 is a reincarnation of my old music-appreciation blog.

- If you like Tobin's Spirit Guide, check out Tobin's Basement. Full freak-mode.

Daniel Jordan talks about his friend, Rudy Ray Moore (aka Dolemite)

Rudy Ray Moore, March 17, 1927 – October 19, 2008

Analog Medium talked to our friend, Daniel Jordan, about the life and passing of his friend, Rudy Ray Moore, better known as Dolemite.


AM: So when was the first time you saw Rudy Ray Moore as Dolemite?

Jordan: Well I saw Dolemite the movie over 15 years ago, it was the shit to me. But what really grabbed my attention was Petey Wheatstraw, that turned me into an obsessed follower. I heard the monologue of the same name before I saw the movie, it was on a record that one of my friends owned, and when I found out it was a movie I nearly shit myself and had to find it! Luckily Rasputins had it for 1.99 in the used section. My life was changed forever


AM: How did you first end up getting in touch and meeting with Rudy Ray Moore?

Jordan: About 5 years ago him and Blowfly were on tour together, and by then I was obsessed. I used to host ecstasy parties every weekend and watch Dolemite movies, and one of my life long goals was just to look him in the eyes, and my life would be complete. Anyways I saw him live, and he cracked jokes on me and even said "If I fucked a cheerio there would still be room left" haha. I rushed back stage and introduced myself and the relationship started, we instantly became friends (maybe because we were equally as insane).


AM: What did you talk about with Rudy the first time you met him?

Jordan: I told him about the parties I would have in his honor and he got a kick out of that. We talked about George Clinton, and pretty much the somewhat unnoticed (by the mainstream) legacy [Moore] laid, and why he should have been as big as Pryor and Eddie Murphy if not bigger.


AM: What was it that Rudy thought was the reason he didn't receive more recognition during his career? And what do you think it is?

Jordan: Well, it has to do with politics, obviously. Why does your favorite underground artist remain underground? Because being independent and an originator you hold somewhat of an over protective blanket over your art. If Dolemite has been sampled a thousand times by mulitiplatinum artists, how come everything he drops isn't multiplatinum? Its simple really, and I can break it down like this. Rudy Ray Moore payed for your favorite rappers sins, he took the hell so they could get a break. He had to break the ice and touch the taboo in order for these new cats to steal his style, but learn from his mistakes and sugar coat it. He refused to sell out. How is a man like Dolemite going to bow down to whitey and take it up the ass? He took NO SHIT from the man! That's what he was all about, but he had to sacrifice money and fame because of that. But he will always have respect. Someone has to be the first one to have the door slammed in their face in order for the next person to get through the door.


AM: Talk about some of the tracks that sample Dolemite, just so people know the score.

Jordan: Lets see... There's "Thow Tha Dick" & "Dirty Nursery Rhymes" by 2 Live Crew, Grand Puba - "I Like It", "Deeeez Nuts" by Dr Dre, "Devils in the soup" by Esham. That's just off the top of the head, apparently he is one of the MOST sampled artist in history next to Bootsy Collins. Whether Dolemite is your favorite rapper or not, he is definitely your favorite rapper's favorite rapper.


AM: So we gotta ask how you managed to get Dolemite to appear on your album. When did you get in touch with him next after your first meeting?

Jordan: The whole story on that is explained in the "I live 4 the Funk" article I wrote a few months ago. But to give a run down... I would religiously follow Rudy wherever he would make appearances and we started kicking it. We went to some players balls with some well known pimps like Don Magic Juan, and Pimp C would be there. I would be the only white person there, but I would get mad love from everyone when I was with Rudy. We had a blast.


AM: For people who aren't familiar with Rudy Ray Moore's work, what would recommend as a good jump-off point?

Jordan: Well, as far as movies obviously "Dolemite" I highly recommend "Petey Wheatstraw" as well. I wrote a blog about that shit a couple years ago. As far as music and comedy records, check out "Eat out more often". That shit is hilarious! and it broke a lot of barriers back in the day. And deffinetly his Xmas album "This Ain't No White Christmas!" since Xmas is coming up pretty soon. Also check out his track "Signifying Monkey" I think that pretty much sums up himself as an artist.


AM: How did Mr. Moore spend his final years?

Jordan: Shit. This is gonna be hard to talk about, but at least the pain is gone for him. When I first met Rudy he could walk around, kick a muthafuckas ass, and fuck a bitch or 2 in the process. His life was nothing glamorous at all in his final years, and I'm saying this with all respect because I truly loved him, he was my "Uncle". About 2 years ago he was diagnosed with Diabetes, he may have had it longer, but he became bed ridden for almost a year because of it. When he finally got out of the hospital he couldn't walk anymore. He rolled around in one of those "Rascal" scooters that were battery powered, and that battery drained quick. Those things were heavy as fuck too! I used to have it in my trunk and have to get it out, while helping Rudy get out of my car. His legs were the size of tree trunks and he couldn't even use the restroom. He was in a small assisted living condo in Vegas that he kept excruciatingly hot because of his diabetes. I would take him to the doctor and roll him around town to run errands, he really appreciated that. I would take him and get him his favorite Chinese food (the man ate like a tank). But it was very noticeable that these were his last days, it was sad to see THE BAD BAD DOLEMITE in a state of helplessness. But he was still the most hardcore muthafucka that was in the room! I think because his heyday came and left, he was more down to earth than he may have been in the 70's. I don't know because I wasn't there, but I could see how that could make a man like him let me into his private life and see what it was like behind the scenes. It was like being around a Grandpa, someone with so much knowledge, and I would just sit back and soak up game from the OG.


AM: Where are all us freaks going to turn now that Dolemite is gone?

Jordan: Well, basically you can come check out my shit because I'm keeping his memory alive. The man knighted me, and passed me the torch, and I have to live with that responsibility now, and that is fuckin heavy. But Blowfly is still alive and kickin, and rockin shit, he is by far the craziest man I've ever known. Him and Rudy were in the same vein of "Blue Humor" so to speak. But just because Rudy is dead that doesn't mean his legacy is, this isn't the end, it's somewhat of a rebirth.


AM: What kind of impact do you think Rudy Ray Moore's legacy will leave on pop-culture and the artists and fans that respected him so much? And what should people learn from the bad bad Dolemite?

Jordan: Its already had a crazy impact so far, every artist has taken a page from his book in one way or another. I envision it growing beyond anyone's expectations now that he has passed. To be the last person to record a session with him was insane as hell. Now I have a responsibility in repping him the way he should be repped. And people should all learn his work ethic and his unrelenting will to never give up despite adversity. Rudy was a self-made man, and he made his own fate. You should learn to believe in yourself no matter what and you can achieve great things. To end this ill just use one of his great monologues: "Be what you are, be the very best of what you are, reach for the moon, and if you don't grab it, hang on to a star. I'm going to be what I am and be the very best of what I am, and for those who don't like it, confidentially I don't give a damn, because Id rather be hated for what I am than be loved for what I'm not. Thank you for letting me be myself!"


Editor's Note: For all you droogs out there that aren't familiar with Rudy Ray Moore or Dolemite, go school yourself with Rudy Ray Moore's Greatest Hits.