My Blu Ray DVD Wish List

What's up, readers? How are things in Lockdown/ Quarantine? Like I have to ask, right? I know. Me too. So  I had an idea to share my tastes in movies. Hope you like 'em!! These are in no particular order, just some things I would like to have!

Treasure Island (2012) – Now I appreciate that this version of Treasure plays remarkably fast and loose with the book, but I’d have to say, having watched it several times, that this is what gives the particular rendition of Treasure its charm. It is in many ways what I would call an historic masterpiece. For the folks that think Pirates of the Caribbean is realistic, it is so not. No to knock Pirates. They’re entertaining films, but historic pirates weren’t pretty people, nor were they ‘scoundrels who earn the approval of others,’ yet another used and literally abused movie theme. I mean I love a good swashbuckler movie as well as anybody, and we own several of them, including Yellowbeard, Sea Hawk, Captain Blood, Cutthroat Island, Don Juan (Errol Flynn), mot to mention several more we have yet to own such as Black Swan (Tyrone Power; 1942). But what makes Treasure Island unique, among such others in its genre, is its realism. The pirates in treasure are despicable, murderous criminals, led by the disabled swindler John Silver, played to the hilt by Eddie Izzard. Fantastic film. Really. Check it out!

The Devil Rides Out (1968) – Most of my followers probably hate old horror films like this Hammer Studios cult classic, but ever since I started taking electives at Flo Valley (St. Louis Community College: Florissant Valley campus), I developed a love for these vintage and chiefly British productions with such renowned actors as Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Charles Gray (it’s just a jump to the left). My love for these films is of course thanks to a certain professor who ran them in class. They’re wonderful films and I already own many of them, but they’re not anything like today’s horror films, where everything seems to revolve around how much blood, violence, torture and nudity will fit into a 2.5 hour film. Not to knock new horror, I’m sure plenty of people prefer it nowadays, but I’ve long since outgrown Slashers, and I never was into ‘torture porn,’ as Stephen King coined it. I think I’ll stick with old horror and slow burners like The Witch (2015). But what really gets me in Devil Rides Out is the eerie appearance of Baphomet! That was strictly practical effects, and probably something many would consider campy, by today’s standards. Sure, it’s not CGI, but what great theater. Chilling entertainment!

Mad Monkey Kung Fu (1979) – Thanks to director and storyteller Robert Rodriguez, and his television channel El Rey, I have a newfound love and appreciation for martial arts films, exclusively Shaw Brothers Kung Fu films. Mad Monkey Kung Fu is a Chinese late ‘70’s work of art, and director and actor Lau Kar-leung is incredible as the youthful braggart framed for murder, beaten, crippled, and turned into a vengeful teacher of Monkey Kung Fu. Man, what a great movie! Kar-leung and actor Hsiao Ho are a wicked pair, together! And as always, there is that patented Shaw Brothers training sequence! What moves! That combined with Shaw Brothers choreography makes this film a jewel in the Shaw Brothers crown! Well, to me it does. Damn, I’m going to have to watch this again!! It’s a great, fun, popcorn-binging Kung Fu revenge film! Never misses a beat...or a beatdown!

The Shaolin Drunken Monk (1982) – Gordon Liu!!!!!!!! What a fantastic martial artist and actor. Admittedly, this film is typically considered a bust, but thanks to my appreciation of Jackie Chan’s portrayal of the intoxicated immortal throwback Lu Yan, in The Forbidden Kingdom (2008), I am now a Drunken Fist addict!!! For me, this film is all about actor Gordon Liu’s work as the title character! Great film, plenty of wicked fighting sequences and my personal fave, the awesome Drunken Monk training sequence! I just really dig this film!

Outlaw King (2018) – Like many Gen X-ers I discovered my love for thematic war dramas through films like Braveheart (1995). Outlaw King is a sweeping epic film about the rise of Scottish king Robert I, popularly known as Robert the Bruce, who was crowned King of Scotland from 1306 until his death in 1329. Though this film is probably not very historically accurate, it makes up for it through the beautifully told saga of the recently married Robert and Elizabeth Bruce, both of whom fight very different battles against English tyranny, for Scottish independence. Long story short, if you like movies like Braveheart, were people get decapitated and run though often, you’ll like this one just as much. I think.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (the Complete Series) – I admit it. At first, I really didn’t want this semi-reboot series to exist! As is often the case among we Gen X-ers, I too grew up with what is best described as the patented 80s ‘made-for-children’ version of Voltron. That would be Voltron: Defender of the Universe, to be specific. Granted, it had been a long time since I had seen Defender of the Universe, and was largely relying on my childhood memories. When I found and purchased Defender of the Universe again, I came away still loving it, though the experience was a trifle bittersweet. When Netflix came into my life, I gave Legendary Defender a whirl, and...while I didn’t agree with every change they made, I can honestly say Legendary Defender is by far the best ‘westernized version’ of Beast King GoLion to this date! It is an extraordinary reboot, and one that was masterfully done, keeping true (mostly) to the original storyline and character archetypes, while adding all sorts of newly designed eye-candy gems for today’s Anime loving audience. I can’t wait to own the entire series!!

Now, if only I had a magic wand or an indispensable Genie that can fetch me all of these! Kidding! Kidding. 😂 Thanks for reading, stay safe and be well!! Later!

SLiM

Rock Guy Monster Dude Thing

Here we go again. I don’t know. Maybe it’s because the house’s other occupant binges TV reruns all day (not assigning blame), and I find myself watching more than my share of them. Or maybe it’s due to the elephant in the corner of the room. The one with a mask on his face, and nitrile exam gloves on his...feet. What? It could happen. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s this house itself. Or maybe it’s the city. But whatever the reason, whatever the cause, I find myself back in the past again. Like a broken record, constantly replaying that same fraction of a melody, over and over again.

Anyway, I was looking at previous images, and stumbled upon this humorous little gem. I sculpted this sort of meteorite character out of fluorescent green Super Sculpey on aluminum armature wire, back in Spring or Summer of 2007. My initial purpose was to create a figurine a small child might play with, such as the popular Imaginext line. I was also thinking about something kids could be somewhat rough with, such as wrestling figures. I clearly remember a Galoob line of WWF Thumb-wrestling figures kids could control, by sticking their thumb in the figure’s back! I think I was going for a similar pose. It’s a shame I didn’t work harder on it. I don’t know what possessed me to give it that...immovable arm-spike...thingy.

This week, I did the action figure blister card art in...you guessed it...Adobe Photoshop. You sound surprised. I also created a symmetrical version of the original sculpt in ‘Shop, considering the original was pretty much garbage. Added a loincloth (no, that’s not rock-guy pubic hair), gave it a harness and a nifty stone club, Posterized it, and created the background from scratch.

There are some shades of He-Man here, especially the Blue/Red-Violet sky. I dig it. Hope you do too. Anyhow, thanks for reading, as always. Stay safe and be well!!!! Images below. All images Copyright © Stephen L. Morris 2020

SLiM

Deconstructing A Haunted House

In 2006, while still in college, I started a project on my own, pretty much as an excuse to do it. Initially I had the idea of a haunted 12” dollhouse. This was before such things were available to the public, so no Monster High, just yet. It would have been wise to do a posh, spooky quasi Addams Family mansion, complete with all the bells and whistles one would come to expect, but I was troubled by that idea, because up to then I had never made anything so large.

Instead of being brave and trying to pull off the build of an actual mansion, I chose the easy path, opting for a simpler structure, that of a dilapidated farm house. I labored over the house off an on for several years, all the while with a faint idea in the back of my head. A story about a half-dead, crazed doctor / wizard, the last of a humble village that had been wiped out by the magic of an evil entity was a constant companion to the house’s construction. I had foreseen it as a stop-motion short film. It’s an idea I still love and still very much want to do, some day.

But the trouble with lofty dreams and ideals is they require a great deal of dedication and a massive work ethic. By 2008, I had neither of these, having recently discovered online gaming and consequently spent less and less time in pursuit of completion the house.

By 2012, I made the decision to move in with my recently widowed father to help him cops, and simultaneously escape my life in the Midwest. Part of this decision involved leaving the house behind, though I promised myself I would some day move it down to the Keys and finish the project.

Fast-forward to 2020, and here I am taking the house apart. It has been a bittersweet journey with this project, and I’m currently at a standstill. While I desperately want to keep it and move it to the Florida house, I fear that it wouldn’t survive, even if I’d mailed it. The other problem is I’ve changed, and the house is no longer a representation of myself as an artist. So here I am, trying to make a conscientious decision about a project I have long since outgrown, yet put a lot of time and labor into making. What to do?

If I mail it to myself, I risk the possibility of it being damaged or destroyed in the mailing. This build is little more than balsa wood and foamcore board, hot-glued together. The same could happen if I move it with the rest of our belongings. Though I suppose I could always make a new one.

If anybody’s got any ideas, I’m open to them. Thanks for reading, and here are some images of the house, in its various stages.

SLiM

What started out as foamcore board and balsa wood, slowly began to take shape.

While I never got to paint it, I at least managed to prime the house and film it with a colored light bulb (right). Despite it's simple construction, I always liked the way it looked.

Today's decision is a tough one, but I think I might have a way to save it, after all!

Early Childhood Inspiration

Occasionally people ask me “What made you decide you wanted to become an artist?” The truth is, throughout my life there have been a lot of influences. 

Though my artistic genes come from my grandmother, who was without doubt the most important artistic influence, I was additionally influenced by the works of such artists as Frank Frazetta, Boris Vallejo, Wendy Pini, Keith Parkinson, and Matt Wagner, to mention a few. However the absolute most important of my early childhood influences isn’t a person at all. It is instead an independent film released in 1977 by director George Lucas called Star Wars.

I came along in 1974, so I was obviously pretty little by ‘77 and ‘78 yet my memories of seeing that important piece of Science-Fantasy at the theater and the drive-in are so vivid in my mind, it’s like it happened yesterday. We went to the drive-in once every weekend the three of us-my Mom, my Dad and I. 

My Dad was instrumental in taking his only child to see Star Wars, and yet every time the movie got to the scene where the Rebel Alliance sends out its fighters to destroy the Death Star (the Battle of Yavin), my eyelids would begin to get heavy. 

I would struggle to stay awake but inevitably would fall asleep in the backseat before the movie was over, curled up in my Star Wars sheet, sound asleep on my Star Wars pillow in the back of our green Buick Regal. Apparently I would also fall asleep when we saw it at the theater, but I digress.

My parents got such a kick out of their little son trying, in his own special way, to explain why the family had to go and see Star Wars again the next weekend, since I had fallen asleep and didn’t get to see the end of the movie. It was clear to them the movie held some importance to me. I eventually got to see the entire film from start to end, which coincided as my Mom often jokes with the same time she got tired of going to see it every Friday or Saturday!

When we talk about it now my Dad often says “It opened a window for you.” I couldn’t agree more. I can watch the special editions of Star Wars, or the other chapters in the six episode Star Wars saga, or some of the many countless spoofs that have been made of the film, but nothing will ever compare to the I-270 Drive-In in ’77 and ’78. For me that’s the ultimate Star Wars experience. So it wasn’t long after that I began to draw what I imagined and what I remembered.