SCHOOL'S OUT

Watched the new doco on Alice Cooper, Super Duper Alice Cooper, over the weekend. A decent overview of the career of  Cooper, both the band and then the man who took the name, with some great vintage clips and photos, but not much in the way of new stories or information that even a casual fan (like me) hasn't already heard/read many times before.

One thing that really disappointed me about the documentary is that it pretty much cuts off at the beginning of the 1980's. While the most creative and interesting years of his career and life were certainly the late-1960's to mid-70's, Cooper still had a pretty decent career throughout the later half of the 1980's. 

I've always enjoyed his 1986 album Constrictor, Cooper's first collaboration with Rambo-like guitarist Kane Roberts. Beau Hill's production is a bit thin and sounds rather dated now, but overall I think it has a much stronger selection of tracks than his big 1989 comeback album Trash. Apart from 'He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask) - the theme song for Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives - Constrictor also had such fun and catchy tracks as 'Thrill My Gorilla', 'Life and Death of the Party', the S&M paean 'Trick Bag' and 'Teenage Frankenstein', a great ode to 50s B horror...

COME OUT TO PLAY...

Happy to announce that I have been asked to introduce the upcoming Cinemaniacs screening of Walter Hill's 1979 cult classic The Warriors at the Backlot Studios in Southbank at 8pm on Friday, August 1st. Can you dig it? Even happier to announce that it is the original theatrical version which is being screened, not the awful Director's Cut with all the fake comic strip panels inserted into it. The Director's Cut is the only version of the film currently available on disc, so if you want to see this great urban fantasy on the big screen in the form it was originally made to be seen in, then make sure all you Warriors come out to play-ay on August the 1st...the Backlot is a terrific venue for these screenings and I believe tickets are selling fast!

https://www.facebook.com/events/309415515881005/

GRAPHIC THRILLS

Received a review copy of Robin Bougie's incredible new book Graphic Thrills from FAB Press in the post recently. A large 144 page trade paperback, Graphic Thrills takes us on a journey through the world of classic XXX adult film poster art from the 1970's and early-80's, before the home porn video market really exploded and the artwork was gradually replaced by generic VHS photo boxes. Featuring one poster per page, with a review and insightful notes on each title, Graphic Thrills is a stunning tribute to this golden age of adult entertainment, and a must-have for anyone interested in the history of the genre, and of exploitation poster art in general. The US $35.00 price tag might seem a little steep, but like all FAB Press books this is beautifully put together and printed on high quality glossy paper stock, well worth adding to your film or graphic art book shelf. A terrific effort from the author and publisher of the cult Cinema Sewer magazine (and series of compendium books, also published by FAB Press). A limited (500 copies) hardcover/signed printing is also available direct from the publisher.

http://www.fabpress.com/books/graphic-thrills-paperback.html