Nerd Girl of Note #111 - Irene Tsu

Irene Tsu is probably not a well known name, but she is one of those actresses that showed up everywhere in the '60s and '70, yet maintained her career into recent years. Her first credit was as an uncredited dancer in Rodger's and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song (Henry Koster, 1961) and her most recent appearance was in an episode of Cold Case (2009).

Tsu appeared in numerous nerd-friendly films and television shows, a few of which are; My Favorite Martian (1964), The Sword of Ali Baba (1965), How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1965), Women of the Prehistoric Planet (1966), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1965, 1967), The Wild Wild West (1967), Mission Impossible (1972), Three the Hard Way (1974), The New Adventures of Wonder Woman (1977), Baywatch Nights (1996), and Star Trek: Voyager (1997, 2001).

She has a substantial role in the Jim Kelly kung-fu, Blackbelt Jones "sequel" Hot Potato. That is a fun film, but not that great. Tsu is a southeast Asian cop out to get the bad guy, and is not thrilled to have Jones (Jim Kelly) and his crew of misfits in her way. She seems pretty adept at the fighting scenes, and helps make the movie better than it might have been.


"The Man Who Made Volcanoes"


Hawaiian Punch Oriental Fetishism




Three the Hard Way

Birdy the Mighty: Decode (Kazuki Akane, 2008)

Another anime series from FUNimation, Birdy the Mighty: Decode is part Men in Black, part Shazam, part Incredible Hulk, and part high school action/comedy. Birdy Cephon Altera is a space cop who tails a fugitive to Earth, the backwater of the universe. The fugitive, Giga, has taken over the body of an entertainment producer, so she poses as a gravure model Shion Arita to attempt finding him. In their first Earth battle she accidentally kills a young boy, Tsutomu Senkawa. In an attempt to save him, she absorbs his consciousness, and preserves his remains in hopes of having his body reconstructed on her home planet. Both consciousnesses are active, and the one controlling the body must speak out loud to be heard by the other. Birdy is able to transform into Tsutomu's body and give him control.

So, the two trade forms/control, with the added discomfiture of having to pose as Shion Arita. Add to this a reporter who has figured out that Birdy and Shion Arita are the same person.

It is a fun show. Not great. I sometimes zone out on episodes, but anime fans will likely enjoy it.

The World's Most Goth Swimming Pool

So, we went to the Mayan city of Chichen Itza, and on the way back stopped at a cenote; and underground pool made in a natural cave.


This was pretty awesome. The local Maya (they still exist) put on a show with incense, music and dancing. The pool is cold and clear, with turquoise water and blind fish. It is about 70'F in the water, which is awfully nice compared to the 105'F April days above. These cenotes are sinkholes connected by underground rivers.

Access to the pool is only recent, at least with ease. The locals have dug stairs into the limestone, approximately ninety feet, but before that the only access was the hole in the roof. There is some electrical light present, but the main illumination is from the hole. It is a little eerie. There are stadium seats carved into the walls, and the stairs are high and irregular. The floor of the pool is a mixture of sand and sharp rocks.

So, if you are pale complected, into pagan religion, and like your water cool, this is your place. Seriously though, it is awfully neat. You do get to swim there, and the water is up to fifteen meters deep—and this is considered to be a shallow pool.

More on Cancun and Chichen Itza later. I have not left yet, so still some thought to go.

Fan-Boy Icon #40 - Michael Jai White

As if it is not enough to be the voice of Doomsday on The Justice League, or Gambol in The Dark Knight, or even Al Simmons in the live action Spawn, Michael Jai White is also that bad muthafucka Black Dynamite.

If you have Netflix and have not seen Black Dynamite, you are really doing yourself a disservice. You don't even have to love Blaxploitation to get into it, or even spoofs. It is a funny, clever movie where every single "mistake" is meticulously planned. White and Byron Minns (Undisputed) conceived the film, and it lovingly mocks, and pays homage to a very interesting genre.

A funny thing, which I heard on the Nerdist podcast's Black Dynamite show, was that in order to go for extra authenticity White did not play Black Dynamite, instead he created the character of Ferante Jones, fictitious former running-back for the Baltimore Colts, who played Black Dynamite. White describes Jones as having left the NFL after a broken neck during play and says that at times you can see that Black Dynamite cannot turn his head in one direction. That is some of the finest meta acting I have ever heard of.

Adult Swim will be having a Black Dynamite animated series, and White is in production for The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate with Jet Li. Check him out at the IMDb, you might be surprised at some of his credits.

Nerd Girl of Note #110 - Xeni Jardin

If you know me you know I am behind the times... I first became aware of her after she was on the Nerdist podcast recently. She was previously on the NPR show Day to Day, which was canceled when NPR was having funding issues a while back. She now works for Boing Boing, a nerd-culture blog. She heads their video department, formerly known as Boing Boing TV.

xxxHolic (CLAMP, 2006)

I discovered xxxHolic when I worked at a bookstore during the very lean 2002 to 2005 years. It was a mystical manga about Kimihiro Watanuki, a high school boy who can see, and is plagued by, spirits. He discovers the shop of Yuko Ichihara, a witch who promises she can release him from the spirits if he becomes her slave as repayment. The title refers to addiction in its more OCD forms; lying, careerism, that sort of thing. In 2006 it became an anime series and twenty-four episodes are available on Netflix streaming and available from FUNimation on Youtube and Hulu.

The anime is remarkably good. I have read the manga that covers the same period as the series thus far, but the wife has not and still enjoys it. They have, fortunately, completely avoided the need to know the manga to enjoy the anime. This is a common failing. As a matter of fact, I think the anime is superior story-wise. It is a more cohesive tale that seems to be moving to a point of closure that I do not remember from the manga. The stories are funny, and a bit scary. The story arc is not too important, but present. All we do know is that there is something more for Watanuki, and Yuko knows it. She just is not saying.

At roughly twenty-five minutes, the episodes are interesting and fun. Easily some of the better anime. I prefer it to Cowboy Bebop, which is an awesome show. This could be a good choice for non-anime enthusiasts. The only anime the wife watches is Miyazaki films, but she'll watch several episodes of xxxHolic in a sitting. Watch episode one below.

Coach (Bud Townsend, 1978)

I am not sure what led me to watch this movie. It was likely the opportunity to see Cathy Lee Crosby naked (though that doesn't happen), but it does tie in with previous discussions of the Lingerie Football League. Here is the premise:

A high school, presumably public but with a prep school type board, has a shitty basketball team. The director's grandson is on the team. They fire the current coach and hire, sight unseen, Olympic gold medalist Randy Rawlings. Much to their chagrin, they discover Rawlings is a female (Cathy Lee Crosby), but she has a job offer and can sue. The director (Keenan Wynn) decides to make life hard for her, but the team is (eventually) impressed. She makes a deal with the director that on her first loss she will retire.

Now, that's not so bad, right? An opportunity for a female athlete to break into the male dominated world of men's basketball and overcoming the inherent difficulties is a positive story. The problem is, the exact reasons people might be scared of having an unmarried hot female in charge of a bunch of young boys is precisely what happens. Sure, they say no one will respect a team with a female coach, but what they mean is, "we don't want you boning our teenage boys." Well, guess what? She starts boning one of the teenage boys.



Unfortunately this film fails on numerous levels. It could have easily been a more positive film about a female coach, or it could have been a trashy sex comedy. It is neither. They show off Crosby's legs quite a bit, but aside from a quick flash by some of the players' girlfriends it is devoid of nudity; well, actually there are a lot of male asses for those so inclined. Here is as close as we get to Ms. Crosby's goodies:



Now, I am not saying this needed a ton of nudity, but lets face it, the film has to be one thing or the other. It is trying to be Private Lessons, but is really an after school special with a few gratuitous body parts. I chose to use the French poster, as that is an even greater indictment to what the film is selling but not delivering. Unfortunately it doesn't really sell anything. Just for laughs, here is the typical American poster which sells the films as, well, nothing, and another French poster which only lies about the content more blatantly.

It's That Time Again...

Springtime, when a middle-aged man's mind turns to one thing; motorcycles.

I won't do my typical safety speech here. If you want to see my past posts on the dangers of riding, check them out with the "motorcycles" tag. Instead, I'll talk about motorcycle nerdery. Warning, you can see my pubes in one post when I show off my injury.

The bike above is the wife's 2004 Kawasaki Ninja 500-R. It is an old-school bike, despite being from this century. One of the British bike magazines did a bit on good starter bikes a few years back and left this bike out. When I emailed the author asking why, he said they wanted to go with a more modern bike. That is problem one. The 500-R is a parallel twin, 498cc, carburetor run work horse. Aside from tires and the semi-annual battery replacement (due to my negligence) it has had zero problems. Sure, things come loose and need touching, but it runs like crazy and is extremely low maintenance. They still make it, and have been since 1987 as the EX500 and GPZ500, depending on your market. It has been the Ninja 500-R since 1997. There have been very few modifications aside from the brakes.

This motorcycle puts the nerd in my riding. I am always being told by cruiser riders that they don't like sport bikes, to which I respond "it is a standard." Sport bike riders tell me I need something bigger. I say "pshaw." This noisy, high-revving little babe has been my favorite bike for years now, and I won't replace it. I am fearless in my love for it. I used to go to a Harley Davidson bar in Raleigh called "Scooters," and I would love pulling up on this little guy. Once, on a sunny day no less, the place was full of riders, yet I was the only one on a motorcycle. Pussies. This was one of those middle-aged, middle-class biker places where people pretend they are bikers. At the time I did not have a car, so in many ways was the only "real" biker in the place, or at least the closest the clientele was going to come.

I finally got the girl out to ride today, and forgot how much I missed it. I was a little shaky. We have awful traffic here, and I get a touch nervous at times, but ride smart and things tend to go well.

So, if you ride, have fun. If you want to ride, learn how. If you don't ride, keep an eye out for the bikes. Amazing how hard we are to see, even when you are looking. Same on all points regarding bicyclists and scooter riders. We all die the same way.

Zombie Dice (Steve Jackson Games)

Lately, my house is full of Apple products. None are mine, mind you, but we definitely have some. The other day on a rare trip to Barnes & Noble I saw a dice game and was surprised to see it was freely available for the iPhone and iPad. The game is Zombie Dice by Steve Jackson Games (GURPS, Munchkin).

The game is pretty simple. Dice have three faces; shotgun blasts, footsteps, and brains. You roll three at a time, trying to collect as many brains as you can. You have to cash out before getting three shotgun blasts. In the free version you play against a computer zombie, but with the 99¢ upgrade you can play with multiple people on the same device, passing it around for each player's turn. The iPhone version allows up to eight players, while the iPad allows up to ten.

It is a lot of fun, and quite an addictive little hole to throw your time into. As with all things Apple, you can get it through the AppStore.

Nerd Girl of Note #109 - Julie Guthrie

Unfortunately I do not know a whole lot about Julie Guthrie, save that she is one of the most prolific and iconic miniature sculptors in the fantasy and sci-fi genres. She has worked for Grenadier, Ral Partha, Iron Wind, Reaper, Emperor's Choice, and has sculpts being resold through Mega Miniatures. I am assuming she began her career in 1983, but that could be completely wrong. Here is the blurb from Reaper Minis' Artists Page:

If you've never heard of Julie Guthrie, then you must live under a rock. Julie is a legend in the miniatures industry and a member of the Origins Hall of Fame. Her incredible body of work is an invaluable reference for aspiring sculptors and artists.

I remember Guthrie's work better than most any other sculptor, and have a ton of her miniatures.

Godzilla vs The Thing (Inoshiro Honda, 1964)

Oddly enough, this is my first real foray into the world of Godzilla. Sure, I have seen bits of films, mostly the wrestling type action, but this is my first beginning-to-end Godzilla film.

Now, while I like the idea of Godzilla, I am more of a Mothra fan. In fact, if I had to choose a deity, it would be Mothra. Mothra is anti-big business, anti-nukes, pro-ecology, and not to be trifled with. Mothra defends her people, and once a threat has been neutralized does not push for its destruction. She is a very sensible creature. Godzilla, on the other hand, is simply a force of nature—at least as presented in this film. I can get behind this, but make mine Mothra.

The story is fairly similar to the original Mothra. A giant egg appears in the ocean near a fishing village. A businessman tells the villagers that it is theirs, since it is in their waters, and advises that they bring it ashore. He then buys the egg from them for the price of one million chicken eggs. It turns out he is the pawn of a bigger corporation which plans to make money off the egg by selling research and side-show rights.

We soon discover that the egg was released from Mothra's island by a typhoon, and Mothra's primary agents, the Shobijin (two twin fairies), come to Japan to try getting it back. They warn the businessmen that Mothra will come to reclaim the egg. The businessmen fail to remember the last time Mothra came to retrieve the Shobijin. When some reporters try to negotiate the egg's release on their behalf, the businessmen offer to trade the egg for the Shobijin, again forgetting Mothra's first visit to Japan.

The Shobijin, played by Emi and Yûmi Ito, The Peanuts

Well, the typhoon did not only effect Mothra's island. It also woke the King of Monsters. Just as they get ready to begin making some dough off the egg, Godzilla rises from the Earth. As is likely typical of a giant atomic dinosaur, he gets his tail caught in an electrical tower, trips and falls, gets pissed, and starts breaking stuff. So, he starts walking and smashing—perhaps trying to get to the sea.

As usual, the Army is dispatched to destroy Godzilla with the usual ineffectiveness. The reporters decide the only way to stop him is to get Mothra involved. They travel to Mothra's island and appeal to the cult's leader for aid. He refuses, as the outside world is no friend of theirs, but after an impassioned plea and the Shobijin's intercession, Mothra decides to participate.

In all, this one is pretty enjoyable. Godzilla is just a treat here, and their are not too many big fight scenes. The story is quite similar to the original Mothra, but with a bit of a twist. While the monsters in these films are always fairly laughable, I must say I am impressed by the miniature work, and I imagine for the time many of the effects are really awesome. This streams on Netflix, and is interesting in many ways. The social/ecological message is sound, and there is a plot to it. I enjoyed it a great deal.

The DelFly Robot

Despite a few freaks and fraidy-cats in the comments for this post, this is a pretty awesome thing. The DelFly Bionic Robot is the world's smallest ornithopter carrying a camera, according to the developers. It has a ten centimeter wingspan and weighs just over three grams.

The DelFly link above is to an article on Boing Boing, but some really awesome stuff is on the developers' site. It includes video of the robot in control tests, and displays how it is able to accept visual voice commands, programmed routes, and even sense obstacles.

Just for some context, a US dollar bill weighs one gram, so the camera weighs less than half that, and the entire machine is just over three bills in weight.

Premature Book Review: Japanese Tales of Mystery & Imagination (Edogawa Rampo)

I came across Edogawa Rampo while searching for weird Japanese movies. His pen name is a play on the Japanese pronunciation of "Edgar Allan Poe" and he is considered the father of modern Japanese mystery fiction.

The first story, The Human Chair, is in many ways similar to Poe or Lovecraft, but is also a bit like Gogol. It is about a poor, physically unattractive man who desires to be part of a grander society. He is a chair maker, by trade, and is commissioned to build a large easy chair for a hotel that caters to Americans and Europeans. The chair is so large, and his skill so great, that he design it so that he may hide inside the chair. He plans to steal from the hotel, initially, but later finds there is more to his plan than he expects.

Next comes The Psychological Test, a story that is similar to Crime and Punishment, even referring to it. A young intellectual decides he is going to commit the perfect crime; the killing of an elderly pawnbroker and theft of her money. He has everyone fooled for a while, but as they say, there is always someone smarter than yourself.

Third is The Caterpillar, a story that begins like Lady Chatterley's Lover, but takes an odd turn. It is a rather gruesome story; not at all erotic. Very much in the Poe vein, if medicine had been as advanced at the time.

While each of the stories I have read do hearken back to works by other authors, Edogawa Rampo makes them his own; lifting only a style or premise and turning it into something different. He wrote between (approximately) 1925 and 1955, so much ground had been covered already, but perhaps not so much for Japanese audiences. I would imagine he would acknowledge the homage to other authors, particularly since his pen name is taken directly from one. These are good, interesting stories of the pulp variety that you do not have to invest much in. They are for your pleasure rather than any enlightenment. I am sure scholars can find deeper meaning, but like Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep, you can take it at face value and it is still wonderful.

Podcasts I Listen To

I did not know this one was around. I am a lousy blog reader these days. Friend of the blog and historian of cool, Gilligan, has a podcast full of awesome retro stuff. Swanky music, movie trailer audio, commercials. All the great stuff I remember from my childhood, and some things I have never heard of. Check out The RetroSpace Podcast here!

Nerd Girl of Note #108 - Brooke Lewis

Scream Queen Brooke Lewis first hit my radar when she co-hosted an episode of This Week in Horror a while back. She was cute and funny, and knowledgeable about the genre. Since then I have been trying to check out her movies, a few of which stream on Netflix; Kinky Killers (aka Polycarp), iMurders, and The Drum Beats Twice. She has done quite a few other films, and was producer/co-producer on many of them. Since I started prepping for this post I have gotten to talk with Brooke back and forth over Twitter.

The two films I have seen with Brooke are Kinky Killers and iMurders. The latter is the better film. It has an awesome cast. Aside from Brooke there is Charles Durning (The Hudsucker Proxy), William Forsythe (The Devil's Rejects), Billy Dee Williams (The Empire Strikes Back), and Tony "Candyman" Todd. Brooke portrays an FBI agent investigating a string of murders all associated with a social media chat-room. I think it is a nice, twisty thriller that leaves you guessing.

You should definitely be on the look out for Brooke's movies. She is an independent film producer with her company "Philly Chick Pictures" and I think she and the gang she runs with are bringing back a lot of what has been missing from the horror/exploitation genre. Both Kinky Killers and iMurders are well shot, predominantly well acted films with solid plots that do not rely on gimmickry. Both Sprinkles and Choose are currently in the festival circuit. At the Sinatra Club is on DVD and VOD currently. Slime City Massacre and the intriguingly titled Dahmer vs. Gacy will be released on DVD/VOD May 10th. Show Brooke some love and check out her films. She is awesome with her fans, and makes a damn fine movie. Check out the trailers and links below.

• Official Site
  
• Ms. Vampy Official Site
• Brooke Lewis @ IMDb
• Twitter
• Official Fan Page on Facebook
  

iMurders Trailer


Sprinkles Trailer


Slime City Massacre Trailer


Dahmer vs. Gacy Trailer

Short Movie Reviews: All Horror Edition

RoboGeisha is another comedy/horror/sci-fi mash-up from Japan. This time we have an evil corporation bent on world domination through the use of Geisha fem-bot assassins. Seems reasonable enough. Problem is, one of the girls they transform decides she doesn't like what is going on and turns against her captors. This one is very tongue-in-cheek, and makes fun of the genre, while fulfilling every aspect to be part of it. I think I actually liked this more than Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl, but they are very close. This one is like an insane, racy, Sid & Marty Krofft version of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and I am all for that. Streams on Netfix.

Verdict: If you only see one film about cyborg Geisha assassins, make it RoboGeisha.

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After.Life is a really awesome, creepy thriller starring Liam Neeson and Christina Ricci. Ricci is killed in a car accident and finds herself at a funeral home where the director, Neeson, can speak to the dead. Or can he? Is Ricci really dead? Is he some kind of serial killer? They do an excellent job of keeping you guessing. That "I'm a Mac" guy is in it, but fortunately not too much. Torontonians will recognize Casa Loma as the house used as the funeral home. This one streams on Netflix.

Verdict: Well worth your time. Interesting and classically creepy.

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Santa Sangre is a bizarre, wonderful, surreal horror love story. It is the story of a young boy, raised in the circus, whose father is the womanizing ring-master and mother is a religious nut-job devoted to an heretical saint. He finds himself in an insane asylum, only to escape and have his old life rush back at him. It is a smartly made film, that is exciting, and funny at times. It reminds me, in certain ways, of Dead Ringers... don't ask how, it is just a feeling. Streams on Netflix from an awesome Severin Films transfer. Recommended by NGoN Darla Crane.

Verdict: Wow. It is very good, if you like the weird stuff.

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Kinky Killers (aka Polycarp) is a nicely shot and directed B-Movie with some script problems; mostly where the dialogue is concerned. The story is interesting. It revolves around several murders, the victims of which can be traced to a psychiatrist who has some controversial methods. As a thriller, it is nicely done. It was not easy for me to figure out early on who was the killer. Stars Michael Paré (Eddie & the Cruisers) who gets some awfully clunky dialogue, but is effective. Also features acting legend Charles Durning (Dog Day Afternoon) and Scream Queen Brooke Lewis (iMurders). Streams on Netflix.

Verdict: Interesting. Not great, but a nice effort. B-Movie fans will appreciate its heart.

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Onibaba is a story of feudal Japan, wracked by war. There is a schism in the empire and all the men have been taken off to fight. A dead man, Kichi, is survived by his mother and wife, who make their living by murdering samurai and selling their armaments. When a neighbor, Hachi, returns to let them know Kichi is dead the wife becomes enamored by him. The mother is jealous and wants the relationship to end. When a lone samurai general arrives, and the mother kills him, she hatches a plot to finally put an end to the relationship. This is a supernatural thriller that relies on character development. Streams on Netflix.

Verdict: Very interesting, and well worth checking out. Like all Criterion films, it is subtitled.

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Samurai Princess is a sci-fi horror splatterfest. It is the story of a mecha that has the souls of eleven girls who were attacked and killed in inside it, who is out for revenge. The story is ok. The mecha meets up with another partial-mecha, and some mecha hunters (in a semi Blade Runner fashion, mechas are illegal). The hunters join her to defeat the bigger threat; the mad scientist responsible for them all. It is full of bloody fountains and rubber organs, plus some video game style imagery. Streams on Netflix.

Verdict: Meh. I have seen worse, but definitely seen better of the Japanese gross-out genre.

Fan-Boy Icon #39 - Noboru Iguchi

Noboru Iguchi began his film career making adult films in Japan, of varying genre and degree of hardness. Eventually he moved on to the world of comedy/horror/sci-fi. These films are outlandish, and I think rather artsy. There is a lot of fan-service, but that is okey with me. Noboru is responsible for genre favorite The Machine Girl and one of my favorites, RoboGeisha. One of his early mainstream films was Sukeban Boy, about a boy with a girl's face who attends a girl's school. Coming up is Karate-Robo Zaborgar and Mutant Girls Squad. Here are some trailers.

Podcasts I Listen To

Just one this week...

This Week in Horror is hosted by Staci Layne Wilson and Matt Raub on the "This Week In" network, co-founded by actor/comedian Kevin Pollack. It is a video podcast with a horror guest. They have had such notables as Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw 2-4), Larry Cohen (It's Alive), and Roger Corman. Other guests include Jon Bernthall (The Walking Dead) and Sarah Butler (I Spit on Your Grave remake). They typically do a themed "Top 5" where they pick, say, top five favorite zombie personalities, or top five scary movie moms. It is a lot of fun, and it is nice that they touch on the new and old. Those of us who approach modern horror with trepidation might find something new and interesting, or some might learn to love an old film that you never thought worth watching. Give the show a try, and I definitely recommend the episode with Jon Bernthall. It was a lot of fun.

Nerd Girl of Note #107 - VGvFG Edition

No one beats the Japanese when it comes to crazy, cartoon, horrific, gore-fests. Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl is one of the better ones I have seen.

It is a story of jealousy. Transfer student, Monami (Yukie Kawamura), falls for school heart-throb, Jyugon. This perturbs Lolita mean-girl, Keiko (Eri Otoguro, Onechanbara), whose father is the vice principal of their school. We find out pretty quickly that Monami is a vampire an wants to turn Jyugon. Also, Keiko's father is actually a mad scientist, aided by school nurse Midori (Sayaka Kametani). When Keiko is killed in an accident her father rebuilds her, and she sets off to kill Monami.

Part of the fun of this film is how they make fun of high-school customs in Japan. There is the group of extreme tanning girls, who you want to think are an awfully racist thing until they mention that it is. The Lolitas run everything, and there is an after-school club for girls who cut themselves. They even have competitions. It is sickening and wonderful all wrapped up in one. Streams on Netflix, and is worth checking out if you can take the gross-out parts.


Sayaka Kametani


Eri Otoguro


Yukie Kawamura