ATLRetro

As Halloween creeps close and THE WALKING DEAD returns to TV next Sunday, Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse (AZA) arises for its own second season with new sets and a new storyline at Safety Wolf, the vast paintball combat complex off Moreland Avenue, just south of I-285 (open Thurs.-Sun. nights through Oct. 31). Set in and around a two-story abandoned motel, this approximately 100,000-square-foot attraction was nightmared up by the maniacal minds of local horror Renaissance man/make-up artist Shane Morton (Silver Scream Spookshow, Gargantua, etc.) and Jonny Rej (Plaza Theatre). Not just your traditional walk-through haunts with jump-out monsters, AZA delivers a total immersion “experience” with a distinct plotline that lands visitors right in the middle of the zombie plague, interacting along the way with a variety of human characters from scientists and bureaucrats at the Center for Disease Development (CDD) (but can you trust them?) to commandos fighting the zombies with automatic weaponry (reminiscent of last year’s Mack and Johnson) to a twisted carnival of human scum who thrive in the chaos, reminiscent of John Carpenter’s ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK.  It’s sometimes hard to know who to trust but if someone says “run,” let’s just say you can be sure zombies are around and if you don’t, you may get bitten and infected with the plague yourself or worse eaten for your brains!

To get the scary scoop, ATLRetro caught up with Madeline Brumby, a brunette with a machine gun who is no mere scream queen but a key cast-member and also this year’s pinup girl for the “hero” side of the AZA. But that’s not the only place you can see this monster-loving maiden this October. She’ll also be acting in the 5th Anniversary Silver Scream Spookshow this Saturday Oct. 15 at the Plaza Theatre – and you know Prof. Morte and Co. will be pulling out all the tricks and treats given that it’s their Halloween show and the movie is a rare 35mm print of the Vincent Price/Lon Chaney Jr. (not to mention H.P. Lovecraft) 1963 classic HAUNTED PALACE (Read our Retro Review here). Then she’ll be taking to the streets for this Sunday’s Zombie Walk Atlanta, organized by Luke Godfrey (Splatter Cinema, Chamber of Horrors) and cosponsored by AZA, and again with the AZA group at the Little 5 Points Halloween Parade on Sat. Oct. 22. Finally Madeline also will be up on the Plaza’s big screen later this month (Oct. 22-27) as one of the stars of DEAR GOD NO!, a hard-edged/no-holds-barred homage to ‘70s grindhouse features about a hellraising motorcycle gang, a mad scientist and a sasquatch on the rampage. Yeah, the name makes total sense when you see the movie!

All of this sounds like horror heaven to us, so we had to make Madeline Kool Kat of the Week…

AZA 2011 T-short design by Dave Cook.

ATLRetro: This year’s AZA has the same basic concept but a totally new pathway and set of characters—loved the R.I.P. Mack and Johnson graffiti on the back wall. Without giving too much away, what’s new and different?

Madeline Brumby: We are all extremely excited about the new format. Of course, I’m sad to see Mack and Johnson go, but this year’s show is the sequel to the Mack and Johnson story. The versatility of the AZA to create and continue an apocalyptic scenario is really what gives the unique feel to the experience this year. And for years to come!

One of the cool things about AZA is every character seems to have a back story. Who do you play, and what’s yours?

Definitely! We had a patron come through the other night who was totally impressed that we had “real” actors with “real” stories. I’m a resistance paramilitary character. My troopers and I are rebels fighting for the survival of the uninfected and the destruction of the Center for Disease Development.

Some of the zombies have pretty intense make-up—i.e. they’re not freshly dead. How long does it take the zombies to get into make-up and how many make-up artists are on the team?

As much as we try to make the apocalypse real, the AZA is still a show. With not much light, our zombies have to be highly detailed for a spine-chilling scare. The process is down to a fine science—taking about 7 minutes per zombie. We have a team of about eight artists, myself included, headed by Shane Morton. First they are outfitted and receive a prosthetic. Once the prosthetic is dry, they are base-coated, detailed with additional colors, blood-splattered and hungry for BRAINS!

What zombie movies and books were most influential in planning AZA, and did a certain TV show set in Atlanta and featuring the CDC influence AZA at all in this year’s planning?

Haha! That’s funny. Last night Shane and I watched THE WALKING DEAD for the first time, and I thought it was pretty weak. CGI blood is a NO-NO! Our blood gags are far more realistic and they’re LIVE! And I’m pretty sure we were using the CDC gimmick first(?) as our show opened before the first episode aired. As far as most influential, WORLD WAR Z, I AM LEGEND [Ed. note: original Richard Matheson novel, not Will Smith move], LAST MAN STANDING and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK provide the main inspirations.

Were you involved in any of the planning and construction? What can you tell us about that – how does AZA come together and who are some of the key behind-the-scenes masterminds, whom readers might not know about?

I’ve been out on builds from January to October and helped with some big scares in the courtyard. The primary innovators are Jonny Rej (co-owner of the Plaza Theatre) and Shane, with the major help of Dusty Booze in the construction department.

What’s a cool piece of trivia about AZA that isn’t widely known?

It is HAUNTED!

Professor Morte (Shane Morton) and Madeline Brumby in Silver Scream Spookshow.

Can you share any history about the AZA site? It was an abandoned motel, wasn’t it?

It used to be one of the busiest trucks stops ofAtlanta. At some point the owners ran into financial trouble and it shut down. Pirates ransacked the place and absconded with all the copper! When the property was purchased by Safety Wolf, I think they found EIGHT dead bodies during clean-up in the motel.  Shane and Jonny sure found some scary stuff when they were cleaning…

In addition to the main AZA experience, there’s a photo op, the opportunity to shoot zombies with paintball weaponry and some tasty food vendors, aren’t there? What might readers want to know in advance about what else is going on?

What better way to remember your apocalyptic experience than a photo with a zombie and a weapon of choice! The Zombie Shoot is even better this year and don’t let your taste buds miss out on Jim Stacy‘s famous Palookaville eats! His pickle is amazing! (insert joke here)

You’ve also become a regular in the Silver Scream Spookshow. Can you give us a little sneak peek into this week’s stage show and what makes HAUNTED PALACE such a special treat?

We definitely have some comedy gold in store for this week’s show! It’s the 5th year anniversary, so we’ve got some of the older characters like Persephone (Plaza co-owner Gayle Rej) and some of the new ones like Quozzy mixing it up for a spooktacular monster mash with more onstage illusions than ever. The score of HAUNTED PALACE is what makes the movie special to me, so I’m excited to see and HEAR it in the wonderful Plaza Theatre.

Will AZA be in the L5P Halloween Parade this year? Just zombies or how does one decorate an undead float?

We’ll be there! Undead and Alive! I think the only “float” we’ll have is a blood-splattered car.

You’re also starring in DEAR GOD NO!, an over-the-top neo-‘70s exploitation film featuring tons of local talent and playing at the Plaza Oct. 22-27. Can you tell us a little bit about that movie and the part you play?

Jimmy Bickert‘s DEAR GOD NO! is the ultimate grindhouse film. It is disturbing, offensive, hilarious, horrifying and amazing. You can’t even call it a tribute. It was shot on super 16mm film and all the effects are practical. I play Edna Marco who is the daughter of the mad scientist that has created something terrible. She transforms from submissive to empowered. Developing her went beyond all expectations. I channeled some deep dark emotions into my character and it has definitely been one of my proudest roles.

DEAR GOD NO! pushed a lot of boundaries and isn’t for everyone. What advice do you have for who should see it, especially the gals?

Take it for the art that it is and expect to be offended.

You also are acting as one of Dracula’s wives in Rob Thompson’s highly anticipated DRACULA: THE ROCK OPERA, which premieres next April at 7 Stages. Do you have anything you’d like to share about that role and experience?

Well, it’s definitely a musical that isn’t lame. My poor brother didn’t realize that Dracula’s wives were semi-nude and felt a little weird seeing that much of his sister. Haha! But, I don’t think it bothered anybody else too much. From musicians, score, and performers, the show is oozing talent and potential. I hope we do play in Prague this summer.

Any other acting roles or creative endeavors that you’d like to share with ATLRetro readers?

I hear there’s going to be a sequel to DEAR GOD NO! Hopefully we start shooting in the Spring.

Finally, you lived in England and have a science degree from Georgia Tech. Not that it wouldn’t be our dream/nightmare job, but how did you end up being a B-monster attraction/spookshow/movie actress?

Life’s a journey, right?

By Philip Nutman
Contributing Blogger

Splatter Cinema Presents EVIL DEAD 2 (1987); Dir: Sam Raimi; Screenplay by Sam Raimi and Scott Spiegal; Starring: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks; Tues. Oct. 11; 9:30 PM; Plaza Theatre; Trailer here.

Sam Raimi’s EVIL DEAD 2 (1987) is your basic guy-and-girl-go-to-a-cabin-in-the-woods-to-have-nookie-but- the-evil-dead-show-up-and-ruin-things story. That’s it, really. Otherwise, what really can or needs to be said? That it’s a gorehound classic? That it’s basically a remake of Raimi’s 1981 debut THE EVIL DEAD – but goofy? That once again it stars Bruce “The Chin” Campbell as Ashley “Ash” J. Williams – the role he’s become must identified with? Yes, all of the above, and some more.

As much as THE EVIL DEAD is considered a “cult classic,” its remake-come-sequel seems to be the most popular of the “Deadite trilogy” (GSU’s Cinefest is also screening the third Ash/DEAD flick, ARMY OF DARKNESS on Thurs. Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m., by the way). The movie is fun – and gory and sick in a demented Three Stooges “splat-stick” style. But you already know all of  that because I don’t know anyone who hasn’t seen it (and I know waaay too many people…).

Have you seen it on the big screen, though? If not, then get down to The Plaza Theatre this Tuesday for a rare one-off screening in the main cinema.

Bruce Campbell faces a dead thing in EVIL DEAD 2. Image copyright Anchor Bay Entertainment.

THE EVIL DEAD was a triumph of micro-budget, visceral intensity that managed to get the movie banned on video in the UK during the “video nasties” fake mass hysteria promoted by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the mid 1980s. (Create a witch hunt if you want to distract the voting sheep from the fact you are raping the country – kinda like Shrub & Cheney & co did with Iraq…but that’s another horror story.) Co-written by Raimi and childhood pal, Scott Spiegel (the man who launched Quentin Tarantino’s career),  EVIL DEAD 2 is a genuine splat-stick classic. Between Raimi’s nutzoid direction, Campbell’s lunatic performance, Mark Shostrom’s tasty make-up FX…and a flying eyeball, EVIL DEAD 2 is one of the most fun, demented horror flicks of the 1980s.

Thanks, as always, to the Splatter Cinema gang for bringing us the best 35mm of gore to the best movie theater in Atlanta…the one, the only The Plaza! Watch out for that eyeball!

Monday Oct. 10

We’re usually skeptical of ’80s cover bands, but we’re mighty tempted to hear about the chance to enjoy a free 90-minute concert of favorite ’80s hits as Denim Arcade auditions at 37 Main in Buford at 9:20 p.m. To find out why, read our Kool Kat interview from last June 8 with lead singer Becky Cormier Finch (also of Three Quarter Ale) here. From 3 PM on, savor tropical sounds and libations, as well as a Polynesian dinner during Mai Tai Monday at Smith’s Olde Bar. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam.

Tuesday Oct. 11

Bruce Campbell battles demon hordes in cult classic EVIL DEAD 2 (1987), the best of Sam Raimi‘s EVIL DEAD series, in Splatter Cinema‘s Halloween-month offering at Plaza Theatre (Trailer here). Read our Retro Review by Philip Nutman here.  Grab your horn and head to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session starting at 9 PM. JT Speed is at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Catch Tues. Retro in the Metro nights at Midtown’s Deadwood Saloon, featuring video mixes of ’80s, ’90s and 2Ks hits.

The Stumblers.

Wednesday Oct. 12

Cyndi Lauper and Dr. John take you back to the true colors of the ’80s at Cobb Energy Centre. It’s a honky tonk/rockabilly Wednesday at Star Bar with The Serenaders, The Stumblers and Mississippi’s Horse Opera. If you missed our Kool Kat feature on Keith Martin of The Stumblers, catch it here. Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at Graveyard Tavern. Frankie’s Blues Mission plays Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck blues it down at Northside Tavern. Dance to ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s hits during Retro in the MetroWednesdays presented by Godiva Vodka, at Pub 71 in Brookhaven.

Thursday October 13

NATURE’S BELOVED SON: REDISCOVERING JOHN MUIR’S BOTANICAL LEGACY, a new exhibition at the Atlanta History Center, starts today and runs through Decd. 4. The display traces the life and accomplishments of America’s most famous and influential naturalist – the father of the National Park system and cofounder of the Sierra Club. The Breeze Kings and Frankie’s Blues Mission bring on the blues respectively at Northside Tavern and Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.Lauren St. James & the Dead Westerns play Bluegrass Thursday at Red Light Cafe.

Duran Duran from their debut LP.

Friday Oct. 14

We can’t tell you if ’80s synth-pop idols Duran Duran will leave you with “Careless Memories” at their concert tonight at Chastain Park Amphitheatre, but we can only hope Simon Le Bon and Co. will be go really retro and romance you with our favorite songs off their first album. Innovative post-punk musician Bob Mould (Husker Du, Sugar) never goes out of style. He plays an acoustic gig tonight at Eddie’s Attic in support of his new autobiography, SEE A LITTLE LIGHT: THE TRAIL OF RAGE AND MELODY  and his latest ANTI-Records release, LIFE AND TIMES. The Electromatics swing into Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. The Casanovas play Fat Matt’s, and Heather Luttrell brings her eclectic blues/Americana sound to Northside Tavern. Meanwhile CineProv! pokes fun at big-budget over-the-top BURLESQUE (2010) at Relapse Theatre. Yes, it’s retro if it’s about burlesque and stars Cher!

Or if you’re more in a shopping mood,  the Factory Frocks Vintage Clothing Show opens tonight from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and features vintage fall fashions for mena and women from the ’30s to the ’80s at the Antique Factory  vintage showroom in Chamblee. The show promises all sizes and prices, as well as accessories from jewelry to handbags, and continues Sat. 11-5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m.

Saturday Oct. 15

Magnapop, in their original line-up, is on the top of the marquee for tonight’s all-star fundraiser for to save Criminal Records. But ATLRetro is always excited when now Chicago-based Kelly Hogan, former lead singer of The Jody Grind and cocktail chanteuse extraordinaire, returns to her Atlanta roots. If she sings at least one duet with Big Mike Geier, we’ll frankly be in heaven. Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers also is slated to play with fellow DBT members Brad Morgan and Jay Gonzalez, and we hear there may be more additions.

The Silver Scream Spookshow‘s screening of a rare 35mm print of THE HAUNTED PALACE (1963), is an early Halloween treat today at The Plaza Theatre. A pinch of Poe, a lot of Lovecraft, and stir Vincent Price and Lon Chaney Jr. into the cauldron of this AIP cult classic, and you’ve got a witches brew sure to inspire Professor Morte and his ghoulie gang to new heights of horrific humor. If you’re not familiar with this fun and frightening flick,check out Philip Nutman’s Retro Review here. HAUNTED PALACE isn’t the only horror classic onscreen locally today. GSU’s Cinefest presents a rare 35mm print of Lucio Fulci‘s HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY(1981), about a deranged killer who lives in a basement and harvests body parts, at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Want a more serious dose of cinema? The High Museum of Art‘s “Modern Masters of Film: From Edison to Scorsese” series features 11 archival 35mm prints from the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), New York, and launches today with THE STORY OF TEMPLE DRAKE (1933) at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Directed by Steven Roberts and based on William Faulkner‘s controversial 1931 novel about a society girl violated by a gangster, this risque Paramount Pictures adaptation triggered church boycotts and stricter enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code.

Mon Cherie Presents Cirque Debau’Cherie – The Sexiest Show on Earth at The Chamber at Masquerade – a revival of Atlanta’s most notorious ’90s nightclub. The exotic evening blends a traditional circus/carnie show with a fetish aesthetic, including drag skits, belly dancers (featuring Stormy Knight), trapeze artists, a tricycle clown piercing pull, a jugglin’ stilt walker, hula-hoop dance by HoopEssence, and the Wild Kitty Kats Show (Trainer none other than the Chameleon Queen). Tarot reading, a freak side show, big top raffle and much, much more hosted by the marvelous Miss Mason. Doors are at 9 p.m. but expect the thrills and titillation to last to the wee hours of the next morning.

EL DIA DE LOS PERROS takes Mexico’s DAY OF THE DEAD and gives it literally to the dogs to raise money for three dog rescue charities. Organized by Ink for Paws, a nonprofit group founded by Rockabilly Luau organizers Chris Mattox and Jessica Vega, the free public festival features Mexican-themed games, food, craft vendors, a costume contest (for both humans and dogs), kids craft and activity area, and a mariachi band from noon to 5 p.m. at 559 Flat Shoals Ave. (30316) in East Atlanta.

The 4th annual Jazzoo serves up cocktails and jazz at Zoo Atlanta, as well as a chance to sample 30 Atlanta restaurants and rock to ’70s/’80s cover band Yacht Rock. Apparently creative attire is encouraged for the $100 ticket event, but ATLRetro thinks Willie B would never have shown up in flip-flops. Now a zoot suit and spats or a vivacious vintage cocktail dress will make you really stand out in Atlanta. VIP tickets at $150 each also get you a chance to hear the Kayla Taylor Jazz Trio play a VIP pre-reception and enjoy a private VIP area with bar, cupcakes and complimentary massages. All proceeds benefit Zoo Atlanta.

Veteran blues man Ike Stubblefield tickles the ivories at Northside Tavern. And as usual, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours.

Sunday Oct. 16

Something zombie this way comes, or rather it’s the official day for Zombie Walk Atlanta, commencing at WonderRoot at 3 p.m. and creeping along the usual route which includes Oakland Cemetery and then heads downtown. Zombies are encouraged to do their own make-up and costuming and to behave responsibly (no splattering of blood on the Victorian headstones please or munching on mundanes who don’t have a sense of humor). Get there at noon if you do want help with your make-up and be a cool ghoul and donate a little to support the cost of this event which organizer Gorehound Productions‘ Luke Godfrey (Splatter Cinema, Chambers of Horror) funds out of his own pockets, which ain’t deep. The walk usually takes about two hours and there’s an after-party at Diesel Filling Station to catch the first episode of the second season of THE WALKING DEAD.  Os Ossos serves up Brazilian jazz at blues “dunch” between 1-4 PM at The Earl. Fatback Deluxe brings on the blues at Fat Matt’s.

Ongoing

It’s the last week to see Dad’s Garage‘s  ZONKERS – An Eighties Tit Comedy.Yup the zany guys and gals at Dad’s celebrate a beautiful and largely forgotten movie genre – films about girls with big boobs that are out of the league of the nerdy boys that crave them. At a summer camp! Plus zero gravity scenes set in outer space and a Boob Bot. Through October 14 on the Main Stage.

The Supremes at the Apollo Theater. Photo courtesy of The Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. Photo by Kwame Brathwaite.

Explore one of America’s most iconic theaters in AIN’T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING: HOW THE APOLLO THEATER SHAPED AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT, a new special exhibition opening today at the Atlanta History Center and running through March 4, 2012. Presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, in collaboration with the Apollo Theater Foundation, the display includes historic and contemporary costumes, playbills, music scores, graphic images and recorded music.

LIFE AND DEATH IN THE PYRAMID AGE: THE EMORY OLD KINGDOM MUMMY features the first public viewing in 50 years of the oldest Egyptian mummy in the Western Hemisphere, acquired from excavations at Abydos by Emory Theology Professor William A. Shelton in 1920. Watch for a Really Retro piece on this fascinating exhibit at Emory’s Michael C. Carlos Museum soon. Through Dec. 11, 2011.
If you know of a cool happening coming up soon, send suggestions to ATLRetro@gmail.com.

By Spookie Susie
Contributing Blogger

Thrills! Chills! Roller coasters! Renegade pumpkins? Yes, it’s true. You will experience all this and more at Six Flags Over Georgia’s annual Fright Fest, Atlanta’s largest Halloween event, every Saturday and Sunday in October, and Friday evenings on October 21 and 28. Come with me as Kellyn Willey, proprietress of Atlanta’s PinUpGirl! Cosmetics (and recent Kool Kat), and I step into the haunted realm and hope to return in one piece.

Kellyn Willey and Spookie Susie meet a few dead spirits at Six Flags' Fright Fest.

Six Flags Over Georgia opened its doors back in 1967. It has seen plenty of changes throughout the years, but on this night in particular the entire park has been transformed from summer carnival to crypt, crawling with corpses, tombstones and enough cobwebs to choke the world’s largest tarantula.

The candy-colored creatures of Monster Mansion. Photo courtesy of Six Flags Over Georgia.

Our very first stop once we got in the park was Monster Mansion, the ride formerly known as Monster Plantation. I have loved this ride since I was a little kid—and, amazingly, I remembered right where it was. Monster Plantation opened back in 1981 and was revamped in 2009. While we were standing in line, flat screens played popular music videos and interviews with park attendees. Once we got in our boat and entered the Plantation, it was almost exactly as I remembered it, but everything looked brighter and refurbished. There was definitely more water and even some bubbles, but all the old favorites were in attendance, including the Sheriff, Missy Scarlett and Busby, the little monster mascot named after Georgia’s Governor at the time the ride opened, George Busbee.

Near the end of the ride, we suddenly came to stop behind another boat. Steadily, other boats lined up behind ours, and some of the younger guests started getting antsy. Several staff members arrived, and the mystery of the stuck boats was solved. The culprit? A pumpkin had fallen onto the track out of the scenery! That was one tough squash!

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When ATLRetro heard that The Sugar Dolls were throwing their 2nd Annual Day of the Cupcake party on Saturday Oct. 8, we couldn’t think of a more delicious way to officially kick off our latest weekly feature, the Wednesday Happy Hour & Supper Club. While a holiday just for this Retro sweet sounds scrumptious enough, this quintet of beautiful bakers (Alexis Gorsuch, Lena Kotler, Crystal Chambers-Goggin, Jessika Cutts and Kelli Graham) has cooked up an entire day of activities, starting from noon to 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Tattoo in Little Five Points and then continuing late into the night at Java Lords ($5 cover; proceeds to Atlanta Bully Rescue). They’ve tempted you with everything from boobalicious chocolate confections to flaming strawberries at Blast-Off Burlesque shows, Mon Cherie spectaculars, Rockabilly Luau, but Saturday will be all about celebrating the cupcake through activities, art and music. You’ll lick your lips for cupcake-inspired games, a Sugar Skull decorating room so you’ll be all set for the Day of the Dead, tasty tattoos, live bands (including Six Shot Revival, The Sneaky Hand and The Claymores), karaoke, burlesque, pin-up hair-styling with Cherry Dame, a pin-up contest and, of course, cupcakes!

In fact, the idea of spending a day celebrating this timeless treat made us so hungry that we asked the Sugar Dolls if they’d be so sweet as to add ATLRetro to the menu as a sponsor. We’re thrilled to say that we passed their taste test, especially since we’ll be serving up a tasty new look at the end of this week, courtesy of Derek Art, too. That it’s Anya99’s birthday two days later is just icing on the cake, and she really loves icing, so while you’re dropping by for cupcakes, be sure to say hi. We’ll also be selling our first batch of ATLRetro T-shirts, so if you dig what we’re doing, consider buying one and supporting our humble efforts to keep Retro Atlanta alive.

With an all-day event, it’s sometimes hard to know when’s the best time to show up, so we asked Alexis to clue us in on all that’s cooking on Saturday. Of course, we couldn’t resist a few questions about the perennial appeal of the cupcake and the secret recipe behind the Sugar Dolls’ secret origin and success.

For a while, cupcakes seemed to have a bad reputation as being cheap alternatives instead of a real cake and mostly just for kids, but lately this quintessentially Retro treat is not just back in style, but as The Sugar Dolls have shown, can come in all sorts of creative flavors, even in adult versions such flaming with a drop of liqueur. What do you think accounts for their comeback?

Trends in fashion loop around so many years and I have been told on numerous occasion, it is due to nostalgia. “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” By Coco Chanel.  So what is more nostalgia than food, needless to say sweets? You nailed it on the head with the fact that cupcakes are Retro, but aside from that they have given us a sweet and simple way to step back to the past yet enjoy where we are and look forward to the future! I love how some of our sweets take me back to being a little girl, but the same cupcakes are the most elegant wedding display or engaging party favor. So much diversity in these simply amazing treats and people are really starting to recognize the possibilities and fun at reasonable budget. So honestly it is a nice handful of things that has really allowed these sweet cuppies to bloom into their own world.

We can’t think of a better name for a cupcake company than The Sugar Dolls. How did you gals get together and what made you start baking?

Thank you, we are pretty fond of the name too! Well, baking is such a sweet family tradition for so many folks, and all of the Dolls have some great memories and continue to make them together and with our families. We all met at different walks in our life but seem to have come together to make something bigger than ourselves. We want to share our love and experiences with you, and baking is the sweetest outlet to share those things and give in the many ways we would like.

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Plaza Manager/Projectionist Ben Ruder loves film so much it even tastes good.

By Philip Nutman
Contributing Writer

Ben Ruder is one of the unsung heroes of Atlanta.

As chief projectionist and manager of The Plaza Theatre, he’s a cinephile who keeps the art and pleasure of movie-going alive in an era of digital downloads, streaming and DVD boredom. You can train a monkey to run the 16 digital projectors at a chain-run multiplex; but knowing how to repair an actual film print, especially an old one, and project it properly is a skill that’s sadly coming to the end of the reel. Ruder is one of that dying breed – a real projectionist who cares about the experience patrons have when they see a movie at The Plaza. Now, along with other like-minded lovers of celluloid, he’s starting to program CONTRABAND CINEMA, an ongoing, eclectic selection of rare films in a variety of formats (Super-8, 16mm; everything from avant garde to rare, archival, educational films, and personal Underground artistic expressions). The first show is this Thursday, October 6 at 8 p.m. at The Plaza – and that’s why he’s our Kool Kat of the Week.

Ben took time out from his busy schedule to share the details on what promises to be a fascinating kick-off for a series of eye-treats for Atlantans who are tired of the same old Studio produced rubbish cluttering up area multiplexes. He also shared a little bit about his company RUDERMEDIA, his personal love affair with film on film and why helping owners Jonathan and Gayle Rej to preserve the Plaza is such a passion.

ATLRetro: How did CONTRABAND CINEMA evolve?

BEN: Contraband Cinema is an Atlanta-based micro-cinema safehouse based on, inspired by and executed under the guidance of Craig Baldwin‘s Other Cinema in San Francisco – an ongoing series of experimental film, video and performance. Contraband Cinema strives to select the best work locally and around the world, transplant it to the south, and nurture it through close collaboration with regional filmmakers, curators and established film institutions.

Contraband Cinema is operated by Marcus Rosentrater and Gideon Kennedy. Marcus and I have talked about doing something together for a while, as he is a regular volunteer for us at the Plaza. We are both big fans of the medium of film and wanted to share hard-to-obtain materials with other cinephiles. Through my company RUDERMEDIA, I am assisting Marcus with locations, equipment, and providing “Film Education” programming which takes a look at educational shorts shown in the classroom, as well as teaching the attendees lessons on how 16mm projection works as well as what goes into film preservation and restoration. I secured The Plaza for this first event, but we’ll be in several nontraditional screening spaces for future shows.

This month we’ll also have a “photobooth” set up in the lobby before and after the screening where you get 5 seconds of time in front of a Super 8mm camera which will be screened at a future event, as well as posted online after processing.

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Monday Oct. 3

ATLRetro is heading to Netherworld tonight to see if we’ll be frightened by any classic monsters in Atlanta’s biggest, oldest haunted attraction, open every night in October and also Nov. 4 and 5. Watch for our phantasmagorical preview soon of it and all of Atlanta’s top Halloween haunts. If it’s too early in October for you to get into the spooky spirit, swing to bimonthly Big Band Night with Joe Gransden, special guest belle of the blues Francine Reed and a 16-piece orchestra at Cafe 290. From 3 PM on, savor tropical sounds and libations, as well as a Polynesian dinner during Mai Tai Monday at Smith’s Olde Bar. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam.

Tuesday Oct. 4

Art Opening & A Movie Presents NIGHT OF THE COMET (1984), sponsored by Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse at Plaza Theatre (Trailer here). What can be said about the greatest “California-Valley-Girls-With-Machineguns-Go-Shopping-After-The-END OF THE WORLD” movie of all time? Find out in our Retro Review by Philip Nutman here. New Orleans funk rock in a zoot suit band Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes plays with Delta Rae at Smith’s Olde Bar. Grab your horn and head to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session starting at 9 PM. JT Speed is at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Notorious DJ Romeo Cologne spins ‘70s funk and disco at 10 High in Virginia-Highland. Catch Tues. Retro in the Metro nights at Midtown’s Deadwood Saloon, featuring video mixes of ’80s, ’90s and 2Ks hits.

Wednesday Oct. 5

The Atlanta Burlesque and Cabaret Club meets tonight a 8 p.m. at Manuel’s Tavern. Steampunk favorites Extraordinary Contraptions turn The Five Spot Really Retro. The Aquanauts surf on down to Smith’s Olde Bar, and El Fossil rides a wave to the Star Bar with Retro-inspired rock/country band Sodajerk and Walk From the Gallows. Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at Graveyard Tavern. Frankie’s Blues Mission plays Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck blues it down at Northside Tavern. Dance to ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s hits during Retro in the Metro Wednesdays presented by Godiva Vodka, at Pub 71 in Brookhaven.

Mike Geier in Tongo Hiti mode with two members of The Dames Aflame "hula special teams" unit.Thursday Oct. 6

Thursday October 6

If you’ve been keeping up with this week’s Kool Kat, you already know that Plaza Manager/Chief Projectionist Ben Ruder is smuggling in some CONTRABAND CINEMA onto the big screen tonight at Atlanta’s longest-running indie art-deco theatre. The reel action officially starts at 8 p.m., but we hear there’ll be some fun surprises, including a bonus film at 7:45, for those who arrive early. Go Retro-Polynesian to Tongo Hiti’s luxurious live lounge sounds, as well as trippy takes on iconic pop songs, every Thurs. night at Trader Vic’s. Party ‘70s style with DJ Romeo Cologne at Aurum Lounge. Breeze Kings & Chickenshack bring on the blues respectively at Northside Tavern and Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.

Friday Oct. 7

In the blink of an eye or a twitch of the nose, Mon Cherie Presents: Va-Va Voom ~ The Boobie Tube Burlesque Show. Not your ordinary Bump & Grind, this time Atlanta’s grande dame of Retrotainment takes you back to the Golden Age of TVLand, provocatively posing the question: “Do you Dream Of Jeanie or are you Bewitched?” Doors open at 9 pm with 2 shows at 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. at The Shelter, and cover as usual is a bargain $5. Ponderosa, Ocha La Rocha, Anna Kramer and Damon Moon & the Whispering Drifters make for a rockin’ redneck/retrobilly night at Star Bar. The Accidents and The Bums rock it ’70s New York garage style at Rocket 88 in Decatur. The Breeze Kings bring the blues to Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. John Sosebee plays Fat Matt’s, and  The Martans, featuring legendary Atlanta pianist Matt Wauchope, stir up an awesome blend of New Orleans, Memphis funk and blues at Northside Tavern.

It’s another just another NIGHT OF THE COMET at Plaza Theatre (Trailer here) with an encore screening of the 1984 cult classic at 9:30 p.m. We can only say it again: What can be said about the greatest “California-Valley-Girls-With-Machineguns-Go-Shopping-After-The-END OF THE WORLD” movie of all time? And again direct you to the Retro Review by Philip Nutman here. Meanwhile CineProv! pokes fun at FOOTLOOSE and holds out for a hero at Relapse Theatre.

Saturday Oct. 8

The Sugar Dolls serve up their 2nd Annual Day of the Cupcake party, an entire day of scrumptious activities, starting from noon to 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Tattoo in Little Five Points and then continuing late into the night at Java Lords ($5 cover; proceeds to Atlanta Bully Rescue). You’ll lick your lips for cupcake-inspired games, a Sugar Skull decorating room so you’ll be all set for the Day of the Dead, tasty tattoos, live bands (including Six Shot Revival, The Sneaky Hand and The Claymores), karaoke, burlesque, pin-up hair-styling with Cherry Dame, a pin-up contest and, of course, cupcakes! And don’t forget ATLRetro is proud to be a sponsor so stop by, say hi and support our humble efforts by buying one of our first batch of official ATLRetro T-shirts with our rockin’ new logo by Derek Art.

The Supremes at the Apollo Theater. Photo courtesy of The Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. Photo by Kwame Brathwaite.

Explore one of America’s most iconic theaters in AIN’T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING: HOW THE APOLLO THEATER SHAPED AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT, a new special exhibition opening today at the Atlanta History Center and running through March 4, 2012. Presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, in collaboration with the Apollo Theater Foundation, the display includes historic and contemporary costumes, playbills, music scores, graphic images and recorded music.

GSU’s Cinefest presents a rare 35mm print of one of Dario Argento‘s best early forays into the dark side, DEEP RED at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. The Plaza Theatre screens BEYOND THE MYTH (2011), the world premiere of a new documentary about pitbulls, at 7:30 p.m.

Lexington, Kentucky garage/cow punk band Nine Pound Hammer returns to Star Bar, with special guests Cat Jacket (featuring Leroy & Freebass from Syrup) and Pelvis Breastlies. Acclaimed Nashville bluegrass band The SteelDrivers play Eddie’s Attic. Col. Bruce Hampton & The Pharoh Gummit team up with Colorado folk Elephant Revival at Smith’s Olde Bar. And as usual, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours.

Sunday Oct. 9

Al Shelton serves up the music at blues “dunch” between 1-4 PM at The Earl. Fat Back Deluxe brings on the blues at Fat Matt’s.

Ongoing

ALL BLUES, Robert Earl Price‘s compelling meditation on the moral complexities of journalist Ray Sprigle‘s 30 days impersonating a black man in the south in 1948, has its world premiere at 7 Stages. Through Oct. 9.

Feeling more cinematic?  Dad’s Garage serves up ZONKERS – An Eighties Tit Comedy.Yup the zany guys and gals at Dad’s celebrate a beautiful and largely forgotten movie genre – films about girls with big boobs that are out of the league of the nerdy boys that crave them. At a summer camp! Plus zero gravity scenes set in outer space and a Boob Bot. Through October 14 on the Main Stage.Ongoing

Mark Jacoby as the Wizard in WICKED. Photo © Joan Marcus.

Ding-Dong the Wicked Witch is the Hero?! That’s the premise of the Broadway hit musical WICKED, an upside-down retelling of the 1939 movie version of THE WIZARD OF OZ. And we can’t think of a more magical place for the Broadway Across Americatouring production to stage it than 1929 movie palace the Fabulous Fox Theatre. If you’re on a budget, come to the box office 2 1/2 hours before showtime and submit your name for daily drawings of limited last-minute $25 orchestra seat tickets. Read our exclusive interview with former Atlanta actor Mark Jacoby, who plays the Wizard, here.Tues.-Sun. performances run thru Oct. 9.

LIFE AND DEATH IN THE PYRAMID AGE: THE EMORY OLD KINGDOM MUMMY features the first public viewing in 50 years of the oldest Egyptian mummy in the Western Hemisphere, acquired from excavations at Abydos by Emory Theology Professor William A. Shelton in 1920. Watch for a Really Retro piece on this fascinating exhibit at Emory’s Michael C. Carlos Museum soon. Through Dec. 11, 2011.

If you know of a cool happening coming up soon, send suggestions to ATLRetro@gmail.com.

By Philip Nutman
Contributing Blogger

Art Opening & A Movie Presents NIGHT OF THE COMET (1984); Dir: Thom Eberhardt; Written by Thom Eberhardt; Starring Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney and Robert Beltran; Tues. Oct. 4, opening reception 8 PM with movie at 9:30 pm; Encore Fri. Oct. 7 at 9:30 PM; 35 mm; Sponsored by Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse; Plaza Theatre; Trailer here.

What can be said about the greatest “California-Valley-Girls-With-Machineguns-Go-Shopping-After-The-END OF THE WORLD” movie of all time?

Nothing, except it’s the greatest “California-Valley-Girls-With-Machineguns-Go-Shopping-After-The-END OF THE WORLD” film. Period.

NIGHT OF THE COMET is a low-budget blackly comedic take on Romero‘s DAWN OF THE DEAD; a delightfully silly, yet creepy-silly mediation on consumerist societal mores…with guns and two girls I would have loved to have dated if it was the end of the world and they didn’t shoot me before I told them I’d kill zombies for them any day (or night).

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Friday, Sept. 30

Dex Romweber Duo, Forty-Fives, Subsonics and Andrew and the Disapyramids make for another rockin’ Retro night at Star Bar. Explore the just-opened DARWIN exhibit, voyage to GALAPAGOS on the giant screen, sip on Galapagos Gimlets, swing to tiki lounge act Tongo Hiti and hula alongside the Dames Aflame in an Island Adventure-themed Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. For an exclusive sneak preview of the tropical-themed fun, check out our interview with the Dames’ own missing link, MonkeyZuma here. Sana Blues plays Fat Matt’s, and Zydefunk is at Northside Tavern. Kansas takes you back to the ’70s at Cobb Energy Centre.

The Suzan rocks Drunken Unicorn on Fri. Sept. 30 and Anime Weekend Atlanta on Sat. Oct. 1.

CineProv! pokes fun at the live-action MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (1987) at Relapse Theatre. And it’s opening night of the living dead at The Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse. J-Pop girls garage band The Suzan rocks Drunken Unicorn. And Anime Weekend Atlanta kicks off its first full-day at Cobb Galleria Centre. Find out why AWA Events Director Jason Merrill is this week’s Kool Kat here.

Saturday Oct. 1

Britain’s most romantic vocalist Bryan Ferry transforms Chastain into Avalon. A powerful trio of performers –Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins and Francine Reed get together and play Party at Ponce at Ponce City Market. It’s the big day at Anime Weekend Atlanta including costume contest, Anime Cabaret burlesque produced by Stormy Knight, vintage jazz Bebop Lounge, J-Pop bands Moon Stream and The Suzan, and much more. Weird Al Yankovic makes fun the ’80s way at Cobb Energy Centre. The Peachtree Music Festival invades Midtown. Destination East Point Fall Festival gets jazzy with the Joe Gransden Quartet, while the musical line-up at Vinings Jubilee Festival includes Yacht Rock Revue and Memory Lane Jazz Ensemble. Emory Presbyterian Church throws a Bluegrass & BBQ Fall Festival with Tucker Station String Band, Hicks With Picks, Porch Bottom Boys, Grass Backwards and Mars Hills Porch Pickers. And as usual, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours.

Sunday Oct. 2

Put on your mourning clothes and head to Oakland Cemetery‘s annual Sunday in the Park for a Victorian picnic among the crypts. Highlights include a historic costume and hat contest, bluegrass bands, vendors, walking tours and unlocked mausoleums. It’s your last chance to shop for vintage anime, manga, kaiju eiga, Lolita-wear and kimonos at Anime Weekend Atlanta. Alex Commins and Todd Prusin serve up the music at blues “dunch” between 1-4 PM at The Earl. Johnny Roquemore & the Apostles of Bluegrass play Eddie’s Attic. Fat Back Deluxe brings on the blues at Fat Matt’s.

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OK, Charles Darwin doesn’t look like all that swinging a guy with that big bushy beard and Victorian suit, but DARWIN, a new special exhibition which just opened last weekend and runs through Jan. 1, 2012 at Fernbank Museum of Natural History, reveals more than a few surprises about the 19th century naturalist who took a five-year sea voyage of discovery on the HMS Beagle and turned the scientific world upside-down with his theory of evolution. For example, his grandfather’s own radical writings helped inspire Mary Shelley to write FRANKENSTEIN, both his mother and wife hailed from the Wedgewood family of pottery fame, he got his stint on the HMS Beagle because Captain FitzRoy wanted “not just a naturalist but a gentleman,” on that trip he rode with gauchos in Patagonia and his letters home included such colorful language as describing an area “red-hot with spiders.” Excuse us, but eek!

Darwin’s most famous stop, of course, was the Galapagos Islands and the entire journey was an adventure, so it seems only fitting that Martinis & IMAX on Friday Sept. 30 has the theme of Island Adventure. Explore the exhibit, follow in Darwin’s footsteps via IMAX to GALAPAGOS, sip on a Galapagos Gimlet and strike a natural or unnatural pose at the Darwin Dress-Up Photo Booth. The evening’s ship of fun is captained by “Big Mike” Geier and notorious Atlanta tiki band Tongo Hiti. His crew inevitably includes some of the most glamorous gals you’d ever want to encounter on a jungle island – the Dames Aflame, featuring Atlanta’s closest connection to the missing link, MonkeyZuma.

We can only imagine what Darwin would have thought of that legendary simian-sapien, but you don’t have to imagine what MonkeyZuma thinks of old man Charles because, well, we asked her…

Are you the missing link, or what’s the origin of your species?

MonkeyZuma is half girl, half monkey-girl.

What do Charles Darwin and evolution mean to you personally?

Zuma loves Charles Darwin because he was known for bridging the gap between humans and animals.  He was the original king of the swingers, a jungle V.I.P.! His evolution theory means that someday, we’re going to have little bitty, really pointy fingers and thumbs so we can all clickity-clickity lickity-splickity on our smartphones and iPads and miniature-microwaves.

What do you hope to learn from the Darwin exhibition?

Zuma wonders: boxers or briefs?  Since he was a naturalist, probably neither!

What special plans do you have to get creative at this week’s Martinis & IMAX (with a little help from Kingsized and Dames Aflame, of course)?

MonkeyZuma never makes any plans. She is barely controlled chaos and will most likely be found sticking her finger in your nachos or knockin’ back several of Fernbank’s signature Pineapple Mojitos while Dames Aflame’s own Shockaboom and Chico teach all the local natives some exotic Island dances to the Tongo Hiti soundtrack.  It’s best not to look Zuma in the eye if she is approaching. Just bring some extra cash and buy the sexy simian some booze.  She’ll let ya “huele” her “dedo” and then be on her way, to destroy someone else’s date night.

All photos courtesy of Dames Aflame.