ATLRetro

by Melanie Crew
Contributing Writer/Managing Editor

Hey all you Kool Kats and Kittens! Come see what’s on the Retro menu this week! It’s a smorgasbord of cool, with music festivals filled to the brim with vintage tunes, films that’ll leave you breathless and all the rockin’ blues, jazz and rockabilly your wicked little hearts could ever desire! So, rock on out in Retro Atlanta this week!

Monday, June 9

Rev on down to Camelis Gourmet Pizza Joint for a night with Kool Kat Rev. Andy, broadcasting a spitfire night of rockin’ rockabilly and psychobilly live on Garage71 Internet Radio! All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so, don’t be a bore and come on out to The Plaza Theater for their screening of Stanley Kubrick’s classic tale of evil that invades the Overlook Hotel, THE SHINING (1980), running through June 12!  Due to unforeseen events last week, today begins Pallookaville’s retro cinema extravaganza with The Polka Dotted Elephant Summer Cinema Club at 10 am, with their screenings of a DOGVILLE SHORT episode (1930), LANCELOT LINK episode (1970) and featuring Mel Stuart’s WILLYWONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971)! Bill Sheffield gets the blues, acoustic-style at Blind Willie’s! Get funky and groove on down to Café 290 every second and fourth Monday of the month for a taste of Bumpin the Mango, ‘The groove that makes you want to move!’ Boogie on down to the Northside Tavern and spend an evening with Lola at her famous Monday Night Northside Jam!  And blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a side of Dry White Toast and some finger lickin’ BBQ! 

Tuesday, June 10

Pack up your tents for a little murder and mayhem at The Plaza Theater for Splatter Cinema’s screening of Robert Hiltzik’s horror classic SLEEPAWAY CAMP (1983), at 9:30! And don’t forget to come early for some horrorific lobby shenanigans and classic horror trailers!  Or let Kool Kat Katherine Lashe and Syrens of the South seduce their way into your naughty little hearts at the Red Light Café at their Tease Tuesday: June is Jumpin’ Edition, with special guest Franki Markstone and performances by Tippy Tapage, Nikki Nuke’m, Ada Manzhart, Scarlett DeWolf, Candi LeCoeur and so much more! And get a little strange, Seuss-style, at the Center for Puppetry Arts as they present Dr. Seuss’ ‘The Cat in the Hat’, running through July 20!

Rock on down to 529 for a raucous good time with Kool Kats: The Joy Kills, The Everymen, The Hermits of Suburbia and Amateur Night at ClubStupid! For a night of old-time folk, stomp on over to Eddie’s Attic for Seryn! The Silver Palms deliver their Rolling Stones and Doors-inspired tunes at the Masquerade! Stomp on down to Big Tex for a night with Moira Nelligan & The Dixie Jigs and their old-fashioned Americana! The Boohoo Ramblers deliver a night of boot stompin’ Americana at Blind Willie’s! The Breeze Kings get the Delta blues at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! Boogie on down to The Star Bar and get groovy at The Funk Godfather, DJ Romeo Cologne’s Funk Royale featuring DJ Quasi Mandisco every Tuesday! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Twain’s in Decatur every Tuesday at 9 pm! Or boogie on down to Darwin’s Burgers & Blues in Marietta for a taste of Bill Sheffield’s acoustic roots and blues! The Entertainment Crackers get bluesy with their folksy Americana at the Northside Tavern.  And let Indiana Jones sweep you away at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern during their screening of Steven Spielberg’s INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989), during their Summer of Adventure series at 7:30 pm!

Wednesday, June 11

Tonight begins the 2014 IMR Indie Music Fest, taking place at venues throughout the city, so rock on down to TheMusic Room to catch some vintage ‘70s rock n roll with The Johnny Rebs, a little garage punk with Hot Wives and so much more! Get jazzy at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs with Carsie Blanton! Or blues on down to Blind Willie’s for a night of hill country blues and old juke joint jazz with JohnSosebee! For a taste of a little folk and alt rock, make your way to The Earl for Matrimony and Faye Webster! Stomp on down to Eddie’s Attic for Red June’s CD Release Show and a night of original Appalachian Americana with special guest, Hank Barbee! Escape Vehicle gets to stompin’ as they deliver their bluegrass, reggae and blues tunes at Big Tex! Ursula 1000 delivers a night of retro-inspired spy groove and Latin funk with a tinge of post punk and sleazy glam rock at The Drunken Unicorn along with Brian Parris! Stomp on down to Vinyl for a night of rowdy folk punk with Skinny Lister, Onward,etc., and Killing Kuddles! Lola gets down and dirty at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! Honkytonk on down to The Star Bar for Slim Chicken’s Honky-tonk Extravaganza and live band Classic Country Karaoke!  Or have a rockin’ rendezvous at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a night of blues and funk with The Georgia Flood and some finger lickin’ BBQ! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! It’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.  And quest on with Indiana at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern during their screening of Steven Spielberg’s INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989), during their Summer of Adventure series’ matinee screening at 11:30 am!

Thursday, June 12

Rock on down to Smith’s Olde Bar for night 2 of the 2014 IMR Indie Music Fest, featuring a little folk with Blue Bear, some soulful grooves with GalynneGoodwill, a little alt rock with MIRA and a whole lot more! It’s a night of Americana, gloom pop and psychedelic post punk at The Star Bar with CuteBoots, RRest, New Animal and Hip to Death! The circus is coming to town, so come on out for the ballyhoo that is the Imperial OPA Circus featuring aerialists, fire artists and more at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens’ ‘FictitiousCircus Wedding’ event! Rock on down to Vinyl for a night with Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes)! Get swampadelic at Eddie’s Attic with Larkin Poe with special guest Alex Gordon Hi-Fi! Kool Kat Spike Fullerton with the Ghost Riders Car Club rock out at the Clermont Lounge!  Rock on down to The Earl for a night with Jeff the Brotherhood, Turf War and Small Reactions! Stagger on over to Noni’s Bar & Deli for their Bitter Heroes event featuring DJ Brian Parris as he gets charmingly morose with a little New-Wave, The Smiths and The Cure! Make your way to the Crimson Moon Café for The Tom & Julie Show featuring tributes to tunes from the 60s to the 90s every Thursday! The Northside Tavern gets rockin’ with a little Chicago/Delta blues of The Breeze Kings! Get your boogie on at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, as Chickenshack featuring Eddie Tigner, delivers some honky-tonk blues! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues gets down and dirty at their Blues Jam hosted by The Cazanovas! Blues on down to Blind Willie’s for a night with Sweet Betty & the Shadows! Hula on down to Trader Vic’s for a couple Mai Tais and some cool island tunes! Get your boogie on at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village. Make your way for an evening of Flannery O’Connor and the Southern Gothic as the MINT Gallery hosts the ‘Flannery O’Connor Portrait Zine ReleaseParty’, including readings and artwork at 7:30! And it’s your last chance to spend the evening with a couple of smooth talkin’ explorers at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern during their screening of Steven Spielberg’s INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989), during their Summer of Adventure series at 7:30 pm!

Friday, June 13

Surf on down to The Star Bar for a rockin’ beach party with Kool Kat Joshua Longino with Andrew & the Disapyramids along with special guests Momcat! Get dolled up in your best hockey mask and Jason Vorhees get-ups and slash your way to the Diesel Filling Station for their ‘Friday the 13^thPub Crawl’! Get indie retro-style with night 3 of the 2014 IMR Indie Music Fest at The Basement featuring the Radio Birds, CuteBoots, Absence of Ocean and Kool Kats Pillage & Plunder! The Big Easy takes over The Variety Playhouse  as Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett (both of Little Feat) perform their greatest blues, jazz and Cajun funk hits along with special guests The New Orleans Suspects! Get funky at the Elliott Street Pub with the Wasted Potential Brass Band! Rock on down to the Red Light Café for a night with Sacred City, The Ways and Means and Jesse Nighswonger! The Rainmen deliver a night of ‘60s and ‘70s rock n roll at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs! Blues it up at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack with the TimoArthur Trio! House Rocker Johnson & the Shadows get down and dirty at Blind Willie’s! It’s an ‘80s dance party at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX event, so boogie on down with Lethal Rhythms under the dinosaurs while sipping a few cocktails! Cool John Ferguson delivers a night of rockin’ blues and jazz at the Northside Tavern while Dry White Toast gets bluesy at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues! It’s a cornucopia of vintage tunes at The Earl with Adron, Cicada Rhythm and The Shadowboxers! Love Canon delivers a foot stompin’ twist on ‘80s music with their rowdy bluegrassery at Eddie’s Attic! For a night of blues, soul and southern funk punk, rock on down to Smith’s Olde Bar for Rumblefish, Second Wives and Rented Mules! Swing on down to the bayou with ZydecoYa Ya at Big Tex! Get in the ring at Kavarna for a song writer’s circle with Kool Kat Julea Thomerson, Slim Chance, Jon Byrd and Joel Burkhart! It’s a Jukebox Giants song and dance musical revue at The Strand Theater, featuring pop music through the ages, ‘50s to ‘80s! Get spammy at the AtlantaLyric Theatre as they present Monty Python’s ‘Spamalot’ with music and lyrics by Eric Idle and John Du Prez, running through June 29! Get jazzy at the Callenwalde during their ‘Jazz on the Lawn’ series featuring ‘An evening with Duke Ellington’ with Ted Lowe! Get your fill of your favorite MTV videos with Kool Kat VJ Anthony at his ICON 80s: Music Video Dance Night invading Famous Pub every Friday night at 10 pm! Make your way to 529 for their free ‘Movies Your Parents Like’ series, including free hotdogs, kicking it off with John Frankenheimer’s PROPHESY (1979) at 3:30 pm! And stick around for Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer & the Bicycle Eaters with Moonbase, Bruce Joyner & Atomic Clock and Book of Colors! And as always, Time-Warp it up and get naughty with some uber musically-inclined transsexual aliens at The Plaza Theater as they continue their tradition of screening THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) every Friday night, featuring the live cast of Lips Down on Dixie at midnight!

Saturday, June 14

Rock out with the spirits at the Historic Oakland Cemetery as they host their 2014 Tunes from the Tombs music fest rockin’ and rollin’ in the grave, from 1 pm to 8 pm! Get your fill of retro tunes, fortunetelling, mini tours and delicious festival food from local food trucks, including our pals at Pallookaville! The rockin’ musical lineup on the MailChimp Stage in Lion Square includes folk rock singer, Shawn Mullins; Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck slingin’ some blues; Tribute, an homage to the Allman Brothers; Secondhand Swagger and their southern fried soul; SG4 and the funky jazz of Myles Brown!  The Creative Loafing North Public Ground Stage will feature the bluesy Derik Hultquist; Kool Kat Spike Fullerton with the Ghost Riders Car Club; revved up rockabilly with The Blacktop Rockets, a raucous clash of backwoods folk and blues with Smooth Hound Smith; garage country with the Villain Family; boot stompin’ old-time country with Kool Kat Julea & Her Dear Johns and a little eclectic folk with Danny Brewer (Besides Daniel)!  And you won’t want to miss special performances by the Wasted Potential Brass Band, the SweetAuburn String Band and a little jugband old-time with Uncle Daddy & theKissin’ Cousins!  So, come on down and get ghoulishly retro while rockin’ out tomb-side! All proceeds go to support the Historic Oakland Foundation.

Rock down to The Star Bar for a night of retro rock with Ledfoot Messiah and Halls of Jupiter! Or shimmy on down to the Red Light Café for a night of  traditional Egyptian, Turkish and Lebanese dance during their ‘A Night with Atlanta Belly Dance’ event, featuring over 40 dancers! It’s a night of retro pop at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center with Frankie Valli & theFour Seasons! Carlo Aonzo delivers a night of European mandolin tunes at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs! Let Dr. Dixon cure what ails you at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Sandra Hall & the Shadows get down and dirty at Blind Willie’s! Get saved at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues with Sal’s Soulful Sinners! Ike Stubblefield gets bluesy at the Northside Tavern! The 2014 IMR Indie Music Fest takes over The Basement with Waking the Bates, Cusses, Quiet Company and more! Stomp on down to Smith’s Olde Bar for the Jon Harris Band, Buck O Five and Dave Franklin & Nelson Nolen! It’s a night of horror punk and psychobilly at The Highlander with Crypt 24, Air Wolves and Hip toDeath! Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho-DeVilles get revved at the Dixie Tavern in Marietta! From glam rock to a hillbilly jamboree, Terminal West rocks out with Foxy Shazam and Larry & His Flask! Stomp on down to The Family Dog for Pioneer Chicken Stand! Men of Motown boogie down during their song and dance revival at The Strand Theater! Get ‘70s and ‘80s retro at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre with arena rockers, Boston! And as always, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Sunday, June 15

Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs delivers some jazzy classics, swing and funk with Big Band Atlanta during their Jazz Brunch! And it’s your last chance to catch the 2014 IMR Indie Music Fest at WonderRoot, featuring Doesin, Cinema Novo, Bear Girl and Detroit Mutant Radio! Get jazzy at Villa Christina as they kick off their 11th Summer Jazz Series featuring Joey Sommerville from 5:30 to 8pm! Rock steady on down to Smith’s Olde Bar for their Summer Splash Tour featuring roots reggae with Treehouse!, Sun Dried Vibes, Mario Diaz & the SteadyVibes, Beauregard & His Downright and I.R.E! Stomp on down to Big Tex for their Bluegrass Brunch with the Porch Bottom Boys! Rick Harris delivers his ‘Jazz it up Jam’ at the Crimson Moon Café! Rock out with Daryl Hall & John Oates at the Chastain Amphitheatre! Spend an evening with the greatest women in music at The Strand Theater during their song and dance revue, Diva! And get bluesy with Snake Legs at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack!

Ongoing

The Atlanta Lyric Theatre spams it up during their presentation of Monty Python’s ‘Spamalot’ with music and lyrics by Eric Idle and John Du Prez, running through June 29!

The Center for Puppetry Arts presents Dr. Seuss’ ‘The Cat in the Hat’, running through July 20!

The High Museum gets revved during their ‘Dream Cars; Innovative Design, Visionary Dreams’ exhibit, featuring forward-thinking auto designs from 1932 to the present, running through September 7!

Nerd Film Mafia screenings at the Diesel Fueling Station following NerdCore Trivia, every last Tuesday of the month!

ICON 80s: Music Video Dance Night rocks out at the Famous Pub every Friday night with a different 80’s theme!

The Star Bar gets groovy with The Funk Godfather, DJ Romeo Cologne and DJ QuasiMandisco every Tuesday!

Steve’s Live Music’s Gypsy Jazz Brunch offers up a plate of Hot Club jamming and Parisian Swing with Kool Kool Kat Amy Pike and the Bonaventure Quartet from 12:30 to 3:30 pm every 2^nd & 4^th Sunday!

Boogie on down into Disco Hell at The Family Dog as DJ Quasi Mandisco delivers a night of classic funk, soul and disco the last Friday of every month

The Plaza Theater Time-Warps it up as they screen, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) every Friday night, featuring the live cast of Lips Down on Dixie at midnight!

Every first and third Mondays are Big Band Nights at Café 290, featuring Joe Gransden and his amazing 16-piece orchestra playing jazz and swing standards in the tradition of The Glen Miller Orchestra and other legendary groups.  Second and fourth Mondays are Bumpin the Mango, ‘The groove that makes you want to move!’

Every first Wednesday is the Graveyard Tavern’s Graveyard Swing Night, featuring the swingin’ jazz and boogie-woogie sounds of the Savoy Kings!

If you have a suggestion for a future event that should be included in This Week in Retro Atlanta or see something we missed, please email us at atlretro@gmail.com.

THE SHINING (1980); Dir. Stanley Kubrick; Starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd and Scatman Crothers; Friday, June 6–Thursday, June 12 (see Plaza website for times and ticket prices); Plaza Theatre; Trailer here.

ROOM 237 (2012); Dir. Rodney Ascher; Starring Bill Blakemore, Geoffrey Cocks, Juli Kearns, John Fell Ryan and Jay Weidner; Friday, June 6–Thursday, June 12 (see Plaza website for times and ticket prices); Plaza Theatre; Trailer here.

By Aleck Bennett
Contributing Writer

The Plaza Theatre is presenting an intriguing pairing of films this month. Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece of horror, THE SHINING, is being coupled with Rodney Ascher’s documentary on that film’s obsessives, ROOM 237. See both: marvel at Kubrick’s handiwork and then marvel at the interpretations offered up by the movie’s most hardcore fans.

Recovering alcoholic Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) has just accepted a job as the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. The hotel, which was built on an Indian burial ground, gets snowed in and inaccessible during the winter, and constant care must be taken to ensure that the elements don’t take a toll on the building during those harsh months. The Overlook also has a troubled history—the previous caretaker lost his mind and killed himself and his family, and other horrors are suggested to have occurred during its many years of operation. Jack sees this assignment as a perfect time to get some writing done, and to rebuild his relationship with his family: wife Wendy and son Danny (Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd). However, Danny has “the shining”—the power of telepathy, and the ability to see visions of past and future events…a power that the hotel itself seems to share, and which could bring down the already-unstable walls of sanity that Jack Torrance has tried so hard to build.

Okay, last time we spoke, I described MARK OF THE VAMPIRE as being one of the more controversial classic horror movies. Well, THE SHINING is probably the most controversial modern horror film. It seems that most folks find no middle ground when discussing this movie: it’s either one of the greatest horror films of all time, or it’s an overrated piece of tripe. Very few people come away from it thinking “meh, that was okay.”

Why is that? Well, there are a number of reasons.

Firstly, there’s the temperament of the viewer, and a lot depends on how they feel about the change in direction Stanley Kubrick’s films took with his 1968 science fiction epic 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. While his earlier films are certainly full of extended takes, deep focus and long tracking shots, those films are also more dynamic—typically full of emotionally-charged, dramatic moments. 2001 established that he was unafraid of presenting long takes in a quiet and lingering manner that seemed to examine the characters from a distance. The shots seem to emphasize the isolation of his movies’ central characters in an oppressive, surrounding environment. Paradoxically, the combination of deep focus and extended shot length creates an immersive experience: the viewer feels the same overwhelming subjective experience of the film’s characters, but the tone of Kubrick’s approach keeps the viewer knowingly at arm’s length from those characters. The viewer feels as if he or she is there, but still distanced from the action. Depending on your taste, you can find this compelling and suspenseful, or you can find it cold, detached and boring.

Secondly, there’s the question of fidelity to the film’s source. Stephen King has never cared for this adaptation of his novel (though his initial hatred of it has calmed over time). And that’s kind of understandable. The novel was written largely as a way of dealing with his own alcoholism and the anger issues he encountered as a husband and father, and to see his sympathetic stand-in Jack Torrance depicted as being pretty well off his nut right out of the gate…well, I might take it personally too. Beyond the treatment of Jack Torrance, King has been consistent in his criticism that the film abandons many of his own novel’s themes. King also felt that Kubrick (being a staunch atheist) tried to muddy the waters of the supposed reality of the ghosts that haunt the Overlook Hotel—that he shifted the balance too far in suggesting that the spirits seen are all products of the mind’s eye. So if you’re among those who feel that a filmed adaptation needs to remain as faithful to its source as possible (particularly if you’re also a fan of King’s novel), you may walk away disappointed.

Thirdly, there’s the question of the acting in the film. To be sure, everyone’s performances in the movie are pitched over the threshold of what is considered normal. Jack, Wendy and Danny are all higher-strung than your everyday family members. Jack isn’t just crazy, he’s berserk. Wendy’s not just growing more upset, she’s panic-stricken. Danny isn’t just frightened, he’s rendered wide-eyed and speechless. And it’s easy to get rubbed the wrong way by what can be seen as overacting.

But, man, I can’t get on board with any of those criticisms.

I’m a huge fan of Kubrick’s technique. His utilization of these long takes creates a tension that I find nearly unbearable. The viewer remains merely and consciously an observer to what’s going on. And as you witness the events of THE SHINING snowballing while the film progresses, it’s as if the film’s compositional structure itself is telling you that there’s not a single thing you can do to help these people. You can sympathize with them if you like, but you remain at a distance. It is a detached aesthetic, yes, but there is purpose behind it.

Also, when it comes to fidelity to source material, a filmmaker should not be forced into a promise to remain faithful to any work they’re adapting. Film and literature are two completely different animals; what works in one does not necessarily work in the other. And an adaptation is an interpretation by definition, not a direct copy of what is being referenced. Criticizing THE SHINING for straying from King’s novel is like criticizing Picasso for not painting a photorealistic depiction of the bombing of Guernica, or John Coltrane for recording a “My Favorite Things” that only glances occasionally at Rodgers and Hammerstein’s original composition. Kubrick has his own goals, and uses King’s source as a jumping-off point to achieve those goals. Judge his film on its own terms, not the terms King lays down in his novel. (If a close adaptation is what you seek, search out the 1997 TV mini-series. It’s remarkably close to its source novel, thanks to King adapting his own novel for the screen, while faithful King director Mick Garris helms the production. It’s also dreadful.)

(Side note and potential spoiler: Kubrick fully expects you to come away believing that the ghosts are real. His aim, stated in interviews at the time, was to have the viewer question whether the hotel is really haunted, or if the visions are the product of Jack and Danny’s haunted minds until the latter choice becomes impossible. Ask yourself this: if the ghosts aren’t real, who opens the supply room door?)

And then there’s the acting. I agree that it can be over-the-top. However, some things should be kept in mind: both Wendy and Danny are still traumatized by the abusive acts of Jack Torrance (which are only hinted at; one event of abuse is detailed, wherein Jack broke the young Danny’s arm, but the implication is that this is the only thing he did that left a physical mark and that Wendy is able to admit). So “naturalistic” acting is probably not something that would fit. Wendy is constantly in a nervous state of denial. Danny is withdrawn and in a constant state of unease. Additionally, everyone’s fragile state of mind is being affected by the presence of the power that permeates the very walls of the Overlook Hotel. And then there’s the technical issue that all of the actors simply must deliver large performances, lest they be completely overwhelmed by their surroundings. The Overlook is such a huge, overpowering presence, that meeker performances would be lost in competition.

And let’s not forget the set design of the Overlook itself. It doesn’t make any sense. Look at it. Windows to the outside are present in rooms nowhere near an outside wall. Paths taken through the hotel don’t add up. It is subconsciously upsetting because we constantly get a sense that something is wrong, but we can’t quite put our finger on why. The “why” is that we try to force a logical layout on the landscape that is rejected by the hotel itself. The Overlook is like some Escher-esque labyrinth of madness, waiting to ensnare anyone who wanders inside and who is sensitive to its forces. The repeated patterns of the hotel’s décor lull us into accepting that this is order. But these merely disguise the chaos that undulates underneath this superficial fabric.

(In case I’m not making myself clear here, I love this movie.)

In short, it’s a masterpiece of horror cinema, and one of Kubrick’s most towering achievements. And like all great works of art, it has inspired debate and subjective interpretation. This is where Rodney Ascher’s documentary ROOM 237 comes in. Told entirely in voiceover and using a brilliantly conceived montage of images from Kubrick’s filmography and sources as disparate as SCHINDLER’S LIST and Lamberto Bava’s DEMONS, the film details the many theories and interpretations of Kubrick’s movie. These theories range from the outlandish (THE SHINING is an apology for Kubrick’s alleged part in faking the moon landing) to the less-outlandish (THE SHINING is a metaphor for the constant recurrence of violence in America) to the “let’s sync up THE WIZARD OF OZ and DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, man!” level of stoned college student ingenuity (THE SHINING is meant to be played forward and backward at the same time).

Smartly, the documentary doesn’t take a stance; just presents each person’s take on the film without judgment and allows you to evaluate each wildly differing interpretation on your own. For my money, the structure of the documentary is a little haphazard, jumping around from viewpoint to viewpoint, but it’s hard to argue with the ultimate brunt of Ascher’s film. This isn’t really about THE SHINING. This is about obsessive fandom. This is about film geekery. And to the subjects of ROOM 237, THE SHINING is like that elusive monolith in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. It stands impenetrable, but if you could only touch it, it could unlock untold worlds. All of the narrators feel like they’ve touched it and come away with The Truth. But in reality, they’ve been sucked into the labyrinth that is the Overlook Hotel just like poor Jack Torrance. It’s just not quite as unsettling to see them navigate their way around it.

Aleck Bennett is a writer, blogger, pug warden, pop culture enthusiast, raconteur and bon vivant from the greater Atlanta area. Visit his blog at doctorsardonicus.wordpress.com

by Melanie Crew
Contributing Writer

Retro Atlanta is smokin’ ‘This Week’! Come on out and see what’s on the rockin’ Retro menu! We’ve got hootenannies, horrorific film festivals, a whole ‘lotta vintage Dixie, funk, blues, soul and all the shenanigans you could ever want! So rock on out into Retro Atlanta this week!

Monday, June 2

Get really retro and fulfill your blood lust at The Plaza Theater during their Bela Lugosi Film Festival screening of Jean Yarbrough’s THE DEVIL BAT (1940) (See our Bela Lugosi Retro Review here)! Kool Kat Rod Hamdallah delivers a night of rockin’ garage blues and old-time country at 529 with Think Never and Hot Gaze! For a night of vintage ‘70s rock, make your way to Smith’s Olde Bar for the Atlas Road Crew and The Tarlatans! Today begins Pallookaville’s retro cinema extravaganza with The Polka Dotted Elephant Summer Cinema Club at 10 am, with their screenings of a DOGVILLE SHORT episode (1930), LANCELOT LINK episode (1970) and featuring Mel Stuart’s WILLYWONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971)! Brandon Reeves delivers a night of rockin’ roots and soul at Blind Willie’s! Swing on by Big Band Night featuring Joe Gransden and his amazing 17-member orchestra at Café 290 every first and third Monday of the month. Boogie on down to the Northside Tavern and spend an evening with Lola at her famous Monday Night Northside Jam!  And blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a side of Dry White Toast and some finger lickin’ BBQ! 

Tuesday, June 3

Get ghoulishly comfy with Bela Lugosi at The Plaza Theater during their Bela Lugosi Film Festival with Joseph H. Lewis’ THE INVISIBLE GHOST (1941)! Or make your way to the Fox Theater for their presentation of “Evita” through June 8! It’s Mardi Gras in June at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs, so come on out for a night of Cajun blues and honky tonk with Hair of the Dog! Jump and jive with Atlanta Boogie at Blind Willie’s as they deliver a night of Kansas City and West Coast blues! The Bob Page Trio delivers a night of rockin’ blues at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! Boogie on down to The Star Bar and get groovy at The Funk Godfather, DJ Romeo Cologne’s Funk Royale featuring DJ Quasi Mandisco every Tuesday! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Twain’s in Decatur every Tuesday at 9 pm! Or boogie on down to Darwin’s Burgers & Blues in Marietta for a taste of Bill Sheffield’s acoustic roots and blues! The Entertainment Crackers get bluesy with their folksy Americana at the Northside Tavern.  And get adventurous with the Dread Pirate Roberts at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern with their screening of Rob Reiner’s THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987) during their Summer of Adventure series at 7:30 pm!

Wednesday, June 4

Get a few bloody laughs with Bela Lugosi at The Plaza Theater as they screen Allan Dwan’s THE GORILLA (1939) during their Bela Lugosi Film Festival! For a night of retro-inspired rock and blues, make your way to Smith’s Olde Bar for Goldwing, Momcat and Glass Oaks! Nikki Lane delivers a night of smokin’ rockabilly and country reminiscent of Wanda Jackson at the Masquerade! Swing on by East Atlanta’s Graveyard Tavern for their Graveyard Swing Night, held the first Wednesday of every month, promising an evening of swingin’ jazz and jive with the Savoy Kings! Get old-school indie at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center with Morrissey and KristeenYoung! The Breeze Kings deliver a night of Chicago/Delta blues at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! Kool Kat Scott Glazer’s Mojo Dojo rocks out with some blues, jazz and southern soul at Blind Willie’s! Join in on the hootenanny during the Slim Chicken Honky-tonk Extravaganza and live band Classic Country Karaoke at The Star Bar!  Or have a rockin’ rendezvous at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a night of blues and funk with The Georgia Flood and some finger lickin’ BBQ! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! It’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.  And let Princess Buttercup lead the way at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern with their screening of Rob Reiner’s THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987) during their Summer of Adventure series’ matinee screening at 11:30 am!

Thursday, June 5

It’s a night of comedic horror at The Plaza Theater as they screen William Beaudine’s BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA (1952) during their Bela Lugosi Film Festival! Get your Dixie on with a taste of hot jazz and Americana West Coast Swing at Smith’s Olde Bar with Hot Club of Cowtown and The Jugtime Ragband! It’s Bluegrass Thursday at the Red Light Café, so come on down for a little bluegrass and gypsy jazz with Smokey’s Farmland Band! Get funky at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs with Richard Booher & the Soul Machine and Hannah Zale (Boomfox)! Shimmy on down to the Elliot Street Pub for a night with Kool Kat Talloolah Love and all things Burlesque at Atlanta Burlesque & Cabaret Society’s June meeting! It’s a night of honky tonk punk at The Earl with Lee Bains III & the Gloryfires, the Zoners and The Bohannons! Get old-school opera style at the Atlanta Symphony Hall as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra delivers Verdi’s tale of forbidden love, “Aida” with Maestro Robert Spano and Latonia Moore running through June 8! Stagger on over to Noni’s Bar & Deli for their Bitter Heroes event featuring DJ Brian Parris as he gets charmingly morose with a little New-Wave, The Smiths and The Cure! Make your way to the Crimson Moon Café for The Tom & Julie Show featuring tributes to tunes from the 60s to the 90s every Thursday! The Northside Tavern gets rockin’ with a little Chicago/Delta blues of The Breeze Kings! Get your boogie on at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, as Chickenshack featuring Eddie Tigner, delivers some honky-tonk blues! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues gets down and dirty at their Blues Jam hosted by The Cazanovas! Gina Sicilia delivers a night of rockin’ soul at Blind Willie’s! Hula on down to Trader Vic’s for a couple Mai Tais and a rockin’ beach party thrown by Kool Kat Joshua Longino with Andrew & the Disapyramids! Get your boogie on at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village. It’s  your last chance to get adventurous at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern with their screening of Rob Reiner’s THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987) during their Summer of Adventure series at 7:30 pm!

Friday, June 6

Steampunk on down to the Red Light Café for DJ Doctor Q’s Atlanta Speakeasy Electroswing event, featuring jazz, Big Band, electronica and a little saucy cabaret courtesy of the Atlanta Burlesque & Cabaret Society, featuring Roula Roulette! Stomp on down for an old-time music, front porch pickin’ party at The Star Bar for a night with I want Whisky, HotHouse Peaches and The Tombigbees! It’s an ’80 British alt-rock invasion at The Variety Playhouse with World Party and Gabriel Kelley! Michelle Malone delivers a night of Americana and rockin’ roots at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs! Come on out to Diesel Filling Station for the opening reception of retro and pop-culture artist, Kool Kat Chris Hamer (Urbnpop) and his Room 138 collection of artwork, his only solo art show in Atlanta for 2014! It’s a night of tributes at Smith’s Olde Bar with The Lizardmen (mod/’60s era Brit invation), El Scorcho (Weezer), The Cherry Bomb (Joan Jett) and El Cheapo (classics)! Get retro jazzy at the Chastain Park Amphitheatre with Al Jarreau, Marcus Miller and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra! Secondhand Swagger delivers a night of southern-fried soul and funk under the dinosaurs at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX event! Rock out with the Rebel City Rockers at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues! Get funky with Zydefunk at the Northside Tavern! Get your dark swampy rock fix at The Earl with The Rock*A*Teens and the Carnivores! Men of Motown boogie down during their song and dance revival at The Strand Theater! Honkytonk on down to Big Tex for Truckstop Confidential! Adron and Cicada Rhythm deliver a night of Brazilian Tropicalia and folk at the Crimson Moon Café! Gr8fll Dude delivers a night of Jerry Garcia tunes at The Family Dog! Rev on down to the American Tavern in Loganville for a rockin’ night with Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho-DeVilles! Get revived at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens during their ‘Concerts in the Garden’ series featuring CreedanceClearwater Revisited!  Blind Willie’s delivers a night of rockin’ blues with House Rocker Johnson & the Shadows! Fat Matt’s Rib Shack gets bluesy with Billy George! Get your fill of your favorite MTV videos with Kool Kat VJ Anthony at his ICON 80s: Music Video Dance Night invading Famous Pub every Friday night at 10 pm! The Breeze Kings deliver a night of rockin’ blues at Hottie Hawgs BBQ! And as always, Time-Warp it up and get naughty with some uber musically-inclined transsexual aliens at The Plaza Theater as they continue their tradition of screening THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) every Friday night, featuring the live cast of Lips Down on Dixie at midnight!

Saturday, June 7

The Family Corndogorama invades The Family Dog at 3 pm to 1 am! So, rock on down for a swell vintage musical lineup featuring the Higher Choir, MammaBear, I Want Whisky, Kool Kat Aileen Loy and Till Someone Loses an Eye, Lily & the Tigers and Muleskinner McQueen! Get your geek on and check out thousands of comics at the 2ndAnnual My Parents’ Basement Comic Book Yardsale Extravaganza from 7 am to 5 pm! Or stomp on down to Diesel Filling Station for their Summerfest Barnburner 2014 featuring Whoa Nelly! Too Slim & the Tail Draggers rock out blues and Americana style at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues! Rock out with the ‘blues woman power’ of Beverly ‘Guitar’ Watkins at the Northside Tavern! Spend an evening with the greatest women in music at The Strand Theater during their song and dance revue, Diva! at 8 pm! Get funky at Big Tex with DeepBlue Sun! Get glamorously clueless at Mary’s for their ‘90s Prom event, featuring a ‘90s-themed drag show and dance party! Let Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho-DeVilles rev you up at Jekyll & Hydes in Newnan! Lola delivers the blues at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! Francine Reed & The Shadows deliver some down and dirty blues at Blind Willie’s! Kool Kat Amy Pike and the Bonaventure Quartet deliver a night of gypsy jazz and Parisian swing at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs! Vroom on down to the High Museum for their ‘Dream Cars; Innovative Design, Visionary Dreams’ exhibit, featuring forward-thinking auto designs from 1932 to the present, running through September 7! Blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for Frankie’s Blues Mission and some finger lickin’ BBQ! And as always, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Sunday, June 8

Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs delivers their Gypsy Jazz Brunch offering up a plate of Hot Club jamming and Parisian Swing with Kool Kat Amy Pike and the Bonaventure Quartet from 12:30 to 3:30 pm every 2^nd & 4^th Sunday! It’s a Jukebox Giants song and dance musical revue at The Strand Theater, featuring pop music through the ages, ‘50s to ‘80s! Rock on down to the Masquerade for a night with Black Star Riders (Thin Lizzy alumni), Gunpowder Gray and Grayson Manor! Stomp on over to Big Tex for their Bluegrass Brunch with Cedar Hill! The Boohoo Ramblers deliver a night of boot stompin’ Americana at The Family Dog! And get bluesy with Snake Legs at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack!

Ongoing

Get medieval and really retro this spring in Lilburn at the 29^th Annual Georgia Renaissance Festival running through June 8th (LAST CHANCE!)

The High Museum gets revved during their ‘Dream Cars; Innovative Design, Visionary Dreams’ exhibit, featuring forward-thinking auto designs from 1932 to the present, running through September 7!

Nerd Film Mafia screenings at the Diesel Fueling Station following NerdCore Trivia, every last Tuesday of the month!

ICON 80s: Music Video Dance Night rocks out at the Famous Pub every Friday night with a different 80’s theme!

The Star Bar gets groovy with The Funk Godfather, DJ Romeo Cologne and DJ QuasiMandisco every Tuesday!

Steve’s Live Music’s Gypsy Jazz Brunch offers up a plate of Hot Club jamming and Parisian Swing with Kool Kool Kat Amy Pike and the Bonaventure Quartet from 12:30 to 3:30 pm every 2^nd & 4^th Sunday!

Boogie on down into Disco Hell at The Family Dog as DJ Quasi Mandisco delivers a night of classic funk, soul and disco the last Friday of every month

The Plaza Theater Time-Warps it up as they screen, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) every Friday night, featuring the live cast of Lips Down on Dixie at midnight!

Every first and third Mondays are Big Band Nights at Café 290, featuring Joe Gransden and his amazing 16-piece orchestra playing jazz and swing standards in the tradition of The Glen Miller Orchestra and other legendary groups.  Second and fourth Mondays are Bumpin the Mango, ‘The groove that makes you want to move!’

Every first Wednesday is the Graveyard Tavern’s Graveyard Swing Night, featuring the swingin’ jazz and boogie-woogie sounds of the Savoy Kings!

If you have a suggestion for a future event that should be included in This Week in Retro Atlanta or see something we missed, please email us at atlretro@gmail.com.

The Plaza Theatre presents the Bela Lugosi Film Festival; Starts Friday, May 30 @ 8:00 p.m., final show Thursday, June 5 @ 8:45 p.m.; Plaza Theatre; Schedule here; Tickets $5.00 per screening, available at Plaza box office.

By Aleck Bennett
Contributing Writer

The Plaza Theatre is taking a week to honor the legacy of one of the greatest icons of horror to ever grace the silver screen, Bela Lugosi. And in doing so, they’re avoiding the obvious choices of programming; there’s no DRACULA, nor any of the films he appeared in for Edward D. Wood, Jr. Instead, we’re getting treated to a wide variety of his lesser-seen films, ranging from major studio productions (MGM’s MARK OF THE VAMPIRE—see our Retro Review here—and 20th Century Fox’s THE GORILLA) to his most accomplished independent film (the brilliant WHITE ZOMBIE, which we’ve covered here), and the rest of the roster is filled with a sampling of the work he did for what was then known as Hollywood’s “Poverty Row” studios.

Born in Lugos, Hungary (previously part of Transylvania, now part of Romania) in 1882, Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó had aspirations to stardom. He found success on the local stage in his late teens, which prompted him to move to Budapest and join the National Theatre of Hungary, where he played numerous roles both before and after World War I, where he served on the Russian front. After his return, his political activism as part of organizing an actors’ union resulted in his fleeing the country after the Hungarian Revolution failure in 1919 made life difficult for those perceived to be leftist agitators. He made his way to New Orleans on a merchant ship, adopted the surname “Lugosi” to honor his birthplace, and began working the stage in New York, forming a stock company with fellow Hungarian actors and performing for immigrant audiences. Soon, Broadway beckoned, and Lugosi was quick to answer her call. After a series of successful parts in comedies and melodramas, he was approached with the role that would change the course of his life.

In 1927, he was cast in the title role of the smash Broadway adaptation of DRACULA. It ran for 261 performances before touring the country during 1928-29. Despite the play’s phenomenal success, when Universal optioned it for a motion picture, Lugosi was not their initial choice. But Lugosi lobbied hard for the part, accepting a smaller salary—only $500 a week—in return for having his acclaimed stage performance immortalized on the screen.

However, because Lugosi was so effective in his role, he quickly became typecast as a horror “heavy,” playing villains at nearly every turn, no matter how often he tried to demonstrate his versatility. And even though he proved a box-office draw during his time at Universal, he frequently found himself second-billed to co-stars like Boris Karloff, or cast in smaller roles. Sometimes those roles were instantly memorable—such as that of Ygor in Universal’s series of FRANKENSTEIN sequels—but other times, he found himself playing butlers or other domestics, most often as a red herring in some convoluted mystery plot. But a 1936 regime change in Universal, combined with a ban on horror films in the UK, led to Lugosi’s fall from favor with the studio and his decision to turn to the smaller studios of Poverty Row to supplement his income.

“Poverty Row” was an umbrella term for the plethora of smaller, independent studios that popped up in Hollywood’s golden age to capitalize on the need for cheap films to fill out the “B” slots of double-feature bills (hence, “B-movies”). Because the pictures were made quickly, even though they didn’t pay well, a featured player could get consistent work. Cast into Hollywood’s forsaken jungle hell, Lugosi could prove that he was all right. And it’s in these films, where we’re neither seeing the Universal “superstar” Lugosi, nor the Ed Wood films where he’s been unfairly regarded as an on-the-skids camp figure, where we can get a picture of Lugosi the working actor. Just an honest guy plying his trade. And while some of the films are more ludicrous than others, they’re all chances to witness that no matter how low the budget or how silly the concept, Bela Lugosi gave them his all. Frequently relegated to public domain home video releases, these movies are rarely shown in theaters, as they’re not instantly recognizable titles like DRACULA. So it’s a rare treat to see them once again where they belong.

THE CORPSE VANISHES (1942, Monogram Pictures) is one of the more lurid low-budget exploitationers of the 1940s. Here, Lugosi plays Dr. Lorenz, a horticulturist and mad scientist, who needs glandular excretions from virgin women to restore the youth and beauty of his octogenarian wife. He uses poisoned orchids to place young brides—at their weddings, yet—in suspended animation, and drags them back to his laboratory. Reporter Patricia Hunter (Luana Walters) is hot on his trail, however, and is determined to uncover the mystery of the orchid killer. Lugosi shows a great deal of restraint in his portrayal, which contrasts with the over-the-top aspect of the scenario, while the film displays tight pacing and a real sense of suspense. As a result, THE CORPSE VANISHES is one of Lugosi’s best Poverty Row horrors.

Keeping in tone with the “Lugosi distributes pleasant-smelling objects that wind up killing people” theme of the previous night, THE DEVIL BAT (1940, Producers Releasing Corporation) finds cosmetic chemist Dr. Paul Carruthers passing out “test samples” of his new after-shave lotion to those who have wronged him. Unbeknownst to his victims, Carruthers has been breeding giant bats, trained to attack those who wear the scent of doom. Here, Lugosi is deliciously over-the-top in his performance, relishing every bit of evil he sows forth. As the film takes a much more comic tone than THE CORPSE VANISHES, Lugosi’s portrayal supports the movie’s aims, establishing a kind of proto-ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES on the cheap. It was so successful, PRC made a sequel (without Lugosi), DEVIL BAT’S DAUGHTER.

INVISIBLE GHOST (1940, Monogram Pictures) finds Lugosi playing a Jekyll-and-Hyde role as Dr. Kessler, a normal family man who falls into a murderous trance-like state whenever he sees his wife, whom he believes to be dead, but is really just living in the gardener’s shed. The plot is absolutely ridiculous, but the film is salvaged by the inspired visual flair of celebrated B-movie auteur Joseph H. Lewis and Lugosi’s nuanced performance. The film is very nearly stolen, however, by Clarence Muse as Lugosi’s butler, Evans. While most roles for African-Americans in this era fell into broad caricature and stereotype, Muse remains intelligent, strong and dignified throughout.

In THE GORILLA (1939, 20th Century Fox), one of the rare non-Poverty Row productions on display here (yet one whose lapse into the public domain has placed it alongside them), Bela plays second fiddle to the Ritz Brothers, Fox’s answer to the Marx Brothers. Playing a butler, Lugosi is largely just there as sinister window dressing while the Ritz boys and Patsy Kelly (longtime star of stage and screen, she is, however, best known today as Laura-Louise in ROSEMARY’S BABY) clown around. It’s a spoof of the “old dark house” sub-genre, wherein the Ritzes are bumbling detectives protecting a wealthy attorney (Lionel Atwill) from a murderer known as “the Gorilla” while an actual escaped gorilla shows up at the estate. Everybody’s a suspect, and of course, all eyes are on Bela. It’s a shame he’s not given more to do, as Lugosi is in fine form, but the zany comedy keeps things moving along nicely.

We wrap things up by staying on the simian side of the street with one of Lugosi’s most insane, yet jaw-droppingly entertaining, motion pictures: BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA (1952, Realart Pictures). What can I say about this movie? Where else can you see the musical comedy team of Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo carry out the most blatant rip-off of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis ever committed to celluloid? (Paramount studio head Hal Wallis, who had Martin and Lewis under contract, tried to purchase the movie in order to have it destroyed. They just couldn’t settle on a price.) Where else can you see Bela Lugosi on a tropical island planning to turn a man into a monkey? Lugosi, as always, gives it his all against the wacky backdrop, despite the fact that he was in poor health and hadn’t worked since 1946. People like to say that Lugosi’s Ed Wood pictures were his nadir, but at least those were earnest pictures. They were sincerely done. With this movie, though…who the hell knows what was going on in the filmmakers’ minds other than “let’s cash in on Lugosi’s name by pairing him with low-rent Martin & Lewis imitators?” And even then, you have to wonder why they were thinking that in the first place. It’s not like some time-tested means of making a profit. It’s just so gob-smackingly weird that I find it completely enthralling. It’s got to be seen to be believed, and even then you might not believe it. And to see it on the big screen? You gotta be kidding me.
Ordering Phentermine from https://levgrossman.com/phentermine-online/ for few month already.

So, that’s it. It’s nearly a week’s worth of Lugosi the working man. Giving it his all in movies that, frankly, probably didn’t deserve him (aside from the amazing MARK OF THE VAMPIRE and WHITE ZOMBIE, of course). But in movies that are made all the more remarkable and entertaining by his presence. Movies that were enriched by his old world style and class. It’s a rare theatrical treat that should not be missed by anyone who considers themselves a fan of the man, a student of cinema history or a horror movie aficionado. Because while these movies have long been easy to overlook, they—and the history they represent—are a vital part of the legacy of Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó. May they live forever.

Aleck Bennett is a writer, blogger, pug warden, pop culture enthusiast, raconteur and bon vivant from the greater Atlanta area. Visit his blog at doctorsardonicus.wordpress.com

MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (1935); Dir. Tod Browning; Starring Bela Lugosi, Carroll Borland, Lionel Barrymore and Elizabeth Allan; Friday, May 30 (8:00 p.m., 9:45 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.), Saturday, May 31 (8:45 p.m.) and Sunday, June 1 (5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.); Plaza Theatre; Tickets $5.00; Trailer here.

By Aleck Bennett
Contributing Writer

As part of the Plaza Theatre’s week-long celebration of Bela Lugosi starting Friday May 30 (full preview here), one of his greatest—and most controversial—motion pictures gets a rare screening: his final collaboration with director Tod Browning, 1935’s MARK OF THE VAMPIRE!

Prague, 1935. An aristocrat is found dead, drained of blood, with two puncture wounds on his neck. The locals believe that vampires—in the form of Count Mora (Bela Lugosi) and his daughter Luna (Carroll Borland), whom they believe haunt the nearby castle—are responsible for the murder. Police inspector Professor Zeren (Lionel Barrymore) is skeptical, however, and is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery behind the mark of the vampire.

Tod Browning was in need of some luck. He’d had a stellar career making deliciously twisted silent features, most notably starring the incredible Lon Chaney. He was hired by Universal Studios to direct 1931’s DRACULA starring Bela Lugosi (with whom he’d worked on 1929’s THE THIRTEENTH CHAIR). Despite the film’s success, Universal was unhappy with Browning’s work, and he moved to MGM to direct 1932’s FREAKS. That film proved so scandalous and controversial (and commercially unsuccessful) at the time that Browning’s career came to a screeching halt. So, when MGM accepted his proposal to helm a remake of his 1927 silent LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT (now considered a lost film, with the last known print destroyed in a 1967 fire), he was determined to make the most of it.

And he nearly pulled it off. Despite the film’s more unsavory aspects being removed (implications of incest between Mora and Luna, which resulted in Mora’s suicide and the pair condemned to an eternity of living death) and the film’s trimming from 75 to 61 minutes, the film works like gangbusters. Up to a point, that is.

You see, in the realm of classic horror, few films are as debated as hotly as MARK OF THE VAMPIRE. All of the ingredients of a Golden Age classic are there: a menacing, wordless performance by Bela Lugosi as Count Mora; Carroll Borland as his daughter, Luna, establishing a visual template followed by Maila “Vampira” Nurmi and Morticia Addams; and the deft, atmospheric direction of Tod Browning.

So, what’s the deal?

It’s the twist ending that provides the film’s payoff. It’s an ending that negates everything that came before. Things we have seen with our own eyes are now established as having been impossible. It’s a cheat. Even Bela thought it was ridiculous and pleaded with Tod Browning to change it. A much better ending (that even kept the light tone of the original’s) was suggested, and Browning refused to change course. I’m not going to spill the beans by detailing what happens, but it’s really impossible to talk about MARK OF THE VAMPIRE without bringing up the fact that many see the twist as a crushing disappointment.

And I’m right there with them. It’s such a blow to the film because the rest of it is so good. It’s largely the film that DRACULA could have been if Browning hadn’t been hamstrung by Universal’s budget-pinching measures. (The studio had recently sunk a lot of money into THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and was facing financial difficulties due to the Great Depression. Unconvinced that the horror thing would pay off, DRACULA had many elaborate scenes scrapped and wound up hewing closely to the play in staging the film.) MARK OF THE VAMPIRE’s sets are sumptuous. The effects scenes are brilliantly pulled off, with Luna soaring on bat’s wings and Count Mora materializing out of mist. The photography by legendary cinematographer James Wong Howe is glorious. The performances of stage/screen legend Lionel Barrymore and Elizabeth Allan are rock-solid and ground the film firmly. The supporting cast (especially Lionel Atwill as Inspector Neumann and Donald Meek as the timid Dr. Doskil) is delightful. It all comes together so beautifully, only to be sold so short by an ending that aims for cleverness and lands in clunkiness.

If you can forgive the film its ending, there is so much there to enjoy. Just discount what you see happen on screen after the mystery has been solved, and imagine that Lionel Barrymore’s Professor Zelen receives a telegram saying something like “Sorry, can’t make it. Train held up at the station. Hope everything works out,” and you’ll walk out of the theater a happier person. But to miss the film on the big screen is to miss one of the best—yet one of the most unheralded—vampire pictures ever to come out of Hollywood’s classic era. Or at least 90 percent of one.

Aleck Bennett is a writer, blogger, pug warden, pop culture enthusiast, raconteur and bon vivant from the greater Atlanta area. Visit his blog at doctorsardonicus.wordpress.com

by Melanie Crew
Contributing Writer

Retro Atlanta welcomes summer with a rockin’ vintage bang! Come on out and see what we’ve got on the Retro menu this week! We’ve got vampires and ‘billy and blues, oh my! Get off the couch and rock out in Retro Atlanta!

Monday, May 26

Get funky and groove on down to Café 290 every second and fourth Monday of the month for a taste of Bumpin the Mango, ‘The groove that makes you want to move!’ Boogie on down to the Northside Tavern and spend an evening with Lola at her famous Monday Night Northside Jam! Or Lindy Hop on down to Hot Jam Swings! for their Hot Jam Dance Night and get your Count Bassie and Benny Goodman fix! And blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a helping of Pork Bellys and some finger lickin’ BBQ!
 
Tuesday, May 27

Get criminal at the Diesel Fueling Station because it’s Cyborg Nation tonight as Nerd Film Mafia presents Paul Verhoeven’s ROBOCOP (1987) at 10 pm following NerdCore Trivia, every last Tuesday of the month! Or groove on down to the Red Light Café for a night of sensual psychedelic seduction with Sadie Hawkins and her “Burlesque Battle of the Babes”, Last Pasties Standing: Road Trippin’ event, featuring road songs and all things ga-ga-groovy! It’s Bluegrass Pickin’ Tuesday at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs, led by Jason Koornick (Smokin’ Grass Bluegrass Band) followed by Crying Wolf! Eddie’s Attic gets alternative with Ed Roland & The Sweet Tea Project! Get the blues at Blind Willie’s with Blues Station! The Breeze Kings deliver a night of Chicago/Delta blues at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! Boogie on down to The Star Bar and get groovy at The Funk Godfather, DJ Romeo Cologne’s Funk Royale featuring DJ Quasi Mandisco every Tuesday! Surf on down to Margaritaville and catch Jimmy Buffett & the Coral Reefer Band at the Chastain Park Amphitheatre! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Twain’s in Decatur every Tuesday at 9 pm! Stomp on down to Big Tex for a night with Moira Nelligan & The Dixie Jigs and their old-fashioned Americana! Or boogie on down to Darwin’s Burgers & Blues in Marietta for a taste of Bill Sheffield’s acoustic roots and blues! The Entertainment Crackers get bluesy with their folksy Americana at the Northside Tavern.  And it’s Summer Lovin’ at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern with their screening of Randal Kleiser’s musical, GREASE (1978) during their Musical May series at 7:30 pm!

Wednesday, May 28

It’s a hootenanny and a half tonight at Smith’s Olde Bar as they get smokin’ during their Slim Chicken Honky-tonk Extravaganza!  Honky-tonk all night to the revved up and rockin’ tunes of Kool Kat Cletis Reid & His City Cousins, Whiskey Belt, Interstate, The Oldfields and Greg Germani, spinning rare classic country-western tunes on vinyl! For a night of rockin’ folk, make your way to The Earl to catch the 8th Annual Bob Dylan Birthday Bash, hosted by Chicken and Pigs, celebrating 73 years of Bob Dylan while delivering a night of classic and obscure Dylan tunes, all proceeds going to ovarian cancer research! Rock on down to Eddie’s Attic for Bombadil and Small Houses! Or stomp on down to The Star Bar for a night of vintage Americana roots with Miss Tess & the Talkbacks, City Mouse and Lily & the Tigers! It’s a night of sludge post-punk and alt-rock at 529 with Twin Trances, Hip to Death, Pretty Please and Entertainment! Lucinda Williams celebrates twenty-five years of her boot stompin’ rockin’ bluesy Americana at The Variety Playhouse! Or rendezvous at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a night with Frankie’s Blues Mission! For a night of Chicago and West Coast blues, make your way to Blind Willie’s for the Electromatics!  Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! It’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.  Make your way to the Highland Inn & Ballroom for a night of writing and comedy based on science-fiction movie trailers during SCENE MISSING’s E.T. the Extra-Trailestrial event at 8 pm! And skip school and get rebellious with the T-Birds and Pink Ladies at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern at their screening of  Randal Kleiser’s musical, GREASE (1978) during their Musical May series’ matinee screening at 11:30 am!

Thursday, May 29

It’s Bluegrass Thursday at the Red Light Café, so come on down for a boot stompin’ hootenanny with Pat Reedy & The Longtime Goners, The Fern Hollow Boys (members of Rolling Nowhere) and Look Homeward! Ian Siegal brings his Bo Diddly, Howlin’ Wolf-esque blues to Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs with Little G Weevil! Get revved with some ‘genuine American motor music’ at the Clermont Lounge with JB Walker & the Cheap Whiskey Band! It’s a retro punk revival at The Star Bar with Leotards, the Illiterates, Blackfoot Gypsies, Alchemy and The Selfish Lovers!  Or get revived, rock n roll-style at The Earl for Onchi, Starfighter, RRest and Weird Sin! For a night of alt-country and garage rock, stomp on down to Terminal West for the Old 97s and Lydia Loveless! Stagger on over to Noni’s Bar & Deli for their Bitter Heroes event featuring DJ Brian Parris as he gets charmingly morose with a little New-Wave, The Smiths and The Cure! Make your way to the Crimson Moon Café for The Tom & Julie Show featuring tributes to tunes from the 60s to the 90s every Thursday! The Northside Tavern gets rockin’ with a little Chicago/Delta blues of The Breeze Kings! Get your boogie on at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, as Chickenshack featuring Eddie Tigner, delivers some honky-tonk blues! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues gets down and dirty at their Blues Jam hosted by The Cazanovas! The Shadows get down and dirty at Blind Willie’s! Get your second helping of Lucinda Williams at The Variety Playhouse! Get your fill of ‘60s and ‘70s Jamaican soul tonight at Trader Vic’s with Lloyd’s Rocksteady Review and stick around for a couple rockin’ Mai Tais! Get your boogie on at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village. It’s  your last chance to get revved up with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern as they screen Randal Kleiser’s musical, GREASE (1978) during their Musical May series at 7:30 pm! Rita Hayworth and Julie Newmar were extremely successful in putting the va-va-voom in their wavy red locks, so come on down to the MidtownArt Cinema to catch Scott P. Harris’ tale of a red-headed fella searching for love in BEING GINGER (2014)!

Friday, May 30

Tonight begins the 2-day Candler Park Music & Food Festival filled with rockin’ tunes and finger lickin’ bites!  So come on out to Candler Park and catch the rockin’ John Denver and AC/DC-inspired tunes of The Sundogs, a little acoustic rock and funk disco with Moontower and some folksy rock with Wesley Cook! And you won’t want to miss the ‘Food Truck Happy Hour’! Or shimmy on down to the Masquerade for ‘A Night at the Movies’ vintage burly-Q event presented by Fat Cat Cabaret! Film Love presents their 2x16mm: Double Screen & Double Frame in Expanded Cinema event, exposing the art of retro film at the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center!

Jazz on down to the Mandarin Oriental’s Lounge for a night with Joe Gransden during the Atlanta Jazz Festival’s 31-days of Jazz event! For some blue-eyed soul and Tom Waits-esque rock n roll, head on down to The Star Bar for James Hall, The Locksmyth and The Boy Jones! The Red Light Café delivers a night of rock n roll and Delta blues with Escape Vehicle with special guest, BJ Wilbanks! The yellow brick road goes Motown at The Strand Theater as they screen Sidney Lumet’s cult classic adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, THE WIZ (1978) at 8 pm, preceded by an organ pops pre-show at 7:30 pm! For a night of retro-inspired rock, make your way to The Earl for TheExplorer’s Club, Interstellar and Goldwing! Eddie’s Attic delivers a night of the blues with Geoff Achison & the Souldiggers! The Jerry GarciaBand Cover Band (JGBCB) gets groovy at Smith’s Olde Bar! Stomp on down to Big Tex for Ralph Roddenberry! Or for a taste of some Appalachian folk rock n roll, make your way to the Crimson Moon Café for a night with Waller! The Rick Lollar Band ‘puts the stank on it’ rockin’ blues style at the Elliott Street Pub with L’Enfant Sauvage! Get rocked, ‘70s and ‘80s-style at Lakewood Amphitheatre with Journey and the Steve Miller Band! Get funky at Hottie Hawgs BBQ and spend the night with Swami GoneBananas! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! Blind Willie’s delivers a night of bluesy American roots rock with Delta Moon! Stomp on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for the Radio Ramblers! It’s Salsa Dance Night at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX event, so come on out and cha-cha under the dinosaurs while enjoying a few cocktails with the Salsambo Dance Studio! Get your fill of your favorite MTV videos with Kool Kat VJ Anthony at his ICON 80s: Music Video Dance Night invading Famous Pub every Friday night at 10 pm! Or boogie on down into Disco Hell at The Family Dog as DJ Quasi Mandisco delivers a night of classic funk, soul and disco the last Friday of every month! Heaven Davis rocks out blues-style at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues!  And as always, Time-Warp it up and get naughty with some uber musically-inclined transsexual aliens at The Plaza Theater as they continue their tradition of screening THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) every Friday night, featuring the live cast of Lips Down on Dixie at midnight!

Saturday, May 31

Today begins the 2-day celebration of Howard Finster and his folk-art sculpture Paradise Garden during the annual folk arts and music festival, Finster Fest 2014 in Summerville!  Enjoy the free art show, tasty food and enjoy a rockin’ musical line-up, including the Randall Bramblett Band, TheWhiskey Gentry, Yankee Slickers and so much more! It’s day 2 and your last chance to catch the Candler Park Music & Food Festival featuring the funk and jazz rock of Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue; a little folk punk and alt rock with Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls; rockin’ punk country with Lucero; a little rock ’n roll revival with The Howling Tongues; some indie folk rock with Family & Friends, a little southern-fried soul and funk with Secondhand Swagger and some rockin’ folk funk delivered by Webster! Get really retro and blood-splattered at The Plaza Theater as they kick off their Bela Lugosi Film Festival, featuring Legosi classics; Tod Browning’s MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (1935), Victor Hugo Halperin’s WHITE ZOMBIE (1932) and Wallace Fox’ THE CORPSE VANISHES (1942), all screening through Sunday, June 1 (See ATLRetro’s January 2013 Retro Review of Halperin’s WHITE ZOMBIE here)! And The Goat Farm Arts Center presents the 19th Annual Hambridge Art Auction, featuring 200+ artists, musical acts, short plays and art installations. All proceeds go to support the Hambridge Center which provides residency fellowships to distinguished artists and scientists at their 600-acre creative sanctuary in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Chris Scruggs delivers a night of revved up rockabilly and old-time rock n roll at Kavarna in Decatur! Rock out ‘80s-style at the North River Tavern with Kool Kat Becky Cormier-Finch and Denim Arcade in Sandy Springs! It’s a night of English rock at The Earl as Smithsonian pays tribute to The Smiths, playing “Louder Than Bombs” in its entirety! Michelle Malone delivers some rockin’ Americana at Eddie’s Attic! Get a little blues, funk and soul at Smith’s Olde Bar with the AJ Ghent Band, Alexandria Lushington and the GlenPridgen Band! Yacht Rock Schooner’s alter-ego Electric Avenue delivers a night of ‘80s tunes at The Strand Theater! Get your second helping of Ralph Roddenberry at Big Tex! For a night of gritty rock n roll, make your way to WonderRoot for Swank Sinatra, Suzi Trash, Kidbrat and GangesPhalanges! Lola delivers the blues at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! Sandra Hall & The Shadows get the blues at Blind Willie’s! Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs gets old-timey with a little folk and bluegrass with 10 String Symphony and the Tattletale Saints! It’s the 2nd Annual Harmonica Blowout at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues featuring Billy Gibson, The Cazanovas and more! Blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for The SlyDog Band and some finger lickin’ BBQ! And as always, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Sunday, June 1

Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs delivers their Deb Bowman Jazz Brunch from 12:30 to 3:30! Kool Kat Amy Pike and the Bonaventure Quartet deliver their gypsy jazz and Parisian swing during ‘Dunch’ at The Earl! Stomp on over to Big Tex for their Bluegrass Brunch with In theWheelhouse! Hey all you Baby Boomers! Rock on down to the Crimson Moon Café for their Boomers Gone Wild event featuring rockin’ tunes of the ‘60s and ‘70s, hosted by Rick Hinkle! And it’s day 2 and your last chance to experience Paradise and folk art at Finster Fest 2014 in Summerville!

Ongoing

Get medieval and really retro this spring in Lilburn at the 29^th Annual Georgia Renaissance Festival running through June 8^th

Nerd Film Mafia screenings at the Diesel Fueling Station following NerdCore Trivia, every last Tuesday of the month!

ICON 80s: Music Video Dance Night rocks out at the Famous Pub every Friday night with a different 80’s theme!

The Star Bar gets groovy with The Funk Godfather, DJ Romeo Cologne and DJ QuasiMandisco every Tuesday!

Steve’s Live Music’s Gypsy Jazz Brunch offers up a plate of Hot Club jamming and Parisian Swing with Kool Kool Kat Amy Pike and the Bonaventure Quartet from 12:30 to 3:30 pm every 2^nd & 4^th Sunday!

Boogie on down into Disco Hell at The Family Dog as DJ Quasi Mandisco delivers a night of classic funk, soul and disco the last Friday of every month

The Plaza Theater Time-Warps it up as they screen, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) every Friday night, featuring the live cast of Lips Down on Dixie at midnight!

Every first and third Mondays are Big Band Nights at Café 290, featuring Joe Gransden and his amazing 16-piece orchestra playing jazz and swing standards in the tradition of The Glen Miller Orchestra and other legendary groups.  Second and fourth Mondays are Bumpin the Mango, ‘The groove that makes you want to move!’

Every first Wednesday is the Graveyard Tavern’s Graveyard Swing Night, featuring the swingin’ jazz and boogie-woogie sounds of the Savoy Kings!

If you have a suggestion for a future event that should be included in This Week in Retro Atlanta or see something we missed, please email us at atlretro@gmail.com.

by Melanie Crew
Contributing Writer

Pillage & Plunder, “weaned on the teat of comic books, video games, jazz, mathematics, punk and prog” will be rockin’ to the tune of ‘Turtle’ at The Earl this Friday, May 23! It’ll be a night of mischief and mayhem with a celebration of the release of their debut LP, “The Show Must Go Wrong,” out August 5, along with Atlanta’s Slowriter and Mice in Cars, in conjunction with World Turtle Day! You won’t want to miss Pillage & Plunder’s rockin’ reptilian ruckus at The Earl this Friday!

Pillage & Plunder, Atlanta’s indie-prog/jazz-punk trio is made up of Gokul Parasuram (guitar/bass/vocals), Hsiang-Ming Wen (bass/guitar/vocals) and Noah Kess (drums/vibes). In no way are they newbies to the indie, pop-culture scene, having shared the stage with Tennessee’s indie, “rock n roll fablers” and Mega Man fanatics, The Protomen and Paper Route. They’ve also been rockin’ around town delivering their “rock magic” and “beautiful chaos” at several of Atlanta’s rockin’ venues: The Star Bar, Under the Couch, WonderRoot, Smith’s Olde Bar, 529, the Masquerade, the Inman Park Festival, just to name a few! And they’ve been busy recording since 2009 [2009 – “The Artisan/Blue” single; 2011 – “Look Inside For The Prize” (EP); 2012 – “Summer Days/Hit & Run” single; 2013 – “Goodnight Jack” (acoustic EP)]. Pillage & Plunder is a rockin’ band and chaotic force you won’t want to miss!

ATLRetro caught up with the fellas of Pillage & Plunder, for a quick interview about their rockin’ retro sounds, their love of all things geeky, the importance of the preservation of our 200-million-year-old turtle pals and their August 5 debut of their LP, “The Show Must Go Wrong”.

And while you’re takin’ a gander at our little Q&A with the band, take a listen to Pillage & Plunder’s “Summer Days” here.

ATLRetro: What’s in a name? Pillage & Plunder sounds more swashbuckler than comics, retro video games, jazz, math and punk. Is there an adventurous story of rock behind the name? Does “X” really mark the spot? Come on and fill our readers in on how you earned such a name!

Gokul: When we started, we had trouble thinking up good names. Every week, I’d bring new band names to a buddy of mine who’d always laugh at our ideas. This friend always suggested (jokingly) that we name ourselves Pillage & Plunder. It sounded corny and had no obvious connection to our music at the time, but we honestly couldn’t come up with anything better. Ten years later, nothing has changed.

How did you rockin’ dudes come together as a band? Was it rock love at first sight or was there a little shakin’, rattlin’ and rollin’ along the way?

Gokul: Let’s go with rock and roll love at first sight. Hsiang-Ming and I sat together in our eighth-grade history class. We became buddies. Watching movies led to video games and anime conventions, which led to guitars and ultimately to writing/recording demos in our bedrooms. Early Pillage & Plunder rehearsals comprised of covers and jams, but we picked up some momentum as original material started entering our repertoire. We gigged around with a drummer who was a high school friend until 2011, when Noah joined the band. I would describe Noah as rock and roll love at first phone conversation.

How would you describe your sound? We’ve seen the band described as paying homage to ’50s martini lounge, ’70s psych-prog and ’90s pop punk. What should our readers expect when they come to your show?

Gokul: We pay homage to these sounds and more on a nightly basis! It’s the byproduct of having three genre-hopping musical hoarders in the same band. Generally you can expect a lot of variety at our gigs, but all of our songs tend to have at least one big heavy riff moment. Look out for the big heavy riff moments!

We see that you ‘navigated the dreams of Frank Zappa and King Crimson’.  What about these artists influenced you the most?

Gokul: The most captivating thing about the music of bands from that era is this sense that both anything can happen and that almost everything does happen. It’s fun to see artists explore what they can and can’t get away with, and that mindset is more prevalent in experimental forms of music.

Tell our readers a little about how you navigated the music scene.  What drew you to music? Have you always had a desire to play in front of big crowds or was it something you came to love later in life?

Hsiang-Ming: We each come from different backgrounds of music. Gokul started out learning jazz guitar from an early age, Noah was a marching band geek playing percussion and I was an orchestra nerd playing violin from elementary school onwards, eventually diving into guitar and bass in high school. Music is something we all are extremely passionate about and feel comfortable communicating in. We love playing live and definitely feed off the enthusiasm and energy of the crowd. Shows are like a dialogue, and it’s no fun talking to a wall. Or maybe I’m just not talking to the right ones.

In celebration of ‘World Turtle Day’ we see that you’ll be rockin’ out alongside some classic turtle-lovin’ cinema.  We at ATLRetro love our vintage Kaiju flicks, so of course we’re super giddy you’re including 1969’s GAMERA VS. GUIRON, and it’s totally tubular that THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES will be making an appearance as well! We think it’s pretty rad that you’re  not only promoting your rockin’ tunes, but are also promoting the preservation of some rockin’ descendants of prehistoric creatures.  Can you tell our readers about your love for turtles and why you’re interested in promoting and preserving them at this show?

Hsiang-Ming: YES!! This is going to be a great show! I don’t have a really good reason for loving turtles other than the fact thatthey’re AWESOME and have been around since over 200 million years ago! I just learned about World Turtle Day this year by chance and I think any event or organization that promotes the preservation of an endangered species is a cause worth talking about. We decided to do a show about it to have some fun and shed some light on a topic that is largely out of the public’s mind. The TMNT and Kaiju films are an added bonus that we tagged on not only for their pure entertainment value and because they’re amazing, but also to give people something to relate to, because kicking Foot Soldier butt and being an oversized tortoise is clearly something we’ve all dealt with in life. You can learn more about the American Tortoise Rescue and donate to their cause here. 

Can you tell our readers a little about your debut LP, ‘The Show Must Go Wrong’ coming out in August?

Hsiang-Ming: “The Show Must Go Wrong” is our debut LP that we’ve been working on since 2012 and we cannot be more excited to finally release it in August! The title comes from an episode of the TV show “Parks & Recreation” that we felt reflected the songs and general mood/state of the band during the making of this album. From parting ways with our original drummer, getting all of our equipment stolen at SXSW and coping with failed relationships along the way, we’ve hurdled through a decent share of obstacles to realize that life will always throw obstacles at you, but you just have to keep on chugging and push forward, even if you make a fool of yourself in the process.

Any special plans for your show on the 23rd at The Earl?

Hsiang-Ming: Yes! We will be playing with fellow locals Slowriter and Mice in Cars who are both amazing bands if you’ve never seen them. Aside from the music, as you know, we will be screening the original 1990 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES film along with GAMERA VS. GUIRON (1969). Local turtle-loving brewers Terrapin Beer Co. have also generously teamed up with us to donate a few cases of free RecreationAle to attending guests [Supplies are limited so come early!]  Also, if you come to the show wearing green we’ll give you a little souvenir to take home with you! A portion of the proceeds from the show will be donated to the American Tortoise Rescue as well. You can RSVP to the event here.

What’s next for Pillage & Plunder?

Hsiang-Ming: After our World Turtle Party on May 23, we will be doing a mini regional tour during the month of June and part of July, prior to our album release in August. Afterwards, we will tour more extensively to promote the new record. On top of that, we are also working on finishing our first music video and have started demoing some new songs for our next album.

Can you tell our readers something you’d like folks to know that they don’t know already?

Hsiang-Ming: Before Noah joined the band in 2011, Pillage & Plunder‘s original lineup competed against his old band Colorblind aka Colourblind in a traditional high school Battle of the Bands.

What question do you wish somebody would ask you and what’s the answer?

Hsiang-Ming: Q: “Why didn’t Noah Kess answer any questions?” A: “The voice of Noah Kess is too awesome for the universe to handle and has been known to cause black holes. For further inquiries regarding “He who has not spoken,” please e-mail pillageandplunderband@gmail.com”  

by Melanie Crew
Contributing Writer

Retro Atlanta is the Kat’s meow this week! So, come on down and see what we’ve found for you! We’ve got all the honky-tonkin’, foot stompin’ ‘billy music you’re revved to see! We’ve got the blues, a little swing and a whole ‘lotta rock n roll!  Live la vida Retro and come on out and hang with the Kool Kats!

Monday, May 19

Yacht Rock Review delivers their finest tribute to ‘70s light rock at TheBuckhead Theatre tonight!  Or stomp on down to The Earl for a night with Quiet Life and Michael Nau (Cotton Jones)! Swing on by Big Band Night featuring Joe Gransden and his amazing 17-member orchestra at Café 290 every first and third Monday of the month. Boogie on down to the Northside Tavern and spend an evening with Lola at her famous Monday Night Northside Jam! For a night of rockin’ blues, head on down to Blind Willie’s for Barrelhouse Bob Page! And blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a helping of Pork Bellys and some finger lickin’ BBQ!
 
Tuesday, May 20

Get down and dirty with a little southern gothic and roots revival with Little Hurricane and Lincoln Durham at The Earl! Rock on down to Hell at the Masquerade for the sinister Renaissance man dispensing macabre murderous tunes, backed by his skeletal orchestra, Voltaire with Ego Likeness! Stomp on down to Eddie’s Attic for Ben Trickey’s 7” release party with Kenny Howes! Get the blues at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint with the Bob Page Trio! Get a taste of some rhythm soul and rock n roll at Blind Willie’s with The Hollidays! Boogie on down to The Star Bar and get groovy at The Funk Godfather, DJ Romeo Cologne’s Funk Royale featuring DJ Quasi Mandisco every Tuesday! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Twain’s in Decatur every Tuesday at 9 pm! Stomp on down to Big Tex for a night with Moira Nelligan & The Dixie Jigs and their old-fashioned Americana! Or boogie on down to Darwin’s Burgers & Blues in Marietta for a taste of Bill Sheffield’s acoustic roots and blues! The Entertainment Crackers gets bluesy with their folksy Americana at the Northside Tavern.  And dance the night away with Gene Kelly at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern for their screening of Stanley Donen and Kelly’s classic musical, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952) during their Musical May series at 7:30 pm!

Wednesday, May 21

Get funky at Smith’s Olde Bar with Voodoo Visionary, Yakapo and Tifford Sellers & the Wagon Burners! Swing on by the Elliott Street Pub for Jacob Deaton! Or rendezvous at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a night with Frankie’s Blues Mission! Kool Kat Scott Glazer’s Mojo Dojo rocks out with some blues, jazz and southern soul at Blind Willie’s!  Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! Lola delivers the blues at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! It’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.  And ‘Make ‘Em Laugh’ at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern during their screening of Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly’s classic musical, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952) during their Musical May series’ matinee screening at 11:30 am!

Thursday, May 22

For a little garage rock and dirty blues, make your way to The Star Bar to catch Kool Kat Rod Hamdallah’s EP Release Party with Black Linen, Jonah Swilley and more! It’s Bluegrass Thursday at the Red Light Café, so stomp on down for the High Strung String Band, Alex Commins, Todd Prusin and Alan Barrington! Stagger on over to Noni’s Bar & Deli for their Bitter Heroes event featuring DJ Brian Parris as he gets charmingly morose with a little New-Wave, The Smiths and The Cure! Make your way to the Crimson Moon Café for The Tom & Julie Show featuring tributes to tunes from the 60s to the 90s every Thursday! The Northside Tavern gets rockin’ with a little Chicago/Delta blues of The Breeze Kings! Get your boogie on at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, as Chickenshack featuring Eddie Tigner, delivers some honky-tonk blues! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues gets down and dirty at their Blues Jam hosted by The Cazanovas! Sweet Betty & the Shadows gets down and dirty blues-style at Blind Willie’s! Hula on down to Trader Vic’s for a couple Mai Tais and a rockin’ beach party thrown by Kool Kat Joshua Longino with Andrew & the Disapyramids! Get your boogie on at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village. And it’s your last chance to spend the evening with Gene Kelly at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern during their screening of Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly’s classic musical, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952) during their Musical May series at 7:30 pm!

Friday, May 23

It’s a honky-tonk Kool Kat extravaganza tonight at The Star Bar! Stomp on down for night one of Bubbapalooza 2014 at 7 pm and get ‘yer hillbilly fix with Slim Chance & the Convicts, Chickens & Pigs, the Rollfast Ramblers, Kool Kat Julea Thomerson & Her Dear Johns, Kool Kat Spike Fullerton with the Ghost Riders Car Club and The Western Sizzlers! Check out ATLRetro’s article remembering Earl “Bubba” Maddox, former drummer for The Convicts, The Diggers and Gregory Dean & the Bubbamatics here and our article on Bubbapalooza’s 20th celebration here! Or come celebrate National Turtle Day with a night of art-rock and indie post punk at The Earl, along with screenings of GAMERA VS. GUIRON (1969) and THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (1990) throughout the night! Pillage & Plunder deliver their tunes reminiscent of ‘50s martini lounge, ‘70s psych-prog and ‘90s pop punk (Catch their Kool Kat interview soon!), along with Slowriter and Mice in Cars! And get your geek on and make your way to TimeGate 2014 being held at the Holiday Inn Select at Atlanta Perimeter/Dunwoody! TimeGate is a the three-day Sci-Fi and fantasy convention, covering sci-fi programs from Doctor Who to Stargate, with panels galore, cool guests and events of all kinds! Panels will discuss Doctor Who, StarGate, The Walking Dead, the history of sci-fi, Roddenberry and more! And you won’t want to miss their screening of STARGATE (1994)! If you love all things sci-fi, take a ride in your T.A.R.D.I.S. and time travel on over to Dunwoody to catch Paul McGillion of Stargate Atlantis, Terrance Dicks, the Doctor Who legend, Kevin R. Grazier, Science Advisor for several sci-fi shows, Robert Allsop, Doctor Who costume and prop designer and so much more! Tonight begins the three-day Atlanta Jazz Festival in Piedmont Park, featuring Italian jazz singer, the Roberta Gambarini Quartet and the Roy Hargrove Quintet!

It’s a night of fishy fear at The Strand Theater as they screen the classic ocean terror, JAWS (1975) at 8 pm, preceded by an organ pops pre-show at 7:30 pm! Or rev on down for a rockabilly throw down at the Diesel Filling Station for Kool Kat Rev. Andy’s Rockabilly Ruckus event, that’ll have you dancin’ the night away to tunes from Elvis to Brian Setzer to the Nekromantix! The Hollidays deliver a night of rockin’ soul at Hottie Hawgs BBQ! Smith’s Olde Bar delivers a night of country, soul and blues with Birds of Chicago! Stomp on down to Eddie’s Attic for a night with the Cumberland Collective! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! House Rocker Johnson & the Shadows get down and dirty at Blind Willie’s! Willy Jackson gets the blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! The Plaza Theater screens ROOM 237 (2012), Rodney Ascher’s documentary delving into the perceived meanings behind Stanley Kubrick’s THE SHINING (1980), running through May 29! Get your fill of your favorite MTV videos with Kool Kat VJ Anthony at his ICON 80s: Music Video Dance Night invading Famous Pub every Friday night at 10 pm! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues delivers a night of rockin’ British blues with Ian Siegal along with Little G Weevil!  Nineties alt rocker, Ben Folds (Ben Folds Five) joins the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at Atlanta Symphony Hall tonight! And as always, Time-Warp it up and get naughty with some uber musically-inclined transsexual aliens at The Plaza Theater as they continue their tradition of screening THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) every Friday night, featuring the live cast of Lips Down on Dixie at midnight!

Saturday, May 24

The Star Bar is the Kat’s meow today because it’s day 2 of Bubbapalooza 2014, so get to honky-tonkin’ with The Oldfields, Truckstop Confidential, The Sideburners, The Mystery Men?, Kool Kat Cletis Reid & His City Cousins, The Downer Brothers, Kool Kat Caroline & the Ramblers, the Blacktop Rockets and The Legendary Shack Shakers! Special afternoon DJs will be rockin’ out in the Little Vinyl Lounge, including Kool Kat Rev.Andy, Greg Germoni, Kool Kat Julea Thomerson and Kool Kat Rod Hamdallah! Doors at 3 pm!

It’s day 2 of TimeGate 2014, so come on out for a day of panels, puppet shows, a little saucy cabaret, a masquerade and tunes by the Ken Spivey Band! It’s night 2 of the Atlanta Jazz Festival featuring Willie Ziavino & the C.O.T Band, Brian Hogan’s Quartet and so much more! Brad Birkedahl & the Burnin’ Love Band channels the spirit of Elvis at The Strand Theater, along with the tunes of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins! Put on those dancin’ shoes and get ready for a night of retro rock, Motown, funk, Big Band and more at The Basement for Electric Western’s Keep on Movin’ Rock and Soul Dance Party! Kool Kat Amy Pike and the Bonaventure Quartet deliver a night of Parisian swing and gypsy jazz at The Family Dog! Get your ‘80s fix at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre with Styx, Foreigner and Don Felder! David T & Friends put on a musical variety show, featuring blues, funk and rock at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs, with special guest cellist, Nan Kemberling! Roxie Watson delivers a night of old-country, rockabilly, bluegrass and classic rock n roll at Eddie’s Attic! It’s a night of old-school blues at the Northside Tavern with the Sammy Blues Band! Francine Reed delivers a night of down home blues at Blind Willie’s! Blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a side of Dry White Toast with some finger lickin’ BBQ! Get morose at Famous Pub with Kool Kat VJ Anthony’s BLACK OUT event featuring dark ‘80s, Goth and industrial every fourth Saturday of the month! And as always, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Sunday, May 25

Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs delivers their Gypsy Jazz Brunch offering up a plate of Hot Club jamming and Parisian Swing with Kool Kat Amy Pike and the Bonaventure Quartet from 12:30 to 3:30 pm every 2^nd & 4^th Sunday! Stomp on over to Big Tex for their Bluegrass Brunch with The CohenBrothers! Blues on down to Blind Willie’s for Tanglewood Tonic! Vito Romeo delivers a rockin’ ‘Dunch’ at The Earl! It’s a blues jam at the Crimson Moon Café, featuring Randall Bramblett and Geoff Achison (The Souldiggers)! Francine Reed and the Jez Graham Trio get bluesy at The Family Dog!  Blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for Tony Bryant! And it’s your last chance to get your Doctor Who and Stargate fix at TimeGate 2014! It’s day 3 and your last chance to catch the Atlanta Jazz Festival in Piedmont Park, featuring the Freddy Cole Quartet, Bill Frisell, the Airmen of Note and so much more!

Ongoing

Center for Puppetry Arts spins ‘Charlotte’s Web’ through May 25^th! (LAST CHANCE!)

Get medieval and really retro this spring in Lilburn at the 29^th Annual Georgia Renaissance Festival running through June 8^th

ICON 80s: Music Video Dance Night rocks out at the Famous Pub every Friday night with a different 80’s theme!

The Star Bar gets groovy with The Funk Godfather, DJ Romeo Cologne and DJ QuasiMandisco every Tuesday!

Steve’s Live Music’s Gypsy Jazz Brunch offers up a plate of Hot Club jamming and Parisian Swing with Kool Kool Kat Amy Pike and the Bonaventure Quartet from 12:30 to 3:30 pm every 2^nd & 4^th Sunday!

Boogie on down into Disco Hell at The Family Dog as DJ Quasi Mandisco delivers a night of classic funk, soul and disco the last Friday of every month

The Plaza Theater Time-Warps it up as they screen, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) every Friday night, featuring the live cast of Lips Down on Dixie at midnight!

Every first and third Mondays are Big Band Nights at Café 290, featuring Joe Gransden and his amazing 16-piece orchestra playing jazz and swing standards in the tradition of The Glen Miller Orchestra and other legendary groups.  Second and fourth Mondays are Bumpin the Mango, ‘The groove that makes you want to move!’

Every first Wednesday is the Graveyard Tavern’s Graveyard Swing Night, featuring the swingin’ jazz and boogie-woogie sounds of the Savoy Kings!

If you have a suggestion for a future event that should be included in This Week in Retro Atlanta or see something we missed, please email us at atlretro@gmail.com.

MOTHER, JUGS & SPEED (1976); Dir. Peter Yates; Starring Bill Cosby, Raquel Welch, Harvey Keitel, Larry Hagman;  May 18 at the Strand Theatre @ 3:00 PM.

By Andrew Kemp
Contributing Writer

One of the truest joys of watching retro movies is that so many of them could never, ever be made today. We like to think of culture as a steady march of progress, but it’s more like a cycle of tides, with some particular mood cresting before receding, like the way the risqué shocks of the 1920s eventually morphed into the repressed sexuality of the 1940s. Moments come and go all the time, and what made sense for one era and one particular group of people can seem like it was beamed in from another world just a few years down the line. It’s not that they “don’t make them like they used to.” It’s more of a question of how they were ever made that way to begin with.

For example, look at MOTHER, JUGS & SPEED, one of the strangest studio comedies produced during a very strange period of the mid-1970s when the rules about mainstream movies had shaken themselves apart and nobody quite knew how to put them back together. One part workplace comedy, another part slobs-versus-snobs, but also part serious social drama, MOTHER exists in a kind of weird pocket outside of genre. If you haven’t seen it, there’s no easy point of context to prepare you for what to expect.

Just going off the title, it’s easy to imagine MOTHER as a forerunner to the trucker-film craze kicked off by Burt Reynolds a year later in SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT (1977), but although the title characters are certainly drivers, their wheels are attached to Los Angeles ambulances instead of highway big rigs, and their antics are more in service of retaining their sanity over making a big score. Mother (Bill Cosby) is an irreverent veteran driver tasked with breaking in the rookie Speed (Harvey Keitel), so named because of his past selling drugs as an undercover cop. Mother and Speed encounter rival companies, tension with other drivers (including Larry Hagman in a pervy supporting role), and a loose collection of setups and punchlines, all the while hoping to make enough dollars to keep themselves and their business afloat. Meanwhile, the unfortunately-nicknamed Jugs (Raquel Welch) moves to escape her job as the dispatch and den mother for the boys and become the first female driver in her staunchly chauvinistic profession.

Welch’s plotline exemplifies the film’s jarring shifts in tone. Viewers are invited to laugh along with the drivers and the wacky ways in which they let off steam—Cosby, in particular, is at the peak of his talent and delivers plenty of laughs—but the film also aspires to blow the lid off of what was, at the time, a pretty scandalous industry. In an effort to maximize profits, drivers would sabotage rivals, bribe police officers, and invent phony fares to milk government kickbacks. Less the lifesavers that their marketing would have you believe, the ambulance business was more like a taxi service with steeper leverage over its customers. If you weren’t worth the driver’s time, then good luck finding another way to the emergency room.

MOTHER, JUGS & SPEED was the brainchild of animation giant Joseph Barbera (the latter half of the Hanna-Barbera empire) who enlisted Tom Mankiewicz to construct the screenplay. Mankiewicz was a veteran screenwriter who presided over the James Bond franchise during its transition from serious spy fare to pulpier, more audience-friendly material and his particular tastes are all over MOTHER, including pairing slapstick wit and sudden violence. Mankiewicz, in particular, knew how to construct a set piece, as did MOTHER’s director Peter Yates, who helmed the iconic Steve McQueen picture BULLITT (1968) and later the less-successful (but justly infamous) KRULL (1983). MOTHER is likewise stocked with big, high-concept moments that keep things from getting too limp or self-important, which would have been death for a movie that so desperately wants to be a good time.

Ultimately, the real appeal of the film is Cosby, Keitel, Welch, and the rest of the ragtag assembly of drivers. MOTHER, JUGS, AND SPEED is a “hangout movie,” one in which most of the fun comes from revisiting these characters like a group of old friends. That’s another appeal of retro cinema. For better or for worse, even as the world changes around us, our old friends remain exactly the same.

MOTHER, JUGS & SPEED plays @3:00 on May 18 at The Strand. Get tickets HERE.

Andrew Kemp is a screenwriter and game designer who started talking about movies in 1984 and got stuck that way. He can be seen around town wherever there are movies, cheap beer and little else.