ATLRetro

By Zohra Yaqub
Calendar Editor

Monday, Nov. 19

Check out ’80s supergroup, Asia, at Variety Playhouse at 8 p.m.  The 30th anniversary tour will feature all of the original members and tickets are $40. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam featuring blues and southern soul singer, Lola Gulley. Head over to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a hearty serving of BBQ and Dry White Toast followed by Pead Boy & The Pork Bellys.

Tuesday, Nov. 20

Make your way down the yellow brick road to catch this week’s retro cinema classic, THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern. Directed by Victor Fleming and starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan and Ray Bolger. Contraband Cinema presents DOUBLE TAKE (2009), a film by Johan Grimonprez, about the life of Alfred Hitchcock, his double, the cold war, space race, sexual politics and television’s attack on cinema at the Plaza Theatre. Come out to Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint to listen to classically-trained trumpeter and pianist and “History of Jazz” lecturer, Dave Scott, play at 6:30 p.m. Slim Chickens rustle their feathers at The Five Spot at 10 p.m. Recent Kool Kat Calu Cordeira mixes tiki libations at Mai Tai Tahitian Tuesday starting at 9 p.m. at the Dark Horse Tavern. Grab your horn and head over to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session starting at 9 p.m. The Crosstown Allstars are rocking the blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack or you can blues it down with Nathan Nelson & Entertainment Crackers at Northside Tavern.

Photo courtesy of Yacht Rock Revue.

Wednesday, Nov. 21

Atlanta’s own Angie Aparo is playing at Eddie’s Attic at 8 p.m. Give Thanks to the 80s with VJ Anthony playing New Wave 80s music and videos all night long at The Shelter. Get there early for free admission until 11 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar is the place to be if you miss the sweet sounds ’70s light rock. Yacht Rock Revue will be taking the stage at 8 p.m., and $20 will get you a ticket to a rock show that is simultaneously a tribute, an original act and a comedic troupe. Head over to The Five Spot at 9 p.m. to catch a rare glimpse of country-folk singer, Adam Klein & the Wild Fires, perform West African inspired music. Whiskey Belt will also be playing some boot-stomping honkytonk covers of Grand Ole Opry classics. When Mel Gibson was young and cool, he starred in THE ROAD WARRIOR, his second time playing loner drifter Mad Max and one of the greatest road chase movies of all time set in a post-apocalypse Australia. Read our Retro Review by Andrew Kemp and be thankful for the rare opportunity to see him take on Wez and The Toadie again at the Plaza Theatre.Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at Graveyard Tavern. Disco in the Village at Mary’s is your midweek neighborhood dance party! Frankie’s Blues Mission is on a mission to bring the blues to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack and Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck brings the gospel blues to Northside Tavern.

Thursday, Nov. 22  Thanksgiving

Wake up from your food-induced coma and dance off those turkey calories at Off Yer Head: Britpop + Indie at Mary’s. Catch another screening of this week’s retro cinema classic, THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern. The Breeze Kings and Chickenshack bring on the blues respectively at Northside Tavern and Fat Matt’s.

Friday, Nov. 23

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit are playing at The Buckhead Theater with The Whigs, Lera Lynn, and Kool Kats The District Attorneys. Col. Bruce Hampton & The Pharaoh Kitchen are playing Smith’s Olde Bar with Frankie’s Blues Mission at 8 p.m. The Plaza Theater‘s Hitchcock Month continues withe VERTIGO (1958), playing all weekend. Read our Retro Review by Aleck Bennett on why this one of Hitchcock’s greatest. The Ron Kimble Band plays southern rock at Cooper’s Corner in Grayson and Leonard Blush is at Fat Matt’s. Head over to Big Tex Cantina to enjoy a fun night of 60s music with Cruise-O-Matic or head over to Northside Tavern if you are looking for a night of blues with Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck. Electromatics will be performing a lively combo of Chicago and West Coast blues, blue-eyed soul and an essence of standard jazz and Sinatra under the dinosaurs at Fernbank Museum of Natural History Martinis & IMAX.

Saturday, Nov. 24

Kool Kat Mon Cherie presents CHAMBER REUNION 2 in Hell at The Masquerade. Fetish and Burlesque performances, aerial artists and an adult playground celebrate the legacy of the iconic Atlanta nightclub, all for a $12 advanced ticket, which will also get you a free raffle ticket. Mannheim Steamroller’s annual holiday tour will roll into town at the Fox Theatre at 8 p.m. Keep on moving at the ROCK AND SOUL DANCE PARTY at The Basement at Graveyard Tavern. DJs Jacob Jones and Reno Bo spin a variety of soul, 50s and 60s rock, funk, Motown, blues, and deep cuts from the best era of music since Chuck Berry sang “Johnny B Goode” and “Rock Around The Clock” started riots. Catch rare screenings of legendary cult vampire film GANJA AND HESS (1973) and ERASERHEAD (1977), David Lynch’s first feature-length film and starring Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart and Allen Joseph, as part of the ongoing Saturday MOMA AMERICAN INDIES series at the High Museum of Art.  Enjoy a night of great live music at the Drunken Unicorn with Tedo Stone, England in 1819, and Absence of Ocean. Check out the Tommy Dean Trio at Big Tex Cantina as they play favorites from The Rat Pack, classic soul and great American songbook standards. Catch Sly Dog at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack or head over to Northside Tavern if you are looking for another night of blues with Mudcat. And as usual, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Sunday, Nov. 25

Tony Bryant plays the blues at Fat Matt’s. His music represents four generations of family Georgia blues going back to the turn of the 20th century when music was an expression of life. Uncle Sugar blues it down at Northside Tavern, and enjoy some bluegrass with Cedar Hill at Big Tex at noon. Enjoy some hangover-friendly live music with Little Tybee playing dunch at 1 p.m. at The Earl.

Ongoing

The Plaza Theater presents Hitchcock Month! Classic Hitchcock movies are remastered in high definition. Movies play every weekend in November thru December 2. Read our exclusive preview here.

Every Tuesday and Thursday night is Retro Cinema at Movie Tavern. Check out these classics on the big screen weekly at 7:30 p.m.

Visit the High Museum of Art to see the Fast Forward: Modern Moments exhibit featuring artistic development from the past 100 years, 1913-2013. Artists include Henri Matisse, Salvador Dalí, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jeff Koons. Closes January 10, 2013

Take retro to another level at the Genghis Khan special exhibition at Fernbank Museum of National History.  Closes January 21, 2013.

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

We’re really excited about Rosie Flores’ and Marti Brom’s Tribute to Janis Martin Sun. Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. at Smith’s Olde Bar in celebration of the release of the female rockabilly legend’s long-awaited new CD, JANIS MARTIN – THE BLANCO SESSIONS. Torchy Taboo shares a sweet memory about how she discovered Janis and why you should be excited, too.

By Torchy Taboo
Contributing Writer

One beautiful spring afternoon in the early ‘90s, I went to visit my friend “Rockabilly Kim” on her horse farm in East Atlanta. Entering her home was like stepping back in time, and she always had a wonderful new find to show me or a great piece of vintage clothing she’d picked up to add to her vast collection. This afternoon the find was a clutch of 45 records which she immediately began playing for me. When she played a song called “My Boy Elvis” for me, I jumped up and chirped, “Who is this Kim?!” She quickly gave me one of her patented “don’t you know anything” glances and replied, “Janis Martin! You know, the female Elvis!” Embarrassed at my ignorance, I feigned in-the-know, “Oh yeah, right.”

“Hmm,” I thought, “a FEMALE Elvis? How’d I miss this fascinating bit of historical feminism?” Hold on, rewind. At the tender age of 9, I saw my first Elvis movie, KING CREOLE (1958) with Carolyn Jones and Walter Matthau. Of course, I was an instant fanatic. But at 9 years old, not yet sure why girls like boys, what really hooked me was Elvis’s character’s swagger – how he did as pleased and sang about it, how he waltzed into the five-and-dime, picked up a cheap guitar and got everybody’s attention. He was cool and fearless, and I wanted to be like that – to walk into the drug store on Main Street in Tucker, GA and sing my heart out!

Back to the horse farm. A few years after I’d first heard Janis Martin, I had started performing in a retro style and had an occasion to dance in a show built around celebrating Elvis’s birthday. I knew I needed a great rockabilly song but something different from the Elvis standards the rest of the show would be filled with, so I called Kim. “I’ve got the perfect thing for you!” She loaned me a mixed tape of the vintage female greats. I immediately zeroed in on Janis Martin’s song called “Drugstore Rock ‘n Roll.”

The Female Elvis singing “it’s real gone man!” about the Drugstore?! I flashed on the five-and-dime scene in KING CREOLE where he sang “Lover Doll” so sweet. But I wanted something revved-up, and the Janis Martin song had that in spades – released on the B-side of “Will You Willyum” in 1956 when Janis was a mere 15 years old. She had been billed as the female Elvis because of her onstage hip-shakin’. If that’s not fearless, I don’t know what is.

Janis’ career lost momentum in 1958 when her label, RCA dropped her because she’d gotten pregnant when her GI husband she’d eloped with was on leave. Pretty wild stuff in the ‘50s.  Like ‘50s pin-up icon Bettie Page, she lived by her own rules.

Since my introduction to her music in the ‘90s, Janis has come to be one my favorites. I was lucky enough to see Rosie Flores in the mid ‘90s as well as a rare Atlanta show with Marti Brom. I’ve added both to my list of female rockabilly greats. This pair performing a show to celebrate the new CD, JANIS MARTIN – THE BLANCO SESSIONS, that Rosie recorded with Janis Martin in 2007, should prove quite memorable.

Find out more about Janis Martin in her own words in THE JANIS MARTIN STORY, in full on Youtube here

Bummed that Halloween is over and scared that Christmas will be here way too soon? Never fear, our BFF blog WrestlingwithPopCulture.com and the Silver Scream Spookshow’s Professor Morte are stirring together two Retro standards, classic monsters and wrestling, for the ultimate Monstrosity Championship Wrestling (MCW) showdown this Friday Nov. 16, starting at 8 p.m. at Club Famous, inside Famous Pub in Toco Hills. MCW made its debut at the Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse in 2011, and the creatures clashed again at Wrestling with Pop Culture’s one-year birthday party in March and June’s Rock n Roll Monster Bash.

In addition to the monster mayhem, the eerie-inspired event will also feature live music by the Casket Creatures; body painting by Neon Armour; fiendish freebies and devilish drink speciuals courtesy of Cayrum Honeys; a raffle with such phantasmic prizes as a bag of edible body parts from Pine Street Market, a Dead Elvis flask from Diamond*Star*Halo and more. We can’t wait to raise a “To Hell You Ride” cocktail to Jonathan Williams, the creator of Wrestling with Pop Culture for his well-deserved Reader’s Choice Award for Best Local Blog in Creative Loafing’s Best of Atlanta 2012. [ATLRetro was too humble (well, busy) to court your votes this year, but watch out Wrestling with Pop Culture, we’ll be in the ring fighting for your title in 2013!]

To find out more about the spooktacular spectacle, ATLRetro caught up with ultimate monster movie and wrestling nerd (and proud of it!) Chuck Porterfield, who will be calling the action while monsters, maidens, and madmen go at it in toe-to-toe mayhem!

ATLRetro: I know you’ve been into both wrestling and monster movies, so I assume that’s what made you so excited about MCW.

Chuck Porterfield: Personally, I’m excited because it combines my pure adoration of monster movies, as well as seeing a lot of the INCREDIBLE athletes from Platinum Championship Wrestling (PCW) together. The Washington Bullets, probably the best tag team in the state of Georgia will be there, as will the Pound-For-Pound, Toughest Woman in Wrestling, Pandora. Also, my man, the “Demigod” Mason will show everyone why he’s the hero of PCW’s current homebase, Porterdale, Georgia!

This isn’t the first bout of Monstrosity. Are there any old scores from previous fights to be settled?

The match garnering the most attention is the return of Dragula, the most fabulous blood-sucker in wrestling as he takes on The Kentucky Wolfman!

Chuck Porterfield gets down with the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Photo courtesy of Chuck Porterfield.

Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved weirdo pop culture! I remember watching KING KONG on WGN one year on Thanksgiving, and my love of monsters was then inescapable. Hours of MUNSTERS and ADDAMS FAMILY reruns, Adam West as BATMAN and pretty much any wrestling I could find on TV defined my youth.

So your passion for wrestling goes back to childhood, too? 

I don’t remember the first wrestling I saw, but I watched any and all then-named WWF programming I could find. There weren’t many kids in the neighborhood so I’d jump off my sofa onto the cushions. Or at least I did until I undershot it and hit my head on my dad’s pool table!

How did you get into professional wrestling?

My first entry into professional wrestling was with Southern Extreme Championship Wrestling. For a couple of reasons, that didn’t really work out so well so I left to pursue other interests. I never stopped thinking about the wrestling business, so when I saw that PCW had brought wrestling back to Atlanta I knew there could be an opportunity with them. Stephen Platinum chose to take a chance on a guy he knew nothing about, and I think things have worked out to be mutually beneficial. Along with guys like Penn Jillette and Herschell Gordon Lewis (2000 Maniacs), I consider him to be one of the most influential people in my life.

What is it like collaborating with Wrestling With Pop Culture mastermind Jonathan Williams? It seems like his blog (our BFF blog) has really upped local coverage of wrestling and is helping to fuel the scene.

Jonathan is a tremendous supporter of independent wrestling in Georgia and the success of his blog speaks for itself. I wouldn’t ask him about his altercation with The Jagged Edge outside of the steel cage though…

You used to work at Video Store, one of Atlanta’s best psychotronic video rental stores in Little 5 Points [owned by Matt Booth, who now runs the super-cool Videodrome]. Do you ever miss those pre-Netflix/streaming days when a guy like you could be a salvation for local movie buffs?

With the exception of independent powerhouse Videodrome, it’s true that Atlanta is basically a video store graveyard. Part of me misses the days in college of going through the aisles of stores, particularly the dearly-missed Blast Off Video in Little 5 Points, but I also just see it as a reflection of life itself. None of us are promised a single day, a single smile, and I just try to be grateful for the days and opportunities I have. I try not to dwell too much on what is lost and think about what’s out there to be created.

Photo courtesy of Chuck Porterfield.

Who are your favorite monsters?

My favorite monsters? You’d think this would be a hard one because I love so many, but hands down it’s Frankenstein’s Monster, the Creature from the Black Lagoon and the big monkey himself, Kong! But from a purely sexual attraction level, no one can match the Bride of Frankenstein and Morticia Addams! Some crushes last with you forever…

What else are you up to?

Right now I’m working with Blake Myers, director of the heart-stirring gem of a documentary DISABLED BUT READY TO ROCK [Ed. note: read our Kool Kat interview with Blake here] to make a space fantasy web series called SASS PARILLA CONQUERS THE MARTIANS, that is ambitious to say the least. It’s going to take a LOT of time and energy to get it right, but I think it’s custom-made for fans of this blog. In fact, if there are any investors out there with a love of psychotronic movies and skepticism, we’re the guys you want to talk to!

Thanks so much for being our Kool Kat of the Week!

Thanks, Atlanta Retro! You’re the keenest, sexiest and coolest blog around! XOXO

Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho-Devilles. Photo courtesy of Hot Rod Walt.

By Zohra Yaqub
Contributing Writer

Monday, Nov. 12

Come to the window at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to see Melissa Etheridge‘s 4TH STREET FEELING TOUR.  Ticket prices start at $37.50 and Etheridge takes the stage at 8 p.m. Join our previous Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt and The Psycho Devilles and their buddies The Krank Daddies for a night of rockabilly madness at 9 p.m. at The Five Spot! Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam featuring Lola Gulley. Head over to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a hearty serving of BBQ and Dry White Toast followed by Pead Boy & The Pork Bellys.

Tuesday, Nov. 13

Watch CURE FOR PAIN (2011), a documentary about the life and career of Morphine‘s frontman, Mark Sandman, at The Plaza. Catch this week’s retro cinema classic, SINGIN IN THE RAIN (1952) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern. Directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly and starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor. Recent Kool Kat Calu Cordeira mixes tiki libations at Mai Tai Tahitian Tuesday starting at 9 p.m. at the Dark Horse Tavern. Grab your horn and head over to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session starting at 9 p.m. J.T. Speed rocks the blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack or you can blues it down with Nathan Nelson & Entertainment Crackers at Northside Tavern.

Wednesday, Nov. 14

Make your way up to Eddie’s Attic to catch Lucy Wainwright Roche and Lindsay Fuller perform at 8 p.m. Take $7 to The Five Spot and jam to the guitar-driven soul of Bubonik Funk at 9 p.m. Come out to 529 Bar and check out the godfather of the Omaha music scene (that’s right – Omaha), Simon Joyner.  Also performing is Time Before The War; the show starts at 9 p.m. Boogie down to Mary’s and enjoy a night of Disco in the Village. Listen to the classic blues sound of The Breeze Kings at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint at 6:30 p.m. Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at Graveyard Tavern. Frankie’s Blues Mission are on a mission to bring blues, jazz, R&B and zydeco to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack and Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck blues it down at Northside Tavern.

Thursday Nov. 15

Legendary psychedelic rocker Roky Erickson plays The Masquerade. Strip down Ponce and head over to Clermont Lounge to catch the dark sounds of Death is a Dialogue perform at 9 p.m. Taking inspiration in their songwriting from gothic poet, Edgar Allan Poe, Death is a Dialogue hardcore punk sound is sure to be a ravenous treat. Catch another screening of this week’s retro cinema classic, SINGIN IN THE RAIN (1952) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern. Head over to The Plaza for a screening of EXCALIBUR (1981), directed by John Boorman and starring Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren and Nicholas Clay. Proceeds benefit Mythic Imagination Institute and The Plaza Theater. Read our Retro Review here. It’s a dance-off! Come down to Hand in Hand for the famous Midnight 80s and 90s dance contest. Eat, drink and play a classic game with an adult spin every Thursday night as Mon Cherie presents Mad Lib-Ations, Atlanta’s newest Retro weekly pastime, starting at 7 p.m. at the Corner Tavern in Little 5 Points. The fun-filled night includes games and prizes from some of the city’s most fun Retro retailers, Psychobilly Freakout and punk faves spun by The Right Reverend Andy and a raffle. Relax with a tropical cocktail at vintage tiki bar Trader Vic’s where Tongo Hiti plays Retro-Polynesian luxurious live lounge sounds, as well as trippy takes on iconic pop songs, every Thursday night. The Breeze Kings and Chickenshack bring on the blues respectively at Northside Tavern and Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. I Want Whiskey plays at Big Tex and Chris Clark plays the blues at The Family Dog.

Friday, Nov. 16

WrestlingwithPopCulture.com brings you Monstrosity Championship Wrestling at Club Famous, inside Famous Pub in Toco Hills. Professor Morte and the rest of the Silver Scream SpookShow crew will preside over these fiendish festivities as the Casket Creatures provide macabre musical offerings. Read our exclusive preview with Kool Kat of the Week Chuck Porterfield here. Don’t miss ‘80s Night with The Breakfast Club at 120 Tavern & Music Hall! Dress to impress in your best ’80s attire and get $5 off your bar tab. Make your way over to Star Bar to watch Kool Kats Ghost Riders Car Club with Cletis & His City Cousins, Slim Chance & The Convicts, Jon Byrd, The Skylarks and The Wheel Knockers. Hitchcock Month continues at The Plaza with STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951), directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Farley Granger, Robert Walker and Ruth Roman. Watch out when you head over to the Strand Theater at 8 p.m. to see PSYCHO (1960), directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh and Vera Miles. Keep your Stereomonster in check when you watch this four-piece from Columbus, GA live at The Earl. Pulling inspiration from the likes of Led Zeppelin, David Bowie and another hometown favorite, Outkast, Stereomonster will be joined by The FountNHead and Root Spirits. Head over to Big Tex Cantina to check out blues chanteuse Miss Francine Reed or head over to Northside Tavern if you are looking for a night of blues with Stoney Brooks. It’s salsa night under the dinosaurs at Fernbank Museum of Natural History Martinis & IMAX with Salsambo Dance Studio.

Saturday, Nov. 17

Shop for vintage and Retro-inspired gifts at two special marketplaces this weekend. Indie Craft Experience Holiday Shopping Spectacular gathers 100+ independent craft vendors at Ambient+Studio from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both Sat. Nov. 17 and Sun. Nov. 17. The first 250 attendees each day get a swag tote bag designed by Kool Kat Chris Hamer of Urbnpop and Sarah Watts of Wattsalot. In addition to handmade items, there also will be vintage finds, food, free samples of Cathead Vodka‘s holiday signature cocktail, photo booth, gift wrap area and more. Also, The Revival of Vintage Fall Marketplace promises to be worth the drive to historic Tannery Row in Buford, just northeast of Atlanta. According to its Website, “the bi-annual market hosts national, regional, and local vintage sellers, designers and experts congregating together to bring curated vintage wares and “do-it-yourself” skills to worshippers of all that is old, one-of-a-kind and beautiful.”

Check out the unique hybrid of Americana sounds of Southern Culture on the Skids with The Intoxicators at Star Bar at 9 p.m. Folk rock band, Lindsay Rakers Band, will be playing at The Five Spot with The Bitteroots and The Deadfields at 8 p.m. And make your way over to Club Famous, inside Famous Pub, to listen to BB’s Blowdown, The Unsatisfied, and The Voltage Cut at 9 p.m. Catch a rare screening of DECASIA: THE STATE OF DECAY (2002) directed by Bill Morrison; the film was constructed from decaying archival footage and set to an original symphonic score. DECASIA is bought to you as part of the ongoing Saturday MOMA AMERICAN INDIES series at the High Museum of Art. Make your way down to Big Tex Cantina in downtown Decatur at 7 p.m. to hear Miss Francine Reed sing you some blues or hear it from Lola & The Blues Ladies at Northside Tavern. The Brotherland plays a genre-bending brand of blues, rock and pop at The Family Dog at 10 p.m. And as usual, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Sunday, Nov. 18

Make sure you catch Rosie Flores and Marti Brom’s Tribute to Janis Martin at Smith’s Olde Bar. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Catch Steve Tombstone’s  Greenwood Tour at The Earl. Tony Bryant rocks the blues at Fat Matt’s, and Uncle Sugar blues it down at Northside Tavern. Enjoy some hangover friendly live music with Kool Kat Cletis [Reid] and His City Cousins playing dunch at 1 p.m. at The Earl.

Ongoing

The Plaza Theater presents Hitchcock Month! Classic Hitchcock movies are remastered in high definition. Movies play every weekend in November thru December 2. Read our exclusive preview here.

Every Tuesday and Thursday night is Retro Cinema at Movie Tavern. Check out these classics on the big screen weekly at 7:30 p.m.

Visit the High Museum of Art to see the Fast Forward: Modern Moments exhibit featuring artistic development from the past 100 years, 1913-2013. Artists include Henri Matisse, Salvador Dalí, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jeff Koons. Closes January 10, 2013

Take retro to another level at the Genghis Khan special exhibition at Fernbank Museum of National History.  Closes January 21, 2013.

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

EXCALIBUR (1981); Dir: John Boorman; Starring Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson, Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, Corin Redgrave, Nicholas Clay; Mythic Movies Series presented by the Mythic Imagination Institute at the Plaza Theatre, Thurs. Nov. 15; 7:30 PM; Discussion following; $10; trailer here.

By Thomas Drake
Contributing Writer

“I think of the story, the history, as a myth. The film has to do with the mythical truth, not historical truth; it has to do with man taking over the world on his own terms for the first time.” 

• Director John Boorman, EXCALIBUR

Short: “Merlin: STAND BACK! Be silent! Be still!… That’s it… and look upon this moment. Savor it! Rejoice with great gladness! Great gladness! Remember it always, for you are joined by it. You are One, under the stars. Remember it well, then… this night, this great victory. So that in the years ahead, you can say, ‘I was there that night, with Arthur, the King!’ For it is the doom of men that they forget.”

Medium: John Boorman’s EXCALIBUR returns to the roots of the Arthurian legend following the familiar epic storyline of Thomas Malory‘s LE MORTE D’ARTHUR with some modern twists. The wizard Merlin aids Uther Pendragon in King Arthur’s conception. Merlin then has Arthur claim the Sword in the Stone to certify his claim to kingship. The story fast-forwards to first meeting between Lancelot and Arthur, who in a fit of pride shatters the Sword in the Stone. The Lady in the Lake restores the sword and the Knights of the Round Table are forged. Lancelot and Guivere’s betrayal shatters the land forcing the knights to desperately search for the Holy Grail.

Maximum Verbosity: There is a lot to say about this movie; and it tends to evoke powerful feelings by those that like and dislike it. But even on the most neutral standpoint, the movie’s cast is absolutely astounding. Liam Nielson, Patrick Stewart, Kathrine Boorman all appeared as moderate unknowns with 1980s stars Nigel Terry (THE LION IN WINTER), Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay and Nicol Williamson.

The visual style of EXCALIBUR is unique. Filmed in Ireland, British director John Boorman manages to capture a haunting fantasy in an era with stunning cinematography without CGI or advanced special effects. Boorman’s style is very reflective in this piece. He had originally hoped to do an adaptation of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, but was unable to find any backers for the project so he transferred the epic scope to Thomas Malory’s LE MORTE D’ARTHUR [Ed. note: which forms the foundation for most tellings of the Arthurian legend from T.H. White’s ONCE AND FUTURE KING to CAMELOT to MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL]. Indeed, I do feel that while the Arthurian mythos has been told and retold, the heart of the tale is often lost with modern sensibilities. Camelot is very often updated with another theme in mind instead of how it was originally conceived, but Boorman manages to capture that older sensibility in EXCALIBUR. His attention to detail helped bring this iconic story to life, for example, the old Irish in the charm of making or some of the more obscure elements taken from Malory’s original work.

John Boorman's son Charlie played young Mordred in iconic golden armor in EXCALIBUR. Photo credit: Orion Pictures Corp., 1981

Some reviewers have criticized what they sense as a “rambling horrific dialog,” but Boorman’s quirky storytelling also includes many more elements of the original mythology than most modern retellings. Boorman is also well known for the acid-trippy science fiction film ZARDOZ (1974) starring Sean Connery, the timeless DELIVERANCE (1972) with its haunting banjo music and violent portrayal of the rural south, and  HOPE AND GLORY (1987), a semi-autobiographical World War II drama. Indeed, DELIVERANCE gave the director the street cred to get a budget sufficient to make EXCALIBUR. Though his career has often had as many misses as hits, EXCALIBUR did achieve Number One status at the box office when it was released. Still, his work is quite distinctive, and elements of EXCALIBUR have found their way into many other films, including enhancing the common understanding of the Arthurian mythos.

If you are a fan of Boorman, King Arthur or sword and sorcery, I cannot recommend this film enough.

SUSPIRIA (1977); Dir: Dario Argento; Starring Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Joan Bennett; Sat. Nov. 10 9:30 p.m.; Plaza Theatre; Presented by Splatter Cinema for the Buried Alive Film Fest; trailer here.

By Andrew Kemp
Contributing Writer

The fine folks over at Splatter Cinema are offering gorehounds and the gore-curious a chance to see SUSPIRIA on the screen this coming weekend as the grand finale of the Buried Alive Film Fest (Read our full festival preview here). They’re advertising this screening as a “Special Restored Edition” which suggests that this beautiful film will be presented without all the marks, scratches and chemical bleeds that might get in the way of the full SUSPIRIA experience. If you’re going, be sure to arrive on time, as SUSPIRIA also sports one of the best taglines in movie history: “The only thing more terrifying than the last 12 minutes are the first 92.”

For hardcore horror fans, SUSPIRIA hardly needs an introduction. For many, just the first few notes of the main musical theme are enough to send them into vivid memories of their favorite scene, the most gruesome death, or the way they felt when they finally saw that famous last reel. “Cult” is a term that gets thrown around too easily with genre flicks, but SUSPIRIA is one of those movies that earns the title. There’s a church of the converted for this film. Critics overwhelmingly support the movie, and some (such as The Village Voice) even say it’s one of the greatest movies of the entire 20th century. That’s quite a lofty position for a film that’s more about mood than plot, lives on extraordinary violence and willingly, gleefully makes little sense.

What story there is revolves around Suzy (Jessica Harper), an American ballet student who arrives in Germany to attend a prestigious dance academy, only to gradually discover that the school is infested with a coven of witches. And while “a school full of witches” might invoke pleasant thoughts of Potions Class and mail-by-owl, Hogwarts this ain’t. These witches, led by headmistress Madame Blanc (Joan Bennett, DARK SHADOWS), conjure dark forces and engage in sadistic rituals, pursuing bloody, prolonged murder for anyone who gets in the way of their sinister, yet oddly vague schemes.

Jessica Harper in SUSPIRIA (1977).

SUSPIRIA (the title translates loosely into “Sigh”) is one of the best-known titles from Italian horror maestro Dario Argento and helped to cap the short, intense heyday of the Italian giallo picture. The history of Italian cinema is built around trends, with hordes of opportunistic producers chasing any large success by flooding the cinemas with lookalike content. Just as the smash hits A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS (1964) and DJANGO (1966) launched a tidal wave of violent, sweaty  (spaghetti) Italian westerns in the 1960s, the 1970s belonged to the Italian thrillers and early slasher films. Originally spinning off from the works of Alfred Hitchcock—the movie usually considered the first giallo, Mario Bava’s THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1963), was an obvious and unlicensed Hitchcock homage—the giallo genre increased the intensity and cheapness of the thrills, placing their usually-female protagonists in the path of knife-crazed killers, and combining the elements of a whodunit mystery with murder scenes extended beyond belief and buckets upon buckets of blood. Argento made his international name in the genre, and the artistic ambition and style of his films, such as THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (1970), inspired a rash of imitators and launched giallo’s peak in the early 1970s, when it extended into all areas of Italian culture, from film to music and literature. In fact, the term giallo itself means “yellow” and refers to the cheap, yellow covers of the typical Italian pulp slasher novel.

By the time Argento made SUSPIRIA, the giallo picture’s moment was nearly over, and the genre had drifted into some very weird territory by embracing the supernatural. Giallo had always favored style over story. Directors like Argento and Bava realized that the plots of their films were usually too silly or too convoluted to hold an audience, and so they treated the films as exercises in image and technique. For SUSPIRIA, Argento took this philosophy to its logical end, drenching the movie in vivid, saturated colors and horrific, grotesque gore. These elements, combined with the odd twists and turns of its story, give SUSPIRIA a dreamlike quality, like a nightmare you’re only half-aware isn’t real. These elements steer SUSPIRIA away from its exploitation roots and into a cinema of the surreal, a deeply affecting and harrowing journey through a landscape that should make sense, but doesn’t.

Joan Bennett as Madame Blanc in SUSPIRIA (1977)

Backing up this feeling is the film’s famous score, created by the prog rock group Goblin. The infectious, haunting music is as inseparable from the mood and effect of SUSPIRIA as “Tubular Bells” is from THE EXORCIST (1973) or John Carpenter’s main theme from HALLOWEEN (1978), itself heavily inspired by Argento’s work.

SUSPIRIA is an entertaining film, but it’s also an experiment into the effects of extreme cinema on something as primal as the horror movie. Unlike the blunt, mostly artless slasher films it inspired in the states, SUSPIRIA remains one of the prime examples—perhaps THE prime example—of the horror movie as art. There’s been talk of a Hollywood remake for the last several years, but it seems to stall at least in part because the act of remaking a film is largely about the story and the premise, and what makes SUSPIRIA so noteworthy is everything else.

Andrew Kemp is a screenwriter and game writer who started talking about movies in 1984 and got stuck that way. He writes at www.thehollywoodprojects.com and hosts a bimonthly screening series of classic films at theaters around Atlanta.

Buried Alive! Film Fest; Friday, Nov. 9 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 10 4 p.m. – 11 p.m.; Plaza Theatre; Schedule here; Tickets $20 (all access, both days), $5 per programming block, available at Plaza box office.

By Aleck Bennett
Contributing Writer

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into Atlanta’s historic Plaza Theatre, the Buried Alive! Film Fest (BA!FF) returns the weekend of November 9-10 to once again delve into all things horrific and fantastic.

The festival was founded by local horror fiend Luke Godfrey, whom you’ll know as the co-creator of Chambers of Horror (Atlanta’s only adult Halloween attraction) and the award-winning film series Splatter Cinema, as well as being the head undead behind Zombie Walk Atlanta. Buried Alive! Film Fest has proven year after year to be one of the many reasons that Atlanta is recognized as among the horror capitals of the world, and this year proves to be no exception as Festival Director and filmmaker Blake Myers has loaded the schedule with the weird, the wonderful and the outright outrageous.

The festival launches Friday night at 7 p.m. with a suite of shorts under the umbrella “BIZARRO: A Journey Into the Gory.” The program opens and closes with, respectively, two celebrated selections from the 2011 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival: Thomas Nicol’s THE WINDOW INTO TIME and EDGAR ALLAN POE’S “THE RAVEN” from Christopher Saphire and Don Thiel (which was selected by Guillermo del Toro at the HPL Film Festival as one of his favorites). In between, we’re treated to a wide variety of short bursts of terror ranging from a mysterious plunge from London’s streets into the wilderness of Jonathan and Richard Chance’s TIMESLIP to the stop-motion animated skeletons of Theo Pingarelli’s DOPPELGANGER and IDLE WORSHIP.

ABED, directed by Ryan Lieske.

Following the shorts program, the short film ETHEREAL CHRYSALIS sets the stage for the opening double feature of ABED and MANBORG. ABED is based on the controversial short story of the same name by two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author Elizabeth Massie. The film was written and directed by filmmaker Ryan Lieske (CLEAN BREAK, DOWN TO SLEEP, which screened at the 2010 and 2011 BA!FFs) and co-produced by Fangoria scribe Philip Nutman, who also was an associate producer and co-wrote the screenplay for JACK KETCHUM’S THE GIRL NEXT DOOR. Though the movie places us in the midst of a zombie uprising, it primarily centers on the building horror and desperation developing between two living characters: Meggie, whose husband was lost early on, and her mother-in-law who is intent on bringing some normalcy back into this world at any cost. MANBORG, on the other hand, is an over-the-top tribute to blood-soaked 1980s sci-fi/action flicks like ROBOCOP and TERMINATOR. The movie, in which a dead soldier finds himself resurrected as a cyborg killing machine, is the latest insane creation from the collective known as Astron-6, was directed by team member Steven Kostanski and won “Best of Fest” at the 2012 Boston Underground Film Festival.

On Saturday, buckle your theater seatbelts (they make those, right?) for a day chock-full of tasty morsels you won’t want to pass up. It all starts at 4 p.m. with a shorts program dedicated to “Serial Killer and Alternate Universes.” An international smorgasbord of horrific delights awaits you; from the quiet terrors of SILENCE (from Italy’s Angelo and Giuseppe Capasso) to the agoraphobic serial killer of HIM INDOORS (from the UK’s Paul Davis). That’s followed by a delicious selection of “Rotten Peaches,” featuring four short films from local filmmakers.

The poster for Javier Chillon's DECAPODA SHOCK, which screens during Friday's 7 p.m. shorts program.

Saturday night’s feature is a real NAILBITER. The Grand Jury prizewinner for Best Feature Film at Shriekfest 2012, Patrick Rea’s latest feature depicts a woman and her three daughters seeking refuge from an oncoming tornado in the basement of a seemingly abandoned house. However, they soon find that someone—or something—is upstairs and is intent on keeping them trapped below deck.

The festival closes with a real treat for even the most casual of horror film fans: a screening of Dario Argento’s 1977 masterpiece SUSPIRIA. Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Banyon, a newly-arrived ballet student at the celebrated Tanz Akademie of Frieburg, who finds herself ensnared in the machinations of a coven of witches under the leadership of Madame Blanc, played by Joan Bennett. Bennett, best known to horror fans as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard from television’s DARK SHADOWS (and its first big-screen adaptation, 1970’s HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS), returned to the screen after a seven-year absence for this, her final feature film, and brought with her that role’s association with gothic romanticism which was so integral to the series. SUSPIRIA is simultaneously strikingly beautiful and brutal, evocative both of fairy tales and of the hyper-violent gialli of Italian cinema. And it features what is perhaps one of the greatest (if not the single greatest) musical score (composed and performed by the Italian band Goblin) to ever accompany a horror film. In fact, the film is unimaginable without it. (Ed. note: Read our Retro Review by Andrew Kemp here)

A mere $20 for all of this? (And only $5 for each individual block of programming?) It’s the best bargain in town for anyone remotely interested in horror as a genre, much less the hardcore genre fanatic. Tickets are available at the Plaza box office, so stop by and get yours as soon as possible.

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.

NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND (1984) and MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (1988); Dir: Hayao Miyazaki; The Studio Ghibli Collection at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, Fri. Nov. 9 through Thurs. Nov. 15; NAUSICAA plays November 9 at 1:45, 7:00 p.m., and 12:15 a.m.; MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO plays November 11 at 12:15, 5:00, and 9:40 p.m.; showtimes for additional movies here; all films presented in 35mm. NAUSICAA trailer here and MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO trailer here.

By Andrew Kemp
Contributing Writer

Landmark Midtown Art Cinema may not be the center of the known universe, but for film lovers and adventurous families from November 9-15, the theater may certainly feel like it. That’s because the Art Cinema is playing host to an incredibly special event that will see almost the entire Studio Ghibli collection light up the screens, each film proudly offered in an increasingly-elusive 35mm presentation. Some film nuts may just move into the building.

While Ghibli doesn’t have the widespread name recognition in America that, say, Pixar enjoys, Ghibli and co-founder/frequent director Hayao Miyazaki combine to form one of the biggest animation brands in the world, especially in the studio’s home country of Japan where Ghibli’s films routinely break box office records and land major awards. Here in the states, Ghibli films have competed favorably for critical attention with the mighty animation brands of Pixar and Dreamworks, winning the second-ever Best Animated Feature Oscar for SPIRITED AWAY in 2002 and scoring another nomination just a few years later for HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE (2004). In the world of animation, Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are already considered legends, and they’re currently working at the peak of their talents.

So who is Hayao Miyazaki? An animator and artist, Miyazaki was already a 16-year veteran of the Japanese animation industry when he released his first full-length film, THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO (1979), based on the long-running LUPIN III manga and anime TV series. Miyazaki followed that success by moving into the world of manga—Japanese comics—where he created his own series about a girl caught between warring territories in a dying post-apocalyptic world. Miyazaki named his series NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND and he helmed a feature adaptation in 1984 that garnered enormous critical and commercial success in Japan and convinced Miyazaki and co-founders Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki to make the move to their own studio. So, while NAUSICAA is not officially a Studio Ghibli release, all things Ghibli began with that film and it holds a special spot of reverence in the collection.

Likewise, NAUSICAA is one of the crown jewels in the Ghibli film series playing at the Art Cinema because, frankly, it’s so rarely screened. Although widely available on DVD today, the original American release was marred by a lack of respect for the material. NAUSICAA received international distribution before Ghibli had made a name outside of Japan, and local producers didn’t hesitate to make massive cuts and add bad dubs to make the film “palatable” for their audiences. As a result, truly terrible versions of the film still exist out there (including an American hack job called WARRIORS OF THE WIND). Fans can finally see the original cut on 35mm and exactly as Miyazaki intended when NAUSICAA hits the screen on November 9.

Thanks to that highly public Oscar win, SPIRITED AWAY is perhaps Miyazaki’s most well-known film in America, but MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO is arguably his most popular. The third official Studio Ghibli release (and the second directed by Miyazaki), TOTORO is the story of two young girls who move to the country to be closer to their gravely-ill mother. Left largely to their own devices, the girls soon discover that the forest around them is teeming with fantastical creatures who become close companions just as the girls need them the most. Absolutely packed with Miyazaki’s trademark imagination, whimsy, and heart, TOTORO has become something of a signature film for Studio Ghibli, who adopted the film’s primary critter as their studio logo, and for fans who obsess over the film’s compelling fantasy elements (who doesn’t want to ride in a CatBus?) or create their own wild theories as to what it all means. (Don’t click here unless you’re ready for massive spoilers, possible lunacy). Bottom line, it’s hard to go wrong with any Studio Ghibli release, but if you’re only going to make it to one, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO is a must-see.

The film series runs from November 9-15, and while movie fanatics and toon-heads will be arriving en masse, families looking for wholesome entertainment for their children have plenty to be excited about as well, especially parents of young girls. One of the trademarks of Miyazaki and all of Studio Ghibli is the presence of strong, complex, young female lead characters. In an American marketplace that mostly serves a particular princess archetype to girls, Ghibli is powerful counterprogramming. The sisters at the heart of TOTORO and the stoic leader of NAUSICAA are two great examples, but so are the brave heroes of SPIRITED AWAY, KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE (1989), and THE CAT RETURNS (2002). Children seeking action and adventure may take to the war and strong themes of PRINCESS MONONOKE (1997) and younger children will delight in the Ghibli’s PONYO (2008), a sweet-natured take on “The Little Mermaid” story. Just be aware that all films are presented in the original Japanese with English subtitles—many kids will enjoy reading along with the story, and those who can’t will have plenty of visual input to enjoy on the screen, and a lot of engaging questions to ask on the car ride home.

Overall, the Art Cinema’s film series is offering just about every film in Studio Ghibli’s catalog, including the little-seen MY NEIGHBORS THE YAMADAS (1989), a comedy from Takahata that diverges from the usual Studio Ghibli art style into something a bit more experimental. In fact, the only films that the Art Cinema isn’t screening are a few of the most recent Ghibli releases and the hefty post-war drama GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (1988), which is an extremely heavy film and is a bit more comfortable standing alone. Still, any established Ghibli fan or curious newcomer has plenty to choose from, and is highly unlikely to go home disappointed.

Andrew Kemp is a screenwriter and game writer who started talking about movies in 1984 and got stuck that way. He writes at www.thehollywoodprojects.com and hosts a bimonthly screening series of classic films at theaters around Atlanta.

By Zohra Yaqub
Contributing Writer

Monday, Nov. 5

Legendary rock band, The Who, are performing their iconic 1973 album, QUADROPHENIA, at Gwinnett Arena. Tickets prices start at $59.50 and doors open at 6:30 p.m. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam featuring Lola Gulley. Head over to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a hearty serving of BBQ and Dry White Toast.

Tuesday, Nov. 6

Catch Retro cinema classic, SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern. Directed by Billy Wilder and starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. Recent Kool Kat Calu Cordeira mixes tiki libations at Mai Tai Tahitian Tuesday starting at 9 p.m. at the Dark Horse Tavern. Grab your horn and head over to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session starting at 9 p.m. J.T. Speed rocks the blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack or you can blues it down with Nathan Nelson & Entertainment Crackers at Northside Tavern.

Wednesday, Nov. 7

Where’s your Heart? Go find it at the Fox Theater at 7:30 p.m. and rock out to these Barracudas of the ’80s. Watch DIARY OF A DECADE (2011) at the Plaza Theater to learn about the cultural legends and innovators of soul music through the 1980s through the early 2000s.  Featuring appearances by Cornel West, Cee Lo Green, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, George Clinton, Roy Ayers and many others, the film takes you on a journey through the Atlanta underground music scene. Film Love Presents: Empty Quarter and the 16mm Documentary Film, a film by Alain LeTourneau and Pam Minty, is at 489 Edgewood. This portrait of southeast Oregon is marked by a series of striking visual compositions contrasting the region’s natural spaces with the mammoth industries that continually threaten to overwhelm them. Check out the high energy jazz sounds of the Jacob Deaton Trio at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint at 6:30 p.m. Boogie down to Mary’s and enjoy a night of Disco in the Village. Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at Graveyard Tavern. Frankie’s Blues Mission are on a mission to bring blues, jazz, R&B and zydeco to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack and Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck blues it down at Northside Tavern.

Thursday, Nov. 8

Enjoy a night of retro rock ‘n’ roll with a twist of jump blues and classic R&B with JD McPherson at The Earl. Read Slim’s Retro Review of JD’s latest album here. Strip down Ponce and head over to Clermont Lounge to catch the rockabilly sounds of Kool Kats Ghost Riders Car Club perform at 9 p.m. Head over to the Strand Theater at 8 p.m. to watch 96 MINUTES (2011), directed by Aimee Lagos and filmed in Marietta, the film is inspired by the true story of four lives slammed together in one shocking moment. Catch another screening of this week’s retro cinema classic, SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959), at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern. It’s a dance-off! Come down to Hand in Hand for the famous Midnight 80s and 90s dance contest. Eat, drink and play a classic game with an adult spin every Thursday night as Mon Cherie presents Mad Lib-Ations, starting at 7 p.m. at the Corner Tavern in Little 5 Points. The fun-filled night includes games and prizes from some of the city’s most fun Retro retailers, Psychobilly Freakout and punk faves spun by The Right Reverend Andy and a raffle. Relax with a tropical cocktail at vintage tiki bar Trader Vic’s where Tongo Hiti plays Retro-Polynesian luxurious live lounge sounds, as well as trippy takes on iconic pop songs, every Thursday night. The Breeze Kings and Chickenshack bring on the blues respectively at Northside Tavern and Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Plectophilia plays Bluegrass Thursday at Red Light Cafe starting at 9 p.m., but come early and bring your own instruments for a locals jam at 7 p.m. Mike Z Trio honkytonks it up at Big Tex, and Bob Page plays the blues at The Family Dog.

Friday, Nov. 9

Suffering from Halloween withdrawl? Drag yourself over to the Plaza Theater this weekend to watch the Buried Alive Film Festival.  From the twisted minds that brought you Splatter Cinema and the Atlanta Zombie Walk, the Buried Alive Film Fest is striving to promote underground filmmaking in the Southeast and beyond while providing Atlanta with the best indie horror has to offer. Read our exclusive preview soon. Artifice Club maestro and Really Retro DJ Doctor Q presents Fascination at XS Ultra Lounge.  Three rooms of music, dancing and fun bring the new Electro Swing trend to Atlanta, it will be a blend of old and new with a degree of sex appeal and style like nothing else. Folk rock band, Lindsay Rakers Band, is having a party at Star Bar at 9 p.m. for their Heartless Woman CD release. Also playing will be the boot-stomping Kool Kat Julea (Thomerson) and her Dear Johns and the soulful grooves of Saint Francis. Head over to Big Tex Cantina to check out Patience Grasshopper or head over to Northside Tavern if you are looking for a night of blues with Johnny McGowan & Grinder Nova. Kool Kat Kayla Taylor will be performing a soulful mix of jazz standards under the dinosaurs at Fernbank Museum of Natural History Martinis & IMAX.

Saturday, Nov. 10

Support a good cause at A Tribute to Ray Price featuring Kool Kat Caroline & The Ramblers, The Blacktop Rockets, AM Gold (featuring Kool Kat Joel Burkhart), Slim Chance & The Convicts and Buck O-Five at Star Bar in Little 5 Points. All proceeds benefit the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta, and there will be a raffle for gift certificates to some of Atlanta’s favorite local restaurants. Watch local shorts, more features and Dario Argento’s horror classic SUSPIRIA presented by Splatter Cinema as part of the Buried Alive Film Festival at the Plaza Theater. Read our Retro Review soon. Alliance Française d’Atlanta presents: Georges Méliès Film Concert at the High Museum of Art at 7 p.m. Méliès, whose life story was depicted in Martin Scorsese’s academy award winning film, HUGO, is celebrated as one of the founders of filmmaking and special effects. Couldn’t attend the Country Music Awards last week? Head over to 120 Tavern & Music Hall for the Georgia Country Awards at 6:30 p.m. Winners perform live! Catch a rare screening of TEN MINUTES TO LIVE (1932) directed by Oscar Micheaux and starring Lawrence Chenault, A. B. DeComathiere and Laura Bowman, as part of the ongoing Saturday MOMA AMERICAN INDIES series at the High Museum of Art. Southern rock band, Slim Chickens, play The Music Room at 9:30 p.m. Grab a slice of pie at Shorty’s Pizza in Tucker and sit back and enjoy the old school sounds of the Wayback Band. Scat on down to Big Tex Cantina in downtown Decatur at 7 p.m. to check out the Tommy Dean Trio as they play favorites from The Rat Pack, classic soul, and great American songbook standards. And as usual, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Social Distortion

Sunday, Nov. 11

Don’t miss the unique and time-tested brand of punk of Social Distortion at The Tabernacle! Promoting their latest album, HARD TIMES AND NURSERY RHYMES, the show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $30. Enjoy a bluegrass brunch at Big Tex Cantina with City Hotel. Tony Bryant rocks the blues at Fat Matt’s, and Uncle Sugar blues it down at Northside Tavern. Enjoy some hangover-friendly live music with Virginia Plane playing dunch at 1 p.m. at The Earl.

Ongoing

The Plaza Theater presents Hitchcock Month! Classic Hitchcock movies are remastered in high definition. Movies play every weekend in November thru December 2.

Every Tuesday and Thursday night is Retro Cinema at Movie Tavern. Check out these classics on the big screen weekly at 7:30 p.m.

Visit the High Museum of Art to see the Fast Forward: Modern Moments exhibit featuring artistic development from the past 100 years, 1913-2013. Artists include Henri Matisse, Salvador Dalí, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jeff Koons. Closes January 10, 2013

Take retro to another level at the Genghis Khan special exhibition at Fernbank Museum of National History.  Closes January 21, 2013.

By Aleck Bennett
Contributing Writer

With November upon us and the gusts of the coming winter already chilling our bones, what better time than now to pay tribute to the king of spine-tingling thrillers, Sir Alfred Hitchcock? Thanks to the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta and Marietta’s Earl Smith Strand Theatre, you can spend some quality time this month with the Master of Suspense in his preferred setting: on the big screen and even better – remastered and in high definition!

Atlanta’s historic Plaza Theatre’s series promises special guests and vintage Hitchcock interview footage before each screening (show times TBA). They kick off the month with 1948’s James Stewart-starring ROPE, showing November 2-4. Hitchcock’s first color film, ROPE was based on the infamous 1924 Leopold and Loeb “perfect murder” scandal and seemingly unfolds in one continuous take. (Actually, it was shot in 10 shorter segments, with editing trickery covering up the fact that the cameraman would have to change the film magazine every 10 minutes.)

Up next is the film that ushered in what is now considered Hitch’s golden age—1951’s STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, showing November 16-18. The tense story of two men—played by Farley Granger and Robert Walker—who agree (the former, however, unwittingly) to “swap” targets of murder, the film contains some of Hitch’s most inventive and still-studied optical effects.

The Plaza follows this with a weekend of VERTIGO, showing November 23-25. Frequent Hitch collaborator James Stewart returns to star with Kim Novak in this 1958 tale of madness and obsession. A critical and commercial flop at the time of its release, the movie today is acknowledged as one of Hitchcock’s most personal films and topped the British Film Institute’s 2012 Sight & Sound critic’s poll as the greatest film ever made.

The Plaza closes out the month as THE BIRDS attack the coastal city of Bodega Bay from November 30 to December 2. The 1963 film stars Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor, and was based both on a Daphne du Maurier short story and an actual case of birds infesting a California town. Though it was scored by Hitch’s frequent composer Bernard Herrmann, you’ll note that no actual music (aside from schoolchildren singing unaccompanied) is heard. Instead, Herrmann layers the soundtrack with electronically-created bird noises.

The Earl Smith Strand Theatre opens this month’s continuation of its series (all events begin at 8 p.m.) with a November 2 screening of THE BIRDS (tickets here). The pre-show entertainment starts with organist Misha Stefanuk (of the Atlanta Chapter of the American Theater Organ Society, or ACATOS) accompanying vocalists Kennedy Bastow and Cierra Ollis.

On November 16, the Strand brings us what is perhaps Hitchcock’s best-known film, 1960’s PSYCHO (tickets here). The story of a boy (Anthony Perkins), his mother and the girl who threatens to come between them (Janet Leigh), the film was shot at the studios used for ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS and was independently produced by Hitchcock on a small budget. The famous “shower scene” took an entire week to shoot and contains 77 different camera angles.

The Strand closes its Hitchcock series with 1959’s NORTH BY NORTHWEST (tickets here). Cary Grant comes as close to playing James Bond as he ever got in the role of Roger O. Thornhill, one of the “Mad Men” of Madison Avenue’s advertising world, who finds himself mistaken for a secret agent and pursued across the country. Besides the film being recognized as one of Hitch’s best (and on a personal note, I’d say it’s also his most fun), GQ magazine voted Cary Grant’s gray suit (which he wears almost throughout the entire film) as the best suit in film history.

So escape the frosty autumn air this November for some big-screen chills and thrills with these Hitchcock classics. And keep your eyes peeled for Hitch’s cameos!

Editor’s Note: Remember every time you shell out a few bucks to see a classic movie on the big screen, you are keeping the theatrical experience alive in vintage independent cinemas that are Atlanta-area historic treasures. ATLRetro will be running separate reviews/essays on some of these films. 

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