ATLRetro

Friday, August 26

Nophest 2011 rocks 529, The Earl and Joe’s in East Atlanta tonight from 7 p.m. on, including plenty of garage, blues, alt and bands with cool Retro-inspired names like Swank Sinatra and MataHaris. All-female Elvis tribute band The Pelvis Breastlies, Japanese-monster-inspired garage group Gargantua, hard rockers Ledfoot Messiah and whiskey-fueled rock rebels The Six Shot Revival make for a sizzling pop culture-fueled Friday night at the Star Bar. It’s the popular Tango Nightat Callanwolde. Come at 8 p.m. for lessons with Tango Rio, or at 9 p.m., just for a dance party in the vintage mansion.  The Breeze Kings bring on the blues at Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. The Rockaholics play blues, classic rock and soul at Fat Matt’s. Whiskey Belt honky-tonks it up at Hottie Hawg’s. CineProv! trips up THE RUNNING MAN, the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger actioner based on a Stephen King novel, at Relapse Theatre.

GSU’s Cinefest celebrates its 20th anniversary with special screenings of two ’90s cult classics with plenty of Retro spirit, PULP FICTION and TRAINSPOTTING. Friday showtimes are 6:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. respectively.  DOCTOR ZHIVAGO graces the big screen at art-deco Marietta movie palace, the Earl Smith Strand Theatre.

Whiskey Belt.

Saturday August 27

Get outdoors and enjoy live music, vendors, Corks and Forks – A Fine Food and Wine Event, a 5K run and kids’ activities in one of Atlanta’s oldest parks during the 9th Annual Grant Park Summer Shade Festival. Sat. band highlights include one-of-a-kind ’60s/’70s/’80s AOR tribute band AM Gold at 7 p.m. and one of our favorite local country duos Whiskey Belt at 5:30 p.m.

V.A.M.P. it up at the Vintage Apparel Marketplace, a vendors showcase organized by Pony Up! Vintage from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Scott Lowden Photography Studio in Poncey-Highland. Good Food Truck will provide tasty vittles, and Sweet Darlin’ Photography will take vintage photos. Watch for a Shop Around preview with co-hostess Jacqueline Stringham soon.

H.P. Lovecraft meets Boris Karloff in DIE, MONSTER, DIE (1965), this month’s Silver Scream Spookshowcreature feature at the Plaza Theatre. OK, it’s light on the Lovecraft but this mad scientist tale of a radioactive meteorite that mutates plant and animal life is fiendish fun and a cult classic. Plus it’s preceded by 30 minutes by another of Ghost Host with the Most Professor Morte‘s horror-ifically humorous pre-shows. Be there or be scared. Kids under 12 get in free to the 1 p.m. matinee (adults only $7) or stay up late for the 10 p.m. adult show. Tune back later this week for our Retro Review by long-time Fangoriawriter Philip Nutman. Also screening today is a rare 35 mm print of 1970 horror cult classic EQUINOX at 3 p.m. at Cinefest, along with more 20th anniversary screenings of PULP FICTION and TRAINSPOTTING. And it’s one enchanted evening with SOUTH PACIFIC on the big screen at 8 p.m. at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre.

Nophest 2011 continues to rock 529, The Earl, Joe’s, and Eastside Lounge in East Atlanta today from 3 p.m. on, with more garage, blues, alt and more, including ATLRetro retrobilly faves The Serenaders (Joe’s, 5 p.m.). You don’t have to wait till Drive Invasion next weekend to party with that event’s most notorious cocktail-hounds. Trailer Vic’s Beach Party promises a tiki hut, rug-cutting good time at The Earl with multiple musical acts spanning a variety of Retro-groovy sounds, including rock to the max from The Booze, Goth-Rockabilly Troubadour sounds from Dan Sartain, local garage favorites Ghost Bikini, all-star Astro-chimp superstars The Disasternauts, surf sounds from Grinder Nova, Os Ossos playing next to a pool with actual beach sand in the parking lot behind, and more. Oh yeah, there’ll be cocktails. Pool opens at 2 p.m., bands start at 3 p.m.

Mudcat plays Northside Tavern.  Cazanovas bring Chicago style blues to Hottie Hawg’s BBQ. And of course, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours.

Sunday August 28

Another great silent movie FLESH AND THE DEVIL (1926), starring Greta Garbo in her first American screen appearance, plays at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre. While not as big and ornate as the Fox, the Strand, built in 1935, nevertheless is another stunning art deco venue to see a classic film with its own Mighty Allen Theatre Organ and Ron Carter providing the score live. In fact, for preserving a 1920s tradition, Ron is this week’s Kool Kat.

Meanwhile, over at the Fabulous Fox, the Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival closes out with a 70th anniversary screening of the Orson Welles classic CITIZEN KANE at 7:30 p.m.; arrive by 7 p.m. not to miss the Mighty Mo organ singalong, cartoon and classic newsreel. The 9th Annual Grant Park Summer Shade Festival continues with Ghost Riders Car Club hitting the festival stage at 2 p.m. Read ATLRetro’s Feb. Kool Kat with Spike Fullerton here. Lots of other great local bands, so be sure to check the Website for the complete schedule. Whiskey Belt plays blues “dunch” between 1-4 PM at The Earl. Watch for his interview soon. Kevn Kinney, of Drivin n Cryin, plays a solo gig at Park Tavern.  Tony Bryant reps four generations of Georgia blues at Fat Matt’s.

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Monday August 22

The innovative black-and-white films of Jim Jarmusch were one of the inspirations for TAKEN IN, South Carolina filmmaker Chris White‘s indie feature about an estranged father and daughter set at the kitschy Pedro’s South of the Border resort, which screens tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Plaza Theatre. White and other crew members will be on hand for a Q&A. Read his own musings about the many Retro influences on this movie in his guest blog post here.

 

 

Artists and photographers, get a sneak peek and craft your images at the unusual set of the stage production of bestselling author Neil Gaiman‘s SNOW, GLASS, APPLES on a special Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School field trip to the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market tonight. The show starts Wed. but you can read a preview here from director/playwright Lisa Stock, who is also co-hostess of Dr. Sketchy’s Atlanta. From 3 PM on, savor tropical sounds and libations, as well as a Polynesian dinner during Mai Tai Monday at Smith’s Olde Bar. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam.

Tuesday August 23

Grab your horn and head to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session starting at 9 PM. Crosstown All Stars play Southern rock and blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Notorious DJ Romeo Cologne spins ‘70s funk and disco at 10 High in Virginia-Highland. Catch Tues. Retro in the Metro nights at Midtown’s Deadwood Saloon, featuring video mixes of ’80s, ’90s and 2Ks hits.

Wednesday  August 24

Carrie Anne Hunt as the Snow White Princess in Lisa Stock's play of Neil Gaiman's SNOW, GLASS, APPLES, which opens Aug. 24.

 

SNOW, GLASS, APPLES, an immersive stage production based on bestselling author Neil Gaiman‘s dark vampiric retelling of SNOW WHITE, starts tonight at the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market. Read our Really Retro interview with playwright/ director Lisa Stock here. Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at Graveyard Tavern. Frankie’s Blues Missionbring the blues to Fat Matt’s Rib Shackand Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck blues it down at Northside Tavern respectively. Dance to ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s hits during Retro in the Metro Wednesdays presented by Godiva Vodka, at Pub 71 in Brookhaven.

Thursday  August 25

Experience a silent classic as if you saw it back in the 1920s at Atlanta’s own movie palace, the Fabulous Fox tonight. Organist Clark Wilson plays the soundtrack of THE MARK OF ZORRO (1920), starring vintage heart-throb Douglas Fairbanks, on the Mighty Mo. The film rolls at 7:30 p.m., but be sure to come a half-hour early for sing-a-long and cartoon, or at 5:30 p.m. for a wine tasting. For a completely different kind of classic cinema experience, catch what our contributing blogger Dean Treadway calls “The greatest car chase movie in history,” the original GONE IN 60 SECONDS (1974) in a rare 35 mm print screening at GSU’s Cinefest. Read Dean’s full Retro Review here. Go Retro-Polynesian to Tongo Hiti’s luxurious live lounge sounds, as well as trippy takes on iconic pop songs, every Thurs. night at TraderVic’s. Party ‘70s style with DJ Romeo Cologne at Aurum Lounge. Breeze Kings & Chickenshack bring on the blues respectively at Northside Tavern and Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.

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Chris Herzog
Contributing Writer

 

Welcome to Apes on Film! This column exists to scratch your retro-film-in-high-definition itch. We’ll be reviewing new releases of vintage cinema and television on disc of all genres, finding gems and letting you know the skinny on what to avoid. Here at Apes on Film, our aim is to uncover the best in retro film. As we dig for artifacts, we’ll do our best not to bury our reputation. What will we find out here? Our destiny.

 

FEAR IS THE KEY—1972
5 out of 5 Bananas
Starring: Barry Newman, Suzy Kendell, John Vernon, Ben Kingsley
Director: Michael Tuchner
Rated: PG
Studio: Arrow Video
Region: A
BRD Release Date: February 13, 2024
Audio Formats: MPEG-4 AVC
Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 2.34:1
Run Time: 105 Min.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER

 

FEAR IS THE KEY is rife with surprises, and too snug a review could ruin the viewing experience. Let’s just get that out of the way right now. Instead of plot specifics, let’s talk about some other stuff in the movie.  First of all, it contains a fantastic car chase. Stunt coordinator Carey Loftin did the driving here; he also did the chases in VANISHING POINT, THE FRENCH CONNECTION, DUEL, and even THE LOVE BUG. Loftin is one of the unsung heroes of action sequences, and FEAR is another notch on his belt. Sure, Barry Newman and Suzy Kendell are fine, but damn… that chase! There are various twists and turns, with the film ending up in a submarine—actually, it’s a bathyscaphe, but why split hairs. Once again, I’m staying away from the plot on purpose.

We can talk about Alistair MacLean, at least a little bit. I remember stacks of the Scottish writer’s novels everywhere at the bookstores and the airport gift shops when I was younger. These mid-century potboilers usually had to do with various plots to assassinate, overthrow, destroy or steal Macguffins of various stripes, and several included themes of underwater suspense. Many of them became fine movies, like THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, ICE STATION ZEBRA, and of course WHERE EAGLES DARE. In this film, everything clicks together in typical MacLean-ian fashion. No spoilers!

This picture has a great cast as well, many at the height of their powers. Newman had just finished VANISHING POINT and seemingly jumped right out of that and into the next car. Kendell was probably tired of all these Gialos (THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, TORSO, SPASMO). This was certainly a change of pace for her. The villains are first-rate too. John Vernon is always great—and pretty much the same, whether he’s in DIRTY HARRY, SAVAGE STREETS, or ANIMAL HOUSE.  Villain #2 is a young Ben Kinglsey. He had done a lot of British television, but this was his first film—and then he went back to TV and didn’t return for ten years at which point GANDHI was released, and he swept out of nowhere to grab the Academy Award™ for Best Actor.  Everyone is on their game here.

Much of the picture was shot on location in Louisiana’s Gulf Coast, while most of the sets were done in England at Bray Studios. As it turns out, most of these folks are British, including the director, much of the cast, and the visual effects crew. American accents are mostly on point with an exception; Kendall didn’t really make the grade here, as she tries and fails to sound like a Southern American heiress. A false note, but not sounded by the loudest instrument in the orchestra. There are too many other wonderful things going on here. An unsung hero is Derek Meddings for his miniature and special effects work. Meddings work was just as good as any onscreen at the time and ever since, frankly. Starting with the Supermarionation series in England like THUNDERBIRDS and STINGRAY, he began working with Gerry and Sylvia Anderson  providing highly memorable visual effects. He became one of the best special effects designers in the world, creating work for various James Bond pictures, the SUPERMAN franchise, and BATMAN.

Arrow’s presentation is rather attractive and articulate. The video quality looks very good, as should be expected. The audio has a nice mono sound that gets the job done. This definitely needed a good, thorough commentary, and Howard S. Berger delivers. He’s almost always great, and this is no exception. Berger takes a deep dive here, and he gives all the answers to the questions you’ll be asking and more. There’s also a visual essay with the author Scout Tafoya. In addition, we also have two fairly long archive interviews from the crew members and the associate producer. Finally, the composer, Roy Budd, gets his own featurette. Budd was always different, with plenty of jazz chops. GET CARTER was arguably his best work, but FEAR IS THE KEY was right behind it. Music historian Neil Brand puts it all together for us.

There are a few more bells and whistles, particularly in this limited edition. We have an illustrated collector’s booklet, featuring the writer Sean Hogan. Of course, there’s also a trailer—and finally, artist Nathanael Marsh has created some sweet new artwork for the sleeve, as well as a poster. If you prefer the original poster artwork for display, it’s on the opposite side of the sleeve. All in all, FEAR IS THE KEY is an outstanding film, and worth the price of the disc for the movie alone. Everything else is cherries on top.

 

 

 

When he’s not casually shuffling across dry creek beds, Chris Herzog is a writer, researcher, and teacher. His film criticism can also be found in Screem magazine and back issues of the late, lamented Video WatcH*Dog.

Ape caricature art by Richard Smith.

by Anthony Taylor
Contributing Writer

 

Welcome to Apes on Film! This column exists to scratch your retro-film-in-high-definition itch. We’ll be reviewing new releases of vintage cinema and television on disc of all genres, finding gems and letting you know the skinny on what to avoid. Here at Apes on Film, our aim is to uncover the best in retro film. As we dig for artifacts, we’ll do our best not to bury our reputation. What will we find out here? Our destiny.

 

 

 

INVADERS FROM MARS – 1953
4 out of 5 Bananas
Starring: Helena Carter , Arthur Franz , Jimmy Hunt , Leif Erickson , Morris Ankrum
Director: William Cameron Menzies
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Ignite Films
Region: A
BRD Release Date: December 16, 2022 – Also available on 4K UHD
Audio Formats: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Video Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Resolution: 1080p HD
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Run Time: 78 minutes
CLICK HERE TO ORDER

 

In 1953, the “Red Scare” was in full swing and Hollywood got busy processing the zeitgeist through filters of monster attacks, giant bug infestations, and alien invasions on film. Anti-communist sentiment was seeping into every aspect of life, and the cold war mentality became de rigeur for Americans of all ages. One thing we could all depend on was that the government, police, military, and especially our parents had our best interests in mind and stood ready to protect us from all comers, right? Right?

Not in INVADERS FROM MARS. Director William Cameron Menzies’ take on mid-century anti-commie allegory scared the bejesus out of every kid that sat through a film house matinee on a Saturday, saw it on television years later, and even – I have to admit – watched a high definition restored Blu-ray of it as an adult.

Little David (Jimmy Hunt) MacLean wakes up during a storm at night to see an eerie green flying saucer land behind a hill in a field beyond his backyard. Father Leif Erickson goes to investigate and disappears. When he returns, it’s clear he has been… turned. He swats David for back-talking, stares sternly into the middle distance just beyond the camera, and can hardly wait to take his wife out to the field so that she can be turned as well. As David tries to warn his neighbors, the buried saucer, and its alien crew, suck more and more of them under the sand, including the Chief of Police and other authority figures.

Menzie’s dreamy production design (which the film comes by honestly) is a wonder unto itself. Supersaturated colors cast the impressionist sets into a chiaroscuro landscape right out of a Gustave Doré etching. Infinity ceilings and impossibly long hallways accentuate the clutching panic that grows for David as everyone he turns to for help has already become “the enemy.” Eventually, he is believed by social worker Carter and astronomer Franz who rally the troops to assault the alien invaders.

It’s not hard to see the kind of impact this film had on young viewers, many of whom grew into young adults in the mid-1960s and changed the world by questioning authority and speaking truth to power here in America. It may as well have been the seed planted for many members of the counterculture, and if so, Menzies’ powers of suggestion were greater than he ever knew. An illustrator and designer who worked on many classic films with his name above the credits, INVADERS FROM MARS is his master work as a director.

Ignite Films pulled out all the stops for their presentation of the film on Blu-ray (and 4K UHD), starting with a truly impressive restoration from the surviving original film elements and even a few scenes from dupe prints for a new 4K scan. The picture has never looked so good, with saturation and film grain balanced well, and black levels well stabilized. The Master Audio mono sound mix is robust and translates both music, dialog, and sound effects nicely. Supplemental materials are abundant with featurettes on the restoration, interviews with Hunt and others, a round table style discussion with film directors John Landis, Joe Dante, editor Mark Goldblatt , special visual effects artist and two time Oscar Winner Robert Skotak (foremost expert on the film), and enthusiast and film preservationist Scott MacQueen, and much more including a twenty page booklet written by MacQueen. My copy even came with a pin-back button of the head (literally) Martian!

This package elevates Ignite Films to a new level in the pantheon of media distributors. Here’s hoping its success spurs them on to other such projects. INVADERS FROM MARS is my choice for restoration of the year for 2022.

 

 

Anthony Taylor is not only the Minister of Science, but also Defender of the Faith. His reviews and articles have appeared in magazines such as Screem, Fangoria, Famous Monsters of Filmland, SFX, Video WatcH*Dog, and many more.

 

Ape caricature art by Richard Smith.

by Anthony Taylor
Contributing Writer

 

Welcome to Apes on Film! This column exists to scratch your retro-film-in-high-definition itch. We’ll be reviewing new releases of vintage cinema and television on disc of all genres, finding gems and letting you know the skinny on what to avoid. Here at Apes on Film, our aim is to uncover the best in retro film. As we dig for artifacts, we’ll do our best not to bury our reputation. What will we find out here? Our destiny.

 

 

BATTLE OF THE WORLDS (Il Pianeta Degli Uomini Spenti) – 1961
2.5 out of 5 Bananas
Starring: Claude Rains , Bill Carter , Umberto Orsini , Maya Brent
Director: Antonio Margheriti (as Anthony Dawson)
Rated: Unrated
Studio: The Film Detective
Region: A
BRD Release Date: August 9, 2022
Audio Formats: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
Video Codec: MPEG-4 AVC (29.28 Mbps)
Resolution: 1080p HD
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Run Time: 84 minutes
CLICK HERE TO ORDER

 

Antonio Margheriti worked as a model maker and special effects artist while making the transition to Director, and his talent for creating dynamic space battles is on display in BATTLE OF THE WORLDS. In his second outing in the big chair, Margheriti delivers a film high on concept but low on coherent storytelling; his directing skills were still being honed, and it shows. With a penchant for working with maquette and models, his lack of experience with actors is obvious – especially in relation to his star, Claude Rains.

Rains had recently starred as Prof. Challenger in Irwin Allen‘s production of  THE LOST WORLD, but was nearing the end of his career. An over-the-top personality, Rains was set loose on a cast of Italian actors and English-speaking bit players and literally chews them up and spits them out all over the screen. It’s like watching a lawnmower approaching a litter of puppies in some scenes. Both director and actor had brighter days ahead; Rains was yet to appear in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, and Margheriti had better fish to fry in films like THE WILD, WILD PLANET, TAKE A HARD RIDE, and WEB OF THE SPIDER, just to name a few.

The “Outsider,” an interstellar satellite on a collision course with Earth, proves to be a planetoid-sized mothership filled with hostile flying saucers bent on destroying our defense forces so that the alien controllers can colonize our planet. Dr. Benson (Rains) has plans to stop them, but will only share them if he is given complete control of the task force charged with combatting the invasion. It’s all highly melodramatic and the conclusion is a bit disappointing to all involved, but there are definitely entertaining moments in the film. The art direction by Umberta Cesarano —on a shoestring budget— is colorful and appealing, as might be expected in an Italian sci-fi film of the era. Music by Mario Migliardi  is atonal and unsettling, which works some of the time and annoys just as often.

The Film Detective’s presentation of the film is a definite improvement in terms of picture and sound quality than previous releases, but is problematic on other fronts. Approximately nine minutes that was included in a previous DVD release from Reel Vault seems to be missing and, to be honest, this Blu-ray is rife with jump cuts throughout. Though created from a new 4K scan of the source material, the source was a 35mm print that itself needed restoration, though provided the best quality elements that could be found. Though the packaging claims it is “newly restored”, there are numerous analog artifacts present from the original source. I suspect that The Film Detective did in fact do some audio restoration to smooth the dialog during the jump cuts, and possibly ran the new master through several A.I. filters for stabilization purposes.

While I do understand their dilemma regarding a full restoration- which should include new color timing to correct a visible red shift due to the source print’s Eastman-color film stock, as well as a total audio remix – is there enough of an audience for this film to make the cost of restoration commercially viable? It’s hard to say. Should the film be preserved? Absolutely. But as a less than classic offering in the genre, does it warrant a stem-to-stern restoration? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

The disc also includes a new featurette from Ballyhoo Motion Pictures, “A Cinematic Outsider: The Fantastical Worlds of Antonio Margheriti” (HD; 30:38) with historian and critic Tim Lucas discussing the director’s oeuvre, as well as a new feature length commentary from author Justin Humphreys. Both are well put together and informative, and worth viewing.

 

 

Anthony Taylor is not only the Minister of Science, but also Defender of the Faith. His reviews and articles have appeared in magazines such as Screem, Fangoria, Famous Monsters of Filmland, SFX, Video WatcH*Dog, and many more.

 

 Ape caricature art by Richard Smith.

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

We at ATLRetro care about your health and well-being, so This Week we are bringing you our next installment filled with a week’s worth of hootenannies and shenanigans you can experience straight from your couch and/or safely socially distanced (One helluva hybrid)!

Tuesday, September 21

Take a walk on the supernatural side of science as ghostlike figures creep out of the shadows and otherworldly creatures seemingly grow out of the ground during Fernbank’s annual Woodland Spirits Event through Nov. 7! Get folk-rocked with Big Thief at The Eastern! Get your history fix and catch HAMILTON at The Fox Theatre! Legendary folk singer-songwriter Jonathan Edwards returns with a self-penned new album, RIGHT WHERE I AM! Stay Free Recordings releases BARMY LSD ARMY from acclaimed British street artist and Electronic musician Charles Uzzell Edwards!

Wednesday, September 22

Head on over to The Highlander for Christopher Lloyd-Themed Trivia on the patio! Get your history fix and catch HAMILTON at The Fox Theatre! Get your Swing fix in the comfort of your own home every Wednesday, with WE Swing Dance’s Online Dance at 7pm! Or swing on down to 57th Fighter Group Restaurant for West Coast Swing Wednesdays at 6:30pm! Get jazzy and live stream (or in person) the Gordon Vernick Quartet hosted by the Red Light Café at 9pm! Drive-By Truckers‘ Jay Gonzalez shares duet with Michael Cerveris, “Crying Through the Wall” streaming now with new album, BACK TO THE HIVE out now! New-Wave it up with Ronna Reason’s single “American Queen” and check out her self-titled debut EP! James Levy shares a new single and video, “Fool” from forthcoming LP SOLDIER out on Side Hustle Records! Stay Free Recordings has just released a new collaboration and single, “Consequences Coming,” from punk pioneer and former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock and gamed guitarist Earl Slick!  

Thursday, September 23

Spend the night with Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers at The Eastern! Get rocked with Luxury, Unwed Sailor and more at The Earl! Make your way to Landmark’s Midtown Art Cinema for a screening of OASIS KNEBWORTH 1996 at 7pm! Join GPB and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library for their online event, In Their Own Words: Jimmy Carter at 7pm! Get your Americana fix with Charley Crockett at the Variety Playhouse! Get your history fix and catch HAMILTON at The Fox Theatre! Check out Jazz Beat Productions’ new podcast, Doc’s Jazz Beat with host Doc Robinson! Boogie down during the 80s Alternative New Wave Synth Pop online event every Thursday at 10pm! Don’t Go Into the Cellar Theatre Company presents their online Pod-Casket 11, every Thursday at 4pm! 

Friday, September 24

Stomp on over to the Variety Playhouse for a night with Paul Thorn! Funk it up with the Mike Veal Band at Napoleon’s! Get spun right round at the Heretic’s The G8TIES 80’s Dance Party! Spook on over to the Aurora Theatre for the Lawrenceville Ghost Tours, through Oct. 31! Get your history fix and catch HAMILTON at The Fox Theatre! Make your way to the High Museum and check out their exhibit “Really Free: The Radical Art of Nellie Mae Rowe” through Jan. 9! Cold Weather Co. releases new LP/EP/Video COALESCENCE out today Via Deko Entertainment! Catch BritPop on the patio at The Marlay House! Time Warp it up with Lips Down on Dixie at the Plaza Theatre’s screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at 10pm! DJ FernandoF brings you Flashback Friday, with a live video blend of 70s, 80s, 90s and more at Hot Betty’s Breakfast Bar in Tucker!

Saturday, September 25

Skank on over to the Atlanta Civic Center (outdoors presented by The Masquerade) for a night with the Dropkick Murphys, Rancid and more! Boogie on down to the East Atlanta Strut featuring live tunes with Mausiki Scales & the Common Ground Collective, the Buteco Samba Band, Cody Matlock and more, 12pm – 9pm! Rock out with Cracker at Eddie’s Attic (2 shows)! We want our two dollars! B-Movie Bonfire presents an online screening of GUN CRAZY (1950) at 9pm! Catch a Free Online Riff of BETTER OFF DEAD at 9pm! The Fernbank takes a deep monstrous dive with their Sea Monsters event at 10am! Honky tonk on over to The Earl for a night with Evan Stepp & The Piners, Ben Trickey and Georgie Harris! Jam it up with Mulholland (Tom Petty tribute) and Frankly Scarlett (Grateful Dead tribute) at Broad Street Station in Douglasville at their Grateful Dead Night! Get your history fix and catch HAMILTON at The Fox Theatre! Strand Marietta Movie Night gets retro with a screening of Michael Curtiz’s CASABLANCA (1942) at 8pm! Make your way to the Outer Space at Waller’s Coffee Shop for their Artist Market Saturday event, every Saturday from 10am – 2pm, with live music! The Beverly Atlanta brings you their I Still Love the 90s Brunch Party every Saturday!

Sunday, September 26

Make your way to the Historic Oakland Cemetery for Sunday in the Park featuring Tunes from the Tombs, headlined by The Original Wailers and Jupiter Coyote from 12pm – 9:30pm! Get your history fix and catch HAMILTON at The Fox Theatre! Sixties/ seventies-inspired indie popper, Stacey, shares new single and video, “Strange (But I Like it),” out now! Swedish psychedelic indie-rock outfit La Fleur Fatale release anniversary single and music video, ”Skydancer!”

by Anthony Taylor
Contributing Writer

Welcome to Apes on Film! This column exists to scratch your retro-film-in-high-definition itch. We’ll be reviewing new releases of vintage cinema and television on disc of all genres, finding gems and letting you know the skinny on what to avoid. Here at Apes on Film, our aim is to uncover the best in retro film. As we dig for artifacts, we’ll do our best not to bury our reputation. What will we find out here? Our destiny.

VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA – 1961
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 50th Anniversary Edition
5 out of 5 Bananas
Format: Compact Disc
Music by: Paul Sawtell, Bert Shefter
Album Producer: Nick Redmond
Liner Notes: Randall D. Larson
Label: La-La Land Records
Tracks: 16
Run Time: 56 minutes
CLICK HERE TO ORDER

VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA – 1964-68
Original Television Soundtrack Collection – 4 Disc Set
5 out of 5 Bananas
Format: Compact Disc
Music by: Alexander Courage, Robert Drasnin, Jerry Goldsmith, Lennie Hayton, Joseph Mullendore, Nelson Riddle, Paul Sawtell, Herman Stein, Leith Stevens
Album Producers: Jeff Bond, Neil S. Bulk, Kevin Burns
Liner Notes: Jeff Bond
Label: La-La Land Records
Tracks: 142
Run Time: 4 Hours, 58 Minutes, 50 Seconds
CLICK HERE TO ORDER

Producer Irwin Allen had created several award-winning and successful films by 1961, but that was the year he inadvertently hit on a formula that would serve him well for the rest of the decade and beyond. With VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, Allen combined quasi-military action with sci-fi themes and an apocalyptic disaster scenario. In essence, he created the combination he would borrow from, add to, subtract from and use for television and film projects well into the 1970s. From this seed, the producer would plant a television dynasty consisting of a small screen version of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, the TV series LOST IN SPACE, THE TIME TUNNEL, and LAND OF THE GIANTS, as well as feature films such as THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE and THE TOWERING INFERNO.

In 2011, La-La Land Records released a great 50th Anniversary Edition disc of music from the film, VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, with music by Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter. The duo’s orchestral score is a great counterpoint to the film’s action, featuring soaring strings and stinging horns throughout. The film’s theme song, sung by Frankie Avalon, is included as well, as is the original demo recording and an alternate song that was rejected, and it’s easy to see why. The package includes a well put-together booklet with in-depth liner notes for every cue.

This year, the company released a deluxe, four-disc set of the music from the television series version of VOYAGE, and I confess that as a fan of the show I was blown away by the level of detail and the sheer amount of music included. Sawtell returned to score the pilot for the series, Eleven Days To Zero, as well as write the main title theme for the show, which has become the most recognizable cue of his career. The modern, maritime-inspired track with the stuttering harp and marimba highlights is unforgettable. The rest of the music measures up as well, with wonderful work from STAR TREK theme composer Alexander Courage, Oscar™ winners Jerry Goldsmith, Nelson Riddle, and so many more. The forty-page booklet with notes by Jeff Bond is an indispensable resource for series fans and film music lovers.

La-La Land Records is a company that truly caters to aficionados and hard-core fans of film music, and these releases reflect their commitment to that audience. Both sets are lavishly constructed to satisfy, and do not fail to do so. If you were thrilled by the exploits of the crew of the Seaview at any point – even if you were aware that some of the episodes were truly awful – grab both releases. Though Irwin Allen may not have always had the best writers on his series, he certainly had the best art directors, designers, model builders, special effects technicians and musical directors.

 

FLYING LEATHERNECKS – 1951
3 out of 5 Bananas
Starring: John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Don Taylor, Janis Carter
Directors: Nicholas Ray
Rated: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Archives
BRD Release Date: September 15, 2020
Audio Formats: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Video Resolution/Codec: MPEG-4 AVC, 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Run Time: 102 minutes
CLICK HERE TO ORDER

John Wayne and Robert Ryan fight the Japanese as well as each other in Nicholas Ray’s FLYING LEATHERNECKS. As Wing Commander and Executive Officer of a USMC air attack group in the Pacific in 1942, the actors play men who are two sides of the same coin—Wayne is cold and impersonal in his leadership style, but has a soft emotional center that he keeps to himself, while Ryan wears his heart on his sleeve but struggles with parsing the harsh realities of war. As the two career officers shepherd a group of short-timer, hotshot pilots that steadily succumb to the enemy, they eventually meet in the middle, but not without some fireworks first.

As the son of a USMC pilot myself, I’ve seen almost every film ever made on this subject matter and this one is an entertaining, sobering look at what must have been, to borrow the title of another film, hell in the Pacific. It doesn’t pull punches as the flight group withers due to enemy action, and the combination of actual air combat and training footage serves to maintain a gritty, realistic feel throughout.

Warner Archive’s single disc package features a crisp, colorful, newly restored print of the film along with the theatrical re-release trailer. Picture and sound are both very good with no artifacts present, making for an entertaining watch. Recommended for WWII movie lovers and John Wayne fans but give it a shot even if you’re skeptical – it’s better than you remember.

 

 

Anthony Taylor is not only the Minister of Science, but also Defender of the Faith. His reviews and articles have appeared in magazines such as Screem, Fangoria, Famous Monsters of Filmland, SFX, Video*WatcHDog, and more.

*Art Credit: Anthony Taylor as Dr. Zaius caricature by Richard Smith

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

Shake a tail feather and come see what we’ve dug up for you This Week in ATLRetro!

Monday, February 24

Swing on by the Georgia Ensemble Theatre & Conservatory for Joe Gransden’s Big Band Concert Series! Don’t forget to catch the tail end of the 20th Annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival running through Feb. 27 at venues across Atlanta! 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!” Rock out and tune into Kool Kat Rev. Andy Hawley’s Psychobilly Freakout Radio broadcasting on Garage 71 at 8pm, every Monday! Get your vinyl fix at Little 5 Points Corner Tavern’s Records of Mass Destruction, every Monday! 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 a plate full ‘o finger lickin’ BBQ!

Tuesday, February 25

Make your way to Landmark Midtown Art Cinema as they continue another killer Classics Series with a screening of Bob Rafelson’s FIVE EASY PIECES (1970) at 7pm! Get your party on at Blind Willie’s at their Mardi Gras Party featuring The Atlanta Crawdaddy’s! It’s Mardi Gras Madness at The Vista Room with Funk Cake & Fermentable Friends featuring The Black Sheep Ensemble, Tray Dahl (Jugtime Ragband) and more! Get rocked with the Mikey Erg Band, The Slow Death and more at The Earl! Get the rockin’ blues with the Crosstown Allstars at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Venkman’s! Hula on down to Waller’s Coffee Shop for a Ukulele Jam! And as always, groove on down with Swami Gone Bananas at the Northside Tavern!

Wednesday, February 26

Get rocked at 529 with Wildstreet, Voltage, JONNY D and Heretica! Make your way to the Carter Center for a night with Erik Larson (THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY) discussing his newest book, THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE! Get down with the Francisco Vidal Band and Daniel Toole at Eddie’s Attic! Get psychedelic with Howlin’ Rain, Sunwatchers and A Tower to the Stars at The Earl! Get criminal and catch a screening of Francis Ford Coppola’s THE GODFATHER (1972) at theatres across Atlanta [Northlake Festival Movie Tavern (Tucker); GTC Merchant’s Walk Cinemas (Marietta); Movie Tavern at Horizon Village (Suwannee); and The Springs Cinema & Taphouse (Sandy Springs)! Emory Cinematheque continues their African-Americans in American Film Series with a screening of Taylor Hackford’s AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN (1982) at 7:30pm in White Hall 208! The Highlander rocks out with their Punk/Metal/New Wave Karaoke Night, every Wednesday! Get jazzy at the Red Light Café with The Gordon Vernick Quartet! Funk it up with the Mike Veal Band at Tin Roof Cantina! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern for a rockin’ night of blues with the Tyler Neal Band! Get the blues with Frankie’s Blues Mission at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! And as always, it’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.

Thursday, February 27

Take a walk down the “Dead Carpet” for the 4th annual Women in Horror Film Festival founded by Festival Directors Kool Kat Vanessa Ionta Wright (RAINY SEASON) and Samantha Kolesnik, killing it through Feb 29 at the The Earl Smith Strand Theater in Marietta. You won’t want to miss a horrorific lineup of shorts and feature-length films, vendors and special guests including Heather Langenkamp (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET), Amanda Wyss (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET), Adam Marcus (JASON GOES TO HELL), Marianne Maddalena (SCREAM; THE HILLS HAVE EYES) and more! Stomp on down to The Earl for a night with the Country Westerns, Teddy & The Rough Riders and Sunset Pig! Or Beer & Lounge it up at the Clermont Lounge with Chrome Castle and Metal McDonald! 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 delivers some honky-tonk blues! And as always, boogie down at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village.

Friday, February 28

It’s Day 2 of the Women in Horror Film Festival, so come on down and get your horror fix with a helluva line-up of killer films! Haunt on down to The Highlander for a night with El Capitan, Kool Kats The Casket Creatures, Captain  & Maybelle and more! Get rocked at The Earl during their Winter Weekender ATL through March 1! Make your way to the Out Front Theatre Company for In Vibrant Color: Celebrating Queer Black Cinema featuring a screening of Dee Rees’ BESSIE (2015), which explores the life of Bessie Smith, and more! Rock out at The Vista Room with The Spirit of Rush and Pink Zeppelin! Get the rockin’ blues with Joe Bonamassa at The Fox Theatre! Get on down to Buteco for FLASHBACK FRIDAY featuring a night of global 80s, 90s and 2o00s videos! Rockabilly it up with Slim & The Gems at Motorheads! Get funky with The Motet at Terminal West! Time-Warp it up 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, February 29

It’s your last chance to get terror-fied at the Women in Horror Film Festival, so come on out and get horrorfied with screenings of Stacey Palmer’s “Toothache,” Viva Tolar’s “Killer Kids,” (Kool Kat Dayna Noffke’s daughter) and more! Get rocked at The Earl during night 2 of Winter Weekender ATL through March 1! Just Roxie (formerly Roxie Watson) gets down at Eddie’s Attic! Get the rockin’ blues with Joe Bonamassa for a second night at The Fox Theatre! The Vista Room celebrates Capricorn Records with their Capricorn Record Revue featuring Chris Hicks (Marshall Tucker Band), Tommy Talton (Greg Allman Band), Bill Stewart (Greg Allman Band), Mike Veal and more! Get funky with The Motet for a second night at Terminal West! Boogie down to The Highlander for Destination Unknown – ‘80s New Wave Dance Party! Get adventurous and catch a matinee of Randal Kleiser’s BIG TOP PEE WEE (1988) at The Plaza Theater at 1pm! Blues rock it up with The Trouble Tones at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! And as always, DJ Romeo Cologne and DJ Kwasi Mandisco transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Sunday, March 1

Get thrilled with a screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) at theatres across Atlanta [Northlake Festival Movie Tavern (Tucker); GTC Merchant’s Walk Cinemas (Marietta); Movie Tavern at Horizon Village (Suwannee); and The Springs Cinema & Taphouse (Sandy Springs)! Beyond the Yellow Brick Road pays tribute to Elton John at The Vista Room! Get rocked at The Earl during day 3 of Winter Weekender ATL! Get the blues with Jet Black at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Funk it up with Risky Biscuit at Tin Roof Cantina! Get sweet and low down blues-style at the Northside Tavern with Uncle Sugar!

Ongoing

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival celebrates its 20th Anniversary and kicks off tonight, running through Feb. 27 at venues across Atlanta! (LAST CHANCE!)

The Children’s Museum of Atlanta presents their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secrets of the Sewer exhibit, kicking tail through May 10!

New-Wave it up with Kool Kat VJ Anthony during an 80s New Wave Music Video Dance Party every 2nd Saturday of the month at Amsterdam Atlanta!

Have a deadly good time during Kool Kat VJ Anthony’s COFFIN CLASSICS: Goth Industrial Dance every 4th Saturday at Amsterdam Atlanta!

Geek it up as NerdLanta presents their Back to the ‘80s Movie Night, every third Thursday of the month, at Mother Bar+Kitchen!

ATL CRAFT presents a magical occult Movie Night every second Friday of every month!

My Parents’ Basement goes old-school with their monthly Pinball Tournament, every first Wednesday of the month!

Geek it up and get to bowlin’ at The Comet Pub & Lanes’ Comet Cosplay, getting nerdy the first Monday of every month!

Dad’s Garage’s Big Boozy Nerdy Game Night brings out the kid in you, every first Monday of the month at 7pm! 

Union EAV rocks out with their Punk Rock Karaoke ATL, and every last Tuesday of the month!

The Highlander rocks out with their Punk/Metal/New Wave Karaoke Night, every Wednesday!

Get your vinyl fix during Little 5 Points Corner Tavern’s Records of Mass Destruction! event, every Monday!

Geek it up at My Parents’ Basement with their weekly Tuesday night Nerd Trivia at 8pm!

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

Get your reggae fix with Rub-A-Dub gettin’ down at WildPitch Music Hall, every second Sunday of the month!

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
Managing Editor

Shake a tail feather in ATLRetro and come see what we’ve found for you!

Monday, September 9

Rev it up as Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt goes solo for the night at Smokin’ Cues in Stockbridge! Catch a screening of Satoshi Kon’s MILLENIUM ACTRESS (2001) at The Plaza Theater, or catch Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’s documentary, TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM (2019), both through Sept. 12! Get rocked with The Bodeans at City Winery! Americana it up with Jason Waller at Waller’s Coffee Shop! Rock out and tune into Kool Kat Rev. Andy Hawley’s Psychobilly Freakout Radio broadcasting on Garage 71 at 8pm, every Monday! Get your vinyl fix at Little 5 Points Corner Tavern’s Records of Mass Destruction, every Monday! 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 night with Larry Griffith!

Tuesday, September 10

The Landmark Midtown Art Cinema gets intergalactic with their Classics Series screening of Andrei Tarkovsky’s SOLARIS (1971) at 7pm! Geek it up at the Red Light Café with Kool Kat Katherine Lashe and her burly-Q gals of Syrens of the South during their Tease Tuesday: Burlesque Nerdtastic event! Jazz it up with Mike Phillips at City Winery! Get your old-time country fix with The Waymores at Smokin’ Cues! Or folk it up with Glen Hansard at the Tabernacle! Get the Piedmont blues with Mudcat during Gypsy Rose’s Mudcat Tuesdays event! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Venkman’s! Get the blues with Skyler Saufley at Blind Willie’s! The Star Bar delivers a night of retro shenanigans with DJ Quasi Mandisco’s Dance Party featuring retro-soul, funk, ‘80s, ‘90s and more! Eddie & the 9 Volts get the rockin’ blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! And as always, groove on down with Swami Gone Bananas at the Northside Tavern!

Wednesday, September 11

SCADShow presents a special screening of Spike Lee’s DO THE RIGHT THING (1989), with Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter leading a post-screening discussion! Or camp it up with WUSSY MAG and The Plaza Theater’s Director’s Cut screening of Frank Oz’s LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1986) at 7pm! Get rocked with the The Pietasters, the Antagonizers and Close Enough at the Masquerade! Old-time it up with The Hot Club of Cow Town at Eddie’s Attic! Get bluesy with Buddy Guy at Atlanta Symphony Hall! Catch a Flashback Cinema screening of Peter Jackson’s THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002) at theatres across Atlanta [Northlake Festival Movie Tavern (Tucker); GTC Merchant’s Walk Cinemas (Marietta); Movie Tavern at Horizon Village (Suwannee); and The Springs Cinema & Taphouse (Sandy Springs)! Catch a classic during Emory Cinematheque’s screening of Ernst Lubitsch’s NINOTCHKA (1939) at 7:30pm! Let loose and laugh it up with a screening of Mel Brooks’s BLAZING SADDLES (1974) at Studio Movie Grill (Alpharetta/Marietta) at 7:15pm! Pop over to the Buckhead Theatre for a night with Daniela Mercury! Get some soul with CC Sunchild at City Winery! Funk it up with Brandon Coleman Spacetalker at the Variety Playhouse! Honkytonk on down to The Star Bar for Cowboy Karaoke! Funk it up with the Mike Veal Band at Tin Roof Cantina! Get jazzy at the Red Light Café with The Gordon Vernick Quartet! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern for a rockin’ night of blues with the Tyler Neal Band! Fat Matt’s Rib Shack gets down with Electric Blue Express! And as always, it’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.

Thursday, September 12

Hilarity ensues with Genre-ly Speaking (featuring Kool Kat Madeline Brumby) as they celebrate the 45th anniversary of Mel Brooks’s BLAZING SADDLES (1974) at 10pm! Honky tonk on down to Hampton for Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt Solitary Doin’ Time Series at Jail House Brewing Company! Get low down with DADDY LONG LEGS and Kool Kat Rod Hamdallah at The Earl! The Indigo Girls folk it up with the Atlanta Symphony at Atlanta Symphony Hall! Stomp on down to the Clermont Lounge for Kool Kat Spike Fullerton and Ghost Rider’s Car Club! Get some soul and funk it up with Los Stellarians at City Winery! Get your reggae fix with New Kingston and The Green at the Masquerade! Swing on by Ray’s in the City for a night with Joe Gransden! Get old-timey and jazz it up with the Corner Pocket Quintet at Waller’s Coffee Shop! Get horrorfied during the 2019 Atlanta Horror Film Festival, creeping through Sept. 14! It’s Mai Tai Thursday at Trader Vic’s so get down with some island tunes and have some killer cocktails! The Northside Tavern gets rockin’ with a little Chicago/Delta blues of The Breeze Kings! The Star Bar kicks it in the Little Vinyl Lounge with Karaoke Night, every Thursday! Get your boogie on at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, as Chickenshack delivers some honky-tonk blues! And as always, boogie down at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village.

Friday, September 13

Happy Friday the 13th! Why not spook on down to SCADShow for a screening of Tobe Hooper’s POLTERGEIST (1982) at 7pm! Or get down to hell with the Demon Elvis, ELZIG with special guests The Valkyrie (Kool Kat Shane Morton) and Buck O’ Five at The Star Bar! Bump in the Night Ghoulesque spooks it up with their Cult Horror Ghoulesque Show at the Red Light Café! The Indigo Girls folk it up for night two with the Atlanta Symphony at Atlanta Symphony Hall! Anarcho-punk it up with the Subhumans at the Masquerade! Break the boundaries and jazz it up with a screening of Stanley Nelson Jr.’s documentary, MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL (2019), through Sept. 15 at The Plaza Theater! Get heavy with Order of the Owl, Serial Hawk, Savagist and Monte Luna at 529! Rumours pays tribute to Fleetwood Mac at the Buckhead Theatre! Spend the night with K. Michelle Dubois, Rosser and Chris Devoe at The Earl! Get your alt-country fix with Drive-by Truckers at the Fox Theatre! Make your way to Smith’s Olde Bar for a night with The Foxies, Daybreaks and Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer with The Compartmentalizationalists downstairs; or cross the pond and catch Abbey Road Live! upstairs! Get down with The Vipers at the Northside Tavern! Get the dirty blues with Seminole Jackson at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Time-Warp it up 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, September 14

Stomp on down to The Star Bar for the 3rd Annual Hank Williams Tribute hosted by Andrea & Mudd featuring Dusty Booze & the Baby Haters, Kool Kat Caroline & the Ramblers, Rodeo Twister, Kool Kat Sen Artie Mondello and more! Get creaturific with Kool Kat Shane Morton during his Intro to SPFX Make-up Class at his haunted Silver Scream FX Lab! Or rock on down to the Masquerade as Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin performs DEEP RED in Heaven! Or get garage rocked in Hell with Bleached and Paranoyds! Boogie down to Amsterdam for Kool Kat VJ Anthony’s ‘80s New Wave Music Video Dance Party! Rev on down to the Dixie Tavern for a night with Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt & the PsychoDevilles! Make your way to the Ivy Wall Drive-In Theatre in Dacula for a double-feature screening of Claudio Fragasso’s TROLL II (1990) and Tommy Wiseau’s THE ROOM (2003) at 8:30pm! Get some soul with Grant Green Jr. at Agency Socialtheque! Catch Lynyrd Skynyrd at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre! Get rootsy and reggae it up with Steel Pulse and Neal Francis at the Variety Playhouse! Get spooky at the Historic Lawrenceville Cemetery during their Full Moon Haunted Cemetery Tour! Spend the night with Vanessa Williams with the Atlanta Symphony at Atlanta Symphony Hall! Get the with Mr. Chapman’s Quarterly Revue at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! The Northside Tavern gets down with Claudette King, Albert White and Lil’ Joe from Chicago! And as always, DJ Romeo Cologne and DJ Kwasi Mandisco transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Sunday, September 15

Live long and prosper and catch a 40th Anniversary screening of Robert Wise’s STAR TREK: THE MOVIE (1979) at theatres across Atlanta [AMC Barrett Commons 24 (Kennesaw); Hollywood Stadium 24 (Chamblee); Avalon Stadium 12 (Alpharetta); Perimeter Pointe 10; Georgian Stadium 14 (Newnan); AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18 (Lawrenceville); Regal Mall of Georgia Stadium (Buford); and Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 18]! Robert Lee Coleman gets the blues at Waller’s Coffee Shop! Catch a Flashback Cinema screening of Peter Jackson’s THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003) at theatres across Atlanta [Northlake Festival Movie Tavern (Tucker); GTC Merchant’s Walk Cinemas (Marietta); Movie Tavern at Horizon Village (Suwannee); and The Springs Cinema & Taphouse (Sandy Springs)! Or catch an AJFF on Campus screening of  Dani Levy’s GO FOR ZUCKER (2004) at 7:10pm in White Hall 208/Emory! Or get down with 10,000 Pontiacs at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Funk it up with Risky Biscuit at Tin Roof Cantina! Get sweet and low down blues-style at the Northside Tavern with Uncle Sugar!

Ongoing

ATL CRAFT presents a magical occult Movie Night every second Friday of every month!

My Parents’ Basement goes old-school with their monthly Pinball Tournament, every first Wednesday of the month!

Geek it up and get to bowlin’ at The Comet Pub & Lanes’ Comet Cosplay, getting nerdy the first Monday of every month!

Dad’s Garage’s Big Boozy Nerdy Game Night brings out the kid in you, every first Monday of the month at 7pm! 

Union EAV rocks out with their Punk Rock Karaoke ATL, and every last Tuesday of the month!

The Highlander rocks out with their Punk/Metal/New Wave Karaoke Night, every Wednesday!

Get your vinyl fix during Little 5 Points Corner Tavern’s Records of Mass Destruction! event, every Monday!

Geek it up at My Parents’ Basement with their weekly Tuesday night Nerd Trivia at 8pm!

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

Get your reggae fix with Rub-A-Dub gettin’ down at WildPitch Music Hall, every second Sunday of the month!

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
Managing Editor

Come see what’s shakin’ in ATLRetro This Week!

Tuesday, June 4

Get rocked with rockabilly legend Tav Falco’s Panther Burns with Kool Kat Sen Artie Mondello and The Delusionaires at the Masquerade! The Landmark Midtown Art Cinema continues their new Classics Series with a screening of Terry Gilliam’s THE FISHER KING (1991) at 7pm! Garage rock it up with The Mystery Lights and Future Punx at 529! Prog rock it up with The Musical Box at Center Stage! The Lemonheads rock out at Terminal West with Tommy Stinson! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Venkman’s! Get the blues with Electric Blues Express at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! The Star Bar delivers a night of retro shenanigans with DJ Quasi Mandisco’s Dance Party featuring retro-soul, funk, ‘80s, ‘90s and more! And as always, groove on down with Swami Gone Bananas at the Northside Tavern!

Wednesday, June 5

Swing noir it up with Bernadette Seacrest at Eddie’s Attic! The Highlander rocks out with Punk/Metal/New Wave Karaoke Night, every Wednesday! Celebrate 40 metalrific years of Vicious Rumors at 529 with Negative Wall and Black Candle! Get bewitched with a screening of David Yates’ HARRY POTTER & THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (2009) at Studio Movie Grill (Alpharetta/Duluth/Marietta) at 7:15pm! Catch a screening of Steven Spielberg’s SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998) at theatres across Atlanta [AMC Barrett Commons 24 (Kennesaw); Hollywood Stadium 24 (Chamblee); Avalon Stadium 12 (Alpharetta); Perimeter Pointe 10; Georgian Stadium 14 (Newnan); AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18 (Lawrenceville); Regal Mall of Georgia Stadium (Buford); AMC Avenue Forsyth (Cumming); Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 18; and Studio Movie Grill (Alpharetta/Marietta)]! Skip school and catch a Flashback Cinema screening of John Hughes’ FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (1986) at theatres across Atlanta [Northlake Festival Movie Tavern (Tucker); GTC Merchant’s Walk Cinemas (Marietta); Movie Tavern at Horizon Village (Suwannee); and The Springs Cinema & Taphouse (Sandy Springs)! Funk it up with the Mike Veal Band at Tin Roof Cantina! Get jazzy at the Red Light Café with The Gordon Vernick Quartet! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern for a rockin’ night of blues with the Tyler Neal Band! Fat Matt’s Rib Shack gets down with the Man in Black, Johnny Cash Now! And as always, it’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.

Thursday, June 6

Geek it up at My Parents’ Basement at Jon Waterhouse’s “Star Wars Adventures” Comic Book Release Party at 7pm! Get adventurous and take back your town as hilarity ensues with Cineprov and their screening of John Milius’ RED DAWN (1984) at The Plaza Theater at 7pm! Garage rock it up with Japan’s The Let’s Go’s and Tiger! Tiger! at The Earl! Get intergalactic as shenanigans ensue at theatres across Atlanta with RIFFTRAX LIVE taking on Mark Steve Grove’s STAR RAIDERS (1983) [AMC Barrett Commons 24 (Kennesaw); Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 18; Hollywood Stadium 24 (Chamblee); Avalon Stadium 12 (Alpharetta); Perimeter Pointe 10; Georgian Stadium 14 (Newnan); AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18 (Lawrenceville); Regal Mall of Georgia Stadium (Buford); AMC Avenue Forsyth (Cumming); and AMC Southlake Pavilion 24 (Morrow)]! The Historic Oakland Cemetery honors those who have served with their Flashlight Tours: Veterans of Oakland! The Star Bar kicks it in the Little Vinyl Lounge with Karaoke Night, every Thursday! Darkwave it up at Noni’s during their weekly DARK ROOM event, every Thursday! It’s Mai Tai Thursday at Trader Vic’s so get down with some island tunes and have some killer cocktails! 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 delivers some honky-tonk blues! And as always, boogie down at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village.

Friday, June 7

Get wicked ‘n’ weird with local artist Dirk Hays during his Born Weird Art Show Opening at Diesel Filling Station at 7pm [check out our Shop Around Feature of Hays here]! The Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre kicks off their Movies, Bands and Brew event with a performance by Jerome Newton & The Band Who Fell to Earth and a screening of Jim Henson’s LABYRINTH (1986), all starting at 7pm! Rev it up at Motorheads with Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt & The Psycho DeVilles! The Grindhouse Players present their adaptation of 2003 thriller PHONE BOOTH at Pulp Atlanta, through June 22! Departure pays tribute to Journey at the Dixie Tavern! Time-Warp it up 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 8

Haunt on down to the Historic Oakland Cemetery for the 9th annual Tunes from the Tombs (12p – 8pm), featuring 4 retro-tastic stages of live music! The Platform Main Stage gets down with She Returns from War, The Artisanals, Kool Kat Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics, and Futurebirds! Shakin’ on the Larken Underground  Stage will be the Distilled Butter Band, Mike Killeen, Kylie Odetta and The Harraway Brothers! The New Realm Beer Garden Acoustic Stage brings you Kylie Odetta, Caryn Lee Carter, She Returns from War and Mike Killeen! And you won’t want to miss what’s happening on the Bell Tower Buskers Stage featuring Octave, The Hills and The Holler, Serson Brannen and Nate Helfrich! Or get old-school with Kool Kat Rev. Andy Hawley and Garage71 during Vintage Fest at Timms Harley-Davidson celebrating the history of Harley Davidson, featuring Pin-Ups, old-school rides, vintage venders and live tunes with Atomic Boogie and V-8 Death Car! Or boogie down ‘80s-style with Kool Kat VJ Anthony during his ‘80s New Wave Music Video Dance Party at Amsterdam Atlanta! Catch a bloody double feature at the Ivy Wall Drive-In Theatre in Dacula with Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO (1960) and Mary Harron’s AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000) at 9pm! Rev it up at Falcons Fury Harley Davidson with Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt & The Psycho DeVilles! And as always, DJ Romeo Cologne and DJ Kwasi Mandisco transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Sunday, June 9

Get down with Steve Earl & the Dukes at the Buckhead Theatre! Make your way to My Parents’ Basement for the final bazaar of the season, their June Bizarre Bazaar featuring local vendors, artists and more! Hey you guys! Why not catch a Flashback Cinema screening of Richard Donner’s ‘80s classic THE GOONIES (1986) at theatres across Atlanta [Northlake Festival Movie Tavern (Tucker); GTC Merchant’s Walk Cinemas (Marietta); Movie Tavern at Horizon Village (Suwannee); and The Springs Cinema & Taphouse (Sandy Springs)! Funk it up with Risky Biscuit at Tin Roof Cantina! Get sweet and low down blues-style at the Northside Tavern with Uncle Sugar!

Ongoing

The Grindhouse Players present their adaptation of 2003 thriller PHONE BOOTH at Pulp Atlanta, through June 22!

Darkwave it up at Noni’s during their weekly DARK ROOM event, every Thursday through July 26!

Haunt on down to the Aurora Theatre for Ghost Tours through Sept. 28!

ATL CRAFT presents a magical occult Movie Night every second Friday of every month!

My Parents’ Basement goes old-school with their monthly Pinball Tournament, every first Wednesday of the month!

Geek it up and get to bowlin’ at The Comet Pub & Lanes’ Comet Cosplay, getting nerdy the first Monday of every month!

Dad’s Garage’s Big Boozy Nerdy Game Night brings out the kid in you, every first Monday of the month at 7pm! 

Union EAV rocks out with their Punk Rock Karaoke ATL, and every last Tuesday of the month!

The Highlander rocks out with their Punk/Metal/New Wave Karaoke Night, every Wednesday!

Get your vinyl fix during Little 5 Points Corner Tavern’s Records of Mass Destruction! event, every Monday!

Geek it up at My Parents’ Basement with their weekly Tuesday night Nerd Trivia at 8pm!

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

Get your reggae fix with Rub-A-Dub gettin’ down at WildPitch Music Hall, every second Sunday of the month!

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.