ELMER - GALLUS REX

January 7, 2007

How is this for weird? I woke up from a mind-blasting nightmare at 6:45AM, and, choosing not to pick up where THAT story had let me off, I jumped out of bed. Downstairs I switched on the Internet, while the coffee was dripping into a carafe. I know what day it was, (March 1, 2006), because I've checked my journal. I always start with three news sites before I surf; I just don't recall the keyword or phrase I Googled that morning. This is what came up on my screen.

The posters were promoting a comic book, structured around an idea which was both creative and original. While the developed world was obsessing over a possible bird flu pandemic, something much more sinister was happening. Chicken DNA was mutating, and the new generation had a leader, Gallus Rex. ELMER! Intelligent chickens were organizing and would be demanding their rightful place among the human population. Well there I sat pondering the cleverness of it all. I enjoyed Gerry's sample "teaser" pages of the comic, noting of course that the character had just woken from his own nightmare and had also sought some form of distraction.

I immediately fired off an email to Gerry Alanguilan, the comics' creator. I wanted to congratulate him on highly original story and his great artwork. (Keep in mind that in addition to writing and drawing the comic, Gerry was innovating the promotional campaign.) He created a webpage and these clever posters which enhanced the concept, exposing the first reveal on a great story that was just beginning to be understood. From Gerry I learned that ELMER No.1 had not yet appeared, and in fact he was still two months away from publication. (It launched on April 1, 2006). This is how Gerry sets up his Gallus Rex story:

"ELMER is a window into an alternate Earth where chickens have suddenly acquired the intelligence and consciousness of humans, where they consider themselves a race no different than whites, browns or blacks, and push to recognize rights for themselves as the newest members of the human race. It tells the story of a family of chickens who live and struggle to survive in a suddenly complicated, dangerous and yet beautiful world."

Gerry was self publishing, but quipped that he hoped to "con" an American publisher into picking up the magazine. I knew he was joking, because he is actually established at the centre of the comics industry in the Philippines.

Gerry, I learned, has been Blogging since 1998 and his home is a hangout for some of the best comics artists in the country. Last year he registered Komikero Publishing to protect his large body of work, and to support new projects, including the ELMER graphic novel . Alanguilan is held in very high regard, has a thriving business, and is known for his generosity in assisting younger artists to get started in the comics industry. I did offer, in March, to assist with promotion in the Vancouver area, if I could be of help. But he really didn't need much help because ELMER became an instant success. In the comics trade media ELMER received excellent reviews in 2006, and as a character Elmer is a "made" cock. On December 19, 2006 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, bible of the American publishing industry, released the results of its "First Annual" Comics Week Critics poll. ELMER No. 1 made the Honorable Mention list. Bravo!

ELMER No. 2 has already appeared and the character has legs. Gerry sent an email today in which he relates that he's still writing No. 3, which should appear in the Spring. He also mentioned the disruption to local telecommunications caused when an earthquake off the southern tip of Taiwan severed a vital undersea cable. [A note to fellow Neal Stephenson fans. Search out WIRED, December 1996, for Neal's cover article entitled "MOTHER EARTH MOTHER BOARD". It's his epic tale of the world submarine cable system.]

I first became interested in the Philippine comics community back in 1993, when I corresponded for a time with a talented artist in Manila. Those were, for most of us, the pre-Internet days. Information was hard to come by. Now almost all the Philippine artists are found on one mega-site called http://www.komikero.com/museum/ which was the brainchild of Gerry Alanguilan, who volunteers as the web master. There is no hotlink to the ELMER page, so if you want to buy copies for your collection you must enter the Komikero museum and navigate your way to the online shop. It is a fascinating place, I promise. If you are too impatient for that, drop to the bottom of the greeting page and click on Gerry's name. You can jump directly to his ELMER page. Enjoy!

The Three Monkeys Metaphor

I am unable to post to the Blog today, so how about a little "Political Humour" from my deep bag of comedy? To set this up, let's recall that
Bill Clinton enjoyed two full terms as President, reigning from 1993 -2001.
The Republican's managed to take control of the White House with their candidate, George W. Bush, and he was inaugurated on January 20, 2001.

L. to R. : Sec. of Defence Cohen, Pres. W.J. Clinton, Sec. of State Albright and National Security Advisor Sandy (Socks) Berger.

In the photo we observe Billy Clinton's National Security Team (NST) mugging for the camera as they sit waiting to participate in a briefing on U.S. National Security. The date is April 25, 1999.

Osama's advance teams are already in the U.S. In 28 months the Twin Towers fall. Their choice of metaphor is chilling and appropriate.

DUST DEVIL - Annotating the full DVD Edition

Wendy is reborn and faces down a phalanx of South African Casspirs on the highway.

January 5, 2007
DUST DEVIL – Annotating the full DVD Edition

I suppose it was inevitable that I would comment further on Richard Stanley’s DUST DEVIL – The Final Cut. His opus, a 5 Disc DVD edition, was published in September, 2006. Now, please don’t quibble with my terminology. Opus it is. This work is not merely the release of an anthology set of his films. Richard is a master of visual expression but he also clearly loves to write and to talk, and he is very good at both. His creative vision is laid down in these five discs, chapter by chapter. With Richard Stanley you get a content rich environment.

The “Final Cut” was actually premiered in Montreal in 1997, but it took almost ten years to have it transferred to DVD. That is a ‘Red Rose’ pity. (Canadians of a certain age will know what I mean.) Richard has been to Canada several times, and I certainly hope he brings a new film to Vancouver some time soon. For now the single best way to enjoy his work is to buy or borrow the Subversive Cinema 5 disc set. I did buy many quality DVDs in 2006 but only two sets really knocked me out. When it comes to extended edition product, my terms are unconditional. I have no shelf space for junk. A 2nd or 3rd-dip DVD has to warrant repeated viewings, it must demonstrate high craft, it should be informative, and must show me important content which I have never seen. Or even better, things I have longed to see, and are only now created. The only other 2006 release which I’ve enjoyed on that level was Peter Jackson’s KING KONG – the Deluxe Extended Edition.

Is it a just a bare coincidence, I ask myself, that these two heavyweight video publications rattle my cage in the same year? I think not. Convergence my friend, requires the active handiwork of many thinking men. Peter Jackson got his career inspiration from the original King Kong, and so did Richard Stanley. Ten years ago Stanley told a reviewer that his father had a “huge” obsession with King Kong, and that as a youngster he was exposed to repeated screenings of the 1931 film. He believes Kong was the first movie he ever saw. He added that “my father's obsessive love of Edgar Wallace and King Kong probably rubbed off by communicating to me that somehow this was important.”

Consider what is contained in this "Limited Collector's Edition".
I'll help you.

Disc 1: DUST DEVIL - The Final Cut

* The Feature Attraction on this disc is The Final Cut, the Director’s own vision of the story, as delivered to Festival audiences in 1997.
* A commentary feature with Richard Stanley talking about production issues and other good things. Interview taping was conducted by Norman Hill of Subversive Cinema. This is all content with no blowing of kisses; Richard could talk the ass off a mule.
* An interview with director Richard Stanley and his Composer, Simon Boswell, which runs for over 30 minutes. It broadens coverage of the film but also delves into Richard's career.
* Dust Devil “Home Movies.” This is a collection of footage shot for personal enjoyment. There wasn’t any DVD back in 1991 so it not as staged as what we get today. How often have you heard Peter Jackson say “Save that for the DVD!” ?
* Dust Devil the 16mm Scrapbook. This is a sequence of production stills that are flipped like book pages.
* Original 16mm theatre trailer for the original 16mm, 85 minute version of Dust Devil.
* Stills Gallery. More production stills of course.
* Text biographies of those involved in the project.
* Trailers. Trailers for other Stanley films and other Subversive Cinema DVD releases, including a DVD trailer for Dust Devil.

Disc 2: DUST DEVIL “Work Print”

* This is his work in progress cut, that clocks in at 115 minutes. The extra 7 minutes may be very crude, but are certainly worth viewing. Decide for yourself.
* Included is an Intro segment by the director.
* No chapter selection menu is provided, but the Print is divided into chapters, allowing the viewer to get closer to the extra sequences.

Disc 3: THE SECRET GLORY

* SECRET GLORY is Stanley’s documentary about Otto Rahn, a German writer who worked for Hitler’s S.S. Rahn became convinced that he had found where the legendary Grail was hidden, and with the financial support of the S.S., he began a quest of sorts, to uncover it. It began as a research project Stanley did for Britain’s CHANNEL 4 Television, intended to exploit public interest in the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Stanley will undoubtedly return to this subject in another documentary film or even a feature, This is a work in progress, and Richard has plenty of unused footage stored somewhere.
* A commentary featuring Richard Stanley and Norman Hill discussing the origins of this film and the evolution of the project. Stanley is a walking encyclopedia of Nazi culture and all of it is verifiable, if you have a large enough library. I do.
* An interview with Richard Stanley with even more information on the making of the film.

Disc 4: Voice of the Moon and The White Darkness

* Voice of the Moon is video mood piece that Stanley edited and set to music from cans of 16mm film he shot while living (and fighting) with Mujahadin rebels in Afghanistan, during the last days the Soviet occupation. The only narrative is a Sufi poem, beautifully supported by Simon Boswell’s haunting music. At that time he also met the Taliban.

*A Commentary track once again with Stanley and Norman Hill. What emerges is Richard’s sensitivity for the plight of the Afghani’s and the fact that he is also brave man. Further, he clearly relishes teasing the audience with bits and pieces on his encounters with the Taliban and also his part in the mystery surrounding the notorious death of Carlos Mavroleon. [Read “Addicted to Danger”, in the Feb. 1999 issue of VANITY FAIR].
* An Interview with Richard Stanley. The subject is of course the “making of” his Voice of the Moon, a project originally funded by UNICEF, but never finished.
* The White Darkness (clever title that) was commissioned by the BBC and documents current Haitian voodoo practices, while speculating on their origin. I think Richard has nailed it on this one. I learned much, and am convinced by his imagery and his insight. He is steeped in the legends and cultural lore of so many races, that one can readily detect the influence of intelligent parents. This guy sat on a copy of The Golden Bough, and it’s still stuck to his ass!
* Commentary track on The White Darkness, again with Stanley and Norman Hill.
* An Interview with Richard Stanley dealing with production, and also how much fun he had messing with the American peace keeping force which descended on Haiti in 2000.

Disc 5: Simon Boswell: Dust Devil Score

* This is not a DVD, but a CD recording of the score of the film. It is very good and the score was clearly written with input from Richard, as it incorporates some samplings designed to cue the audience when the homage bits to Sergio Leone are coming up.

Crowded into the case are also three colour booklets. A book of essays on the three documentaries, a Production Diary for DUST DEVIL and a comic book written and drawn by Phil Avelli. Also, the DVD case has a reversible slip cover.

I first learned of this DVD set in a review Moriarty posted to AIN’T IT COOL. The movie sounded intriguing enough - a horror flic set in Namibia during the pullout of South Africans forces. The fact that the movie director was himself South African, and had also written documentaries on Nazi culture, Haitian society and the guerrilla war in Afghanistan, grabbed my interest like pubic hair caught in a zipper. He was punching all the buttons as he ascended the elevator of my many interests. How could so much material be crammed into one DVD release? It can, and was. This man is a great story teller but he is also a teacher and a good researcher. I’m a details freak. One of my favorite features in Jackson's KING KONG - Deluxe is the program on the historical research and superb digital restoration of New York during the Depression. It’s simply unparalleled.

Consider this – A scholarly book was also published last year by Viking Press, which covers the subject Richard explores in SECRET GLORY. The book is heavily dependant on the archives of Das Ahnenerbe, the elite Nazi Research and Educational Society founded by Himmler in 1935. Until I encountered Richard Stanley I had believed that the author (who incidentally lives near Vancouver) was very thorough. Then when I viewed Richard’s SECRET GLORY, and listened to him describe his own research, I realized he had uncovered a wealth of material on a fascinating figure who should not be overlooked. The best selling book has only a single mention of the name Otto Rahn, and no mention of Richard’s film.

I think we can trust this guy, and I happily acknowledge his quality. Let's hope he has a very productive 2007.

Just the Ugly - Tuco and Saddam

REPORT: "He taunted his executioner".

Sorry no Blog today. See you tomorrow Amigos.

DUST DEVIL - the 2006 Director's Cut

It takes two hours to watch a movie, but it took a shopping safari to the U.S. for me to locate a copy of this rare DVD set. Since acquiring DUST DEVIL -The Final Cut, I've invested an additional twenty hours or so reading about and compiling notes on the career of its South African born Writer/Director. Richard Stanley, is now something of a obsession, and a great career to study for insight into Independent film production.

DUST DEVIL, was originally completed in 1992, and immediately betrayed by the producers. They tried to cut and paste it for a general distribution in American, breaking their agreements with Stanley. In the end it got no distribution at all. Resurrected and now restored as a "Limited Collectors Edition" showcasing Stanley's work, it's a five disc, vest pocket marvel. Now you may scoff about "weasel words" of marketing, but how does only 9,999 copies for worldwide distribution sound? That should explain why I had to jump the border to score a copy for my collection. If you check out the Pros who did the superb job with this DVD release last September, http://www.subversivecinema.com/ you might get the final peak, because this puppy is already SRO and has shown up on EBay at $50+.

This is a "horror" film with several grisly scenes but it offers no genuine shudders. Let's NOT try to label it. DUST DEVIL is set in Namibia during the transition period when South Africans were forced by the U.N. to abandon their colony of South West Africa. This allowed the political arm of SWAPO to form a government. [Canadian cops are not mentioned, but we had a 100 man contingent of RCMP onsite, to oversee the handover of assets to black majority rule.] Into this confusion of a lost cause and lost power returns a "Nagtloper" or Night Walker, a shape shifting demon that the Herrero have long understood, but white's are quick to dismiss. The role was handled well enough by an American, Robert John Burke, who may have been cast at the insistence of MIRIMAX, the original U.S. Distributor. The Nagtloper of course begins to murder with studied ritual and claims trophies. The significant twist is that he seeks only those who have already lost the will to live. The highway of shame stretching back to South Africa runs through the shit town of Bethany. He senses, as do we, that the town itself has lost the will to exist. A bountious hunting ground indeed.

Director Stanley assures us in the ample bonus material, that his script is based on a series of unsolved killings that unnerved people in a region already numbed by the war against the SWAPO insurgency. The bonus goodies include a lengthy, and informative Production Diary and a DUST DEVIL colour comic. Most important is a "Work Print" disc, assembled from both finished scenes and rough dailies, which does show what might have been.

As the story itself begins to take shape, a savvy black police Sergeant, (in a memorable performance by Zakes Mokae) realizes that these are not covert military killings, but at that critical moment his white Boer colleagues pull out. He is forced to consult with the local witch doctor, (John Matshikiza) proprietor of the town's now redundant Drive-In movie theatre. A modern African, he resists the bush wisdom of his people. "Stop being a white man. Be a man." The clever forensic examiner (in a cameo role for Marianne Sagebrecht) comforts him with police science, but his frequent nightmares warn us that that he is losing his disbelief in magic.

I won't give away the story but I must note that there are plenty of catches for the film buff. Homage is everywhere. If you remember the train station in Once Upon A Time in the West, you'll smile. And if you loved the cemetery sequence in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, with tough guy Tuco dissolving into tears with a noose around his neck, you'll chuckle when you see the DUST DEVIL heroine walk down the road, pumpgun on shoulder, leaving a blubbering hubby hand-cuffed to a Land Rover. Nuff!

This story plays out in a brilliantly lit landscape. Ostensibly a flat desert plain, the skills of the cinematographer reveal southern Namibia in all of its sun-baked splendor - rusty and folded sedimentary slabs, vast rippling dunes and an immense plunging canyon complex reminiscent of the Colorado. Stanley used helicopter and crane shots to great dramatic and aesthetic effect. The musical score, written by Simon Boswell, is superbly mated to the dramatic elements of the tale but also enhances our enjoyment of the journey through the Karoo.
This film delivers a good time, and I am enjoying Richard Stanley on several levels. There were just a few scenes I found a tad obvious, but in sum DUST DEVIL offers something fresh. Stanley is a craftsman who has demonstrated repeatedly that he will go to extraordinary lengths, make any sacrifice, to tell his stories in his own fashion. It's an admirable trait, and certainly worthy of our interest and respect. His work is well grounded in spite of the hazards thrown up by his itch to wander the globe. I think there is much more to this moviemaker than just cinema, and I plan to profile aspects of career, and specific projects, as soon as I have finished with the research.

Sidney Reilly - ACE OF SPIES

Sidney Reilly - The Legendary ACE OF SPIES

January 2, 2006
This morning I read a very interesting report from the NOVOSTI Russian New Agency. Boris Gudz, a famous Soviet Intelligence figure died on the weekend, having lived 104 years. Gudz was the last living participant in the Bolshevik counter intelligence sting called Operation Trust, which succeeded in exposing Sidney Reilly, a chameleon who had volunteered to work for the British S.I.S. in World War 1. Reilly was actually born S.G. Rosenblum, (photo to left - above) and was a Polish Jew who found the need to experiment with personal identity when business deals began to sour. Now he is forever the Anglicized "Sidney Reilly". Boris Gudz went on to serve his government long and well as an officer in OGPU and KGB. He became intimately involved with the SORGE spy ring in Japan, a story which I found even more absorbing than the Reilly tale.

Gudz worked as a consultant on a Russian TV series in 1967 called Operatsiya Trest, which broadcast in b&w. In 1967 there were already two books available in English which dubbed Reilly with the catchy title "Ace of Spies," but he really became famous as a television hero. In 1983 Thames Television produced a 12 episode mini-series starring handsome actor Sam Neill as the ACE OF SPIES. I missed its debut on PBS in 1984 but eventually caught a few episodes. I recall not liking it. For the curious, an episode guide is found here http://epguides.com/ReillyAceofSpies/

The Canadian Connection

I remained interested in the espionage figure and his role history and added several books about him to my research library. Fragments of disinformation or outright guessing, had placed "Reilly" in Toronto during World War 1, training as a junior officer in the "Royal Canadian Flying Corps". (Author Michael Kettle cleared that up, in 1983.) Canada did not have its own airforce in WW1. Our airmen trained under the auspices of Britain's Royal Flying Corps. Still, I thought the possibility existed that Canada did the British secret services a favor by giving him some Canadian profile. By letting him assume rank here and then embark from Canada, it would form a buffer of sorts between his busy years in New York and his future missions in Europe. I used the provisions of our federal Access To Information legislation to search the relevant record groups. It was not a hopeless proposition. In 1991 I did find 2/Lt. S.G. Reilly in records of our Department of National Defence. The Directorate of History (DHIST), had an index card in the Air History Section containing data extracted from his old military service file. I learned that on Nov. 16, 1917 he was added to the "RFC Canada roster of officers as Mr. S. G. Reilly, E03 on probation." A further note read, "He is included in Dec. 16, 1917 list of officers proceeding overseas." Note also the address he gave on his Canadian paperwork: 120 Broadway, New York City.

At the time I also consulted on "S.G. Reilly" with a friendly archivist at the National Archives. We confirmed that no duplicate RFC file, Assigned Pay or other records survived in our war archives. I could only conclude that the REILLY file had been pulled and destroyed years ago, which is more common in our archives than should ever have been permitted. Between 1989 - 92 I had fruitful correspondence with James Barros, scholar at the University of Toronto (now deceased), who shared my research interests. We agreed that much of what we sought, including material pertaining to the infamous 1950s Herbert Norman case, had been "weeded" (to use the polite term used by the old Security Service of the RCMP). Barros encouraged me to pursue the Canadian angle, but in fact I let Reilly drop.

The reality was that any research breakthrough on Rosenblum depended on gaining access to the great repositories of secret archives in Washington, London and Moscow. The Americans (bless them) did lead the way, opening a huge volume of espionage files years ago. When the crucial British and Soviet dossiers became available, well-placed scholars pounced, and have produced several superb new books which relegate all the others to the discard pile. The new biography by Cook, which I have not yet acquired, challenges the place of birth and his paternity. If you own the A&E box set of ACE OF SPIES, (shown at the top) you might wish to pencil out the words "True story" on the decorative slipcase. Or not. It's just a TV show after all.

Talking to Strangers - Meet "Freakyart"

Vol. 1, No.2

January 1.
Don’t listen to your Mom. Talk to strangers. Looking back on 2006 I appreciate that a few chance encounters made for some truly memorable and rewarding experiences. A case in point was my new friend Aaron Filion, artist and skateboarding enthusiast. You won’t find examples of Aaron’s work on the Internet yet. To date he’s only appeared in THRASHER, the popular magazine for the Tony Hawk crowd. That was a start but disappointing, because Aaron has talent and also a great mind. He deserves an audience.

It is germane that for most of 2006 my free time was spoken for, as I was wholly absorbed in writing a biography of a Canadian Soldier of Fortune. My diary tells me that on March 22nd I was bogged down in the details of the Battle of Agua Prieta, a bloody outbreak in Sonora, back in 1915. I needed a break. An hour later my wife and I landed in Bellingham, WA., just south of Vancouver. I have my favorite haunts, where for the past twenty years I have enjoyed pawing through tons of books and mounds of ephemera, the sweepings of attics and garages. I parked the car in front of ALLADIN'S Antiques and stepped back into time. My wife read in the car while I got my fingers dirty.

I like to be methodical in my search tactics and it wasn’t long before I noted that the fellow at my left elbow was being equally efficient. Intrigued, I struck up a conversation. Aaron was sorting through a box of thousands of photographs – professional and amateur, B&W and colour, interesting and meaningless. (I was waiting my turn. He probably knew that.) The box had been churned by dozens of pairs of curious hands, but Aaron had detected patterns and had separated out a few dozen photos that meant something to him. He described for me what he had assembled – sequencing them, and telling a story of their lives as he imagined it. I was enjoying a kindred spirit and contributed an idea or two. I had mistaken Aaron for an amateur historian or a young genealogist, and was startled to learn that he was an artist and that he was planning a new series of work based on old snapshots. He described himself as a surrealist, explaining that it was faces he was searching for. He planned to salvage faces from the past and work them into his canvases. Rapid-fire we shared interests. I enjoy Surrealism, Futurism, Photomontage, Weimar cinema, etc. Aaron was always one step ahead of me. A fun, zap zap zap conversation.

The cover of BLAST No.2, 1915, by Wyndham Lewis, who later served as a Canadian war artist. His expressionist work was a valuable contribution.

Aaron gave me his business card and I do like his painting (top of page). He calls his business Freakyart and I soon learned why. His fellow board riders in Seattle had given him the name “Freaky A,” a moniker he is proud of. In the THRASHER October 2004 edition he described himself as “A lowly private in the northwest chapter of the beer-drinking, bowl-riding hesh army.” His favorite hangout is the trendy Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro, in Bellingham, where I hope to catch up with him again soon. He hung a few canvases in Boundary Bay once, heretofore his only “show”. He has written in THRASHER magazine, “As for my art, I just keep pushing it out. It's like skating in so many ways. I don't get paid for it; I'm not that great at it, yet I'm compelled to keep doing it. I've learned that the energy I put into things comes back in the form of being able to do more of whatever I'm doing. That's good enough for me." That fairly well sums up my own philosophy about staying productive.

We’ve kept in touch by email and I know that he returned to that antique store at least once, to buy a few more images. “My girl friend couldn’t believe I had actually paid for the photos…” In an update last June he wrote, “I haven’t done much to the photos to make them surreal, but have hand rendered them to make them more interesting. They are transferred to boards waiting to be painted, but I’m currently too busy with other things.” I have encouraged him to research that collection he assembled, guessing that the family which had carelessly discarded the fragile record of their past might be thrilled to know that the photographs had inspired a talented local artist. Aaron’s got a big heart which nurtures that creativity of his. If he does contact the family, I’m sure he will charm them as much as he did me.

For those few who may be curious about my own purchases that day, nothing came from Aaron's box. One useful item I did buy is an 8x10 group photo of the 11th Photo Section USAAF, Wheeler Field, Hawaii in 1938. It's an historic image I can relate to the Amelia Earhart mystery... but that's definitely another story. As you will surmise, my interests in found objects (and in Blog topics) are a tad eclectic. So it goes.

Update: October 31, 2008 - Here's a nice Halloween surprise. Aaron just sent the URL for his new new webpage. Check it out!http://www.aaronfilionart.com/

THE REAPER, an Aaron Filion painting which is new to me.