TURA SATANA 1938 - 2011
I asked the crew in Planet Music what are their favourite albums of last year and, to give them a challenge, say just five words about each one.
Konono No 1 - Assume Crash Position
Trance-inducing crash-bang tribalism
Salem - King Night
Cobweb-draped junky drone synths
Sun Araw - On Patrol
Tropical squelches & humid, psychedelic dub
Neil Young - Le Noise
Desert ballads, swirling delay & bones
Teebs - Ardour
Chiming daydream, hazy circular movement
Baths - Cerulean
Deep lagoon beats, love songs
Dimlite - Prismic Tops
Robotic syncopation, gleaming chromium mist
Bonobo - Black Sands
Velveteen shimmer & lush orchestration
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"The Automation" from The Master Mystery, 1920. Perhaps the first robot on film even though it turns out to be a madman in a suit. Starred Harry Houdini.
The "Maria" Robot from Metropolis, 1927. Remains perhaps the best robot design still.
(Above) The Phantom Empire, 1935.
(Right) The Undersea Kingdom, 1936.
The Phantom Creeps, 1939. Like the two above, Phantom Creeps was a serial of twelve weekly chapters. Bela Lugosi controlled his robot by way of a remote strapped to his arm. Mad scientist liked heavy handed robots and audiences too so the robot from Undersea became a bigger smash when it reappeard in The Mysterious Dr Satan, 1940.
Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still, 1951. He could turn the earth into a burnt out cinder.
The Robot Monster from Robot Monster, 1953. Yes, it's a gorilla suit with a TV for a head.
Gog from Gog, 1954. Ivan Tors was trying to take robot design seriously.
In Devil Gril from Mars, 1954 and Target Earth, 1954, we were under threat from fridges.
Tobor from Tobor the Great, 1954, had a way with kids.
But Robbie the Robot from Forbidden Planet, 1956, had a way with the ladies.
And Robbie remains the quintessential movie robot to this day. Say bye Robbie.
(End of Part One)
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Metropolis (1927)
Things to Come (1930)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Portrait of Jennie (1948)
This Island Earth (1955)
Logan's Run (1976)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Heavy Metal (1981)
Blade Runner (1982)
Tron (1982)
Brazil (1985)
Akira (1988)
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
The Fifth Element (1997)
A.I. - Artificial Intelligence (2001)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)
*Try saying that six times fast.
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"I am 100 percent in favor of the intelligent use of drugs, and 1,000 percent against the thoughtless use of them, whether caffeine or LSD. And drugs are not central to my life."
"If you don't like what you're doing, you can always pick up your needle and move to another groove."
"In the information age, you don't teach philosophy as they did after feudalism. You perform it. If Aristotle were alive today he'd have a talk show."
"There are three side effects of acid: enhanced long-term memory, decreased short-term memory, and I forget the third."
"Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition."
"The universe is an intelligence test"
"Civilization is unbearable, but it is less unbearable at the top."
"My advice to people today is as follows: If you take the game of life seriously, if you take your nervous system seriously, if you take your sense organs seriously, if you take the energy process seriously, you must turn on, tune in, and drop out."
"We are dealing with the best-educated generation in history. But they've got a brain dressed up with nowhere to go."
"Think for yourself and question authority."
Paul Kelly is Australia's most respected song writer and came into Planet Books to launch his memoir How to Make Gravy . The place quickly filled to the brim with polite and courteous people. And though there was a bit of a scabble to get books from the counter before Paul took to the little stage it was very apparant that a pleasant atmosphere was to remain throughout the evening.
But there was an electricity to this relaxed atmosphere. Paul stepped up and said hello and proceeded to read from his book. That was nice enough, but when he then sang To Her Door the sensation of being somewhere special was thick in the air. You could see the audience found it exhilerating.
Paul Kelly read some more and sang another song before answering questions that varied from if he liked hearing other people sing his songs (he does) and how he found acting in the film One Night The Moon (he enjoyed it).
He then proceeded to sign copies of his book, vinyls, photos, guitars and the like for over two solid hours until every person who was there was satisfied they had met a music legend and a contributor to the identity of Australian culture.
Paul was generous and amiable with a warm handshake. He also likes interesting beers and has a taste for good whiskey.
Thank you, Mr. Kelly, for one of Planet's grooviest nights.
Thanks Sophia & Jen for the pics.
A Complete History Of The Soviet Union Through The Eyes Of A Humble Worker, Arranged To The Melody Of Tetris by Chris Lince (2010) 6:48mins
Quimby the Mouse by Chris Ware (2009) 3:30mins
(About) Robots by Alex Davis (2007?) 6:35mins
Reno by Cory McAbee (2008) 3:52mins
Outer Space by Peter Tscherkassky (1999) 10:02mins
Fast Film by Virgil Widrich (2003) 13:39mins
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