TURA SATANA 1938 - 2011
Recently in Robin Pen Category
The crew of Planet Books looked back at what they thought were the coolest books of 2010. Not necessarily the best (as everybody does those lists. Why should we add another?) and certainly some are not the most important. Treat this as those that best stuck in the mind. And be warned, there are two Star Wars books.
8 Albums Enjoyed By Planet Music Staff in 2010
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
A History of Robot Design in Film
"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)
Faust (1926)
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)
"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."
