Poltergeist

Although this film was directed by Tobe Hooper (of Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame) it very much has Stephen Spielberg's distinctive fingerprints on it. He wrote the story, co-wrote the screenplay and produced it, and it follows similar beats to his other films of this era of focussing on a typical suburban American family with 2.4 kids and a dog, facing an otherworldly threat. In case though, rather than aliens (friendly or not), the menace is coming from inside the house with (not really a spoiler if you've seen the title of the film and the poster) poltergeists coming out of the TV.

It really doesn't take long for the film to get going and amp up the peril with a mix of animated and practical special effects that mostly hold up. It's billed as a horror movie, but it doesn't really rely on jump scares but rather more leaning into the action and humour of the situation (scary clown dolls notwithstanding). I think I first watched this on a VHS from the video rental shop, so seeing it again on a bigger and sharper screen shows some of the cracks but it's still mostly enjoyable.

Wild Iris

Down in the meadow 

Where the wild iris grows free 

Natural beauty

Mountain, Pest

Continents crashing 

Ancient insects now trapped in time 

Climbers confounded

Weasel

Due to a mix up
For my drawing class I bought
An artist's weasel

Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

For along time I thought that Captain Beefheart was just a novelty act like Doctor Demento or Weird Al, so this album was something of a revelation. To say it’s hard going is an understatement, and first impressions are of a shambolic racket with different musicians noodling to whatever groove is playing in their heads while some crazy dude rants random beat poems over the top.

Continued listening is worth it though, although it doesn’t get any easier. This is actually meticulous free jazz where the apparent randomness will sometimes resolve into a tight focus before splintering off again. The lyrics are similarly thought through as a piece of performance art that would obviously go on to inspire people like Tom Waits and David Lynch.

Moonlight-on-Vermont-tastic!

Tangerine, Paint

Beginner's art class
A still life of a fruit bowl
Tangerine painting

Different Class by Pulp

While Blur and Oasis were scrapping it out in the Britpop wars of the 90s, this plucky band from Sheffield snuck up on the inside and took the trophy. Jarvis Cocker’s songs of working class life and the desperation of poverty and unemployment, hit home in a way that other bands never quite managed. Maybe I’m biased, but as someone who lived through the Thatcherite 80s in Sheffield when whole communities were systematically thrown on the scrap heap this album rings true.

The lyrics reminded me of Ray Davies in places, and the music is similarly timeless, especially on the tracks with orchestral arrangements by Anne Dudley. Aside from the hits, the highlights for me were I Spy, which could have been a Bond theme (albeit for a very low rent, pervy James Bond) and Mis-shapes which could have been written about me as gawky young nerd with specs worrying about being beaten up by townies if I ventured out on a Friday night.

Woodchip-tastic!