Strike.

Fair is Fair.
Later,
Paul Parducci

Edgar G. Ulmer's Detour

I am a Film Noir fan. From "Kiss Me Deadly" to "The Spiral Staircase" on to "Gun Crazy" and beyond. But I recently caught a corner of Black-hearted brilliance called Detour Filmed by the Poverty Row Auteur Edgar G. Ulmer (Before he was sent away from mainstream Hollywood, he made The Black Cat) it is definitely something to put on your queue. Here is Robert Weston's excellent piece on both the man and his movie.

Later,

Paul Parducci

Val Lewton

Val Lewton was a genuinely Creative Producer and Screenwriter who made eleven innovative films for RKO's B-Unit in the 1940's working with such outstanding Director's as Jacques Tourneau, Robert Wise and Mark Robson.

His RKO Films:

Cat People (1942)
I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
The Leopard Man (1943)
The Seventh Victim (1943)
The Ghost Ship (1943)
The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
Mademoiselle Fifi (1944)
Youth Runs Wild (1944)
The Body Snatcher (1945)
Isle of the Dead (1945)
Bedlam (1946)

Here is Mark Viera's excellent article on the man and his work.

Okay, it's time to watch Cat People.

Later,

Paul Parducci

Ed"Big Daddy" Roth, Rat Fink and the Center of the Livingroom

I have a clear memory of seeing an image of Rat Fink Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's seminal creation on American Bandstand as a toddler sitting in the center of the livingroom floor. It came and went quickly but that fiendishly cool-looking rat stayed in my head to this day. Ed Roth American designer and artist has had a profound effect on all aspects of the visual arts, from skateboards to Chrysler. Ed has gone to the big garage in the sky but here are some excellent links to get you up to speed on this amazing creator.

Detroit News Obit

Ratfink.org

Mr.Gasser.com

Tribute Page

Peterson Automotive Museum

and about Ron Mann's excellent movie: "Tales of the Rat Fink"
Later,

Paul Parducci

Robert Fuest's "The Abominable Dr. Phibes"

Robert Fuest's Over-the Top Deco Horror Masterpiece "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" is a must see during the Halloween season. It stars the always solid Joseph Cotton and Vincent Price ( at his tearing up the screen best) delightfully disturbed revenge sequences and a clockwork band.
Later,
Paul Parducci

Original Photograph: "Please Mary"

Here is my photograph entitled "Please Mary."
Later,
Paul Parducci

Billy Wilder's The Lost Weekend and My Lost Week

I haven't had a chance to post lately as I've been involved in directing a new project.

But here is a must see movie, Billy Wilder's "The Lost Weekend."

It's worth it for the Delerium Tremens sequence alone and Ray Milland has never been better.

Later,

Paul Parduci

Malachi Martin and his In-depth Study of Exorcism

Malachi Martin was a Jesuit who was involved in and made a study of the Exorcism of demons.
His book Hostage to the Devil is a chilling look at five cases of Demonic Possession in the modern era.



By the way,"Hostage" is best read during the day.
Later,
Paul Parducci

Carl Jung/Myers Briggs Typology: I am an INFJ

Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung was a man of expansive interests one of which was the determining and categorizing of personality Types.
Repetitive testing has me pegged as an INFJ Type.
This is my type from similarminds.com
More about Meyers Briggs and to find out your type.
Of course not everyone agrees, this is from The Skeptic's Dictionary.
If you have the time here is an excellent documentary on Jung called "Matter of Heart"
Later,
Paul Parducci

Did Jackie Gleason Actually See Physical Evidence of the Roswell Incident?

You can't go two inches in any direction when discussing UFO's without hearing about Roswell.

However the Gleason connection is probably the most interesting.

So Away we goooo!(I'm sorry)

For a great overview here is Bill Knell's piece.

From UFO Updates

Also for those interested Jackie's Paranormal Library is now on exhibit.

Later,

Paul Parducci

Chiller Theater: WPIX TV's Six-Fingered Discount Horror Show

It's no secret that I am intrigued by the world of the scary and the strange. One of my fondest memories as a kid was watching Chiller Theater on WPIX TV Channel 11.
This is the opening:



And you have to go to Joe Cascio's comprehensive Chiller Theater site.
Later,
Paul Parducci

Strange Archaeology: The Baghdad Battery

Did the Ancients make batteries?

A very intriguing discovery was made in Iraq in 1936.

If this interests you go to Ancient Technology.

Fascinating huh?

Later,

Paul Parducci

A Warriors Poem

The Soldier and Marine
Both a year from their proms
Sat in the depot, brothers in arms
They talked of Fallujah, Bastogne and Yalu
They spoke of Ramadi and Route Irish too.
They joked and they bragged
And remembered brave men
Knowing they’d never serve with their likes again
At three in the morning came the northbound train squeals
One felt for his duffle, one unlocked his wheels
One pushed and one watched
There’s no need to delve
One got the Six
The other the Twelve

© 2007 Paul Parducci All Rights Reserved

Eight Ball

This is a Strange One: The Belmez Faces

Since 1971 Faces have been appearing on their own on the cement floor of a private home in Spain.

This link will give you a solid overview.

Also this one.

This is an excellent short film about the faces.

Is it a hoax? Evidence of some kind of Thoughtography?

Well, that's all for now.

Later,

Paul Parducci

Happy Labor Day! Now Relax.

We American's work too hard. Myself included. With cell phones and computers, PDA's and Blackberries we are always gettin it done.
Achievement is nice but so is taking time to be with family and friends and simply existing. I know. "Bills." Forget them just for today and do something fun.
Gotta go now, we're off to the beach.
Later,
Paul Parducci


PS: This picture is from the National Archives.

See You Later Dad. William J. Parducci (August 7, 1910-August 17, 2007)

After a long battle with Alzheimer's my father passed away on Friday morning August 17,2007.
I was on my way to see him when he died. In fact I got the call just before I reached the first security check point at LAX.
My father was a great man. A true genius who always took an interest in those around him. He was a Vaudevillian, a Musician, a Bandleader, a painter (oils) a Chess Master, Boat builder, Mountain climber and a Design Engineer.(Among many accomplishments, he worked for Tucker and was on the Jet engine team during World War II) He was a devoted Husband(married to my Mom for 62 years) and father of five sons. (He had his first son at the age of 38 and his last at the age of 55.)
Over the past few years my father's amazing mind began to shut down.This happened right after the sudden loss of his first born son (My brother Bill-Four or five years ago I stood on the lawn of my boyhood home while my father tried to stave off memory-loss by reciting multiplication tables.He used his mind constantly and was acutely aware when it started to fail him.)
He always had several books going at once and a chessboard set up by his chair.
One of my favorite things to do was to make him laugh. My father had a great laugh. Inevitably what worked best was repetition. I would keep repeating some inane voice or stupid remark until he started to shake with laughter and lean forward guffaw tears streaming down his face and swat me lightly on the shoulder.
I have my father's chess board now, it rests on my coffee table in the livingroom. I have an old pair of his glasses, a mechanical pencil and his violin. I have a handful of photos too. At the end of the day though these things though symbols of a life well-lived are all simply trinkets. What's not a trinket is the love my father had for me and all of us.
I miss you Dad.
See You Later.
Your Son Paul

PS: The top photo is my father at the drafting table in the 40's, the other one is my dad on stage in 1929

Turkish Remake of The Exorcist

Look at this.
Later,
Paul Parducci

What's the Deal with Ouija Boards?

 With the new horror movie "Ouija" out I thought I'd revitalize this post I did on this creepy parlor activity.
One of my earliest memories concerning a Ouija Board is my Mom warning me never to use one. She owned one as a teenager and while using it to communicate with a favorite cousin who had been killed in the war, had a very unpleasant and terrifying experience. After that she threw it away never to even touch one again.

As for myself, after reading extensively about this purported communication device, my advice is to stay away. A better source of answers is a good encyclopedia or your Aunt Martha (Your living Aunt Martha that is.)
Here is a blog dedicated to them.

And the Web Ouija.

The Skeptical point of view.

From Prairie Ghosts

A Ouija Board Warning

Dale Kacsmarek's piece

OK, even after my Mother's warnings and my own promise to never touch one myself, while writing this post I had a nearly overwhelming urge to try it.(Read: "nearly" I didn't do it.) I guess there will always be a desire deep inside for extra-earthly, extra-here and now information.

Good Luck All!
Later,

Paul Parducci

EGO, Self Will, God's Will- What's the Deal?

The older I get the more I realize that what the spiritual masters of virtually every faith have said is true. The Human Ego is the root of all misery.

Here are some insightful links regarding what many believe to be the false self.

From Deoxy

From LiveReal
According to Freud

Don't Underestimate the Ego

From Spiritual Experiences

Dr. John W. Gilmore's piece in SelfGrowth

Rudolf Steiner Lecture on The Lord's Prayer

Michael S. Hoffman's piece on Ego Death

Later,

Paul Parducci