Once Again A Holiday At The Table

Risk was invented by Albert Lamorisse who also directed that award-winning short film you saw in grammer school "The Red Balloon."
Later,
Paul Parducci

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wish all the best for you and yours.

And please excuse these suggestions: do your best to refrain from discussing politics or religion at the table.(You know that no matter what the people at your table believe or follow they would be there for you if you needed them.) And take a secret moment to look around at all your family and friends. I don't have to tell you why.

God Bless,

Paul Parducci

Charles Bukowski's "Death Wants More Death"

death wants more death, and its webs are full:

I remember my father's garage,

how child-like I would brush the corpses of flies from the windows they thought were escape-

their sticky, ugly, vibrant bodies shouting like dumb crazy dogs

against the glass

only to spin and flit in that second larger than hell or heaven

onto the edge of the ledge,

and then the spider from his dank hole nervous and exposed the puff of body swelling

hanging there not really quite knowing, and then knowing-something

sending it down its string,

the wet web, toward the weak shield of buzzing,

the pulsing; a last desperate moving hair-leg there against the glass

there alive in the sun, spun in white; and almost like love: the closing over,

the first hushed spider-sucking: filling its sack upon this thing that lived;

crouching there upon its back drawing its certain blood as the world goes by outside

and my temples scream and I hurl the broom against them:

the spider dull with spider-anger still thinking of its prey

and waving an amazed broken leg;

the fly very still, a dirty speck stranded to straw;

I shake the killer loose and he walks lame and peeved towards some dark corner but I intercept his dawdling his crawling like some broken hero,

and the straws smash his legs now waving above his head and looking

looking for the enemy and somewhat valiant, dying without apparent pain

simply crawling backward piece by piece

leaving nothing there until at last the red gut sack splashes its secrets,

and I run child-like with God's anger a step behind,

back to simple sunlight,

wondering as the world goes by with curled smile

if anyone else saw or sensed my crime

----------------------------------

Later,

Paul Parducci

Today We Honor our Veterans

Thank you.
Paul Parducci

PS: This is a photo of Revolutionary War veteran Manual Downing taken in 1864. He was born in 1751.

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.