Deceit, Blood, and Opera

[greygirlbeast]

I did 1,139 words on "The Thousand-and-Third Tale of Scheherazade" yesterday, which makes it a pretty decent writing day. I expect to finish the story this afternoon, or tomorrow at the very latest, at which time I will send it to Vince to be illustrated, for Sirenia Digest #38.

I got about eight hours of sleep last night, and feel a little better than I did this time yesterday. I tried to do it without the Ambien, and I got to sleep just fine, but awoke around 5:30 ayem to the sensation that my skin and muscles had been somehow wound too tightly about me, so I took the damn Ambien. Tonight, I'll try taking only a half dose.

Does anyone know the name of the island on the Hudson River where Aleister Crowley sequestered himself in 1918? I see the name given as Aesopus Island, but, so far, I've been unable to find that name on a map, and I'm beginning to suspect it's a name he created.

Last night, we saw Darren Lynn Bousman and Terrance Zdunich's Repo! The Genetic Opera. Wow. Spooky and I were both extremely pleased, and we'll be picking up a copy of the DVD and soundtrack as soon as we are able. Rock opera meets Grand Guignol, with no punches pulled. It was the sort of film that made me smile right at the start, and by the end my face ached from smiling. Some wickedly sexy eye candy, this movie, and the music manages just the right balance of jaunty comic irreverence, melodrama, and tragedy. Many of the vocal performances are mediocre, but this actually seems to serve the characterization rather well. The best voices in Repo! belong to Anthony Stewart Head and Sarah Brightman, and this, of course, comes as no surprise. Vocally, they more than manage to carry the film all on their own. Anyway, yes, I absolutely love this film. It's the sort of dark gem that I am always amazed managed to find its way to the screen. Even Paris Hilton isn't very annoying, in part because she's playing the perfect grotesque caricature of herself. Terrance Zdunich (screenwrirer) is superb as Graverobber. You even get a dash of Joan Jett, and Spooky and I were very pleased to see Melora Creager listed among the musicians.

Spooky has lowered the prices of Orville and Jasper, on her Etsy page. You might want to have a look.

If you've not yet ordered A is for Alien, I urge you to please do so today. Thanks.

Comments

[halloweenboy.livejournal.com]

I was very happy to get to see REPO! in a theater last Tuesday for their Road Tour where Terrance and Darren were there to introduce the movie and then have a Q&A after. Bill Moseley also showed up as the "guest" cast member for their stop here in St. Louis. They kept asking everyone to push the movie if they liked it and if they didn't like it to tell people why they didn't. After the Q&A they sat out in the lobby taking pictures and signing items for people (I got them all to sign one REPO picture and then got Bill to sign a second thing with him as Luigi). It makes me happy when I read that someone I have great respect for liked the movie just as much!

OK - fan-girl moment over.

[iteari.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed Repo!Genetic opera quite a lot. And I found what happens to Paris Hilton's character in the end very, very, very suitable.

I was very impressed with Alexa Vega. She ain't no Sarah Brightman, and a part of me still sees her as the kid from the godawful spy kids franchise...but I like Shiloh a lot.

Gravedigger was interesting too.

[sovay]

In attempting to post this comment, my browser has crashed three times. Crowley is protective of his privacy . . .

I see the name given as Aesopus Island, but, so far, I've been unable to find that name on a map, and I'm beginning to suspect it's a name he created.

There seems to be an Esopus Island, which is only a slightly Anglicized form of the name.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

There seems to be an Esopus Island, which is only a slightly Anglicized form of the name.

Ah-ha!

And here it is on google maps

[theswede.livejournal.com]

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=esopus,+new+york&ie=UTF8&z=15&ll=41.824293,-73.945627&spn=0.016758,0.043259&t=k&om=1

[scarletboi.livejournal.com]

Repo! is a lot of fun. We just grabbed the DVD from Wal-Mart, of all places, and Kat got me the soundtrack for Santamas.

Another musician you may not have noticed is Poe, she's one of the choral voices.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Another musician you may not have noticed is Poe, she's one of the choral voices.

Awesome. No, I missed that.

most definitey

[alumiere.livejournal.com]

i agree with the repo love; we saw it first run here in la and then went back for the last stop on the road tour last night (which was oversold by over 100 tix for the space)

the part that amazed me the most was when alexa talked about the fact that because they had no budget they had no real rehersal/prep time, recorded in the studio three months before they got on set (which no-one had yet seen) and then when shooting had to lip synch and match choreography to their pre-recorded soundtrack

pretty fucking amazing given what they had to work with, and the people involved seemed to be genuinely amazed at the crowd response

Repo

[derekcfpegritz.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I thought Nivek Ogre was a bit underused. What a great character! Like a combination of Ed Gein and Casanova.

Re: Repo

[readingthedark.livejournal.com]

Yes. I regret his performance, though the mask was quite effective.

Re: Repo

[derekcfpegritz.livejournal.com]

At least that movie provided me with Halloween costumes for the rest of my life.

Re: Repo

[readingthedark.livejournal.com]

Adorable film. Delightful. But Skinny Puppy is the band that defines my life and I wish he'd had one moment where he just tore a hole in the sky.

[readingthedark.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed Repo! immensely, but I'm such an Ogre fanboy that I regret his lack of Ogre-ness. There was one moment ("sur-geon") where I heard the eccentric phrasing that he's so good at it, but it was still an octave higher than he would've done it.

I guess he was playing a character and not actually being himself (which is to be lauded) and is interested in being in horror films (which is to be lauded), but amid so many bad singers, I expected him to shred his vocal cords with elegance the way he has every single time I've seen him sing. Great film, just a bit odd for me since he's my favorite vocalist and he didn't manage (was not allowed?) to show his awesomeness.

[derekcfpegritz.livejournal.com]

Well, if I ever get 'round to filming my biopic of Francis E. Dec, Esquire, I'm definitely casting Nivek Ogre as the Agent of the Worldwide Mad Deadly Communist Gangster Computer God.

[readingthedark.livejournal.com]

If you want me to Paypal you $10 for a ticket now I will...

[derekcfpegritz.livejournal.com]

Now, let's not get too ahead of ourselves here, yet! I haven't even finished the dang script yet. :)

Nonetheless, in the meantime, you may wish to check out The Collected Wit and Wisdom of Mr. Francis E. Dec, Esquire (http://www.bentoandstarchky.com/dec/rants.htm). If Skinny Puppy changed my entire musical world view, Francis E. Dec , Esq., changed the rest.