Meanwhile

7/1/20219/9/2021 Chas.Leave a comment

Several weeks ago, I submitted an entry in Asheville Community Theatre’s Graphic Design Project. They were looking for four graphic designers to do logo treatments for each show of their upcoming 2020-2021 season. The season consists of Clue, Fight Girl Battle World, The Giver, and [title of show]. I found out last week that I was selected as one of the four and had our first meeting this past Tuesday. Exciting! The point person assigned a show to each designer and I ended up with [title of show]. This show and Clue are going to be the hardest to work on as both already have very recognizable logos that get used pretty much anytime these shows are staged. [title of show] also has the added handicap of being stylized by being done in all lowercase letters that are enclosed in brackets.

Anyhoo. I am super excited to be working on this! Hopefully, I can come up with something suitably graphic and slightly different from what’s been done before.

Here’s the group of happy designers after our first meeting …

In a sure sign that my brain is totally fucked up, I have spent the last two nights having dreams about buying or losing out on buying the Record Store Day 2021 release of Garbage’s No Gods No Masters that was released on June 12th. It has a variant cover (different coloring) and vinyl color (translucent pink) and was limited to 2,700 units. Needless to say, I took this as a sign and found a copy online this morning, and ordered it. I mean … it’s not like I have this on neon green vinyl and deluxe CD already. Sheesh.

Stick a Fork in Me

6/22/20216/29/2021 Chas.Leave a comment

Life is still … plodding along. But there have been some distractions along the way.

Yes. I bought a kiddie pool. And, yes. It’s for me. When the temps get hot, you will be able to find me laying drunk in the cool, cool water. I have already warned the neighbors.

Yes! It’s the limited edition release of StudioCanal’s 4K restoration of Basic Instinct. The timing couldn’t be better since my Lionsgate Blu-ray from 2007 has shit the bed and won’t play past the first promo trailer on the disc. This is seriously one of my favorite movies. It’s so perfectly trashy and awesome.

Yes. I finally fixed the bottom step (that was rotting to pieces) off the back deck. The price of lumber had been making me delay this task. So, I got crafty and found some old lumber from a picnic table I dismantled a few months ago. Quick work with a hand saw and a few nails means a sturdy new step is now in place! And, yes. I was dumb and didn’t take a “before” picture.

The tracklisting on No Gods No Masters, the new Garbage album, is slightly different on the vinyl versus the CD. Aren’t you happy that you now know this useless bit of information?

And now for the “I’m Done” portion of this post …

It’s always great to see your design work lifted and then solely credited to another person. This really made my eye twitch when I saw it last Friday. Granted, the person that is credited did drop new photos into this design, but they in no way should get the sole credit and all the kudos they were getting in the comment section of this post.

I quit working at this theater last summer because I was overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. Nobody there could ever seem to remember I was on staff even though they had no problem piling extra design work on me anytime they needed it. It really sucked. So, I quit. Fast forward a year and they still can’t seem to remember the work I did or the time and energy I put into it … and it still REALLY SUCKS.

Crushing!

6/15/20216/15/2021 Chas.Leave a comment

Absolutely crushing on No Gods No Masters, the new album by Garbage. So fucking good! Give it a listen below.

Events and Things

5/11/20215/12/2021 Chas.Leave a comment

Here are some things that have been going on.

We welcomed a 12-year-old Italian Greyhound named Chip into the family. He’s totally derpy and we love him so much. What we don’t love are his bad teeth, stank breath caused by said bad teeth, and his occasional desire to pee on the back of the sofa or trash can in the kitchen. Oh well. Bowser seems to tolerate his presence and it looks like Chip will have a good home.

Vaccinated friends can hang out (thanks CDC guidance)! So, Michelle and I got together a few Saturdays ago and drank too much beer. What a fun night that was. The next morning was not so much fun. Yay, hangovers.

Finally made it back to Biltmore to tour the house and walk the grounds. I timed it badly for the gardens though. There was nothing blooming in the walled garden and the azaleas were past their peak. Bummer. But the flower arrangements in the house were spectacular as always.

We went and Alex in his new band, The Deathbots, when they played an outdoor patio show at The Grey Eagle last week. The band was quite awesome and we got to actually see other humans in a public setting. Whoo!

I bought lottery tickets! But don’t get too excited about the numbers showing. I didn’t win a damn thing. Maybe next time …

Movies and Music

4/5/20214/5/2021 Chas.Leave a comment

Well. Life is slowly chugging along. There is still lots of just hanging around the house for the moment. Spring is finally underway here. So thankful for warmer temps! David is now fully vaccinated and I have one more shot left to go before I am. I am really looking forward to being able to hang with friends and have some limited movie gatherings. Yay!

We did brave the elements and went and saw Godzilla Vs. Kong in an actual movie theater this past Friday. Lordy, I have missed movie theaters.

The movie itself was fine. The plot was nonsensical at times but big monsters destroyed a lot of shit … so I was pretty happy with it. Plus, Alexander Skarsgård is so pretty. *Sigh* I still think Godzilla (2014) is the best of the MonsterVerse films.

Meanwhile, John Grant and Garbage have both announced new albums. Yay!

John Grant’s Boy from Michigan drops June 25th. I *might* have pre-ordered the limited edition, deluxe vinyl.

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Garbage’s No Gods No Masters drop on June 11th. I *might* have snagged the Deluxe CD + Neon Green Vinyl Limited Edition with Signed Print before it sold out. Whoo!

And, hopefully, I will get back to some sort of regular posting schedule. I really something to focus on other than pandemics and hurt feelings.

Friday Vibes

3/5/2021 Chas.Leave a comment

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Updates and Things

11/30/202011/30/2020 Chas.Leave a comment

Yeah … I am still alive. I just haven’t felt like posting.

Thanksgiving came and went last week without much fanfare. Our friends who normally host a “Friendsgiving” that we go to every year (wisely) decided to not host this year. It was disappointing but understandable. So, David went off to see his family and I stayed around the house and didn’t really do anything but consume pizza and be a generally depressed bastard. Yay, 2020!

I did get this year’s batch of egg nog made on Thanksgiving Day. Later this week, I get to decide who has been nice enough to receive some and who’s on the shit list and is out of egg nog luck. Ha, ha.

COVID-19 case numbers are going crazy here in our little mountain county. It’s a bummer since we’ve done pretty well for most of the year. It seems like precaution fatigue has people letting their guard down and thus getting infected. I am so ready for all this to be over!

One (well, two really) of the bright spots of the past week has been the arrival of the Dawn of the Dead 4K UHD Limited Edition release from Second Sight and the Midsommar Director’s Cut 4K UHD Limited Edition from A24. Squee!

Second Sight Dawn of the Dead 4K UHD Limited Edition

On Saturday, I had a solo shopping appointment at my favorite record store in Asheville, Harvest Records. I managed to snag the 2020 Black Friday Record Store Day release of Amiee Mann’s Bachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo. I also found a rare Japanese pressing from 1985 of The Sisters of Mercy’s First and Last and Always. So cool!

Aimee Mann's Bachelor No. 2 RSD 2020 Release

First and Last and Always Japanese Pressing

Sunday morning, we went for a fancy brunch at The Ascot Club at Highland Forest. We have recently become social members there because a) the membership is cheap and b) all of our friends were joining and we didn’t want to be left out. The food is good and the atmosphere pretty quiet. So, it’s a great place to go for a relaxing meal. We drank mimosas and had fancy brunchables … Chicken and Waffles for me and Steak Caesar Salad for David. Très chic.

Since there were no Black Friday sales to go to in person, I bought a few movies online for cheap. Castle Rock: The Complete Second Season arrived yesterday. Horray for 2-day shipping! But, thanks to Amazon’s amazing pack job, it’s already being returned. The slipcase was damaged and (it might be hard to tell from the photo) the case is actually curved and bent. Amazon’s crapping packing/shipping strikes again. Sheesh.

Some other randomness that I might post more about later:
– I framed some enamel pin sets I have recently acquired.
– We watched Unhinged. It’s nowhere near as bad as the critics made it out to be.
– I have become obsessed with color matching my jockstrap and shirt colors when I can.

The workweek is now underway. December is nigh (which means 2021 is just around the corner. And they are calling for SNOW tonight!

Oh, and … because I was bad and missed the actual day on the 21st … Happy 18th Birthday to The Boy Wonder. I guess this blog finally legal! I know I say this every year … but, damn … I never thought it would last this long. So, a big thanks to the constant (or even occasional) readers that still come here and read my ramblings.

Editor’s Note: No links ’cause I’m lazy.

Gotta Get Back in the Groove …

10/14/202010/14/2020 Chas.Leave a comment

Bah! It seems I am posting more infrequently now. Is it my mood? Probably. Is it also that nothing super exciting is going on since we are still not really able to go about as freely and hang out with friends like the old days. Yep. And, it’s sad to think that the “old days” of normal life were just six months ago. It feels like 60 years ago.

Events of the past few weeks:
– Have gotten totally obsessed with collecting all the official recordings of Sunset Boulevard.
– Finally got a copy of Cocteau Twins’ Four Calendar Cafe on vinyl.
– Been crushing hard on the new Róisín Murphy album, Róisín Machine.
– Helped Michelle (no longer a refugee) set up various items for her new house here.
– Ate too much pizza.
– Binge watched The Haunting of Bly Manor and didn’t really like it.
– Got shat on by a pigeon.
– Turned 49.

I stopped trimming my beard quite a few months ago. So, now it’s the longest it has ever been … and it’s so unruly. I really need a professional trim/shaping but I am too paranoid to go to a barber and sit there unmasked while doing their work. I have been thinking about trimming it back down to a reasonable length but just haven’t worked up the nerve.

Here’s a Then (July) and Now (October) …

I *might* also have been on a jockstrap kick for the past few days. They are just so damn wonderful. So, now I am toying with the idea of making the jockstrap my daily underwear of choice. In aid of this, I might have purchased a cheap-ish 3-pack (in grey and black because those are the best colors). It would be nice to be able to afford a full complement of PUMP, Diesel, or Cellblock 13 (of which I want all the colors!) jocks. I guess I will see how this works out. Ha, ha.

And what would be an update without talking about an expensive movie purchase? I am super excited that Haunt (a great little horror movie from last year) is FINALLY getting a Blu-ray release from Ronin Flix. And, of course, I ordered the stupidly expensive Collector’s Edition. Just look at all the cool features and swag!

Includes the Original CD Soundtrack by tomandandy, four 16” x 20” movie poster reproductions, a 16” x 20” reproduction of the haunt map, six enamel pins featuring costume masks featured in the film, four 2” x 3 ½” replica VHS box-style magnets, and over 5 hours of special features.

DISC 1 – Haunt (2019) Feature Presentation
– NEW To Escape the Haunt: The Making of HAUNT featurette including interviews with writers/directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, actors Katie Stevens, Will Brittain, Andrew Lewis Caldwell, Lauryn Alisa McClain, Schuyler Helford, Justin Marxen, Chaney Morrow, Special Makeup Effects artist Chris Bridges and co-composer Andy Milburn (tomandandy)
– NEW Audio Commentary with actors Justin Marxen (Clown), Chaney Morrow (Ghost), and Damian Maffei (Devil)
– Audio Commentary with writers/directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods
– Behind the Haunt
– The Sound of Haunt
– Deleted Scenes with an introduction by Scott and Bryan
– Popcorn Frights Q & A with Scott, Bryan, and some of the cast
– Egyptian Theatre Premiere Q & A with Scott and Bryan, moderated by Eli Roth
– Short Film: The Sleepover – Scott and Bryan’s first film
– Director’s Diary
– Theatrical Trailer

DISC 2: Haunt (2019) Soundtrack

GIMMIE!!! GIMMIE!!! GIMMIE!!!

Stuff

10/5/202012/31/2020 Chas.Leave a comment

I received my replacement copy of Prince’s Sign ‘o the Times (Super Deluxe Edition) over the weekend and I couldn’t be happier. It’s pristine! AND, as a bonus, the replacement copy came in some sort of official Sign ‘o the Times branded packing box. Cool! The damaged copy I received didn’t, so this was a nice bonus.

We went over to Asheville on Saturday and hung out with A&A all day. The highlight was getting to carve pumpkins! I have not done this since I was a kid and I finally got to create a jack-o-lantern based on the one that appears during the opening credits of John Carpenter’s Halloween. So much fun!

I FINALLY received the part to repair my busted mower. It’s kinda ridiculous that it took well over a month for it to arrive. At least it’s now installed and regular mowing can commence for what is left of the mow season. So exciting.

Disappointed Excitement [Prince Edition]

9/30/202010/5/2020 Chas.Leave a comment

So … I was super excited to finally receive my copy of Prince’s Sign ‘o the Times (Super Deluxe Edition) yesterday. Yay! This beast is massive with eight CD’s and one DVD.

BUT … when I opened it up, I discovered an imperfection on the back of the hardbound book. It looks like there is a staple (or something similar) under the paper which it’s bulging up and seems like it could eventually rip through and damage the book. Ugh.

I have a bit of OCD about packaging being pristine. And I been working on not freaking out about small dings, etc on things I buy. But, considering the cost of this set ($160!), I want it to be immaculate. The exchange process has been initiated.

Yeah, I know. First world problems.

Things ‘n Stuff

9/14/20209/14/2020 Chas.Leave a comment

The arrival of The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection 4K Blu-ray has been the best thing that has happened in the past few weeks. Seriously. Psycho and Vertigo look insanely beautiful in 4K (Rear Window and The Birds aren’t too bad either).

And to balance out all that cinematic awesomeness, I grabbed a copy of the Rob Zombie Trilogy. Trash-tastic! (Plus, you can’t beat three movies for $13.)

One of the other things I have done recently has been to separate my regular Twitter from my porn Twitter. Now my regular followers won’t see when I like or comment on some really hot porn tweet. Ha, ha.

Meanwhile, I am obsessing over remixes of Madonna’s Erotica.

Tuesday Mood

8/25/2020 Chas.Leave a comment

Eye & Ear Candy [Dark Edition]

8/19/20208/19/2020 Chas.Leave a comment

Finally finishing up Dark on Netflix and I gotta give a shout out to the main title designers (ARRI Media VFX and Lutz Lemke). I am a sucker for a great title sequence and I gotta say that Dark has one of my favorites. And, yes. I quietly judge people who skip title sequences.

Ben Frost has composed some wonderfully ominous music for the show … which you can sample below and purchase here.

Dark also has an insanely great music supervisor (Lynn Fainchtein). I know I am not alone in wanting an official of a complete series soundtrack of songs used in the show.

Here’s the full version of Apparat‘s “Goodbye” which is used for the main titles.
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