Crowgrrrl's Perch 11-13-05

CROWGRRL’S PERCH 11-13-05

By Athena Schaffer aka The Crowgrrl

Special Double Feature Spotlight – Night Stalker Executive Producer Frank Spotnitz, and Thor!

CROWGRRL’S SPOTLIGHT:

Night Stalker Executive Producer Frank Spotnitz

One of the absolute best tv shows this season in the U.S. is Night Stalker , starring Stuart Townsend as Carl Kolchak and Gabrielle Union as Perri Reed who team up to investigate bizarre crimes that have a connection with the supernatural. Outside of the basic premise of a reporter delving into the supernatural, this new series cannot be compared to the original Kolchak: The Night Stalker that starred Darren McGavin – it would be like comparing apples to oranges. This new series is dark and chilling, the edge of mystery sets the heart pounding from beginning to end. There may indeed be things that exist and should be feared that many refuse to believe.

One of the talents that make this fabulous show possible is Executive Director/Writer Frank Spotnitz , who also served in the same capacity with all but one season of The X Files! Frank was kind enough to take a few minutes out of his busy schedule to talk to The Crowgrrl about Night Stalker.

What made you bring Night Stalker back, and bring it back better?!

I was asked by the president of Touchstone Television last summer (summer of 2004) if I would be interested. At first I was reluctant because I had done The X-Files for so long and because this felt so similar to The X-Files.

Then the more I thought about it, I really loved The Night Stalker as a kid, as did Chris Carter. I became more enamored of the idea of revisiting this character and finding a way to tell stories in the same genre as X-Files, but had a different mythology to them.

It actually ended up being quite a puzzle trying to figure out how to do this because I thought a lot about the original Night Stalker – are you familiar with the original Darren McGavin one?

Yes, I even collect the comics – Moonstone is putting out the Darren McGavin version comics. And the Sci Fi Channel runs marathons of the original version every now and then.

I loved Darren McGavin and I loved those two tv movies, and I liked the series but I think it wasn’t half as good as the tv movies had been. As you know, the series didn’t last, it only went 20 episodes. Darren McGavin was terribly unhappy with it and begged ABC to cancel it. I thought a lot about why that was; why the series had not been as good as the movies, why it didn’t last longer, and how not to make the same mistakes that I felt had been made the first time around.

The character ended up changing quite a bit. The other thing I realized looking back on it was that character was very much a product of his time, coming as it did in the early 1970’s; sort-of Watergate era, post ‘Sixties anti-establishment stuff. He also had a lot of echoes of hard-boiled detective fiction. I just felt it was harder to do that exact same guy right now in the year 2005 aside from the fact that Darren McGavin’s knee so nailed that interpretation. He was just so perfect as that version of Carl Kolchak that when I started to think of how to recast it with an actor of that age today, it would really be unconvincing no matter who you got if you were trying to do the same thing again. You’d fail, because nobody could do it better than Darren McGavin had done it.

I noticed Darren McGavin’s cameo in the first episode!

Yeah! I was determined to pay tribute to him. As different as the direction is we’ve taken, to pay tribute to him as much as I could. So, I found that piece of film from the original and stuck it in there. I had a replica made of his original straw hat. We found the original hat manufacturer who made that hat and had them make a new one for us. They don’t make that style anymore, but they did a one-off for us. Then the license plate on Kolchak’s Mustang is in fact 197DMG2, which is Darren McGavin (DMG) 1972 scrambled up. We’re hoping to do the cameo again at some point.

Very cool! But your version of Kolchak has much more substance and a back-story now.

Yeah. That is part of why I think the original series didn’t last very long, because I felt like Kolchak didn’t have enough of an emotional life. I really thought about how you could dimensionalize the character, which I think speaks more to the realities of episodic television today than it did in the early ‘Seventies. I wanted to give him a back-story that connected to the mythology of the show.

The show is about Good and Evil; what the nature of Goodness is, what the quality of Evil is, and how Good can hope to defeat Evil. That really ties in to the story of Kolchak’s wife and suspicions that he murdered her.

The casting is also brilliant! There is such chemistry there!

Thanks! That was not easy, I’ll tell you! It was a real big search. We looked at over 100 actors for each part. I think that’s one of the things I’m most proud of is that I really held out until I felt like I really had the best people for these roles because no matter how well you do in every other department – the writing, the production, the direction – if the actors playing those roles aren’t great, then none of the other things matter. I really feel that we scored in a big way Stuart and Gabrielle.

Definitely! And the rest of the cast, too. Everyone is just so perfect for their roles!

Well, I think so.

Tony Todd was perfect in that one episode!

Tony is great! Tony had been in The X Files, and Dan Sackheim who’s my fellow Executive Producer) as well were just looking for an excuse to bring him in. I’m hoping to continue to bring him in on a recurring basis as that detective.

I remember him back from The Crow. I’m a huge fan of The Crow.

Yeah, and Candyman, and he was in The X Files in the second season, an episode called Sleepless.

Where is the Night Stalker storyline going from here?

Well, you’re going to get a lot more insight in the two-parter that airs starting this Thursday. (Nov. 10) It’s a two-parter, it’s big, it deals with the mark on Kolchak’s wrist. It expands the storyline a little bit. It answers a couple of questions and raises a few more in X Files fashion, which is of course the type of storytelling I’m used to and like doing. It will be more teased out about the story of Kolchak’s wife and that mark, both in this two-parter and another episodes we have coming up in January and February.

Do you see this as a multi-season series (I hope)?

I hope so! That all depends on the network, the audience, and the ratings we get. But so far we’ve been delivering the numbers that ABC hoped we’d be delivering, so I’m hoping and trusting they’re going to stick with us, and then we’ll grow over time.

You’re also doing a side project on Los Angeles novelist John Fante? http://www.genordell.com/stores/spirit/JFante.htm]

Yeah, I’ve been working on that for years. Or rather not working on that for years. That was something I started, believe it or not, before I came on the X Files. It’s been very hard to find the time to complete it since then.

He’s a fantastic writer! I don’t know if you’ve ever checked out his books. He wrote about Los Angeles predominantly in the 1930’s; his most famous books were written and set then. L.A. in the ‘Thirties. They’re very, very funny, and really vivid. They don’t seem dated at all. You can’t believe they were written 70 years ago when you read them. They just jump off the page at you.

I became familiar with him when I first moved back to Los Angeles in the late 1980’s. As a journalist, I wrote about him and his family. I became quite close to them and his widow. It’s really a project of love for me that I hope to complete.

Are you going to be doing it as a documentary, as a biopic, or what?

I’d like to do it as a documentary, and I have a lot of interesting ideas about how to complete it. It just takes time and the financial resources that I have not been able to marshal so far. It’s surprising to me that as many documentaries as there are that get made every year, it’s actually hard to get money for the story of a novelist who’s not terribly well known, even though I have a lot of famous fans of this writer. He’s actually quite well known in the Hollywood community. There are a lot of actors and directors who love his work, and who would probably give interviews and talk about him.

I’ll get it one day. I just don’t know when that day’s going to come.

Is there anything I didn’t ask about Night Stalker that you’d like to tell Perch readers?

I’m really excited about the people who have come to the show, who have found it and are supporting it on the internet. I think for me it is a chance to do really good, smart stories on network television. You can never get enough of that. So, I’m grateful for the support.

Now for the second interview for the Spotlight Double Feature – THOR!

There are a lot of exciting things going on in the Thor camp right now. The Mighty Rock Warrior has recovered from his bout with lightning in Oregon, and is getting ready to hit the road yet again in support of his new Thor Against The World cd and An-THOR-logy dvd (Smog Veil Records). Plus, Jon Mikl Thor’s new movie, The Intercessor, is about to come out on DVD later this month! The Crowgrrl recently caught up with Jon Mikl Thor shortly after his highly successful Summer tour, and before the next Winter leg of the tour.

How did the Summer tour go?

The tour was incredible! We really had a lot of big crowds, packed houses, and very enthusiastic young crowds, which was great. There were a lot of positives on the tour.

Weren’t some of the stops more Events than just shows?

Yeah. Certain places like Boston, we showed The Intercessor at the beautiful Coolidge Theater. After the movie showing, we had the concert. We did the same in London, Ontario at the Rainbow Theater, and had the concert after that. Both of those were very successful and a lot of fun to do.

We had a lot of special places – it was an Event in each town. We got an incredible amount of press. For example: Gainesville, Florida. I had never been there before, but they made it into an event by having us on the cover of the newspaper, the place was packed, everyone was wearing Viking helmets. The same with Minneapolis and many other places.

Did your set list include mostly songs from Thor Against The World?

I’ve had quite a few albums over the years, so everyone was calling out for different things. I tried to space them out, and even doing songs that I never did on some of the other tours, for example Strange Lantern and Invader I had never played live. For the first time I played those live and did a theatrical show with. Those went over very well! I did also include a couple songs from the new album and a couple from Only The Strong, a couple from Equinox and so on and so forth.

How long were your sets, about an hour and a half?

They would fluctuate depending on how long the encores were. We would keep going on with the encores, but then some of the promoters and club owners would say, "That’s enough now!"

I’ve seen club owners in the past literally trying to pull the plugs on some acts.

Exactly! They’d say, "That’s enough. We have to close down." Then you just have to stop.

So how did you keep in shape while you were on the road?

Each show was actually a very, very exhausting work out. I’m going from town to town and I put so much into each show, that show would keep me in incredible shape. I’m snapping the mike stand, bending steel, and I’m always flexing when I’m onstage for dynamic tension, and moving around. I exert an incredible amount of energy. After the show, I would be soaked through my costume, all the leather was soaked with sweat. It was quite a workout!

How did you pick Smog Veil to release Thor Against the World?

I just felt that they were into expanding into other areas; they had a vision of getting bigger. They started out with bands from Ohio, now they want to go national and international. They’re getting the album out there to the masses. They’re expanding their independent label, and getting into the movie side with the soundtrack albums and getting songs in movies. They’re involved with our upcoming movie as well. They’re going to be releasing the Intercessor soundtrack, and we’re doing a few finishing touches on the Rock ‘N Roll Nightmare soundtrack. I like Frank Mauceri’s vision of where he wants to put the label, how he wants to expand into new territories.

Any personal favorite tracks on the new album?

Yeah, I think The Coming of Thor; I like that one. I like Hard To Cry. There are some other ones like Serpent’s Kiss, Creature Feature, those are ones I can really rock out to.

How did the songwriting process work for the album?

This one actually took a few years of advance work. Frank Meyer and I – Frank Meyer and Bruce Duff were the producers on the album – Frank Meyer and I sent songs across the miles because he lives in Los Angeles, I’m up in the Northwest. I would do demos and send them down to him, and he would send me stuff back. We just worked on the album that way. That took a couple of years to get all the material together for it.

There’s some material like Megaton Man that I did from years ago – I had a rough version years and years ago, and only did it live. I never ever recorded it. Same with some of the other songs like Gonna Have A Hard Time – that was only a demo and never finished. And Glimmer. It’s great to see those actually finished and getting out there for release as opposed to just having them in my library.

I thought Megaton Man was released before.

It was on Ride of the Chariots, but it was a different version, and it was done live. The drums were more of a Gary Glitter Rock & Roll Part 2 drums. It’s done differently now and the lyrics are changed, and it’s totally restructured.

Isn’t there going to be a video for that song?

Yeah, we’re working on a video right now, and it’s also known as Mirror Man. We changed the lyrics to "Mirror Man" which is a super hero in Japan. In fact, the video’s pretty much finished. I think it looks really good! It’s going to be a special video to coincide with the upcoming release of the Mirror Man series along with Ultraman.

Very cool! Is it live action or anime?

It’s live action.

On the back of the album, there’s a quote from Nikola Tesla. Did you pick that out?

Yes, I did. At times I see myself as an inventor. I feel I am the inventor of "Gladiator Rock". Different people from the past have influenced me. I’m a big Civil War buff, I’m interested in that period. Of course, I’ve got the Vancouver Millionaires sportswear – I really like early parts of the 1900’s. In 1912, the Vancouver Millionaires came out as a hockey team. I’m into history and the past.

Tesla was ahead of his time. The comment there basically pertains to Now, about energy. Look at the Internet…he foresaw something like the internet way back then, when other people wouldn’t even believe that could ever happen.

Yeah. And that quote kinda fit the total overall "feel" of the album.

Yeah, it does. All of the stuff going on with the music itself: the power, the energy, whether it’s downloading software or coming off of cd’s or vinyl, in the air there’s energy happening.

Did you hand-pick all of the material on An-THOR-logy?

Pretty much. There was a lot of stuff that we went through, like hours and hours and hours of footage. I went over it. There’s stuff that’s not even on there that’s on the cutting room floor that maybe we’ll put on the next volume. I worked on that with Frank Meyer.

Frank Meyer and I basically went over all the material and we hand-picked everything. I especially get a lot of comments on the Merv Griffin Show clip.

Yeah! A lot of people were telling me about that appearance, and I’m glad I finally got a chance to see it!

You know, when I look at that, I just see a young guy back then with stars in his eyes, naïve, a little bit awkward onstage with vocals but maybe thinking about the future and how he was going to develop this Thor character.

Did you take any cameras out on the tour? Did you film any of it?

Yeah. In fact, we’re talking about a 2005 Live Concert DVD. We got some really good footage – the interaction with the crowd and the band.

When you put that out, are you going to put the Mirror Man video on it, too? Glimmer?

We have to see what Smog Veil has planned for Mirror Man. It may be something that Tsunyami Productions in Japan – they have the Mirror Man and Ultraman characters; at one time they were involved with Godzilla and Mechagodzilla and all that stuff. This is a really cool thing! At one time in the ‘70’s, they swarmed the tv airwaves in Japan. Ultraman is like Superman over there.

You see all the stuff influenced by the Japanese like the Power Rangers and all that stuff. There’s so much stuff on tv – like look at anime right now. Anime’s huge! It’s massive!

The Intercessor’s about to come out soon, too?

Yes, it is. The Intercessor is coming out November 29 on SRS Cinema. I’m pretty excited about it. The reaction from the audiences that we showed it to in Boston and the Rainbow Theater was just incredible! There was a lot of cheering, laughter, howling, it was wonderful! It was great to see that.

There are a lot of major motion pictures out there that don’t evoke any emotion. People walk out of the theater frowning. When I’m in the theater, I don’t hear people cheering. When I was in the theater in both Boston and London, it was like the old Batman serials on Saturday afternoon as a kid; I’d go and see those before a movie. People would be cheering and having fun. I’m thinking this movie evokes that kind of emotion.

Sure, it’s got a lot of flaws. It was a B Movie, done on a low budget. But it brings good emotions, whether you’re having fun with it and laugh at it or laugh with it, or are horrified, it does evoke emotions.

That’s coming straight to DVD?

Yeah, straight to DVD. We only showed it in some theaters as a special event.

You’re getting ready to work on a sequel to that?

We’ll see how this one does. I’m talking with John Fasano, we’re planning All Hallow’s Eve, which is sort-of a prequel. It will actually be Rock & Roll Nightmare 3. That’s how it’s working out. We’re in pre-production on it. However, we want to see how The Intercessor does, how successful it is.

I’ll bet it’s hard working that around the touring!

Yeah. It was all just a lot of work to stay on top of everything from the road. It was difficult. You’re going from town to town, setting up, tearing down, go to the next town, so on and so forth.

So what else is in the works for you?

Just recovering, then going out on the road again in December and I’ll push the new products. I think Murder at the Presidio is out now on DVD. Of course, on November 29^th, The Intercessor, then January or February, Rock ‘N Roll Nightmare. We’ll keep pushing the Thor Against The World album and the An-THOR-logy DVD. There are plenty of products to push right now. I’ll push those then decide what’s going to happen next.

Are there any extras on the re-release of Rock ‘N Roll Nightmare?

Yeah, we shot some footage of a live performance in Detroit as well as an interview in Detroit, and commentary by John Fasano and I we did in Hollywood. There are a lot of surprise extras on there, too.
Thor Tour dates include:
Dec. 01, 2005 – Tacoma, WA; Hell’s Kitchen
Dec. 02, 2005 – Eugene, OR; John Henry’s WOW Hall
Dec. 03, 2005 – Arcata, CA; The Alibi
Dec. 04, 2005 – Sacramento, CA; TBA
Dec. 05, 2005 – Bakersfield, CA; Jerry’s Pizza
Dec. 06, 2005 – Huntington, CA; The Brigg/Koo’s
Dec. 07, 2005 – San Diego, CA; Che Café/ Scolari’s The Basement
Dec. 08, 2005 – Los Angeles, CA; Knitting Factory
Dec. 09, 2005 – Fresno, CA; TBA
Dec. 10, 2005 – San Francisco, CA; The Pound
Dec. 11, 2005 – Redding, CA; Serendipidy
Dec. 12, 2005 – Portland, OR, Berbati’s
Dec. 13, 2005 – Olympia, WA; Capitol Theater
Dec. 14, 2005 – Seattle, WA; Sunset Tavern
Dec. 15, 2005 – Vancouver, BC; Brickhouse

MUSIC

* Reminder, Readers – You’ve GOTTA check out Lucan Wolf’s darkly romantic cd’s with a Vampiric twist to the lyrics if you haven’t already done so! Night World is a great introduction, and Vampire Nights is where you invite the Vampire in…….. (don’t be surprised when the next album goes for the jugular! The Crowgrrl will keep you posted!)

Plus, he has a Southern Roots Rock side project about to hit the streets in about 6 weeks. The Crowgrrl will keep you posted on that as well.

* Cradle of Filth will be touring the UK in December! Tour dates include:
Dec. 01, 2005 – Southampton, UK; Guild Hall
Dec. 02, 2005 – Norwich, UK; UEA
Dec. 03, 2005 – London, UK; The Forum
Dec. 05, 2005 – Cardiff, UK; Cardiff University
Dec. 06, 2005 – Birmingham, UK; Birmingham Academy
Dec. 08, 2005 – Glasgow, UK; Glasgow Academy
Dec. 09, 2005 – Newcastle, UK; Newcastle Academy
Dec. 10, 2005 – Leeds, UK; Blank Canvas
Dec. 11, 2005 – Manchester, UK; Manchester Academy
Dec. 12, 2005 – Nottingham, UK; Rock City

* Children of Bodom will be doing some in-store signing sessions in support of their new album Are You Dead Yet while they’re touring the ‘States. The new album debuted at # 195 on the Billboard Top 200; they made #6 on the Billboard Best New Artist chart, and #24 (third highest debut) on the Billboard Hard Music Chart. Catch the in-store signings at:

Nov. 16, 2005 – Minneapolis, MN; Down In The Valley
Nov. 19, 2005 – Salt Lake City, UT; Grey Whale
Nov. 22, 2005 – Vancouver, BC; Scrape Records
Nov. 28, 2005 – Phoenix, AZ; Zia Records
Nov. 29, 2005 – Encinitas, CA; Lou’s Records
Dec. 09, 2005 – Philadelphia, PA; Relapse Records

* Blazed (featuring frontman Jesse Blaze) now have a Slam Board! Check it out at: http://p097.ezboard.com/bblazedrocks
Jesse has also been hosting AOLMusic’s Top 11 Countdown lately at http://music.aol.com/top11. Blazed is on MySpace now, too. Check them out at www.MySpace.com/BLAZED and www.MySpace.com/JesseBlaze

* Mercenary have two new tour dates coming up:
Nov. 26, 2005 – Arnhem, Holland; Arnhem Metal Meeting
Nov. 27, 2005 – Eindhoven, Netherlands; Dynamo Club

* Venom’s new box set, MMV, is now out! MMV is a trek into the past, featuring demos, outtakes, rarities, a radio interview and alternative versions of songs. Such impactful Venom classics as "Black Metal", "In League With Satan", "Live Like An Angel (Die Like A Devil)", "Welcome To Hell", "Bloodlust" and "Acid Queen" are all represented in fully re-mastered form. Also included is a full disc of material from the Assault album series. Re-mastered and assembled by Cronos himself, the four disc collection comes packaged in a 6"x12" box, emblazoned with Venom’s distinct logo and Baphomet design. The box set includes a 60 page booklet and collector’s poster. MMV’s release comes at a very appropriate time: 2005 marks the 25th anniversary of Venom’s storied career. Any metal enthusiast should make room in their collection for this audio-history of a band that changed the face of metal forever.

* Thrashers Dew-Scented are currently on the road with Vader and Decapitated.

"Dew-Scented are like some kind of wild animal," said vocalist Leif Jensen. "On our recordings, we’re caged; there’s still aggression there, but it’s contained, it’s safe. What people really want to see is for that animal to be let loose. That’s when Dew-Scented really come alive – when we play live."
See for yourself at tour dates that include:
Nov. 13, 2005 – Saskatoon, SK, Canada; Roxy on Broadway
Nov. 14, 2005 – Edmonton, AB, Canada; Starlite Room
Nov. 15, 2005 – Calgary, AB, Canada; Warehouse
Nov. 16, 2005 – Vancouver, BC, Canada; Richards on Richards
Nov. 17, 2005 – Seattle, WA; Studio Seven
Nov. 18, 2005 – Portland, OR; Hawthorne Theatre
Nov. 19, 2005 – San Francisco, CA; The Pound at Pier 96
Nov. 20, 2005 – Hollywood, CA; House of Blues
Nov. 21, 2005 – Santa Ana, CA; Galaxy Theatre
Nov. 22, 2005 – Tempe, AZ; The Clubhouse
Nov. 24, 2005 – Corpus Christi, TX; El Palacio Ballroom
Nov. 25, 2005 – San Antonio, TX; Sanctuary
Nov. 26, 2005 – Houston, TX; Mary Jane’s
Nov. 27, 2005 – Oklahoma City, OK; Purgatory
Nov. 28, 2005 – St. Louis, MO; Creepy Crawl
Nov. 29, 2005 – Cincinnati, OH; Never On Sundays
Nov. 30, 2005 – Rochester, NY; Penny Arcade

* The highly-anticipated new SHADOWS FALL DVD, The Art of Touring, is set for a November 15th release.

"This DVD will give viewers a quick look into the madness that is SHADOWS FALL on the road," said vocalist Brian Fair. "It is not always pretty or perfect, but Hell, neither are we. Everything you see on this DVD was filmed by either a band member, crew member or close friend. It is raw, unscripted and pure chaos.

"This DVD was filmed when our lives were changing dramatically as The Art Of Balance was beginning to pick up steam and we were zigzagging across the world on a break neck schedule of tours. We were a band trying to leave our mark on the world and get our hands on as many free drinks as possible. The only footage that is not from that era is the tribute we put together for our departed brother in arms "Dime Bag" Darrell Abbott. The six weeks we spent on tour with our boys in Damageplan were some of the best times of my life. We were lucky enough to share some of his last days on this earth and we wanted to share some of those memories with the fans that loved and respected him. This footage is proof that the man lived everyday with a smile on his face and a drink in his hand.

"We wanted to capture the mind set the band was in during this period, which was full steam ahead, kicking ass and taking names. There are no overproduced multi camera shots like you see in most DVD’s these days. We didn't want to add one more glossy DVD release to an already over-saturated market. This was our attempt to re-create the vibe found on home videos like Cliff Em’ All by Metallica and Oh Say Can You Scream by Skid Row. Those were videos that showed a band in its purest form. That is what The Art Of Touring is all about. This is bootleg-style guerilla film making fueled by alcohol and lack of sleep. As dizzying as some of the editing may be, trust me, this is almost exactly how we saw the world over these two years."

The Art of Touring features over two hours of on-the-road antics and live performances filmed from 2002 through 2004 on The Art of Balance album touring cycle while on the road in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Also featured here are all six of the band's promotional videos to date from "Thoughts Without Words" to "Inspiration On Demand." Several guest appearances, rare cover songs and a special tribute to Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott that features a live jam of the classic Pantera track "Walk" (performed by Damageplan and SHADOWS FALL in the fall of 2004) round out the DVD.

* Nights are getting longer, a chill is in the air, and the winter holidays – whichever ones you celebrate – are approaching. There are those of us who like darker, more atmospheric alternatives to the cheery canned music we’re hearing everywhere this time of year, and Nox Arcana deliver just that with Winter’s Night (Monolith Graphics).

Vigil sets the mood nicely, with church bells tolling against a desolate, howling wind. These create a backdrop for a deep male vocal narration over an angelic choir. Ghosts of Christmas Past would be right at home in a haunted cathedral. Ebonshire and Redemption are graced by keys sounding like a medieval harpsichord, the former joined by acoustic guitars and choir, the latter dark and somber. Solitude indeed brings a stark, solemn loneliness.

The xylophone-sounds and chanting in Crystal Forest brings a Faery-like feel to a stroll through snow-laden trees. The waltz-like melody of First Snow conjures images of flakes softly dancing earthwards. Evening Star is majestic and soul-stirring. Reflections of Long Ago is a reflective, dream-like walk through the ages. December Winds indeed chills to the bone.

A larger-than-life pipe organ sets a haunted house mood in Phantom Tocatta, which segues seamlessly into Hallowed Ruins, which sets a similar yet more somber vibe. Gregorian Hymn is just that – deep male chanting punctuated by a tolling bell. Veni, Veni Emannuel is yet another Gregorian chant.

Spirit of the Season invokes timeless parties in Great Halls, with mistletoe hanging from the ceilings and fires roaring warmly in the fireplace; as does Past Time With Good Company, the latter having a more medieval feel. Winter’s Night sets a dark, chilling yet majestic mood. Lullaby is indeed just that, soft and tranquil.

Three traditional Christmas carols were included as well: Coventry Carol performed with an Olde English feel; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen done on pipe organ, and appropriately chiming bells performing Carol of the Bells.

* One of The Crowgrrl’s all-time favorite bands, Blue Oyster Cult, are touring! These guys always set whatever City they’re in On Flame With Rock & Roll! Always a killer show! Readers in the following areas, be sure to be there!
Dec. 02, 2005 – Johnson City, NY; Magic City Music Hall
Dec. 03, 2005 – St. Petersburg, FL; State Theatre
Dec. 04, 2005 – Sunrise, FL; Markham Park (Toys In The Sun Bike Run)
Jan. 26, 2006 – Annapolis, MD; Ram’s Head
Jan. 27, 2006 – New York, NY; B.B. King’s
Jan. 28, 2006 – Ridgefield, CT; Ridgefield Playhouse
(more dates will be listed soon).

* Reignition Recordings brings together some of the hottest bands in Rock for a tribute to The Smashing Pumpkins.

It’s been over 17 years since The Smashing Pumpkins formed in Chicago; with their intention of bringing together the group’s love of progressive, goth, psychedelic, glam, and arena rock into a potent mixture that had designs on assaulting the pop charts. In those magical moments of music in the late 80’s and 90’s; the members of this four piece phenomenon didn’t even look like the popular bands coming from the hair-rock mecca of Los Angeles. Even their name sounds as subversive as it does antagonistic—hardly suggested the machismo of contemporaries like Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, or Warrant. Even though The Smashing Pumpkins’ recorded output was slim, the band left an indelible mark on genres as diverse as punk rock, mainstream pop rock, and the burgeoning emo/screamo scene currently ravaging its way across the world.

Reignition Recordings, a label out of New York City, spawned from the late Law of Inertia Records (long association with the magazine), brings the world their second tribute CD, The Killer In You: A Tribute To Smashing Pumpkins.

With some of the most exciting cross-genre bands in the country covering Pumpkins songs, this record is white hot. Featuring a diverse cast, like the California-by-way-of-Miami hardcore band Poison The Well (Atlantic), whose version of "Soma" will lull you to sleep before rising you up to the stars; Armor For Sleep (Equal Vision), who turn out a spot-on interpretation on "Today" that seems to bridge the gap between the current state of teen-oriented rock and the Pumpkins themselves; A Static Lullaby (Columbia), a band that gives us an updated take on "Everlasting Gaze" that will peel paint from chrome; and Hopesfall (Trustkill) whose recording of "Eye" is haunting, groovy, and powerful all at once. Rounding out the cast is Eighteen Visions (Epic), Murder By Death (Eyeball), A Thorn For Every Heart (Interscope/Kickball), Roses Are Red (Trustkill), Emanuel (Vagrant), Vaux (Lava/Atlantic), and 32 Leaves (Double Blind Music).

The Smashing Pumpkins have influenced many Rock bands in the nation today—from super groups to nu metal powerhouses, aggressive music, to weepy cardigan-wearing emo kids—so a tribute to them is the next logical step before the real band gets reformed.

* The Crow fans, Listen Up! There is a petition drive underway to get Jamie Christopherson’s score for The Crow: Wicked Prayer to be released on cd! The Crowgrrl urges readers to go to the link: http://www.petitiononline.com/OCC/petition.html

The Crowgrrl thanks readers in advance for helping with this!

SCREENS (Large & Small):

* The Prophecy saga about warring angels bringing their battle to humanity continues in two straight-to-DVDs: The Prophecy: Uprising and The Prophecy: Forsaken.

These are new chapters in the saga that bear little resemblance to the first three installments that featured Christopher Walken. , except for the fact that angels – both fallen and otherwise – refer to humans as "monkeys" and are jealous of humanity’s very existence. These two chapters are an offshoot storyline that can stand on their own separately from the original trilogy.

The Prophecy: Uprising and The Prophecy: Forsaken center around an ancient book of prophecies called the Lexicon that continues to write itself. Whoever holds the book can control Destiny itself. The warring Angels are after it; but it falls in the hands of a mortal woman, Allison (Kari Wuhrer). Both films are well-researched and very profound!

The Prophecy: Uprising is set in Bucharest, Romania. The story starts with a police officer, Dani (Sean Pertwee) roughing up a drug dealer, and giving the dealer’s money to a local church. Dani is recruited by Interpol agent John Riegert (John Light) to solve bizarre murders where the victims’ hearts are ripped out. The first victim found in the movie is none other than the roughed-up drug dealer! Granted, Riegart has a secret of his own, evident only at the end of the first viewing, but a lot of hints add up on subsequent viewings – Riegert is really Satan in disguise!

Subtle nuances point to that fact – like the tradition of putting a coin on the deceased to by his way into heaven. Riegert takes the coin from the drug dealer, gives it instead to one of the dealer’s victims that he predicts only has hours to live. There’s also a mischievous glint in his eyes at various times that could give clues to his true identity.

The perp they’re chasing is none other than the Fallen Angel Belial, who is possessing body after body a la Fallen, but killing the previous body/person as he leaves. (One of which includes possessing police officer Laurel, played by Doug Bradley!) The identity changes makes it harder to spot him in his quest for the Lexicon – his real mission – except in the case of Laurel. He has a Romanian accent when he’s just a police officer, helping Dani investigate the case. His accent changes to distinctly British accent when he’s possessed.

But he’s not the only Angel, fallen or otherwise, after this ancient tome. Plus there’s the question of why Satan would stop one of His own from this mission. And why He chooses to get involved and help a faction of humans.

Some of the angelic and demonic special effects are nicely done – ethereal plays of shadow and light. Another visual effect I particularly liked was when the Prince of Darkness Himself morphs into a flock of ravens at the end. (Ravens are heard throughout the movie as well).

Of course, there are plenty of bonus features, too, including an extended ending, a deleted scene (about Do You People Have Twinkies, which makes more sense after seeing the sequel), The Making Of, cast auditions, commentary from cast and crew, and more!

This is a haunting story, one that rings of metaphysical truths.

* For a special holiday treat, here were two Vampire specials on the weekend before Halloween.

First, we had The Secret Life of Vampires on A&E TV on October 28. The 2-hour documentary looked inside the modern Vampire subculture, as well as exploring myths and legends. Author Michelle Belanger (who wrote The Psychic Vampire Codex) was included, as was Don Henrie and the artwork of Joseph Vargo. Viewers get to visit Dracula’s birthplace, castle, and burial place. They also visit a Romanian village where bodies were unearthed and staked because of a fear that a Vampire was in their midst – just last year!

The second was Twisted History: Vampires on the Discovery Channel. This one airs on October 30, and spotlights everything from Vlad to Blade and beyond, and includes author Konstantinos!

* U.S. readers, did you notice TV seriously SUCKED the week of Oct. 31 through November 6?! All the best shows were pre-empted! Chronologically, there was no Surface on Monday – NBC decided to run 3 episodes (most of which were reruns) of Medium instead. Medium is ok, but CBS’ Ghost Whisperer is much better. The latter is more emotionally moving. Granted, that bad decision might’ve been somewhat justified because it was Halloween. There was Trick or Treat, Parties, and other events nationwide.

Then no Night Stalker on ABC-TV on Thursday?! Totally unacceptable! I don’t care if it was for a showing of Pirates of the Caribbean! Long-time readers know that the Crowgrrl’s an Orly Bloom fan, but watching the dvd’s more fun than a network showing with a bunch of commercials. Not to mention the fact that they pre-empted one of my Favorite Shows to do so! I would MUCH rather have watched Night Stalker that evening! Take a boring night or pre-empt boring shows to have a special movie. Not a stellar show like Night Stalker!

I thought the nightmare would be over by the weekend. But NOOOOOO. We had both MTV 2’s Rock Show AND Headbanger’s Ball pre-empted for crap like Beavis and Butthead?! WTF?! There is no justification for that nonsense! AND NBC pre-empted Crossing Jordan for a freaking 2-hour Law & Order?! The Crowgrrl likes Law & Order somewhat, but not at that expense.

OK, Networks that made those incredibly stupid decisions?! Maybe I should thank you. I got to sit down and watch some DVD’s I hadn’t gotten around to viewing instead of my preferred programming that may have prevented that. You sure helped with my DVD movie/music video reviews!

* Hottopic.com has new The Crow merch, including THE NEW ERIC DRAVEN & TOP DOLLAR ROOFTOP FIGHT SCENE FIGURES!!! How awesome is THAT?! They are fun to play with too! ;) Free Shipping At Hottopic.com!
There is also a The Crow comforter, The Crow bookbag, new The Crow t-shirts, The Crow wineglasses, and The Crow chain wallet. The Crowgrrl has already grabbed a comforter, wallet, and t-shirts myself!

PRINT:

* Monolith Graphics, publishers of Dark Realms Magazine, The Gothic Tarot, Born of the Night Calendars, and other great products and artwork now has a Gothic Forum! Check it out at: http://p103.ezboard.com/bmonolithgraphics

Also from Monolith Graphics – a stellar new album: Nox Arcana’s "Winter’s Knight". (Review will be in the Music section of the Perch soon!)

* Darren Shan’s Cirque du Freak series is one of the most deliciously macabre storylines The Crowgrrl has had a chance to sink my fangs into! It’s incredibly addictive, from the very first entry into the series, Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare. A new reader can start anywhere in the series – each book can stand on its own, and gives a synopsis of what went before. (But trust me, readers, if you do that, you’ll be backtracking for the earlier books in the series. As I said, they’re addictive!) The newest installment, The Lake Of Souls, is now in stores here in the U.S.

Plus, the first installment in his new Demonata series, Lord Loss is equally addictive.

Darren just wrapped up a U.S. booksigning tour, and the Crowgrrl and family caught his stop in Columbia, MD (just outside Washington, D.C.) on November 5. What a fantastic event!

The Crowgrrl didn’t know until the day before that it was a ticketed event, and scrambled to find a library that still had tickets available – no easy task! The event itself was held at the Rouse Theater, and it was PACKED! Darren did a reading from one of the scariest scenes from Lord Loss (and I swear the man’s a miracle worker! My son, who only reads when forced except for subtitles from Japanese-imported shows, said a sentence I never thought I’d hear – "Hey, Mom, can I borrow that book from you?!"). The reading was followed by a Q&A session with the audience, and the rollicking song the audience couldn’t help but sing along with about a particularly nasty serial killer from his Tunnels of Blood book, "Must Be Murlough" (sung to the tune of the Xmas song, "Must Be Santa"). Then the actual book-signings began.

* The Crowgrrl recently finished A Taste of Crimson, (Dorchester Publications), , the second installment in the Crimson City world created by Liz Maverick but this tale is told by another voice, Marjorie M. Liu, author of Tiger Eye.

The story’s set in a futuristic incarnation of Los Angeles, now with the moniker Crimson City, where there’s an uneasy alliance between humans, vampires, and werewolves all in residence there.

In Crimson City, that alliance was broken when humans sent a "mech", a bionic assassin, to kill the leaders of the Vampires. An all-out war between the races was avoided, and the uneasy peace restored. A Taste of Crimson picks up where Crimson City left off.

An envoy of Vampires is meeting with the Grand Dame Alpha of the werewolf clans, hoping to forge an alliance in case the humans decided to start a war with either of those races. But the talks are off to a shaky start, as Vampires start turning up not only dead, but mutilated by what looks like it could only be Werewolf-generated savagery. Is it Werewolf factions that want the talks to fail? More Mech assassins? Possibly a demon? Or something completely different?

The Grand Dame Alpha’s own granddaughter, Keeli, teams up with a Vampire, Michael, to solve the mystery and to bring peace between the two races. Michael is not only just a Vampire, but a Vendix, a trained assassin whose job is to eliminate Vampires-gone-bad that break the codes/laws/honor of the Vampires.

It’s a long, hard, dangerous road, but they do get to the bottom of the murders – with surprising, unexpected twists! But Keeli and Michael also manage to fall in love, a love forbidden by both their races.

This is a nail-biter from beginning to end, complete with a healthy dose of hot spiciness.

* David "Avocado" Wolfe (author, foremost authority on raw food nutrition, and one of the Alts on the Sci Fi Channel’s Mad Mad House) has a special message to Perch readers. "Are you tired of eating food that’s sprayed with chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, larvacides; genetically modified ingredients, hormonally altered additives, preservatives, red dye #3, yellow dye #4, blue dye #5?"

Wanna know how to eat healthier? Make sure you’re putting the best foods in your body? The Crowgrrl recommends checking out his books Eating for Beauty and The Sunfood Diet Success System, or better yet – catch one of his lectures or retreats! (And don’t forget to check out www.rawfood.com for products like raw cacao and yummy vanilla beans!)

* Chapter One of my own book, Under Her Black Wings (yes, the title is with Glenn Danzig’s permission - I never would have used that title otherwise) is available to all my readers in the "Print" section of this site.

The chapter list (the actual titles of the chapters may be renamed, but the subject matter’s the same) includes:

1. Overview (Check out the First Chapter here!)
2. The Real Thing (a look at the real birds)
3. Norse Mythology
4. Celtic Mythology
5. Other European Mythology
6. Native American Mythology
7. African Mythology
8. Oriental Mythology
9. Other Asian and Middle Eastern Mythology
10. Australian/Pacific Mythology
11. Corvids in Popular Folklore
12. Influence of Poe’s "The Raven"
13. The Dark Side
14. Influence of James O’Barr’s "The Crow"

All chapters are in progress, and as I research and as people share their stories, they’re included in the appropriate chapter. These should be available soon (to Crowgrrl's Flock Members only) to watch the work in progress.
Sign up here!

* Gothic Beauty Issue #18 Will soon be out! Be sure to grab a copy! Ad space is available for future Gothic Beauty issues. For specifics, go to www.gothicbeauty.com/ads and be sure to mention that Athena sent you.

Gothic Beauty Magazine has revamped its website, and it’s fantastic! Go to www.gothicbeauty.com and check it out. (Be sure to check the message boards there, too!)

* The Crowgrrl’s current reading stack includes: "Magick In The West End" by Kala Trobe,
"Mind of the Raven: Investigations & Adventures With Wolf-Birds" by Bernd Heinrich,
"How To Buy, Sell, & Profit on eBay" by Adam Ginsberg,
"Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard" by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart,
"Norwegian In 10 Minutes A Day’, "Norwegian Verbs & Essentials of Grammar" by Louis Janus,
and two workbooks for helping kids and teens with anger management:
"How To Take the Grrrrr Out of Anger" by Elizabeth Verdick and Marjorie Lisovskis
and "A Volcano In My Tummy" by Eliane Whitehouse and Warwick Pudney, to be added to my son’s home-school curriculum.

OTHER NEWS:

* Washington, DC was a Horse Lover’s PARADISE the past couple weeks! First, we had two very special performances by The Spanish Riding School of Vienna!

The Spanish Riding School of Vienna are marking a very special anniversary – the 60th anniversary of General George S. Patton and the 2nd Cavalry’s dramatic World War II rescue of the Lipizzaner breed. (The April, 1945 rescue was recounted in the Disney movie, "Miracle of the White Stallions") They are saying Thank You with a special 6-city tour – their first U.S. tour in 15 years!

"Obviously it’s important that people know the historical significance, and the appreciation that the Austrian government as well as the Spanish Riding School have for the United States and General Patton for saving the breed," said Gary Lashinsky of White Stallion Productions. "this is a Very important tour for them because they want to say Thank You America; Thank You United States for saving our horses!

"There are a number of different anniversaries they’re celebrating, but the most important one is the 60th Anniversary of the saving of the Lipizzaner breed and the Spanish Riding School by General Patton. This is a Memorial Tour, a Salute to America, and a Thank You for doing this and saving the breed itself. If it had not been for Patton, there would not be Lipizzaners today. "

To see the Lipizzaners perform is nothing short of poetry in motion! These horses dance with graceful precision to the backdrop of classical music. As aristocrats of the equestrian world, these horses and riders have a timeless tradition of turning maneuvers once used for war into an exquisite ballet.

One of the highlights of their performance is the breathtaking "Airs Above The Ground", leaps that almost appear as if the horse is flying – a kicking maneuver originally meant to protect horse and rider from attacks from the rear.

The Florida-based White Stallion Productions, who also tours a Lipizzaner show of their own, is promoting the Spanish Riding School tour in the United States.

* Also, a big, white Big Top tent across from the Pentagon housed the amazing new show Cavalia from October 26 and runs through November 22. This extravaganza was created by Cirque du Soleil , and features the unique training methods of European "Horse Whisperer" Frederic Pignon and his wife, world-class rider and haute ecole dressage trainer, Magali Delgado.

This show celebrates the unique bond between horse and human, and the horses feel more like they’re playing than working. (And if a horse doesn’t feel like performing on a particular night, he’s not forced to). The secret’s in the training – the bond and communication created between the trainers and the horses. The trainers make a game out of the routines, and communicate with the horses with body language, talking, finger and body gestures, and clucking tongues. This approach takes more time than other training methods, but the results are amazing.

Cavalia features 47 horses – all stallions or geldings – with riders, acrobats, aerialists, dancers, musicians all dancing, galloping, and in the case of some of the acrobats, even flying amidst special effects that create a dreamlike setting. And as breathtaking as some of the stunts and routines are, the absolute best part of the show is "Liberty III", where the horses just play and interact in an impromptu manner with Frederic Pignon, completely unbridled, unsaddled, just free and having fun.

Cavalia isn’t just a show – it’s an experience!

* The Crowgrrl’s heart goes out to all the victims of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma! The devastation in New Orleans and in Mississippi’s horrific, and Florida was hard-hit as well! Please, Readers, help both the human AND animal victims there! So much help is needed, it’s mind-boggling. Make donations (money, food, clothing, supplies, time, whatever you can) to the Red Cross at:

http://www.redcross.org AND to the Humane Society of the United States at: http://www.hsus.org/ AND the Louisiana SPCA at: http://www.la-spca.org

Also, check out FEMA’s tips to help at: http://www.fema.gov/rrr/help2.shtm

* One of The Crowgrrl’s friends was displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Those of you who have visited New Orleans may know of Bloody Mary Millan, a Voudoun Priestess who also has an occult shop, and guided tours of Haunted New Orleans. Maybe some of you who haven’t been there but have watched Haunted History type programming on The Travel Channel or The History Channel have seen her interviewed on there.

Bloody Mary is still doing Voodoo phone consultations and other Voudoun related services such as gris-gris bags or dolls via phone and e-mail as her city rebuilds. You can contact her at: BloodyMary@bloodymarystours.com

* Hey, Readers, you’ve gotta check out a product called Body Balance by Lifeforce. My family takes Body Balance every day! It’s much better than a daily multi-vitamin, that’s for sure! And another "plus", if we feel down or over-tired, a little more Body Balance does the trick to pick us up.

It’s a liquid, ionic, phytonutrient dietary supplement made from whole foods, and it contains a mix of over 120 vitamins, minerals, and phytronutrients that your body needs on a daily basis to keep healthy.

Why am I telling you about this because an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. I felt I had to share this as one thing most of my readers may not know, in July of 2003, The Crowgrrl was diagnosed with breast cancer. This is something I don't want anyone to have to go through what I did. I’ve refused the "conventional" paths of chemo/radiation/surgery, and have taken a holistic naturopathy approach instead (which I’ll go into in more detail in future Perch editions, or readers can e-mail me). I’m supposed to stay on a specific holistic protocol for two years. Withing 14 months the tumor was supposed to shrunk to half of its original size. Much to our surprise as of December, 2003, the lump (tumor) is gone! I’m fine! I firmly believe the Body Balance helped accelerate the healing.
Also Exclusively for the crowgrrl's readers you can get your own FREE quart of Body Balance. Go to this website http://www.lifeforcefamily.com Then put in this special redeption code 20485805.
Another Lifeforce International product in the online store, The Crowgrrl and family regularly use is Colloidal Silver. Silver is a natural antibacterial element that can be used both topically and/or internally.

My son recently tried to take care of an in-grown toenail without telling anyone, which subsequently became infected. After a trip to the podiatrist and some toe surgery, our podiatrist told us to keep Neosporin on the toe until it healed. We didn’t – we used Colloidal Silver instead. When the podiatrist checked the healing process a couple weeks later, not only was the Colloidal Silver working, but the healing process was happening a bit faster than normal/expected!
The information provided at this site has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as a diagnosis, treatment, or prescription for any disease. Please consult your physician for advice.
* For those of my readers who experience annoying computer (pc/mac/linux) problems (or those of you techies who are annoyed at friends and relatives expecting you to be their personal tech-support 24/7), go to einnovations.juvio.com for around-the-clock help. I’ve personally done so, and my computer’s working like a dream since getting help from there.

* Anyone who hasn’t already done so, check out the Gallery section here on the Crowgrrl’s site. Prints and some originals are still available. So, buy ‘em already!

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