“Twenty-Four By Thirty Six”: A Documentary On Movie Poster Art Needs Your Help

Published on November 29th, 2013 in: Art, Kickstarter Campaign, Movies, Underground/Cult |

By Less Lee Moore

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If you’re a member of the movie superfan community, you know that it’s not just the movies we love to obsess over, it’s everything associated with those movies, from quotes, to the name of the set designer, to the poster art. You’ve memorized the poster art (and variants) of your favorite movies. You know all too well that the Mondo limited edition screen prints of movie posters sell out almost immediately and that those lucky enough to acquire them often sell them for hugely inflated prices online. And you definitely know the names of the artists who’ve created these posters.

Now there’s a documentary called “Twenty-Four by Thirty-Six” that “explores the world of movie poster art, past and present; the artists who create it, companies that commission it, galleries that display it, and collectors and fans who hang it.” But in order for this doc to come to fruition, they need our help and they’ve launched a Kickstarter to do so.

“Twenty-Four by Thirty-Six” not only follows a couple of fantastic illustrators, but also profiles some well-known artists and personalities in the screenprinted poster community (like Tony Seininger, Gary Pullin, Jason Edmiston, Phantom City Creative, Kevin Tong, Tim Doyle, N.E., Paul Ainsworth, and many more), and talks to fans and collectors.

Besides knowing that you helped contribute to the completion of this documentary, what’s in it for you? There are lots of rewards, from having your name listed in the credits, to a digital download, T-shirts, DVDs, Blu-Rays, various versions of the film poster (including a glow-in-the-dark version), a signed John Alvin Alien poster, a private screening of the film at a BBQ with the director, and lots more.

The Kickstarter ends on December 21 and right now they haven’t reached their goal of $25,000. So check out “Twenty-Four by Thirty-Six” on Kickstarter and get to donating!

Music Review: Patrick Cowely, School Daze

Published on November 25th, 2013 in: Current Faves, LGBTQ, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |

By Less Lee Moore

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As a big disco fan, I’m ashamed to admit that Sylvester is not a name I mention when discussing my favorite tunes of the genre. “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” and “Do You Wanna Funk” are two of Sylvester’s biggest hits and besides being fantastic tracks, have another thing in common. They were both composed and produced by Patrick Cowely.

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DVD Review: Passion

Published on November 21st, 2013 in: Current Faves, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Feminism, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |

By Less Lee Moore

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Oh, Brian De Palma. You broke my heart but I keep coming back. First, it was Mission To Mars, one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen (and this from a diehard MST3K fan). Then it was the dreadful adaptation of James Ellroy’s The Black Dahlia. Still, I was excited about Passion. Noomi Rapace and Rachel Adams in an erotic thriller with lesbian undertones? Who could resist? Not me.

The critics weren’t kind at Passion‘s TIFF premiere in 2012. But Noomi Rapace! Rachel McAdams! Erotic thriller! Plus a score from the great Pino Donaggio. My desire to see the film did not wane.

Well, I’ve now seen Passion. And I have a lot of thoughts, and most of them good. It’s vintage De Palma, that is for certain: heightened emotion masking flatness of emotion, weird artificiality bleeding through lush production design, over-the-top music, exquisite framing, and outlandish narrative. I haven’t seen Alain Corneau’s 2011 inspiration Crime d’amour, so I can’t speak to it, but I now understand why so many hated Passion. It’s not a straightforward movie; it’s a straight-up giallo. Forget Hitchcock. It’s all Italian. There’s even a police investigation, a hallmark of the genre.

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Music Review: Fuzz, Fuzz

Published on November 15th, 2013 in: Current Faves, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |

By Less Lee Moore

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Ty Segall gets a lot of—admittedly deserved—attention. But what of his constant cohorts? Segall’s latest project, Fuzz, includes two of them and it’s killer. Fuzz is comprised of Roland Cosio (drummer for Epsilons) on bass and Charles Moothart on guitar (The Moonhearts and live guitarist for Segall) and what’s this? Ty Segall on drums and vocals. Aw yeah.

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Music Review: Sleepies, More Humans EP

Published on November 14th, 2013 in: Current Faves, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |

By Less Lee Moore

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Brooklyn’s Sleepies are back with a new EP and it’s a good one. Though not as sonically varied as last year’s full-length Weird Wild World album (review), it does establish a definitive sound for the band, giving us even more to look forward to with their next release.

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Blu-Ray Review: Byzantium

Published on November 14th, 2013 in: Blu-Ray, Current Faves, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Feminism, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |

By Less Lee Moore

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I think it’s safe to say that Neil Jordan has a fondness for vampires. Byzantium is his second film about them, and although I haven’t seen Interview with the Vampire in a long time, I feel confident in stating that Byzantium, while dealing with similar themes, is superlative in every way.

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DVD Review: Broken

Published on November 13th, 2013 in: Books, Current Faves, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |

By Less Lee Moore

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Broken is an apt title for director Rufus Norris’s feature debut; viewers will be forgiven if they have a hard time choking back sobs by the end. It’s not all doom and gloom, however. Broken‘s superbly arranged 90 minutes evoke a concatenation of emotions. Certainly there is much chest-constricting dread to be found in the film, and many scenes heavy with emotional baggage, but these are often simultaneously buoyed with moments of exquisite gossamer beauty and unbridled humor, reminders that joy can be ephemeral and often intertwined with grief.

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Blu-Ray Review: Halloween: 35th Anniversary Edition

Published on October 31st, 2013 in: Blu-Ray, Current Faves, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Halloween, Horror, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |

By Less Lee Moore

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As one of the most iconic horror movies ever—and certainly the most iconic Halloween horror movie ever—it’s hard to believe that there are still those (of a tender age) who haven’t seen the original Halloween, only seen it edited for TV, or via clips on YouTube. The new 35th Anniversary Edition, now on Blu-Ray from Anchor Bay, means, however, that there is no longer any excuse.

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Assemblog: October 25, 2013

Published on October 25th, 2013 in: Assemblog, Books, Canadian Content, Feminism, Halloween, Horror, Movies, Music, Soundtracks and Scores, Trailers |

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Here Comes The Devil

New this week on Popshifter: Lisa enthuses over the new horror anthology Comfort Foods from the Nashville Writers Group; Jeff suggests five Italian horror movies that you may not have known about and wraps himself up in Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours; Melissa argues that sitars and flutes are more influential than previously thought in her review of The Dawn of Psychedelia and is disappointed in the new Fratellis album, We Need Medicine.

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TADFF 2013 Movie Review: The Battery

Published on October 17th, 2013 in: Current Faves, Film Festivals, Horror, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews |

By Less Lee Moore

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What would happen if the only other person remaining after the apocalypse was your annoying co-worker who always had his headphones on? What if the only other person smelled terrible? It may sound comical, but these are the hard questions you have to ask yourself when watching The Battery. Despite taking place after an apocalypse (of the Z-word variety), there are definitely funny moments, but on the whole, The Battery is a brutal movie. Things get fucked up and people die.

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