Disco Circus (1978) – Martin Circus

Related: 1978 music – François Kevorkian – Euro disco – French music

CD availability: Jumpin’ vol.2

Disco Circus (1978) – Martin Circus

Released as an album and a twelve inch single on the New York Prelude record label, Disco Circus by French outfit Martin Circus which first came to my attention as a favourite of the Detroit techno artists such as Juan Atkins and Derrick May (who listed it as his top 5 record in the late eighties). It is an example of the cross-fertilization of the European and North American disco markets of the late 1970s. Other examples of which are Orlando Riva Sound‘s Moon Boots single which was released on the American imprint Salsoul records

CBGG’s RIP

MTV (Get Off The Air!!!) documenting the dismantling of CBGB’s this week (more about the last hours here) (via PCL)
Also: List of famous acts that have played CBGB.
CBGB‘s “own” photo album.

CBGB’s at Jahsonic

Jack Palance (1919 – 2006)

Jack Palance (Vladimir Palanuik/Walter Jack Palance), one of my favorite actors, died today at the age of 87. All Jess Franco watchers will immediately recall his off the wall meanderings as Brother Antonin in Justine (1968), a role Franco said Palance played while under the influence. Given his lack of respect for his own European career, he fiercely denied his numerous Spaghetti western appearances when confronted about them in his later years, he was a steadfast professional. The Oscar and Emmy award winning actor was one of the great screen “heavies” in George Stevens’ SHANE, among others. He recently auctioned off his movie memorabilia. Offscreen he was a landscape painter, who inscribed his canvases with poetry. Palance claimed he never watched the films he appeared in. — I’M IN A JESS FRANCO STATE OF MIND

Palance came to the attention of many arthouse fans in 1988 with the film Bagdad Cafe. Jack Palance is wonderful as an artist who wants to capture on canvas the beauty he perceives in the rotund Sägebrecht.

Bagdad Cafe – Percy Adlon [Amazon.com]

Baudelaire’s World (2002) – Rosemary Lloyd

Baudelaire’s World (2002) – Rosemary Lloyd
[Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]

Charles Baudelaire is often regarded as the founder of modernist poetry. Written with clarity and verve, Baudelaire’s World provides English – language readers with the biographical, historical, and cultural contexts that will lead to a fuller understanding and enjoyment of the great French poet’s work. –from the publisher

Though it is often said Charles Baudelaire published only a single volume of poetry, The Flowers of Evil, this is untrue if you count his published prose poetry such as Spleen de Paris.

See also: Charles Baudelaire – modernist poetry

Jess Franco

photo of Jess Franco, credit unidentified

Groovy Age of Horror presents I’m in a Jess Franco state of mind, a blog by Robert Monell on the films of Jess Franco. Robert Monell is a connoisseur of Jess Franco (who I like to call the European Roger Corman) and “Euro trash”  cinema in general. He is part of the vibrant internet community called Euro Trash Paradise, which can be a viewed as a continuation of the magazine Euro Trash cinema.

European Trash Cinema (magazine) issue 16

European trash cinema has als had its share of academic attention, perhaps most notably in the work of Joan Hawkins with titles such as Sleaze Mania, Euro-trash, and High Art (1999).