Where Does A Body End?

SWANS

Where Does A Body End?

Coming to DVD, Blu-ray, and Deluxe Blu-ray on September 11th

 

PRE-ORDER HERE

"There really is no other force of music like Swans. Swans stand alone, integral, drenched in pathos. A band to end all bands." - Thurston Moore

Where Does a Body End? is an intimate portrait of the band SWANS, from their roots as a brutal, confrontational post-punk band that emerged from the same early 1980s era NYC that gave us Sonic Youth (and, somehow, Madonna) through their ill-fated bid at mainstream success in the 90s indie-rock gold rush, through breakups and chaos (on and offstage) to their odds-defying current status as one of the most accomplished and ambitious bands in the world, one whose concerts are more like ecstatic rituals than nostalgic trips back through their most popular songs. 

SWANS has always been a collection of singular performers, but there's been one constant since its formation in 1982--singer, songwriter Michael Gira. With unfettered access to hundreds of hours of Gira / SWANS archives of never-seen-before recordings, videos, and photographs, the film brings us along the path they needed to carve for themselves. The film is many things, a musical history, a time-capsule, a tour diary, a concert film, but mostly it's the story of a life in the arts, frequently difficult, spanning decades without a safety net, creating the work because Gira says "What else am I going to do?" As bandmate Thor Harris notes, "Michael is not a fearless person, but he is a fearless artist."

Where Does A Body End? has enjoyed festival success around the world from Chicago Underground Film Festival, Doc N Roll Festival (London and several other UK cities), Cinemateket Music Film Festival (Copenhagen), In: Edit Festival (Barcelona), Taoyuan Film Festival (Taiwan), Pop Kultur (Berlin), Sydney Underground Film Festival, Dok Station Film Festival (Bucharest), LUFF Lausanne Underground Film Festival (Switzerland) and many others. 

Michael's Musings

Demon Sperm
Michael Shinafelt

This week in the world at large Demon Sperm & Alien DNA took center stage. Seriously you couldn't make this sh!t up. OK, let's have some astral plane Demon Sex, shall we???

Muffin Terrorist, discuss

So you sold your soul and you're going to Hell forever, The End

Balloon Head Madness

Can't believe I just discovered HBO's Room 104 in it's final season. What an off the wall wild ride!!!

Why won't you dance with me? I'm not no Ninja Turtle!

The tragic trajectory of Madonna

All that, and a potato too?!

Is your Daddy a giant?

Woman Crush of the Week - Gwen Stefani, she can really rock a mask!

Horny Unicorns go bump in the dark

Friends don't let friends miss voting day

Today's secret word is: Cognitive 

Remember when you cut your leg on that disastrous bathroom floor? Uh-huh

And she was...

TTFN -

https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/MShinafelt

Hump Day & Chill

Feed Me!

Nothing says Hump Day & Chill like a shirtless hunk being fed grapes, so it is written and so it shall be, at least for today.

Life has been pretty stagnant of late, the world seems to have stopped. but we can still smell the roses.

When I saw this image I felt transported and calm. It fed a few fantasies of mine as well. OK, they really aren't fantasies, more like memories. Fluff up your pillow and dream about that one.

This is a perfect oasis for me and gives me all sorts of feels. You know what feels are, correct? Like tranquil, relaxed, groovy get the picture???

So I'm kicking my Hump Day & Chill off with this image in mind. It's giving me life at present and I hope you all get something from it as well.

In the immortal words of Audrey II "Feed Me!"

Hump Day on Wikipedia 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpday  

Light As A Feather

Light as a feather, stiff as a board. Did any of you play this weird supernatural in nature sort of game as children?

Yes? No? Maybe so??? Well too bad if you didn't. Could have, should have, would have. because it is today's post inspiration. No, I didn't even have to dance for it.

Saw this gem and accompanying photos on my Twitter feed this ayem via Christopher (The Stud) Meloni.

Twitter Follower Says: How does it feel to hold the title of a Zadddy ?

Meloni Says: Light as a feather and yet heavily pregnant with awesome responsibility

And there you have it.

Meloni on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Chris_Meloni

Monday Motivation

If You're Happy & You Know It...
Matt Bomer

Wow! Just Wow! There is so much turmoil going on in the world I am, well, needing an oasis to escape to. Is there actually one available where my positive energy won't take a licking? Most likely not.

Thus my Monday  Motivation is finding things that make me happy today. Like this photo of Matt Bomer wearing next to nothing on the beach meditating. This is how I am starting off my Monday and now because of me, so are you.

As I navigate the journey that is today I am going to focus on everything that there is to be happy about, and pay it forward with good vibes only.

Seeing this image of delicious Matt looking oh so tranquil on a peaceful stretch of sand is a great kick off point.

It's giving me what I need right here, right now. Then when I move on with my day it will be time to find some other Monday Motivation to bring back the happy. I am up for the challenge, you???

Who's the Happy Monkey? Why you are, duh!

Get "Happy" at the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happy  

Orange Crush

On Sundays We Wear Orange
Katy Perry

"See the pretty girl in that mirror there
Who can that attractive girl be
Such a pretty face, such a pretty dressSuch a pretty smile, such a pretty me" - "I Feel Pretty" West Side Story

How are you feeling today? Do you feel pretty? Perhaps you should be crushing it in orange like Katy Perry.

Seriously I have never seen anyone make pregnancy look so glamorous (it isn't) or effortless, especially during a pandemic no less.

Well the Katy Train, orange or otherwise keeps moving during this challenging time. Girl has an album to promote and has figured out how to just do it!

Honestly she is a source of inspiration to us all, if she can manage in her condition then what are you doing?!?! 

Let's bend it like Perry - keep up with Katy if you can...

Katy on IG -
https://www.instagram.com/katyperry/?hl=en  

Gamera: The Complete Collection

Gamera: The Complete Collection 

Limited Edition Blu-ray Boxset 

coming 8/18 (North America) and 8/17 (UK)

For the first time ever worldwide, all twelve tales of the adventures of everyone's favorite titanic terrapin are collected together in one deluxe Blu-ray boxset

PRE-ORDER HERE 

This limited edition collectors' set traces the decades-long evolution of Gamera, from the "friend of all children" in his more light-hearted earlier films, to the Guardian of the Universe in the groundbreaking 1990s reboot series, often hailed as three of the best kaiju films ever made.

COLLECTOR'S EDITION BOX SET CONTENTS

• Limited collectors' edition packaging, housed in a large-format rigid box, fully illustrated by Matt Frank
• Casebound, fully-illustrated disc book containing eight Blu-ray discs
• High Definition (1080p) versions of all twelve films, with lossless original Japanese audio and a complete collection of English dub tracks, including classic American International dubs on the Showa-era films remastered from original MGM elements
• Hardback 130-page comic book including a full-colour reprint of the four-issue Gamera comic series originally released by Dark Horse Comics in 1996, and the first-ever English-language printing of the prequel comic The Last Hope by Matt Frank and Joshua Bugosh
• Perfect-bound 80-page book including a new retrospective on the series by Patrick Macias, an archive interview with Noriaki Yuasa by David Milner, kaiju X-ray illustrations by Jolyon Yates, Fangoria set reports on the Heisei trilogy by Norman England, and a viewers' guide to the English-dubbed versions of the films
• Double-sided four-panel poster of "Gamera's Map of Japan" in both Japanese and English
• Collectors' artcards for each film, featuring new artwork by Matt Frank  

"American Pie" Celebrates 20 Madonna Style

Tiara Time!
Madonna

"AMERICAN PIE" MADONNA STYLE CELEBRATES 20th ANNIVERSARY

Madonna's Version Topped Billboard's Dance Club Songs Chart in 2000

Don McLean's Original Recording To Celebrate 50th Anniversary In 2021

Original "American Pie" crooner and songwriter Don McLean celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Madonna's version! 

As many people know, there are some songs that are considered classics. So when another artist covers a classic song, it can either turn out to be a hit (Whitney Houston covers Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You’) or it could be a dud (Jessica Simpson covering Nancy Sinatra’s ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin’’).

One song that would be considered both, depending on who you talk to, is Madonna’s take on "American Pie" by Don McLean.

At the behest of her co-star Rupert Everett, Madonna recorded her version for the soundtrack to their film The Next Best Thing, a romantic dramedy from Midnight Cowboy director John Schlesinger, which starred Madonna, Rupert Everett, Benjamin Bratt, and Neil Patrick Harris.The film was critically panned and soon faded from memory, but “American Pie” -- released as a single the same day on March 3, 2000 -- became a polarizing global hit.

While the movie did not do well, the song hit its peak at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs.

Produced by William Orbit, her lead collaborator on Ray of Light and “Beautiful Stranger” (her psychedelic 1999 single from the second Austin Powers soundtrack), the “American Pie” track is colorful, almost gaudy -- the theremin-like synths and marching snares threaten to tip over into kitsch. 

Don McLean, when interviewed in 2015, said this about Madonna covering his song: “I loved it. I thought it was outstanding. I thought Madonna did a great job with it. To me, she’s an artist for the 20th and the 21st century. She’s magnificent."

"It is a gift for her to have recorded 'American Pie,'" McLean continued. "I think it is sensual and mystical. I also feel that she's chosen autobiographical verses that reflect her career and personal history. I have received many gifts from God but this is the first time I have ever received a gift from a goddess."

In the music video, Madonna seemingly becomes an avatar for America itself. Between shots of her dancing in front of the flag, she showcases a diverse cast of working-class, queer, ordinary Americans. “American Pie” was unusually patriotic and nostalgic, two words rarely associated with Madonna.

Michael's Musings

Drag Chicken
Michael Shinafelt

We have arrived at yet another Thursday of another week in the year 2020. The one thing you can say about this year without any question is there really hasn't been a dull moment during this time in History. There have been quite ones, but those were of my own making and choosing (and trust me we all need them)

Moving on I had a great sleep last night and I don't know about you kiddies, but I feel so much yummier, time to hit it!

Taylor Swift has a new album Folklore dropping tonight at Midnight, because what the world needs now is new music from Ms. Swift???

You've come a long way since the slut pig days baby!

In my next life I want to come back as Muffin Sangria

What is this? Showgirls? Wear a bra

Peacock's are simply chickens in drag

A kiss can be deadly if you mean it...

Hugh Jackman in a tux, that is all

Please I need you to stay inside, gays encouraging their friends to self quarantine 😈

Woman Crush of the Week - Wall of Moms, they are bad ass!

Brandi Glanville really brought last night on RHOBH

If God loves us, then why isn't auto-correct very accurate?

When your mind says isolate, but your loins say something else, discuss 

"It’d be nice if Mark Zuckberg put the same amount of effort into removing white supremacists from his website as he does putting on sunscreen" - Chelsea Handler

This is what happens when Caucasian people get adventurous

Get your adventure on with me here:

https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/MShinafelt   

Hump Day & Chill

                                                                Join Him?

                                                            Hugh Jackman

I don't know about you but I really need a break from the world, and what better way to Hump Day & Chill than with some eye candy and wine, fer sure!!!

Thus we have Hugh Jackman imbibing in one of his favorite wines of the white variety. Mr. Jackman is a wine lover who is more about the brand than the type of grape he is consuming.

So here is the 411 on Hugh's favorite winery, it is, drum roll please....Hill of Grace Vineyards in Australia. No real surprise there since he is Australian, it stands to reason his favorite vineyard is there.

So let's follow Hugh's lead and Hump Day & Chill with some wine from our favorite vineyard, or in my case Two Buck Chuck from Trader Joe's. 

What's that? You want to bend it like Jackman? Well as luck would have it you don't have to be in Australia to lubricate with Hill of Grace, like everything else, you can visit them and order from them online.

Get to it Minions, I command you to Hump Day & Chill to you can't anymore!

Hill of Grace online -

https://www.henschke.com.au/vineyards/hill-of-grace/  

National Junk Food Day

This Ain't No $5 Foot Long
Gigi Hadid

Pssssssssst! Did you hear today is National Junk Food Day!!! Don't believe me, or that there is such a thing??? Google it, just Google it.

Thus the Entertain Me mascot for this most sacred of days is supermodel Gigi Hadid chowing down on an In-N-Out Burger. Why In-N-Out you may ask, and even if you didn't you are going to find out, Because that is my favorite junk food.

What's that? Why didn't I post a photo of myself stuffing my face with a double double and onions? Because In-N-Out isn't open yet that's why, damn it!

Besides Gigi looks cuter doing it than I would, seriously I would look like a pig at a trough, with sauce all over my face a big disgrace. Dribble, dribble toil and nibble, ya know...

So if you are looking for an excuse to be a hog, today's your day. Live it, own it, love it.

Chow Mein! 

Junk Food on Wikipedia -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_food

Monday Motivation

Color Me Inspired
Jon Hamm

Today's Monday Motivation is inspiration. While I have been very inspired creatively during this pandemic there is the occasional dry spot. Thus this morning I was surfing the Internet in search of some.

Well I found it in the form of Jon Hamm in a t-shirt, shorts, mask and flip flops. How is that inspiring you may ask? Well it got my creative juices flowing if you get  my drift, and I think you do...

Not everything that inspires me is adjacent to lust, but in this very moment, right here, right now that is what is doing the trick. 

Hey tomorrow's inspiration could be a piece of art or a dog I see while out and about. Perhaps it will  be another human being's act of kindness. That's the exciting thing about getting inspired you just never no where it's coming from, but it always does and often surprises.

Now if you'll excuse me, I got to go baste some Hamm

Jon on IMDb -
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358316/  

My Friends Are Internet And I Want To Break You Open

Plug Research Presents

Adult Karate’s Sophomore Album

My Friends Are Internet And I Want To Break You Open

Genres Spanning New Wave, Electronic and Indie/Dream Pop

Set for Release on July 31, 2020

~

Two Advance Singles out June 26 & July 17

Adult Karate (the musical moniker for versatile artist K.C. Maloney) is poised to release his second album, My Friends Are Internet And I Want To Break You Open, on July 31, 2020, on tastemaker label Plug Research. More than a year and a half in the making, this new album is a true expression of the artist’s musical evolution, a culmination of both his personal life journey and the integration of his various musical influences. This dynamic, boundary-crossing release defies genre pigeonholing and seamlessly glides between musical styles while Maloney’s candid, sometimes confessional lyrics and reverbed-out vocals hold the whole picture together. Two singles (both with B-sides) will precede the album release: “Euphoria” will be available on June 26, and expect “Keep Your Love” on July 17, 2020. For more information, please visit https://www.adultkaratemusic.com.

K.C. Maloney

My Friends Are Internet… is Adult Karate’s most wide-ranging effort to date, adeptly mixing and crossing over genres from acid house to disco to indie rock, all the while maintaining the kind of tender introspection that lies at the heart of Maloney’s music. Listening to the album, you get the sense that Maloney has hit his stride after working through a troubled past marked by addiction and issues around sexuality and identity—that there has in fact been a kind of trial by musical fire that’s both inspired and fed the artist’s journey through these personal issues/demons. One might interpret Maloney’s musical growth from the first Adult Karate release LXII, which the artist has said was “mostly an excursion into dark electronic music and slowed-down deep house” to the genre-bending ride that is My Friends Are Internet… as the artist’s finding more confident musical footing and integrating all the various aspects of his musical personality into one enthralling whole. The result is a powerhouse of an album—catchy, haunting, introspective, celebratory. 

Lead Single “Euphoria” out June 26 - lyric video

Adult Karate’s first single, “Euphoria" (with "Fighters" on the B-side), which comes out this Friday, June 26, is, according to Maloney himself, “by far the poppiest-sounding music I’ve ever written.” Indeed, its four-on-the-floor drumbeat and catchy, Interpol-esque guitar hook recalls the best indie rock of the aughts more than the dark electronic roots where Adult Karate began, but Maloney’s plaintive lyrics and strong vocal performances, along with the crescendo-ing, electronic-leaning choruses, make this one of his crossover-genre masterpieces. “Euphoria” lyrically mines the process of forgetting an ex, a familiar yet timeless subject that Maloney describes poignantly: “It’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s necessary.” It’s a song for shoegazing as much as it is for taking a long, breezy drive with the top down—there’s something in it for fans of genres spanning electronic, dance and rock.

Second Single “Keep Your Love” out July 17

“Keep Your Love”—with "Those Words/Robot 36C" on the B-side—the second single off of All My Friends Are Internet… was born from an idea Maloney originally worked on for his second EP, Indoors. What started out as more of a deep house track grew into more of a “dark disco kind of thing,” with an infectious groove built from live drums and looped guitars layered in lockstep. Outgrowing the house beat and moving toward the organic drum track changed the feel of the song completely, and opened the door for one of the strongest vocal performances on the album. On the lyrics to “Keep Your Love,” Maloney says, “It’s about the passage of time and how unforgiving it can be. Fear of aging and all that. Partly inspired by some health issues I’ve been going through the past few years.”

• Artist page: https://www.adultkaratemusic.com
• Label’s artist page: http://www.plugresearch.com/2018/08/adult-karate-2
• Socials:
• https://www.instagram.com/adultkarate
• https://www.facebook.com/adultkarate
• https://twitter.com/adultkarate
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/adultkarate
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3i8FZ52lJ8BJ7QWHl5xNvs

"Whisky, Woman & Me"

Country Music Stand-out Vonn Kiss Releases Latest Single "Whiskey, Woman & Me"

Country music singer/songwriter Vonn Kiss keeps the fire lit with a new heartwarming, traditional country tune. “Whiskey, Woman & Me” premiered by Country Sway, resonates with those who may be experiencing hardship and pain, providing a lyrical shelter for the brokenhearted in search of comfort. Vonn writes through personal experience in hopes to illustrate the idea that suffering can sneak up on you and shoot when least expected but songs like “Whiskey, Woman & Me” help heal the wound. The new single is available now on all streaming platforms.

“Life can be a broken body, a broken soul, and sometimes both. You search for the answers as to why and it often takes the deeper realization of someone else's pain to give you strength and know that you are not alone; though different, it is pain nonetheless,” shares Vonn.

This American country staple artist relentlessly continues to craft country classics that resonate with those who hold their hearts on their sleeve. Vonn’s genuine grit, determination and passion reflect a strong desire to deliver songs that leave a lasting impact. “Whiskey, Woman & Me” provides the listener with lyrics that parallel a pill that; though hard to swallow, is just what the doctor ordered. As Vonn Kiss releases one stellar single after another, fans will not want to miss what this rising star has in store for the coming months.

You can stream Vonn Kiss’s new single “Whiskey, Woman & Me” directly on Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music. This single along with others are to be dropped in the coming months contributing to a highly anticipated fall album release.

Visit his website and socials linked below to keep up with future announcements and releases.
 

Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Film Buff Friday: Zombie For Sale

An infectiously funny slice of modern Korean cinema where Train to Busan, The Quiet Family and Warm Bodies collide to create a memorable rom-zom-com from first time director Lee Min-jae. When the illegal human experiments of Korea's biggest Pharmaceutical company go wrong, one of their "undead" test subjects escapes and ends up in a shabby gas station owned by the Park family - a band of misfits spanning three generations who hustle passers-by to make ends meet. When the Park family uncover their undead visitor, he bites the head of their household, who instead of transforming into an undead ghoul becomes revitalised and full of life! The family then hatch a plan to exploit this unexpected fountain of youth, allowing locals to pay to be bitten too, until things go wrong... With a cabbage-munching zombie who prefers ketchup over blood, and a dysfunctional family that gives the Kim family of Parasite a run for their money, Zombie for Sale will warm the deadest of hearts and breathe some new life into the zombie genre.

Media

 Watch trailer »

Bonus Materials

• High-Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original uncompressed Stereo and 5.1 DTS-HD MA options
• Newly-translated English subtitles
• Brand new audio commentary with filmmakers and critics Sam Ashurst and Dan Martin
• Q&A with director Lee Min-jae from a 2019 screening at Asian Pop-Up Cinema in Chicago, moderated by film critic and author Darcy Paquet
• Eat Together, Kill Together: The Family-in-Peril Comedy - brand new video essay by critic and producer Pierce Conran exploring Korea's unique social satires
• Making-Of Featurette
• Behind-the-Scenes footage
• Original Trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Mike Lee-Graham
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Josh Hurtado

Order Here:

https://mvdb2b.com/b2b/s/AV279

Michael's Musings

Michael Shinafelt

Parental Advisory isn't a one off for me it's a way of life. This week shant be any different, business as usual with a side of mellow, ,but not to much mellow. That's the way it goes.

Shall we? "Yes" we shall!

It was long, and it was fabulous

Sometimes I can't find my head 

Last night's episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills should have been called: The Ghosts of Housewives past

Close Encounters of the Karen Kind 

It's kind of like house arrest, without the ankle bracelet 

Kanye West is not going to be running for President in 2020. Did anyone think it was anything but a PR stunt? Bueller, Bueller...

R.I.P. Kelly Preston

Hey you, wear a mask damn it!!!

Woman Crush of the Week - Ayanna Pressley for telling Betsy Devos "I wouldn't trust you to care for a houseplant let alone my child" bad ass!

Zoinks! That is all.

After a mere month of reopening Gold's Gym Hollywood is closed again "sigh"

Only the armadillo knows

Love, Peace and Harmony

So little time, so many ______ fill it in baby, but make it scandalous 

Get even more scandalous with me at:
https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/mshinafelt?lang=en