SAVE THE DATE - Thursday July 7th

and 

Kevin Geeks Out About Mazes & Monsters

In the latest installment of our web-series, Rusty Ward and I watched RONA JAFFE'S MAZES & MONSTERS.

*Not to be confused with AL JAFFEE'S MAZES & MONSTERS.  (which, I imagine, would have been titled "Mazes & Morons", filled with snappy answers to stupid questions.  "Are you going to jump off the Twin Towers and commit suicide?"  "No, I am Pardu, I can fly from this tower and join the great Hall.") 

Like a role-playing game, the movie has many levels to it -- that is, you can enjoy it any number of ways. I first saw this movie as an 8-year-old, and now I've watched it again as an adult. I enjoyed it each time I've seen it.

I don't want to give too much away here, since unlike other reviews we've done this video sums up our observations and doesn't require lengthy bonus material.




Related posts:


AMC's Sci Fi Department episode: Actors Who Needed the Money


AMC's Sci Fi Department episode: The Hungry Actor Pop Quiz

Happy Vincentennial

photo by Matthew Glasson

Happy 100th Birthday to a one-of-a-kind American: Vincent Price.

Check out this recap of KEVIN GEEKS OUT ABOUT VINCENT PRICE.

Or enjoy these related Links:

Recipes Not Found in the Vincent Price Cookbook

Joss Whedon and Doctor Goldfoot

Vincent Price and the Chocolate Factor

a buncha great Vincent Price Photos

Vincent Price Impressions

An important message about unimportant things

A friend of mine recently wrote this compelling article about "bad" movies and ironic viewing. He also sent me a note saying that it wasn't directed towards me.

I was flattered to have him write to me (and note that I'm "one of the good guys") but I was disappointed to think that I've got this reputation.

Let me clear the air.  I love all kinds of movies, TV shows, comic books and works of literature.  For reasons too boring to get into, I am not a fan of the baggage that comes with high and/or low art.

And truth be told, I don't subscribe to the notion of a movie (or anything else) being "so bad it's good." A surprising admission from someone who contributes to 'zines like I LOVE BAD MOVIES and co-hosts a video series titled SO BAD IT'S GOOD. But it's true none-the-less. (Years ago I was the monologue writer for a youth-oriented talk show and I penned a diatribe against the phrase "so bad it's good."  I'll have to re-post it.)

When I was younger I watched Mystery Science Theater and I wore a lot of ironic T-shirts.  But more and more I find that works of art are like Reese's Peanut Butter cups. As the ad says, "there's no wrong way to enjoy them." At the risk of sounding like a raving post-modernist, I can't judge people for liking something one way or another. They can interpret it however they see fit. As someone who is sharing stuff that I like, I can only hope people will also like it.

When I screened clips at the KEVIN GEEKS OUT live events, some people liked a given film clip for nostalgia's sake. Other people genuinely enjoyed the content. Some might've called it a "guilty pleasure" , while others dug it ironically. (And I'm sure there were plenty of people in the audience who didn't like a given clip on any level.)

For me, when I present a selection from a film it's less about "isn't this so stupid that it's hilarious?!"

I prefer to take the approach "I found this fascinating. And maybe you'll find it fascinating, too..."

* * *

On more than one occasion, I've had awkward social encounters about T-shirts.  Once, I was talking to a co-worker about BLACK SABBATH, because she was wearing a Black Sabbath shirt.  But it quickly became apparent that she wasn't a fan, and didn't know their music.  I felt pretty stupid.

Another time I was in Prospect Park with my kids and I made friends with another parent.  While we were chatting, she noted that my BILLY JACK T-shirt was "hilarious."  Except that I wasn't wearing it ironically. I felt pretty stupid.

I'm done with feeling stupid about any of this stuff.

* * *

The phrase "so bad it's good" has become a brand and attitude.  I don't subscribe to it, but I collaborate with people who use that marketing device to reach a particular audience.

If something makes you happy and it's not hurting anybody, then it's okay with me.  But you don't have to dress up your enjoyment, framing it as as something ironic.

And I won't be ashamed for enjoying the things I like.

* * *

One of the best things about spending time with my sons, is that they're 3 and 6 -- and there's no filter about how to appreciate things. For example, my 3-year-old like Spider-man.  He likes the 1967 Spider-man cartoon.  He likes the 2008 Spider-man cartoon.  He likes the electric Spider-man toothbrush.  Each one is equally valued.  Each makes him happy.  And he doesn't experience any guilt or embarrassment about any of it.

Related posts:

I worked at VH1 for a year -- and besides being a place that was over-run with finger-quotes and ironic viewing, people would throw around all kinds of superlatives.  ("Best Mustache Ever!") The over-use of superlatives without any historical context inspired this video which I produced at AMC.

Kevin Geeks Out about EATEN ALIVE

The latest installment of Kevin Maher & Rusty Ward's web-series looks at EATEN ALIVE (1977)  a.k.a. Death Trap, a.k.a Horror Hotel, a.k.a. Starlight Slaughter, a.k.a. Legend of the Bayou, a.k.a. Brutes & Savages.

Director Tobe Hooper is probably best know for two films: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1975) and POLTERGIEST  (1982).  But in the years between those two classics, he directed a handful of other films, including: VENOM (1981),  THE FUNHOUSE (1981) and the made-for-TV movie of SALEM'S LOT (1979). 

But the most stylistic and bizarre offering from that period has got to be EATEN ALIVE. The movie plays like a Carol Burnett Show parody of CHAINSAW, complete with hokey sets, colorful costumes and lots of wigs.  Storywise, the film's first act has a lot in common with PSYCHO, where a young girl escapes a Cathouse and seeks shelter in a run-down motel, where she is murdered. But instead of being hacked to pieces by a transvestite with Mommy issues, she's beaten by a long-haired war veteran and fed to a giant alligator (or maybe it's a crocodile.  This detail is never made clear.  Motel-owner Judd claims it's a crocodile from Africa, but he proves to be an unreliable narrator.) 

Previously I'd included EATEN ALIVE as part of the post-JAWS knock-offs that feature other aquatic monsters. (Like many of those titles, it had a trailer that compared it to JAWS.)  But watching the movie it seems to belong to a different sub-genre entirely: Fear of the South.  Certainly this genre (which was popular in the late 60's and 70's) includes TEXAS CHAINSAW, but it has roots in EASY RIDER and maybe even the Zapruder film.  On the surface, there's obvious differences, like Yankees do not know how to deal with a 'gator the way Floridians might.  But on a deeper level, I wonder if the real horror comes from Northern liberals who fear the Americans that elected Nixon. (This genre can be summed-up beautifully by an old National Lampoon comic book parody "Tales From the South", see below.)  

CHAINSAW has the advantage of a Texas filmmaker portraying the villains as monstrous Texans, EATEN ALIVE never really pinpoints a geography.  It's just "the South", it could be Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, we never know... 

Part of the reason CHAINSAW is so powerful is that it has the look of a documentary.  But with EATEN ALIVE, Hooper goes 180, embracing every form of artifice, with a broad location, corny wigs, and a hokey sound-stage swamp.  I don't know what exactly he's going for, but somehow it all works and makes for a good time. Adding to the madness, are the over-the-top performances from Neville Brand and William Finley. Plus horror fans will delight in seeing Robert Englund (in one of his first roles) as "Buck", a horny young man who is repeatedly seen trying to convince women to engage in anal sex. He's like the Trix Rabbit of Sodomy. 

Genre fans will also be delighted to see Marilyn Burns (Sally from T.C.M.) appearing as a morose housewife.  It's like seeing an old friend!  I wish she'd made more movies.  EATEN ALIVE is so star-studded that the film's poster actually puts a box around all six actors.  They're that impressive! 

I also like that the poster (see right) refers to Judd and the 'gator as friends. 

While researching the film, I came across this odd poster for the version titled LEGEND OF THE BAYOU.  Apparently, back in the day, you could build a movie's Ad-campaign around creepy teeth. (again, I credit JAWS.  It always comes back to JAWS.) 

Watch the trailer for EATEN ALIVE

Buy the DVD (single disc, widescreen)

Or purchase the Special Edition 2 DVD set (with featurettes on Tobe Hooper, Marilyn Bruns, and the real-life story of Joe Ball)

warning: Netflix is streaming EATEN ALIVE, but the movie is only 31 minutes long. This isn't a "reader's digest" cut-down, it's simply the first act of the film, and then it stops. Don't bother.

The Hulk and Me

One of my latest projects is co-hosting SO BAD IT'S GOOD, a movie review web-series created by Webby-award winning comedian Rusty Ward. In our first episode we reveiw the 1988 made-for-TV movie THE INCREDIBLE HULK RETURNS, this marks the first feature-length appearance by Thor. 

Now curiously, the 1988 movie takes places just 6 years after the Hulk TV series ended. (It's like attending your 6th high school reunion.)  Donald Blake mentions being Dr. Banner's student 10 years earlier at Harvard.  (That would've been 1978, when Banner was regularly transforming into the creature, and traveling the country as Bavid Bannister or David Ballinsgley, etc.) That's because the movie is supposed to take place just two years following Banner's initial exposure to gamma radiation that's turned him into the Hulk. 

Other observations and what-have-you:

In the movie, Banner has shacked up with a familiar looking woman -- it's the hot mom from Valley Girl,
one of pop culture's first MILFs.

The actor playing Thor is a bit stiff.  This could be an homage to the 1960's Thor cartoon. (for maximum wooden-ness, skip ahead to 5:15)

In 1988 NBC passed on doing a TV series of THOR, but they did make three more seasons of HUNTER.

During one sequence, Donald Blake takes Thor out on the town, because Thor is always thirsty.  (He totally has a drinking problem.)

When they walk by a marquee it announces that Dave Alvin will be playing at the bar.  Unfortunately, we never get to see him.

It seems a shame that we only get to see a short clip of Thor partying on the town.  Rusty and I agreed that it would be nice to bring Marvel Superheroes together in a non-superhero film, and see them in another genre entirely, like "The Incredible Hulk's Bachelor Party."

Related HULK material: 

The Hulk is a character I can't seem to escape.  The first KEVIN GEEKS OUT was all about the Incredible Hulk (we screened nearly every version of the animated Hulk (1966 - 1996), plus live-action footage and staged readings of HULKU (incredible hulk haiku)

At Comic Con I arm wrestled Lou Ferrigno for my web show.

During my sketch days I ended one routine by hitch-hiking (and we played the super-sad Hulk song "The Lonley Man" -- p.s. why would anyone want this as a ringtone?  To condition onself to cry at incomign phone calls.)

If you want a more upbeat tune, download this rockin' 45 of Nobody Loves the Hulk.

Even KEVIN GEEKS OUT ABOUT SHARKS related back to the Hulk.  It always goes back to the Hulk.

And here's the time we mentioned the Hulk's "Terror in Times Square"...

Fan Festivals, Conventions, Paloozas and What Have You

Look at me, look at me

Here's my updated writer-producer reel.

This features work from AMC's The Sci Fi Department, Comedy Central/Atom's Old People News, and "Next Level" a segment I created for Vh1's Best Week Ever.

Plus a sizzle with gorillas, puppets, wrestlers, dogs, hula hoops, Coney Island and me in KISS make-up.

The song is "New Rose" by The Damned, and this piece was edited by the amazing Eric Hendricks (who edited most of the original videos in the first place.)

Kevin Geeks Out About Dream Sequences (sort of)

How often do you get to produce a show with one of your favorite people/ inspiring peers?

Next Friday I'm getting to do just that, with the always wonderful Tom Blunt.  He's has been hosting MEET THE LADY an excellent video variety show.  (named after Tom's photo blog about women he would like to meet.) 

This month he invited me to co-host and co-curate the show.

MEET THE LADY is like my "Kevin Geeks Out" series, a video variety show arranged around a theme, with guest speakers/performers, rare film clips, trivia and prizes.

The March 25th show is all about that wonderful trope: THE  DREAM SEQUENCE.  Our 2-hour extravaganza will include dozens of clips, plus:

Happy Anniversary KING KONG!

Today marks the 78th anniversary of  the world premiere of KING KONG

The 1933 film opened -- where else? -- in New York City.  The film screened at the RKO Roxy and Radio City musical Hall.

The moving picture was met with great reviews and general amazement.

To celebrate the KONGIVERSARY, my kids and I are making the KING KONG drink. 

Kevin Maher hosts The Oscar Screening Part at the Paley Center

On Hollywood's most self-important night, I hosted New York's only official screening of the Academy Awards, at the Paley Center for Media.   It was a weird night with a most eclectic-audience (not my usual downtown/Brooklyn regulars.) But it made for a fun evening.  Audience members enjoyed plenty of food and booze, while watching the pre-show and the ceremony.

From 8 o'clock until the end of the live telecast, I did comedy bits, movie trivia, dramatic readings of #Oscar tweets. Plus interactive games like "The Google Algorithm Quiz: Oscar Edition" (where audiences had to guess which actor's name brought up certain keywords when being entered in the Google Search enging.  For example, "Which actor/actress brings up the word "terrorist"?  Answer: Mark Ruffalo.) 

On stage  was joined by my old Kevin Geeks Out producer M. Sweeney Lawless, plus old friends from Best Week Ever: Norman Baker and Caroline Waxler, and from Lucky Magazine fashion expert Christina Anderson.  The commented, tweeted and even joined two audience members for a live throwdown battle of "6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon." (In the end it was an audience member who linked Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth in only three degrees.)

During one of our audience polls the crowd was asked:

"Which topic will be the first to be used for a hacky joke?

• Charlie Sheen
• Justin Bieber
• Ricky Gervais
• 3-D

Kevin Geeks Out About ROLLERBALL

(Click Here to hear the VIDEO DEATH RAY podcast about ROLLERBALL)

I love 1975's Rollerball.

I first saw the Norman Jewison movie as an adult while writing a comedy screenplay that was set in a 1970's vision of the future.

That project required me to spend weeks watching films like Logan's Run, Omega Man, Futureworld, Zardoz, Soylent Green, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and more. Each movie offered a ridiculous world of tomorrow -- and don't get me wrong, that's part of what makes them so great.  I adore the very 70's aesthetic about the future -- whether it's the slightly-futuristic fashion, the oversized super-intelligent talking computers, the funky pseduo-Euro architecture, the relentless use of excessive snap-zooms, or the general self-imporance of message-y post-Viet Nam science-fiction that was about to be  made extinct by Star Wars and dozens of Star Wars knock-offs.

"I'm feelin' mean," Jonathan E in William Harrison's short story Roller Ball Murder

About KEVIN MAHER

Kevin Maher is an Emmy-nominated comedy writer, whose work has been seen on HBO, AMC, CNN, Comedy Central, VH1, TV One, FEARNet, and Nickelodeon.  His short films have been shown everywhere from MOMA to Troma, with screenings outside of Sundance and Cannes.


WATCH KEVIN'S REEL

Working with Kanbar Entertainment, Kevin co-authored seven treatments for animated feature films, developed two animated television series and co-wrote a sequel/Holiday special to the hit animated movie Hoodwinked!

Kevin created three original web-series including AMC's The Sci Fi Department (short-listed for a Webby) and Comedy Central/Atom's Old People News.

On stage Kevin created the multi-media shows Video Vaudeville and Kevin Geeks Out, a monthly confabulation of vintage film clips, guest experts, interactive games and curiosities.  Over the course of the run, Kevin "geeked out" about Bigfoot, Robots, KISS, Video Games,  Dummy Deaths, Alien Encounters and Batman. (For that show he wrote 100 haiku about Batman.) The show was a favorite of critics, from The New York Times to Scientific American.

Before that, he performed solo comedies including the off-Broadway show "Lone Drifter."  Before that, he was one-third of the sketch comedy trio TV Head.

Journalists have compared Kevin to Ernie Kovacs and Jonathan Winters, but his highest praise came from Tiger Beat who called him "funny!"


Kevin Maher's Writer-Producer Reel from Kevin Maher on Vimeo.


UPCOMING EVENTS: 

Kevin hosts the Paley Center's Oscar Viewing Party. (Sunday 2/27)

Kevin screens his short film Puppet Rodeo at the PUNCH Puppet Film Slam (Thursday 3/10)

Kevin co-hosts MEET THE LADY: DREAM SEQUENCES with Tom Blunt. (Friday 3/25)

Kevin emcees MOVIEOKE (that's movie karaoke) at 92Y Tribeca. (Saturday 3/26)

INDEX OF COOL STUFF: 

Kevin Geeks Out: 

Kevin Geeks Out About Shark Cinema

Kevin Geeks Out About Visions of the Future

Kevin Geeks Out About Monkeys

Writing on Film/Pop Culture:

Who Owns "They Live"?

Shock Waves: or How I Learned to Overcome Zombie Fatigue

Werewolf Obituary (Paul Naschy)

Sex Love and Bachelor Party

AMC's The Sci Fi Dept: 

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes

The Barbarella and Other Sci Fi Cocktails

The Monster Self-Defense Test

The Toxic Avenger - the Musical

Oscar Party @ The Paley Center - hosted by ME

One of my favorite places in all of New York City is the Paley Center (formerly the Museum of TV and Radio.  I will always call it that, the same way I'll always call The PNC Bank Center "The Garden State Arts Center") because there's something amazing about communal TV viewing.

You can imagine how flattered I was when they invited me to host their screening of the Academy Awards.  It's going to be a party with food and drinks, oscar voting, trivia and comedy bits during commercial breaks (with me!)  Plus I'll be joined by old friends M. Sweeney Lawless, Norman Baker and Caroline Waxler. 

Rub elbows with film fanatics, TV geeks, drunk bloggers, and media-ecologists like myself as we watch Hollywood's most self-important night. 

2011 Academy Awards Viewing Party

Sunday February 27, 2011

(doors open at 7pm, with a red-carpet walk and historic footage of the Academy Awards)

screening begins at 8pm

The Paley Center for Media

25 West 52 Street

New York, NY 

Get tickets HERE and use discount code "KEVIN" and save five bucks. 

P.S. here's a video I did about OSCAR WINNERS STARRING IN TRASHY B-MOVIES

SHOCK WAVES: or How I learned to overcome zombie fatigue and love undead monster movies

(NOTE: The following post first appeared on the SF Signal website, when editor-in-chief John DeNardo asked me the question: What was the last science-fiction film that surprised you in a good way?)  

An optimist might say that we’re experiencing a zombie renaissance, with zombie-themed TV shows, literature, flash mobs and conventions.

A pessimist would point to the cliché novelties, crossover comics, books, gimmicky poetry, etc., as though the undead-merchandize is a zombie plague in itself, with mindless products walking (or running) across the multi-media landscape.

Having suffered from “zombie fatigue”, I was surprised and delighted by the movie SHOCK WAVES. (1977).

We’ve seen adaptations of “Tales from the Crypt” (anthology movies, feature films and the HBO series) but SHOCK WAVES is like a "WEIRD WAR TALES" movie!  The film’s faux-documentary opening sets the tone nicely:

Hey Tanzania, we got COMMANDO covered....

There's an excellent video that's making the rounds, aimed at subverting the stereotypes of Sub-Saharan African Communites.  What better way to illustrate that point than to showcase a 9-year-old boy recapping the plot of Schwarzenegger's 1985 classic COMMANDO?

A very cool project, no doubt. (Learn more about the project here)


But just for the record, my 2-year-old boy was reciting "kill lines" from COMMANDO way before this other video went viral.  I recorded it last year, as part of a short-lived series called "Diary of a Cool Dad."

Here's my kid doing his Arnold impression (he quits just before saying "Right now I'm very hungry and I eat green berets for breakfast right now.")


Calvin does Commando
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