Felix goes the distance in search of 'False Vases'

False Vases (1929)
Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors (although no sensible lines are spoken)
Director: Otto Messmer
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

After his wife's favorite vase is broken, Felix the Cat (who is fearful of her wrath) goes all the way to China to get a replacement.

If there ever was a text book example of doing something the hard way--even in a cartoon universe--than this is it... even if Felix cleverly tricks a dog into digging him a hole all the Earth so he can get to China. It's a cute execution of a joke that was probably old when this film was made. 

And "cute" is the byword for everything in this cartoon, with a cartoonish surrealism dose. There's not much here that will make you go "wow", but it's a solid piece of fluffy entertainment without any spectacular highs but also without anything that's so bad it's worth calling out. I don't think it's "False Vases" age that makes me say that, I think audiences in 1929 would say the same thing: Whether you compare it to previous Felix the Cat cartoons, or to some of the other fare available around the same time, this Felix adventure is nice, but nothing spectacular.

From a purely personal standpoint, there are two minor factors that drag "False Vases" down. First, there's my basic dislike of Felix when he's causing chaos unprovoked and just generally being a trickster for no solid reason; we're given a little of that here, so my reaction to a few of the sequences are equal parts amusement and annoyance. Second, there's a strangely recurring gag/theme of Felix turning human beings into musical instruments and playing them. I suspect the bits are there because this was reportedly the first Felix cartoon was was made with sound in mind (instead of being retrofit with a soundtrack as many of them were), but a little less repetition would have been nice. (Some modern viewers might also gasp with outrage and horror and need some time on the fainting couch due to some of the character designs, but I think those would be in the tiny minority of people interested in old cartoons like this, of which an even tinier fraction would be looking at this blog. Personally, I see them as cartoon characters living in a cartoon version of China, and they are no more or less rediculous or offensive or insensitive than other human characters that appear in the various Felix cartoons. I feel a little silly even commenting on it, but it also feels like a necessity these days.)

"False Vases" is one of ten Felix the Cat cartoons included on the "Felix the Cat: Early Cartoon Classics" from Alpha Video. It's the latest collection curated by film preservationist and lecturer John Carpenter, and it's got some rarities on it you won't find easily elsewhere. Even if you do find them, they're not likely to be in as good condition, nor as complete, as the ones featured on this disc.

Take for example the version of "False Vases" that's available on YouTube (embedded below, so you can sample Felix if you want to) versus the one of the DVD. The latter has a much sharper picture.

But I recommend getting the Carpenter/Alpha Video's "Felix the Cat" collection. It's fun stuff as a VERY reasonable price!

Musical Monday with Lykke Li

Experts in such matters as Ancient Aliens, the Greys, and Lizard People claim that ten years ago, in 2011,  singer Lykke Li, two musicians, and a film crew were sent to the Moon where Lykke Li and the musicians performed a concert. We have come upon footage that seems to bear out this claim. It's embedded below.

The question then becomes: Why was Lykke Li and those particular musicians chosen to perform a live concert on the Moon? Who did they perform for? Or maybe Lykke Li is actually a time traveler, and the Live From the Moon concert didn't happen ten years ago, but rather 410 years into the future? What is the truth here? We want answers!

Take a look at the video evidence and prepare to have your mind blown on this Musical Monday. (Or maybe just enjoy this minimalist, haunting performance of Lykke Li's "I Follow Rivers".)

Bones Coffee's Maple Bacon Blend

A little while back, I ordered some coffee from Florida-based Bones Coffee Company because the name of the blend amused me--Army of Dark Chocolate. It was so good that I ordered a whole bunch of 4-oz. sample packs of their amusingly named blends (and a few of their 'straight' ones) to try them... and to post brief reviews of them here at the blog--because what's more black than coffee... or more white than the unsweetened almond milk I pour in it? (Okay, REAL milk is whiter than almond milk, but just go with it, okay?)

All the cool people drink coffee, like Vincent Price!

I'm starting this new type of post with a blend I ordered, expecting NOT to like, but the concept was so odd I had to try it: Maple Bacon.

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: MAPLE BACON 

The Maple Bacon blend is a medium roast, made with Brazilian Arabica beans. I admit that I a sample  the idea of bacon flavored coffee seems... well, absolutely terrible. Yeah, I know bacon is supposed to go with everything, and I DO eat bacon while drinking coffee... but didn't think much of the idea of bacon IN coffee!

The first thing I noticed about this blend was how great it smelled while brewing. It didn't just smell like coffee--it smelled like maple syrup. Even better, when I took the first sip from my mug, I discovered it didn't taste much like bacon at all. It has a sweet and salty flavor to it, with a maple flavor coming through strong enough that someone (like me) who hardly ever drinks their coffee black could do so with this.

When drinking the Maple Bacon blend with added almond milk (unsweetened), the undercurrent of bacon flavor emerges more strongly become more of a clear flavor than just a touch of saltiness. It's not so strong so as to be off-putting, but instead adds a fascinating flavor twist.

The Maple Bacon blend is equally good hot or iced. Interestingly, when I drank it iced, the bacon flavor seemed to come through even stronger. (That could just have been my imagination though.)

If you like coffee, I recommend giving this a try!

 

Here's a Pinterest page that relates to this topic: Famous People Drinking Coffee!

It's Record Store Day 2021!

Today is the day when we celebrate music-lovers who are further behind the times than your host, Steve Miller, and his flip-phone! Record store owners (and those who still release music on vinyl) have created this day to remind they're around--and if you still have a working turntable, we join them in encouraging you to see what they have to offer! This year's record store ambassador is Fred Armisen.

Meanwhile, Monica Lewis offered by to demonstrate that records have at least one advantage that CDs might not (and that streaming audio files certainly do not) have...

The Avengers Dossier, Page Fourteen

It's time for another look at one of the many actors and actresses who guest-starred in an episode of "The Avengers".




ISOBEL BLACK
In "Silent Dust", Isobel Black plays the daughter of a scientist who was wronged... and who may or may not be out for revenge.

Isobel Black was born in Scotland in 1942, and she landed her first professional acting roles while still in her teens. She spent most of her career playing supporting roles in historical dramas and police procedurals and action-adventure series on television, with a few excursions into horror and science fiction along the way.

Black's major television credits include starring roles in "Witch Wood" (1964), "The Rise and Fall of César Birotteau" (1965), "This Way for Murder" (1967), "The Rebellious Red Gauntlets" (1970), "Castaway" (1970), "The Capone Investment (1974), "The Brief" (1984), and "Tygo Road" (1990); and key recurring roles in "Emergency-Ward 10" (1962), "Mogul" (1967), and "The Castle of Adventure" (1990). Both her big screen appearances were in Hammer Studios gothic vampire films "The Kiss of the Vampire" (1962) and "Twins of Evil" (1971).

Black married director/producer James Gatward in 1969. From that point forward, her acting career began to slow down. Several of her major roles were in series that were either produced or directed by Gatward. As the 1980s came to a close, Black grew increasingly involved with the administrative side of high educaton. In 1994, she served as a governor of the Southhampton Technical Collection as it was being transformed into Solent University. She has also been heavily involved with the Mayflower Theatre Trust in Southhampton since the mid-970s, and she was awarded the British Empire Medal for that work.

This 'Jest of Honor' deserves your attention

Jest of Honor (1934)
Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors (delivering two lines consisting of nonsense words)
Director: Vernon Stallings

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

The Little King inadvertently triggers an insurrection in a coastal town after getting busy with a mermaid.

"Jest of Honor" is seven-and-a-half-minutes of fast-moving nonsense. In fact, it will go by so fast that you'll be surprised that it's over. This is because this film, like many of "The Little King" series features animation that is among the best you'll find in any Van Beuren offering, and because there is not a moment where something that is visually interesting isn't happening on-screen--and there isn't a set-up that doesn't resolve itself into a well-timed visual gag.

Two of the most interesting points about this installment in this series is that although it consists of bits of action that are almost entirely nonsensical (from the Little King's introduction, though his interaction with fish and a mermaid, through a bizarre tickertape parade, and into the revolt during the climax) they all fit together to form a story that is more complete and coherent than what you'll find in most Van Beuren animation--with a beginning, a middle, an end, and even a denouement. The fact that the nonsense bits feed into each other and add up to a complete story is perhaps also one of the reasons the "Jest of Honor" flies by the way it does; there's nothing to take you out of the moment as you watch it. Secondly, the character designs continue to distinguish between the Little King and his servants and staff and the subjects of the kingdom. The subjects have few sharp angles, unlike the king and those at his court.

One other interesting bit of trivia in the character design department... the mermaids that the Van Beuren heroes Tom & Jerry came across a year earlier in "Rocketeers" were both more sensible in their outfits and even a little sexier than the one in "Jest of Honor". It doesn't really impact the overall cartoon, but it is the one point where a Tom & Jerry outing not animated by Jim Tyre beat "The Little King" series quality-wise.

But why don't you check out "Jest of Honor" and maybe let everyone know if you agree or disagree with my take on it? Just click below, sit back, and watch.

It's International Nude Day...

… and we're getting as close to celebrating it as we can here at Shades of Gray!

'The Stranger' leaves unanswered questions

The Stranger (2020)

Starring: Helen Crevel, Richard Boland, Mark Topping, and Kieron Attwood
Director: Alexander Dunn
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

After the mysterious disappearance of her father (Topping), Kate (Crevel) and her husband (Boland) return to the house she grew up in, the last place he was known to be. The trip intended to put affairs in order instead results in the revelation of secrets and a descent into terror.



"The Stranger" has an air about it of a psychological thriller/supernatural horror movie from the 1950s or 1960s. The atmosphere is mostly one of underplayed dread, and the true nature of the supernatural (or superscientific?) horror at play in the story remains in question until... well, in the case of this film, until the very end and beyond.

While I could rightfully criticize this film for weak sound mixing, second-rate sound effects, wooden acting, and lackluster camerawork and lighting that doesn't take advantage of the black-and-white media, I'd only be doing it because I want more! And I want more in a good way.

Some films end with the viewer feeling unsatisfied, with a "That's It?" sensation. You'll be saying "That's It?" at the end of this one, too, but it'll not because you're unsatisfied, it's because you'll want to know what happens next. For all of its technical weak spots, "The Stranger" has such an interesting story and leaves so many mysteries and unanswered questions as the end credits flick by on the screen (and even adds one during those credits) that the only disappointment you'll feel is that it's over and those questions are left for you to imagine the answers to.

"The Stranger" is available for viewing on YouTube, and I am embedding it here for your convenience. If you have 15 minutes of free time, I recommend checking it out. And if you have a few additional spare moments, you can leave a comment below to let your fellow readers know if I've steered you right or wrong with suggesting this neat little film.

Hick-Hop on a Musical Monday

A co-worker brought a musical sub-genre that crosses rock, hip-hop, and country with an off-roading, beer-swilling, American back-country aesthetic here at Shades of Gray. After she showed us a few videos, she said we were watching and listening to "hick-hop." 

One example of "hick-hop" comes to us from Gangstergrass, fronted by Rench. (I think the video for this one is especially good, with some small clever touches [easter-eggs?] here and there.)

Here's a sample of "hick-hop" from a favorite performer of my coworker, Brantley Gilbert.... 

In anticipation of the new "Cinderella" film...

... we're going to bring you some black-and-white adaptations of that famous fairy tale (along with commentary). You may also treat these posts as a public service if you don't have access to Amazon Prime (where the new "Cinderella" will premiere on September 3), or if you want to be able to say you've seen "Cinderella", but don't want to sit through 90+ minutes of sap.

First up, we have TerryToon's adaptation of "Cinderella" from 1933. Drop down to the end of post and click to watch it. Although you can also read our thoughts on it first... and then maybe you can leave some thoughts of your own in the comments section below this post!

Cinderella (1933)

Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors

Director: Frank Moser

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

A hedonistic king throws a party while his stern queen is out of town. Cinderella's ugly stepsisters are invited while she has to stay at home... but she ends up at the festivities anyway.

 

To say this is a loose adaptation of the familiar "Cinderella" story is an understatement. It begins in familiar territory and then transforms into something completely different. The creators seem to kinda-sorta remember what they were doing every now and then--a "Cinderella" adaptation--but only momentarily.

After opening with one of most annoying songs you're likely to encounter, but very much on track to be a standard "Cinderella" tale, it then it goes spinning off in bizarre directions. Cinderella is almost a minor character in her own story, with most of the focus being on the lecherous king, his dippy son, and the drunken bash the king throws. Some of the expected elements show up, but they are strange and surreal distortions of what we'd typically expect. 

Are you in the mood for something weird? Sit back and enjoy this wild ride, along with a king on his tricycle, a prince on his wooden horse, and Cinderella in her magic carriage.