Ray Harryhausen passed away last week. This has been noted by people more qualified than I to discuss the master of stop-motion magic—Rick Baker, Adam Savage, Todd Masters, George Lucas, Peter Jackson, and more. The superhuman talent and perseverance evident in a Harryhausen effects sequence can easily be seen in countless visual effects artists since he first brought his creations to frame-by-frame life on the big screen. That makes sense. So how can I really say anything of worth when I say that I was also profoundly influenced by the artistry of Ray Harryhausen? With modesty, and a story about Clash of the Titans. Continue reading…
Black History Mumf
It’s Black History Mumf at Big Media Vandalism and the Odienator provides a recap of his film reviews here.
The Black Dragon’s Revenge
Ron Van Clief. the Black Dragon, remembers Bruce Lee, Carter Wong, Jimi Hendrix, racism and underground fighting in the 1950s and working with Blaxploitation auteur, Berry Gordy: “What made The Last Dragon so special is that it was shot in New York City and it starred an African American. No drugs, no prostitution. Just a [...]
Respectable Newspaper, All Geek
The Austin Chronicle‘s the paper of the future with an all science fiction edition. News, books, music, everything. (I’m especially excited about the music–The Day the Earth Stood Still and afronauts).
Afrofuturism
Preserved from usenet, Mark Dery’s 1994 essay on Afrofuturism: “Hack this: Why do so few African-Americans write science fiction, a genre whose close encounters with the Other—the stranger in a strange land—would seem uniquely suited to the concerns of African-American novelists? …. This is especially perplexing in light of the fact that African-Americans are, in [...]
Mothership Connection
It’s a history of Afronauts in music, from Rev. A.W. Nix to Sun Ra to Lil Wayne.
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