Delirio Caldo (aka "Delirium") [1972]

I find myself in a quandary--I found a movie I really, really want you guys to see, and yet if I explain too many of the reasons why I loved it so much, I fear it would spoil the glee you'd get from unwrapping its glossy foil exterior, finding chocolate inside, and *then* biting into a center of unexpectedly delicious nougat, churned by the very hand of God.

In a way, I already ruined that metaphorical candy for you--no matter how good the candy is, you'd never find it as marvelous as the set-up would suggest. If that nougat had the slightest grit, or that chocolate cracked instead of melted, you'd feel gypped, and you would grow to mistrust--perhaps even loathe--me. Instead, it would probably have been better for me to place the candy into your sweaty, outstretched palm and say "try this, I think you'll dig it."

So what do I do? Do I risk hyperbolizing, or do I undersell in the interests of maintaining your faith in me?

Renato Polselli's "Delirio Caldo"* (released under the several-times-used moniker "Delirium" for English-language markets) is a sloppy, sleazy, histrionic giallo, and as such it's already worthy of your love. If you require more of a Sell, I will present to you five un-spoiler-ey reasons you should add this flick to your to-watch pile.

*This is a review of the Euro-market, uncut release of the film, not the US release with the Vietnam subplot & excised violence and nudity.

1) Mickey Hargitay is an actor who brings me great joy. C'mon--you've seen "Bloody Pit of Horror," right? He gives great freak-out and has no understanding of subtlety, which makes him a cinema hero.

2) Cops dress like this. I can safely assume these guys were the sartorial inspirations for Crockett & Tubbs.

3) Dream sequences. Mickey Hargitay crazy-face dream sequences which also feature lesbianism. Stuff THAT in your pipe and smoke it, pals.

4) Get ready for Giant-Cross-Wearing Parking Lot Attendant to become one of your favorite Italo-thriller characters. I dassn't reveal any details, but I'd be remiss if I didn't advise you.

5) Miniskirts are an extremely important motif throughout the film. Why else would it open with a shot of a miniskirt and keep bombarding the viewer with bare-legged lasses? Miniskirts play such a crucial role here that you'll feel like a leering old man by the time the film has exhausted itself. Miniskirts on mopeds, miniskirts in phone booths, miniskirts in parks, miniskirts, miniskirts, miniskirts. Miniskirts to the point where you forget they're attached to the rest of a woman.

And with that last lurid detail, the defense of "Delirio Caldo" rests its case, content that all you Sex Perverts will want to run out and give this rude little 'trash romp a taste test. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Tenebrous Radio Is Live (Undead, Undead, Undead)

I'm not the quickest to use sparkly web-toys, even if they are free and awesome. But after the tenth time my Pandora station insisted on playing me artists I do not care to hear*, I knew it was time to get involved in something new. After listening to a few of my friends' mixes** on 8Tracks, I was hooked.

*I'm sorry, but I cannot like the Melvins, no matter how hard I try
** Thank you Prof. Jack and Costuminatrix!

I've been posting mixes at the rate of about 2 a week. If you care for a peek into my musical tastes (and don't mind some genre car-crashing), check out my station here:

Tenebrous 8Tracks

Click below to listen to a mix now:

Paintings by Mr. Christian & The Importance of Tactile Art

I really love Art Objects. You know--stuff that makes you want to run your fingers across the surface or feel the weight of the thing in your hand. I'm no Art Scientist, but I'd venture that part of the runaway success of the just-closed Alexander McQueen retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was due to the fact that the clothing and accessories on display possessed a magnetic tangible quality missing in a Photoshop world. Having seen the show twice, I can attest to the fact that it was by sheer dint of will that I didn't sneak a fondle of a leathery or be-feathered masterwork of couture.

Seeing paintings up close & personal makes you realize that these objects possess the same tactile gravity. Paint is more than just colors to put up next to one another to make a picture--depending on application, the gloss and texture have an impact on the finished work.

The recent Crazy Monsters Art Show at TT-Underground Gallery in the East Village had some pretty amazing work on display by such monster-making luminaries as Gary Pullin and Steve Blickenstaff, spanning a range of digital, drawn, sculpted and painted creature creations. My favorite pieces in the show were by an artist whose work was new to me: the portrait work of Mr. Christian.


Mr. Christian's work has the wit of the pop surrealist/lowbrow movement combined with a translucently layered, glossy paint application. His subjects include counterculture icons like Crispin Glover and Lemmy, and his painstaking brushwork captures the finest details of hair, cloth and skin. Each piece is displayed in a frame of the artist's creation, customized with weathering, rusty nails, and other sculpted-on elements. The final result of this work is a painting that's so utterly touchable, I want a gold star on my karmic chart for NOT fondling his work when I viewed it.

Mr. Christian's unique style, macabre humor and technical skill make him an artist to watch. I know I'm looking forward to seeing what he has up his enigmatic sleeve!

For more info on Mr. Christian's work, check out his website here. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming convention appearances and prints!