Down on his luck, Orson Welles was desperate to make a film.  He agreed to do a low budget film noir for fall less than he normally was paid with the understanding that he'd have "final cut" on the film.  His film was snubbed by the company and re-edited to suit their tastes.  Welles wrote a 20 page memo outlining scene by scene why his version was better - down to the various sound and music elements he used.  They didn't listen - but forty years later the memo was unearthed and the movie re-edited once again.  Restored to (or as close to) Welles' vision as possible it's more brilliant than ever.  With Chuck Heston, Vivian Leigh, Welles and Marline Dietrich.  VERY VERY GOOD!

Jodorowski's films are strange and hallucinatory.  There's far too few of them, and most are not even available in the U.S.  Santa Sangre is one of his best so it's lucky we at least have it.  The story centers on Felix, a child magician and son of knife throwing/circus ringmaster father and a high wire/chanteuse/religious wacko mother.  When mom catches dad with the tattooed lady she throws acid on them both.  Before he dies from his wounds the father cuts moms arms of - ironic because the blasphemous saint she worships also has no arms.  Young Felix witnesses this all and promptly goes insane.  He spends the next 20 or so years in a nut house until his resurrected mother busts him out - and that's just the first twenty minutes.  Rich in imagery and subtext Santa Sangre is another of Jodorowski mind bending meltdowns. 

David Bowie plays his dream part - an alien far away from home and family.  He comes to earth (were not sure why) and assumes the guise of a strange inventor, quickly amassing a fortune and a habit for hooch.  Not unlike an other world Howard Hughes, the alien stays sequestered in high priced hotels watching a wall of TV's and swilling booze with his girlfriend, all the while pining away for his hairless wife on his desert planet.  When I was a kid I saw a preview for this movie on HBO and its images freaked me out so much I had to sleep with the closet light on for about fifteen years.  Now I love it and rarely turn lights on - go figure.

Boggy Creek is a low budget Big Foot film that purports to be the true story of actual events occurring at a real Boggy Creek.  For a low budget big foot film it packs a punch and is enjoyable for those who like low budget big foot films.  It's no Harry and the Hendersons - thank god.  Nope!  This Big Foot is no Chewbacca rip off making nice-nice with tourist campers - he's mean and wants you off his turf, and not above throwing a few boulders to get you move'n.  While I like this move, and love big foot movies in general (except H&theHs which doesn't count) I will say this - it's no where as good as Sasquatch, the all time grand daddy of them all!  Hopefully I will get that soon!

Repo Man is the definitive punk rock movie of the 80s.  Alex Cox really hit the nail on the head with this, his 2nd movie.  It's far better than his 1st movie (Straight to Hell) which was watchable mostly because of Joe Strummer.  It's far better than his 3rd (Sid & Nancy) which while well acted and shot glamorizes the waste of space lovers too much for me.  Repo Man is smart, funny and weird - plus it has Harry Dean Stanton in it - always a bonus!  So grab a 'drink' and a 'plate of shrimp' and kick you feet up for this gem.  The sound track features Iggy Pop, Black Flag, The Circle Jerks and others.

Blind Blues-man Paul Pena never made a big name for himself.  His song "Big 'ol Jet Airliner" was a hit for Steve Miller and now it gets way to much air play on every crappy classic rock station in the world.  But don't blame Paul.  He had a nervous breakdown in the 70s when his wife died.  Since then he's rarely traveled more than a few blocks away from his apartment in Nyc.  Then he discovers Tuvan throat singing; and then he learns Tuvan throat signing.  He meets the king of Tuvan throat singing in San Francisco at a festival his friends take him to.  This man tells him "It is necessary" that he travel to Tuva to compete in a Tuvan throat singing competition held ever five years or so.  So Paul and friends pack up and go - This is all before the opening credits -This movie is amazing! 

Tom Waits, John Lurie and Roberto sit in a New Orleans Parish Prison.  Directed by Jim Jarmush (his 2nd feature) this movie reminds me every time I watch it that:  "It's a Sad and Beautiful World"