Wednesday 25 February 2009

ROBERT QUARRY (1925-2009)

I came late to the cult of Robert Quarry, but he was one hell of an actor. A dashing and elegant Count Yorga, and a fitting foe for both Sugar Hill and Dr. Phibes. Like a lot of actors who exude class, I was impressed with Quarry's ability to dive completely into exploitation movie roles without winking to the camera, allowing his work to speak for itself. RIP.


Friday 6 February 2009

SADNESS! LUX INTERIOR (1948-2009)



Cramps frontman Lux Interior (aka Erick Purkheiser) has died due to a pre-existing heart condition (info from Tim Lucas' Video Watchblog). The Cramps have been one of my favourite bands since the late 70's. If you're unfamiliar with them, get your ass and ears over to "Bad Music for Bad People" (a gravest hits disc), "Stay Sick", "Psychedelic Jungle", "Smell of Female", or any other Cramps tune you can get yer mitts on. Their performance, available on a DVD entitled "The Cramps Live at Napa State Mental Hospital" (it is what it says), is unlike any other rock event I know of, pure decayed gold. Check out the clip below as Lux tears through "The Way I Walk" during the Napa show.

Long Live Lux! And to his wife and Cramps guitarist Poison Ivy, thanks for all the music! The Cramps -- Influential and underappreciated.