Two of early cinema's greatest occult themed films will be shown at the New Bev tonight and tomorrow. Haxan and Day of Wrath are both beautifully shot and amazing time capsules. Haxan in particular is as eerie as cinema gets, with its stilted silent era pacing and primitive special effects. Cadaver ghouls, witches' orgies and images from the Compendium Maleficarum (discussed here in one of my very first blogs back in 2007) make for a very interesting travel through the history of Witchcraft through a 1920's lens. An early Halloween treat for sure!


New Beverly Cinema
7165 West Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA  90036
(323) 938-4038

September 11 & 12
Day Of Wrath (1943) Fri 7:30, Sat 3:40 & 7:30
Haxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages (1922) Fri 9:40, Sat 5:50 & 9:40

                     

                          THE ART OF CAEDMON RECORDS
                 (click on any image for full size and better detail)

The month of October begins the massive turn inward that results in the great isolation of the later winter months. We in SoCal tend to be spared the brunt of all the snow and ice that is the harsh reality of winter for much of the rest of the country.  Even so, the general isolation that comes with winter certainly occurs here- try getting people out to a performance during even a light Feb. rainstorm and you'll know a true feeling of loneliness deep in your heart.  I thought that I'd put together a three parter featuring some of my favorite recordings for your post Mabon listening pleasure...those lonely nights in your SRO curled up next to your illegal space heater, anticipating the Samhain spirit night quickly approaching...

"SPOOKY SOUNDS" or "SPOOKY AND
OUT OF THIS WORLD SOUNDS" on
SOUNDS RECORDS
(Glendale, CA private press)



Always a favorite around the (((6))) compound this time of the year, this LP not  only has some truly great cat screeching and chain rattling, but really spooked out THEREMIN SOLOS.  Originally issued as two separate Halloween themed 7" EP's (one pumpkin cover, one werewolf cover). I have the LP, the cover of which is a picture of a"spooky" Victorian house.  My copy had a former life  as a library LP so the cover has a big rip where the card pocket was ripped off and there's a heat warp warning sticker to the left, which I believe gives my copy creepier feel.