Hear New Fabio Frizzi Track from THE EYES OF THE CAT

Though both men have been working in psychotronic cinema and the arts for well over five decades each, it’s only now that multi-hyphenate Alejandro Jodorowsky and composer Fabio Frizzi have been paired together on a project. Appropriately enough for two artists known for challenging perceptions of what they’re known for, this album is not the score to a film, but for a comic book, and one published nearly 45 years ago, at that. Jodorowsky’s The Eyes of the Cat also marked his first collaboration with the legendary French artist Jean “Moebius” Giraud, making this a coming-together of not just two, but three titans of genre entertainment, what Frizzi himself calls in the liner notes, “an ambitious luminaria.”

To appropriately capture the sounds he wanted, Frizzi reached back to utilize some of the very equipment he was using at the time of Eyes of the Cat‘s original release, meaning that many of the synthesizers on which this score was recorded were also those which soundtracked the films on which he worked with director Lucio Fulci. The end result are compositions which have a familiar tone, but with 40 years’ worth of skill behind them. “Meduz and the Crime” pairs metal guitar, violin, and a subtly percolating synth sting into something absolutely sinister. Coming at the album’s midpoint, Frizzi utilizes these three very different sounds to create a piece which evokes deep sadness, as well, tugging at the listener’s heartstrings while all the while hinting at what’s taking place.

We’re excited to premiere “Meduz and the Crime,” the third track on The Eyes of the Cat, ahead of the album’s official on-sale this Thursday, June 23, from Cadabra Records. Follow Cadabra on Instagram for official on-sale information or check their website.

Frizzi, here, has crafted the perfect audio interpretation for Eyes of the Cat. Much as Jodorowsky and Moebius allowed the artwork to tell the story, here one can follow the tale, simply by listening. Aptly, the album comes in at just around 25 minutes, meaning one can read the comic while listening, and really immerse themselves in the experience, allowing the story, images, and music to unfold and take hold. As Aaron Lupton writes in the liner notes, “This is stuff old dreams were made of, so put the needle on the record and let them soar once more.”

Tolkien Takes Over Bradford Literary Festival

Bradfod Literature Festival

The spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien comes to the Bradford Literature Festival this month, with a series of events exploring his connections to Yorkshire, a chapter of the good professor’s live that many of us know nothing about.

J.R.R. Tolkien taught at the University of Leeds for five years (1920-25) before he moved to Oxford. During that time, he wrote A Middle English Vocabulary and, with another scholar E. V. Gordon, a definitive edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It is also believed by many that the beautiful landscapes across West Yorkshire were partly the inspiration for the Shire.

The Bradford Literature Festival has been running since 2014 and it’s quietly become one of the UK’s cult bookish events. This year, (just ahed of the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on PrimeTV) they’ve gone hobbit crazy, with a list of Tolkien events sure to delight the fans.

The events feature top names in fantasy scholarship including John Garth and Catherine McIlwaine, as well as world-class fantasy writers such as Samantha Shannon and David Barnett.

Bradford Literature Festival 2022: Tolkien events

What was Tolkien’s intended ending for The Lord of the Rings? What was the audience’s response to the first ever adaptation of The Lord of the Rings – a radio dramatisation that has now been deleted forever from the BBC’s archives? The University of Oxford’s Grace Khuri will be joined by Tolkien Archivist Catherine McIlwaine and biographer John Garth to explore J.R.R. Tolkien’s mammoth legacy and his son’s tireless work in sharing it with the world.

Catherine McIlwaine, John Garth, Grace Khuri: Tolkien: The Great Tales Never End (Saturday 25th June at 10.30am). More information and tickets available here

From Norse mythology and Christian faith to his fellow fantasy writers and the very real battlegrounds of World War I, join us as we explore the varied and unlikely inspirations that shaped J.R.R. Tolkien’s much-loved fantasy worlds – including Catherine J. Blatt, John Garth, and Alaric Hall.

Catherine Batt, Alaric Hall and John Garth: Where Did Tolkien Find His Inspiration? (Saturday 25th June at 11.45am). More information and tickets available here

Author of The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien, John Garth will take audience on a journey through the places that inspired the Shire, Rivendell, Helms Deep and Mordor and will discuss how the West Midlands and Oxford, alongside Yorkshire, played their part in the creations.

John Garth on The Worlds of JRR Tolkien: The Places that Inspired Middle-Earth (Sunday 26th June at 11.45am). More information and tickets available here

Tolkien has inspired many writers across all genres to follow in his footsteps. Samantha Shannon, Courttia Newland and David Barnett will discuss Tolkien’s vast impact within literature, and how his writing has influenced them personally as writers.

Samantha Shannon, Courttia Newland and David Barnett: Inspired By Tolkien (Sunday 26th June at 4pm). More information and tickets available here

Folio Society Gormenghast Trilogy Announced

©Dave McKean 2022 from The Folio Society’s limited edition The Gormenghast Trilogy

An extremely limited edition version of Mervyn Peake’s classic fantasy series, The Gormenghast Trilogy is now available via the Folio Society. Limited to 750 hand-numbered sets, the special edition of the cult hit features an introduction by Neil Gaiman and illustrations from Dave McKean.

A grand and gothic dream come true, this lavish limited edition of The Gormenghast Trilogy offers a modern testament to Peake’s timeless creative genius. Regarded as one of Britain’s greatest literary fabulists, Peake continues to influence generations of authors and filmmakers including Michael Moorcock and Terry Gilliam.

They are a total of 142 illustrations throughout the three books. The books themselves are incredibly high quality; we could bang on about the open-spine bindings, the Black Burano end papers and the specially designed presentation box, but this is a Folio Society Limited Edition, you probably already know this is going to be gorgeous.

In his introduction for this Folio Society limited edition, Neil Gaiman writes: “Every glorious sentence, every obscure word pulled from obscurity and out into the light, every fragment of poem is waiting here for you. Revel in it.”

Images ©Dave McKean 2022 from The Folio Society’s limited edition The Gormenghast Trilogy

The collection is available exclusively from The Folio Society – www.foliosociety.com

Watch the interview with Dave McKean here.

Neil Patrick Harris Joins DOCTOR WHO’s 60th Anniversary

Neil Patrick Harris in Doctor Who

Now that all those street parties have quietened down, we can say there’s only one jubilee we at STARBURST are excited about, and that’s Doctor Who’s sixtieth, set to be marked in 2023. 

The show’s celebration of this big birthday is already looking packed, with David Tennant and Catherine Tate returning alongside popular showrunner Russell T Davies, new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa making his debut, and Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney among the cast.

And now one more major cast member has joined the party – Emmy and Tony-winning star Neil Patrick Harris has been confirmed to be making an appearance, as a character Davies has described as “the greatest enemy the Doctor has ever faced”. Speculate away as to what that means. 

Harris recently worked with Davies on his brilliant Channel 4 drama It’s A Sin, and will be known to STARBURST readers for his appearances in The Matrix Resurrections, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, among other cult credits.

Doctor Who celebrates its sixtieth anniversary in November 2023, but the celebration is rumoured to take place across a series of three specials, with exact broadcast dates to be confirmed. Before that, of course, current Doctor Jodie Whittaker will be seen in one last episode later this year.

“World’s Smallest” publisher book fair hits London

Quirky arts-venue/cafe/bar/hang-out for cool kids The Peckham Pelican is to host The Uncorrected, an independent publisher’s fair.

The event will host some of the UK’s most exciting indie publishers under one roof: Flipped Eye Publishing, Les Fugitives, Prototype, Repeater Books, Rough Trade Books, Strange Attractor Press, Tangerine Press and the L-13 Light Industrial Workshop dishonesty box.

Acts include the Unexplained Podcast and an acoustic set from Lillies in my Brain. All completely free, though you may end up buying a lot of books.

Tangerine Press - London - England

[Updated] Jordan Peele’s NOPE Unveils Trailer

Keke Palmer in trailer for Nope by Jordan Peele

Set to Stevie Wonder’s ‘Fingertips’ (which is somehow made creepy) comes Jordan Peele’s third feature directorial effort, Nope, which has been described as a reimagining of the summer movie with a new pop nightmare… whatever that means, we’re in.

Jordan Peele's Nope poster

Refreshingly, the trailer gives little to nothing away, other than setting up the basic concept: a family ranch in California comes under threat by something from the sky. That something could be aliens, some weird supernatural force, or whatever else constitutes a “bad miracle” in Peele’s strange world. No matter the subject though, it’s safe to expect great things from the horror filmmaker that gave us the Oscar-winning Get Out and Lupita Nyong’o-starring Us. 

We also get an introduction to the cast, showcasing Keke Palmer (Hustlers, Alice), Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), Steven Yeun (Okja, Minari), Barbie Ferreira (Euphoria), Brandon Perea (The OA) and Michael Wincott (Westworld).

Nope releases July 22nd. Watch the trailer below.

UPDATE:
Check out the second trailer for Nope:

MONSTROUS Starring Christina Ricci Gets UK Release

monstrous

Supernatural thriller Monstrous, which screened at FrightFest Glasgow, starring Christina Ricci and directed by Chris Sivertson (All Cheerleaders Die) will be released in the UK for digital download on Monday, July 11th.

monstrous poster

The film’s synopsis is:

A terrifying new horror awaits Laura (Christina Ricci) and her seven-year-old son Cody (Santini Barnard) when they flee her abusive ex-husband and try to settle into a new life in an idyllic and remote lakeside farmhouse. Still traumatised, their physical and mental well-being are pushed to the limit as their fragile existence is threatened by something monstrous in the lake….

Director Chris Sivertson describes his film as “A mashup – supernatural horror, ‘50s period piece, family drama, creature feature, psychological thriller – but above all it’s a character study”. He adds:“It’s impossible to talk about Monstrous without talking about the sublime Christina Ricci. A phenomenal performer, she carries the movie on her shoulders every step of the way. She evokes deep empathy for a single mother who’s trying to keep her world from crumbling to pieces”.

Monstrous stars Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets), Colleen Camp (Sliver), Santino Bernard (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), Don Baldaramos (Suburbicon), and Nick Vallelonga (Green Book)

Monstrous will be available to download from July 11th. You can pre-order on iTunes here.

monstrous