Art(s), music, literature, poetry; science (both fact and fiction); history (both fact and fiction); the natural, unnatural, supernatural, pseudo-natural, pre-natural and post-natural; antiques (especially optical- magic lanterns, stereoviewers, peep-shows, paper theatres, thaumatropes, zoetropes, daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, carte de visite; also love tokens, mourning jewelry, funerary and the like); anything macabre and/or unusual; prestidigitation/
legerdemain/illusion/magic/miracles; philosophy; nature; puppets & marionettes; Jack the Ripper; Jack the Ripper puppets/marionettes (I am creating one and will be performing the "true" story of Jack the Ripper (including his real identity...his actual name
, in fact [or facticious and yes, I made that word up]) at children's shows across the globe...no, not really, but I am making a Jack the Ripper puppet :-)
Music:
"Mac A. Roni & the String Cheese Quartet" (From what I have heard, Brie left the band due to some bad bacterial action, thus it is no longer actually a quartet. I think, but don't quote me on this.)
Seriously, I have been listening to Tom Waits a lot lately. I love everything he does. I also love the Tiger Lillies. They are bizarre and most wonderous. I recently bought their "Punch & Judy" CD, but still love "StruwwelPeter" the best (although I am quite fond of "The Brothel to the Cemetary" as well.) I listen to many different styles of music- Corvus Corax/Tanzwut (bagpipes -medieval and techno- gotta' love it); Knorkator (they are great, crazy, funny!); System Of A Down (I love their outspokenness); Tool (their newest CD, 10,000 Days, has a REALLY fantastic cover. It is a stereoviewer!) David Bowie never goes out of fashion. Also, The Legendary Marvin Pontiac; The Lounge Lizards (and John Lurie); Billie Holiday; Erik Karol; Al Jolson; Louis Armstrong; Rob Zombie; Nick Cave; The Dirty Three; Warren Ellis; Neubauten; FM Einheit; Marilyn Manson; Lacrimosa; The Pogues; Queen; Pink Floyd; Chris Cornell; The Smiths; Comus; Kurt Weil; Henry Rollins; Potentia Animi (their lyrics for "Gaudete" is a most interesting form of "Latin", their website is very beautiful as well), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khanand and many other musicians/bands whom I can not think of at the moment. I like cultural/ethnic music (especially Gypsy.)Plus, there are just individual songs I like, some quite old (as in folk music) and not necessarily affiliated with any particular band or singer.
Movies:
Horror, Sci-fi, Indie, Silents, Fantasy and more, here are some examples...Freaks; Twin Falls Idaho; Northfork; The Elephant Man; Plunkett & Macleane; Harry Potter Series; Lord of the Rings; Gladiator; Jane Eyre (Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine); The Ghost and Mrs. Muir; Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid; Wuthering heights(and a bunch of other old movies); Hellraiser(s); Nightbreed; Event Horizon; Tank Girl; Ghost World; V for Vendetta; Otesánek (actually all of Jan Svankmajer's work); Mary Reilly; The Reckoning; Dogville (yay, Lars von Trier!); Quills (I love Geoffrey Rush); Frida; Devil's Backbone; Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead ; Alien (and sequeals); Coffee and Cigarettes; Det Sjunde inseglet (the genius that was Bergman); Titus (Julie Taymor is fantastic); Basquiat; Mystery Men; Finding Nemo; Dark Crystal; Legend; Labyrinth; 13th Warrior; 13 Ghosts; Jeepers Creepers; Pumpkinhead; Kill Bill 1 & 2) From Hell; Lola Rennt; Anatomie; Der Krieger und die Kaiserin; The Emperor's New Clothes; Alice Through the Looking Glass; The Fifth Element; Frankenstein (just about everything Ian Holm has been in...love him!); Cry Baby; Pecker; Cecil B. Demented; fear.com; Alfred Hitchcock's films; Pirates of the Caribbean 1 & 2; Ed Wood; Sleepy Hollow; Scotland Pa.; Dog Soldiers; The Prophecy(s) (Christopher Walken is the greatest! I remember first seeing him as Puss-in-boots in which he sang and danced, it was fantastic!); Harold & Maude; Bartleby; Warlock; Dracula; How To Get Ahead In Advertising; Dogma; Fight Club; Death to Smoochy; The Illusionist; Spider; The Last Samauri (I 3 Ken Watanabe); Ying xiong (Hero); The Princess Bride; 28 Days Later; Red Eye; Breakfast On Pluto (Cillian Murphy is a beautiful man); High Spirits; Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (silent); The Man Who Laughs; Being John Malkovich (puppets, yay!); there are so many more...
Television:
I don't watch much regular television. Mostly movies, and the History channel, Discovery channel and the Sci-fi channel. I have been watching "Eureka"; Doctor Who (there is a new one again...actually he is supposed to be the same Doctor but changes skin so-to-speak. Now he is portrayed by David Tennant-Barty Crouch Jr. from Harry Potter, Goblet of Fire) and also "The Venture Bros." (funny, funny show!) and Adult Swim of late. I enjoy "The Simpsons" and also "Ghost Hunters" (I look forward to their halloween specials) and have recently been watching "Heroes" and "Lost". I used to watch "Carnivale" on HBO but it is no longer on (although I have heard rumours that it will be brought back for one season to bring the storyline to an end.) I used to watch "The Storyteller" by Jim Henson...it was great...did I mention I love puppets? Unfortunately it is no longer on the air either...but I LOVE PUPPETS (and robotics!) I liked Lexx too but again...off the air :-( and The Black Adder; The Young Ones and Fishing with John (Lurie) (I have these on dvd since they are no longer televised.)
I have been recently watching "Miami Ink".
Books:
Again, my taste in reading varies. Currently I have been reading Chuck Palahniuk (I really like his no-nonsense writing style. His stories can be depressing, but are very informative in a weird sort of way); Alan Moore; Jhonen Vasquez; Clive Barker. I also enjoy reading Neil Gaiman. Again, I like so many authors it is hard to list them all- Poe, Dickens, Hesse, Dostoevsky, Eco, Hoffmann, Charles Bukowski, Lovecraft- so many, so little time to read...
I haven't read as much as I should lately. I used to read a lot more. I have been in a vegetative state lately, so picture books are a favorite- children's books and Gorey, both Edward and the other sort without the "e" ...also magazines such as Juxtapoz, Rue Morgue, Renaissance Magazine, Early American Life, National Geographic and such.
Heroes:
Environmentalists, humanitarians and those who are creative/artistic, think outside the box and are not afraid to be themselves (both past and present)...
and Wobbly-headed Bob.
