City of the Living Dead (1980)

On August 11th, 1980, City of the Living Dead was released in Italy.  

When Catriona MacColl was approached as a lead in City of the Living Dead she had her doubts about the script. 

“It seemed like a series of special effects without a story.”

That’s kind of what the Fulci experience is all about. Sitting through a bunch of dialogue until the next batshit action or gore scene. 

Kind of like Herschell Gordon Lewis. 

Both men have been referred to as the “Godfather of Gore”.

Daniela Doria about to spew guts

Somehow Fulci convinced this poor girl to regurgitate a bunch of baby cow intestines on camera before switching to a projectile vomiting dummy. I read this in Fangoria magazine when I was a kid and it really fucked with my head. 

It wasn’t until many years later that I actually saw the movie. I mostly just wanted to see the practical effects I’d read about and seen screenshots of so many years before in that magazine. 

The ol’ slow drill through the temple bit

Christopher George 

Also on this date in 1937 William Dieterle’s The Life of Emile Zola premiered. 

Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)

The Chili Peppers had only been doing shows around Los Angeles for a year when a demo tape got them a deal with Enigma Records.  

The original line up was Anthony Kiedis on Vocals, Flea on Bass, Hillel Slovak on guitar and Jack Irons on drums. At the same time as the Enigma deal, Irons and Slovak left the band to pursue another deal with a different band.

Jack Sherman and Cliff Martinez came in as guitar and drums for the debut album The Red Hot Chili Peppers and the subsequent tour. 

Slovak and Irons received writing credits on the album as well. 

Red Hot Chili Peppers - August 10th, 1984

The debut album was produced by Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill. 

Rose Norwalt of 70’s soul group Rose Royce provides backing vocals on a few tracks. 

1984 lineup:

Kiedis
Vocals

Flea
Bass

Jack Sherman
Guitar

Cliff Martinez
Drums

Shortly after a grueling 2 month tour to support the not so successful album, Sherman was fired and Hillel returned. 

Martinez made it through 1985’s Freaky Styley before getting shit canned and replaced by (wait for it...) 

Jack Irons. 

Martinez was included in the 2012 Rock Hall induction with the band but Sherman was not. 

True Men Don’t Kill Coyotes 

Also on this date in 1902, horror novelist and screenwriter Curt Siodmak was born. 

Amanda Bearse

Amanda Bearse was born on August 9th, 1958 in Winter Park, FL. 

She’s best known for her 10 year stint on Married…with Children from 1987 to 1997 and her role in Fright Night starring Chris Sarandon (1985). 

Also of note is her role as “the good girl who was right there all along” opposite Fright Night co-Star Stephen Geoffreys in Fratenity Vacation released the same year. One of Tim Robbins earlier roles as well. 

She was also in the Here Come the Munsters reboot in 1995 as Mrs. Pearl. 

And as a Barmaid in Gregg Araki’s Doom Generation. 

Also on this date in 1959, The Bat was released in US theaters. 

Rory Calhoun

Rory Calhoun was in about a million movies and tv shows spanning nearly 50 years. 

Rory Calhoun

He was on both fantasy and Gilligan’s Island

Calhoun as Jonathan Kincaid on Gilligan’s Island
with Dawn Wells

He was in Motel Hell (1980) alongside Nancy Parsons. 

What a great movie couple they made. 

Nancy Parsons and Rory in Motel Hell (1980)

Mostly, I remember him from his role as Kit Carson in Angel (1984) with Donna Wilkes, Dick Shawn, Cliff Gorman and Susan Tyrrell and the first sequel, Avenging Angel (1985).

Donna Wilkes and Rory
on the set of Angel

Rory and Betsy Russell in Avenging Angel

Rory Calhoun, born Francis Timothy McCown on August 8th, 1922. Rory passed away on April 28th, 1999. 

Also on this date in 1900, Robert Siodmak was born. 

U2 ZOO tv outdoor rehearsal Hershey PA 8/7/92

Before the Internet you had to hear about concerts and such on the ‘radio’ and go ‘wait in line’ at the ‘mall’ to buy ‘tickets’. 

One day I was going somewhere with someone when the DJ on the radio station we were listening to came on the air with a special report. 

U2 had just announced a special rehearsal concert in Hershey, PA to prepare for the outdoor portion of their ZOO tv concert tour. 

Tickets went on sale right that moment at the Ticketmaster outlet at the Park City mall in Lancaster, PA. It was located in either Bon Ton or Boscov’s. I can’t remember which one or the difference in general between those two outlet brands. 

We just happened to be driving by the mall at that very moment. We shrugged and pulled in to the parking lot, effortlessly purchasing tickets in minutes without any crowds. 

It sold out just a few hours later. 

I remember the show pretty well. It was just as you might remember ZOO tv. Flying euro cars, lots and lots of screens, intimate moments with the band on a small island stage in a sea of fans. 

Bono even made a phone call or two. 

The only thing that set it apart from an actual concert as opposed to a rehearsal was that they performed Pride (in the name of love) twice. 

Not really a U2 fanatic or anything. Just one of those once in a lifetime moments that we are sometimes lucky enough to fall into. 

Related:

U2 Rooftop Concert

Also on this date in 1975, The Devil’s Rain premiered in New York City. 

 

The Ramones Last Stand 8/6/1996

On august 6th, 1996 the Ramones played their 2,263rd and final show at the Palace in Los Angeles (for some reason) and not at CBGB’s in New York.

Special guests included Dee Dee who (for some reason) had left the band in 1989…

…to rap?

Eddie Vedder (for some reason) was the last guest of the evening singing chorus vocals on Anyway You Want It by Dave Clark 5.

The year previous I was able to see the Ramones for the first and only time. 

You may notice that I have ticket stubs for two separate shows.

I was not able to attend the first show in my hometown of Lancaster, PA at the Village nightclub. 

You see, I was in the all or nothing phase of my drinking career and had pregamed my way into a rolling brownout. 

I’d love to say I got “kicked out” but I never even made it through the front door.

I was flagged on sight. 

So I went home (about two blocks away) and changed my shirt. I went back immediately and was flagged a second time.  My stupid plan would have worked if I had just waited a while before returning. At least the friends I went with were able to enjoy the show without having to deal with my drunk ass. 

About a month later I went to a condolence show at the Stone Balloon in Delaware. I got just the right amount of drunk and was able to experience the ferocious energy that was a live Ramones show with the added bonus of leaving the pit with a bloody nose. 

I guess everyone who’s been to a Ramones show has a war story or two to tell. 

If not you probably did it wrong.

The Ramones last show 8/6/96

The Ramones First Show

Ramones - Ramones

Rock n Roll High School Forever

Richard Hell

Dr. Know

Sex Pistols Last Stand

The Beatles Last Stand

Also on this date in 1938, Paul Bartel was born. 

Adam Yauch

Adam Nathaniel “MCA” Yauch was born on  August 5th, 1964.

Forever filed under gone too soon. 

Adam “MCA” Yauch (8/5/64 - 5/4/12)

Young Beasties with a beardless Rick Rubin

Related:

Licensed to Ill

Also on this date in 1939, Bob Clark was born.