COMING SOON TO A CAMPFIRE NEAR YOU.
Posted on October 23, 2012 2 Comments
(Artwork by Jarred Hageman.)
The 3rd Annual TNUC & Mike Ballermann Halloween mix, ‘TNUC LIVES’, is coming extremely soon, but before we let this hellhound off it’s leash, I think it’s necessary that we at least fork over a selection of artwork from the upcoming release. This mix was engineered to please everyone…especially the cliched women from our favorite slasher films. That’s right, from the electronic-loving, soft-spoken goody-girls (that live longest) to the heavy metal-obsessed, whorey loudmouths (that die first)…there’s something for everyone on ‘TNUC LIVES’. Just read what one of the villagers found inked in blood on an unmarked grave last night…
Up the hill
through the brush
pass the Indian burial grounds
stay clear of the moors
start up the hearse
drive over to Betty’s
hide in the closet
tip the blinds
climb under her bed
then up through her sheets
we’ve got bush!
fly out the window
swoop into the cathedral
drop under the altar
into the pit
beneath the tomb
HE IS RISEN.
Keep a foot firmly planted on TNUC’s haunted soil to keep updated!
SAVINI.
Posted on October 18, 2012 1 Comment
Greetings all you cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers. Today our focus is on watching as many clips as possible of Mr. Tom Savini, the Godfather of big-screen beasts and splatter effects. It’s easy to understand some of the jaw-dropping facial expressions on the kids in the audience at these talk show appearances. My mind is still blown as we sit here 30 years after this first interview aired. The hard work and craftsmanship that’s put into these fleshy puppets, props and masks really shows and is a huge part of why it’s so appealing.
These first clips are parts 1 + 2 of an interview from the show Livewire, a kid’s show on Nickelodeon which aired in 1982, a time during which Tom had already completed work on Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th, The Burning, Maniac, Creepshow and many others.
Throughout the years gorehounds and creature fiends could see Savini’s make-up and special effect skills in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Creepshow 2, Tales From the Darkside and so on. The following clip is more fun times on the Late Show with David Letterman. You’ll have to put up with Letterman’s whining on this one.
“Horror Effects” – a 37-minute video of step-by-step demonstrations of some of his most lavish, gory illusions. Hosted by Savini himself. Watch it.
“Scream Greats” – a documentary on Savini’s career and clips from selected films he’s worked on. Watch it.
BOGLINS.
Posted on October 11, 2012 6 Comments
Every October at CAMP TNUC we can’t make it to the 31st without bringing up Ghoulies. Weather it be around a crackling bonfire, sitting on the toilet or listening to W.A.S.P., we can’t shut up about these tiny bundles of death. This year we’re going to switch gears for a change and spotlight their household cousins, the Boglins.
Boglins were rubbery fat creatures that you could control like hand puppets and move them around to make repulsive facial expressions. One of the coolest features of the Boglin were the boxes they were designed in. The boxes had cages in the front with bars that appeared to have been pried open, which suggesed that Boglins destined to be fugitives. Their flesh was made of this strange, flexible rubber material that literally felt like skin. If that wasn’t enough, they had glow in the dark eyes! Truly the coolest toys of all time, they even made skirt-chasing a high priority, as stated on one of their magazine ads:
Boglins love to meet girls. Especially little sisters. Try one and see. Boglins come alive in your hand. They’re squishy, squashy, squirmy and scary. And they come complete with their own cage! So look for Boglins. Then look for girls.
Sounds like a passage from the TNUC bible. The first run were released by Mattel in 1987 and became very popular. The timing was perfect given that the world was currently at the brink of the “little dudes craze” during this time (Gremlins, Ghoulies, Critters, Hobgoblins, Munchies, Puppet Master, etc.). This initial family of Boglins were Vlobb, Drool and Dwork, who’s pictured below…ready to get gnarly on that off-white sofa.
Printed on the back of each box were “Bogologist Field Notes”, which would explain some of the creature features of these obscure swamp dwellers…
After the boom of the “big 3” Boglins and a family of “Small Boglin Subspecies” being released, Mattel really went bonkers and took Boglins to a whole new, weird level. The US and Europe were introduced to “Soggy Boglins”, “Hairy Boglins”and even a line of tiny plastic Boglins that came with a toilet and can of slime! But these variations were all put to shame when the next Boglin would crawl in the room: the #1 Boglin all-star and the most sought-after of them all…”Blobkin” the HALLOWEEN BOGLIN.
These bastards were part of the deluxe collection which features a second Halloween Boglin, “Bog O Bones”, who is equally as ruthless and difficult to track down. Ol’ Bog-O had a creepy, skeleton look going on that makes him a very stunning looking creature. Also included in their prison cell box was a trick-or-treat bag that I hear was big enough to consume a small child or two inside.
These overlooked classic puppets will always be dear to TNUC’s heart and if you’re an avid disciple of this blog and own a Boglin, maybe you could donate him to TNUC’s Boglin-dump?….a “donate-your-Boglin” charity case that will help enhance my Boglin Den. Hey…it was worth a try. I love these rude dudes.
“If you take us home, we’ll kiss your Aunt Martha, we’ll eat your peas, and we hope you know lots of girls”
HOW TNUC SLEEPS EVERY NIGHT.
Posted on October 4, 2012 1 Comment
You better believe it.
Greetings night beasts…if you’ve been a regular camper at Fort TNUC the past few years, it must be pretty obvious that right around when this season lurks upon us, we can’t help but sink head-first into every bit of nightly macabre and supernatural sludge that Halloween has to offer. One might question the above picture as to how your crotch holds up after a few hours with a TV sitting on it…let’s just say it’s a good thing TNUC straps on his Blackie Lawless-influenced codpiece before he hits the hay each night, or ELSE.
The main title music from 1988’s Night of the Demons is a synth-heavy crypt-crusher that will even make the floorboards in your house creak more than usual. This intro theme comes from the unreleased score by Dennis Michael Tenney, which remains one of the most sought-out scores of the genre. Before his work on Night of the Demons, his first professional job as a film-score composer was for Kevin Tenney’s (his brother) film Witchboard, where he also wrote the song ‘Bump in the Night’ featured during the end credits for the rock group Steel Breeze (!).
If you’re interested in a high-quality mp3 of the theme, email me at uncletnuc@gmail.com and I’ll take care of you.
LIGHT ECHOES.
Posted on September 27, 2012 1 Comment
We can’t imagine listening to anything but Steve Moore’s latest LP Light Echoes as we summon the wagons, storm castles and prepare for what always guarantees to be the most wonderful time of the year….Halloween season.
The sounds used on Light Echoes will lurk to secret caverns in your brain, sunken depths that only the finest musical offerings are granted access. These sounds are part of an interesting story about one of Steve’s live shows during which he encountered an obstacle while trying to translate his brand of music in a live setting, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Mr. Moore explains further: “After a couple years of awkward, lap-top driven live sets, I realized I was doing it wrong”….”I was looking at these shows only from my perspective, too concerned with how I could re-produce my songs live to relaize that these songs didn’t work with a live setting anyway. I thought about what I, as a member of the audience, would enjoy, and came to the conclusion that ‘songs’ are basically the last thing I want to hear when I see a guy bring a bunch of synthesizers on stage. I want to hear sounds. I want to hear what those synthesizers can do. Which brings us to this new album.”
Stream track #1 ‘Tykien’s Rift’, a 6-minute celestial beast slow-burner.
Steve is consistently a familiar figure around Camp TNUC with his vast array of diverse projects, but it’s always his solo work that never fails to bring me back for the most repeated listens. This could be attributed to his knack for creating music that builds…and builds….and builds…and then ends up in some sublime abyss of emerald paradise. Speaking of an abyss, the final track on the album exceeds the 28-minute mark. Listen at your own risk. Cuneiform Records describes the album as “a 70′ long electronic meditation, a continuation of the German ‘space music’ made famous in the 70’s, but with today’s aesthetic and Moore’s own affinities in place.”
Recommended listening environments/habitats for Light Echoes include brisk autumn rides up the New England coast or if you happened to snag a nightshift lighthouse keeper gig this season. You know, being the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse. Fueling oil lamps and watching boats come to shore through the fog. This would be an ideal score for those nightly duties. Purchase the 6-track album through the Cuneiform Records site in CD and/or digital formats.
BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL.
Posted on September 7, 2012 7 Comments
Who didn’t shutter each time you heard those 3 wretched words “back to school” when growing up? There was no worse feeling than hearing some dull-degenerate mutter that somber phrase as your summer was coming to an inevitable end. Weather your season was spent at summer camp, the beach club, the yacht club or every night at the boardwalk and under the bridge hanging upside down with TNUC, the autumn air was nearing its way into town and your day-to-day lifestyles would soon alter. If you’re feeling pretty desperate, like there’s no reason to go on living, the good samaritan Uncle T is here to help guide you through these troubling times and fork-over some promising news.
The promising news is that new TNUC merch IS indeed coming your way. We realize this summer may have gone down in history as your worst summer ever from not having a closet full of new TNUC threads, but I beg you, please don’t make the plunge. New items are coming and greatness takes patience! After undergoing a few minor setbacks, including a totaled monster truck and a jacuzzi clogged with liquid ‘ludes, TNUC is back on track and poised to deliver. Here’s hoping the following track sends you and your trapper keeper strutting down that murky school hallway with that certain crude dude attitude and a gleam in your eye. You may experience some strange looks and no one may speak to you until prom night, but what do you care? After all, you’re the one who broke into your school’s DJ booth and synced up the Beverly Hills 90210 Theme for your grand entrance. Here’s to you.
Right now you might be thinking, Really? After all this, all he has for us is a goddamn 1-minute ditty from 90210? Take a hearty, solid listen and you’ll learn to appreciate the ripping guitar and bursting saxophone that appears out of nowhere in this 59-second piece of wonder. This underrated early-90’s soap opera theme has always had a permanent spot in the TNUC library.
uncletnuc.com 
