Roman Polanski has been in the news a lot lately, it’s a shame.

Somehow I came across this awesome poster for his film Rosemary’s Baby… classic horror flick, wish I would have thought about it around Halloween (own it on DVD). The film features great performances by Mia Farrow, and the legendary John Cassavetes, and an even greater score and main theme by Krzysztof Komeda.

Check it out (as well as the Fantômas cover version).

Krzysztof Komeda - Rosemary’s Baby Main Theme

Fantômas - Rosemary’s Baby

Halloween is without question the best holiday of the year (not sure if it is technically a holiday, but that doesn’t matter). Superheroes roam the streets, and their larger, drunker counterparts fill bars and house parties everywhere… and all without the stress and obligations that all of the other holidays seem to bring.

John Carpenter’s Halloween is also one of my favorite horror flicks of all time. I’m usually not big on picking “favorites”, but Halloween, however played-out it may be, is in my mind one of the most groundbreaking, influential films of the genre. Many hours of my childhood were spent watching and obsessing over 80’s Slasher films… Fangoria, all that… and I think it is safe to say that John Carpenter really started all of it with his 1978 Masterpiece. There may have been films before Halloween that were stylistically similar - the camera as the killer’s perspective, the promiscuous teenage victims, the wholesome female heroine, etc. - but really only one or two come to mind: Hitchcock’s “Psycho” (which was notably a huge influence on Carpenter) and the Canadian “Black Christmas” (which is often regarded as the first actual Slasher film, but doesn’t hold up when compared to the more nuanced, timeless execution seen in Halloween). Much of the genre had been beating Gothic-Horror to death before Carpenter came along and created this suburban-thriller with little-to-no blood.

And don’t forget, aside from writing and directing Halloween on a shoestring budget, John Carpenter also single handedly created, what is arguably one of the most iconic pieces of music in film history… and in 5/4 time!

The awesome poster makers of Methane Studios created the Halloween poster seen above (they also designed a really cool Nightmare On Elm Street poster).

Happy Halloween, and make sure you try to watch the film one of the 4,000 times is is played on TV this year.

John Carpenter - Halloween Theme

From the album of the same name.

Henri Texier - Amir

RIP DJ. Mr. Magic aka Sir Juice, co-founder of the legendary Juice Crew with Marly Marl. Magic’s mark on hip-hop is indelible, and his radio show, The Rapp Attack on BLS, was a catalyst for many historic rap beefs including The Roxanne Wars and the Juice Crew/BDP beef that spawned classics like “The Bridge is Over”. Needless to say he will be remembered.

Just two weeks ago DJ. Roc Raida passed as well. The first time I saw Raida perform was in the 1994 DMC eastcoast championships. He lost that night to Philly’s DJ. Ghetto, but ripped it nonetheless. Despite Ghetto’s smooth set, Roc Raida performed with so much laid back confidence, and beat-juggling pyrotechnics that he instantly became my favorite DJ (and made me want to become a DJ, which is something that I never did because I couldn’t afford those damn 1200’s at the time). Anyway, the X-Men went on to become one of the best crews of all time, and Raida was alway my favorite. I remember going over to my boy Vitale’s house (because he had the VHS) to watch that battle over and over. RIP Roc Raida, you will not be forgotten.

Listen and learn or remember.

Mr. Magic Tibutre on Hot 97, 10.2.09 - By Mr. Cee

The Adventures of Roc Raida…One too Many!

I found this NPR podcast of Dirty Projectors performing all new material from their upcoming Bitte Orca album at SXSW last week. This entire set is a good example of why Dave Longstreth’s Projectors have been my favorite band for the past five years - Always so incredibly inventive and original.

The set gets better and better as it progresses. The closer “Stillness Is The Move” is a mind blowing addition to the bands ever changing sound (reminiscent of only a couple of other Projectors tracks i can think of - Part 2 of “Katy At the Mall” and “Two Young Sheeps” from the New Attitude EP - At least on the whole neo-soul vibe they have going on).

Enjoy - And thanks to the mighty NPR for recording this.