Petrichor & Pumpkins: February 2022

Now Playing: Stalker (film and score)

What would you do if you were given the opportunity to fulfill your heart's wish?

The 1979 film Stalker (dir. Andrei Tarkovsky) is generally regarded as science fiction, but there is enough anticipation and visceral tension that I would consider it a psychological thriller as well, deeply philosophical and full of symbolic imagery and dialog, and overall very unsettling on multiple levels.

The "stalker" in this story makes a living as a guide of sorts, hired by individuals to navigate them through The Zone, a dangerous forbidden place, to a mysterious room that grants the visitor his or her deepest desire. The landscape seems devoid of human life, overgrown, only crumbling ruins remain.

This film is a masterpiece, visually breathtaking despite its vivid imagery of filth, pollution, desolation, and decay in a seemingly post-apocalyptic society. The sound design and score are equally as incredible, haunting.

Stalker has quite a long running time at nearly three hours. Despite its slow, ponderous pace, it's never dull, it's full of beautifully composed & surreal imagery. This is one to watch and discuss with deep-thinking friends. This is one that's going to stick with me for a long time.

Rating: 9/10 Jackos [🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃_ ]

Feralia

Feralia, observed annually on 21st February, is an ancient Roman holiday to honor the souls of the dead.

Common offerings to the departed were bread, salt, and flowers. Take a moment tonight to remember your loved ones who have gone ahead to the great beyond.

(Photo by Mitja Juraja from Pexels)

Now playing: Ah-Cama Sotz - Burning Souls. Brandende Zielen

If you enjoy dark ambient/dark techno stuff, listen up.

Crab-O-Ween

Today I learned about the Halloween Crab, Gecarcinus quadratus!

This crab's coloring makes it easy to see how it earned that particular nickname - bright shades of orange & purple contrasted with black. In the wild, it's found near coastal Pacific Ocean rainforests in the vicinity of Mexico and Panama. It can be kept as an exotic pet as well. They're also known as the Moon Crab, Halloween Moon Crab, Purple Moon Crab, Harlequin Crab, & a few other names.

Check out the video below to see one in action!

If you're 'tired' of all the usual horror films...

...then check out this batshit crazy movie about a sentient tire that goes on a killing spree. Absolutely fun to watch with friends.

Bonus: This hot track from the film's score.

Fun fact: the director and the composer are the same person.

I rate it 7/10 Jackos! 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃_ _ _

Artist Brett Kelley's Pumpkin Pin

Do you like Halloween stuff AND supporting independent artists?

Brett Kelley, a friend of mine who's a prolific artist located in Western Massachusetts, USA, has just launched a Kickstarter to create these wicked cool enamel pins based on his original illustration of a bat-winged jack o'lantern! His original run of these pins sold out in TWO DAYS and he's raising the funds needed to release more color variations. You can support this project by clicking the pic below, and get your very own FlapJack pin! The funding is well under way and runs til 6th March, 2022.

Brett Kelley is an amazing illustrator, and you can check out more of his art on his Facebook page and Instagram feed.

Doll Village in Japan - Charming or Creepy?

Artist Tsukimi Ayano is a doll maker. Specifically, she has created over 350 handmade, human sized dolls that are placed in various locations throughout her childhood village in Nagoro, Japan -- and they outnumber the human inhabitants, of which only about 20 remain.

The dolls are meant to take the place of former residents who has either passed on or moved away from the remote tiny village over the years. Her first doll, modeled after her late father, was intended as a scarecrow to help keep birds away from her gardens.

In time, she has created hundreds of dolls, each with unique features, names, and personas. They are placed carefully around the village, engaged in various activities like waiting at the bus stop, teaching students in a classroom, playing, and fishing. The destination has become interesting to tourists, despite its remote location.

I personally find this to be a bit heartwarming. What do you think? Cute or creepy?

Valley of Dolls from Fritz Schumann on Vimeo.