Vegan Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 ear fresh corn
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
3 tbsp ground cumin
One 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 can chopped green chili peppers, drained (optional)
3 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
1.5-2 cups cooked black beans (or beans of choice)

1/4 cup tequila

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 to 2 cups seitan (optional)

Cilantro for garnish
salt & pepper & crushed red chili pepper, to taste
Fresh lime juice, to garnish on top
Non-Dairy Cheese (I use Daiya cheese), for sprinkling
Chopped avocado, for garnish
Tortilla sticks (flour tortillas, olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, to taste)

1. In a large pot over medium to low heat, add the olive oil, onion, and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Preheat oven on medium broil setting.

2. Meanwhile, chop the peppers, zucchini, green onion, and remove corn from cob (I take a chef’s knife and slice down the 4 sides). Add the veggies into the pot and sauté for another 5-10 minutes.

3. Add in the crushed tomatoes, cumin, broth, and chia seeds. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low-medium heat for 25-30 minutes. Stir in drained and rinsed beans just before serving.

4. Meanwhile, make your tortilla strips. Slice flour tortillas into 2 inch strips (see below). Place in a small bowl and drizzle with olive oil to coat. Sprinkle on garlic powder and chili powder (to taste) and mix well with hands. Place on a lined baking sheet and broil for up to 3 minutes on medium. Watch very carefully. When golden, remove from oven.

5. After the soup simmers, ladle into bowls, and top with chopped avocado, fresh lime juice, cheese, green onion, and tortilla strips. Serve immediately. Keeps in fridge for up to 5 days or can be frozen for 1 month.

I also stirred in 2 tbsp of chia seeds to pack in more nutrition and thicken the broth slightly.

While the soup was simmering, I made some tortilla strips by slicing up an Ezekiel tortilla and sprinkling on olive oil, chili powder, and garlic powder. I broiled it on medium heat for 3 minutes until golden and crisp. They tasted amazing!

Your healing dinner is served, complete with Daiya cheese, fresh lime juice, chopped avocado, tortilla strips, Herbamare, pepper, and green onion!

Quinoa-Peanut Soup

2 Tb. olive oil
1 chopped onion or 2 med. leeks sliced (I prefer leeks, use all of white and tender part of green)
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed (I use more)
1 fresh jalapeno, minced (Again, I use more)
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 diced celery stalks, with leaves (I usually leave this out, cause I don't care for celery all that much)
2 small diced zucchini
1 large sweet potato, diced
optional: any other veggies you'd like - we often add peas, green beans, corn, chick-peas, asparagus, okra or turnips.
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
4 cups vegetable stock (I use the "non-chicken" style broth)
1/2 cup quinoa, (some brands say to rinse and drain before using - I never have..)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 dash cayenne pepper or to taste (I use more!!)
optional - 1 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup chunky organic peanut butter, no honey or sugar

Wear rubber gloves to prepare fresh jalapeno pepper if you need to - or just be careful.
In a large heavy-bottomed soup pot, warm olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add all veggies, and cumin and oregano.

Saute 10 -15 minutes, or until vegetables are softened.

Add stock, quinoa, black pepper and cayenne (and fresh ginger is using).
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover.

Simmer until quinoa is cooked and veggies are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes, adding more broth/water if needed to keep it from getting too thick.
Add peanut butter, using a wisk to blend in completely, and simmer another 10 minutes.

Brown Butter

“Just the simple act of cooking it until it browns brings out all these wonderful toasted nut and caramel flavors, and even a bit of a savory edge. It adds a depth of flavor I liken to getting a really beautiful crust on a grilled steak."

For the béchamel sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 small bay leaf

6 black peppercorns

To make the béchamel sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Add the shallot, bay leaf and peppercorns.

Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl. Press parchment paper or plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce and set aside.

This recipe is the handiwork of the James Beard Award-winning chef at Atlanta’s Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch.

Linton Hopkins’ Brown-Butter Creamed Winter Greens

For the béchamel sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 small bay leaf

6 black peppercorns

For the greens:

6 ounces slab bacon, rind trimmed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped onion

3½ pounds baby winter greens (such as collards, mustard greens or kale), stemmed and coarsely chopped

béchamel sauce

½ cup heavy cream

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, or to taste

To make the béchamel sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Add the shallot, bay leaf and peppercorns.

Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl. Press parchment paper or plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce and set aside.

To make the greens: Cut the bacon into ¼-inch slices. Cut the slices into ¼-inch-wide sticks. (Note: If you can’t find slab bacon, use the thickest bacon you can find. End pieces cut into chunks work well.) Cook bacon in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown but not crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain; then pour off the fat from the pot and wipe it clean.

Heat the butter in the pot over medium-low heat until brown and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the greens one handful at a time, letting each handful wilt before adding the next. Stir in the béchamel sauce, cream, garlic, pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring, until the greens are tender and coated with sauce, about 10 minutes. Stir in the bacon and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot. 

Just finished 2 little blowdarts, the longest is 165p.

That would be Anthony Bourdain's The Bobby Gold Stories, which follows the life of Gold over the years as he's busted for drugs, sent to prison, out working as muscle, and falling in love with a chef. As well crafted as his other books, and naturally it has a bit of kitchen stuff in it.

The other is J.G Ballard's Running Wild, which is a sort of mystery. In a small (13 families) gated community someone has killed all of the adults and spirited away all of the children. Also very good.

Sounds about like what I'd think. Apart from a few Transmetropolitans I'm not familiar with his work/style, but I don't really find crime/mystery books too worthwhile, aside from Chandler. I will plug the short novel The Ice Harvest as one of the most funny books I've read in the last 15 years, cool dark humor.

Too much violence just doesn't do anything for me. Saw Clockwork Orange once, and I'll never see it again...

P.S Love the cutie at the top!

IDON MINE said:

Yeah, heard about those Warren Ellis books.

I'm somehow intrigued to read them, I like someone who devotes himself to trash literature (and that's a seal of quality folks, not dismissal) on such a rapid (and rabid...) scale. BUT, I have to say, it's too openly tough guy for me, too in your face gruesome. Let's scare some squares and baffle some critics with our well stated points made, on how bad the world is, how mean and dark people's souls can get and who would survive (no one?) in the aftermath of described circumstances. "You don't like it? Don't get it? Then GTFO, this is for the fans!" That's a simplification of course. And just my opinion as a "reader" though.

Is my judgment wrong and hasty before I even read one of his novels? Most possibly so. Warren Ellis is Warren Ellis, I don't expect him to become Mr. Moral, I just find myself not enjoying overtly violent stories just for the effect and BANG of it, however skilled the writer may be. Soooo, I'll shut up now and let the diggers dig!

Yeah, heard about those Warren Ellis books.

I'm somehow intrigued to read them, I like someone who devotes himself to trash literature (and that's a seal of quality folks, not dismissal) on such a rapid (and rabid...) scale. BUT, I have to say, it's too openly tough guy for me, too in your face gruesome. Let's scare some squares and baffle some critics with our well stated points made, on how bad the world is, how mean and dark people's souls can get and who would survive (no one?) in the aftermath of described circumstances. "You don't like it? Don't get it? Then GTFO, this is for the fans!" That's a simplification of course. And just my opinion as a "reader" though.

Is my judgment wrong and hasty before I even read one of his novels? Most possibly so. Warren Ellis is Warren Ellis, I don't expect him to become Mr. Moral, I just find myself not enjoying overtly violent stories just for the effect and BANG of it, however skilled the writer may be. Soooo, I'll shut up now and let the diggers dig!

YESSS!! Excellent titles! What's that line- "To know life, you must first fuck death in the gallbladder!"

John Battles said:

Good List.

11. Neighbors.

12. Eating Raoul.

13.Where's Poppa?

14. Schlock .

15. Eat The Rich.

16. Dead/Alive.

17. Paul Morrissey's " Flesh For Frankenstein.".

18. Paul Morrissey's "Blood For Dracula".

19. Desperate Living (Or any of The John Waters "Big Three" .).

20 . Death Race 2000.

If it makes ya laugh, why not? Haven't seen it, thanks for the tip, that's what I'm hoping for!

Duke Of Earl said:

Not an expert but, like some of the ones in the lists. Was watching "Night of the Creeps" last night does that qualify?

 

Not an expert but, like some of the ones in the lists. Was watching "Night of the Creeps" last night does that qualify?

Good List.

11. Neighbors.

12. Eating Raoul.

13.Where's Poppa?

14. Schlock .

15. Eat The Rich.

16. Dead/Alive.

17. Paul Morrissey's " Flesh For Frankenstein.".

18. Paul Morrissey's "Blood For Dracula".

19. Desperate Living (Or any of The John Waters "Big Three" .).

20 . Death Race 2000.

I just realized we could make a list right here and add to it as more gems are discovered.

1. The Loved One
2. Dr. Strangelove
3. Bedazzled (original)
4. 5000 fingers of Dr. T
5. Harold and Maude
6. Parents
7. Heathers
8. Sideways
9. The Eel
10. The President's Analyst

Can anyone add others off the tops of their heads?

Note: NEW is a bit misleading, both publishers have been around for quite a bit, but are fresh. Both in their approach and their output. Shorter novels in Comic form and long format short stories are the core of their work. Keep in mind these are no big whig operations, these are people that publish because they love it and take great consideration in the production of their books. If you wanna know what is up in quality post-modern Comics that don't always hit the Graphic novel trend, these two are the right ones to go to. So please take a listen to what they have to say: 

Uncivilized Books http://blog.uncivilizedbooks.com/

Recently Uncivilized Books has published POST YORK by James And Crosby Romberger. You might remember James from various great VERTIGO books and the legendary New York times/grimes square story "7 miles a second" (re-published by FANTAGRAPHICS, hit their site, and look it up) You can read an interview, on the new book here HERE.

Yam Books http://www.yambooks.com/

Has published the collection of short form Comics extravaganza TICKET STUB by Tim Hensley of Wally Gropius fame. Tim is a true gem of Comics, regarded highly by folks like Dan Clowes and Charles Burns, if there's need for reference. It collects rare offerings of his past publishing that are now hard to find and comes at highest recommendations to everyone that is interested in REAL Comics as they are in REAL Rock'N'Roll. Sometimes weird? Yes. Bullshit? Hell no! Read some of his entries at BLOG FLUME HERE

Take a dip if you can and let me know what you think!

Hey John, I've seen "Dirty Shame" !!! And, yes, it was funny !

Faaaaaaaaar funnier than anything Jarmusch or Lynch have ever filmed (well, in fact the chicken in Eraserhead was quite funny but I'm still not sure he wanted it to be funny...).

John Waters rules !!!

John Battles said:

I'm drawing a blank. Who did "Night on Earth" and/or "Mulholland Drive"? Like him , too.

But , JOHN WATERS STILL DOES A MOVIE EVERY 5 TO 10 YEARS. "DIRTY SHAME " WAS HILARIOUS , AND VIRTUALLY NO ONE I'VE SPOKEN TO HAS SEEN IT.

Burmese Rice

• 2 Cups Rice -- uncooked
• 3 Medium Onions -- sliced
• 2 Teaspoons Turmeric
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 4 Cups Water
• 2 Teaspoons Salt

Sprinkle onions with turmeric, then saute them in oil until brown but not burned. Remove and let drain on paper towels.

Add rice to pan and stir to mix with remaining oil. Allow to brown slightly. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve rice topped with onion slices.

Sweet Potato (Burma)   

Most people are like:

Oh, well.

PeeWee sez 'Help'

dave said:

And now Fox is the enemy! Even the Simpson's makes fun of its station!

PeeWee's Playhouse had to be the best show at that time, ya couldn't miss it! Music by Mark Mothersbaugh, The Residents, Coil, set design by Gary Panter, cameos by Larry Fishburne and Blackula, it was simply too good to pass it up.

Have you seen Mystery Men? It's really great but I passed it up 'til it came out on video.

John Battles said:

I DON'T THINK THERE'S EVEN A BOOTLEG COPY OF BELUSHI AS GODZILLA HOSTING "GODZILLA VS. MEGALON" GOING AROUND , WHICH IS TOO BAD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE THINKING , BUT , I WAS GLAD THEY THOUGHT OF IT.

Pee Wee's Playhouse was the best show on TV at the time. bUT , IT WAS ON AT 9 AM on Saturday ! Did'nt matter. I could have been out til three the night before , and I'd still be up , spot on at nine , without setting the alarm clock.

I HAVE'NT WATCHED THE SIMPSONS IN EONS. IS IT STILL ON? I MEAN , I'VE WATCHED THE OLD EPISODES , AND THE MOVIE , RECENTLY , BUT , GOT OUT OF THE HABIT OF WATCHING THE NEWER ONES. NOT THAT THEY HAD'NT BEEN REMARKABLY CONSISTENT.

In the early 90's , FOX was REAL must - see TV on Sundays - Elvis : The Early Years , The Outsiders , The Simpsons , Married: With Children , In Living Color. They were on a ROLL.
 
dave said:

No doubt about it, television has given us some really trippy things, often w/o their knowledge! I get a kick out of it, and occasionally they do the right thing and put out something good, like PeeWee's Playhouse or the Simpsons.

And no, I missed Belushi in that role, dimmit.

John Battles said:

Well , I was determined to watch the whole thing. Never gave it much thought , until the revamped Famous Monsters magazine (They did a whole issue , given the illusion that it was still 1970 , a couple of years ago , which actually worked.) did a feature article and even gave it the cover. Then , recently , by chance , I met Arnold Stang's Granddaughter's Husband. I got some snacks , "Grew a pair" , and braced myself to watch"Hercules in New York". I found it funnier than Hell ,if for all teh wrong reasons.  It has a very unitentionally druggy vibe , like a less catatonic "Star Wars Xmas Special" , except , if Belushi had sat through THAT , he could have survived any kind of speedball. Does anybody remember John Belushi , dressed as Godzilla , hosting "Godzilla Vs. Megalon" on prime time? I'm not making this up.
 
dave said:

Whew, "Mister, you're a better man than I"! I just watched a minute or two on Youtube and it vas excruciating! Maybe when my kitsch module gets an upgrade!

John Battles said:

OK , I DID THE UNTHINKABLE. 

I WATCHED "HERCULES IN NEW YORK" , AND EVEN PAID (NOT FULL PRICE) FOR THE PRIVELEDGE. IT'S HILARIOUS ! NOT BECAUSE THE COMEDY WRITING OR SIGHT GAGS ARE ALWAYS , OR EVEN USUALLY , ON THE MARK , BUT , JUST BECAUSE THE PREMISE IS SO WEIRD , AND THE DIRECTION IS NOT SO MUCH FLUID , AS RUNNY. SOMEONE LEFT THE CAKE OUT IN THE RAIN , BABY. IT'S MORE FUNNY IN A "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?" SORT OF WAY.  HERCULES , SURROUNDED BY GODDESSES ON MT. OLYMPUS (AND PRIMED TO BE A SCOUNDREL LIKE HIS OLD MAN , ZEUS.), DECIDES HE'D LIKE TO COME DOWN TO EARTH AND BE AMONG THE COMMON FOLK (AS HE DID IN THE OLD GRECO - ROMAN MYTHS.). HIS WANDERLUST INFURIATES DAD , WHO STRIKES HIM WITH A THUNDERBOLT , SENDING HIM HURTLING INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.....HE HOPS A BOAT , KICKS MOST OF THE UNRULY CREW'S ASSES , AND TURNS UP IN MODERN NEW YORK . HERE , HE ENCOUNTERS THE REAL MAN - GOD , ARNOLD STANG , WHO BECOMES HIS BEST FRIEND (IT'S A LONG WAY FROM BEING BEST FRIENDS WITH SINATRA , BUT , HEY....) , FROM THERE , HE KICKS SOME MORE MORTAL ASS , PLUS A MAN IN A VERY BAD BEAR SUIT , AND RIDES A CHARIOT THRU BROADWAY ( I THINK THEY SPENT THE ENTIRE  BUDGET ON THE PERMITS TO DO THAT SHOT. ) , AND , HE BECOMES A FAMOUS WRESTLER , BUT , GETS MIXED UP WITH SOME GANGSTERS (IN 1970s NEW YORK ?! NEVER !), AND , WELL , I FORGET.......

THE COOLEST PART ABOUT THE DVD RELEASE IS , YOU CAN PLAY IT WITH SCHWARZENEGGER'S ACTUAL DIALOGUE (IN WHICH HE BUTCHERS THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE , PHONETICALLY. SUBTILES ARE PROVIDED.), OR THE VOICE - OVER  USED IN THE CHEAP EXPLOITATION DEVICE , WHEN THE MOVIE WAS RE- RELEASED AS "Hercules: the movie" in 1983 , after the success of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN". SCHWARZENEGGER NEVER REALLY AMOUNTED TO MUCH AS AN ACTOR , ANYWAY , BUT HE COULD DO COMEDY ("True Lies", "Look Who's Talking , Unintelligibly".) , SO , IF YOU WANT A GOOD LAUGH , YOU MIGHT FIND IT WITH THE GUBERNATOR'S DEBUT.  Hasta La Vini Vidi Vici , Baby.

That's some baby-sitter! I had to wait on the radio ad 'til I heard it on Four Hairy Policemen...

John Battles said:

VERY nice.  I had a really cool babysitter who took my Brothers and I to see "Frogs" at the Drive-in when it came out.

dave said:

And now Fox is the enemy! Even the Simpson's makes fun of its station!

PeeWee's Playhouse had to be the best show at that time, ya couldn't miss it! Music by Mark Mothersbaugh, The Residents, Coil, set design by Gary Panter, cameos by Larry Fishburne and Blackula, it was simply too good to pass it up.

Have you seen Mystery Men? It's really great but I passed it up 'til it came out on video.

John Battles said:

I DON'T THINK THERE'S EVEN A BOOTLEG COPY OF BELUSHI AS GODZILLA HOSTING "GODZILLA VS. MEGALON" GOING AROUND , WHICH IS TOO BAD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE THINKING , BUT , I WAS GLAD THEY THOUGHT OF IT.

Pee Wee's Playhouse was the best show on TV at the time. bUT , IT WAS ON AT 9 AM on Saturday ! Did'nt matter. I could have been out til three the night before , and I'd still be up , spot on at nine , without setting the alarm clock.

I HAVE'NT WATCHED THE SIMPSONS IN EONS. IS IT STILL ON? I MEAN , I'VE WATCHED THE OLD EPISODES , AND THE MOVIE , RECENTLY , BUT , GOT OUT OF THE HABIT OF WATCHING THE NEWER ONES. NOT THAT THEY HAD'NT BEEN REMARKABLY CONSISTENT.

In the early 90's , FOX was REAL must - see TV on Sundays - Elvis : The Early Years , The Outsiders , The Simpsons , Married: With Children , In Living Color. They were on a ROLL.
 
dave said:

No doubt about it, television has given us some really trippy things, often w/o their knowledge! I get a kick out of it, and occasionally they do the right thing and put out something good, like PeeWee's Playhouse or the Simpsons.

And no, I missed Belushi in that role, dimmit.

John Battles said:

Well , I was determined to watch the whole thing. Never gave it much thought , until the revamped Famous Monsters magazine (They did a whole issue , given the illusion that it was still 1970 , a couple of years ago , which actually worked.) did a feature article and even gave it the cover. Then , recently , by chance , I met Arnold Stang's Granddaughter's Husband. I got some snacks , "Grew a pair" , and braced myself to watch"Hercules in New York". I found it funnier than Hell ,if for all teh wrong reasons.  It has a very unitentionally druggy vibe , like a less catatonic "Star Wars Xmas Special" , except , if Belushi had sat through THAT , he could have survived any kind of speedball. Does anybody remember John Belushi , dressed as Godzilla , hosting "Godzilla Vs. Megalon" on prime time? I'm not making this up.
 
dave said:

Whew, "Mister, you're a better man than I"! I just watched a minute or two on Youtube and it vas excruciating! Maybe when my kitsch module gets an upgrade!

John Battles said:

OK , I DID THE UNTHINKABLE. 

I WATCHED "HERCULES IN NEW YORK" , AND EVEN PAID (NOT FULL PRICE) FOR THE PRIVELEDGE. IT'S HILARIOUS ! NOT BECAUSE THE COMEDY WRITING OR SIGHT GAGS ARE ALWAYS , OR EVEN USUALLY , ON THE MARK , BUT , JUST BECAUSE THE PREMISE IS SO WEIRD , AND THE DIRECTION IS NOT SO MUCH FLUID , AS RUNNY. SOMEONE LEFT THE CAKE OUT IN THE RAIN , BABY. IT'S MORE FUNNY IN A "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?" SORT OF WAY.  HERCULES , SURROUNDED BY GODDESSES ON MT. OLYMPUS (AND PRIMED TO BE A SCOUNDREL LIKE HIS OLD MAN , ZEUS.), DECIDES HE'D LIKE TO COME DOWN TO EARTH AND BE AMONG THE COMMON FOLK (AS HE DID IN THE OLD GRECO - ROMAN MYTHS.). HIS WANDERLUST INFURIATES DAD , WHO STRIKES HIM WITH A THUNDERBOLT , SENDING HIM HURTLING INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.....HE HOPS A BOAT , KICKS MOST OF THE UNRULY CREW'S ASSES , AND TURNS UP IN MODERN NEW YORK . HERE , HE ENCOUNTERS THE REAL MAN - GOD , ARNOLD STANG , WHO BECOMES HIS BEST FRIEND (IT'S A LONG WAY FROM BEING BEST FRIENDS WITH SINATRA , BUT , HEY....) , FROM THERE , HE KICKS SOME MORE MORTAL ASS , PLUS A MAN IN A VERY BAD BEAR SUIT , AND RIDES A CHARIOT THRU BROADWAY ( I THINK THEY SPENT THE ENTIRE  BUDGET ON THE PERMITS TO DO THAT SHOT. ) , AND , HE BECOMES A FAMOUS WRESTLER , BUT , GETS MIXED UP WITH SOME GANGSTERS (IN 1970s NEW YORK ?! NEVER !), AND , WELL , I FORGET.......

THE COOLEST PART ABOUT THE DVD RELEASE IS , YOU CAN PLAY IT WITH SCHWARZENEGGER'S ACTUAL DIALOGUE (IN WHICH HE BUTCHERS THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE , PHONETICALLY. SUBTILES ARE PROVIDED.), OR THE VOICE - OVER  USED IN THE CHEAP EXPLOITATION DEVICE , WHEN THE MOVIE WAS RE- RELEASED AS "Hercules: the movie" in 1983 , after the success of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN". SCHWARZENEGGER NEVER REALLY AMOUNTED TO MUCH AS AN ACTOR , ANYWAY , BUT HE COULD DO COMEDY ("True Lies", "Look Who's Talking , Unintelligibly".) , SO , IF YOU WANT A GOOD LAUGH , YOU MIGHT FIND IT WITH THE GUBERNATOR'S DEBUT.  Hasta La Vini Vidi Vici , Baby.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S EVEN A BOOTLEG COPY OF BELUSHI AS GODZILLA HOSTING "GODZILLA VS. MEGALON" GOING AROUND , WHICH IS TOO BAD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE THINKING , BUT , I WAS GLAD THEY THOUGHT OF IT.

Pee Wee's Playhouse was the best show on TV at the time. bUT , IT WAS ON AT 9 AM on Saturday ! Did'nt matter. I could have been out til three the night before , and I'd still be up , spot on at nine , without setting the alarm clock.

I HAVE'NT WATCHED THE SIMPSONS IN EONS. IS IT STILL ON? I MEAN , I'VE WATCHED THE OLD EPISODES , AND THE MOVIE , RECENTLY , BUT , GOT OUT OF THE HABIT OF WATCHING THE NEWER ONES. NOT THAT THEY HAD'NT BEEN REMARKABLY CONSISTENT.

In the early 90's , FOX was REAL must - see TV on Sundays - Elvis : The Early Years , The Outsiders , The Simpsons , Married: With Children , In Living Color. They were on a ROLL.
 
dave said:

No doubt about it, television has given us some really trippy things, often w/o their knowledge! I get a kick out of it, and occasionally they do the right thing and put out something good, like PeeWee's Playhouse or the Simpsons.

And no, I missed Belushi in that role, dimmit.

John Battles said:

Well , I was determined to watch the whole thing. Never gave it much thought , until the revamped Famous Monsters magazine (They did a whole issue , given the illusion that it was still 1970 , a couple of years ago , which actually worked.) did a feature article and even gave it the cover. Then , recently , by chance , I met Arnold Stang's Granddaughter's Husband. I got some snacks , "Grew a pair" , and braced myself to watch"Hercules in New York". I found it funnier than Hell ,if for all teh wrong reasons.  It has a very unitentionally druggy vibe , like a less catatonic "Star Wars Xmas Special" , except , if Belushi had sat through THAT , he could have survived any kind of speedball. Does anybody remember John Belushi , dressed as Godzilla , hosting "Godzilla Vs. Megalon" on prime time? I'm not making this up.
 
dave said:

Whew, "Mister, you're a better man than I"! I just watched a minute or two on Youtube and it vas excruciating! Maybe when my kitsch module gets an upgrade!

John Battles said:

OK , I DID THE UNTHINKABLE. 

I WATCHED "HERCULES IN NEW YORK" , AND EVEN PAID (NOT FULL PRICE) FOR THE PRIVELEDGE. IT'S HILARIOUS ! NOT BECAUSE THE COMEDY WRITING OR SIGHT GAGS ARE ALWAYS , OR EVEN USUALLY , ON THE MARK , BUT , JUST BECAUSE THE PREMISE IS SO WEIRD , AND THE DIRECTION IS NOT SO MUCH FLUID , AS RUNNY. SOMEONE LEFT THE CAKE OUT IN THE RAIN , BABY. IT'S MORE FUNNY IN A "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?" SORT OF WAY.  HERCULES , SURROUNDED BY GODDESSES ON MT. OLYMPUS (AND PRIMED TO BE A SCOUNDREL LIKE HIS OLD MAN , ZEUS.), DECIDES HE'D LIKE TO COME DOWN TO EARTH AND BE AMONG THE COMMON FOLK (AS HE DID IN THE OLD GRECO - ROMAN MYTHS.). HIS WANDERLUST INFURIATES DAD , WHO STRIKES HIM WITH A THUNDERBOLT , SENDING HIM HURTLING INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.....HE HOPS A BOAT , KICKS MOST OF THE UNRULY CREW'S ASSES , AND TURNS UP IN MODERN NEW YORK . HERE , HE ENCOUNTERS THE REAL MAN - GOD , ARNOLD STANG , WHO BECOMES HIS BEST FRIEND (IT'S A LONG WAY FROM BEING BEST FRIENDS WITH SINATRA , BUT , HEY....) , FROM THERE , HE KICKS SOME MORE MORTAL ASS , PLUS A MAN IN A VERY BAD BEAR SUIT , AND RIDES A CHARIOT THRU BROADWAY ( I THINK THEY SPENT THE ENTIRE  BUDGET ON THE PERMITS TO DO THAT SHOT. ) , AND , HE BECOMES A FAMOUS WRESTLER , BUT , GETS MIXED UP WITH SOME GANGSTERS (IN 1970s NEW YORK ?! NEVER !), AND , WELL , I FORGET.......

THE COOLEST PART ABOUT THE DVD RELEASE IS , YOU CAN PLAY IT WITH SCHWARZENEGGER'S ACTUAL DIALOGUE (IN WHICH HE BUTCHERS THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE , PHONETICALLY. SUBTILES ARE PROVIDED.), OR THE VOICE - OVER  USED IN THE CHEAP EXPLOITATION DEVICE , WHEN THE MOVIE WAS RE- RELEASED AS "Hercules: the movie" in 1983 , after the success of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN". SCHWARZENEGGER NEVER REALLY AMOUNTED TO MUCH AS AN ACTOR , ANYWAY , BUT HE COULD DO COMEDY ("True Lies", "Look Who's Talking , Unintelligibly".) , SO , IF YOU WANT A GOOD LAUGH , YOU MIGHT FIND IT WITH THE GUBERNATOR'S DEBUT.  Hasta La Vini Vidi Vici , Baby.

VERY nice.  I had a really cool babysitter who took my Brothers and I to see "Frogs" at the Drive-in when it came out.

dave said:

Yeah , I have that book , too....Have'nt looked at it in a while . I Forgot The Pakistani Dracula AND "The Living Corpse " were one and the same. That movie appeared with another Eastern Horror pic on a DVD , and I thought the other movie WAS "The Living Corpse" .....

I'm thoroughly commited to Turkish Sci - Fi /Horror/ Superhero genre pics , for which I should be thoroughly commited.  Who was that guy ? He was a huge star in Turkey , he played Tarkan and Lionman (Which was distributed in the UK and the states , dubbed in English , but , being as how the man's first name was "Kunt" , they had to change it to....what else ?   Steve.
 

I think I yammered about this earlier, but , you have'nt lived until you've seen:

"Three Mighty Men"- Captain America and Santo meet in Istanbul to do war with the evil druglord , SPIDERMAN. Soundtrack lifted from Wes Montgomery and John Barry's "Goldfinger"  soundtrack albums (You can hear the surface noise on  the records.).

" Killink "- Ripped off...I mean , inspired by the Italian Super-Villain , Kriminal ( aka Killing , but  , I think that was his Son.) , who wears a great skeleton costume. This was actually presented in serial form, and in Black and white , and is chock full of action. There's a subplot involving a young man who swears to avenge his parent's deaths at the hands of Killink. Naturally , the ghost of a centuries - old wizard appears , named , are you ready? Shazam , who turns the guy into a Captain Marvel - like Superhero , alternately called Flying Man and Superhero. The soundtrack was lifted from the excellent "Comic Book Heroes" record on Mainstream.

Then there's the Turkish Star Trek (More of a comedy , obviously filmed in the Turkish desert , which is suppposed to be the ruins of a distant planet.).

The Turkish Exorcist "Setan" *, Which follows the original pretty much scene by scene , at a fraction of the budget.   * Nothing to do with practical meat substitutes.

The Turkish "Wizard of Oz" which plays around with the original story , but , I've only seen it once , don't remember too much  about it........

And , would you believe the Turkish "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein"

I'VE BEEN TOLD THIS MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN MADE IN TURKEY. It appears to have been made in the 50's , and follows the script from the original , pretty closely. There's a comical , but cool - looking Dracula , Frankenstein and Wolf Man.

Turkey also made a serious version of "Dracula" in 1953 , I believe. It's actually very good. It was the only adaptation on Stoker's "Dracula" to film, from anywhere in the world , between  Universal's ''Dracula " with Bela Lugosi and Hammer's "Horror of Dracula" with Christopher Lee. The Turkish Dracula wears a cape and tuxedo like Lugosi did , but has a bald head and fangs liek Max Schrek in "Nosferatu".

Greg Hanson said:

There's a great book called Mondo Macabro - a beautiful coffee table book with lots of great pictures - that is dedicated to strange cinema around the world. It's put out by the people who run a distributor of the same name (whose releases are killer) and puts out a lot of these gems, including Pakistani Dracula (aka The Living Corpse).

They have a bunch of Bollywood horror films, Indonesian fantasy (lots of floating heads and lasers), Turkish cheese, Italian weirdness, etc.

If you think Bollywood is crazy, check out the heyday of Turkish fantastic cinema. The Man Who Saved the World (aka Turkish Star Wars) is pretty great and totally incoherent but a real hoot. Tarkan Vs. The Vikings is cheese-tacular in the best ways. Kilink in Istanbul is trashy and pretty glorious. Lots of great stuff from Turkey in the 50s-70s. 

Only Indonesian films come close to that kind of weirdness. The Devil's Sword, Queen of Black Magic, and Virgins from Hell are all pretty clutch. Lots of floating heads, lasers, voodoo and other suck malarky. 

Yeah, I hope more people will rent it, these small films tend to get buried by the years unless folks trumptet their virtues.

John Battles said:

That's the one where the guy is having an affair, on his way to meet his very - near - future wife , right? I liked that. It was pretty funny.

That's the one where the guy is having an affair, on his way to meet his very - near - future wife , right? I liked that. It was pretty funny.