The Legend of the Stardust Brothers
Welcome to the last film of September! I chose a film from Michael Malaise’ list of suggestions this week, and it is… A musical!
*ducks
Seriously, everyone sit down. Don’t leave! This is great. This is the kind of crazy film offering that could only come from Japan. And it gets really wild.
So what is it about? I will turn to the writings of IMDB contributor sydneyshuster.
I will forgive many things to a film that looks like it was made with a passion and with joy. I caught this film at a film festival a few years ago and it immediately became one of my top five favorites. First, yes the plot is super thin and sort of just keeps going but honestly that’s not something that bothers me about it. Others may disagree and that’s ok. Everything else is pure fun, however. The acting is exaggerated and campy. The sets are each carefully constructed, completely distinct and full of character and color. Each musical number is a joy to listen to and harkens to different musical style. It’s like 15 practical effects-jammed bombastic music videos piled one after another. It takes you on a ride and doesn’t let up for the entire runtime.
It’s wacky and fun and I adore this singular piece created by a young film student with clearly tons of passion. I can’t stress how creative this thing is. If you get the chance, absolutely check it out.
Thank you Sydney, I couldn’t have said it better. In fact that is why I quoted your review.
Trivia! Macoto Tezuka, the director and writer of the film is the son of Manga great Ozamu Tezuka. Contrary to popular belief, this was not his first project. He had a number of smaller projects before this. It was his biggest at the time though. I can see the frenetic influence of manga in a lot of the scenes and camera angles. Here is an interview with him about this project.
So watch! Or don’t! Everything is voluntary! I am still working up the October films (and alternates, since films get pulled all the time) and getting ready for our month-long celebration, which I may entitle “Every Thursday is Halloween.”
““Every Thursday is Halloween”
One seventh of Ministry?
Sounds about right.
I’ll dive in in a few minutes.
Either the scheduling problem is solved, or Mojo has wired her brain into the site to manually post.
This is pretty funny. She’s no more a MILF than I am a zaddy.
Eager beats pretty…
The new toy arrived today. In the mail of all things. They shipped a bicycle from Germany via international post.
Ha! Are you pleased with your purchase?
Yes.
The bike is a relatively rare and collectable top-of-the-line racing bike from 1980. It was being offered well below what those bikes typically get, because it is an unusually small frame. I am a very short guy.
This is the first “grown-up” bike that I have ever had where I can stand flat footed while straddling the frame. It’s snug in the crotch, but I can straddle it.
So, one of the rare occasions where being short paid off. 😉
Are you going to attach some pulsejet engines to the sides to correct the airspeed issues?
” It’s snug in the crotch, but I can straddle it.”
These euphemisms.
Middle nephew, 11, didn’t learn to ride a bike until a year ago, or so. He had kinda select mutism and is certainly off in some way. Doesn’t do this anymore, but for a long time, at family meals out, he’d quietly just cuddle into a ball in the booth and.. that’s where he’d be for all but mandatory consumption. No casual conversation with him. Hmm.
My *and* his dad tried as hard as they could, but it just wasn’t happening, so they pretty much gave up. Mom talked to him one day, after a while of this, and he was riding along within a couple days. IMO, for some reason certain people have been given a Stress Rank and he’ll shut off ’round them. *shrug* Strange, interesting boy, he. I hope he figures people out a bit. I have some confidence, cuz he’s like an extreme version of my older brother as a kid, the version of him I’ve never really known, tbh.
Dad was upset with me during one session when I was like four or five, and he locked the door and said I couldn’t come in until I could ride. I think I got it within 20min. I was also the last of the clan to be toilet trained, right around 4yo. So there.
No UnCiv. I intend to leave this bike in its pristine state.
The bike that I am restoring will be subjected to all sorts of improvements.
Nice! When do we get pictures?
And a full article…
https://www.glibertarians.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/1980-Gitane-Super-Corsa.webp
This was from the ebay listing.
I’m going to do a series on the bike that I am restoring. Since doing research on that bike lead me to this one, I will write something up about it then.
Brave AI says:
The most successful French bicycle brand in the Tour de France during the 1970s and 1980s was Gitane, which secured nine victories between 1976 and 1984. These wins were achieved by legendary riders including Bernard Hinault (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983) and Laurent Fignon (1983, 1984), as well as Jacques Anquetil (1963, 1964) and Lucien Van Impe (1976). Gitane was synonymous with professional racing dominance during this era, utilizing steel frames paired with advanced components like Campagnolo drivetrains.
Peugeot, another prominent French manufacturer, also claimed multiple titles in this period, bringing their total to ten wins overall (with victories in 1975 and 1977). Peugeot’s successes in the late 70s included Bernard Thévenet winning in 1975 and 1977, ending the dominance of rivals like Eddy Merckx. While Gitane dominated the early-to-mid 80s, Peugeot’s record spanned from 1905 to 1977, showcasing their long-standing historical significance in the race. Other notable mentions include Helyett, which won three Tours in the early 60s and was later associated with Gitane, and Renault-Elf-Gitane, the team name for Gitane bikes in the mid-80s.
Quite the heritage.
The lack of pedals might make it more difficult to use.
/deliberately obtuse.
So far, UnCiv is the only person to comment on the photo.
I don’t think I could ride a ten-speed anymore – that’s all that “serious” kids rode in the 80s – I had one – but the posture looks uncomfortable to me now.
I did ride a lot of rent-a-bikes in Ithaca a couple years ago but now in new town it’s too crowded and I kind of stopped for health reasons anyway. I would do a trike without hesitation though, if one was available for rent or if I could fit one in my apartment.
I’m not sure what to make of this, but I’ll keep going.
I’m tapping out. Sorry RJ.
I may have to as well. Thankfully I can blame Michael.
Michael, if you are out there, I keed! This happens every once in a while.
Yeah, that’s just horrible. I’m gonna turn on old timey radio now, hopefully it’s not Gunsmoke.
And it gets really wild.
Wilder than The Apple?
Yes. Also pretty much unwatchable.
I don’t think it’s unwatchable. Visually it’s pretty interested. It’s just that the music is bad and doesn’t work. The drug scenes don’t fit the drugs.
I watched it this time on mute, enjoyed it about halfway through. Sadly the power supply for the mighty GETAC S400 bit the dust. So I came back inside and am on the phone.
So what’s on the Halloween list? We want movies about Halloween, or just any horror?
Any horror.
I’ve been doing 59-69 hour weeks and it’s cutting into happy time looking for films. So suggest away.
LOL Mean Girls comes up under “Halloween” Tubi search.
It does have a Halloween scene though.
Things I am considering:
Crypt if the Living Dead
Monster Island
Frightmare
What Doesn’t Kill Us
Death Toilet 2
Countess Dracula
Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein
The Shiver of the Vampires
Pumpkinhead!
This Tubi original?
https://tubitv.com/movies/100046939/r-l-stine-s-pumpkinhead
That looks interesting. I generally enjoy R.L. Stine’s movie adaptations.
Damien Leone’s All Hallow’s Eve is on Tubi. That would be my first pick.
Machine Girl is in the sidebar.
I shall take that under consideration!
Puppet Master (1989) is on Tubi!
So are Texas Chaidswa Massacre and Night of the Living dead, but those are too classic.
*Chainsaw
For you kids out there listening, don’t mix rum and indica on a school night.
There are so many puppetmaster movies! If I can find a really weird one, like puppetmaster vs. Gingerdead man or something it will be in.
The 1988 original is Tubi.
https://tubitv.com/movies/306943/pumpkinhead
No idea why it didn’t come up with search?
“There are so many puppetmaster movies!”
Nothing beats Barbara Crampton naked in a bathtub.
It’s also the first one. Who says we can’t be educational? Western culture is important.
I had a bunch of premix Old Fashioned. Outside, in 95 degree heat.
I came back in and I am hydrating.
58 here. Hallelujah. I hope I don’t have to turn the AC on until next year.
Is Re-Animator too known? I haven’t seen it but I want to, especially for Weyoun.
Frankenhooker?
What’s Weyoun?
Not too known. It’s on Tubi too. Same director from From Beyond a couple weeks back. Also, same cute actor playing Herbert West, and Barbara Crampton.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I know nothing of that one.
Weyoun is a prominent character esp. in the latter seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space 9 played by the same cute, and excellent, actor.
“Frankenhooker?”
I saw it on VHS. The box had one of those things they used to put in gretting cards that when you pressed it it played a sound.
Never got into Deep Space Nine, but yes, that’s the same guy.
I didn’t during the original run – it was treated very badly by the network & I only saw a few episodes – but it was a delight to catch up finally in the last decade or so. Probably the best Trek has to offer.
So I’m going to vote
All Hallow’s Eve (2013)
Puppet Master (1989)
Re-Animator (1985)
Pumpkinhead (1988)
All on Tubi. Love Machine Girl, but it’s not Halloweenish horror.
long article about Israel vs Hamas in cyberspace
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/in-the-hunt-for-hamas-computers-decide-who-lives-or-dies/ar-AA2cJ9qg
So the Israelis were smart enough to do the pager attack on Hezbollah, but couldn’t prevent the October 7th attacks? Bullshit. Netanyahu knew and let the attacks happen so as to have an excuse to bomb the shit out of Gaza.
At NSA, I attended a meeting of our Israeli counterparts who boasted of all their electronic tomfoolery and sophisticated espionage.
Yet for some reason, there were no Israeli soldiers in the guard towers on the day of the attack. Jewish Groundhog Day is just that important.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simchat_Torah
https://platedlizard.blogspot.com/2025/06/presented-without-comment-israels.html
I put 3 hyperlinks in my comment by mistake. Here it is with just 2.
long article about Israel vs Hamas in cyberspace
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/in-the-hunt-for-hamas-computers-decide-who-lives-or-dies/ar-AA2cJ9qg
So the Israelis were smart enough to do the pager attack on Hezbollah, but couldn’t prevent the October 7th attacks? Bullshit. Netanyahu knew and let the attacks happen so as to have an excuse to bomb the shit out of Gaza.
At NSA, I attended a meeting of our Israeli counterparts who boasted of all their electronic tomfoolery and sophisticated espionage.
Yet for some reason, there were no Israeli soldiers in the guard towers on the day of the attack. Jewish Groundhog Day is just that important.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simchat_Torah
This does no good without soldiers:
https://platedlizard.blogspot.com/2025/06/presented-without-comment-israels.html
THREE LINKS BAD! TWO LINKS GOOD!
MAKE A MISTAKE AND YOU GO TO THE HOUSE OF PAIN!