Five (things of interest to me and maybe to you)

1) Record Store Day May 16, 2016
I used to look forward to Record Store Day but as each one passes I look forward to the next one less and less. The records on my list it is getting near impossible to find. The top item on my list this year was the Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet box set. I went to 8 stores, only 2 of them had ordered it (and I wasn’t going to stand in line at Amoeba - the line up started 8 hrs before the store opened). I did pick it up at Touch Vinyl (after a search on the internet). The other records on my list I did eventual see (many several weeks later). The RSD people need to change their policy on no-returns of RSD product, the smaller indie stores can afford to get stuck with stock and order less and less each one (and some have stopped participating altogether).

RSD several years ago at the late, great Origami Records. I'm in the photo somewhere.

2) Prince
damn

3) Karel Zeman Films at Cinefamily
Cinefamily screened four (The Fabulous Baron Munchausen, A Journey To The Beginning Of Time, The Stolen Airship, Invention For Destruction) of Karel Zeman’s incredible inventive feature films (+ the documentary, Karel Zeman: Adventurer In Film). These we are new restorations by the Karel Zeman Museum. I only made it to Invention For Destruction (though I have all the new restorations on DVD). It’s amazing how well these films hold up against today’s CG VFXs films.

4) Directors Guild List - The 80 Best-Directed Films
No Lubitsch, No Sturges, No Renoir, No Lang, No Eisenstein, No Murnau, No Cukor, No Vidor, No Borzage, No Animation - Not much of a list.

5) Cal Arts Producers Show (for Character Animation)
Each year Cal Arts presents a showcase of animation from its Character Animation program to the Industry. It’s almost always a fun night, this year was no exception. There were some good films, see for yourself (not all these films in the showcase): https://vimeo.com/channels/calartscharanimfilms2016/page:1

Playlist

Still Waiting - Prince
If You See Me (Instrumental) - 94 East
10 - Madhouse
Le Grind - Prince
Purple House - Prince

Still more Bernie bumper stickers than Hilary (only one so far). Have seen one Trump sticker.