Wild Women of Wongo

I'm just now recovered from my viewing of THE WILD WOMEN OF WONGO. But I still cannot say what my favorite moment is from the film. Perhaps the wild dance ordered by the High Priestess. Perhaps the endless scene where our heroine, the cute-as-a-button redhead Jean Hawkshaw, to the right here, wrestles underwater with a rubber alligator.

You'll have to decide for yourself. First, take a look at the unfortunately bleached-out trailer. Then view the whole film--in glorious "Pathecolor"--on YouTube, in several parts, with the first one featured after the trailer.

Also on YouTube is the MST3K version.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 26, 2008 - Comments (6)
Category: Animals, Domestic, Marriage, Family, Hollywood, Movies, Gender, Men, Women, Foreign Customs, 1950s, Dance

Buddhist relic

After this, a little sliver of the True Cross looks kinda paltry....

Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 26, 2008 - Comments (5)
Category: Body Modifications, Death, Fads, History, Historical Figure, Human Marvels, Religion, War, Foreign Customs, 1960s

Bowanga Bowanga

BOWANGA BOWANGA, or "The White Sirens of Africa," is a lot less fun over sixty minutes of viewing than this select snippet pretends. So be content with what you see here, and save yourself a rental.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Aug 24, 2008 - Comments (6)
Category: Fashion, Hollywood, Movies, Nature, Sex Symbols, Foreign Customs, Marriage, 1950s, Dance

Pyramid Power

In this confusing postmodern age, when fresh cults come and go with head-spinning rapidity, it's a comfort to see one with staying power--such as Pyramidology. Perhaps you too feel you could benefit from a stay inside the mystic interior of a large pyramid, but don't have one readily accessible. Well, visiting this popular Russian site might involve a little extra travel for most of us, but surely the benefits would outweigh the expense.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 18, 2008 - Comments (5)
Category: Eccentrics, Fads, Frauds, Cons and Scams, New Age, Paranormal, Unsolved Mysteries, Foreign Customs, Russia

Micronations

The concept of micronations is a fascinating idea. I utilized the notion in one of my recent stories, the title piece from The Emperor of Gondwanaland and Other Stories. But I hardly began to exhaust the narrative possibilities of the idea.










Here's a recent article on one such place, the Republic of Molossia.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Jul 28, 2008 - Comments (1)
Category: Art, Performance Art, Customs, Foreign Customs, Eccentrics, Government, Officials, Regulations, History, Law, Military, Obsessions, Patriotism, Politics, Travel

France Gall’s anti-LSD song

The French have popstars no sane American has ever heard of. One such is certainly France Gall.

Perhaps the most bizarre moment of her career was her anti-LSD anthem from 1967, "Teenie Weenie Boppie," penned by none other than
Serge Gainsbourg.

Watch it now, why not?



Curious about the lyrics? Listen to the English-language cover version by indie super group Free Kitten.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Jul 10, 2008 - Comments (5)
Category: Art, Customs, Foreign Customs, Drugs, Eccentrics, Music

Belinda Bedekovic

Witness the glory that is Belinda Bedekovic.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 09, 2008 - Comments (5)
Category: Art, Customs, Foreign Customs, Music, Sexuality, Sex Symbols, ShowBiz

Le Bushmiller par excellence!

The next time someone sees you reading comics and criticizes your lowbrow tastes, whip out a hardcopy of this page and reply, "But no, mon frere, I read only zee intellectual bande dessinée, such as zee Arthur et Zoé."

Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 09, 2008 - Comments (2)
Category: Art, Comics, Customs, Foreign Customs, Literature