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Post by Char-Vell on Feb 20, 2019 16:37:32 GMT -5
I know what she'll whisper too....
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Post by ChrisLAdams on Feb 20, 2019 16:38:31 GMT -5
And if you're really lucky, Honor Blackman will whisper in your ear too...  |
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Post by charleshelm on Feb 20, 2019 20:37:58 GMT -5
We also have Sinbad contending with some large creatures courtesy of the legendary Ray Harryhausen...
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Post by ChrisLAdams on Apr 29, 2019 9:41:12 GMT -5
Clark Ashton Smith: The Emperor of Dreams I had the opportunity to sit and watch The Emperor of Dreams this weekend and am darn glad I did so. I really enjoyed it. With plans of a reunion with an old band firmly junked on the shores of Screwed Up Plans, my fellow Smith nut buddy and I made ourselves comfy in front of the boob tube and ordered up an evening of immersion in CASiana. I think Emperor holds material that might be new to many Smith fans (I learned several neat things) while the critical expressions of those interviewed are fascinating. Donald Sydney-Fryer--who met Smith twice--becomes our tour guide who takes us on a virtual tour of Smith's Auburn, eventually culminating with a visit to the house where Smith passed away, and an interview with Smith's step-son (which is very interesting). Equally of interest as are the interviews of the bevy of Smith scholars were the old photos and the treks about Auburn where Smith collected rocks and simply enjoyed the out-of-doors of his beautiful (albeit remote) home. Expect lots of shots of Smith's carvings and sketches. I learned with surprise of a version of The Lurking Fear by Lovecraft which Smith had illustrated. Lots of nuggets are buried within, including an interesting item of note about Smith's father that I never knew. One reads often of Sterling's influence on a young Smith and this is well-covered; I never realized, though, how strenuously Sterling attempted to dissuade CAS from writing his outre, weird prose fiction. He was firmly against it; bravo to CAS who stood fast against the tide of this resistance, although it came from a man who undoubtedly held great influence over him, and for whom he held immense respect. Their last letters concerning this issue were, according to the documentary, bitter prior to Sterling's suicide. The publication of Smith's works by Arkham House is covered, and you will see plenty of shots of various editions of his work spanning hardback to later paperbacks (Timescape, Panther, Ballantine). The only negative I found with the documentary, and I hesitate to mention it because many will find no issue with it at all--and that's fine--but I really didn't care for Harlan Ellison's profanity-laced, caustic out burst at the end. It was a distinct turn-off for me. Considering Smith's love for language and beautifully turned phrases, I hardly think he would condone such course talk as regards to his works, or legacy. Harlan's were the words of a soldier, or a sailor, not those of an enlightened bard or poet, and it was kind of disappointing that it wasn't toned down, or simply cut from the final take. The artist Skinner also has a potty mouth, but is much more toned down (Skinner, didn't your mommy teach you not to put in your mouth, what you wouldn't hold in your hand?) But, I really enjoyed his energetic take on Smith. His comments about CAS being 'untethered' to anything or anyone are spot-on. Smith was Smith--he had no need to mimic or copy anyone. He just did his own thing, which is fresh and unique. So, although most of the topic is approached with all the respect it is due as one might expect, there are those few instances where I feel the film dropped its guard and dove headlong into the ditch and came off looking a trifle sullied for it. That is strictly my opinion, and please don't let it stop you from watching what is otherwise a most-excellent treatise, and a really enjoyable ride for a Smith fan. Chris |
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Post by Von K on May 2, 2019 19:45:54 GMT -5
Clark Ashton Smith: The Emperor of Dreams I had the opportunity to sit and watch The Emperor of Dreams this weekend and am darn glad I did so. I really enjoyed it. With plans of a reunion with an old band firmly junked on the shores of Screwed Up Plans, my fellow Smith nut buddy and I made ourselves comfy in front of the boob tube and ordered up an evening of immersion in CASiana. I think Emperor holds material that might be new to many Smith fans (I learned several neat things) while the critical expressions of those interviewed are fascinating. Donald Sydney-Fryer--who met Smith twice--becomes our tour guide who takes us on a virtual tour of Smith's Auburn, eventually culminating with a visit to the house where Smith passed away, and an interview with Smith's step-son (which is very interesting). Equally of interest as are the interviews of the bevy of Smith scholars were the old photos and the treks about Auburn where Smith collected rocks and simply enjoyed the out-of-doors of his beautiful (albeit remote) home. Expect lots of shots of Smith's carvings and sketches. I learned with surprise of a version of The Lurking Fear by Lovecraft which Smith had illustrated. Lots of nuggets are buried within, including an interesting item of note about Smith's father that I never knew. One reads often of Sterling's influence on a young Smith and this is well-covered; I never realized, though, how strenuously Sterling attempted to dissuade CAS from writing his outre, weird prose fiction. He was firmly against it; bravo to CAS who stood fast against the tide of this resistance, although it came from a man who undoubtedly held great influence over him, and for whom he held immense respect. Their last letters concerning this issue were, according to the documentary, bitter prior to Sterling's suicide. The publication of Smith's works by Arkham House is covered, and you will see plenty of shots of various editions of his work spanning hardback to later paperbacks (Timescape, Panther, Ballantine). The only negative I found with the documentary, and I hesitate to mention it because many will find no issue with it at all--and that's fine--but I really didn't care for Harlan Ellison's profanity-laced, caustic out burst at the end. It was a distinct turn-off for me. Considering Smith's love for language and beautifully turned phrases, I hardly think he would condone such course talk as regards to his works, or legacy. Harlan's were the words of a soldier, or a sailor, not those of an enlightened bard or poet, and it was kind of disappointing that it wasn't toned down, or simply cut from the final take. The artist Skinner also has a potty mouth, but is much more toned down (Skinner, didn't your mommy teach you not to put in your mouth, what you wouldn't hold in your hand?) But, I really enjoyed his energetic take on Smith. His comments about CAS being 'untethered' to anything or anyone are spot-on. Smith was Smith--he had no need to mimic or copy anyone. He just did his own thing, which is fresh and unique. So, although most of the topic is approached with all the respect it is due as one might expect, there are those few instances where I feel the film dropped its guard and dove headlong into the ditch and came off looking a trifle sullied for it. That is strictly my opinion, and please don't let it stop you from watching what is otherwise a most-excellent treatise, and a really enjoyable ride for a Smith fan. Chris Thanks for the review Chris. |
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Post by deuce on Nov 2, 2019 7:08:51 GMT -5
"I think you define very well the main difference between my tales and those of Lovecraft. HPL, in his most characteristic stories always built up an elaborate and minutely detailed groundwork of realism, no matter how fantastic the eventual departure...I am more at ease when I can weave the entire web on the loom of fantasy. It is probably idle to speculate as to whether one method is more creative than the other...
(...)
My own physique, though wiry, is very slight. I might have, at one time, have made a good half or quarter mile runner with practice. My height is five feet eleven, and weight is never more than 140 lbs. I have, however, done a considerable amount of hard physical labor, such as woodcutting and fruit-picking." -- CAS letter to Virgil Finlay, Sept. 27, 1937 
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Post by deuce on Nov 3, 2019 3:35:44 GMT -5
"You certainly pointed up my vagueness and ignorance in regard to Gallic history! [CAS had his Averoigneans of the late Roman period speaking French in the story referred to] Of course, if I had stopped to reflect, I ought to have known that the Romans were still strong in Gaul about the time of Moriamis, and that French, as a language, was not yet born from the Latin womb. I suppose that the fact that I was dealing with a realm no less mythical than [James Branch] Cabell's Poictesme made me doubly careless about correlating its chronology with that of historical Europe." -- CAS letter to HPL, c. Dec.4, 1933 Lovecraft, on the envelope no less, wrote on this letter to Smith some historical details of Averoigne in the Roman period. Plus, HPL composed a poem/incantation of sorts to Tsathoggua: "Black and unshap'd as pestilent a Clod/As Black Sadoqua [how Tsathoggua was known in Averoigne], Averonia's God." "Averonia" was the name created by HPL for the Roman province that became Averoigne.  |
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Post by garbanzo on Mar 26, 2020 18:22:42 GMT -5
Does anyone have a copy of Dawnward Spire, Lonely Hill: The Letters of H. P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith?
I'm not a huge Lovecraft fan, but I'm tempted to pick up this (pricey) book, just to be able to peer into Smith's mind a bit.
If anyone wants to show off their Smith collection, I'd be glad to ogle!
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Post by zarono on Oct 29, 2021 17:53:56 GMT -5
Some good CAS videos: In the Ooze of Ubbo-Sathla adaptation by Lone Animator of CAS's story Ubbo-Sathla (great for fans of stop-motion) Horrorbabble's CAS audiobooks on youtube, (includes "The Seed from the Sepulchre" and "The Uncharted Isle" two excellent CAS weird tales that don't get much exposure) www.youtube.com/results?search_query=clark+ashton+smith+horrorbabble+ |
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Post by karasuthecrow on Oct 29, 2021 21:56:58 GMT -5
Really good, I really like stop motion proyects, and this amateur ones are so great to found.
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Post by Char-Vell on Oct 30, 2021 7:18:27 GMT -5
Nice! Really cool creature animations.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2021 13:38:58 GMT -5
Thanks Zarono
Some cool stop-motion in Lone Animator's videos.
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Post by darklordbob on Oct 30, 2021 15:46:02 GMT -5
I've got something cooking for Halloween... oh what the hell, here it is a day early: |
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Post by Char-Vell on Oct 31, 2021 7:54:23 GMT -5
I've got something cooking for Halloween... oh what the hell, here it is a day early: Nice! |
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Post by Von K on Sept 12, 2023 14:27:32 GMT -5
I recently discovered that CAS had to remove 1700 words from the original draft of Vaults of Yoh Vombis at the request of Farnsworth Wright.
The full version with the text restored from the original manuscript is available to read over on The Eldritch Dark CAS website with some commentary on it's history and appended by CAS own working synopsis from which he wrote the tale:
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