Psychotronic Video Issue # 41

IN THIS ISSUE!

ROBERT FUEST, from London, was a graphic designer who went to work on TV shows (including THE AVENGERS), directed both of the stylistic hit DR. PHIBES movies starring Vincent Price, and THE LAST DAYS OF MAN ON EARTH which has a growing cult following. Anthony Petkovich. (now an editor At Adam Film World in L.A.) has interviewed Antonio Fargas, Bruce Glover, Andrew Robinson, Vincent Schiavelli and many others for PV.

KEN NORTON , was a major boxer who beat Muhammed Ali and went on to an acting career starring in two controversial seventies movies about American slavery, MANDINGO and DRUM. The big budget Dino Di Laurentiis productions spawned many (mostly Italian) imitations. Norton was interviewed by Paul Talbot in Columbia, South Carolina.

CONNY VAN DYKE, was a teenage beauty contest winner from the Eastern Shore of Virginia, who was signed to Motown and had a long singing career, acted and hung out with bikers (HELL'S ANGELS 69), and was in some very 70s movies with Joe Don Baker (FRAMED) and Burt Reynolds (D.W. AND THE DIXIE DANCE KINGS). She later worked as a game show guest, a Universal Studio tour guide, and a deputy sheriff. She was interviewed by John O'Dowd in Pine Brook, NJ.

GEORGE W. IN HOLLYWOOD, is an exclusive look at our president's secret career as an uncredited producer of at least 74 major release Hollywood movies (most from Disney/Buena Vista/Touchstone), over a period of ten years while his father was vice president, then president. John Kerry was in a local rock and roll band once but he didn't even back one single movie, another reason why Bush WILL be reelected.

Mia and I spent two weeks in South Korea in May and June. The rushed visit (due to the near death of a relative) was my first to Asia and was a real eye opener. We stayed in the Southern port city of Pusan, then in Cheonji, and we were also in Seoul and Inchon (the airport) and many points in between. We were given personal tours by Mia's relatives (all still Buddhists), visited sprawling markets and were taken to many traditional restaurants. I was more or less prepared for the food and many of the customs, but was moved and amazed by the several beautiful and elaborate still active 16th Century Buddhist temples we visited on high mountaintops (and one by the ocean). Large bold Swastikas are on many temples (Nazi's forever subverted and tarnished the ancient religious symbol). Except for airports and in one museum (which featured holograms) we didn't see any westerners. Little kids often said "Hi" to me and/or wanted to practice speaking English with us. While leaving one especially awesome temple we were greeted by busloads of arriving school kids, some flashing peace symbols and saying "Hi!"

Korea retains it's own unique culture despite it's often hostile neighbors, rushed industrialization, and the very successful mass invasion of Christian missionaries and American culture (fast food, TV, credit cards). Korea has Lottemarts, just like WalMarts, but with built in McDonald's and Baskin Robbins and way too many young employees greeting you at the door (while bowing) or loudly trying to entice you to their sales area. Temples are out of the way, but many Christian churches in the cities have giant electric neon crosses on top that dominate the nighttime view. At the summer presidential palace a Christian tour group held up signs. Their message was basically join us or you'll go to hell. Newspaper ads promise easy forgiveness, instant happiness and entry to heaven for those who accept Jesus. What a contrast to Buddhism which encourages people to spend their life (or several lifetimes) polishing their souls. It's no surprise that THE PASSION was a hit in South Korea. So was DAWN OF THE DEAD. On TV we saw Korean cartoon shows with lots of fart jokes, bare knuckle Russian kick boxing, SEX AND THE CITY on the top rated OCN Network, subtitled and uncut (complete with "Fuck!" over and over) and guest star Lucy Lieu, CSI (dubbed), and many violent 80s and 90s American movies, often with the worst possible images of America (and blacks). Every black person I saw on TV there was a gangster, pimp or whore. My fave TV moment was the scene in WISHMASTER where a victim walks by reading an issue of PV! It also was fun to see the lasting popularity of the Depression era Fleischer Brothers characters Betty Boop, Olive Oil and Popeye on T shirts, signs and products.

You can't escape the layers of history and tragedy and the always tense political climate. The ancient country has been technically at war with itself for over 50 years now and the DMZ is the heaviest armed border in the world. South Korea is surrounded by Communist North Korea of the Axis Of Evil (now with nukes), it's giant sponsor Communist China (with nukes and the largest Army in the world), the very unstable "Democratic" Russia, and Korea's long time attacker and brutal colonizer Japan. We learned that a new wave of unemployment in South Korea is due to factories relocating to China for the lower wages! Sound familiar? Meanwhile when starving North Koreans manage (against all odds) to escape from their hell on earth to China, the Chinese send them back to be punished even more (if that's possible).

At one temple with chanting monks, fresh clear water mountain springs with fish and turtles, and a giant wise Buddah, I was distracted from noticing a colorful butterfly as loud American fighter jets flew over. I saw many Korean kids in uniform but never saw any American military on the streets. Our troops (most are on the DMZ) are being redeployed to Iraq while Koreans are also being sent there. Much of the news centered on Iraq and those prison abuse photos were in the papers and on TV. After we returned a kidnapped Evangelical Christian South Korean worker was filmed being decapitated and there were large protests both for and against America. Many younger Koreans don't feel obliged to America for finally ending the Japanese occupation (with A bombs) then driving back the Communists, but they know that America backed South Korean dictators and feel that Bush is now blackmailing their country. One very nice non English speaking lady in law of mine saw the cover of my issue of Newsweek and said "bad Bushee." South Koreans of all ages have more cell phones than any other country. While we were there North Korea officially banned all cell phones. It was all enough to make me drink (too much) Jinro Saki and Hite Beer and sing Karoake.

And speaking of those Iraq prison photos still being prominently displayed all over the world - Should we be so shocked? How many of those badly educated lower income small town National Guard soldiers (who never wanted or expected war zone duty) grew up getting drunk and high while watching FACES OF DEATH tapes, Jerry Springer, Howard Stern, Johnny Knoxville, network reality TV shows, and internet porn?

We returned to the week long Ronald Reagan memorial services. The endless praise, the selective memory of TV commentators, and various Republicans claiming to be his political heirs didn't surprise me. I even agree that Reagan helped speed up the end of the Soviet Union. But more than one commentator claimed that he was one of top 10 stars in Hollywood. He wasn't even one of the top 10 stars at Warner Brothers or Universal! Others declared that he was just a regular guy with no ego. He was a billionaire with top speech writers who preplanned his own state funeral! People also should remember that when he was elected governor of CA. he was known as a TV show host and G.E. spokesman more than as a (minor) movie star. During his two terms California experienced racial and student riots, Manson, Altamont, the RFK assassination, the return of Nixon, the SLA Patty Hearst kidnapping, religious cults. Meanwhile he appeared on THE TONIGHT SHOW and SONNY AND CHER. Has anybody compiled Reagan's pre presidential appearances on all those DEAN MARTIN CELEBRITY ROASTs!?

Any other country would have had a state funeral for Marlon Brando, but he was an outspoken trouble maker who offended many people over the years and after the 50s was usually written off as an eccentric (even crazy) overweight wrong headed failure who was just after money. If I ran a network, our tribute would have included choice clips from THE WILD ONE ("What are you rebelling against?" "Whatya got?"), something from ONE EYED JACKS, as the Guru in CANDY, BURN! (his most underrated and powerful movie), naked in LAST TANGO, THE GODFATHER (as in all tributes), APOCALYPSE NOW ("The Horror!"), and THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU. And did any TV tribute even mention when he went on LARRY KING LIVE in '96 and said "Hollywood is run by Jews; it is owned by Jews--and they should have a greater sensitivity about the issue of people who are suffering" ?

Meanwhile our best wishes go out to Johnny Ramone, who was recently hospitalized for cancer treatments.

It's TV's fault why I am this way. Mom and pop want to put me away. From the early morning movie to the late late show. After it's over nowhere to go. And I'm not sorry for the things I do. My brain is stuck from shooting glue.
- The Ramones.

Top 10 artists who should be 100% banned from the airwaves worldwide. Our scientific research shows that an Elton song is played 25% more often than ones by Elvis, Ray Charles, James Brown, The Beatles, Stones, and Dylan (combined). This is a crime against humanity!

1- SIR ELTON JOHN
2- BILLY JOEL
3- SIR PAUL McCARTNEY
4- CHICAGO
5- THREE DOG NIGHT
6- JAMES TAYLOR
7- EAGLES
8- DOOBIE BROTHERS
9- PHIL COLLINS
10- HALL AND OATES