My Summer Lair Chapter #235: How Many Of The Techo Six Can You Name?

Future Shock is a 1970 book by American futurist Alvin Toffler and Adelaide Farrell. The shortest definition for the term Future Shock  is a personal perception of “too much change in too short a period of time.” And that truly describes Detroit. It’s no surprise director Kristian Hill featured the book in his documentary God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines.

In 2008 Marvel Studios released Iron Man. This is how it all started. By 2012 all of Marvel’s cinematic superheroes had assembled in Avengers. The MCU was up and running; having established a formidable pop culture experience.

Similarly Detroit was home to a group of techno DJs…a sonic Avengers: The Techno Six.

Smokey Robinson, J Dilla, Jackie Wilson, White Stripes, Eminem, Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, The Supremes I’ll even toss in Stevie Wonder…Detroit has given us so much music. And you know all these musicians; you know all their hits.

But one of Detroit’s greatest musical contributions has been overlooked and undervalued: Techno. The electronic-music phenomenon was created by Detroit DJs in the 1980s…big banged by The Techno Six. That spark transformed dance music internationally and blossomed into the multibillion-dollar industry of EDM today. 

And just who were The Techno Six who gifted us all with this incredible techno music? That’s the exploration of Kristian R. Hill’s God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines…screening at Tribeca Film Festival.

Though often techno sounds like the future and sci-fi and space ships God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines lets us look back in the past…like a time machine. So let’s visit Detroit in the late 80s by talking to director Kristian Hill.

God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines trailer:

God Said… @ W • T • F

Host Sammy Younan

Recorded: Friday June 17, 2022 at 11am

Stress free pop culture tastefully harvested for your divine delight. Once a week a carefully curated edition of My Pal Sammy goes directly to your inbox. Sign up for my newsletter so we can have some fun…dancing to loud techno!

My Summer Lair Chapter #233: Are you impressed with how hard a time traveler from Scarborough hustles?

You know how New York City has Brooklyn? And Brooklyn has blessed New York City and really the world with Jay-Z, Michael Jordan, Spike Lee. Lots of really cool creatives from a really cool borough.

Well in Toronto we too have a super cool borough; our Brooklyn is Scarborough. Which has fashioned a lot of dope creatives. The Weeknd is from Scarborough as is Mike Myers, Jim Carrey and myself. That’s right. I’m putting myself on that list. As well as my guest Alex Mallari Jr.

He and I do talk about Scarborough throughout this conversation. We talk about the hustle and the heart; you can hear the vibrant passion and an electric gratitude: honestly from both of us. Scarborough is a beautiful borough populated with remarkable energy.

This isn’t just a conversation about Scarborough. Rather Alex and I discuss The Adam Project now streaming on Netflix. And Hello (Again) streaming on CBC Gem.

They’re both stories that involve time travel which is code for regrets or mistakes as well as a snarky kid. The Adam Project is a movie starring Ryan Reynolds who crash lands near his younger self and together to save the future they must overcome obstacles. Such as the main goon Christos played by Alex Mallari Jr. As Christos Alex was so Scarborough…a little bit rough; a little unrefined but constantly hustling. While Ryan Reynolds is so B.C. just a gorgeous view from every angle.

As for CBC’s Gem’s Hello (Again) it’s a time loop romance! Well technically a Canadian time loop romance; as it’s on the CBC. Behold the relationship with chef Jayden and ER resident Avery. Only for a chef the relationship is not cooking. So naturally a supernatural time loop situation grants him the chance to get things right…or keep trying. That’s the magically power kid in this project who trapped him in a loop. The first season of this time loop romance is 9 episodes. As for CBC’s Gem’s Hello (Again) it’s a time loop romance! Well technically a Canadian time loop romance; as it’s on the CBC. See what I did there?

Let’s exit this loop and start this My Summer Lair conversation by asking Alex about Canadian trash talking with Ryan Reynolds.

Alex Mallari Jr. @ W • T • F

Host Sammy Younan

Recorded: Wednesday January 26, 2022 at 11:30am

Stress free pop culture tastefully harvested for your divine delight. Once a week a carefully curated edition of My Pal Sammy goes directly to your inbox. Sign up for my newsletter because the F in FOMO doesn’t stand for Fun.

Happy Purge Day!

In John Carpenter’s 82 classic The Thing the Antarctica snow concealed a hideous alien which when freed from its icy tomb spelled doom for humanity.

My Summer Lair Chapter #232: Why Do You Believe What You Believe?

Welcome writer and director Jefferson Moneo to My Summer Lair; his latest feature is Cosmic Dawn. A trippy UFO cult saga starring Camille Rowe and Emmanuelle Chriqui.

I’ll give you the basic description but know there is lots more going on than this:
“After witnessing the alien abduction of her mother as a child, Aurora joins the UFO cult The Cosmic Dawn.”

As you’re about to hear in this far-out My Summer Lair conversation, this movie…visually yes it’s an arresting kaleidoscope.

Yet it’s also inspired by Jefferson’s unexplained experience he had in his youth…what he says are “crazy lights.” He openly shared his unique experience and I dunno what to make of it. Part of me is Mulder, part of me is Scully.

Like being prompted by the movie…you have to question your assumptions. Between the UFO cult and the experience of Aurora who witnessed the alien abduction of her mother as a child…it’s all off-kilter. What’s going on here?

The only certainty is uncertainty. Which is what you’d expect from a nonlinear movie.

This close encounter suggests an equally difficult question: Why do you believe what you believe?

Some contemplation music is provided by MGMT who contributed a number of songs to the Cosmic Dawn soundtrack; that wonderful synth and the style of the movie smoothly combine to offer up a warm 80s sci-fi movie feeling.

Currently Cosmic Dawn is available on On Demand Platforms.

But oh yes let’s start with Jefferson’s personal experience with the crazy lights.

The Cosmic Dawn trailer:

Cosmic Dawn @ W • T • F

Host Sammy Younan

Recorded: Wednesday January 26, 2022 at 11:30am EST

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Chicken Wings!

Jetpacks!

Moonfall! Brew a strong tea: yo!

The First Yo of The Day.

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”

~ Plato

Ain’t No Thing But A Chicken Wing…

As for today’s cover image: Yo quiero Taco Bell?

Taco Bell has added Chicken Wings to give you yet another reason to spend dedicated time in the bathroom (“Ma bell, I got the ill communications!”).

Least you can catch up on your reading; right?

McDonald’s couldn’t make chicken wings work; what the hubris…welcome to 2022.

NHL Lockdown Business

That’s not good business:

“The NHL and its teams said they lost more than $1 billion from canceling 189 regular-season games in 2019-20 and barring fans from that season’s playoffs.”

And the ugly audacity of going back to that for the Leafs…and the Raptors. That’s horrible. (It gets worse if you factor in that it’s not “working.” How many people have gotten sick from going to NHL or NBA games? In Toronto or outside of Canada?)

NBA: All Star Returns…So Far…

Kyrie Irving has played in only 1 NBA game and still has more votes than 4 other guards including DRose.

That’s why he’s signed to Nike. Never doubt the marketing machine.

Otherwise no real surprises in the East Returns for NBA All Star.

While here are the West Returns for NBA All Star. Klay Thompson earning all these votes is a single tear sign of love. That’s nice; every so often humanity gets it right.

But like who is voting for Melo?! Are you drunk and/or high? West NBA All Star voting returns. #NBA #BallorFall

The first EAST returns for #NBAAllStar 2022!

Do you agree??

Vote today for #NBAAllStar Voting presented by @TISSOT on the NBA App, https://t.co/nXTUUCAgzN or on Twitter using #FirstNameLastName and #NBAAllStar.https://t.co/5gEHCtSONf pic.twitter.com/O4qmWGAYyy

— NBA (@NBA) January 6, 2022

#NBA: Is Playing for Team Ruckus?

This has been an utterly enjoyable chippy NBA season.

I dunno if it’s men with cojones who refuse to back down or fraying mental health during an endless pandemic or players with a chip on their shoulders, lack of respect: the why doesn’t matter if we get more. #TeamRuckus #BallorFall

Nurkic swung on Herro ?

Blazers-Heat getting chippy pic.twitter.com/joVa5cwopk

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 6, 2022

Rescuing Norman Mailer

Back on March 6, 2020 Hachette employees had a childish temper tantrum and embarrassingly refused to publish Woody Allen’s Apropos of Nothing.

(It’s his best book; highly recommended for comedy nerds!)

Skyhorse Publishing wisely published it; now they’re doing good again. Thank you for your service.

“The independent press Skyhorse acquired a new book by Norman Mailer after Mailer’s longtime publisher, Random House, declined to make an offer on the submission.”

Sweet Sci-Fi Jetpacks!

(Please Note: I’ve no way to verify this video is accurate or under what agenda it was upload to Twitter.)

If this is real this is fresh. How soon until everyone gets a jetpack?

Can we use this for action movies? Create ruckus??

Marines perform boarding exercises with jetpacks and land on a high-speed ship pic.twitter.com/yGh3FDon6H

— RuralLiberal (@HiraethResists) January 6, 2022

#TrailerAlert: Moonfall

We got a last-ditch space mission to save Earth, a dismissed conspiracy theorist who was right! And a mysterious alien force hell bent on destroying earth.

I’m 100% In for Moonfall. #TeamRuckus reporting for duty. Mash Those Puny Humans! Mash em good!

#SetTheVCR…PSA: Indivisible – Healing Hate

Paramount+ cashes in on January 6th with Indivisible – Healing Hate.

The six-part docuseries is narrated by Mandy Patinkin and is streaming now. Yup.

It asks: “how did we become so divided, and what can be done to heal the hate?” Okay.

-28-

Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.

My Summer Lair Chapter #208: What Makes An 80 Year Old Woman Wonderful?

It’s Wonder Woman Day here at My Summer Lair. Though that’s everyday at the Cartoon Art Museum who are currently hosting The Legend of Wonder Woman. This exhibition celebrates 80 years of the superb superhero with a range of artwork and insights and even focuses on her villains. (If you’re lucky you might be able to see her Invisible Plane.

While in October 2021 Wonder Woman will celebrate her 80 year old debut in All-Star Comics in 1941 this isn’t the only anniversary we’re celebrating. Andrew Farago is an avid writer of pop culture slash books about comic characters while his day job is the curator of the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco.

He’ll be celebrating his 20th anniversary at the Museum having curated and arranged a variety of exhibitions in the past: a Spider-Man 40th anniversary exhibition, an American Splendor showcase. Raw Fury: The Art of Mike Zeck and the 80th Anniversary of The Dark Knight.

Like Batman Andrew operates in the shadows and like Wonder Woman Andrew relies on his wits and talents to make this world a better place.

As you’re about to hear, The Legend of Wonder Woman is “drawing” generations of fans; a preview of what to expect at the exhibition and so much more including why Andrew believes Disco Stu should be in an old folks home but oh man we’re gonna start this whole conversation by talking about the jaw dropping G. I. Joe two-parter Worlds Without End from November 4 and 5 in 1985.

A handful of Joes wake up in an alternative reality where Cobra has won. As a kid it was mind blowing and wildly unsettling. It later formed a massive cornerstone of my imagination. So yeah we’re so gonna start with that and then talk about the superhero from the mysterious island.

The Legend of Wonder Woman @ W • T • F

Host Sammy Younan

Recorded: Friday August 27, 2021 at 2pm EST

My Summer Lair Chapter #190: What Would You Do If Faced With An Extinction Level Event?

Here’s a striking image that lends itself to easy metaphor: The Effort, a sci-fi novel by Claire Holroyde begins with an 8 kilometer dark comet UD3 emerging from a blind spot hurtling towards Earth.

We never saw it coming…so as the novel unfolds humans have one year left before it hits. As the citizens of Earth grapple with the devastating news a group of scientists and nerds gather together in a Defense Effort (get it?) to avoid doom, disaster and death.

Super compelling; The NY Times listed The Effort in New & Noteworthy and I agree. It offers a number of perspectives as each member in the cast has their own hopes, setbacks and classic existential despair from a polar icebreaker to South America and lots more remarkable locations.

And sure this is a science-fiction novel and yeah it is a near-future novel but doesn’t that image also reflect our tepid responses to the environment? It’s our blind spot…often we fail to operate with a sense of urgency; with maximum effort recognizing it’s a crisis.

At least in this novel they have a clear timeframe: 1 year or else…extinction. Just like the dinosaurs.

Perhaps it’s human nature…we know we shouldn’t smoke or eat at McDonalds; we should sleep more and let friends know we appreciate them and love them and yet for all the common knowledge of all the things we should be doing and the things we’re not doing…we keep rolling on; not aware of our blind spots.

What are we overlooking?

What obvious signs have we ignored?

Like we’ve all watched Deep Impact, Armageddon and similar blockbusters offering up the same flimsy hopeful message: when the pressing issue is at hand we are galvanized.

There’s a lot going on; which is impressive considering The Effort is Clair’s debut novel. So here she is talking and exploring all these themes with me; making her debut on My Summer Lair as I give this sci-fi novel The Effort…the old college try.

Claire Holroyde @ W • T • F

Host & Photography Sammy Younan

Recorded: Wednesday January 26, 2022 at 7pm

Stress free pop culture tastefully harvested for your divine delight. Once a week a carefully curated edition of My Pal Sammy goes directly to your inbox. Sign up for my newsletter so we can have some fun…before a dark comet takes us all out!