Horror fan watch: Fabio Frizzi' 'Zombie' composer's cut coming to Tower Theatre
Also, out now, 'Grizzly City Boy.' And George Thorogood, 311 hit the fair.
The Tower Theatre continues to come into its own under new management, with programing that is as wildly, excitingly cool, even if it’s servicing a somewhat niche crowd.
I’m thinking John Water’s “Devil’s Advocate” tour, which stopped at the theater in March, and now, Fabio Frizzi’s composer’s cut of “Zombie.” A screening of the film, accompanied by a live performance of the score from the composer himself, happens Sept. 26. Tickets are $31.62 and on sale now.
Why you’d want to go: “Zombie” considered a classic among horror movie fans. Released in Italy in 1979 as the “unofficial sequel” to “Dawn of the Dead,” the film is known for being “gore-gushingly graphic.” It was banned in England, and became a cult classic in the U.S.
The bonus here is the performance from Frizzi, who is well known among cinephiles for his scoring, in particular his longtime work with Italian filmmaker Lucio Fulci (who directed “Zombie” and others). To wit, Quentin Tarantino pulled samples of Frizzi’ “Seven Notes in Black” for “Kill Bill: Volume 1.”
In recent years, the composer has been re-examining and re-releasing his films scores as special “composer cuts.” “Zombie” got a vinyl release on Cadabra Records last year, with linear notes from Frizzi himself.
Out now: ‘Grizzly City Boy’
I am a bit late here, seeing as the premier for Otis Reed’s “Grizzly City Boy” happened last month and the cast and crew were teasing it long before that. But the movie is officially out now on streaming platforms (free on Tubi, or for rent or purchase on Amazon), so …
Reed is a filmmaker/director/cinematographer who done a lot of video work (the latest from Kevin Hill’s The Freznenz, for example). For “Grizzly City Boy,” Reed takes on writing and directing roles to tell the story of Santana Jones, a young man navigating the streets of Fresno (aka Grizzly City) while facing “the challenges of addiction, tragedy, and circumstance.”
The film was shot in Fresno, so there are familiar locales for those looking.
And also some familiar faces, including Yaboythefee (and also Omar Aura and others). Aura was part of the Grizzly City Boys (with an s), a collaborative rap project with Reed, Halo and Fashawn (who served as executive producer on the film).
George Thorogood, 311 book dates at the Big Fresno Fair
The Big Fresno Fair announced another pair of artists for its 2024 concert series.
It’s a pretty good pull as these things go.
First, there’s alt rap/funk/rock group 311, which had a string of hits in the late ‘90s/early 2000s (though they continued to consistently release albums through until 2019).
You’ll remember: “Come Original,” “Down,” or (if you’re me) “Amber.”
The band plays Wednesday, Oct. 9. Tickets are $40-$75 and on sale now.
George Thorogood, the classic rocker known for drinking alone (and being bad to the bone) performs on Friday, Oct. 11 as part of his Bad All Over the World, tour. Tickets are $30-$50 starting tomorrow via the fair’s BBF Club pre-sale.
I saw Thorogood (and his Destroyers) when he played Chukchansi’s summer concert series last year and it was a solid show, especially for fans of the whole rock-and-roll trouble-maker shtick. The dude knows his material (and his audience) and puts on a show that should feel way more quaint than it does.
The pair join already announced performances from: Walker Hayes (Oct. 2); Sugar Ray (Oct. 3); Sheila E and Midnight Star (Oct. 4); El Flaco y El Mismo (Oct. 6); The Righteous Brothers (Oct. 7); Big Daddy Weave (Oct. 8); G-Eazy (Oct. 12); Calibre 50 y Banda Carnaval (Oct. 13) and Dwight Yoakam (Oct. 14).
This leave two open dates to be filled. What kind of artists would you like the fair to land at the Paul Paul?
That’s it for this week. Remember you can now hear me on the Homegrown Show Sundays at 8 p.m. on New Rock 104.1 FM. Follow my other writing at The Fresno Bee. If you have anything you think I need to be looking at or listening to, feel free to let me know: jtehee@gmail.com