When It Came

"When It Came" is a 12 minute drone piece by Dino Pacifici which I heard on (surprise) SomaFM and found on the (Excellent) Drone Download Project Year 1 compilation. At the very end of the piece is a processed vocal sample:

"When the effect came, it was almost unnoticed because it happened to such a small insignificant form of life."

Mildly creepy, absent any other context. A little digging found the source, a film called Phase IV about a takeover by ants -- but not the giant mutant radioactive kind (oh *Them*), regular-sized ants that -- for reasons never really made clear -- start acting in a distinctly un-ant-like way.

"Phase IV" is the only feature film by Saul Bass, otherwise known (or unknown) as a title designer. It was given the MST3K treatment, which I haven't seen, and -- no disrespect to Mike, Joel and the Bots I think I might just prefer to leave it that way. There's something about this film. . .

I literally* flew out the door when I heard it was playing at The Castro Theatre (cue Wurlitzer), and to my delight it's been released on DVD. I don't think I could really do the film justice, so I'll just throw links at the problem and hope that one or more of them will stick and interest you in seeking out this film for yourself:

• Not Coming To A Theater Near You (review)


• Dot Dot #11 (via Google Books)
  With excerpts from screenplay


• SF360 Profile on Saul Bass (director)


• GoofButton ( many stills)

First, the Bees and Wasps. And now the ants. For my next trick, I will turn into a giant centipede.

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*not literally

The Bees and Wasps of Eternity

I was afraid I'd lost this bit of text forever. It wasn't in any of my digital archives, and the Internet Archive/Wayback Machine failed me -- I remembered it had been on one incarnation of my web pages ages ago.

Then this evening, by an amazing coincidence, I found the hard copy that used to adorn the door of my monk's cell -- er, dorm room -- in graduate school.
Originally emailed to me by my friend Joe, forwarded from another party, presumably the author. (Adddresses and other PI removed below save for Brent for the sake of due attribution). I'll attempt to reproduce it as it appeared on my web page out of an overdeveloped, obsessive sense of nostalgia.

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Barbarella is a Talking Lava Lamp

This came to me by way of my good friend Joe while I was a gradual student in Physics at XXX. I've left it in its original format. Brent Palmer, if you're out there man, you rule. This poem has stayed with me for years. woobee woobee. ikka ikka.

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Date: Tue, 8 Jun 93 10:03:09 EDT
From: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
To: (me)
Subject: thot ya'd like this...

Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1993 13:32:36 -0500
From: 00bcpalmer%BSUVAX1.BITNET@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu
Subject: Barbarella is a Talking Lava Lamp

Wooobeeee Wooobeeee ikka ikka.
I am god of the bees.
Sting me goaheadantryit.
I am f---ing wondergod of the bees
ikka ikka

The *hive* is *big*       *spaciousness*
*spa-*         *cious-*           *ness*

I like the way your lips move when you say that.

*spa-*         *cious-*           *ness*

I am goddess of the wasps
I am landing on the moon on your shoulder

The Seventies are back
*omigod* The Seventies are Back

Look carefully for the sun.

Where am I?
The land of Shadows.
Who are you?

*the* bees *and* wasps of eternity

00bcpalmer@bsuvc.bsu.edu "Brent"
[watch the Gergen and Barney Show!]