#the grace thrillers

[mywifeleftme]

160: The Grace Thrillers // By the Grace of God

By the Grace of God The Grace Thrillers 1978, Showers of Blessings

Formed in 1971, Jamaica’s Grace Thrillers have been at it for over 50 years at this point, with a constantly shifting membership based around manager/director Noel Willis. I don’t have much context for what it means to be one of Jamaica’s biggest gospel acts, but the list of achievements their press releases boast is certainly colourful:

“…representing the Caribbean in the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) sponsored World Gospel Festival in Chicago, the USA in 1984; the Rainbow Production Award for Most Consistent Gospel Group and Best Gospel Album, in 1986; Tibby’s Auto Supplies Award for Spiritual Ministry through Music and Song; Rockers Award for Best Gospel Album in 1988 and 1992; the Jamaica Music Industry Award for Best Performing Gospel Group and, in 1991, the mayor of Opa-Locka, Florida proclaimed July 1 as ‘Grace Thrillers Day’.”

Opa-Locka! Tibby’s Auto Supplies! I feel like I’m reading a Carl Hiaasen novel. Anyway, while my background check on the Thrillers suggests they made a turn towards more reggae-inflected sounds in the ‘80s and scored some crossover hits, as of 1978’s By the Grace of God their stock in trade was surprisingly countrified American-style gospel music. Covers here include the Louvin Brothers’ “Satan is Real” and Dottie Rambo’s “Tear Drops (Tears Will Never Stain the Streets of Glory),” to give you a sense of how straight up and down Americanized we’re talking here, and the arrangements abound with slide guitar and bluesy rhythms. There’s some variety: “I’ve Got Something” takes a nice side-step into AM radio pop R&B, with some giddy ya-ya girl group harmonies. The six (uncredited) female singers have an appealing rawness throughout, and their accents make for a nice contrast with this music—it’s perfectly pleasant listening, with a naturalistic production style that makes it feel homey. Recommended background music for mending clothes, finally doing dishes, or nursing a hangover.

P.S. Love the cover of the CD-era reissue, which makes it look like a Godflesh album or something.

160/365

[awakeningnostalgia]

Peaky Blinders

THOMAS SHELBY

[tobydammit68]

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992) Dir. David Lynch

[cinemagal]

Trivia for Rear Window (1954) dir Alfred Hitchcock

[in-love-with-movies]

Fall (2022)

[haveyouseenthishorrormovie]

SUMMARY: The daughter of religious fanatic Harold attempts to escape when three strangers seek help after their car breaks down. Interrupting his plans for a family suicide pact, Harold won't let her go and seeks to punish the men for their sinful behaviour.

[esqueletosgays]

REAR WINDOW (1954)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock Cinematography: Robert Burks

[alwayzraven]

"Life is fleeting. Life is short, too short. So you gotta use every moment. You have to do something that makes you feel alive, and that shit, that would spread that message far and wide.”

Fall (2022) | Dir. Scott Mann

[high-risk-homosexual-behavior]

Omg! The Mindfuck Series was such a wild ride! It think this is my new favorite series. Anyway here’s my Lana Myers collage.

[brokehorrorfan]

Spoke Art has released To Catch a Thief 24x36 screen prints by Dakota Randall. The standard edition is limited to 100 for $75, while the foil variant is limited to 50 for $100. Shipping in 4-6 weeks, both versions are hand-signed and numbered.

[clemsfilmdiary]

A View to a Kill (1984, John Glen)

7/20/24

[schlock-luster-video]

On July 15, 1954, Dial M for Murder debuted in London, England.

[lighthousepigeons]

Logan: I saw a garbage disposal that's rated for bones.

Lana: Like, what kind? Finger, femur.... There's a big difference.

Logan: Or chicken.

Lana: Ohh..... That's probably what they mean.

Logan:

Lana: This is probably a "there's two types of people" moment.

[prismaticxchromatics]

Rear Window (1954) Director: Alfred Hitchcock

“I wish I could be creative.” “Oh sweetie, you are. You have a great talent for creating difficult situations.”

[solreads]

These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart - Review

Title: These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart

Author: Izzy Wasserstein

Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller

Audience: Adult

Format: Novella

Representation: Trans woman POV character

  Trans side characters

Summary: Dora, a trans woman and security consultant, returns to the anarchist commune she cut ties with years ago to investigate her ex-girlfriend’s murder. In doing so, she stirs up the argument that led to her departure before — what security measures are acceptable to keep the community safe? What freedoms can be curtailed for the sake of the community?

At the same time, she deals with attacks from clones of her pre-transition self whose mysterious origins and purpose may hold the key to discovering why her former community is under attack. When she captures one of these clones, they join her in the investigation and begin to explore their own identity beyond what they were created for. 

Reflections: More than the mystery itself, what stood out and made this book enjoyable was the exploration of how self-identity is impacted by experience and the friction between freedom and security. These themes are hashed out through the protagonist’s relationships with her former community and the clone sent to kill her.

The clone — designated Blue — and Dora’s messy relationship and complicated feelings towards each other, as well as Blue’s growth as a character, were some of the best parts of the novel. The combination of seeing themselves in each other (positively and negatively) and as different people on different journeys to understanding themselves was insightful and showing this with a trans character added to it. 

Warnings: Depictions of transphobia, misgendering, and deadnaming.

Notes on Rep: MC identifies on-page as a transgender woman.

[moviesiveseenandwanttoremember]

Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” August 4, 1954.