1.29.2014

Fist of Further Reading: Teleport City


I don't remember exactly when I got on the Teleport City bus, but I do know that when I started to get serious about watching wild genre films from around the globe, its creator, Keith, served as a sage guide and tastemaker. As the provocateur behind TC, he builds amazing websites, writes rich and extensive reviews of everything from films to cocktails, and has probably forgotten about more Turkish superhero films than I could hope to see in my lifetime. He is also the architect of the shadowy Mysterious Order of the Skeleton Suit movement, and science fiction contributor at The Cultural Gutter.

Q: What is a first-time reader most likely to notice about your writing style?
A: Honestly, probably the typos, but I’ve tried to get better with those. Beyond that, I hope it’s enthusiasm and love for the subject matter. Teleport City exists because I get so excited about the movies, the books, whatever it is I might end up writing about. There’s a lot of riffing and “ripping the film a new one” style commentary on film sites, and that sort of thing just doesn’t jibe with my outlook. I’m much happier to celebrate something. Teleport City is basically a big, complicated version of saying, “Man, have you seen this one???”

Q: Which of your posts or ongoing features will give readers the best feel for your site and movie fandom?
A: It would probably come down to either the one-two punch of Shaitani Dracula and Manos: The Hands of Fate (I think of them as two parts of one giant, mind-bending experience), or Danger: Diabolik.

Q: What was the first martial arts movie you remember seeing?
A: I was one of the proverbial “Kungfu Theater” kids in the late 70s, early 80s, and I have no idea what most of the movies were I saw back then. The first I remember specifically, as generic as it is to admit, is Enter the Dragon. Shortly thereafter, it was Revenge of the Ninja on cable television, on one of those nights where I pretended to fall asleep watching TV so I could watch R-rated movies after everyone went to sleep.

Q: Steven Seagal or Jean Claude Van Damme, and why?
A: Van Damme, 100%. I actually don’t like Seagal at all. He’s no fun, he takes no risks, his characters are never in any real danger, and he is a major abuser of the “this guy’s good” speech, where the lack of dazzle on the screen is dismissed by having everyone make speeches about how totally bad-ass the main character is. In contrast, Van Damme constantly took roles that, within the confines of action films, pushed him. He was willing to try something different. He was (is) willing to appear vulnerable, defeated, confused, and silly. Seagal never would have made Replicant, or Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, or JCVD.

Q: You've encountered a gang of mean dudes in denim jackets and Zubaz pants in an empty warehouse. You can arm yourself with a samurai sword, nunchucks, a baseball bat, or whatever is in the mystery box (no guns). Which do you choose and why?
A: The mystery box, every time. Between Jackie Chan and Battle Royale, I’ve learned that anything can be a weapon.

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