TIKI CULTURE

Halloween Decorating Has Begun At The Tiki Lounge!

Yes, these are skeleton flamingos. Just like the pink ones.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know how kookie I am for Halloween. Every year I abandon sanity and turn my humble, tropical-themed home into a house of horrors, complete with animatronic monsters, creepy crawlies, and a facade over my front entrance that creates the perfect atmosphere for a hauntingly good time.

I’ve already started building props and organizing decor for this year’s shindig, and have in fact begun putting up decor in lesser-used rooms of Pirate’s Cove Tiki Bar (my abode). The goal this year, as it is every year, is to have everything done a few weeks before Halloween so I can actually enjoy the season…including going to haunted-house walk-throughs, and being able for OPP - other people’s parties.

A hollographic image-changing photo, just like at the Haunted Mansion.

This year’s theme is VAMPIRES. A cliché, I know, but vamps are so hot this year that I couldn’t resist. The real trick is decorating a goth Vampire’s lair with Tiki undertones…hmmm…

This will be the official 25th anniversary of my kooky Monster Mash Bash, a party I started on a crisp October day in 1986 when a hot chick I knew came to me and said she wanted to have a Halloween party at her spooky house in the woods.

A skeleton in my closet

Turned out the chick was nutz, so my friends and I had the party at my place. I was only 18, and funds were low so we did the whole party on a budge of 12 bucks. Cheap, market-brand soda, no-frills chips, homemade onion dip and popcorn served as the fare while we watched old black and white horror movies made fun of each others’ costumes. I was Dracula for that first party…and I suppose I will be again this year.

Playwitch...my favortie magazine (Yes, I made that myself)

Of course, every party is done with a retro style theme. I mean, what holiday is more “retro-ee” than Halloween? (and don’t say Christmas. Nobody does old-fashioned Christmases anymore. Not when there’s an iPad under the tree). The whole point of Halloween is to celebrate a centuries-old tradition, with witches and goblins and vampires and zombies and all those groovy monsters that all go way back. We watch classic horror films, bob for apples and eat candy just like your grandparents did. Even the decor…at least anything store-bought…still looks like it did 30, 50, 80 years ago.

25 years ago the paper cut-out skeletons and pumpkins looked the same as they do now, the same as they did when I was a little kid. Hmmm 25 years. 25 years is a long stretch to do anything, especially a party. A third of the kittens showing up at the party won’t even be 25 years old! So I’m going to have to do something extra special for this year’s soiree. I dunno…maybe I’ll get some real monsters this year!

-Tiki “Drac” Chris, reporting from the dungeon at Pirate’s Cove Tiki Bar

More Rum, More Noir - The Rum Noir, Your Weekend Tiki Cocktail

The Rum Noir, a Tiki Lounge Talk original. Kool Tiki mug by Tiki Diablo.

Since the other day was National Rum Day, I had to experiment with a few goodies to see if I could come up with something new. Well kids, I did. First I tried some of the Appleton Estate and El Dorado rums mixed with coke and lime. Now, I know some of you will say this is a big waste of such great rums. But the flavor was unique, dark and really very enjoyable. Equal parts of each rum in a tall glass with ice, add in coke and stir. Add fresh lime a little squeeze at a time.

But it didn’t stop there. I needed to make something my Tiki friends (that’s you) would consider worthy of the drink log. So, after a few experiments…

The Rum Noir

surfaced as the winner.

1 oz Appleton Estate Rum

1 oz El Dorado Demerara Rum

1/4 oz cinnamon schnapps (the hot stuff)

1 oz orange juice

1/2 oz fresh lime juice (adjust to taste)

2-4 drops bitters

Splash of Coke

Put everything into the shaker (except the soda) with ice and shake it up real nice. Pour into a tall Tiki mug with ice, add a splash of coke. Garnish with a lime wedge and orange slice. This recipe is pretty close to a planter’s punch, with a little kick. It’s called the Rum Noir because of the dark rum, and because I invented it while pulling the trigger on the print version of my latest swingin’ book, A Flash of Noir, which is now available in Print, for Kindle and for Nook. Check it out

-Tiki Chris P. reporting from Pirate’s Cove Tiki Bar at Tiki Lounge Talk, the web-lounge for swingin’ chicks and kool vintage hipsters.

Delovely, The Story of Cole Porter, 2004 for Noir Movie Monday

A little known and underrated movie for sure, Delovely is the almost fantasy-like tale of the flamboyant (and very private) life of one of the most beloved songwriters to ever grace us with his insurmountable talent, Cole Porter.

With an outstanding performance by Kevin Kline, you’ll believe your actually seeing and hearing Porter himself from first few seconds of the opening scene. An incredible supporting cast includes Ashley Judd, Johnathon Pryce, and a stage-full of cameos by some of the “Biggest Names in Showbiz” including Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Sheryl Crow, Natalie Cole…the list goes on.

A portrait of Cole Porter’s life, the story is presented as a fantasy musical biographical stage-show being produced at the end of Porter’s life. He leads “the director” through flashbacks of his colorful life, and we learn about Porter’s previously very secret lifestyle through these scenes…filled, of course, with Porter’s songs woven into the story. The “Show” scenes are very noir, dark, often sad. The “Flashback” scenes are generally uplifting and jubilant. Great juxtaposition adds to the charm.

Diana Krall steals a scene with only a few seconds of on-camera time. She should have been given a LOT more.

I  don’t want to give anything away…it’s fun discovering things about this incredible man and his accomplishments and contributions, his marriage to the love of his life, and the hidden meaning behind some of his very risque lyrics (Let’s just say I’ll never think of “Your the top” and “Blow, Gabriel Blow” the same way again.)

The movie is a perfect little time capsule of 1920s-1950s America and Europe, with exquisite sets, costumes, and storyline that any vintage music lover will instantly love. Unfortunately the movie was not a hit; the box office was disappointing, critics and audiences are split down the middle on whether it’s a masterpiece or a long-winded semi-musical bomb. Who is right? Well, if you’re like me…and if you read this blog you are…then you’ll get it, and you’ll love Delovely.

My only complaint about this flick is that (probably for time constraints) some of the best songs are cut off, or just grace the background of a scene. But don’t worry, the soundtrack is available on Amazon.com.

Sit back with a bottle of champagne, a dinner of Chateaubriand, and if you’re the emotional type, a box of tissues, and enjoy this truly incredible movie.

Here’s the original trailer:

-Tiki Chris, reporting from the sound stage at Star Dust Studios, Florida

Murder, Sex, Ghosts & The Jersey Shore: Murder Behind the Closet Door

Murder Behind the Closet Door, The Wildwood Paranormal Mystery By Tiki Chris Pinto

Murder Behind the Closet Door: The Wildwood Paranormal Mystery by Christopher “Tiki Chris” Pinto, paperback now ON SALE for only $10.76 at Amazon.com!

Many of you who follow this swingin’ B-Lounge already know that yours truly is an aspiring writer millionaire.

Last year I published my first full-length retro-style neo-noir novel, Murder Behind the Closet Door. Original price for the 600-page masterpiece was $16.95, $3.95 for the kindle version. A hefty price tag for any tome, but everyone who’s read it has said it is worth it

A few months ago I re-tooled the layout to bring the paperback down to a more manageable (and less intimidating) 425 pages, at a tag of $14.95. Sales increased!

Well, Amazon has done me the great favor of running a DISCOUNT on the book now, which makes it even more enticing! Now you can get the paperback in all its glory for only $10.76, a fantastic bargain for this wild ride. Or, of course, you can still pick it up on Kindle or Nook for $3.95.

Why buy this book?

Good question. Let me just take a sip of my coffee and bourbon, and I’ll lay it down for you (siiiiiip).

Hudson House, one of the two haunted houses in Murder Behind the Closet Door

This book swings you back in time to Wildwood and Wildwood Crest, the grooviest, funnest towns on the Jersey Shore (sorry Asbury Park, you’ve got nothing on Wildwood). The action starts with a heart-wrenching murder…as experienced by the victim…then moves into the life of Heather, a 22-year old woman starting her life as marketing manager for the famous Hunt’s Pier on the Wildwood Boardwalk in 1979.

Almost immediately her story turns to one of mystery and fascination, as she admits to being haunted by an entity in her closet. This all seems innocent at first…

The Wildwood Boardwalk, 1970s

Using my own style of flashback, character-weaving and time-rearrangement, the story unfolds to reveal a multi-layered plot of murder, revenge, phantoms, wartime coverups, denial, hot women, the afterlife and the people who protect us from myriad unseen demons. All of this wraps itself around a solid, noir-gumshoe style detective story, featuring one of the freshest, most interesting and exciting hero detectives to come along since Mike Hammer (IMHO), Detective Bill Riggins. (Riggins is also featured as the main character in my latest novel, Murder on Tiki Island, and will continue his adventures in the upcoming Murder Under the Boards: The Atlantic City Murder Mystery.)

For an in-depth look at Murder Behind the Closet Door, visit the MBTCD official website.

OK, that sounds cool, but why should I think Tiki Chris’ writing is worth 11 bucks?

Fair question. Short answer is if you dig what you read here, you will absolutely dig this book, and my other writings.

"Tiki" Chris Pinto, old-school style

Although I compare the book to those of Stephen King, Mickey Spillane, Raymond Chandler and Dean Koontz, my style doesn’t copy any of theirs…my style is my own, hammered out over 30+ years of writing, learning, experiencing and, well, drinking.

I’ve been writing since I was 12, winning a prize from the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin for a short story, then taking a stab at writing a full-length musical (entitled “Swingtime”) which was performed at my high school during my senior year (it too was a neo-noir style drama).

In 1989 I picked up the pen for my first paid advertising assignment, and have been writing advertising copy professionally (and making typos) ever since (just like Mad Men, I’m the Creative Director of a national ad agency…except my office is in Hollywood, Florida, not CA).

"Tiki" Chris Pinto and Jeannette Pereda in "One Crazy Mystery", Stardust Productions, 1995

That same year I formed Star Dust Productions Mystery Theater, and began writing and producing comedy plays and murder mysteries, mostly for dinner theater settings. With my wife Colleen, we successfully ended a 10-year span of over 400 performances of six different shows (written by me) with a 1930s radio show performance on the Ocean City Music Pier, NJ.

After moving to South Florida in 2000, I decided to turn my talents toward writing noir fiction, and began a series of short stories and flash fiction (due out in book form & ebook this summer). A flood of memories from my shore days in Jersey came with the move, and in 2002 I sat down to write my first novel. I decided to make it something I’d want to read myself, something fun and full of action, something spooky yet believable, with interesting characters and an unusual plot line. At 2am on a thunder-filled south Florida night, “Behind the Closet Door” was born.

Today, I write for The Fort Lauderdale Examiner, manage the Facebook Retro Tiki Lounge, and of course run amock here at Tiki Lounge Talk.

So, yeah, I’ve got some experience as a writer, right? So trust me, the book is solid.

What makes Detective Riggins so special?

.45 Auto used by Detective Riggins in Murder Behind the Closet Door

Riggins is not your regular ole goodie-two-shoes, uphold-the-law kind of guy that you read about in most books or see in a lot of flicks. To say he’s flawed is a true understatement. He’s big, tough, sarcastic, arrogant and has his own code of conduct and sense of morality that doesn’t always jive with the establishment, but he’s smart enough to stay out of most trouble, and to get away with dealing out justice the way he personally thinks it should be dealt. He does some screwed up stuff but in the end you’ll find yourself on his side, routing for him to succeed. He’s an old-time tough-guy cop with a young, hard-drinkin’ jazz-diggin’ spirit. He learned how to kill on the battlefields of Korea and still carries his military-issue .45 automatic. He likes hot rods and fast women and doesn’t have time to settle down with just one dame. He’s a New York vice cop who has a deep hatred for pushers yet a soft spot for junkies and hookers, as he usually sees them as victims. He doesn’t have many friends on the force; he prefers to hang out with beat musicians and barflies, as he finds them much more interesting. And somehow, for reasons he’ll never learn (but you will), he seems to attract the spirits of the murdered dead.

If you’ve read through this whole long-assed post, I guarantee you will truly dig this book. You can read the first few pages on Amazon, and can find snippets of it at Stardust Mysteries Publishing or the official Murder Behind the Closet Door website.

Oh, and if you do dig it, please post a review on Amazon.com. Every little bit helps, and maybe someday you can say you’re pals with a famous mystery writer

-Tiki Chris Pinto reporting from the library at Tiki Island Resort, Florida
Tiki Lounge Talk - Everyone’s favorite B-Lounge for kookie retro fun stuff!

Music Lovers: Check Out “This is Vintage Now”!

This is Vintage Now

There’s a kool kat out there who is devoting his life to bringing some of the swingin’est, jumpin’est and absolutely best music of the past and present to the masses. His name is David Gasten, and he’s just produced an album of tunes from some very hep kats and kittens.

“This is Vintage Now” is a collection of ten tunes geared toward today’s retro lovers…a GREAT combination of easy swing, jump blues, Exotica, bachelor pad and hard rockin’ blues. The tunes span the decades from the 1950s through today, with some artists you probably know well (Waitiki 7, Big Jay McNeely) and others you may not (Beverly Kenney, with a sweet voice that would have made her a star to this day had she lived past 1960).

This quote from the website really says it all: “THIS IS VINTAGE NOW introduces Vintage Music as a thriving, forward-moving musical movement. The musicians on This is Vintage Now tap
into the spirit of the original Vintage period, and bring its
“anything can happen” excitement forward to today’s listeners.”

Ilana Charnelle, one of the artists on This is Vintage Now. Photo by Sarah Walker.

This is the kind of album that serves a dual purpose. For retro lovers, it’s a great combination of rarely heard old tunes and new tunes that fit that elusive retro mood. For people who don’t dig the retro scene but want to get into it, it’s got the perfect mix of tunes both old and new, just right to ease into the scene.

The artists on this album are all top notch. Gasten himself even plays one of the tunes with his band David Gasten and The City Kids, a hard-swingin’ bluesy riff entitled “The Deacon Don’t Like It”. Gasten calls the style “Heavy Jump Blues”, and indeed it is the kind of music you’d want to hear at a smokey club in Memphis, while drinking Wild Turkey neat while sitting across from your tattooed, ex-stripper girlfriend.

One of the best parts about this album, besides of course the kool music, is the website that goes along with it. Gasten obviously spent a long time researching each of these artists and the tunes before laying the tracks down, and a lot of what he’s learned has gone into info pages on his site. I had some fun going through the pages, and was surprised by some of what I learned. (For instance, being an old jazz and swing musician, I always heard the style of music he calls “jump blues” as either “jump tunes” or boogie woogie. I looked up the term, and today even bands like Louis Jordan’s Tympany 5 are referred to as “jump blues”. Learn something new every day.)

David Gasten, Producer & Artist, This is Vintage Now. Photo by Bryce Boyer.

The album, which is currently available only as instant download from the site, is only $9.77, and will include two bonus tracks for a limited time. You can listen to each of the songs on the site to make sure you dig it…but I’m sure you will. Here’s the info:

This is Vintage Now Homepage (and purchase info)

The Artists:

Beverly Kenney
Big Jay McNeely
Caro Emeral
Ilana Charnelle
The Pharohs
The Waitiki 7
David Gasten & The City Kids
Carole Creveling
Blake Jones & the Trike Shop
The Necro Tonz

So if you dig vintage tunes mixed in with some swingin’ new riffs, check out This is Vintage Now. I think you’ll flip for it, kids. I sure give it Five Coconuts!

-Tiki Chris P. reporting from the music room at Tiki Lounge Talk, the place for Tiki news, events, music and more from South Florida & beyond.