Halloween Vintage Cat Horror Film Night – Oct. 31st 2021

Still from “The Black Cat”

Come to the Institute of Crazyology for a double-feature of classic cat themed horror films.
Halloween Night! Sunday, October 31st 2021

Doors open at 7:30 PM

“The Black Cat” 8 PM

“Curse of the Cat People” 10:30 PM

Admission: $13.00

https://www.eventbrite.com/…/halloween-vintage…

Notes on the films by Neil Martinson:

The Black Cat (1934) is a pre-Code horror film, and among the first movies with an almost continuous music score. It became Universal Pictures’ biggest box office hit of the year, and helped to create and popularize the psychological horror subgenre, emphasizing atmosphere, eerie sounds, the darker side of the human psyche, and emotions like fear and guilt to deliver its scares.The British critic Philip French wrote, “The movie unfolds like a nightmare that involves necrophilia, ailurophobia (fear of cats), drugs, a deadly game of chess, torture, flaying, and a black mass with a human sacrifice. This bizarre, utterly irrational masterpiece, lasting little more than an hour, has images that bury themselves in the mind.”Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer.
Produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. and E. M. Asher.
Starring Boris Karloff, Béla Lugosi, David Manners and Julie Bishop.

The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
A moody psychological fantasy thriller that follows Amy, a young girl who befriends the ghost of her father’s deceased first wife, Irena, a Serbian fashion designer descended from a race of people who could transform into cats. Although sharing some of the same cast and characters and marketed as a sequel to 1942’s Cat People, the film is self contained and only tangentially related to its predecessor.The New York Times’ Bosley Crowther called it “a rare departure from the ordinary run of horror films [which] emerges as an oddly touching study of the working of a sensitive child’s mind”.Directed by Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise.
Produced by Val Lewton.
Starring Simone Simon, Kent Smith, and Jane Randolph.

Many Thanks!!!

Thanks to everyone who came to the first PURRZDAY kava and piano salon!!

What a relaxingly enchanted evening it was!

Very special thanks to the pianists:

Amy Norman and Paulo Sultanum

For providing such a beautiful recital. Here are a few photos taken by Debbie Sciales of Sunset Piano who has been ‘instrumental’ (no pun overly much intended) in getting this going.

Many thanks also to the Crazyology Stewardesses, Hannah Wise and Sunny Vinson, for providing the lovely kava bar service and doing so many other things to make the Institute of Crazyology come to life!

PURRZDAY KAVA AND PIANO SALON

We’re having the first Purrzday Kava and Piano Salon this upcoming Thursday, August 5th. Come join us for enchanting kava, emanations of Universal Cat Consciousness, AND an exquisite piano recital by Amy Norman and Paulo Sultanum. This will be a weekly artistic salon that centers around piano music, but is also a forum for other arts, artistic discussion, and social evolution – all in the eclectic spirit of CRAZYOLOGY!

Welcome to Purrzdays at The Institute of Crazyology at 1000 Van Ness! Starting this month of August, 2021 we will be opening a pop up Kava Salon and Piano Lounge Thursday evenings every week.

Ponder holofelinity roaming within Cathenge; an immersive, sound healing art experience, by David Normal. The Cat Temple is home to feline souls who appreciate a sensual and stimulating environment.

Surrounded by colorful cats, hear the sounds of the talented pianists:

7:30 PM Amy Norman

9:00 PM Paulo V Sultanum

Purrrforming at the Instititute’s shimmering baby grand piano (donated by Sunset Piano)

Walk among the columns and grand statues under the ornate lofted golden ceilings of The Institute of Crazyology (a historic Cadillac showroom) creating a unique acoustic resonance for our pianists to truly shine.

Hannah Wise and Sunny Vinson, high stewardesses of the Institute, will be offering Kava Kava. An enchanting Polynesian traditional libation tickling the GABA receptors in the brain. An empathogenic-like brew that brings on the feline vibrations of relaxation.

Cathenge 2019-2021 Credits

It’s been a week since the “Inaugural Crazyology Ball” with the installation of Cathenge at 1000 Van Ness. I feel this was a milestone achievement in my career, but also reflected the hard-work and dedication of a team of loyal collaborators and assistants over a 2+ year period.

Creating Cathenge to begin with for Burning Man 2019, and then resurrecting it from the oblivion of perpetual storage to prominent display at the Institute of Crazyology, has been one big colossal undertaking. So many people have been involved, but I have listed here, in alphabetical order, the primary crew. Many people put many, many hours into Cathenge – a great collective effort! This list in no way reflects the trials and tribulations, challenges surmounted, and obstacles overcome in making this project – that is a story for a more detailed document – but I hope it reflects my gratitude to all involved.

Alphabetized Cathenge Team and Supporters (2019-21):

Aaron Winette (Sound/Electronics)
Akshay Patel (Assistant)
Andrew Spalding (Carpentry, Cathenge Triangular Platforms)
April Naftalin (Assistant, Catolith assembly, Wife)
Argent Lloyd (Shibari Performance, Camp support)
Artur Pyrogovksyi (Electronics, Catolith Sounds, LED lighting, Coding)
Ben Nehmadi (Donor)
Brad Allen (Fire Braziers, Grant writing, Logistics, Cleanup)
Burning Man Foundation (Honorarium Grant, Support)
Cheryl Edison (“Larry’s Creatopia” – Cathenge Build site, Playa build support, Cathenge storage)
Chris Kemp/Astra (“Larry’s Creatopia” – Cathenge Build site, Cathenge storage)
David Normal (Director)
Drew Clark (Assistant)
Eric Sanchez (Concrete Bases)
Hal Robins (“Space Cat Invocation”)
Hannah Wise (Kava Bar, Assistant, Cat Priestess)
Jaybird (Playa Cleanup)
John Law (Crazyology Support, Doggy Diner Heads, Consultation)
Jose Van Ness (Assistant)
Justin Time (Assistant)|
Kathryn Shepherd (Donor, Mother)
Katie King (Donor)
Kris Peterson (Electrical, Advisor)
Lewis Shepherd (Donor, Step-father)
Liam McNamara (Logistics, Build, Cathenge placement)
Lita (Cat Priestess)
Lukas What What (Lighting)
McKenzie Logan (Cat Priestess)
Maitland (Electrical, Lighting)
Marian Goodell (Supporter, Burning Man Foundation)
Mark Wurtzel (Assistant, Lighting)
Melanie Doyle (Assistant)
Natalie Wegenka (Cat Priestess)
No.e Sunflowrfish (Catolith Sound, Purring)
Rebecca Thieneman (Catolith Harmonics)
Roger Mihalko (Concrete Bases, Assistant)
Ron Halbert (Projections, Lighting)
Saya Olivia Hayashi (Cat Priestess)
Sean Monaghan (Bronze Plaques)
Shaw (Chinese Website, Translation)
Spoon (Interactive Video Projections)
Suci Li (Chinese Website, Advisor)
Theremin Barney (Touch Interactivity, Electronics, Assistant)
Tom Price (3D Printing)
Yiying Lu (Crazyology Handbills, Advisor)

Inaugural Crazyology Ball: “Space Cat Invocation and Cat Priestess Ceremonial Dance”

“Space Cat Invocation and Ceremonial Dance of the Cat Priestesses of Pussiopolis”.

This all happened spontaneously in the true spirit of Crazyology! All the right players came together at the serendipitous moments to allow this to transpire at the the Inaugural Crazyology Ball.

Lukas What-What came over one night to help with lighting and atmosphere, and brought the lovely Miss Lita (@hotsaucehotel) along. Lita was compelled by the power of Holofelinity, and she was determined to create a “Cat Priestess Ceremony” for the Institute of Crazyology. Cacophony Society’s, John Law, suggested that Dr. Hal of the Church of the Subgenius, make a “Space Cat Invocation”. My long-time collaborator, Rex Mundi, came out all the way from Lawrence, Kansas and wrangled mad piano virtuoso, William Benjamin, down from Seattle (by train) to play the the Jan August piano arrangement of lavish Oriental romance standard, “Misirlou”, as an accompaniment for the “Cat Dance of the Cat Priestesses of Pussiopolis”.

In the planning for this spectacle uncertainty presided, yet was overcome by determination: The dancer, Lita, though interred in the Alta-Bates Psychiatric hospital in Berkeley, arranged everything. It wasn’t clear that she would be released on time because she was having her hormones re-balanced after the removal of her thyroid gland. This major surgery she underwent to cure her of Tachycardia (accelerated heart rate) that threatened her 30 years with heart attack, stroke, etc. Personally, I was concerned first for her health, and when she would call me from the hospital I asked her repeatedly if she really felt up to dancing at the Ball. She was firm that not only was she up for it, but that such a ceremony would heal her.

It seems that Lita was released directly from the psychiatric ward to the Institute of Crazyology (she was released just the previous evening). She arrived at the Institute with the coven of beautiful Cat Priestesses she had gathered together. All of them had been prepped on the song; “Misirlou”, the “Cat Chakra” concept, and changed into costume, readied themselves for the dance, radiating “Holofelinity” (Universal Cat Consciousness). They were joined by Hannah Wise, gymnast, who performed a number of dazzling leaps and flips during the dance. So there were a total of six cat priestesses – one for each Catolith!


Meanwhile, William Benjamin, the virtuoso pianist had been practicing “Misirlou” for days on the beautiful Baldwin baby grand (courtesy, Sunset Piano). As showtime approached he became increasingly temperamental as his obsession with perfecting his performance reached a fever-pitch. Yet, he never crossed any boundary of unprofessionalism. On the contrary, to me; he was merely exhibiting those side-effects of a specific breed of genius that demands uncompromised focus and concentration: The Great Concert Pianist. And when it came time to perform, his exacting attention to detail showed through in a spellbinding performance!

Who knows what realms of madness lurk in the pseudo-evangelical pop-culture hysterical depths of the hallowed Church of the Subgenius. Only Dr. Hal can tell for certain. The master thaumaturgist was as unflappable as he was impeccable, seemingly the unmoving eye of the hurricane around which the capricious powers of the space cats were assembling, awaiting the opening of the Gates of Holofelinity to allow them to transubstantiate in our dimension, while he, Dr. Hal, with an oracular precision made the invocation in an even and dispassionate manner.

And transubstantiate the Space Cats did!!! The Cat Priestesses cavorted and leaped, catharted and wriggled – seemingly spontaneously possessed by the Ancient Lyrans of Lemewria (Space Cats of Earth’s Lost Civilization) themselves.

This performance – the entire exercise – is an object lesson in a central principle of Crazyology: “The Lunatics Run the Asylum”. Give those who others scorn as “mad” a chance to do things on their own terms, and all traces of “insanity” disappear and only inspiration remains.

Inaugural Crazyology Ball Documentation (Part 1)

It was a memorable Summer Solstice this past Sunday, June 20th, 2021 when we held the Inaugural Crazyology Ball.

Updated Crazyology Ball Schedule

“The Inaugural Crazyology Ball”

8 PM:  Doors Open!  Window Curtains Up!

8:45 PM: Windiw Curtains down

8:45 PM:  “Portals of Icongruity” Video Installation by David Normal and Ron Halbert 

9 PM:  “Crazyology” Introductory Remarks by David Normal

9:15 PM:  “Cathenge Cat Temple Immersive Experience” Sculpture Installation by David Normal with Theremin Barney and Titanic.Design (Tom Price).

10:30 PM:  “Space Cat Invocation” by Dr. Hal of the Church of the Subgenius (Harry Scifres Robins) with accompaniment by pianist William Benjamin.

10:45 PM:  “Misirlou” piano performance by William Benjamin.

10:45 PM:  “Cat Priestesses of Pussiopolis” Ceremonial Dance to “Misirlou” Piano Performance by William Benjamin.

11:00 PM:  DJ Sets by:

Jonah th’Mole

Banal

Betty Uscochi

Melder

Residual Birth