Fiore Argento and Anna Ceroli in Trauma (1993)

Asia Argento's half-sisters make an appearance in Dario Argento's Trauma. Anna Ceroli (who a year later died in a motorcycle accident) was part inspiration for this film due to her condition. She and Asia were extremely close, and after her death Asia directed the film Scarlet Diva which is a tribute to her (and also later named her first daughter after her).

Anna Ceroli can be seen during the final moments of the film, dancing with the Reggae Band.

The film ends with the song Ruby Rain and a fade-out on her face with her hair swaying in the wind.

Fiore Argento has a shamefully short scene as the receptionist at the Farraday Clinic when David goes searching for Aura. She's only got a few lines of dialogue but it's still nice to see her nonetheless. Not to mention she looks darn cute here.

Asia Argento was originally supposed to play the detective in The Card Player, which would have been nice to see these two in another film together, but scheduling conflicts got in the way and the role was given to Stefania Rocca.

In Bed with Asia Argento... in Trauma (1993)

By the looks of things, getting in bed with Asia Argento can be quite... Traumatic! *Dr. Evil Pinky*

A beautiful opening shot for this post if I may say so myself.

Echoes of Phenomena?

After being seriously drugged up (once again) Aura is saved by her Knight in Black Satan, Davey.

I love how she just falls back onto the couch like that.

Awww yeah! Here we go...

But I thought you love it when I watch you sleep!?!

I decided on a Twilight reference to that last quip as opposed to a Jennifer's Body reference addressing the issue of the dick possibly being too big for her.

You're welcome.

FIN.

Dogfish Head Midas Touch

Dogfish Head Midas Touch - Handcrafted Ancient Ale with barley, honey, white muscat grapes and saffron (2012)

Year Round Beer.

12 fl. oz. (x3) / $12.75 USD / 9% ABV

About: "This was the first beer in our Ancient Ales series. The recipe for this beverage is based on the chemical analysis of residues found in clay vessels believed to date back to the 8th century BC. Originally discovered in Gordium, Turkey during a 1957 dig by archaeologist Rodney Young, the content of these vessels was left unknown for 40 years. In 1997, molecular archeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern received a phone call from a former student of his informing him of a residue on clay jars from the tomb of King Midas.

In March 2000 the owner of Dogfish Head Brewery, Sam Calagione, attended a special dinner for beer writer Michael Jackson. At this time Dr. McGovern and Mr. Calagione met and discussed recreating the brew. In early 2001 the new beverage was served at a dinner recreating the funeral feast of King Midas. The ingredients for the original 7.5% abv recipe in 2001 included yellow muscat grapes, lightly toasted 2-row barley malt, thyme, honey and saffron. The ingredients for the 9% abv recipe include barley, white Muscat grapes, honey and saffron." 

Thoughts: Midas Touch poured a light yellow color with a white white bubbly two-finger head that maintained itself quite well. As I hold up the glass I notice that the beer is transparent with various bubbles rising in lines, but while transparent, this beer is very grainy. These grainy specks are very light yet present completely throughout the beer glass.

This smells pretty good. Like a strong, fruity brew. The saffron and honey in this give it a really nice scent of sweetened herbs.

Taste is very pleasant before a small wave of tickling and cloudy tang kicks in, and then a slight haze of herbal alcohol and grape seed. That slight haze, after a few more gulps, starts to become overpowering for several seconds at a time. While the brew starts off with a calm of barley and honey, all with that saffron blending throughout, the immense zing from these white muscat grapes and higher alcohol really light the fire in the belly, with its smoke is rolling around in the mouth. There's also a peppery quality about the whole beer, not fresh ground black pepper, but a real subtle hint of it.

Mouth feel is a pretty standard medium. It's slightly filmy, but that's about it.

A very fine, if a bit tart and fruity ale from Dogfish Head. The price of course ($4.25 a 12 oz. bottle) will prevent me from purchasing this again any time soon. I really like what these guys are doing and wish that many other breweries would put more of a spin on their shit like DFH, but it's hard justifying the prices on these small bottles. I've got addictions to support and mental health issues to feed. And I understand that two bottles is 24 ounces and that's a Bomber for eight bucks and I do that all the time, but at least make it a 6 Pack for fifteen bucks or something. I hardly ever see full 4 Packs around here anyways, there's always bottles missing.

Dogfish Head Burton Baton

Dogfish Head Burton Baton - An ale flavored with oak staves (2012)

Year Round Beer.

12 fl. oz. (x4) / $15.29 USD / 10% ABV

About: "For Burton Baton, we brew two "threads," or batches, of beer: an English-style old ale and an imperial IPA. After fementating the beers separately in our stainless tanks, they're transferred and blended together in one of our large oak tanks. Burton Baton sits on the wood for about a month. When enjoying the Burton Baton, you'll find an awesome blend of the citrus notes from Northwestern hops melding with woody, vanilla notes from the oak. The wood also tends to mellow the 10% ABV of Burton, so tread cautiously!"

Thoughts: Burton Baton poured a very rich golden orange, almost pumpkin color, that was transparent enough to read backwards letters through and had a huge fluffy light beige head that showed no signs of dying down at all in the near future.

Well, the scent if definitely that of an IPA. It without a doubt smells absolutely wonderful! First off, it's sweet and peppery. Just the way I like my hops. It's a little bit fruity, with a light pine background. There's a bit of a spicy kick that tingles.

Aside from the haze of imperial alcohol, the first thing I'm getting is vanilla and oak. It's very nice. A lot of pepper after that, which I also enjoy tremendously. It gets a little bitter after the swallow, and that's where the citrus and piney hops linger. After finishing a bottle there's a real mellow and soothing taste in the mouth. This is one fine tasting beer. It's not overly exciting, but it'll leave a smile inside of you.

It's a little fizzy and a bit watery as it starts to warm, but full felling and robust when cold.

The taste of this beer is overall quite pleasing and I like it a lot. It's a bit pricy as two bottles are pretty much the price of bombers, but it's nothing I haven't gotten used to. Especially when I find out I actually like the beer, it's not such a sour taste left on the brain. I'm saving a bottle of this for sometime in the not-so-near future, as I don't plan on buying this again with so many other beers out there that I've never tried. But I do look forward to the day I pry the cap off that one leftover bottle.

Dogfish Head Tweason'ale

Dogfish Head Tweason'ale - A gluten-free sorghum-based ale brewed with strawberries and buckwheat honey. (2012)

Seasonal Brew (Late-Summer / Early Autumn Ale)

12 fl. oz. (x4) / $9.99 USD / 6.0% ABV

About: Ingredients: Water, Sorghum Syrup, Strawberries, Honey, Hops, Yeast. "The No. 1 thing Dogfish lovers ask for at our pub, in our brewery and on our website is a gluten-free beer. But not just any gluten-free beer, they want gluten-free with gusto. For our first new 12-ounce 4-packs in nearly half a decade, we replaced the classic barley foundation of beer with a mild sorghum base. The hints of molasses and pit-fruit are balanced by vibrant strawberry notes and a unique complexity that comes with the addition of a malty buckwheat honey."

Thoughts: The 4 Pack of this beer has four different and really cool images on each side of a Strawberry headed bloke and some pudgy Bee girl frolicking about, flirting, and getting drunk and laid. It's rather cute. I like this art and think I'll save the box.

Tweason' poured a light straw yellowy amber color with a white head that instantly began to fizz away. It's completely transparent and there are a few carbonation bubbles rising up here and there.

Ack! This smells like wine. A bit of a mix between a bitter red wine like a Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon and an Arbor Mist Strawberry White Zinfandel. Mostly like the red wine though.

Yeah, this tastes just like wine too. There's nothing remotely Ale about this brew. Wow, I know Sam is constantly speaking of beers as wine replacements, but man, this isn't just a comparable, this is a mimic. 

This beer is pretty tart and watery. It leaves a drying feeling in the mouth. I'm finishing my 4 Pack off today, but I'm really unsure if I'd every buy this again. If I ever did it would be just a one from the singles fridge, but even then, I'd have to be feeling pretty rare that day to do so. I'm not much of a wine drinker anymore and haven't been since I was seventeen years old. Not that I really mind the smell and taste of this beer, but it's not what I'm looking for in an Ale.

Brain Lo Mein.

My eyes are glossed, I'm Sauced... Gotta hit that bottle, No matter the cost!

My mind is lost and my soul's afflicted, No need for a brainscan I know I'm addicted

When you see my body meltin' you know the deal...

I just swallowed Three Perks and downed all my NyQuil!

That's how I get my thrills... I don't wanna feel this pain

Just sever my brainstem, I don't wanna complain

And I don't mean to scare ya, But I drink blood like Italian Marinara

On a pizza pie of death! Macaroni Western on meth

Intestines drippin' guns blazin, Psychodelic Hellraisin'

El Topo Loco tellin ya' Beware and the Rest, cuz it's bound to be a big f'n mess

Like eatin' Spaghetti on a first date...

I'll take a Machete to your neck and have your pretty head sittin' on my plate

See I've Sworn, To be completely insane since the day I was born
Like a dark Shaman walkin' round with a bowl full of ramen

Dressed like Neo from the Matrix, Doc Martens stompin', fueled with the hatred

Comin' at ya Death Proof full throttle, already on my sixteenth bottle and don't be startled

When I induce the terror... not sayin' just to scare ya, But this sick shit I planned it

Don't just want those screams, Bitch I demand it!

You can't blame me, I like this shit and thought you knew it

Live by a Demon Knight motto, If it makes ya feel good do it!

Blacked out! Like I just huffed a grocery bag full of Shoe Goo

Don't even know where I am right now, but fuck it, maybe you do?

She hands me a menu, I order dim sum, beef and broccoli

Speakin' in Old Engrish and I've been slurrin' rather slopishly

And I'm out drivin' again, gotta hit up a Thriftys

To jack me some Tic-Tacs and some more Fireball Whiskey

That's tonight medication! In an act of desperation

You can sense the anticipation, When I twist off the cap

And pour down that liquid inspiration... no hesitation

To get that sick feeling I love runnin' through my veins

I need a chemical imbalance just like a zombie needs brains!

I'm fiending like a heathen, runnin' down the street screamin'

The END IS NEAR! Motherfuckers start kneelin'

I got that... temporary insanity. Can't even talk know

Just simply mumble random profanities.

- © Erik (D[runk]ethWiz{n}rd) (2010)

New Art,

I feel ready...

There's no point in living, if you can't feel alive!

  ...and yet unprepared.

Asia Argento in Dario Argento's Trauma (1993)

In Dario Argento's 1993 American film Trauma, Asia Argento stars as Aura, a troubled and anorexic young girl who's just escaped from the Farraday Clinic. And she's apparently thinking about jumping off a bridge! That's when a man driving along in his SUV, played by the wild-eyed Christopher Rydell, spots her and immediately runs to her aid. He notices that the poor, sixteen year old, runaway girl is in some sort of trouble, so he takes her in as his own (which is always a great idea).

"Nothing... I was just admiring your beautiful bracelet."

After grilling her for info and buying her lunch, she is spotted by two 'escapee collectors' from the clinic and chows down on a grilled cheese sandwich (with attitude), before running to the bathroom to immediately puke it back up, and not to mention get the hell out of there (with her concerned new buddy's wallet).

She does a lot of screaming in this movie.

...and pouting.

...and crying while she touches her face.

Later, back at her new friend's apartment, Aura gets herself a bit more comfortable...

What a weird ass looking bra.

...while he conveniently walks by. And just in time too. Daw yeahz.

Later, after being turned in by her new friend's jealous bitch of a fuck-buddy, Aura is force fed a bit of mind-opening drugs berries from her doctor so she can remember the horrible events of the previous night's murders! She begins to seriously trip out for a while... seeing a floating woman in white above the fire, and then she ponders the insides of a VHS cassette.

In fact, she touches her face throughout nearly all of the film and makes orgasmic faces 80% of the time.

An honest reaction to seeing that VHS ripped apart.

She of course starts to relive the moments after the horrific beheading murder of her parents, where she stands in the rain and screams and screams and screams some more.

There are quite a few people out there that think it's really weird for Dario to have his daughter get naked in the first film he's directed her in (or in any film he's directed her in as well). I don't really have too much of an opinion on that other than I'm sure glad he did it, because wow-za! And I'm pretty sure she didn't mind anways, because for Asia Argento, getting nude or topless is just one of those things that she just constantly does. Artfully speaking.

Innis and Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask

Innis and Gunn Limited Edition Irish Whiskey Cask - Barrel Aged Scottish Stout (2012)

Limited Edition Release (Brewed Only Once)
12 fl. oz. (x4) / $11.99 USD / 7.4% ABV

About: "Not only the first brewed Scottish stout to join the award-winning Innis and Gunn portfolio, but the world's first beer to be aged in the former triple-distilled Irish whiskey barrels, a result of the company's mission to produce flavorul, appealing and sensational oak-aged brews. It all began in October 2011 when Innis & Gunn’s Master Brewer and Owner, Dougal Sharp, filled four hundred rare oak barrels, previously used to mature whiskey from a famous Irish distiller, with their specially brewed stout. As the beer matured the flavor seemed to improve more and more and come into its own as time passed. After aging the beer for sixty days, and using a three-step maturation process, it was finally ready to be released. Malts: Chocolate and Roast Barley / Hops: Fuggles / Woods: Rare triple distilled Irish Whiskey Barrels / Aged: 60 days / Maturation: Three separate maturations follow fermentation; oak maturation, cold maturation and in bottle."

Thoughts: This beer poured a dark brown with burgundy tones out of the bottle and left a solid, near black inside the glass. The three-finger khaki colored head formed quickly even with a very careful pour and not a single bubble popped for about two minutes.

The smell of this is definitely unique. The Irish whiskey in this is actually pretty mild (much unlike their insanely strong smelling Highland Cask which was aged in 18 year old single malt Scotch Whiskey barrels). This stout smells very sweet and the oak barrel notes linger throughout the entire scent. There's little hints of chocolate and vanilla at the same time. Very nice.

It's like candy. Sugary sweet, a little bitter midway through, but offset with this almost ice cream like flavor. The alcohol haze at the end of this, before the roasted toasty aftertaste sets in, is so remarkably light... but, it compliments the beer so well. This one seems to go through about five stages of flavor sensations, and each one is just fucking beautiful. After finishing off a bottle the tastes fade away rather quickly, leaving only a thin layer of oak on the tongue.

This beer is very smooth and silky. Mouth feel is a little watery and thin, and it is very drinkable. I'm sipping this, but I could put the whole thing down in one gulp.

Innis and Gunn's very first stout is a gentle, milky brew and on its own may not have been so amazing. But of course, with Innis and Gunn, they're always OAK AGED and this batch with these extremely rare oak barrels they used takes everything to a whole new level. Of the five beers of theirs I have tried, this is on the bottom of the list, only for the fact that I don't feel I don't prefer really Stouts over Ales or Beer. That being said, this company never ceases to amaze me.

Dogfish Head Hellhound

Dogfish Head Hellhound on my ale - Ale brewed with lemons (2011)

Occasional Rarities (Brewed once as of this post).

25.4 fl. oz. / $13.49 USD / 10% ABV

About: "2011 marks the 100th birthday of Mississippi Delta bluesman Robert Johnson who, according to legend, sold his soul down at the crossroads in a midnight bargain and changed music forever. Working again with our friends at Sony Legacy (yup, the same folks we did our Miles Davis-inspired Bitches Brew with), Dogfish Head pays tribute to this blues legend by gettin the hellhounds off his trail and into this finely-crafted ale.

Hellhound is a super-hoppy ale that hits 100 IBUs in the brewhouse, 10.0 ABV, 10.0 SRM in color, and dry-hopped with 100% centennial hops at a rate of 100 kilos per 100 barrel brew-length. Can you tell we at Dogfish are stoked for this mighty musical centennial? To accentuate and magnify the citrusy notes of the centennial hops (and as a shout out to Robert Johnsons mentor Blind Lemon Jefferson) we add dried lemon peel and flesh to the whirlpool."

Thoughts: Hellhound poured a dark yellowish tone that produced a deep orange in the glass. The head was robust at first but faded a little quickly leaving two puddles of each side. Medium carbonation bubbles rise.

Smell is that of a total hop bomb. Very strong, and creeping and crawling, awakening the senses. It's mostly a heavy citrus sensation, a little floral, little bit of pine, but very lemony. I love lemons... so I wonder how this one will taste.

Ouch. Holy shit. Fuckin' thing bit me! Harsh alcohol flooded in, an ultra strong pepper nearly made me sneeze on the first gulp and after that faded away, the double sour erupted. After each swallow there is a fuzzy haze that just clouds around in the mouth. This is brutal. Heavy fumes engulf the breath, sinus, and face and stomach burns with fire. With all that lemon and pine my brain is just going directly to dish soap. And the fact that it even has a soapy mouth feel isn't helping. I don't know if the malts here are helping the brew out or making it worse. The taste is seemingly perfectly fine, but it's like blast beats of blinding, intense ice fog.

Soapy, syrupy, cloudy, and unsettling.

Aftertaste is like that generic sugary lemon candy. I got half a bottle left as I write this and there's no damn way that I'm not going to drink it all right now, but man, this one is a bit of a struggle. I love hops, strong beer and lemons. This beer is all three of those things, but it packs a gauntlet like punch that doesn't ever back down. It's there in every single sip or gulp. I'm going to let the rest warm for a while and I'll see what happens.

Wait a minute! I just poured the rest into the glass and during this I noticed, out came a huge bundle of hop flakes. It was obvious. This once near transparent beer is now, well, still transparent, but grainy as hell! Alright, so the beer has warmed and I'm starting to feel a slight buzz now. The harshness has calmed down considerably first off. Let's say it's about half as intense as it was earlier. Now I'm getting a soothing peppery flow, a slightly bittersweet flavor, heavy malt undertone and a cool lemon background. It tastes a hell of a lot better when it's warm, but this will be a one time experience for me. Thanks DFH.

Dogfish Head Noble Rot

Dogfish Head Noble Rot - Ale brewed with grape must and with grape must added. (2012)
Occasional Rarity.

25.4 fl. oz. / $13.39 USD / 9% ABV

About: "This saison-esque science project gets complexity and fermentable sugars from two unique wine grapes sourced with our friends at Alexandria Nicole Cellars in Prosser, Wash. The first addition is unfermented juice, known as must, from viognier grapes that have been infected with a benevolent fungus called botrytis. This noble rot reduces the water content in the grapes while magnifying their sweetness and complexity. The second is pinot gris must intensified by a process called dropping fruit, where large clusters of grapes are clipped to amplify the quality of those left behind. "This is the absolute closest to equal meshing of the wine world and the beer world thats ever been done commercially," says Dogfish's Sam Calagione. Noble Rot is brewed with pils and wheat malts and fermented with a distinct Belgian yeast strain. It has a spicy white wine body and a dry, tart finish."

Thoughts: Super Light, completely transparent, yellow toned and nearly almost colorless liquid came pouring from Dogfish Head's newly designed bottle with extruded logo. The head was completely white, massive and full of about a million and a half bubbles that later left a thick foam on top and in puddles around the glass. Carbonation is a low medium, but it's moving.

The scent is that of a Belgian Ale straight off. Sour peanut butter and grape jelly jump right out and there's an underlying crusty crackers to it. It smells of a wine, but not too strong of one, and it as the same time does smell of a beer, but it's very faint and hiding.

It's pleasant at first, a lot smoother than I thought it would taste, and then there's a huge zing of tartness that shocks the senses. Let's try it again. It's actually pretty sweet, surprisingly sweet even, and the sour notes really only kick in after the swallow. This wine, er.. beer, is very mellow and laid back. After a while there's nothing harsh about it. There's no kick of high alcohol, but instead just a lingering sweetness from those grapes.

Mouth is a medium watery with some bubbling fizz around each gulp, and it's a bit coating. It's not drying at all either.

I poured the second half into the glass and watched the head form and then deplete. This one is really cool since the head starts out as four fingers and then as it fades away it looks just like snow melting in a fast forward time lapse that takes a while. Maybe it's the twelve hour work day, or this shit is really kicking in... or perhaps I'm having an acid flashback, but overall I'm going to have to say that I enjoyed this beer. It's got a scent and taste that I usually associate with sour or funk sometimes, but the sour here is very light and welcoming, and there's no funk to be found. There's only sweet and mild sour mellow light golden refreshing goodness.