INTRODUCING: KABEAUSHÉ

Kabeaushé is back to bend worlds, warp logic and detonate genre lines with “WE HAVE OURSELVES A SHEKDOWN” — the second glimpse into his forthcoming fever-dream epic, KABEAUSHÉ PRESENTS: IGGY SWAGGERING UNGRATEFUL INCESSANT LITTLE PEEEAAAAAAA. If the first single introduced Herr Iggy as the swaggering, self-anointed ruler of the fictional Doerf Kingdom, “SHEKDOWN” is where the cracks show. Pummelling drums, serrated orchestral stabs and Kabeaushé’s shape-shifting vocals collide in a spiralling tableau of paranoia, power and performance — a sonic meltdown worthy of Eisenstein’s Ivan the Terrible.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari – Robert Wiene

The sets in this film are unbelievable!. There’s a scene where the hypnotist walks through an alley, and the entire environment is this long continuous space washed in a orange(ish) tone. The floor is covered in abstract painted shapes, the streetlamps are embellished and warped, and the whole thing feels like stepping inside a living drawing. The interior sets throughout the film are just as stunning, completely expressionist and unforgettable. I love the fonts too.

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse – Fritz Lang

Love the atmosphere and paranoia. Lang was so good at creating these worlds where tension would never let up.

Mandabi & Xala – Ousmane Sembène

Mandabi tells the story of a man who receives a money order but can’t cash it because he doesn’t have an ID. His search for a way to get proper papers spirals into something bigger, and he ends up biting off more than he can chew. I love how perfectly Ousmane would capture African backdrops, the neighborhoods, the colors, the sense of life. Both films have that quality.

Xala

Xala is another standout. It’s about a politician who takes a third wife, and then he gets cursed with erectile dysfunction, and the way it plays out is hilarious. The film feels theatrical, but also grounded, which made it such a joy to watch. And again, the main character ends up digging himself into a deeper hole than he ever expected.

Barry Lyndon – Stanley Kubrick

This film shaped the way I think about characters. Kubrick takes Barry on a full emotional and social roller coaster, he lifts him to the sky, then shoots him back down. At the start you root for him, but then slowly as the film progresses, you start to see his flaws and you start wanting to shake him and tell him not to squander his good fortune. I also love how precise Kubrick was with the music choices.

Alexander Nevsky – Sergei Eisenstein

For me, this film is what Ran is for many cinephiles. It was shot in black and white, with incredible costumes and an insane score. There’s one sequence where we first meet the Germans: they invade a town, take hostages, burn houses e.t.c and it’s all shown in a wordless montage set purely to music. The rhythm, the cuts, the staging. When I first saw it, I thought “That’s how you introduce a villain!”

The story of a three day pass - Melvin Van Peebles

I love the fact that he’d cut his own films both “The Story of a Three-Day Pass" and “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song", his editing is so distinctive, and his pacing is never “regular.” He’ll throw a curveball right in the middle of a scene, so you’re never quite sure what he’ll do next and I enjoyed that unpredictability a lot. Melvin was just a Badasss!