She Likes to Watch

“Tron” dominates YouTube while world mourns Lux Interior

As everybody knows, there are a few things that go together especially well.

Peanut butter and jelly. Tomatoes and basil. Conan O’Brien and “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

I have an addition to that list:  “Tron” and Depeche Mode.

Created by graphic artist Justin Alt, the above video merges “Suffer Well” by Depeche Mode with clips from the classic science fiction flick “TRON.” It works.

Somehow, “TRON’s” unmistakable visual style and vintage computer animation fit perfectly with Depeche Mode’s pop-infused electronica. And no wonder: Both the movie and the music simply scream “early ’80s.”

Justin’s brilliant video comes just as buzz is building for the long-anticipated “TRON” sequel, “TRON 2.0.“ The movie, due in theaters in 2011, features original cast members Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner and some hot young stars in an electronic playground.

So far the only footage available is this “TRON 2.0″ teaser trailer from the pop culture convention Comic-Con International.

The quality is rather shoddy but it does reveal some details that set my heart aflutter — including newly designed light-cycles and a digital battlefield. You can heard the crowd go wild the moment Jeff Bridges — looking older and wiser than his original 1982 appearance as Kevin Flynn — shows up on screen.

Should be awesome.

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On an unrelated but equally important note, you may have heard that Lux Interior, frontman of seminal psychobilly band The Cramps, passed away last week.

Lux Interior, born Erick Lee Purkhiser, founded the Cramps in 1976 in New York with the help of his wife, dominatrix-turned-rock guitarist Poison Ivy Rorshach (nom de reality Kristy Wallace).

Wearing heels and skintight vinyl, the band became known for their demented blend of punk, rockabilly and B-movie kitsch and their energetic stage presence. They were, in a word, wild.

Few were as wild onstage as Lux himself, a skinny freak who screamed, jumped and wriggled like the best of them.

I had the pleasure of seeing The Cramps live only once, at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz. I’m happy to report that, even at their “advanced ages,” the band rocked. Hard.

Lux died Wednesday at age 60 (or 62, figures differ) from a preexisting heart condition.

His passing has inspired plenty of cyber musings, including this passionate tribute by blogger Robot de Niro at Have Pencils Will Travel.

Over at The Uranium Cafe, Uranium Willy has his own tribute to Lux Interior.

Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins shared his thoughts with The Los Angeles Times. I also recommend this article by Greg Kot of The Chicago Tribune, which includes a description of a 1994 concert by The Cramps.

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Thanks to TheWorldsBestEver.com for the Tron tip.