moviesandsongs365

Songs for your iPod

2012-01-31T10:59:00.000-08:00

(Candidates for most underrated song of 2010)

A Pure Accident - Badly Drawn Boy

...

What if it isn't out there? - The Silver Seas

...

I Don't Feel It Anymore - William Fitzsimmons Feat. Brooke Fraser (George Raquet Remix)

I Don't Feel It Anymore (Feat. Brooke Fraser) (George Raquet Remix) by Naim Edge

Listeners, any thoughts?

Favourite award show moments blogathon

2012-01-27T13:41:00.000-08:00

Winning for The Wrestler, he was quite the comedian that night! Have you seen the speech before? What did you think?

Songs for your iPod

2012-01-27T13:40:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought I would get into rap & hip-hop in 2011, go figure. I'll go back to my normal ways next weekend, promise.

The Vent - Big K.R.I.T

...

Became - Atmosphere

...

Growing Pains – Grieves

(Boogie Man is also pretty good from the same album)

Grieves - Growing Pains by vinarkate

...

Anymore - Blue Belt

Blue Belt - Anymore by Doing Good

Listeners, any thoughts on this week's music?

Favourite trailers blogathon

2012-01-27T13:39:00.000-08:00

I've not been hearing very good things about the film, the trailer for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011) impressed me. A U2 song has seldom been so powerfully used. Readers, any thoughts?

Top 10 films from 2011

2012-01-21T10:13:00.000-08:00

1.)
Another Year

(My number one film of the year! Top notch directing, acting, dialogue, and most importantly real emotions you can relate to. May lack a traditional beginning middle and end, but our real lives are not formulaic)

2.)
The Tree of Life

(Conceivable that Tree of Life could go down as a masterpiece that will still be watched in a 100 years time. I loved the breathtaking visuals, use of classical music, and how Malick could make me think about my childhood. To each viewer it has its own meaning, as my review indicates)

3.)
Barney's Version

(A film I still find myself thinking about, even though I saw it months ago. I've heard people call the film uneven. The strength of the story for me is the Barney character (Paul Giamatti), his vulnerability, and his emotional rollercoaster of a life is what drew me in)

4.)
Oslo, August 31st

(Listen out for the soundtrack, I liked it a a lot. The first person angle makes us feel very close to the 30something Norwegian young guy and his troubles. Even though he finds it easy to pick up girls, he is lost. Contains a message of how our generation maybe has too much freedom. Certain scenes were very powerful and imaginative. Director Joachim Trier has his own unique voice, which Reprise (2006) is also proof of. )

5.)
Happythankyoumoreplease

(Can put a smile on your face. A light, entertaining and funny indie. Heartwarming maybe because the characters are vulnerable. The soundtrack is good, too.)

6.)
Archipelago

(The dialogue is very assured and gives the story a lot of realism, sort of slow-paced Mike Leigh. Lingers in the mind. Director Joanna Hogg sure is underrated, having said that her films are not for everyone. Hogg's Unrelated (2008) made my list of best older films viewed in 2011.)

7.)
We Need to Talk About Kevin

(Tilda Swinton plays a mother challenged with raising her creepy son, Kevin. I'm very keen to review Lynne Ramsey's film, as I was left with a lot to think about after the credits had rolled. For me, was heartbreaking to watch, but impossible to forget. Not a film I’d revisit a lot, because I remember the story so vividly.

8.)
In A Better World

(I don't think its Susanne Bier's masterpiece, After the Wedding (2006) is better in my estimation, but she did win the best foreign language film oscar in 2011. Questions what is strength and what is weakness among the two boys. It’s about the choice between revenge and pacifism. On the one hand, how dominating and oppressing can lead to power, and on the other hand how doing nothing can make you look like a wimp, but at least you are not hurting anyone)

9.)
Inside Job (documentary)

(An informative and critical look at the reasons behind the financial crisis. Won Oscar for best documentary)

10.)
Miss Representation (documentary)

"in a world of a million channels like we have today, people try to do more and more shocking things to break through the clutter, and often times they resort to violent images, or sexually offensive images, or demeaning images, because they know it will get attention. The problem is kids are exposed to that, with very little, or no mediation"

"Turning a human being into a thing, that is almost always the first step to justifying violence against that person"

"If we spent the tenth of the time thinking about our weight, I think we would solve the worlds problems in a matter of months."

11.)
The Art of Getting By

(Possibly THE most underrated film of the year. Takes you back to being a rebellious teenager, likeable personalities and fun to watch.)

12.)
The Trip

(The impressions these guys do of celebrities are hilarious)

13.)
The Skin I Live in

(Pedro Almodóvars latest was not what I was expecting at all. A disturbing and suspenseful thriller, which is also a character study if you want it to be)

14.)
X-Men: First Class

(Good prequels are few and far between, The Godfather Part 2 probably wins as the best. X-Men: First Class was divided into three sections, action to start with, character study in the middle, and finally action once again. The best Hollywood popcorn blockbuster of 2011 for me)

15.)
Young Adult

(Great performance by Charlize Theron as a troubled 37-year-old author struggling to find her place in the adult world. She returns home to try and hook up with her old boyfriend. Great script by Diablo Cody who wrote Juno. For me, Jason Reitman maintains his perfect record of never having made a bad film.)

16.)
Sarah's Key

(WW2 drama. The themes are to do with what should be kept a secret and what should not, and how we are a product of our history. Definitely the best French film I've seen in a long time)

17.)
Certified Copy

(Look at it as a Before Sunset for adults. I struggled to understand what the director wanted to say, and the relationship was not as warm-hearted as I would have hoped for, but the films strength is the magnificent script and dialogue. Juliette Binoche won the Best Actress prize in Cannes for her performance)

18.)
The Kid With A Bike

(Simple and heart-warming story about a young boy in search of his father, the boy meets various people on his journey. Directed by award-winning Belgian Dardenne duo, thanks to bonjour trisesse for the recommendation)

19.)
The Way

(Beautiful cinematography. About a father going to Europe, and heading on pilgrimage named El Camino, he meets some colourful oddballs on his path)

20.)
A Separation

(Favorite to bag the foreign language film Academy Award in February. Gives a depiction of life in contemporary Iran. Worked well as a suspenseful crime story, but I didn’t think its a film where I fell in love with the characters (but I don’t think the director was trying for this). Having said that, I would probably watch it again, to take another look at the important scenes of the accident.)

21.)
Newlyweds

(Edward Burns' scripts in recent times for me have become increasingly uninspiring, the dialogue and characters in his latest indie felt fresher and more personal)

22.)
Limitless

(Better than expected. An interesting "what if" premise. Does it make you a better person by accessing 100% of your brain, and is this the future of medication? What would happen if we all took a pill. If we are all at the top of our game and felt no pain, what would the world look like? Perhaps a warning for future generations)

23.)
50/50

(A rare mix of drama and comedy. Somehow works making a comedy about cancer. I liked it, not sure I loved it. The Seth Rogen character annoyed me, but I guess his unappealing attitude made the Joseph Gordon-Levitt character seem more likeable to the audience. I’m surprised really they were friends, being so different. )

24.)
Reagan (documentary)

(A doc that looks at his time as president during the 80s, both the positive and negative, and how Ronald Reagan is perceived today)

25.)
Bobby Fischer Against the World (documentary)

(He was the best chess player in the world for a while. Its difficult to make chess exciting for an hour and a half, but I think they managed it largely due to Fischer’s unusual personality. Lets face it, if the guy had been normal, would there have been a documentary? I did not know much about him, there probably wasn't much new brought to the table for those who do remember Fischer.)

26.)
Drive

(I'm probably out on my own in the blogosphere ranking Drive so low, I loved the music and atmosphere. But aside from Ryan Gosling, the rest of the characters were one-dimensional. I also find it unsettling that so many people have turned a blind eye to the extreme violence)

27.)
Source Code

(Didn't like it quite as much as Moon. Still, a solid follow-up that was entertaining from start to finish, and kept me on the edge of my seat)

28.)
Happy, Happy

(Not a film I instantly thought, YES! great film. But the more I discuss the story with others, the more depth the film reveals. A film I sense I ought to review to get my opinions sorted out. It was submitted as Norway's entry for the 2012 Oscars, and won World Cinema Grand Jury Prize for drama at the 2011 Sundance film festival)

29.)
The High Cost of Living

(An underrated and overlooked indie movie. I doubt whether many people have this film on their year-end lists, or have even seen it. I only heard about it by accident. The characters really stayed with me, is kind of a sequel to The Last Kiss)

30.)
Martha Marcy May Marlene

(Probably was a bit overhyped, so expectations were sky-high. The film has a lot of tension that slowly builds. Making a serious film about a cult seemed to be an original idea that I hadn't seen done before, and while the dark story is tough to love, it held my attention)

Honourable mentions:
The Ides of March
Win Win
Margin Call
Like Crazy
Cold Weather
Midnight in Paris
Terri
Life In A Day (documentary)
The People vs. George Lucas (documentary)
The Music Never Stopped
The Descendants
The Artist
Melancholia
The Rum Diary
Carnage
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

*Yet to see:
*Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
*Shame
*Anonymous
*Contagion
*We Bought a Zoo
*Warhorse
*Magaret
*Take Shelter
*Take This Waltz
*Damsels in Distress
*The Turin Horse
*Salt of Life
*Beauty (dir: Oliver Hermanus)
*The Flowers of War
*The Swell Season (documentary)
*Corman's World: Exploits Of A Hollywood Rebel (documentary)

Readers, what do you think of my list above?

Favourite award show moments blogathon

2012-01-19T00:55:00.000-08:00

A new blogathon idea has been cooking in my mind, what for me are funny and memorable moments from award shows? I'll start off with The Golden Globes 2012. Johnny Depp should do more comedy!
Readers, what was your favourite moment at last weekend's Golden Globes ?

The tv-series that Ricky mentions at the Globes is amusing too:

Favourite trailers blogathon

2012-01-17T01:02:00.000-08:00

Don't be fooled. I've never seen such a bad movie with such a great trailer. I don't know whether to praise the makers of the trailer, or call them manipulative. What do you think?

I Melt with You Trailer (2011) (Mood Piece)

Songs for your iPod

2012-01-17T00:57:00.000-08:00

Masterpiece - Madonna

(My favourite song from the Golden Globes, and it won!)

...

Human Condition - Joan As Police Woman

(In my opinion her music has universal appeal, for example listen to another recent song Flash, she should have a bigger following)

...

Only When I Dream - Roxette

(They may be too far gone into the pop trash category for purists, Roxette have faded into obscurity since their heyday. The chorus is a bit annoying, enjoyed the rest of the song from 2011 album Charm School, an influence could be Leonard Cohen's First We Take Manhattan)

What did you think of the songs? Share your views in the comment box below

Songs for your iPod

2012-01-11T05:57:00.000-08:00

Vanity Is Forever by Geoffrey O'Connor is for the casual music fan an unnoticed album from 2011, an LP that has slowly but surely grown on me, and I keep returning to it for more. There's an aura about his vocals and lyrics, and the sunglasses obviously add to the mystery reminiscent of the late Roy Orbison. I'm told O'Connor opened for Jens Lekman on his tour. For me, among the very best obscure albums of 2011.

So Sorry - Geoffrey O'Connor
So Sorry by Geoffrey O'Connor

...

Like They Say It Does - Geoffrey O'Connor

Whatever Leads Me To You - Geoffrey O'Connor

New 2012 track:

Now And Then - Geoffrey O'Connor

Listeners, any thoughts on the tunes or the singer?

Favourite trailers blogathon

2012-01-11T05:18:00.000-08:00

Could be perceived as slightly schmaltzy and sentimental, but the trailer and anime movie really work I think due to the peaceful images and haunting voice-overs. Here's a link to my review of 5 centimeters per second (2007)

Readers, what did you think of the trailer?

Anticipated Albums 2012

2012-01-04T06:23:00.000-08:00

So what new music am I looking forward to for 2012? Here are some album selections:

10th of January:

If - Bill Ryder-Jones

...

12th of January:

The Lion's Roar - First Aid Kit

...

31st of January:

Old Ideas - Leonard Cohen

...

31st of January:

Born to Die - Lana Del Rey

...

7th of February:

Le Voyage Dans La Lune - Air

...

7th of February:

Tramp - Sharon Van Etten

...

7th of February:

Paralytic Stalks - Of Montreal

...

14th of February:

Underrated Silence - Ulrich Schnauss and Mark Peters

...

14th of February:

Roses – The Cranberries

...

20th of February:

I Thought I Was an Alien - Soko

...

21st of February:

Visions - Grimes

...

21st of February:

Maraqopa - Damien Jurado

...

28th of February:

Ghostory – School of Seven Bells

...

28th of February:

The Slideshow Effect - Memoryhouse

...

March 2012:

Port of Morrow – The Shins

...

27th of March:

Rhine Gold - Choir of Young Believers

...

22nd of May

All Of Us, Together - Teen Daze

...

Rumoured albums:
Don’t Get Too Grand - Donovan Woods (EP)
Fiona Apple
Sigur Rós
Garbage
Nite Jewel
The Killers
Niki & The Dove
What We Saw from the Cheap Seats - Regina Spektor
Amanda Mair
Keane

What new music are you most excited about for spring 2012? What did I miss? Any thoughts on the albums above? Share your views in the comments!

Songs for your iPod

2012-01-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

A few 2011 songs out of category I couldn't label. A new album for fans of the Drive soundtrack!

Wall Street - Van Dyke Parks

(Thanks for sharing Zach at welistenforyou, was his no 1 song of 2011. Really grows on you. Read what he thought here)

Van Dyke Parks, "Wall Street" by Evankindley

...

Tell Me A Tale - Michael Kiwanuka

(A lot of retro 80s music doing the rounds, here's a retro 70s tune from 2011)

...
Acknowledgement - Letter And Lines

(The lyrics are very me at the moment)

...

ps

For fans of the Drive soundtrack, check out this December 2011 release. I'm already a fan of Johnny Jewel's band Glass Candy. Read more about Themes For an Imaginary Film here

Symmetry: Themes For an Imaginary Film / by Johnny Jewel

SYMMETRY / THEMES FOR AN IMAGINARY FILM by JOHNNY JEWEL

Let me know what you think in the comments below...

moviesandsongs365 in 2012

2012-01-01T02:49:00.000-08:00

My resolution for the new year is not to let blogging control my life. I want to focus on other things, so that means I will post reviews more sporadically, and maybe no film write-ups at all for the next few months.

Its still my intention to catch up on 2011 films I haven't got to yet, and post my top 10 films from 2011 soon.

Later in 2012, I plan to post a Lars Von Trier film review blogathon, and also review each part of Kieslowski's highly-acclaimed The Decalogue (1988). Further, I hope to write about several of Douglas Sirk's films, but that's a bit more up in the air, depending on if I read the interview book Sirk on Sirk edited by Jon Halliday.
Other incomplete film reviews on the horizon are: Titanic (1997), We Need To Talk About Kevin, Black Swan, American Psycho (2000), The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Painted Veil, Collateral (2004), The Matrix, V for Vendetta, Tape, The Exorcist, Silence of the lambs, Leonard Cohen : I’m your man, The Big Chill, Mother and child, The Reader, One flew over the cukoos nest, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish, Terminator 2, Stars Wars Trilogy, Back To The Future Trilogy, Juno, My Dog Tulip, Worlds Fastest Indian, Elizabethtown, The Shipping News, Reign Over Me, The Squid and the Whale, Marty (1955), Lost In Translation, Requiem for a dream, Me and you and everyone we know, Dummy (2002), The boy with the green hair, Educating Rita, Slumdog millionaire, etc.
Foreign-language film reviews in future: The Road Home (2000), Zerkalo (1975), Spring, summer, fall, winter…and spring (2003), The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979), etc.

On the music front, songs for your iPod is not so time-consuming, and refues to die, so that will continue, and keep the blog afloat. The Radio Dept. is a band I love, and a songathon in appreciation of them is something I have in the pipeline.
Nick Drake, Massive Attack, The Flaming Lips, Joy Division, Paul Simon, Fiona Apple, Feist, Wareham & Philips, David Gray, Johnny Cash & Rick Rubin's American Recordings, Sebastien Tellier, School of Seven Bells, Joan As Police Woman, Beck, Destroyer, The National, Julee Cruise, Elton John (70s), and Moby are other artists I want to listen to everything they've done (in several cases I already have), and share my favourites here on the blog. I hope you will join me on that journey.
If you have any artists you would like me to explore, let me know in the comments, and I will definitely consider them, if the music is to my taste.

In the mean time, you can catch up on 2011 music, I put a lot of effort into my year-end music lists below, which I will continue to update from time to time.

Happy New Year everyone!

from Chris, movies and songs 365

Top rock songs from 2011

2011-12-29T08:21:00.000-08:00

My focus during 2011 was on acoustic, dream pop and folk. This rock list is a bit of an afterthought and probably has a few gaps, as I don't care for very loud rock. I mainly listen to music with headphones. Questionable if all of these are what you would call true rock songs, some are probably pop rock, electronic, etc. I only post music I like:

Lotus Flower - Radiohead

Radiohead - Lotus Flower by okw4rd

Oh My Heart - R.E.M.

R.E.M. "Oh My Heart" by Warner Music Group DE

Reach A Bit Further - Wild Beasts

Wild Beasts / Reach A Bit Further by Constellations Festival

Take Another Look - The Cars

Take Another Look by The Cars

Re-wired - Kasabian

Take the world - She Wants Revenge

Call Me Back - The Strokes

Dear friends – Elbow

Born To Die - Lana Del Ray

Other rock songs from 2011 that impressed me:

Smart - Girl in a Coma

Stone's Gone Up - David Lynch

Sad Song – The Cars

Stamp - The Rural Alberta Advantage

La Fee Verte - Kasabian

Over the Hill and Back Again - Paleo

Misspent Youth - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (thanks The Past And The Pending)

All or Nothing - Mutemath

Wild Thing - Noah And The Whale

Bobby - Butcher The Bar

The Void - Darkness Falls

Cheater Carolina - Fops

Iron – Woodkid

We all go back to where we belong – REM

Lamentations - The Dears

My My Mind - Apex Manor

Living For Someone - Ivan and Alyosha

Street Joy - White Denim

One for You, One for Me - Bright Eyes

Shell Games - Bright Eyes

The Body - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Need You Now - Cut Copy

Morning Mr Magpie – Radiohead

The Hunger - Shirley Manson & Serj Tankian

Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (U2 Cover) - Garbage

No Part Of Me - Steven Wilson

Remainder the Black Dog - Steven Wilson

Index - Steven Wilson

French Exit - The Antlers

Call It What You Want - Foster The People

On Our Own - Diamond Rings

Balance - Future Islands

Weekend - Class Actress

Even Better Than The Real Thing (Jacques Lu Cont Mix) - U2

I’m His Girl – Friends

The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Morgan's Bay - Goldroom

Landforms - Other Lives

Bad Ritual - Timber Timbre

Division Street - Ravens and Chimes

Flashlight Tag - Sleepy Vikings

Eventually - The Phoenix Foundation

Golden Ship - The Phoenix Foundation

Bailey’s beach - The Phoenix Foundation

Escape All Responsibility - Chocolate Horse

You Was Me - Jonny

The Secret Chord - The Sand Band

Adapt - Wire

Vitamin K - Gruff Rhys

Strangers - White Lies

Happy Soup - Baxter Dury

The Birds - Elbow

Can’t You Tell - Vetiver

Sun God - Cut Copy

Open Heart Surgery - Beth Ditto

Right Guide - Chamberlin

Never Die Alone - Chamberlin

Equal Dreams (feat. Solange Knowles) - The Rewards

Don't F*** with My Money - Penguin Prison

Major Minus - Coldplay

Future Shadows - Forest Fire

(Watch this space for more 2011 rock tracks in future...last updated 2nd of Feb 2012)

Any thoughts on my list? Which of the artists are you a fan of? Have I missed any great rock albums? Has 2011 been a good year for rock music in your opinion? Share your views in the comments below

Top folk songs from 2011

2011-12-27T11:19:00.000-08:00

2011 was in my opinion a strong year for folk music, and also dream pop. I don't know about rock or other genres the last 12 months, I really couldn't say. The list below is unfinished. I’ll add more later, if I find some good songs, or if you tell me in the comments what I missed!

Glorious - The Pierces

Jesus Fever - Kurt Vile

Chains (live) - Abigail Washburn

The Fifth Horseman Of The Apocalypse - The Nightwatchman / Tom Morello

Come Around – Sarah Jarosz

I'm Losing Myself - Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes) feat. Ed Droste

Evening Song - Hymns From Nineveh

Moon in The Water - Dawes

Natural Rhapsody - Jonathan Wilson

Don't ask me why - Laura Marling

More folk music (or near enough) from 2011 not to be missed:

The Sun Always Reminds Me Of You - Marissa Nadler

Runner Ups - Kurt Vile

Your Own Spell - King Creosote and Jon Hopkins

Apple Like a Wrecking Ball - Hoots & Hellmouth

Silk Tilts - Butcher The Bar

The Tide Pulls From The Moon - William Fitzsimmons

Gone Kerouac - W. Travis

Used to be a cop – Drive by truckers

Face In The Crowd - Joseph Arthur

To Go and Return - Jeffrey Lewis

To Begin (Live) - Alela Diane

In Your Lair, Bear - Marissa Nadler

Spain - Arborea

Kentish Town Waltz - Imelda May

Field Song - William Elliott Whitmore

Bonny Bunch of Roses (cover) - June Tabor & Oysterband

That Was My Veil (PJ Harvey cover) - June Tabor & Oysterband

Gentle Spirit - Jonathan Wilson

Blood Never Lies - Thurston Moore

In Silver Rain With A Paper Key - Thurston Moore

County Line - Cass Mccombs

The Way It Will Be - Gillian Welch

Why Should I - Luisa Sobral

You Folded up our Blanket Like We Used to be Lovers - Case Studies

Wapusk - Kathleen Edwards (feat. Bon Iver)

Deep Water - The Middle East

Face to the Highway – Tom Waits

100 Acres of Sycamore - Fionn Regan

Black Captain - Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

No match - Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

Noble Aim - Sleeping At Last

Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes

The Shrine An Argument - Fleet Foxes

American - Sean Rowe

Surprise - Sean Rowe

Girl in a Coat - Blitzen Trapper

Stranger in a strange land - Blitzen Trapper

Night after night (Live at WFUV/The Alternate Side) - Laura Marling

Rest in the dark - Laura Marling

Lucky Now - Ryan Adams

Tree by the river – Iron & Wine

Lil Norge feat. Jens Lekman - Danielson

Hey Joe - Liz Green

Ballad Of The Bastard - Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat

Today, I Feel Like I'm Evolving - River City Extension

Waiting In The Airport - River City Extension

Ninth Ave Reverie - The Middle East

Eastwood (Feat. Clint Eastwood) - Brad Paisley

Universal Applicant - Bill Callahan

Riding For The Feeling - Bill Callahan

Drover - Bill Callahan

Infamous Love Song - Over The Rhine

Baby’s Arms - Kurt Vile

Fall Away - Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks

The Heron and the Fox (live) - Little Scream

My Way Back Home (Live at WFUV) - Dawes

St. Petersburg - The Wilderness Of Manitoba (from their 2011 album)

Baby Jeans - The Wooden Birds

The Afterlife - Paul Simon

Hymn For The Lover - Hymns From Nineveh

Keep Me Young - Trent Dabbs

Leave To See - Trent Dabbs

Paper Airplane - Alison Krauss & Union Station

Lay My Burden Down - Alison Krauss [Get Low Soundtrack Version]

For What It's Worth - Stevie Nicks

Country Dumb (Piano Version) - Josh T. Pearson

On a Spree - Richmond Fontaine

Inventory - Richmond Fontaine

Apothecary Love - The Low Anthem

Marcy's Song (Jackson C. Frank Cover) - John Hawkes

Part Time Believer - Boy & Bear

One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley's Boyfriend) - Wilco

The Nazarene - Joe Crookston

Lament - Mount Moriah

The Death Of You And Me - Noel Gallagher

Sourdoire Valley Song - The Mountain Goats

Outer Scorpion Squadron - The Mountain Goats

Born To Be Loved - Lucinda Williams

Your Friend - Denison Witmer

Two And A Glass Rose - Denison Witmer

Bugs - O'Death

Put on Cologne – Donovan Woods

Thanks for Nothing - Middle Brother

Wilderness - Middle Brother

Mary's Gone - The Deep Dark Woods

Everything I Saw - The Weather Station (thanks naturalbeardy)

Came so easy - The Weather Station

Yarrow and Mint - The Weather Station

Running Around Asking - The Weather Station

Go on - Bec Sandridge

Decision Day - Conrad Plymouth

Feral Horse (live on CJSR) - Tyler Butler

Ghost on the canvas - Glen Campbell

Run Away - Sarah Jarosz

The Tourist (Radiohead cover) - Sarah Jarosz

Now and Then - Catherine Maclellan

Bats in the Attic - King Creosote & Jon Hopkins

Treasures - Seasick Steve

(Watch this space for more 2011 tracks in future...last updated 2nd of Feb 2012)

Any thoughts on my list? Which artists above are you a fan of? Do you agree with me that 2011 has been a good year for new folk music? Did I miss any great folk songs or albums? Share your opinions in the comments below

Top acoustic songs from 2011

2011-12-27T10:23:00.000-08:00

Probably if you asked 100 different people, you'd get 100 different lists, enjoy!

Flash - Joan As Police Woman

Monday - The Sea and Cake

Hiding Tonight - Alex Turner

Memoir - Charlotte Gainsbourg

Hit or Miss - Sleeping At Last

Time Trades - Jeffrey Lewis

Everyday (Buddy Holly cover) - Fiona Apple

Carousel - Ravens and Chimes

Black - Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi feat. Norah Jones

Wonder Years - Real Estate

Careless Love - Arborea

Towards the Sun - Alexi Murdoch (on 2011 album)

Other acoustic tracks (or near enough) from 2011 not to be missed:

How can it be (live acoustic) - Jeffrey Lewis

Krongu Green Slime - Jeffrey Lewis

Holocene - Bon Iver

Rising Red Lung – Wilco

Come Home – Ryan Adams

Invisible Riverside - Ryan Adams

Terra Incognita - Atlas Sound

White Telephone - Charlotte Gainsbourg

Fade and Then Return - William Fitzsimmons

Open Your Mind (live) - Wilco/Jeff Tweedy

Sin so sweet - Butcher The Bar

Requiem on Water - Imperial Mammoth (from Twilight Breaking Dawn soundtrack)

Resolve – Sleeping At Last

January White - Sleeping At Last

Steak Knives - Man Man

Everything Is Burning - Ivan & Alyosha

Womanifesto - Jill Scott

Ricochet - Sondre Lerche

So Alive (Love and Rockets cover) - Duncan Sheik

The Worst Of Me - Ida Gard

Riverside - Agnes Obel (from her 2011 album)

Avenue - Agnes Obel

Pyramid Song (Radiohead Cover) - Wolf Gang

Love and Hard Times - Paul Simon

Love Song (Lesley Duncan cover) - Marianne Faithfull

Her Hands Were Leaves - Alexi Murdoch

Wind up Doll (Sleepover Shows live) - Marissa Nadler

A Little Time - Arborea

Like A Man - Adam Cohen

Coney Island Winter (acoustic live) - Garland Jeffreys

All Things Past Serve to Guide You on Your Way - Frederick Squire (thanks slowcoustic)

Think You Can Wait - The National

Exile Vilify - The National

Can’t Keep – Eddie Vedder

A Little Bit of Everything (live on WFPK Radio) - Dawes

The Last Goodbye (acoustic) - The Kills

Love Is A Laserquest (Live on KEXP) - Arctic Monkeys

Godless Brother in Love - Iron & Wine

Half Of Something Else (acoustic) - The Airborne Toxic Event

All I Ever Wanted (Bombastic Video) - The Airborne Toxic Event

All For A Woman (Bombastic Video) - The Airborne Toxic Event

Only In Your Head - Marketa Irglova

Last Fall - Marketa Irglova

Driverless Train To Expo - Klak Tik (Thanks indiehere)

Between The Bars (Chris Garneau cover) - Elliott Smith

We Will All Be Changed - Seryn

Belongings – Clock Opera

Two Matchsticks - The Wooden Birds

The Things You Lost - El May

Taking You With Me – Daniel Tashian (Thanks Inspired Ground)

The Discipline Of A Broken Leg - Vessel

One-Month Marathon - Eleanor Friedberger

Pots and Pans - The Kills

Comfort Me - Feist

I Shall Forever Remain An Amateur - The Leisure Society

Catholic Boys in the Rain - The Savings and Loan

Jack and Jill – Jonny Kearney & Lucy Farrell

The Punk - KT Tunstall

(Watch this space for more 2011 acoustic tracks in future...last updated 2nd of February 2012)

Did I miss any great acoustic music from 2011? Which tracks or artists did you like, hate, discover? Let me know what you think of the list in the comments!

My top 10 albums from 2011

2011-12-27T08:42:00.000-08:00

1.)
Kaputt - Destroyer

(Released in January, I didn’t find a better album all year. I love the laid-back, unhurried dream pop atmosphere. Pitchfork Media named it the second best album of 2011)
Favourite tracks:
Kaputt
Chinatown
Bay of Pigs (Detail)

...

2.)
Smoke Ring For My Halo - Kurt Vile

(Hit stores in March. My favourite folk album from 2011. I love his voice, lyrics, and guitar playing. Haunting and memorable)
Favourite tracks:
Baby’s Arms
Runner Ups
Jesus Fever

...

3.)
Drive (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

(What can I say that hasn’t already been said? I have to admit the outbursts of violence put me off loving the movie, and I ended up only liking it. The soundtrack however I can’t get enough of, and the hazy dreamy tracks fit my taste perfectly)
Favourite tracks:
A Real Hero - College feat. Electric Youth
Under Your Spell - Desire
Nightcall – Kavinsky

...

4.)
Sea of Memories – Pallers

(Under the radar electronic album from Sweden. I feel these guys deserve more credit and attention than they're currently getting. You could argue the songs are a little similar, but the album is easy to listen to all the way through!)
Favourite tracks:
Humdrum
The Kiss
Another Heaven
Come Rain, Come Sunshine

...

5.)
English Riviera – Metronomy

(My 2nd favourite electronic album this year. Great sound, great beats, great videos)
Favourite tracks:
The Bay
The Look
She Wants

...

6.)
A Turn In The Dream Songs - Jeffrey Lewis

(American singer-songwriter. He’s a talented lyricist! You get the feeling he has really experienced what he‘s singing about, and a lot of effort has been put into each tune. He kind of jokes around on the LP how he ought to be more famous ( :
Favourite tracks:
Time Trades
Cult Boyfriend
How can it be
Krongu Green Slime
So What If I Couldn't Take It
Try It Again

...

7.)
Holy Ghost! - Holy Ghost!

(A pop album that is just so catchy that I love it to bits. And redemption for Michael McDonald after he was crucified by Judd Apatow)
Favourite tracks:
Wait and See
Some Children (feat. Michael Mcdonald)
Say My Name

...

8.)
Gentle Spirit - Jonathan Wilson

(A throwback to the Pink Floyd and Neil Young sound of the 1970s, Wilson's 2nd LP has a number of strong tracks. I'm surprised so few music sites are mentioning a truly under-appreciated album of 2011. I definitely want to find his debut album as soon as possible. Works best by listening to the LP in its entirety)
Favourite tracks:
Natural Rhapsody
Gentle Spirit

...

9.)
Making Mirrors – Gotye

(Up there for me with the very best pop/rock LPs released in 2011. I think the LP will sell very well, it hits US stores in January 2012)
Favourite tracks:
Giving Me A Chance
Dig your own hole
Somebody that I used to know
Smoke and Mirrors
Don't Worry We'll Be Watching You

...

10.)
Philharmonics - Agnes Obel

(Award winning Danish singer-songwriter. In my opinion among the best acoustic albums from 2011, instrumentation is reminiscent of Joanna Newsom.)
Favourite tracks:
Riverside
Avenue
Philharmonics
Brother Sparrow

...

Albums 11-
Towards the Sun - Alexi Murdoch
An Argument With Myself - Jens Lekman
Magic - Sean Rowe
Shapeshifting - Young Galaxy
Blouse - Blouse
A Creature I Don't Know - Laura Marling
A I A : Alien Observer – Grouper
All Eternals Deck - Mountain Goats
Ashes and Fire - Ryan Adams
Apocalypse - Bill Callahan
All Of It Was Mine - The Weather Station
Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
Submarine - Alex Turner
Burst Apart - The Antlers
Knees, Feet & The Parts We Don't Speak Of - Ida Gard
Fathers Be Kind - Ivan and Alyosha
Hymns From Nineveh - Hymns from Nineveh
Southerner - Trent Dabbs
You Are All I See - Active Child
We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves – John Maus
Vanity Is Forever - Geoffrey O'Connor
Marissa Nadler - Marissa Nadler
Red Planet - Arborea
Nothing Is Wrong - Dawes
Move Like This - The Cars
The Deep Field - Joan As Police Woman
The King of Limbs - Radiohead
Grace for Drowning - Steven Wilson

Any thoughts on my top albums? Which of the LP's did you enjoy? Have I missed any great albums? Has 2011 been a good year for music in your opinion? Share your views in the comments below

Top 10 classic films discovered in 2011

2011-12-23T15:24:00.000-08:00

When I say classic, in this case everything older than 2010. Oddly, I've hardly reviewed any of the below titles yet.

1.)
The Face of Another (1966)

(A lot of buzz currently for Almodovar's new film The Skin I live In. Watch The Face of Another for a similar atmosphere, only its Japanese)

2.)
Written on the Wind (1956)

(I got hold of a box set of director Douglas Sirk's films, this one definitely impressed me a lot. A powerful story about a rich family, who in spite of money are not happy. The mysterious title is also part of the soundtrack: “our night of stolen bliss was written on the wind)

3.)
The Decalogue 1-10 (1988)

(I finally got around to watching and loved it! Some of the best made for TV programmes ever made. Each one hour episode is about one of the ten commandments. Everyone should see Kieslowski's masterpiece at least once in their life. I'm going to review each part in 2012.)

4.)
Collateral (2004)

(Say what you will about Tom Cruise, for my money he's a talented and underrated actor. Again he delivers in Collateral as a hit man on the run. I don't know why I love Collateral, I just do. Maybe it’s the dialogue in cars thing I enjoy.)

5.)
Buffalo '66 (1998)

(Haven’t seen any film quite like this underrated indie. Don’t judge the film on the dreadful trailer. I found it very original, and that says a lot, as I have seen a ton of independent films.)

6.)
My Brilliant Career (1979)

(A forgotten Australian film more people should watch. Has a terrific script that I could really identify with at this point in my life)

7.)
Wings of Desire (1987)

(An atmosphere like no other film I know. Like a poem set to moving images. A classic.)

8.)
The Shape of Things (2003)

(Dialogue-driven comedy/drama. The pay-off means its not a film I'd see a bunch of times, but the first watch blew me away. Says a lot of smart stuff about relationships.)

9.)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

(Great acting, interesting characters. I got into some of Tennessee Williams' plays during the year, his characters kind of have a timeless quality. Another Tennessee Williams play turned into film I enjoyed features on my honourable mentions list below, The night of the iguana (1964)

10.)
The Tarnished Angels (1957)

(The poster lies, its black and white. Actually has almost the same cast as number 2 on my list Written on the wind. Another Douglas Sirk directed film. Story a little confusing at times, but loved the scenes between Rock Hudson and the woman, very endearing and romantic stuff. Plus, the flying scenes were well-done. A rare mix of action and intimate dialogue. Currently unavailable on DVD, you can watch it on youtube

Honourable mentions in random order. A few of the picks have not appeared on my blog before:
Unrelated (2008)
A Woman Under The Influence (1974)
Mildred Pierce (1945)
Now Voyager (1942)
Sweet and Lowdown (1999)
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Breaking Upwards (2009)
We Don’t Live Here Anymore (2004)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
The Inheritance (2003)
Temporary Release (2007)
Babettes Feast (1987)
10 Questions for Dalai Lama (2006)
The Four Seasons (1981)
I Vitelloni (1953)
Nights of Cabiria (1957)
The Night Of The Iguana (1964)
Cat People (1942)
Possessed (1947)
Lost Horizon (1937)
Another Woman (1988)
You, the Living (2007)
Lovers of the Artic Circle (1998)
The Dark Side Of The Sun (1988)
The Last Days of Disco (1998)
Babel (2006)
Live And Become (2005)

Look out for my top 10 films from 2011 list coming soon!

Any thoughts on the list above? What were your favourite classic or older films watched for the first time in 2011?

Songs for your iPod

2011-12-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

Smart - Girl In a Coma

(Obscure maybe, brilliant tune, definitely. The end of the track could have been better, but still one of my favourite rock songs of 2011.)

...

Gentle Roar - Niki & The Dove

(From EP. I'm guessing Liberian Girl was an influence. Look out for Niki & The Dove's album in 2012. Also, their atmospheric tracks from 2010 are amazing. Thanks to listologies for opening my eyes to the band in his top 50 songs of 2010)

...

Giving Me A Chance - Gotye

(Wow, I've heard this song more times than I care to admit, so catchy! the past and the pending, good job highlighting this tune, and looking forward to your best music of 2011 lists! )

Visitors to my blog, any thoughts on the music?

Movie of the week: Babette's Feast (1987)

2011-12-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

Foreign language oscar winning film from 1987. Based on the story by Danish author Karen Blixen. With the surge in interest in Blixen during the mid 80s due to the film adaptation of her book Out of Africa, its understandable why they made Babette's feast soon after.

The film is a time capsule, showing us what it was like to live in Scandinavia in the late 1800s. The point of view is from the parish. For this reason, it was tough for me to identify with the characters. Perceived today, the two sisters Philippa and Martine seem smug and behave like nuns in denial. On the other hand, in those days the sister's were no doubt role models of righteousness, good-hearted non-sinners. Their background with a father as a priest means they feel obliged to live a holy life without getting married. A problem probably lies in that they are unable to see a world outside of their own devout Christian upbringing. Faith is all that matters in their daily life. If they are attracted to a man, they brush the feeling off, thinking its shameful and a sin to take it beyond friendship. The story sheds light on the limitations of such a chaste life, and questions blind and all-encompassing devotion to the bible and a collective suppression of individuality.

We see the sisters at different stages of their life. They appear afraid or unable to deal with their own feelings, frightened of change. In essence, the community are robbing themselves of new experiences. Perhaps it's insecurity, afraid to be independent people, blindly taking over their father's philosophy of life. The sisters outwardly are content with status quo. Perhaps Philippa and Martine think their destiny in this world is to honour their father by continuing his church work.

Even when the priest dies, the community still follow his example. The material world is an illusion, true reality for them is a heavenly place. In order to be accepted in paradise, the sisters behave in a restrained manner, they don't believe they can achieve actual happiness during their lifetime. The film is based on fact and a depiction of the times, refraining from drinking was a method to control drunkards.

The book was controversial in its time, and Karen Blixen wrote under the pseudonym Isak Dinesen. Having travelled to Africa as a young woman, Blixen could observe Scandinavia from a different point of view on her return, and see the disadvantages of living such a controlled life, where all pleasure is rejected. Then again, there is no way of knowing if the sister's in fact would have had a happier life away from the small town?

For me, the highlight of the film is the preparation and eating of the feast, which is to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of when the priest was born. The way the scenes were shot, the food becomes something magical. I actually read the novella/short story, and the words Blixen uses to describe the meal likewise elevates it into something extraordinary, almost divine. The community enjoy the delicious food, they have never experienced such a magnificent meal before, and maybe never will again, knowing their behaviour. Perhaps the expensive food tastes even better, because they are telling stories to each other as well. Its fun to watch them getting drunk, and repressed feelings come to the surface during conversation, for better or worse. Watching all these tasty dishes I really began to feel quite hungry ( :

Since the sisters don't want to travel, travellers who visit the community are a form of stimulation for them.
Babette is an outsider, the cook, perhaps the opposite of the two sisters, Babette views herself as an artist, wanting to realize her potential, cooking is her identity. Ironically, the aristocrats who are her enemies from the past, are the only ones who can truly appreciate her special meal. You probably can't distinguish between Babette's desire to thank Philippa and Martine for letting Babette stay at their house, and Babette's selfish need to express herself through her cooking. Anyhow, her artistic longings benefit everyone positively, irrespective if it's a self-serving agenda or not. For a few hours, Babette takes over the priest's role in the community, the unifier gathering everyone together.

Several things point towards Babette being the author Karen Blixen in disguise, the individual who creates something beautiful, which can be enjoyed by friends or foes. Blixen wrote stories to be enjoyed, likewise, Babette cooked a feast to stir the senses. Karen Blixen was a woman of the world, who returned to Denmark and could perceive her home country with a fresh pair of eyes.
Similarly, Babette is a foreigner from Paris, she wants to introduce the community to something exciting and new, which they otherwise would never have encountered without her help.

The message of the film I think is that we can have faith, but also at the same time enjoy our years on this planet. It can be rewarding and liberating to rebel against conventions, new people can push you into new experiences, but being a renegade can also be alienating. Perhaps through art and our senses we can get a glimpse of something beyond our material existence. I think Blixen is hinting, why shouldn't we enjoy all that nature has to offer, animals, fruit and vegetables?

A minor critique is the running time of the film, it could easily have been shorter. Suitable for watching at Christmas time, even though its actually got nothing to do with xmas.

Readers, any thoughts on Babette's feast?

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Songs for your iPod

2011-12-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

A couple of promising, new female singer-songwriters from Scandinavia I found in 2011

House – Amanda Mair

(Her lyrics are so mature considering she's still a teenager. I'm excited to hear her debut album, hopefully out in 2012)

...

Doubt - Amanda Mair

My Two Feet - Ida Gard

(If you like Fiona Apple's sound, I think you'll like Ida Gard's songs. Pretty impressive album for an independent artist. If you want to buy her debut album, details are on youtube)

...

It's Windy - Ida Gard

(Also check out the track, The Worst Of Me, which I'm adding to my upcoming top acoustic songs of 2011 list)

Let me know what you think of the music in the comments below!

Movie of the week: It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)

2011-12-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

A feel-good drama with fantasy elements. Calling it a Christmas movie is a bit misleading I think.

Arguably James Stewart's finest performance, he has an effortless charm. Stewart plays George Bailey, a thin, skinny, well-meaning and selfless character, who has much responsibility. He grows up in Bedford Falls in Connecticut and dreams about leaving and exploring the world. At the same time, he feels duty towards the community.

My favourite scene is between Mary and George Bailey after the party, where they talk about the future, and he promises to pull the moon down for her.

Much like The Shipping News (2001), it’s a film about community, and what that entails, pros and cons. George Bailey’s struggle of trying to get away from his roots, and if escaping would in fact be more meaningful or not? It’s A Wonderful Life is about how during our lives we touch many more people than we realize.

Probably one of the most uplifting and inspiring films ever made, about seeing goodness in others, and how our society could be better with less greed and more sharing. Placed number one on the American Film Institutes list of the most inspirational American films of all time.

Director Frank Capra: "I didn't even think of it as a Christmas story when I first ran across it. I just liked the idea." In a 1946 interview, Capra described the film's theme as "the individual's belief in himself," and that he made it to "combat a modern trend toward atheism."

David Lynch is a fan of the film, and thinks you don’t have to travel around a lot to get a lot of experiences. The way the world is, you can tap into feelings outside your environment.

A bit of trivia. The original story "The Greatest Gift" was written by Philip Van Doren Stern in November 1939. After being unsuccessful in getting the story published, he decided to make it into a Christmas card, and mailed 200 copies to family and friends in December 1943.

The film was remastered in colour in the 1980s, I have to admit I stuck to the good old black and white original. Only after it lapsed into the public domain in 1973 and became a Christmastime TV perennial did it don the mantle of a holiday film classic.

As another reviewer writes, you'd have to possess a very hard heart not to find something to love in this story. I agree with film critic Roger Ebert that the conclusion of the film makes such an impact. A third reviewer writes: "Maybe it takes a filmmaker so fascinated with the American Dream to see how close it can be to a nightmare."

A heart-warming movie, but perhaps a bit over-praised for me. I found the film to have some very memorable scenes, particularly towards the end, and at the beginning, but slightly uneven and boring in the middle section. Still, highly recommendable, particularly during December and Christmas.

The film received mixed reviews and weak box office on initial release. It’s A Wonderful Life is ranked #30 on IMDB's top 250, and received five Academy Award nominations, best picture, best director, best actor (James Stewart), best editing, and best sound recording.

Readers, I'm curious to hear what you think, love it, hate it, let me know in the comments!

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Songs for your iPod

2011-12-12T03:41:00.000-08:00

You, Earth or Ash - Slow Club

(The kind of track I want to listen to again and again, a highlight for me on their 2011 album Paradise)

...

Tori Amos- Shattering Sea

(A song that stayed with me, the other tracks on her 2011 release all have the same kind of rhythm, and for me lacked individuality in terms of sound, the album needed more variation. Perhaps because I’m not an Amos regular, I had trouble relating to Amos’ lyrics. Classical instruments, piano, harp etc means it’s an LP that could have been made 100 years ago. )

...

This Woman's Work (Director's Cut) - Kate Bush

(Another singer I don't listen to very often. A 1989 piano version that in 2011 got an electronic remix . I prefer the new edit. Lyrics are about regrets. The video and song I think together are rich on atmosphere and impressed me. For the length of the song I forgot about everything around me )

Listeners, any thoughts on the music?

Favourite trailers blogathon

2011-12-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

Into the wild (2007). Such a well-crafted trailer that contains some of the best quotes. The clip also has a highly emotional ending, which I like, and of course the scenery and landscape is magnificent. Maybe they could have included a bit more of Eddie Vedders memorable soundtrack, but still a trailer I can return to every few months, and continues to give me chills. For me, Sean Penn is an underrated director. The Indian Runner (1991) and The Pledge (2001) are little gems just waiting to be discovered.

Readers, what do you think of Into the Wild? and the trailer? Let me know in the comments below!

ps If you enjoyed Into the Wild, I recommended the under-appreciated wilderness movie Never Cry Wolf (1983) directed by Carroll Ballard. And its not just me who liked it, Never Cry Wolf has a 100% rottentomatoes rating ( :

Movie of the week: Hunger (1966)

2011-12-07T00:30:00.000-08:00

(Revised review with added screenshots) Hunger or the original title Sult is a powerful drama in black and white, with Norwegian dialogue. I saw it with English subtitles. At times felt like a comedy, I laughed a lot! A co-production between Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

Not to be confused with the 2008 prison movie of the same name, or the 1983 movie.

It takes a little while to get going, but definitely one of the best older Scandinavian pictures I’ve ever seen, it still felt fresh. Actually one of the best I’ve seen in 2010, and I’ve seen many different movies. Based on the acclaimed novel from 1890 by the Norwegian Nobel Prize-winning author Knut Hamson.

The story is quite simple, you might think its a one-trick-story of someone hungry, and that's that, however there is more to it than just starvation. Set in the late 1800s, a struggling author is wandering around the streets and has no money left for food. A man who has nothing, who pretends he has everything.

I felt sympathy for him, because he is in such pain. The country boy lost in the city having an anger towards the urban setting. I think it’s a story about pride and denial. The hungrier he gets, the more he distances himself from reality.
In an interview on the dvd, the granddaughter of Hamson says the character is looking for himself.

There are many memorable scenes, so its tough to just pick a handful:

On the dvd, the director Henning Carlsen explains how the audience see everything from the subjective point of view of the main character. Something Scorsese also did in Taxi Driver (1976). In both cases, the first person angle means we feel we are in the protagonist's shoes. The director talks about how they struggled to recreate 1890 in the year 1965. I think they did a great job.

The acting by the main unnamed character is what brings the story alive, Per Oscarsson is very convincing, he deservingly won a best actor award at Cannes for his role. He probably seems desperate or even amusing to the viewers or the people he meets on his journey, to me a bit like the humour in some of Kafka’s stories. Hunger is quite a dark, psychological character study. But also a very powerful story with comedy moments, particularly funny when talking to the guy on the park bench, and when he knocks on people's doors. It had a lasting impression on me, I’ll never forget Hunger.

Hard to understand why only 1070 people have rated this film on IMDB!!! Kept me glued to the screen, on my 3rd viewing as well! Really drew me into a different world much like Scorsese's Taxi Driver achieved. I think I'm going to have to add Hunger (1966) to my favourite films ( :

Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Anyway, highly recommended foreign language cinema.

7.8 on IMDB

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Songs for your iPod

2011-12-05T06:43:00.000-08:00

As those who follow my blog regularly know, I got through a ton of music in 2010, below are 3 obscure and under-appreciated tunes I found, the first 2 really touched my soul, the third danceable track is a unique marriage of audio and video. Enjoy!

Broken Horse - Freelance Whales

...

Turnpike Ghost - Tegan and Sara (Steel Train Cover)

...

Days Ahead - Museum of Bellas Artes

Listeners, any thoughts on the music?

Favourite trailers blogathon

2011-12-04T02:10:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Let's be splendid about this, I decided to start a new weekly blogathon on movies and songs 365. My favourite trailers that I enjoy rewatching...

I've seen The Tree of Life trailer so many times I've lost count, ha ha ( : What strikes me is how in just 2 minutes 11 seconds it manages to stir my emotions, with epic music, breathtaking images, and memorable words. It has the full package and does everything well. Really sells that film. Wouldn't be surprised if Malick put the trailer together himself. Any thoughts on the trailer?

There are probably lots of amazing trailers I've forgotten about, or haven't even seen, so over to you in the comments, tell me about which trailers you love?

Movie of the week: Tintin et moi (2003)

2011-11-30T10:01:00.000-08:00

Like many kids, I grew up reading Tintin albums. Great escapism, which rivalled the Bond films for exotic locations, and had a humour all of its own. Today Tintin is about nostalgia for me.

With the new movie out in cinemas, seems to be a good time to review this documentary about the author of Tintin, which is regarded as one of the most interesting documentaries about Belgian Herge and his famous comic universe. The first film where Herge talks about himself, and not just other people talking about him.

Based in part on previously unreleased archive tape footage. Herge was animated using old TV-interviews. The animation of Herge felt like a ghost from the past, and watching encourages you to rediscover the comics and watch the new Spielberg movie, and see Tintin in a new light.

The film is a co-production between Denmark, Belgium, France, and Switzerland. The film is based on Numa Sadoul's revealing interviews with Hergé from the 1970s (Herge died in 1983), and goes into detail about Hergé's life and how the success of Tintin affected him.

Several people upon the release of Tintin et moi questioned that not all the albums were looked at and thought the doc was too dark and Freudian considering the comics are funny and dramatic adventures. The director defended himself by saying that Herge had a dark side, which revealed itself in the audio interview, and that insecurity and doubt was also part of Herges life.

Approximately 350 million Tintin albums have been sold worldwide. Written for children, although adults can also enjoy the comics and relate to the characters.

Tintin is a brave reporter, always fighting against injustice. Tintin’s faithful dog Snowy accompanied him on his adventures. Some have pointed out the Tintin character is boring, and doesn’t have many emotions. It’s the surroundings, which make the albums special, the places he travels, and supporting characters he meets.

Captain Haddock was very different to Tintin, yet they were friends, Haddock had a bit of a temper and drinking problem. During the comics, we also meet other colourful characters such as Dupond and Dupont, the clumsy detectives, as well as hearing-impaired Professor Tournesol.

The albums are graphically of a high level, beautifully drawn, an artful quality. Herge had a rare talent of combining skilful drawing with great storytelling. The stories have elements of fantasy and realism.

Deep down the stories are about Herge himself, made during a time span of 47 years. The Tintin albums are at times contemporary journalism, about 50 years of politics, wars, cars, trains, airplanes, businessmen, dictators, and scientists. You can follow the time line of the 20th Century by reading the adventures of Tintin. On top of that, we get paranormal happenings, dreams, scary moments, things connected to the soul.

Tintin is Herge’s method of expressing himself, his problems, for example in Tintin in Tibet. During the making, Herge was going through a personal crisis and contacted a therapist. He dreamt only in white, and yearned for purity.

Further, Herge admits Tintin is a projection of himself, his alterego. The hero without fear, who Herge dreamed of being and strived towards. During the years, characters emerged with flaws and weaknesses. Captain Haddock had many faults, but we accept him anyway. Dupond and Dupont are idiots, which Herge admits he was too sometimes. There is a desire to be a hero, which Herge seldom was in real life, maybe never. Perhaps he was a hero for other people, but it was difficult for Herge to look upon himself as a hero.

Herge was a scout just like Tintin, and Herge thought promises and loyalty were very important up until his death, just as a scout has those principles. Herge was brought up as catholic, and always had trouble in life ignoring the idea of sin. He suffered when he didn’t keep his word.

Herge felt his childhood was grey and average, he didn’t look back on it fondly. Things started to lighten up when he met Abbed Wallez, editor of a catholic newspaper. Wallez apparent admired Germany and supported the Italian fascism. The youth section of the paper was intended to influence young people politically. He discovered Herge in the ad department. He asked him to create a young hero, a catholic reporter, who fought for good in the world. In 1929, Tintin came to life.
Tintin’s first adventure took place in Soviet Russia. The weekly comics were a success. In the beginning, Tintin was no more than an illustration of the propaganda the boss had submitted to Herge, for example Tintin in Congo, where the Belgian reign is the only way the Africans could get by. Herge didn’t really know what he was doing at the time and drew out of ignorance.

The Blue Lotus was a turning point and is by many regarded as a masterpiece. When Herge announced that Tintin was going to Asia he received a letter from editor Abbed Wallez to not make the Chinese fake and not to make fun of them, which could cause much damage. So he contacted a young Chinese man who was a painter and sculptor named Tchang-Tchong-Jen. He taught Herge many new things, Chinese poems, signs and words used in China. The big street images in Shanghai in Tintin in Tibet with Chinese banners and posters are all genuine Chinese words. Down with imperialism for example. From then onwards, the subsequent albums became very detailed.

Tintin travelled all over the planet, Herge travelled nowhere. He was an armchair tourist. Through extensive research and cuttings, Herge new of these countries. One of his favourite places to go was the Ciquantenaire museum in Brussels. For instance the sculpture in the album The Broken Ear can be found in the museum.

In King Ottokar’s Sceptre, Herge clearly criticizes a country called Bordurien, which obviously is Germany during WW2. For instance they have fighter planes. It was dangerous for him to question Germany in the late 30s. The villain is Müsstler, a combination of Mussolini and Hitler.
The newspaper where he worked was closed down by the Nazis, when Germany occupied Brussels. Herge was offered to continue working for Le Soir, however the newspaper was controlled by the Nazis.
During this period Herge began writing stories about hidden treasures and meteorites. Politics disappeared from the albums, the adventures became neutral and pure escapism.
In a way, Herge now turned into captain Haddock, the grumpy, cynical, middle-aged man who wanted to be left alone. In the album The Shooting Star, an apocalypse is near, perhaps Herge is talking about how he imagines WW2 will end.

The British liberated Brussels in September 1944. Herge was arrested, as it was assumed he had been working for the Germans.
Herge was released after one night in jail, his editor received 4 years.
After the war, Herge worked at a youth magazine for Leblanc, they wanted Herge to write 2 pages a week, and the workload started to take its toll on him, and he had several nervous breakdowns, where he escaped abroad.
Herge wrote to his wife, that he was tired of always writing the same story, sick of grinding out new adventures all the time. His view of the world had changed.

Creating his own studio was the solution, it gave him artistic freedom. He hoped to liberate himself from commercial pressure, so he could work in peace together with capable assistants, whom he could assign some of the legwork.

It was a period of great precision, and a passion for realism. Herge thought realism was the key to a great adventure. In the album The Calulus Affair the scenes from Geneva are completely accurate, the road to Nyon exactly as today.

The documentary Tintin et moi/Tintin and me/Tintin and I/ is available on dvd with English subtitles, if you can find it. On my top 10 list of documentaries. Full of interesting facts, some of which I’ve listed above. A candidate I think for most underrated documentary ever! So obviously recommended ( :

A poster for the 2011 Spielberg motion capture Tintin movie:

What do you think of Tintin? Did you grow up reading the comics? Have you seen Spielberg’s new film The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn? I plan to see it tonight!

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

YouTube

Songs for your iPod

2011-11-29T04:28:00.000-08:00

Honestly I'm not the biggest supporter of The National, their 2010 album I found a bit emotionally detached and uninvolving. Below are three recent tracks by The National I thought had heart.)

Think you can wait - The National

(My favourite by them, from the soundtrack of Win Win )

...

Wake Up Your Saints - The National

(Bonus track from the expanded edition of the band's 2010 album)

...

Exile Vilify - The National

(from the soundtrack of videogame Portal 2)

Any thoughts on this week's music, listeners?

Movie of the week: Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (1991)

2011-11-27T05:01:00.000-08:00

A brief review today. No spoilers. An inspiring true life story set in the 1920s and 1930s. I think this is my first Disney review on movies and songs 365!
A confident runaway orphan Sonora (Gabrielle Anwar) joins a travelling stunt show, her youth and inexperience stand in the way of greater things. There are several twists to the story I won’t spoil here.

The old-fashioned story stayed with me, I haven’t written many nostalgic write-ups lately, and Wild hearts can’t be broken certainly has a nostalgic feeling for me. A forgotten gem of the 90s.

The characters are likeable and Gabrielle Anwar is as cute as she was in the famous tango scene in Scent of a woman (1992) below. Gabrielle Anwar has an ageless quality, she can play a 15-year-old, or a 25 year-old, and its surprising she didn’t become a bigger star.

The diving horse shows I thought were well done, and I myself didn’t even know such shows took place in real life. I’ve read the idea of the diving horse was developed in Texas by 'Doctor' William F. Carver, a marksman who had toured in Wild West shows. Diving horses soon became a staple of state fairs and carnivals around the US. Today they are rare, as animal rights organizations don't approve.

An above average production, they really paid attention to the look and cinematography of the film:

Several people on IMDB call it their favourite movie of all time growing up, and I can understand why. Probably most suited for teenage girls or women due to the horses, but it’s definitely a family movie everyone can watch with plenty of colourful characters.

I recommend it, if you are in the mood for a light and entertaining coming-of-age tale. A movie you can get emotionally involved in, and which can make you smile. The title is also pretty memorable I think.

Readers, any thoughts on Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken? Have you seen it, or do you want to see the movie?

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Songs for your iPod

2011-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

I pretty much enjoyed the whole 5 track EP from 2011, here are 3 of the songs:

An Argument With Myself - Jens Lekman

(Tricky to label his music, indie or Lekman-esque?)

...

A Promise - Jens Lekman

...

Waiting For Kirsten - Jens Lekman

(I think its about Kirsten Dunst)

Listeners, any thoughts on the music?

Movie of the week: The Aviator (2004)

2011-11-20T03:44:00.000-08:00

Just a brief review today.

Probably not of the same brilliance as some of Scorsese’s earlier masterpieces. All the same it’s an entertaining ride and an interesting biopic of one of the 20th century’s most fascinating individuals, Howard Hughes. Even if you like me knew next to nothing about Hughes, it’s a fun watch.

Was Howard Hughes a genius or a madman? You can argue in both directions. He was incredibly wealthy, impulsive, reckless, flirtatious, and in later years, eccentric and reclusive. What would you do with a fortune? In Howard Hughes case he decides to make movies, which would become among the most expensive, controversial and ambitious of the 1930s. He produced the original Scarface (1932), Hughes battled with censor boards over the violence.

Scorsese’s film may resurrect interest in some of Hughes’ previous work, I definitely want to catch the war epic Hells Angels (1930), after watching the making of it during The Aviator.

Hughes was a flying enthusiast, a pioneer of human aviation, risking his life by opting to fly experimental airplanes himself. Even after plan crashes, he still continued to want to build planes and be a pilot.

Its tough for me to comment on the performances, as I am not terribly familiar with the real life Howard Hughes, depicted here by long time Scorsese collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio. I have not viewed enough of the movies of the real Katharine Hepburn (played by Cate Blanchett) to really say if she behaves like that. Then again, we mostly see Katharine Hepburn’s private life, so maybe comparing is only possible for her family and friends.

What I can say is I found the Ava Gardner character to be under-developed, not enough screen time, we never really discover why they were attracted to one another in the first place, which is a pity. In comparison, Katharine Hepburn’s romantic involvement with Howard Hughes was far more interesting and gave an insight into how these two big celebrities of the past met and spent time together. I was never bored, despite the running time clocking in at whopping two hours and forty-six minutes. Perhaps they should have shortened the film by cutting out Ava Gardner?

The huge budget is all up there on the screen, technically impressive, with giant sets and huge airplane action scenes. A film worth watching once, but I don’t think it holds up to many viewings unless you are particularly interested in the era it depicts. I would have liked to know a bit more about why Howard Hughes wanted to lock himself away at times, and other times wanted to date the Hollywood stars, the film doesn’t really address why Hughes behaviour was so polarized? As another reviewer points out, Scorsese clearly is on Howard Hughes’ side in the movie, particularly in the court case battles. Scorsese’s mission as a director appears to be to celebrate the guy.

Any thoughts on The Aviator (2004) ? This review today brings to a close my recent Scorsese blogathon, hope you enjoyed reading! Are you interested in other director blogathons of this nature on my site in future?

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Favourite quotes from The Rum Diary (2011)

2011-11-20T00:46:00.000-08:00

The movie was decent without being great, Johnny Depp was never cooler. Everyone talks about Giovanni Ribisi in an almost unrecognizable supporting role stealing Depp's sunshine, though I thought Richard Jenkins' likewise unidentifiable supporting performance was impressive too.
The dialogue struck me as being the strongest suit of The Rum Diary. I enjoy the crazy humour of writer Hunter S. Thompson. So in keeping with my blog idea of ONLY posting what I like, below are a few quotes that amused me from the script:

“The problem with this newspaper Mr Kemp is that I don’t enjoy reading it”

“How much do you drink?”
“I suppose the upper end of social. I’m poised to give up…Puerto Rico may not be the best place in the world to do that”

“Do you know what Oscar Wilde said? We know the price of everything, and the value of nothing”

“Maybe I can interest you fellas in something else.”
“Like what, death?”

Paul Kemp: "What's your name?"
Chenault: "Let's keep that a secret."
Paul Kemp: "But I don't even know it."
Chenault: "Then you'll keep it even better"

Paul Kemp: "I thought you said you had a TV."
Sala: "No, the guy across the alley has a TV. I have binoculars"

Readers, any thoughts on The Rum Diary ?

Songs for your iPod

2011-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

Deserves to feature on many year-end-lists as one of the best albums of 2011

The Bay – Metronomy

...

The Look – Metronomy

...

She Wants - Metronomy

Listeners, any thoughts on the music?

Funny Bill Hicks: About reading

2011-11-09T11:55:00.000-08:00

This clip makes me laugh every time. I can't wait to watch his other stand-up videos ( :

Songs for your iPod

2011-11-09T00:14:00.000-08:00

Stone's Gone Up - David Lynch

(Lynch's voice annoyed me on quite a few of the tracks on the new album, I like how he whispers mysteriously here. Pinky's Dream (feat. Karen O) was another highlight for me.)

...

All or Nothing - Mutemath

(Thanks to music blog The Past and the Pending for the recommendation, cool track. He deserves more comments on his music posts!)

...

Even Better Than The Real Thing (Jacques Lu Cont Mix) - U2

(Is the remix better than the real thing? I think so!)

Listeners, any thoughts on this week's music?

Movie of the week: The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988)

2011-11-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

There are several Martin Scorsese gangster films I don't care for due to bad language and violence, but this is one of his director efforts I like.

I think "The Last Temptation Of Christ" (TLTOC) is a very moving and powerful film. An intimate character study. I won't bore you with a summary. The controversy surrounding the subject matter may have helped the box office. TLTOC has in my opinion more depth than the to me overhyped "Passion of the Christ"(2004) (POTC). In POTC it seemed like the violence overshadows the substance.

Jesus Christ's (JC) inspiring story is one we seem never to get tired of, heck we endure it every Christmas, and so many films have been made over the subject.

The problem with making a JC film is that you can never satisfy everyone. The 100 % true story will never be know or told, as we can't go back in time.

Not sure I like the idea that executives are making money from selling JC's story, though. But if you said that about everything, you would never see any films about real people.

The bible is apparently the most successful bestseller ever, and Jesus and his disciple's are in that sense arguably the best communicators the world has ever seen. Jesus was famous for using allegories, and this timeless way of illustrating your message is obviously still a widely utilized tool today in different media, film or the written word.

The story is based on a book by Nikos Kazantzakis, which I haven't read. He also wrote "Zorba the Greek", which was turned into a film in the 1960s(I didn't like it).

Scorsese on the actors studio:
“his (Nikos Kazantzakis') take on it was interesting in that he (Christ) learns that he is Jesus, that he is divine, he learns by the end of the picture, and he has to suffer, as we all do in life, to many different degrees, and go through all the things we do. Kids say, if God is God and he dies on the cross, he’s God, he knows he’s going to live, so why is he suffering, he doesn’t have anything to suffer, he doesn’t understand us. Well that’s not the case, this one suffers from the very beginning and fights against it”

TLTOC is one of those films I feel like I can watch every few years. Even though it at times feels a little odd to see Tarantino actor Harvey Keitel, and David Bowie as Pontius Pilate! Perhaps better with mostly unknowns like in POTC.

TLTOC was rated #6 of the 25 most controversial movies of all time, but to me it's refreshing to see JC as a real person, who shows his weaknesses. Interesting to ponder if JC was happy to be elected by God as God's son. TLTOC implies that JC was not aware of the impact his story would have on people.

The film more or less claims that people wanted to believe JC came back from the dead, regardless if he did or not, as it gives them hope. Interesting comparison in this media gossip era when lies are told and a celebrity can't control anymore what is said about them. Here JC can't control what people are saying he is, but creating their own truth. JC as a concept is bigger than JC as a man.

In the 80s, the film was accused of blasphemy and causing offence to the church. But you could also look at it in another way. That it’s "resurrecting" interest in JC for our new visual generation, who seem not to read as much as past generations. Although the film may be too heavy, or not true enough to the bible for some.

Film critic Roger Ebert quoted in his review: “Those offended by the film object to the very notion that Jesus could have, or even imagine having, sexual intercourse. But of course Christianity teaches that the union of man and wife is one of the fundamental reasons God created human beings, and to imagine that the son of God, as a man, could not encompass such thoughts within his intelligence is itself a kind of insult.”

Scorsese: “Jesus lived in the world, he wasn’t in a temple, he wasn’t in a church, he was in the world, on the streets. (…) It raises a lot of questions. We just wanted to make him one of us, in a sense. (…) And the idea that if it’s a man, then he has to be afraid of dying.” Ebert: “And he has to be capable of lust.” Scorsese: And he has to be capable of everything. And what I thought was so great – so great – about Kazantzaki’s book was that the last temptation is not for riches or whatever; it’s just to live a life of a common man, to have a family, to die in bed and that sort of thing. It’s almost a love that he has for mankind, you see. The love he has for us. That’s the idea. And in order to die he has to know what we go through. If he doesn’t know what we go through, what good is God, you see”
“and then I was asked why I wanted to make this film, I replied, ‘so I can get to know Jesus better.’ In a way all my life I wanted to do that: first I was going to be a priest, but it didn’t work out. The idea of loving and forgiving one’s enemies seemed so obvious and Ghandi had shown that it could be put into practice”
“I know from a priest friend that the Kazantzaki’s book is used in seminaries, not as a substitute for the Gospel, but as a parable that is fresh and alive, which they can discuss and argue about. And this is what I hoped the film would do. I believe that Jesus is fully divine, but the teaching at the catholic schools placed such an emphasis on the divine side that if Jesus walked into a room, you’d know He was God because He glowed in the dark, instead of being just another person. But if He was like that, we always thought, then when the temptations came to Him, surely it was easy to resist them because He was God. He could reject the temptation of power in the desert; He could reject especially the temptation of sex; and He could undergo the suffering on the cross, because He knew what was going to happen, what death is all about.
Over the years I’ve drifted away from the Church, I’m no longer a practising Catholic, and I’ve questioned these things. Kazantzakis took the two natures of Jesus, and Paul Moore, the Episcopal Bishop of New York, explained to me that this was Christologically correct: the debate goes back to the Council of Chalcedon in 451, when they discussed how much of Jesus was divine, and how much was human, I found this an interesting idea, that the human nature of Jesus was fighting Him all the way to the line, because it can’t conceive of Him being God. I thought this would be great drama and force people to take Jesus seriously – at least to re-evaluate his teachings”
“All the religious movies I saw and loved as a kid, such as The Robe and Quo Vadis, were more spectacle and epic film-making than religion. (…) But I wanted the Jesus in my film to be more accessible, more immediate, and to engage the audience”

Scorsese on Scorsese: “I think everybody who worked on the film, and everybody who’s read the book over the years, feel’s it’s the first time you can really believe in this relationship – that Judas did not want to betray him, but had to go through with being God’s instrument for the sacrifice of Jesus. I also wondered, if Jesus is so forgiving and preaches love, why is Judas condemned to Hell by Him for committing suicide? While we’re not saying our version is the whole truth, it makes you question and maybe understand the concept of loving a little better”

Scorsese on Scorsese: Fundamentalists were armed with two early versions of the script by Paul Schrader – obtained, Scorsese suspects, from actors who had access to copies for auditions in 1983. The screenplay was of course some way removed from the final version (…) objected to the portrayal of Jesus as a weak and indecisive man, and in particular to the scene in the ‘last temptation’ dream sequence, in which Jesus makes love to Mary while being watched by an angel”
The evangelist Bill Bright offered to reimburse the cost of the film if the studio would hand it over for destruction.
Scorsese appeared on national television to say he would not make any changes to the film, and stressed it was a work of fiction, not a verse of the Gospels. A discussion programme about the film declared that it ‘will destroy Christianity’. In response to this Jack Valenti, president of the MPAA (the US movie ratings board), wondered how a single film could wreck someone’s faith.

In New York, extra security was needed, protesters assembled outside, the area was closed to traffic, and members of the audience had their bags searched after threats were issued to slash or spray-paint screens. Similar scenes of protest, accompanied by sell-out houses, occurred in other major cities in the US. On 26 August a screen was slashed and a print of the film stolen.
With the film finally released, Scorsese spoke out more in its defence, explaining how the Schrader script had been substantially altered. He emphasized again how the ‘last temptation' is not for Christ to have sex, but to get married, make love to his wife and have children like an ordinary man’.”

A minister wrote a letter to the New York daily news saying he loved the film, was going to use it as a study guide in discussion groups, and that he felt most of the people talking about the film had not seen it. “they have a great fear of anything that threatens their idea of Jesus, because deep down they feel very frightened they might revert to their original behaviour. So I would say to them, if they really feel they might be offended, stay away, but please allow others to see the film.

You could argue a weakness of the film is you wouldn’t want a 12-year-old watching the The Last Temptation of Christ and thinking it was an accurate life of Jesus.

If you just want the basic Jesus story, you may be better off with something else. In this film you learn about the burden and stress Jesus Christ might have endured. The films questions, did Jesus really want to be Jesus?

Readers, any thoughts on the film?

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Sources:
Scorsese on Scorsese (2003)
Scorsese by Ebert (2008)
The Actors Studio, Scorsese interview

(revised review)

look-alikes

2011-11-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

Don't write them off just yet, but when I see these faces

A young Kate Winslet, I thought, but no, its Imogen Poots!

Is Jessica Chastain the next Cate Blanchett?

What do you think?

Halloween special: My favourite horror films

2011-11-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

The Shining (1980)
(Unforgettable over-the-top performance by Jack Nicholson. Not the scariest film in my opinion, but maybe the most re-watchable on my list, for the atmosphere and layers of meaning. Based on this film, no wonder Kubrick is often called the best director of all time. I reviewed it in 2011 here on the blog)

Psycho (1960)
(The shower scene is an iconic moment in cinema history. The mother at the house is the most frightening ordinary human being I can think of in a horror film. A masterpiece by Alfred Hitchcock.)

[Rec] (2007)
(Spanish, recommended to me by a horror fan, I was scared! Very claustrophobic and with a reality-tv feeling)

The Exorcist (1973)
(Before director William Friedkin lost his mind, he made one of the most successful horror films of the 70s. What makes it even more chilling is the fact it’s based on a true story. The image here has become a legendary reminder of the film)

Poltergeist (1982)
(You will never look the same way again at a tree outside your window, or a fuzzy tv-screen! 80s nostalgia all the way)

Gremlins (1984)
(Its actually part comedy, part horror. Not for kids, I remember I saw it fairly young, before the 15 rating on the video box said I should. The cute little creatures are not all cuddly!! Amazing to me how many classic 80s movies Corey Feldman is in, he reminds me of childhood. Feels very 80s, they don’t make em like this anymore. A definite nostalgic movie. Joe Dante is another director who was at the top of his game in the 80s, and like William Friedkin hasn't been the same since)

Eraserhead (1977)
(I’m a big Lynch fan. Not sure if Eraserhead even classifies as horror, its surreal, haunting, and very original. Possibly the weirdest film ever. I’ve only seen it once, so I should really watch it again soon. Check my review to read more)

Antichrist (2009)
(Warning, not for kids. Lars Von Trier created a controversial and lets not forget thought-provoking horror mystery. The ending and motivations of the characters still have me guessing till this day, which is a good thing. I’m currently reading Trier on Von Trier, an interview book on the director's career, so a Lars Von Trier blogathon is in the works)

The Ring (2002)
(Takes a page out of the same book as Poltergeist by making watching TV a dangerous endeavour, but goes in a different direction and is original in its own right. And of course I can watch Naomi Watts in anything. This is the US remake of a Japanese horror film)

Alien (1979)
(I usually don’t think of Alien as horror, more as atmospheric science fiction, though it has one of the most famous horror moments of all time. Much like Ridley Scotts Blade Runner, look out for the incredible art direction. The actual story has been duplicated on countless occasions, so perhaps Alien has lost some of its power for me because of this. I think it works best finding it as a teenager, that's when I loved it, anyway. The sequel Aliens (1986) is a must-see from the IMDB top 250 as well. James Cameron should direct more sequels, as T2 was also masterful)

The Blair Witch Project (1999)
(Saw it in the theatre in 99, an extremely tense experience that had me glued to the screen. Sadly doesn’t hold up well for me on TV. A film that maybe was stronger at the time, before the secret was given away, and has a modern feel to it by being an edgy documentary-style tale. Ultra low-budget feature was part of what created the hype. You won't fancy going out in the woods afterwards! I dug the sequel-even though the critics killed Blair Witch 2)

Thanks for reading! I may re-evaluate the captions when I review the films, just some quick-fire scribbling here.
Agree? Disagree with my list? What are YOUR favourite horror films, and why?

Movie of the week: After Hours (1985)

2011-11-01T02:48:00.000-07:00

A drama/comedy that takes place in a single night in New York. It’s a very unpredictable story, the beginning doesn’t prepare you for what will happen later. The characters slowly reveal themselves. Originally titled Lies, then A Night in SoHo, the story follows the misfortunes of Paul, a young computer operator, who accepts an invitation from an attractive women he’s met in a diner.

The atmosphere is very unique to me in this film, it’s along with the excellent music almost a character in its own right. The making of calls it “nightmarish” or “surrealistic”. I thought the acting by Rosanna Arquette was poor, though.

There is a high level of suspense in After Hours, which is technically a comedy but plays like a version of the classic Hitchcock plot formula about the innocent man wrongly accused. Film critic Roger Ebert: “The plague of bad luck seems generated by some unexplained divine wrath.”

It was shot entirely at night, sometimes with on-the-spot-improvisation of camera movements. In the making of they explain Tim Burton was going to direct, but because Scorsese’s 'The Last Temptation of Christ' fell apart in early 80s, Scorsese became interested and directed After Hours, and Burton withdrew from the project.

Scorsese has suggested that Paul’s implacable run of bad luck reflected his own frustration during the Last Temptation of Christ experience, where his Jesus film couldn’t get made in the early 80s. Agents promised him a “go”, everything was in place, and then time after time an unexpected development would threaten everything. In After Hours, each new person Paul meets promises that they will take care of him, make him happy, lend him money, give him a place to stay, let him use the phone, trust him with their keys, drive him home – and every offer of mercy turns into an unanticipated danger. The film could be read as an emotional autobiography of that period in Scorsese’s life.

One of Scorsese’s lesser known films. In my opinion this film doesn’t get enough credit. People always seem to talk about his other work. It’s not your typical Scorsese movie at all, very little violence or swearing, closer to The King of Comedy than his gangster movies. I’m glad De Niro didn’t appear, refreshing to see a relative unknown in the lead in Griffin Dunne.

Not a film everyone has heard of. It's now in my top 5 Scorsese movies along with Taxi Driver (1976), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and The King of Comedy (1982). Never been a fan of Scorsese's gangster stuff or any gangster movies for that matter. You may notice I haven't added gangster flicks or westerns on my A-Z of film recommendations on the blog, because I don't usually like them. An exception to the rule is The Sting (1973), which I enjoyed.

After Hours brought Scorsese the Best Director prize at Cannes, although its commercial success was modest.

Probably not a film I’ll be seeing many times, as the surprises are more effective first time around, but enjoyable to watch once or twice, I'd say. I’m not sure you can call it an independent film, but it certainly feels like an indie.

Have you seen it, what did you think of After Hours?

89% on RT and 7.6/10 on IMDB

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Sources:
Scorsese on Scorsese (2003)
Scorsese by Ebert (2008)
Making of

(Revised review)

Songs for your iPod

2011-11-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

Wait and See - Holy Ghost!

(A pop song that works for me because its so catchy. Definitely in my top 10 songs of 2011. They are actually American, the music sounds kind of European?)

...

Some Children – Holy Ghost! (feat. Michael Mcdonald)

(Judd Apatow unfairly made fun of Michael Mcdonald to get some laughs (I laughed too), in his defence this track proves the guy can still put out good music)

...

Call Me Back - The Strokes

(My favourite from their 2011 album. Similar to: I'll Try Anything Once )

Thanks for listening. What did you think of the music? Feel free to share your views in the comments!

Movie of the week: The King of Comedy (1983)

2011-10-26T00:35:00.000-07:00

Martin Scorsese's satirical comedy/drama, about Rupert Pupkin (Robert de Niro), a nerdish man in his 30s with dreams of being a television star.

You feel uncomfortable watching Rupert Pupkin, he is not able to see himself from the outside and witness his own bizarre behaviour. You kind of admire his strong-willed and single-minded desire to reach his goal. Even though what he is doing is clearly inappropriate and wrong, I felt like I was rooting for the underdog at times, perhaps because I felt sorry for the poor guy, who is still living at home with his mother.
Its not like he wants to hurt anyone, its more that he wants others to co-operate and fit into his twisted world-view.

In a way, Rupert Pupkin is similar to Travis Bickle from Scorsese's Taxi Driver, a lonely man in a big city, who desperately wants a change, yet is not able to get what he wants. Rupert does not have the patience to start from the bottom in the stand-up comedian business, perhaps because he is afraid of rejection. Rupert wants immediate change, which is both naïve and impossible. The only friend Rupert has is a fellow celebrity stalker, she is perhaps even more deranged than Rupert is.

Jerry Lewis plays tv-host Jerry Langford, the comedian they chase and admire. Jerry Lewis' role is blurred, a mix of reality and fiction, Jerry Lewis was a popular entertainer at the time, and in the film portrays, compared to Rupert, a very normal human being.

Some have argued the message of the film is a satire or condemnation of how we overrate and glorify celebrity. On the one hand in terms of making them larger than life and wanting to get close to them, despite the celebrities frequent unwillingness, and on the other hand the selfish desire of ordinary people to strive towards celebrity status despite not having talent or admirable qualities, being famous just for the sake of being famous. Sophia Coppola also explored the celebrity lifestyle in Somewhere (2010)

Roger Ebert: “What we have here is an agonizing portrait of lonely, angry people with their emotions all tightly bottled up. This is a movie that seems ready to explode – but somehow it never does” (…) “a movie about rejection, with a hero who never admits that he has been rejected and so there is neither comic nor tragic release – just the postponement of pain. (…) They must have been difficult performances to deliver, because nobody listens in this film; everybody's just waiting for the other person to stop talking so they can start. (…) Rupert Pupkin doesn’t feel cut off from life – he feels cut off from talk shows. His life consists of waiting. (…) The whole movie is about the inability of the characters to get any kind of a positive response to their bids for recognition. (…) “He cannot be rejected, because he cannot hear rejection, with his mind always racing ahead to fantasies of acceptance. (…) Masha, on the other hand, doesn’t want to be Langford, but to have him (…) Scorsese says that both Rupert Pupkin and Jerry Langford remind him of himself. Pupkin is young Marty Scorsese, camped out in agents’ offices, scrounging loans to finish his student film, hustling jobs as an editor in between directing assignments. Langford is Martin Scorsese at forty, famous, honoured, admired, besieged by young would-be filmmakers asking him for a break. (…) One of the reasons the studio was afraid of the movie was that the subject matter is extremely touchy. Since it is well known that Scorsese’s Taxi Driver was seen by John Hinckley before he shot Reagan, The King of Comedy seemed in some circles almost like an invitation to trouble for someone like Johnny Carson.
But are the final shots intended to be real, or another of Rupert’s daydreams? Do they have an occult relationship with the puzzling ending of Taxi Driver, where Travis Bickle also becomes a folk hero?"

Scorsese originally turned down the script:
“It seemed like a one-joke movie at the time, he said, “But then I began to see that it wasn’t about kidnapping, it was about rejection. (…) The amount of rejection in this film is horrifying. There are scenes I almost can’t look at. There’s a scene where de Niro is told ‘I hate you!’ and he nods and responds, ‘Oh, I see, right, you don’t want to see me again!’ I made the movie during a very painful period in my life. I was going through the Poor Me routine. And I’m still very lonely. Another relationship has broken up.”
“People in America were confused by The King of Comedy and saw Bob as some kind of mannequin. But I felt it was De Niro’s best performance ever. The King of Comedy was right on the edge for us; we couldn’t go any further at the time”
Scorsese: "It’s a violation, the way the paparazzi takes pictures of you, the bulbs and shots of the camera are like bullets.
“It was a clear decision for there to be no difference between fantasy and reality, the fantasy is real”

As The Inquisitor writes in his review. Pupkin’s “the ultimate narcissist, totally unconcerned with the thoughts or feelings of others outside of their reference to his own self image. He appears to spend most of his time fantasizing about his imagined celebrity.”

The King of Comedy ended up costing $20 million and was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1983. Although a commercial failure it attracted five BAFTA nominations and considerable critical speculation. Scorsese said in interviews that the characters of Rupert and Jerry were close to him: the ambitious outsider who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal, and the successful celebrity who despite the admiration is essentially lonely and vulnerable (his own marriage to Isabella Rossellini had ended).

Scorsese later commented that although The King of Comedy was very funny, it was not a comedy.
De Niro has said that the film: "...maybe wasn't so well-received because it gave off an aura of something that people didn't want to look at or know.”

Very funny, I recommend it. See it for the great performance by Robert De Niro. Probably one of Scorsese's most underrated films. The movie questions, how far will you go to be famous? An issue that perhaps is even more relevant today.

Readers of my review, any thoughts on The King of Comedy?

Next week, look out for a revised review of Scorsese’s After Hours (1985)

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Sources:
Scorsese on Scorsese (2003)
Scorsese by Ebert (2008)

Songs for your iPod

2011-10-25T01:23:00.000-07:00

Some 2011 tracks by female singers this week, enjoy!

Black - Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi feat. Norah Jones

(By far the best track on the album for me)

...

Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - Garbage (U2 Cover)

(An impressive cover that stays with you, I'm told Garbage's 5th studio album is out in 2012. Somehow her voice seems different than the 90s?)

...

The Hunger - Shirley Manson & Serj Tankian

(She's one of my favourite singers, and this new song is also haunting)

Listeners, any thoughts on the above music?

Movie of the week: Taxi Driver (1976)

2011-10-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

My review is intended for viewers who have already watched the film. Spoilers ahead.

In the 70s, movies moved out into the streets. Among others Taxi Driver and Mean Streets, both directed by Martin Scorsese.

Taxi Driver was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won the Palme d'Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival. The film was chosen by Time as one of the 100 best films of all time.

In Taxi Driver, we are encouraged to feel empathy with a questionable character. We get under Travis' skin with the personal voice-overs. I get the feeling Travis wouldn't lose his mind, if he had a support system who cared. Travis is unable to establish normal relationships.
Some claim the movie can be watched as a slow-motion documentary of the mind. About a cold and distant person slowly going mad, affected by the city environment. The hallucinatory atmosphere is like a character in itself, a portrait of the dark side of New York. We get to experience the dark side by watching the film.

An extraordinary star-making performance for the ages by Robert De Niro, which is impossible to wipe from your memory. Robert De Niro drove round in a taxi in New York to prepare for the role. He improvised the famous “are you talking to me” scene, in the script it just said: Travis talks to himself. Entire books have been written trying to dissect Taxi Driver, such is the impact. Its sort of a sister film to Mean Streets, which embarrassingly I have only seen in patches.

In 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, they write how Travis sees things in the dark alleys of New York that most people will never see. He feels invisible, and maybe even numb and impotent. The rough streets are all he knows and he seems frustrated that he no longer knows of a better life. After trying to become a part of society by dating Betsy, his alienation and frustration grows with her rejection of him, his next goal is to destroy society by assasinating a politician. Travis is a confused individual in a world he is on the fringes of, later on he does a U-turn and now wants to rescue a young prostitute from the rotten, criminal underworld.

They say you are more lonely in a crowd, and this is very much the case for Travis, especially when driving around in his cab and observing people. He wants his life to be significant, yet his attempts to fit in and matter are inappropriate. He is the anti-hero, who has taken the law into his own hands, and what makes him dangerous is that he is capable of anything, someone we sympathize with, even though he is doing wrong. Not an easy film to watch, Travis is a despicable character, who becomes a hero.

Unfortunately, Taxi Driver formed part of the delusional fantasy of John Hinckley, Jr, which triggered his attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981, an act for which he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. The question is, is the film glorifying violence, and thus a vehicle for madmen to imitate? I hope not, and if this is the case, they have misunderstood Scorsese’s intention.

A story about our culture. A study of masculine self-destruction. I would think a long-term goal of the film is to help reduce urban violence by showing an example of how and why it happens. So the general public become more aware of marginalized and vulnerable members of society, so family/friends or the authorities can step in and support them.

Travis is a walking contradiction, eating pills and trying to keep fit at the same time. He loathes the scum who make love in his cab, yet he frequents dirty movies. Travis works out, then eats junk food. He is drawn to the very things he claims to hate about New York. He supports the politician Betsy is working for, but then Travis turns against him later on.

Some viewers no doubt will identify with Travis’ urban alienation, longing to belong to something, longing for a meaningful life. Other may find Travis creepy and insane.

The film can spark a debate about how we discuss violence in films. Travis is complicated, a mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran, we don’t know how the war has affected him, the film explores his demeanor.

His spiral into madness might be his unrealistic desire to clean up the streets, a one man army, but with no clear enemy. After all, it’s all seen through the eyes of Travis, so we don’t know what to believe. As his voiceover states: “One day a rain storm will come and wash away all the scum off the streets.” Unfortunately, Travis is becoming the very thing he sought to get rid of.

As Dave at dvdinfatuation writes in his review: Scorsese structures Taxi Driver in such a way that we’re in Travis’ company for nearly the entire film, keeping us so in tune with his lead character that, like Travis, we become oblivious to the rest of the world. We are one with his warped reality, and serve as the lone witnesses to his journey into the abyss.

There’s definitely comparisons to be made between Drive (2011) and Taxi Driver (1976). I prefer Taxi Driver, in both films we don’t know why the lonely guy wants to help others, it’s a mystery.
Also, Taxi Driver is comparable to Fight Club (1999), an at times violent character study with a subjective viewpoint about an insomniac dealing with alienation issues, who through voice-overs thinks about what is wrong with the world, and wants to make it a better place.

Travis attempts to rescue women who in fact may not want to be rescued. Apparently, Martin Scorsese loves the comparable western The Searchers (1956), where the John Wayne character also attempts to “save” a girl.

In writing the script, Paul Schrader was inspired by the diaries of Arthur Bremer (who shot presidential candidate George Wallace in 1972) and Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Notes from Underground. However, the writer also used himself as an inspiration. Schrader, who hadn’t spoken to anyone for several weeks when he wrote the script, slept in a car, as his marriage had recently broken up. According to Schrader, the story is about self-induced loneliness. The taxi cab is a metaphor for isolation and loneliness, a metal box on wheels.
Other sources of inspiration for Schrader were existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre’s Nausea and Robert Bresson’s script for Pickpocket. Schrader doesn’t think you will get rid of the madmen in society by censoring art.

Screenwriter Paul Schrader: “People said it must be terrible, knowing I had to top it. I said, no, it’s just the opposite. You’re free from feeling that you’re never going to accomplish anything. (…) I wrote it that way after thinking about the way they handled In Cold Blood. They tell you all about Perry Smith’s background, how he developed his problems, and immediately it becomes less interesting.”

Film critic Roger Ebert discusses Scorsese: “His protagonists are often awkward outsiders who try too hard or are not sure what to say (…) Scorsese is uninterested in conventional heroes (…) The arrival of Taxi driver in 1976 is hard to describe. It was, and is, such a passionate, challenging, raw, and powerful film that it created a space of its own. (…)De Niro, who comes from nowhere – we get hardly any background – and drives a cab in New York and eventually we realize he’s seething inside, he’s got all this violence bottled up (…) Perhaps it is why so many people connect with it even though Travis Bickle would seem to be the most alienating of movie heroes. We have all felt as alone as Travis. Most of us are better at dealing with it."

Scorsese: “The whole movie is based, visually, on one shot where the guy is being turned down on the telephone by the girl, and the camera actually pans away from him. It’s too painful to see that rejection. (…) I mean, I find that one of the key things, for example, in Taxi Driver was that you have to see practically everything from Travis’s point of view. Otherwise, you wouldn’t go with him when he killed those people. You wouldn’t know why. Not that you do know why, but you’d have to understand the feeling”
“Much of Taxi Driver arose from my feeling that movies are really a kind of dream-state, or like taking dope. And the shock of walking out of the theatre into broad daylight can be terrifying. I watch movies all the time and I am also very bad at waking up. The film was like that for me – that sense of being almost awake(…) The whole film is very much based on the impressions I have as a result of growing up in New York and living in the city”
“In Taxi Driver Travis Bickle lives it out, he goes right to the edge and explodes. When I read Paul’s script, I realized that was exactly the way I felt, that we all have those feelings, so this was a way of embracing and admitting them, while saying I wasn’t happy about them. When you live in a city, there’s a constant sense that the buildings are getting old, things are breaking down, the bridges and the subway need repairing. At the same time society is in a state of decay; the police force are not doing their job in allowing prostitution on the streets, and who knows if they’re feeding off it and making money out of it. So that sense of frustration goes in swings.”
Travis really has the best of intentions; he believes he’s doing right, just like St Paul. He wants to clean up life, clean up the mind, clean up the soul. He is very spiritual, but in a sense Charles Manson was spiritual, which doesn’t mean that it’s good. It’s the power of the spirit on the wrong road.”

In the TV-documentary Scorsese on Scorsese, the director discusses Taxi driver: “What is a hero. That is my question in most of my pictures. What is a man? What is a hero? Is it might makes right? Or is it someone who can sit down and make everyone reason things out? The second ones harder. If you hit someone long enough they are going to stop. It works for a while, then it all comes back. (…). In Taxi driver we tapped into not being one of a group, loneliness. (…) Being an outsider in this world, not being able to connect with anyone, expresses itself in the film and in the character through violence. (…) This guy (Travis) crosses the line, why? The beauty of Schrader’s script, and the nature of why he (Travis) is this way. You don’t know. (…) In the end scene, Travis looks in the rearview mirror of his cab, as if he catches a glimpse of something happening, wanted to give the impression that it (the violence) is going to happen again”

The distorted view of New York in Taxi Driver at the beginning is seen through the front window of the cab, where New York’s skyline seems to melt like a surrealistic dream picture by Salvador Dali. (01.32)

Author Jan Oxholm Jensen writes: The way in which New York City appears in Taxi Driver reflects Scorsese’s personal fascination with the big city and not a detailed representation of reality. Oxholm believes the aesthetic qualities in terms of visuals and music confront the viewer to reflect on the importance of the surroundings. The use of camera is a question of creating a certain point of view of New York, which Oxholm argues is nihilistic in Taxi Driver, as opposed to Woody Allen’s Manhattan (1979), which is a nostalgic or romantic point of view.

Bars and grates are visible in Taxi Driver’s prison like environment, in Travis’ apartment, which increases the feeling of claustrophobia and being enclosed from the rest of the world. Likewise the box-shaped taxi is a prison on wheels, and entraps Travis in the same lifestyle. The panels on the side window of the cab accentuate him being locked inside. (12.15)

Travis lives in his own little world, the background and foreground are out of focus, when he goes to the movies. His hand is covering and imprisoning his face (56.24)

Travis won’t take it anymore. He takes the law into his own hands. In the final moments, its as if God is looking down and making a judgment on the events that have taken place.
Roger Ebert on the ending: “There has been much discussion about the ending, in which we see newspaper clippings about Travis' "heroism," and then Betsy gets into his cab and seems to give him admiration instead of her earlier disgust. Is this a fantasy scene? Did Travis survive the shoot-out? Are we experiencing his dying thoughts? Can the sequence be accepted as literally true?”

The ending certainly is ambiguous. To be honest, I didn’t like the classical music score, other than that I couldn't find anything to complain about. Its one of my favourite films and Scorsese’s best in my opinion.

I’d be interested to hear what you have to say about Taxi Driver, let me know in the comments! Is it Scorsese’s best?

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Sources:
Scorsese on Scorsese (2003)
Scorsese by Ebert (2008)

Songs for your iPod

2011-10-19T01:21:00.000-07:00

One for You, One for Me - Bright Eyes

(Drum roll...my number one track so far of 2011! I think he's singing about everybody needs a hug, no matter who you are)

...

Take the world - She Wants Revenge

(Sort of has a Depeche Mode sound, best track on the album)

...

Iron - WOODKID

(The incredible slow-motion video really sells that song - big time!)

Listeners, any coments on the above music?

Movie of the week: Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)

2011-10-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

Spoilers may occur. A drama/comedy/road movie directed by Martin Scorsese. The opening credits somehow reminded me of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986), the blue curtain background, with a haunting song playing across the credits.

According to the interview book Scorsese on Scorsese, the director wanted it to begin like a Douglas Sirk melodrama – although Sirk is not a director to whom he responds emotionally – and then shift into a different world where Alice is on the road.
Another reviewer commented on that the opening is similar to The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Alice’s husband is distant, we don’t see his face at the beginning, and Alice is frustrated he is not more talkative at the dinner table. The story follows Alice on a journey, travelling with her precocious young son and determined to make a new life for herself as a singer. It’s partly a road movie, partly a mother-son relationship drama, partly a depiction of Alice’s turbulent new life.

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore received three Oscar nominations, Ellen Burstyn winning for female actress in a leading role, even though I consider her Oscar-nominated performance in Requiem for a Dream equally as good, if not better. There was even a spin-off TV series called Alice. Scorsese, barely into his thirties, was solidly establishing himself as a successful and respected director.

Scorsese: “It’s a picture about emotions and feelings and relationships and people in chaos," he said. "We felt like charting all that and showing the differences and showing people making terrible mistakes ruining their lives and then realizing it and trying to push back when everything is crumbling”

Burstyn later recalled:
"It was early in the woman’s movement, and we were all just waking up and having a look at the pattern of our lives and wanting it to be different . . . I wanted to make a different kind of film. A film from a woman’s point of view, but a woman that I recognized, that I knew. And not just myself, but my friends, what we were all going through at the time. So my agent found Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”

Film critic Roger Ebert: “The movie has been both attacked and defended on feminist grounds, but I think it belongs somewhere outside ideology, maybe in the area of contemporary myth and romance. There are scenes in which we take Alice and her journey perfectly seriously, there are scenes of harrowing reality, and then there are other scenes (including some hilarious passages in a restaurant where she waits on tables) where Scorsese edges into slight, cheerful exaggeration. There are times, indeed, when the movie seems less about Alice than it does about the speculations and daydreams of a lot of women about her age, who identify with the liberation of other women, but are unsure on the subject of themselves”

In Scorsese on Scorsese, Scorsese is quoted: “In Hollywood they liked Mean Streets a lot, but on the strength of it they thought I could only direct actors, not actresses! Ellen Burstyn, who was riding a wave on account of her success in The Exorcist, was looking for a young director for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. (…) I thought it was a good idea too, dealing with women for a change, only I wanted to improvise some of it and change the third part dealing with the farmer. I was only partly happy with the result, as we really shot a three-and-a-half-hour picture and then had to cut it down to less than two hours” (…) We never intended it to be a feminist tract. It was a film about self-responsibility and also about how people make the same mistakes again and again.”

Scorsese: “It’s very easy to discipline oneself to go to mass on Sunday mornings. That’s not redemption for me: its how you live, how you deal with other people, whether it be the streets, at home or in an office”

A highly recommendable film, it certainly has a very 70s atmosphere, with strong performances, humour, the funniest scene for me is when the waitress is swapping the plates around, and Diane Ladd’s comments in the diner are pretty outrageous and amusing. Alice’s son also is pretty funny at times. I like what another reviewer wrote, the story is about small victories, something everyone can strive for.

My favourite quote is spoken by Kris Kristofferson about his former wife: “She wanted this, I wanted that. She said I’m leaving, and I held the door for her”

Readers of the review, have you seen Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore? If so, what did you think? Are you a fan of Scorsese?

Look out next week for more Scorsese, as I continue my blogathon with a review of Taxi Driver (1976)

YouTube

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Sources:
Scorsese on Scorsese (2003)
Scorsese by Ebert (2008)

Songs for your iPod

2011-10-15T06:31:00.000-07:00

(Some 2011 tracks...these artists have taken a delorean back to the 80s!)

Beth/Rest - Bon Iver

...

Take Another Look - The Cars

...

Sad Song - The Cars

(Check out the video, very inventive)

Readers, any thoughts, did you have other favourite tracks on the above albums? What do you think of the trend of re-capturing the 80s, the soundtrack of Drive (2011) also did.

Top dream pop songs from 2011

2011-10-05T05:52:00.001-07:00

Very subjective of course. Which of the below tracks do you like? What hazy dream pop or chillwave artists are you a fan of? Any other tracks you'd recommend? Share your opinions in the comments below

Stickers - SLEEP ∞ OVER

Kaputt - Destroyer

I Never Would - Seapony

Spaced Out Orbit - Thao & Mirah

Letters Home - CFCF (Memoryhouse Remix)

Honey Mine - Korallreven (Memoryhouse Remix)

Hey Moon - John Maus (Molly Nilsson cover)

Leather Glove - Love Inks

Charades - Papercuts

Too Much MIDI (Please Forgive Me) - Ford & Lopatin

Lovedropper - The Boy Friend

Given the Time - Craft Spells

Sleep Patterns - Memoryhouse

We Have Everything - Young Galaxy

The Kiss – Pallers

Amor Fati - Washed Out

More dream pop (or near enough) from this year not to be missed:

Cover Your Tracks - Young Galaxy (CFCF Remix)

Streetlight - John Maus

Still Life - The Horrors

Quiet America - Memoryhouse

Lately – Memoryhouse

Warm In The Winter - Glass Candy

Video Games - Lana Del Ray

No Widows - The Antlers

Moullinex - Tear Club

Videotapes - Blouse

Surface - Teen Daze

Sun Hits - Memory Tapes

You're Almost There - Lanterns On The Lake

Lungs Quicken - Lanterns on the Lake

Fallout - Neon Indian

Marmelade Kids - Dumbo Gets Mad

Peripheral Visionaries - Young Galaxy

So Sorry - Geoffrey O'Connor

Sparrow Song - Acrylics (Feat. Caroline Polachek)

Lord Knows Best - Dirty Beaches

Not A Friend - Cat's Eyes

Chinatown - Destroyer

Forget that you're young - The Raveonettes

90 Degrees - Ladytron

I'm God - Clams Casino

Alien Observer - Grouper

Humdrum – Pallers

Bobby - Youth Lagoon

Our own dream - Keep Shelly in Athens

Fluorescent Nights - Echo Shade

Brief Encounter - Secret Cities

Flowers Bloom - High Highs

Moving Machine - Grouper

Stolen Dog – Burial

The White Season - Still Corners

The Twilight Hour - Still Corners

The Same Thing - Cass McCombs

Pinky's Dream (feat. Karen O) - David Lynch

Common Burn - Mazzy Star

Lay Myself Down - Mazzy Star

Ghost Dream – Blouse

Oblivion – Grimes

He Doesn’t Know Why - Silver Swans (Fleet Foxes cover)

Reunion - M83

Splendor - M83

California Birds - Keep Shelly In Athens & ABADABA

Here in Heaven 2 - Elite Gymnastics

Omamori - Elite Gymnastics

Halogen (I Could Be A Shadow) - Neon Indian

Silver Time Machine - Death In Vegas

Conquest –The Sound Of Arrows

Hearts (Bedroom Sessions) - I Break Horses

Egyptian Wrinkle - Boy Friend

Modern normal - Memoryhouse

The heavens turn by themselves - Sleep ∞ over

Into black - Blouse

Nuclear Seasons - Charli XCX

Plage - Crystal Fighters (Compuphonic Remix)

Red Light - Gigamesh (Goldroom Remix)

Swimming - Neutron Wireless Crystal (Trenchurian Remix)

Because The Night - Au Palais

Patricia's thirst - Choir of Young Believers (1st single from 2012 album)

Wild Eyed – The Horrors

The Fog Rose High - Craft Spells

Early To Bed – Weathervane

Hey Sparrow - Peaking Lights

One Second Of Love - Nite Jewel

Thunderbolts Of Love - Part Time

Still Sound - Toro Y Moi

For Love I Come – Thundercat

Paradisco - Charlotte Gainsbourg

Psychic Driving – Soft Metals

No One is Ever Going to Want Me - Giles Corey/Dan Barrett

Skeleton Key - Love Inks

Speed vs. Distance - Fotoshop

The Earth Plates Are Shifting - Young Empires

Skybound - Molly Nilsson

Yellow Halo - Goldfrapp

38 Stories - Indoor Voices

AT2 - Araab Muzik

I Remember - Araab Muzik

Dying Hipster - Torgny (feat. Maria Due)

This Aint No Hymn - Saint Saviour

Kelly - When Saints Go Machine

Better - Teen

High Priestess - Active Child

Diamond Heart - Active Child

Paris Collides - Rufus

Dreaming - Adam & The Amethysts

Eyes Be Closed - Washed Out

Far Away - Washed Out

White Trees - Mads Björn

Unspoken ft El Perro del Mar - Pacific!

Into the Wilderness - Burning Hearts

(Watch this space for more 2011 tracks in future...last updated 2nd of Feb 2012)

You might also like my list below....

Top dream pop songs of 2010:

Heirloom - Memoryhouse
I L U - School of Seven Bells
Camouflage – Small Black
When We're Dancing - Twin Shadow
Shadows – Warpaint
Undertow - Warpaint
Outer Limits – Sleep Over
Last Forever – Molly Nilsson
Forget You & I - Nite Jewel
Falling Far - Nite Jewel
Better times - Beach House
Dancing Ghosts - Azure Ray
Saviour - Teen Daze
Watch Over Me - Teen Daze
Live In Dreams (Wild Nothing Cover) - High Highs
Icarus - White Hinterland
The Truest Faith – Korallreven
Chinatown – Wild Nothing
On Giving Up - High Places
Across the Sea - D'eon
Devon - Grimes
Dream Fortress - Grimes
Don't Be Afraid - Keep Shelly In Athens
Burn Bridges – Dom
My Plants Are Dead - Blonde Redhead
Spain - Blonde Redhead
Shades Away - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
You Can Count On Me (live) - Panda Bear
Voyage - Charlotte Gainsbourg
Beatrice - Home Video
A Step Forward - Contre Jour
Soak It Up - Houses
A Real Hero - College feat. Electric Youth
Under Your Spell - Desire (2009)
Nightcall - Kavinsky

Songs for your iPod

2011-10-05T04:14:00.000-07:00

Awesome atmospheric music. Heard the Drive soundtrack? It works outside of the film. Here are my favourites:

Nightcall - Kavinsky

...

Under Your Spell - Desire

...

A Real Hero - College (feat. Electric Youth)

Movie of the week: Casablanca (1942)

2011-10-02T00:48:00.000-07:00

Spoilers may occur. One of the most beloved films ever made, from the "Golden age of cinema", and often voted the most romantic movie of-all-time, containing some of the most memorable and witty movie quotes from cinema history.

Among my favourite black-and-whites, it has been called a perfect film, capturing the spirit of romance, patriotism, intrigue and idealism. Through the years Casablanca is a film that has been woven into the fabric of our culture.

Takes place in Northern Africa in the 1940s, and especially Rick’s café is a character in its own right in the film, I really felt like I was sitting there among those guys in that smoke-filled room having a drink.

Set during World War Two, the main theme is probably lost love. Humphrey Bogart plays the romantic hero Rick, a cynical, tough, hard-nosed, yet sensitive character, who is reunited in Morocco with an old flame named Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). She is now married to Victor Laszlo fleeing from the Nazis.

Humphrey Bogart became a star with Casablanca. Film critic Roger Ebert says on the audio commentary that he thinks the reason Rick has become so beloved is due to him being a mysterious, sarcastic, and detached kind of guy, who is all the more interesting because we sense he has a soft heart inside.

Rick’s motivations for being in Casablanca are unclear, and add to the mystery. A bit of trivia, Bogart never took any acting lessons or went to acting school, he was self-taught. While I personally believe Ingrid Bergman’s performance is stronger, Bogart was nominated for an Oscar for his lead performance in Casablanca.

Castor at anomalousmaterial made a good point in his review, Bogart is playing two different characters in a way, Rick of the past, and Rick of the present. And Bogart pulls it off.

I always found Bogart's acting style slightly wooden and his delivery of lines monotonous, he has his moments in Casablanca, notably the "of all the gin joints" scene above. Still, for me he has a stone face most of the time in comparison to Ingrid Bergman, she can really express a lot by not even speaking. Why did Humphrey Bogart become such a big star I wonder? Luck? Good career choices? His looks? Who knows. However, you could argue there are no main characters in Casablanca, as the story has an ensemble feel to it.

Ingrid Bergman brought warmth and tenderness to the role. Her character Ilsa was torn between two men, in love with Rick, and devoted to the cause of resistance leader Victor Laszlo portrayed by Paul Henreid. Gives the film an edginess that Ingrid Bergman didn’t know who to love due to scripts changing daily. She was asked to play it “in the middle”. Nobody knew what the ending would be.

As Ebert states, it’s probably on more lists of the greatest films of-all-time than any other film in cinema history, and he has never read a negative Casablanca review (Hmm, well I could probably find one or two on rottentomatoes)
He thinks this is partly due to the main characters being likeable, and therefore reaching a wide audience, it also has elements to please both men and women. There are many ways of defining what makes a classic, one definition Ebert likes and feels he cannot improve on is by London critic Derek Malcolm: “A great movie is a movie I cannot bear the thought of never seeing again”

The quote “play it again Sam” is never spoken, it was actually “play it”. It’s amazing how quotes from Casablanca have become part of mainstream culture: “Round up the usual suspects”, “We'll always have Paris”, "I stick my neck out for nobody", etc.

My favourite quotes have to be: “Here’s looking at you kid”, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”, and not forgetting “My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters. Waters? What waters? We're in the desert. I was misinformed.”
Here’s a list of memorable quotes

As explained in the dvd documentary, the audience gains insight into people stranded in Europe trying to escape to the USA. People at the time knew about the real Casablanca from the news, and this gave the film more tension. Casablanca was invaded the year the picture came out.

In a way, America and the world needed the film, the story said there were values worth making sacrifices for, and it told this in a very entertaining way. The idea was, that there are greater causes at hand during the war, and you sometimes had to stand above your own feelings, in this case the feelings of three people.
The ending is very memorable and has left audiences wondering what would happen to the main characters after the credits have rolled, the war was still going on, so there was a lot of uncertainty about the future, not just in the movie, but all around the world.

That song As Time Goes By, so haunting! And Rick's Café MUST have helped the tourism in the local area!
The song is number 2 on the American Film Institute's (AFI) 100 Years... 100 Songs list.

Won Oscars for Best picture, best screenplay and best director. Listed as #19 on IMDB’s top 250.

For me, some of the special effects are dated, but still holds up very well, is a timeless classic for each new generation to discover. A number of the screenshots I've shared here have become iconic movie moments.

Have you seen Casablanca? What did you make of it? Do you have a favourite quote? What do you think of Humphrey Bogart's acting? Feel free to share your opinions in the comments

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Songs for your iPod

2011-09-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

Some folk tunes...strangely I only liked one song on each of below 2011 albums...folk music is a bit hit or miss with me...

Paper Airplane - Alison Krauss & Union Station

...

For What It's Worth - Stevie Nicks

...

The Way It Will Be - Gillian Welch

(The vocal is a touch similar to Aimee Mann. The sound is pleasant enough folk/country, unfortunately the new album overall, I found Gillian Welch’s lyrics uninspiring and the monotonous vocal delivery struggled to hold my attention.
Given all the great reviews, maybe its just not for me? An exception was below track, a highlight for me on 2011 album The Harrow & The Harvest, haunting and interesting. An older song by Welch from album The Revelator (2001) that impressed me was: “I Dreamed A Highway”)

Like? dislike? any thoughts, listeners? Let me know in the comments

Songs for your iPod

2011-09-28T00:31:00.000-07:00

About time I start posting some 2011 music, a couple of tracks from Vedder's new album Ukulele Songs...

Longing To Belong - Eddie Vedder

(The dreamy album cover design sure is something to behold)

...

Can’t Keep – Eddie Vedder

(Love the video, the ocean is so blue, look out for the rainbow! Actually its a new acoustic version of an old Pearl Jam track)

...

Wishlist - Pearl Jam

(From the 1998 album Yield, such memorable lyrics)

Let me know what you have to say about the music in the comments!

Movie of the week: Buffalo 66 (1998)

2011-09-25T00:28:00.000-07:00

Haven’t seen any film quite like this indie. Its definitely one of my top films viewed in 2011. Don’t judge the film on the dreadful trailer. I found it to be very original and the atmosphere unique, and that says a lot, as I have seen a ton of independent films over the years.

Written, directed by and starring Vincent Gallo, his directorial debut, it was filmed in and around Gallo's native Buffalo, New York. The parents house was actually Gallo's childhood home.

Has a twisted black humour I really enjoyed, not laugh out loud stuff, but made me chuckle on many occasions.

Amusing how the self-confident female character Layla played by Christina Ricci is kidnapped, but actually sort of enjoys it after a while. She seems sad when she first meets Billy, crying in the bathroom, what is the matter with her current life you wonder?

I was impressed by the inventive use of camera techniques and angles. You can tell they are playing around with the visual medium, super 8 film, flashbacks, etc. The same cinematographer would later go on to make such visually creative films as Being John Malkovich and Lost In Translation.

Spoiler alert! The story is not just a comedy or about kidnapping, also you realize its a character study about the two main characters past. Layla, the odd but tenderhearted tap dancer who provides Gallo's Billy Brown with the only true love he has ever received. Billy Brown, a man who has spent so much of his life pining for love and tenderness that he doesn't know how to deal with it once it is staring him in the face. His character is meant to be a pain in the arse, always whining. Not likeable, but you are drawn to him anyway.

I don’t think the film has any big message, that’s not the point for me. It’s more about having a laugh and watching some quirky characters on a journey.

There was a unique use of music during the running time, which I liked and had never heard before, here are a few highlights from the soundtrack:
Moonchild - King Crimson
Heart of the Sunrise – Yes
Sweetness – Yes

At the time, Empire listed it as the 36th greatest independent film ever made.

Highly recommended, if you enjoy unconventional, independent cinema.

Thanks to Alex at boycottingtrends for the recommendation!

Readers, any thoughts on Buffalo 66 ?

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Songs for your iPod

2011-09-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Present Tense - Pearl Jam

...

Around the Bend - Pearl Jam

...

Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town - Pearl Jam

Any thoughts on the music? Fourth and final part of my Pearl Jam/Eddie Vedder marathon next week.

Songs for your iPod

2011-09-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

Society - Eddie Vedder

...

Guaranteed – Eddie Vedder

(There are a lot of quality tracks on the soundtrack, Hard Sun could easily have made it on here too)

...

Black - Pearl Jam

(I don't usually like grunge, although I have to admit this is a special track, thanks to bonjour tristesse for the suggestion)

Readers, any thoughts?

Movie of the week: Barney's Version (2010)

2011-09-18T00:16:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed Barney's Version, one of the most memorable films for me of 2011. There are a number of funny, touching, emotional and unpredictable moments, some great dialogue, and also dramatic and sad scenes. I preferred it over Paul Giamatti’s Win Win (2011).

We witness 30 years of Barney’s history from the 1970s and onwards, mostly focusing on his love life. Will probably appeal more to an audience with life experience. Did strike me though that each time Barney falls in love he is like a teenager, saying he loves them when he hardly knows them, Minnie Driver's character is also naïve. I guess that's part of the charm and partly why they are flawed. It’s probably typical more in movie life than real life to behave in such an impulsive way. I liked the Miranda character the most, even though Rosamund Pike’s acting in my mind was poor, she was more likeable and intelligent than Barney, his self-destructive behaviour was off-putting at times.

Rottentomatoes name it a seriocomic adaptation of Mordecai Richler's award-winning 1997 novel. Apparently, the story of Barney is comparable to Herzog written by Saul Bellow, about the midlife crisis of a Jewish man named Moses E. Herzog, which we see Miranda reading in the train scene. I have not read either of them.

Some reviewers found the story to be uneven and messy, but isn’t life? Maybe Scott Speedman was miscast, he seemed too young to be Barney’s best friend. Others have pointed out its unrealistic that Giamatti is a babe magnet, Barney’s slightly overweight, everyman look and his behaviour being often unappealing, drinking having made Barney’s life a blur.

It reminded me of his wine-drinking character Miles in Sideways. As Roger Ebert points out in his review, the beautiful women love Barney despite his flaws. I agree with a fellow reviewer, who writes the characters start to become your friends, and you don’t want to have to leave them. Perhaps we can relate to Barney because of his mistakes in life. He wears his imperfections on his sleeve, and to me it's kind of refreshing to see someone so unafraid to speak their mind. During the running time, you can reflect on good and bad choices you made in your own life.

I really think Paul Giamatti should of got nominated for an Oscar, perhaps he'll get an academy award for Thomas McCarthy's Win Win. Giamatti won a Golden Globe for his lead performance in Barney’s Version.

Here are a collection of quotes I liked (spoilers)
“She’s a conversation piece, not a wife”
“Oh, Barney you really do wear your heart on your sleeve, now put it away, it’s disgusting to look at”
“The chicken is great. - Its fish”
“Our 3rd date, we are not bored silly or madly in love”
“If you want people to take you seriously, then act accordingly”
“You my darling are as grown up as you’ll ever be”
“Have I ever given up when it comes to you” -never “so what makes you think I’m going to give up now”

In my opinion, a criminally overlooked film more film-lovers should discover, in my top 10 films of 2011. Just avoid the trailer, it ruins many of the surprises.

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Songs for your iPod

2011-09-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Off He Goes - Pearl Jam

...

Better Man (acoustic) - Pearl Jam

...

Man of the Hour - Pearl Jam

Readers, any thoughts on this week's music? What Pearl Jam or Eddie Vedder tracks do you like? Next week some selected tracks from the Into the wild soundtrack

Songs for your iPod

2011-09-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of 2 of my songathon in appreciation of the career of Belle & Sebastian

I'm Waking Up to Us - Belle & Sebastian

...

Marx and Engels - Belle & Sebastian

...

Piazza, New York Catcher - Belle & Sebastian

...

Your Cover's Blown - Belle and Sebastian

Any thoughts on the music? Let me know in the comments. Keep an eye out for some Eddie Vedder/Pearl Jam next few weeks!

Movie of the week: The Tree of Life (2011)

2011-09-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

My review will be a little different this week, in that I will write my own opinions, and add pieces from other reviews I’ve read to try and gain various angles on the film. So if you notice your own sentences in the mix, I’ve shamelessly lifted them, take it as a compliment...call it an interactive review for lack of a better term...

Won Palme D’or at Cannes. Loved the film, I was in awe. In my top 3 films of 2011 and what could possibly budge it out of that slot? I thought this would be an event people would be queuing up for, turns out they only screened Terrence Malick’s new film because I bought a ticket, and it had only been going a few days.

A film that will probably divide audiences, some viewers no doubt will find the scenes of the origins of the universe pretentious and boring or be frustrated by the non-linear narrative, others with more patience will appreciate the extraordinary beauty, symbolism and ambition.

Can take your worries away, and much like a nature documentary I drifted peacefully into the images at times, other parts of the story are highly emotional. I left the theatre with a very calm fulfillment. Poetic and contemplative, and the theme of remembering your childhood has universal appeal. The film makes us the viewers think about our own memories of growing up. I’d call it an innocent film, there is no sex or sexual connotations. A few females may be disappointed that Brad Pitt doesn’t get it on, ha ha. And that trailer has got to be one of the best I’ve ever seen.

The fact the film doesn’t comment much on life in the 50s perhaps is a strength in terms of the films longevity, its about timeless family issues more than the time it was set, as James at centralfloridafilmcritic wrote about in his review.

As Steeve at Cinematic Paradox says in her review, the story looks over many things in life, and doesn't particularly teach anyone how to live their life or what the right path to follow is.

Anna's review at 5plitreel points out it lacks focus as a narration and tends to be more like a stream of consciousness than anything else. But as we’re seeing it all from adult Jack’s point of view, there’s really no reason why it all should make sense to everyone in a traditional way.

Malick is not afraid to stick to his artistic vision, which for Bonjour Tristesse could be interpreted as what the director is talking about in the opening scene. The intro is like a short film, a powerful piece about choosing the way of nature or the way of grace. The parents probably represent different elements, the ambitious father electing the path of nature and wanting to achieve certain goals in life and oppressively expecting his boys to do the same, attempting to make them tougher, while the childlike mother raises her kids with more understanding of their need for playfulness. Success for the father is financial and he is never satisfied, while the mother is seemingly removed from the world around them, not concerned with wealth, but can find happiness in the simple everyday way of life. As Roger Ebert writes, there is a father who maintains discipline and a mother who exudes forgiveness.

The story is about how the young Jack is coming to terms with growing up, split between the mother and father, and beginning to question the world and his father’s actions. The tragedy that occurs puts life into perspective for the family. As filmplicity comments, Malick reflects on the mystery of suffering. Why do bad things happen to good people? If God loves the world, why do we experience pain and loss?

I’m not sure if older Jack (Sean Penn) has a yearning for his father, but certainly a longing for his siblings and mother from his childhood, the way they once were. Most of all I think he would like to go back to the place where he once belonged and be a boy again, he seems lost as an adult. Sky scrapers are the trees of the city, not a very good replacement for the trees of his youth. The mask sinking into the ocean near the end, is this a symbol of older Jack in essence showing us during the flashbacks who he is behind the mask?

The title is interesting. We are all part of a family tree, and on a larger scale a global family. The tree by the family home plays an important part of the childhood memory for grown-up Jack. The tree of life is obviously also a religious symbol.
In Mad Hatter’s podcast, they talk about how The Tree of Life is a critical darling, like going to cinematic church, not in the preachy way, but to do with faith and believing in something bigger, personal religion, not organized religion. Getting to a point where you can question it, as its not a crime.

The visuals from space are to do with the birth and expansion of the universe, while Jack’s character is an example of a human, a drop in the ocean on a smaller scale, growing and interacting with his surroundings. The two levels, the universe, and man, bring in to question how we are all part of the big picture, and how insignificant one person really is in the great scheme of things, yet it is plainly obvious in the case of Jack’s memories of childhood how valuable and essential family and love is. I don’t know if the story is autobiographical, felt very personal, as if Terrence Malick had used his own upbringing as inspiration.

Interestingly, moments of being a baby are quiet, perhaps, as Andina at inspired ground suggested, that dialogue is not key when you are an infant, what is important is wordless love from your parents.

I loved the words of wisdom that are whispered. My favourite quote is: “Don’t let anyone tell you there’s anything you can’t do”. Bitchinfilmreviews was displeased with the sometimes barely audible, mumbled monologues, he could be on to something, which is a weakness of sorts, luckily I watched The Tree of Life with subtitles. Another flaw I identified, and several other bloggers such as limereviews were confused by, (spoiler) was the question of the third brother and his lack of screen time. Older Jack reflects on his childhood on the anniversary of his brother’s death, but which sibling who dies is actually not clear.

Most importantly, Malick's film has to be seen on the big screen, as is the case of all his films, I can’t imagine anything else doing it justice, although that’s also a measure of quality I guess, if it holds up on dvd? If you don’t see it in the cinema, then you haven’t really seen The Tree of Life as it was intended to be watched. Comparable to 2001: A Space Odyssey in terms of ambition, the approach to visuals of epic proportion and classical music, and many quiet scenes where the audience can reflect, yet having more of a human element than Kubrick’s masterpiece. Could well become a classic, I’m definitely going to have to get this on dvd soon.

Very simple and at the same time very complex. To be honest, hard to do the film justice in words, has to be watched to be fully appreciated. As filmplicity said in his review, how do you critique a film that will mean something different to everyone who sees it?

More than anything, I think the film try’s to capture the joy of childhood where you experience things for the first time, and Jack’s yearning as an adult to return to that innocence and family unity. For other viewers, it may mean something completely different to them, and if you rewatch the film at different stages in your life, the film will open new doors in your mind, wherever you are at in life, such is the scope.

My rating is 9/10, without the flaws would have been a 10.

As always, let me know what you think in the comments below!

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

Songs for your iPod

2011-09-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

(Part 1 of 2, a songathon in appreciation of a band who have consistenly put out great albums for years)

Stay Loose - Belle and Sebastian

...

Dog on wheels - Belle and Sebastian

...

Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying - Belle and Sebastian

Readers, any thoughts on the music? Part 2 of 2 next week... ps Belle and Sebastian have probably released over 50 awesome songs, many I love are acoustic, I can e-mail you my list of favourites if you're interested(I've listened to all their albums), just give me a shout in the comments, as it would be too much of the same thing to share it all here on the blog for months and months and months, ha ha ( :

Movie of the week: Ghost World (2001)

2011-09-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

Two rebellious teenage high school graduates despise everything that’s normal in suburbia. This makes for some very amusing, sarcastic dialogue. Enid knows what she doesn’t care for, but has no clue what she does want, she is constantly changing her appearance.

It’s that rare movie where I think it surpassed the comic book it was based on, both are so quotable. Check the memorable quotes section on IMDB here

I love the wicked bummer humour used on many occasions:

"I can't relate to 99% of humanity"

The film does a good job making the actors cartoony, the make up, costumes and the setting, and in my opinion manages to capture the world of the graphic novel. Scarlett Johansson as always is cute, almost as if God decided she was too beautiful, so he has to punish her by giving her a deep voice, ha ha ( : (That is if you find a deep female voice unattractive)

To me, the Greek supermarket scenes are the funniest parts.

The running time just flies by, no dull moments. One of the best films I can think of that portrays teenage angst and insecurity, and just hanging out and being mischievous from a girl's point of view. Quite dense (in a good way), there are a lot of small details and pieces of dialogue which may reveals themselves on multiple viewings. A film you can return to and easily rewatch.

As other reviewers write, a film you can relate to if you’ve ever felt out of place in life. About the teenage fear of being trapped in a grown-up future and choosing the wrong grown-up identity. And it evokes sympathy for the judgmental and cynical Enid, as she finds beauty in others' flaws.

An interpretation of the phrase “ghost world” is that it illustrates the fact that today, everyone seems to be living in their own world, thus making the objective world a “ghost” world. The term can also apply to the way in which both Enid and Becky, but especially Enid, are haunted by the past.

The film won a number of awards for the screenplay and acting. My rating is 9/10

IMDB

Rottentomatoes

.....................................................................................

David Boring / by Daniel Clowes

While watching and reviewing Ghost World, I also took the time to read arguably Daniel Clowes other masterpiece, the graphic novel David Boring, which I was recommended by a blogger friend. Was an entertaining read. It features on Times’ ten best graphic novels of all time list. Love that name, David Boring, can you imagine someone saying: Hi Boring! David is our teenage narrator living in 1998 together with roommate Dot. Only 116 pages, so a quick read. The only weakness I could find was the family gathering on the island, where suddenly people started killing each other, which strained believability. More raunchy and with more characters than Ghost World, and again some unforgettable quotes. I’ll share a few of them here:

Page 12: “You can never really trust someone who remembers every embarrassing detail of your adolescence”

Page 47: “Aside from getting shot in the head, David, what have you done with yourself”

Page 73 “More and more, I can’t stand to hurt any living creature. I’m too fearful of revenge...”

Thanks for reading! As always, let me know what you think in the comments below

Songs for your iPod

2011-09-04T00:59:00.000-07:00

(2 tracks from the album Brainwashed released in 2002 shortly after George Harrison's passing)

Any Road - George Harrison

...

Rising Sun - George Harrison

...

Handle With Care - Traveling Wilburys

(My favourite track by the Traveling Wilburys, a band Harrison joined in the late 80s)

Readers, any thoughts on this week's music? Next time, first part of a Belle and Sebastian songathon!

Anticipated Albums Autumn/Fall 2011

2011-09-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

So what new music am I looking forward to? Here are some album selections, and release dates:

August 16th:

100 Acres of Sycamore - Fionn Regan

September 13th:

The Years - Memoryhouse

Era Extrana - Neon Indian

Gravity The Seducer - Ladytron

A Creature I Don't Know - Laura Marling

American Goldwing - Blitzen Trapper

The Old Magic - Nick Lowe

A Winged Victory for the Sullen - A Winged Victory for the Sullen

September 20th:

An Argument With Myself - Jens Lekman

Night of Hunters - Tori Amos

All Hours - Ivy

The High Country - Richmond Fontaine

September 27th:

Grace for Drowning - Steven Wilson

Gracious Tide Take Me Home - Lanterns on the Lake

The Whole Love - Wilco

Velociraptor - Kasabian

Vanity Is Forever - Geoffrey O'Connor

Zig Zaj - Boom Bip

Forever - SLEEP ∞ OVER

In Heaven - Twin Sister

October 4th:

Metals - Feist

Sea of Memories - Pallers

Wolfroy Goes to Town - Bonnie Prince Billy

Amerika - Migrant

October 11th:

Ashes & Fire - Ryan Adams

Turn in the Dream-Songs - Jeffrey Lewis

Dropped Pianos - Tim Hecker

Original Colors - High Places

In the Pit of the Stomach - We Were Promised Jetpacks

October 18th:

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming - M83

Days - Real Estate

Like a Man - Adam Cohen

Ragged Kingdom - Oysterband & June Tabor

October 25th:

Bad as me - Tom Waits

AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered - Various artists

November 8th:

Parallax - Atlas Sound (solo project from Bradford Cox of Deerhunter)

Crazy Clown Time - David Lynch

Humor Risk - Cass Mccombs

So Outta Reach - Kurt Vile

Stage Whisper - Charlotte Gainsbourg

Our Own Dream - Keep Shelly in Athens

Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn (Soundtrack)

November 15th:

Album By Korallreven - Korallreven

Replica - Oneohtrix Point Never

November 22nd:

Dive - Tycho

December 14th:

History - Molly Nilsson

(Last updated 3rd of November)

You can probably tell by now I love album sleeves, ha ha ( : I like Ladytron's and the Neon Indian's dreamy artwork the best, they're all pretty impressive to be honest!

Which 2011 albums do you have constantly on repeat? What music are you most excited about in the next few months? Any thoughts on the album covers above?

ps To listen to some of the fall tracks, go here

Or go to my best dream pop songs of 2011, which includes songs from autumn 2011

Songs for your iPod

2011-09-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

(Was recommended All Things Must Pass (1970) - George Harrison by thebigparade. The album tracks keep getting deleted, so a few of these are live versions)

Let It Down (acoustic) - George Harrison

...

Run Of The Mill (Acoustic) - George Harrison

...

I Live For You - George Harrison

Some other tracks I liked from the album: Beware Of Darkness, Isn't It A Pity (Version Two), I'd Have You Anytime. The hits are ok, but wouldn't call them my favourites: My sweet lord, what is life

Readers, do you like/dislike George Harrison's music, any thoughts?
Look out next week for some of his more recent stuff!