2014 Blind Spot series: The Birth of a Nation (1915)

My contribution to Ryan McNeil's 2014 blindspot series blogathon, where I watch a film each month that I have never seen before.

Directed by D.W. Griffith, Birth of a Nation is a key film of the silent era. The first big-budget blockbuster, the first epic.

Set before, during, and after the American Civil War 1861-1865. Was, and still is, highly controversial with its portrayal of African-American men (played by white actors in blackface) as unintelligent and sexually aggressive towards white women, and the portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan (whose original founding is dramatized) as a heroic force. There were widespread African-American protests against the racist elements. The NAACP spearheaded an unsuccessful campaign to ban the film. Griffith's indignation at efforts to censor or ban the film motivated him to produce Intolerance the following year.

The Birth of a Nation was the longest and most profitable film then produced, and secured both the future of feature-length films and the reception of film as a serious medium.
Of significance for its groundbreaking filmmaking techniques, and has been quoted as “the birth of an art”. According to 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, director DW Griffith was more interested in the possibilities of the film medium, than the blatantly racist play by Thomas Dixon, which the film is based on.
Griffith utilized close-ups, panoramic long shots, panning camera shots, parallel storylines, cross cutting, night photography, color tinting for dramatic purposes, building up the plot to an exciting climax, dramatizing history alongside fiction, and a battle sequence with hundreds of extras made to look like thousands. In fact cross-cutting and close-up he had already experimented with in short films from 1909-1911.
Also features the first original music written specifically for a film. ”The Perfect Song" is regarded as the first marketed "theme song" from a film.
These innovative film techniques, while not all of his creation, make it one of the most influential films in the film industry. The impact was far greater in 1915, because these techniques are commonplace today. In fact so common, that I hardly noticed the groundbreaking camera work.

So what did I think? Lasting over three hours it tested my patience. Truth be told the story wasn’t of great interest to me. Mainly was a film I felt I ought to finally see due to its reputation. The recreation of the battle field scenes is quite impressive and looks like historical footage. However I would argue those scenes are overpraised and only makes sense with the title cards telling us what’s going on.
The assassination of President Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre is probably the most memorable scene, which I feel works without title cards. Even though the second half is very racist, as cohesive storytelling I feel it’s more straightforward and easier to follow than the first half.

Roger Ebert wrote in his insightful review, “all serious moviegoers must sooner or later arrive at a point where they see a film for what it is, and not simply for what they feel about it.” He also notes, “But it is possible to separate the content from the craft?” Ebert continues that "The Birth of a Nation is worth considering, if only for the inescapable fact that it did more than any other work of art to dramatize and encourage racist attitudes in America. (The contemporary works that made the most useful statements against racism were “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and "Huckleberry Finn.")
Unfortunately the film is also credited with the revival of the popularity of the Ku Klux Klan, which was all but extinct when the movie appeared.

Birth of a Nation is a film that is difficult to love due to its controversial subject matter, yet among the most influential in film history.



Thanks for reading. Have you seen  The Birth of a Nation or other D.W. Griffith films? Is it possible to admire the filmmaking despite the racism?

2014 Blind Spot series: Come and See (1985)

My contribution to Ryan McNeil's 2014 blindspot series blogathon, where I watch a film each month that I have never seen before.

WW2 drama. Often listed as among the best war movies, and best Soviet films ever made. A teenage boy (Flyora) becomes part of the resistance to fight the Germans, we see events unfold through his eyes. Horrific that children would be used as child soldiers.
The film utilizes jarring sound effects to emulate the aftermath of a bombing, when the soldier’s ears or hearing might be affected.
The scene with the flies in the house is very unsettling in how it plays out. Mainly because how uncomfortably realistic it is. Another memorable sequence is wading through the mud and it’s quite amazing how brave the young actors are to put themselves through those dangers. The performances make you believe they are struggling to keep their head above water.
The man who was set on fire lying on the ground is also a striking moment, as was the terrifying trench coat-dressed mock Hitler effigy, with a skull covered in mud. Perhaps put together by the partisans so that relatives of the deceased could tear apart this symbol of evil, and vent their anger. Perhaps as a symbolic "scarecrow" warning to the Germans that they are ready to defend their territory. I'm not sure which?
The many close ups and harrowing nature of the story means it’s essentially a horror film. The main character’s fear-petrified expression is unforgettable. His attempting to shield his ears, going so far as to drive his head into the mud, says more than a thousand words.

A brutal film. The archival black and white footage of Hitler which is shown backwards for me illustrates the dream (and impossibility) of undoing what has already been done.
A powerful anti-war message. You realize the situations are close to real life, and that the survivors had to live a normal life after the atrocities. There are no winners in situations such as these. You appreciate what the word post-traumatic stress syndrome is about, because these events leave an undeniable mark not just on the characters, but the audience who witnesses them.

If I had to point to a weakness, the ending drags on too long. Director Elem Klimov co-wrote the screenplay with Ales Adamovich, who fought with the Byelorussian partisans as a teenager. According to wikipedia, Klimov was able to start filming in 1984 without having compromised to any censorship at all. The only change became the name of the film itself. As another reviewer wrote, “this movie sets a new standard in making war seem like hell. It's the kind of film that makes you appreciate being alive and having the life you do.”
Approach with caution, a very disturbing watch.
Rating 9/10

Have you seen Come and See (1985)? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments

2014 Blind Spot series: Castle in the Sky (1986)

Castle in the Sky (1986)

My contribution to Ryan McNeil's 2014 blindspot series blogathon, where I watch a film each month that I have never seen before.

Japanese animated feature. Certainly the most mainstream and action/adventure orientated of the Miyazaki films I’ve seen. The chase story is reminiscent of Indiana Jones.
There’s definitely a little social commentary, that we shouldn’t misuse the earth’s resources for selfish reasons, which in the film is in the shape of the powerful crystal weapon, which comes from the earth.
Pity about the overlong running time of over two hours, which is quite common for Asian productions.

While My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and The Wind Rises (2013) I was moved by emotionally and felt suitable for both young and old, Castle in the Sky left me unmoved, and I would say the target audience is younger than I am.
Wonderful animation, average characterization and story. The situation is really just goodies vs baddies. The film is not bad, but I guess I expected more considering it's ranked  in the IMDb top 250. My least favorite Miyazaki film so far.
Rating 6/10 

Have you seen Castle in the Sky or other Miyazaki films? Are you a fan of his style?

2014 Blind Spot series: Hard Boiled (1992)

Entertaining Hong Kong action film, considered among director John Woo’s best films. Famous for the choreography with its slow-motion gun battles, sometimes labelled "bullet ballet" or "Gun Fu"(which combines the words gun and kung fu). Essentially highly stylized gunfights. Woo was a pioneer of this style and his film A Better Tomorrow (1986) was the first example of Gun Fu. The film launched the "heroic bloodshed" genre in Hong Kong, and Gun Fu action sequences became a regular feature in many of the subsequent films. The Wild Bunch (1969) directed by Sam Peckinpah was an even earlier example of slow-motion screen violence, only that was a western.
In Hard Boiled (1992), we see a guy jump over a motorbike in slow-mo, and rolling along a hospital bed while shooting.
A film you could watch without subtitles, because the story more often than not is told through visuals.
However it’s not just an actioner, there’s an emotional journey for the main characters.
Hard Boiled was John Woo's last Hong Kong film before his transition to Hollywood. After making films that glamorized gangsters (and receiving criticism for doing so), Woo wanted to make a Dirty Harry styled film to glamorize the police. Woo was inspired by a police officer who was a strong-willed and tough member of the police force, as well as being an avid drummer. This led to Woo having Tequila's (Chow Yun-fat) character be a musician as well as a cop.
The introduction of Tony (Tony Leung) character was memorable, the scene in the red sports car. Tony is shown as living alone and detached from others. Woo stated that this was influenced by Alain Delon's character in the French crime film Le Samouraï.
John Woo actually has a small supporting role as a character named Woo, which surprised me.
The stylized violence is not for everyone, the body count is up there. An accident occurred while filming the hospital sequence. Real glass was used and pieces of it flew toward Tony Leung and got into his eyes. Leung was sent to the hospital and after a week's rest, he returned to the set.
All the characters in Hard Boiled had their voices dubbed by their own actors in order to save money. Woo stated this was convenient as he did not have to worry about setting up boom mics and other sound elements.
As another reviewers wrote, I dread to think how many people were hospitalised during the making of the film.
At the 12th Hong Kong Film Awards, David Wu and John Woo won the award for "Best Film Editing". Tony Leung was nominated for "Best Supporting Male Actor", but lost out.
Favorite quote: It’s what you’ve got, and not how you made it, alright?

Rating 8/10

Agree or disagree? Have you seen Hard Boiled or other John Woo films? Are you a fan of his style? 

2014 Blind Spot series: Malcolm X (1992)

I went in knowing next to nothing about the man Malcolm X (1925–1965). Based on Alex Haley's and Malcolm X's "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" (1965), what we get is a period film about the ups and downs of his life. A history lesson about key moments that shaped his character.
In fact director Spike Lee urged kids to cut school to see his movie, believing that "X" provides just as much (or more) education.
The name 'Malcolm X' was a rejection of the 'Little' surname (given his family by white slave owners). The X representing the unknown name of his African ancestors and their culture that had been lost during slavery.
To his admirers "X" was a courageous advocate for the rights of blacks, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans; detractors accused him of preaching racism and violence.

The film had me from the first frame, when we listen to "X" talk about injustice with the American flag burning up in the background.

Great performance by Denzel Washington, when you watch archive clips of the real Malcolm X, you realize how spot on especially Washington's voice is. Also great direction by Spike Lee, a truly epic film, and despite its over 3 hours long, I was never bored.

The only minor complaint is the music that plays over the dialogue scenes, so it can be hard to hear every word. Even though I disagree with "X's"  religious beliefs and thoughts on the separation of the black and whites, it’s still an entertaining and enlightening film. A complex and flawed man, who kept changing, which makes it tough to pin him down. I'd admit it's human to keep evolving as a person, so I don't see anything wrong with his transformation. In a way brave to change and have the courage to see things differently, especially as others could doubt him in those moments. You could argue his story is about living a full life by being open to change. How that attitude is inspirational and a learning curve, yet can also cause self-doubt and conflict.
Perhaps Malcolm X's message was too vague anf controversial for him to achieve the global respect that Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela both did, their non-violent and anti-apartheid positions are far easier to fathom. In the case of Malcolm X, you have to research to comprehend where he stands, and the film is a good place to start. You really ought to watch Spike Lee's movie several times, since there's plenty to digest on first viewing, both history and cinematic flourishes. I'm tempted to watch the 1972 documentary narrated by James Earl Jones, to learn even more.

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Denzel Washington for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Costume Design.

The original director was going to be Norman Jewison. He withdrew due to outside pressure demanding a black film-maker.
Malcolm X (1992) was the first non-documentary film that was given permission to film in Mecca. The film's 2nd unit filmed all the scenes at Mecca. Spike Lee did not accompany them because he is not a Muslim; only Muslims are allowed to enter Mecca.

Rating 9/10

Agree or disagree? Have you seen Malcolm X or other Spike Lee films? Are you a fan of his style? 

2014 Blind Spot series: Duck Soup (1933)

My contribution to Ryan McNeil's 2014 blindspot series blogathon, where I watch a film each month that I have never seen before.

I’ve known about the Marx Brothers for ages, but have always put off delving into their work. This month I finally watched three of their films from a dvd box I own: Monkey Business (1931), Horse Feathers (1932), and Duck Soup (1933). Of the three, Monkey Business I thought had the funniest dialogue, which I watched first. Horse Feathers was ok but disappointed me with its repetitive pattern of jokes. Duck Soup won me over for the most part.

Let’s talk about Duck Soup and what I liked about the film. My favorite sequences are when they exchange hats by the lemonade stand, when he can’t stop the music box, and especially the mirror sequence (image below), which has amazing timing, I’m curious how they shot that scene. According to Wikipedia, the concept of the mirror scene did not originate in this film. Charlie Chaplin used it in The Floorwalker (1916) and Max Linder included it in Seven Years Bad Luck (1921).

Directed by Leo McCarey, the story is a political satire set in the fictional state of Freedonia, and about how rich folks sponsor idiots. The rich widow Mrs. Teasdale claims Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) is the most able leader of Freedonia, but she doesn’t base it on facts, and amusingly barely even listens to Firefly’s insulting remarks. I guess you put up with a lot when love is blind, word is she’s attracted to him. She won’t provide much-needed financial backing until Firefly is in charge.

The atmosphere of the film is very staged and contrived, but if you run with that, there are blink and you’ll miss them spurts of witty dialogue, mostly from Groucho. Watch it with subtitles, it’s as fast as a screwball comedy. You've got to work to keep up with him. However he is also a physical comedian, and prone to spontaneous dancing, which is fun to watch.

Besides wise-cracking Groucho, there’s child-like Harpo Marx, for me he’s the funniest, he never speaks, so it’s all body language and pantomime. The story really is just an excuse for the brothers to clown around.

While Duck Soup is praiseworthy, many of the situations I feel are implausible, and would never play out that way in real life, why would ambassador Trentino (Louis Calhern) hire those guys to follow Firefly, and then when they show their stupidity and fail, just let them try once again? Perhaps, as with Mrs. Teasdale, we are laughing at the bone-headed decisions.

To me, the black comedy is similar to Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove, in how minor disagreements could trigger a war. The film also is a running joke on musicals of the era, with the characters unexpectedly bursting into song.

Included in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, Duck Soup is by many considered the finest Marx brothers comedy. A film I want to revisit in future, because you can't pick up on all the dialogue in one sitting. 
Favorite quote: “You want to be a public nuisance? Sure, how much does the job pay.” 

Rating 8/10

Agree or disagree? Have you seen Duck Soup or other Marx Brothers comedies? Are you a fan of their style? 

2014 Blind Spot series: The Seven Year Itch (1955)

Directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Marilyn Monroe. Arguably her most iconic movie moment, when she’s wearing the white dress, and stands over the grate.

It takes a bit of getting used to, that the main character talks to himself. They would never get away with that today, perhaps it would have been a voice-over in a contemporary film?
You are never quite certain which scenes are imagined, or real, because it soon becomes evident that the male protagonist is a dreamer.

The seven-year itch is a psychological term that suggests that happiness in a relationship declines after around year seven of a marriage. The Seven Year Itch is based on a 1952 three-act play.

I liked the performances, and Marilyn Monroe obviously is the reason to see the film. Tom Ewell, who reprises his role from the stage, is very good as the man who is infatuated with her.

A cute, easy watch, if you are in the mood for something light and romantic. I would call it good, rather than great. An essential watch, if you are a fan of the classics.

The film was listed at number 51 on the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 American comedy films of the past 100 years. Ewell won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.


Agree or disagree? Have you watched The Seven Year Itch? Which are your favorite Billy Wilder films?

2014 Blind Spot Series: The Player (1992)

By acclaimed auteur Robert Altman. Considered among his best efforts as a director, which made it a good choice for Ryan McNeil's 2014 blindspot series blogathon, where I watch a film each month that I have never seen before.

There’s plenty of wink wink going on to other films. If you are a movie buff, there are lots of movie references you may recognize. The opening with no cut is similar to Orson Welles’ opening in A Touch of Evil (1958). Not particularly subtle, truth be told, as Welles’ film is mentioned in the dialogue.
Other films mentioned are Hitchcock’s Rope (1948) which was edited so as to appear as a single continuous shot, Bertolucci’s The Sheltering Sky (1990), and Julien Temple's Absolute Beginners (1986), which likewise used no cut techniques.
Classic films from the past show up in the story, Bicycle Thieves (1948) is playing at the cinema the main character (Tim Robbins) visits. Or on movie posters, Laura (1944), and other posters are in the background.





I feel the constant barrage of cameos and movie posters appearing becomes a bit tiresome. What is Robert Altman trying to say? To show how film history influences today's cinema? Does he want to pay homage to these classics, and encourage us to watch them? Is he showing off that he was able to get all these actors to do cameos? You could argue that "spot the cameo", and spot the movie reference, is a distraction, yet is also part of what makes the story unique.

If you take away all the references, what remains is a crime story, a budding romance, and a satire about the greed and lack of risk taking in Hollywood. An industry that encourages “safe” and "formulaic" mainstream movies that generate profit, and maybe that’s why Altman chose to have an excessive number of stars in his film, to make a joke about it’s the big names that make us go see the new movies, rather than the content. It poses questions like, is Hollywood really like that? Do we the audience want to support this type of greedy money making machine? Where is the art and originality in movies, if we know what the ending is going to be, before we even sit down to watch? Can art and risk survive in a commercial buisness based on profit? The Player is about what it's like to work in that industry.



Some critics would probably call it a post modern film, a new thing built up in the form of ideas from other movies. From this, Altman creates a parody, which both mocks and celebrates Hollywood.

I could appreciate Altman made a different kind of film, which defies genre placement. It’s mildly entertaining and never boring. However I didn’t really care for any of the characters. For me, what makes it tough to have an emotional attachment to the characters is Altman is so concerned with the background references. It was like the meta elements of film about film was the main focus.
It's possible Wes Craven's Scream (1996) could be placed in the same category of postmodern films, which understands both the audience (and characters) have a knowledge of film history, embraces that fact, and runs with it in an ironic way.




Altman’s films are known for the dialogue heavy approach, and ensemble casts, and The Player offers more of that. I liked it, didn’t love it. I'm convinced that it's a film where you notice new things on each rewatch, and it probably should be watched in a different way than other movies.
The Player is the opposite of the formulaic movie, a complex story that can be interpreted on various levels, and over the years, reviews, articles and books have attempted to decode its mysteries. The Player promotes discussion, and I think that was Robert Altman's goal.


Agree or disagree? Have you watched The Player? Which are your favorite Robert Altman films?

2014 Blind Spots Series: Das Boot (1981)

The title translates as “The Boat”, a World War Two film that I have known about for years. For some reason I never managed to see the whole film, except a few scenes here and there. So that, and the fact it's considered among the best submarine films of all-time, made it a great choice for Ryan McNeil's 2014 blindspot series blogathon.

Das Boot is based on the German book of the same name by Lothar-Gunther Buchheim, who in turn based it on his own experiences.
Originally made as a miniseries for German television. Das Boot received a theatrical run in the early 1980s and was then re-released for the cinema over a decade later in the form of a longer director’s cut.



I watched the director’s cut, which apparently gives you more characterization, so you care a bit more about the crew. It is odd that we should empathize with the Nazis, but you don't even think about that after a while, and just look at them as people. I suppose that was partly the aim, to humanize the characters, and show they are just like you and I. As far as I can remember, we never leave their side the whole movie. The anti-German coalition is only visible from a distance.



The audience is the extra passenger on the submarine, we are in the same shoes as the journalist, observing events. It does feel very realistic and authentic, the camaraderie on board, and how claustrophobic it must have been. As a reviewer said on letterboxd, the key to these films is not just the realistic portrayal of war, but the realistic portrayal of people.

The film does a good job of emphasizing the importance of singing and music to lift their spirits during hard times. I loved the main theme, beautiful and epic.



There’s lots of drama and tense moments, but the story is fairly vague. It was not clear to me what their actual mission was(besides the obvious of torpedoing enemy ships), and why they needed to go to Italy via Gibraltar? Perhaps the crew was uncertain what the next move was, so that vagueness could have been intentional. I did read about it afterwards on wikipedia, and that helped me figure out a few loose ends.

There are memorable scenes, when they witness the burning ship at sea. Also when the crew visit the Nazi group, and are offered an elaborate meal, with the hope that they in exchange will tell war stories. There's also a well-acted scene where the chief mechanic, Johann, loses it, and goes into a panic. I don't want to give away important plot points, so I'll refrain from mentioning other stand-out scenes.



Its high production cost ranks it among the most expensive films in the history of German cinema. The director Wolfgang Peterson is German, and thanks in part to Das Boot, would later have a career in Hollywood. Notable films in his resume are The Neverending Story (1984), Air Force One (1997), The Perfect Storm (2000), and Troy (2004).

If you don't like subtitles, you can watch the film dubbed in English, which worked fine for me. All of the main actors are bilingual in German and English, and when the film was dubbed into English, each actor recorded his own part. The German version is dubbed as well, as the film was shot "silent", because the dialogue spoken on-set would have been drowned out by the noise.

Author of the book, Lothar-Günter Buchheim, uttered concerns about the end result, and felt that unlike his clearly anti-war novel the adaptation was "another re-glorification and re-mystification" of the German World War II U-boat war, German heroism and nationalism. He called the film a cross between a "cheap, shallow American action flick" and a "contemporary German propaganda newsreel from World War II".


Rating 4.5/5


Agree or disagree? Have you watched Das Boot? Which are your favorite submarine movies?

2014 Blindspot Series + Christmas

Blogging in 2014 will be a lot more random, I might have spells where I don't post anything for weeks. I hope to do a few marathons, such as horror(October), top 50 short films, animation, documentaries, and film noir. Those are areas where I feel I am lacking in terms of watching. I may spread those marathons out to 2015 and beyond.

I've decided to join Ryan McNeil's blindspot blogathon. Many other LAMB bloggers are also participating, so it should be fun. The idea is you select 12 films you've never seen before, and write about a film each month. I've compiled a list of films I definitely want to watch in 2014:




The Seven Year Itch (1955) (Billy Wilder)

Das Boot (1981) (Wolfgang Petersen)

The Birth of a Nation (1915) (D.W. Griffith)

The Great Dictator (1940) (Charlie Chaplin)

Malcolm X (1992) (Spike Lee)

Hard Boiled (1992) (John Woo)

Duck Soup (1933) (Leo McCarey)

The Player (1992) (Robert Altman)

Come and See (1985) (Elem Klimov)

Castle in the Sky (1986) (Hayao Miyazaki)

Grand Illusion (1937) (Jean Renoir)

The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011) (Mark Cousins)






Hope you are having a nice Christmas! Several people in our family were away, so we were only a small group that celebrated this year. Which also meant less presents. Being less spoilt than usual is tough, how will this affect my sanity I wonder...?

In terms of gifts, I was pleased to receive The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011) on dvd, which I have heard a lot about, and have wanted to watch for a while(included above in blind spots). Another movie-related present was the book Ten Bad Dates with De Niro: A Book of Alternative Movie Lists (2007), which my sister stumbled upon in a book store.

In January, I will post a "preliminary" top 20 films of 2013. The final list you can read here in 2018 or so...




Don't forget this is also a music blog. Besides new music, the year 2013 saw me blog about: Fleetwood Mac, Jesus and Mary Chain, The Smiths, The National, Burial, Camera Obscura.


I've (secretly) been listening to a few bands, that I haven't gotten around to blogging about yet. Looking ahead, the long-term goal is share my favorite tracks from:

60s: Johnny Cash, The Doors, The Rolling Stones

70s: Neil Young, Roxy Music, Fleetwood Mac, George Harrison, Big Star, Billy Joel, Jim Croce, Steely Dan, T. Rex, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Queen, America, David Bowie, The Eagles, Diana Ross, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Paul Simon, Nick Drake, Carly Simon, Blondie, Tom Petty, Gil Scott-Heron, The Runaways, Joe Cocker

80s: The Cure, Joy Division, The Smiths, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Bruce Springsteen, Cocteau Twins, Kate Bush, Talking Heads, Prince, Peter Gabriel, New Order, Sonic Youth, Grace Jones, Janet Jackson, Eurythmics, Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode, The Pixies, The Clash, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Ultravox, Genesis, Phil Collins, The Replacements, Yazoo, Giorgio Moroder, Patrick Cowley, Pet Shop Boys, Talk Talk, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Psychedelic Furs, Tom Tom Club, Echo & the Bunnymen, This Mortal Coil, Everything but the Girl, Soft Cell, The Sugarcubes, Love and Rockets,

90s: The Flaming Lips, Pearl Jam, Belle and Sebastian, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Björk, Julee Cruise, Massive Attack, Sinéad O'Connor, Beck, The White Stripes,  Blur, Oasis, The Strokes, Morrissey, Aphex Twin, PJ Harvey, Fiona Apple, Tindersticks, D'Angelo

2000s: The National, Destroyer, Camera Obscura, Burial, The Radio Dept, Phoenix, Interpol, The Knife, Arcade Fire, Sun Kil Moon, Arctic Monkeys, Keane, Franz Ferdinand, Feist, Sebastien Tellier, The Antlers, Amy Winehouse, Cat Power, The Killers, The Shins, Gorillaz

2010s: Blood Orange, Beach House, Mac DeMarco, Tame Impala, School of Seven Bells




Which mini goals, in terms of movie watching, or life in general, do you have for 2014? Receive any great gifts from under the tree? Thoughts on the music? I hope you are enjoying Christmas, and wish my readers a Happy New Year!