Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One, initial thoughts...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows...just finished the book last weekend, saw Part One of the film version as well, the first in the whole seven part series that I read the book before watching the film, to expected results...wanted to see more of the book represented in the film, but tried to think about sentiiment, which is the screenwriter/director's job in the end alas...sentiment is what condenses 800 page books into 2.5 hour films, or at least, constructive straining, to filter out the most important themes and events to truly get across what the story, in whatever medium it is carried, means

And although I do still recognize the difference, and i felt, at this time upon one viewing, it was a good treatment, not great, but good, I still have problems with the film here's some thoughts:

Why oh, why was Voldemort so absent form this movie? His appearance at the Godric Hollow-Bathilda Bagshot house was key in really deepening the tension, really put into perspective the fact that Voldemort was so ostensibly close, and, as I deemed correct, the end of Part One was t be the mid-book conflict and resolution at Lucius Malfoy's estate, with Potter and pals making a bloody getaway with Voledemort right at their heels, and showing up just a bit too late, to the much chagrin of Lestrange et al...so why was Lucius written to almost call Voldemort? To ever so closely touch his Dark Mark, but never does, everything seemed to be anti-climatic in this treatment! I thought for sure Voldemort's quick return to the Malfoy's under the impression that they had Potter, mixed with their quick getaway (plus showdown), would surely be a great way to end this the first part, but to no case, Lestrange was treated as the head baddie with Voldemort kept out of the loop, why wasn't Pettigrew killed? as he was in the book, by his own hand after helping Harry and Ron out of the cellar, that's an easy one I surmise, for his timely death will come in the movie in part deux, at a more climatic time (i hope, i mean there is significance in this film adaptation for Pettigrew DYING seeing as how his betrayal led to the impetus of the whole series of events in this myhtos)...Why oh why did they two-dimensionalize Grindewald? as one who tells Voldemort, gives him the correct information, as if the two evil-doers should be pals, that Voldemort, in Grindewald's eyes, is continuing what he started all those years ago with his "for the greater good" campaign, which wasn't like this in the book, where he not only reluctantly siad anything, he told Voldemort that he hardly knew what was going on, that his knowledge was limited and he laughed and scoffed at him, which sets up the knowing of Potter at the climatic ending betwixt he and Voldemort! Why did they have Gellert say the exact opposite of what he said in the book? It took no less time!

I would like to know if time (which of course it is in a production such as this) was a factor, but already knowing that it was, how dies this determine the outcome of the screenplay? I mean, my God man, you're given two movies of at least 2.5 hours each, and there is still problems! Suffice it to say, Deathly Hallows is a pretty plot dense story, with action sequences framing a more thick plot...but there again its the sentiment that should show not necessarily all of the details that should have been included...but one of my main problems with David Yates' direction, is his apparent lack of style in this one, he did a great job with Order and Half-Blood Prince, although many did not think so with Prince, yet there again, I watched the film before reading the book, but it just seems that they got the sentiment right with it, especially with the addition of Malfoy's dilemma and his dark path of preparing the Vanishing Cabinet, and the dead bird, etc. all of which were not in the book...which leads me quickly to an excellent adaptation in Hallows where Hermione is shown Obliviating her parents, which almost defeats her, yet she is called to do it again to the Death Eaters in the diner, the mood and music setting it up, her face exactly like it was earlier, when she stood behind the couch and raised her wand to her parent's backs...wonderfully done and not in the book, but great deepening of Hermione's character in that way...

Its not a bad film, its a good film, but its not a great film, what made Alfonso Cuaron's Prisoner of Azkaban so good, is that it came out of nowhere after Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, which were both well done, but were not, admittedly, stylistic, which Prisoner was, it had visual poetry and symbolism, recurring images of thematic material, a grand filmic soliloquy that truly got to the heart of what the film was about, one of the themes being Time, and references to this can be seen all throughout the movie, not in the book, therefore owing much to the adapter's hands and imagination...And, it must be said, that the first two movies did follow the books pretty closely, and, feasibly, they could, given the fact that the page count and the time available in the film matched up nicely, paving a way for the two to gel pretty consistently, however, in Prisoner, this was not the case and adaptation was obvious, but so well done, that hitherto had not been seen in this series...one of the greatest things was getting Columbus out of the director's chair, and recruiting Cuaron for the job, and also, the death of the actor who played the first Dumbledore led to the addition of the second, who hands down, does a superior job in the character's performance...

I digress...Yates did a great job with Order and Half-Blood, and I eagerly awaited to see if his skills would evolve to an even greater Hallows, but to no avail, there was nothing stylistic about it, it just seemed to plod from one scene to the next, as if a checklist was being adhered to, better yet, chained to, no sweeping vistas, no scrupulous shots, hardly any art at all, just story, which granted this one is, but with a little ingenuity and imagination, maybe could have made a difference, what would Cuaron have done with it? something better? perhaps? and the exclusion of Nicholas Hooper was also a surprise, I thought he did a wonderful job on the soundtrack/scores of the two previous movies, do not know the situation, maybe he declined to join, maybe they wanted someone else, who, apparently, had the same thing in mind as the director, which wasnt much but the plodding of the story, the music wasn't memorable at all, minus the Williams themes that he had set from the original movie, and some atmospheric, textural, tension-biting score, but, I mean, is this what they wanted? Hooper has two classic treatments of Harry's kiss with Cho and with Ginny, that superbly sum up the scene's gravitas and meaning, (that, I am sure, will be its own post in the near future)...

And even when Ron came back to Harry to save him, it seemed anti-climatic, I mean is it just me? Having read the book, its scenic display seemed to be more warmer and surprising than the film's adaptation, but it could be just me, expecting certain things that they did not include...why so anti-climatic? why hold off? is it because it will lead better into the final piece Part Two? How can it effectively? When they are separated so? It just seemed weak on the whole, yet for all of this griping, there were some great moments and sentiments, including the already mentioned Hermione rounding. It did give a good sense of the trudging onwards, from place to place, not knowing where to go next, yet, even here, some dialogue at some point would have been great, to reinforce the frustration of not knowing, of disputations and irreconcilable differences in what they should be doing, which leads me to think that by this point it seems, the filmmakers were only making this last set for the ones who've read the books, because if one has, then one would know deeper what was going on, yet, this cannot be seriously considered, since I know there are plenty who have not read the books and have only followed the films to date, but they seem to have no complaint...just like I had problems with the ending of Half-Blood, not really grasping the significance of Snape being the Half-Blood Prince, after having read the book though, we see that Prince is in fact Snape's mother's maiden name, and the sobering fact (to Harry) that he has been helped by Snape the whole year, one whom he detests very dearly...but a non-reader would not have gotten that from the film itself, although a perceptive viewer would have at least grasped the latter...

The sentimental scene with Harry (in Hallows) when he retraces his past in the Dursley's house, especially his visit to the cupboard under the stairs, was very effective, sad, melancholic, emotional, 11 years he spent there as home, and look to where he stood now, and all that he had witnessed and experienced, come-a-long-way-eh sequence, and we all felt the same, for we were with him all the way...I think, somewhat, they have set up the Harry not really knowing Dumbledore as well as he once thought sentiment was set up fairly well, which this has to happen, is pretty crucial in the tension building of the story-at-large. I did like the radio being constantly played, espousing the names of all those who have (I suspect) gone missing or have been killed under this ruthless regime of Voldemort (aka Ministry of Magic) Its drone of death always in the background during those scenes is pretty haunting, and serves a twofold purpose, one of painting a world shackled and broken, and under fear, another of a distant but dark connection to the outside world, a connection they really didnt have in the book, but nevertheless, they were still estranged for all that time...Ron's leaving was authentic, Hermione's upset believable...

The wedding should have been more happy I think, more festive, given the dark times that surround them to the last, twas a beacon of hope and joy there admisdt it all....

Inferno Cantos I and II...thoughts

So Dante has lost the "straight path", or "straightforward path", which in metaphor describes alienation from God, a medieval Christian God that is, why? to what did he presuppose to step off this beaten trail, this trail of moral goodness and excellence, of walking towards mountains high, where Icarus would be seen falling with burning wing? Was it arrogance? Was it seeking knowledge? does God want his people, his believers, to "seek" knowledge? knowledge of Him? for this is exactly what Dante does, he finds himself, still alive, but searching the depths of the afterlife, in three sections per medieval Christian belief, ie: Catholicism...Vatican Right. What strayed him from his diritta via? Apparently is also metaphor for the state of moral, political, societal and spiritual matters in his present day Italy, his as commentation.

Apparently the she-wolf was the worst to bear, worst to face and remove, concupiscence or lustful havings--of the flesh and bodily warmth, orgasm indeed, she scoured him the most.

Dante asks and begs for the "high genius" the Muses themselves to assist him in the recollection of, and writing down of his experiences...divine memory it is

Dante compares himself to two figures that also were given chances to achieve a physical manifestation in afterworlds: ie: Underworld and Heaven, so what makes him so special? Had anyone in the literature visited Purgatorio in the past? Before Dante's work? Or was Dante the first to envision it so, and so deeply?

Peter as Father of the Church, Dante believed that Rome paved the way, set the course for Christianity's rise, and even God willed the setting of its hearth in Italy, in Rome (now Vatican City) but God also seems to have moved on into Islam, and spoke to Calvin and Luther, whose also versions spread as well, God's will as seen in the spread, influence and practice of ideas, if anything you could as well say that tis work of the Devil, for ultimate knowledge of God could be seen as individual recognition or enlightenment, this is also a cultural idea, yet, biologically read physically, we cannot share innate knowledge verbatim, and this is the succulent world of God, the unconscious but bleeding into our everyday waking lives knowledge...

Cowardice befalls those who face trials burdened, "which many times a man encumber so", says Virgil. He also states that he was "among those...who are in suspense." read Purgatorio. Virgil from Mantua. Perhaps God is immortal, and, having fashioned Adam and Eve upon himself, makes us too, want the immortal, like God, who just is immortal, we strive to become like His existence, which is good and pure and immortal, but as the belief goes on, we attain this after death, when we are joined again with Him. Tis the struggle of man, but what of those whose legacy keeps them immortal in life, in the World, does God want this as well? Jesus will ever be immortal, his legacy, as will Dante and Virgil, in the World, God keeps to them? As His highest? What of those who rose then were forgotten? It is easy to attribute ones own ideas onto something like another idea, God. What would God do? Think? What does He do, how does He work? Does He work at all?

Dante's Inferno: thoughts...

The three animals that visit Dante, leopard, lion and she-wolf all represent some vice or sin, and/or symbolize the three stages of Dante's travel through Hell (concupiscence, pride and avarice). Animals as symbols, much like the deer in my story, the Sacred Hunt. She is a symbol of virginity, of innocence thereby sacrificed (or otherwise consumed) to reach Heaven.

Dante starts his journey with a darkened forest (selva oscura), a typical symbol of not only mystery and confusion, of evil and disorientation, of a darkened liminal state, 'tis also one of birth, since the forest seems so fecund, tis a mysterious place to begin, to start off the journey. He uses synesthesia, simile and vague and enigmatic prophecies to build a beginning scene of disjointed but creative confusion, one of swarming darkness...

the Greyhound...Virgil's wunderkind in his Georgics...as amplified and propagandized as Jesus' birth, wow, Virgil as prophecizer for the Christian faith, this man of heathen betrothed. Incredibly interesting (albeit rather condescending) that Dante uses his hero, Virgil, in this light, this role of guide but one who has not been severely punished for his living beliefs, one touted so high as to be given, by the Christian god, a savory and special place in the afterlife, and it does not include suffering at the hands of devils...Dante thought so much of his hero, as to give him this advantage, although, in the end, he was a filthy heathen that knew no better, yet, if he was a contemporary, wouldve definitely been Christian, right Dante?

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: Felix Felicis and the Horcrux Cave

The Half Blood Prince has perhaps risen to the top of my favorite book within the Harry Potter series, although, this is difficult considering I almost never pick a favorite, especially out of such a fine lineup...favoritism aside, there are some truly memorable scenes in this book: the Felix Felicis scene and the Horcrux Cave scene. Here's why...

Felix Felicis

For starters, the Felix Felicis scene has to be one of the most bizarre and strangely fascinating scenes I have ever read, due to its context and nature, events and characters involved, it is so seemingly random, though it betrays a sense of overwhelming unity in the end, since that is what the Felix Felicis potion does: it makes one lucky, wherein whatever one sets out to accomplish, it is done with ease, which reminds me of those events and times in my own life where there is a sense of systemic confidence and sublimity, where all stimuli seem to merge together and the path is clearer than it usually is, the foggy murk gives way to an ambition that leads to success...tis quite the variant take on the idea of lucky, as if we the readers, get to sit in the backroom where the gears of life crank, and we get to see how it all comes together, as if the mechanism was exposed to us plainly, as it seems to have done with Harry...

In both the book and the film this scene was executed brilliantly, for the tale behind it is classical and superb...it all starts with Harry ingesting the potion, and we watch, as Hermione and Ron watched, with nervous apprehension, to see what would happen: how is this going to affect Harry? what does being "lucky" look like? And the first thing Harry does, is say, in a most random fashion, "I'm going to Hagrid's!" To which, of course, Hermione and Ron are flabbergasted, saying, "No Harry! You have to get that memory from Slughorn!" But Harry isn't listening, he knows, or rather, Felix knows, that going straight to Slughorn isn't going to work...that indeed, a more roundabout path is called for, which, although it seems ludicrous and chaotic, is a path that leads Harry to success, and the retrieval of the memory, the very thing he needed to get done, success!






















He happens upon Slughorn, (the book and the film somewhat differ here, but both being effective, the film having a more sympathetic tone from Slughorn to accompany Harry to Aragog's funeral, for Harry caught Slughorn in the act of stealing a rare plant from Professor Sprout's greenhouse, which makes him a bit guilty, and with Harry being out of doors after curfew, he couldn't quite say no, although he did make some weak attempts at urging him to go back inside...versus the book, where Harry just met Slughorn, who was actually talking to Sprout at the time, and he was reprimanded in a weak way as well, yet when told he was going to Aragog's funeral, he was interested to go, in fact, he went to go change, and bring back a vial or two so he could collect some of Aragog's venom, which, according to Slughorn, an acromantula's venom is quite rare and valuable to those looking for it...and so, he comes back with some mead(?) or some alcohol rare, for the occasion of the funeral...) anyways, what ensues from this is a bizarre and memorable scene of Aragog's funeral, with Hagrid, Slughorn, and Harry, (and Fang!) with Aragog on his back (and Slughorn taking a vial or two of his venom, although acting as if he were inspecting his head, pretending as though it was of some mild interest, for no one was ever so close to an acromantula's head without being soon dead (yet this was only in the book, the film, Hagrid let him knowingly take a vial of the venom) Hagrid was crying and upset, Harry was just standing there, and Slughorn ends up saying a few words in Aragog's memory...a man who did not ever know the creature, and he said the most perfect thing...such a strange collection of characters in a most perfect setting and context, the event, everything was perfect though random, which, upon reflection, seems to wrap up those times when "lucky" seemed to be happening, it is always those random, strange, inexplicable times that seem to work out, that's when it seems to coalesce into One, and that is what lucky is all about: enlightenment! (??)












































The scene resolves in Hagrid's hut, where the drinking ensues, (yet Harry feels it is not right for him to drink, he must stay sober)(another "lucky" trait? listening to your gut? this is very Jedi. the inner voice, Harry listened to his gut, his instinct, which was in this case his Felix potion, but the symbol could be that Harry was listening more to his intuition, which is a deeper voice to hear and one which could be considered a Felix voice within us all, a God voice?) which ultimately leads to Harry extracting the memory from Slughorn, who was so inebriated, that had he not been so, he probably would not have divulged it yet again, and probably would have become a nuisance to Slughorn and fallen out of favor with him, since the Slytherin professor did hold him in such high esteem...either way, Harry's mother Lily was one of Slughorn's favorites, and so, using that advantage and leverage as well, Harry was able to get beyond Slughorn's guilt, and, paradoxically make him feel guilty for another reason, that he should divulge the memory, or Lily's life and death were for nothing, because his memory was considered so valuable as to be the key that could unlock the mystery of Voldemort's demise...























The Horcrux Cave

The other powerful scene, was the one in which Dumbledore and Harry were at the cave where Voldemort supposedly had hid one of his precious Horcruxes. This one is significant to me, because of its relation to the Hero's Journey motif where the old wizard has to die for the young hero to move on and bring back order to the land, etc. And yet. it is not the outright death of Dumbledore that happens here, it is a variant that I have never before seen, in which the hero hand feeds something, in this case, a vile protective potion laid out by Voldemort to discourage those who wish to steal his hidden Horcrux, that in essence, hinders him, and depowers him, reduces his strength and therefore cripples him, which does lead to his demise by Snape. The fact that Harry has to handfeed it to him is quite interesting, that, no, Harry is not directly responsible for his death, but this action, indeed one that had to happen for the Horcrux to be found, definitely worked against him to help bring about the conditions in which Dumbledore dies...although it is quite believable that Dumbledore had this worked out, indeed, that he might have foreseen it, for he knew, it is obvious, that Malfoy was to kill him, and that he had to be a sacrifice for the greater good, although that left everyone else to fend for themselves without such a powerful ally as Dumbledore...yet without this umbrella of security, is when all the characters, including Harry, must stand and unite, for it is ultimately the change of guard that is to happen, that happens in these events, tragic and unfortunate, yet is a necessary rite of passage to become a stronger, more realized individual, a hero, and this blanket of security is what Harry now has to live without, but it is necessary in his development, although it now seems hopeless and futile without Dumbledore, he will soon realize the truth.












































Much like Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Frodo and Gandalf (although Gandalf comes back and Obi-Wan can come back as a ghostly apparition, can Dumbledore? haven't read the last installment yet) how they both had a hand in their master's deaths, so too, did Harry, but it is this critical scene, and the way in which it was handled which makes it superb and brilliant. How Dumbledore cut his own hand for the offering to enter the Cave's Horcrux chamber, and how Harry felt like he was to be okay, since Dumbledore was with him, and then after the transferal of power by a liquid potion concocted by the main villain mind you, Voldemort, and on their way out, Harry was the one who offered the blood, he was the one who helped Dumbledore out because he was so weak, and, as Harry was consoling Dumbledore, telling him that he could Apparate them back to safety, that everything was going to be alright, Dumbledore said, "I know, because I am with you..." now, this is a very enigmatic statement, and can be read different ways, and because there is no emphasis in the text literal, (and it is because of this that one can read it in different ways) then it leaves it open, (very enigmatic statement from such an enigmatic character!) Yet, on the whole, I like to see it as Dumbledore's transference of power to Harry and that he feels like they will be alright, because he feels comfort in knowing that Harry is there and with him. That in fact, in the way that I read it, it says, "I know, because I am with you."

And not to mention the charred hand of Dumbledore in the book, and the talk of Dumbledore's age in the film, both serving to undermine his credibility, and his power, which develop and climax with, indeed, his death, as if they were portents, portentous of his dying at the end, to be buried in his White Tomb there on the grounds of Hogwarts next to the lake, a serene and beautiful resting place for such a strong character, no I do not think Dumbledore will return in spirit, but wait, his predecessors do in their paintings, why can't he? I guess we shall see in the next and final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

Doctor Who, Love & Monsters

I wonder if it is Russell T. Davies' job to write the campy ones? His Slitheen episodes were similar to this one, lighthearted and campy, goofy and geeky, which, truth be told, is not all bad, if you're expecting it...yet, how about a Shakespearean run? A tragic tale bekindled by a snag joke or two? leaving the fart and ass jokes behind? (no pun intended there, indeed) I don't know why Davies is keen to include this kind of toilet humor, if in fact, he is satisfying himself, or those needs of the general viewing public, but come on! Is it always necessary to resort to toilet humor? Bliss being absorbed into the Absorbaloff, straight to his arse?

Love & Monsters was, well, not extremely difficult to watch, save for the thoughts and ideas that reside behind the campy commentary...it seems to bridge the gap in the understanding of the "common man and woman" perspective, those "joes" which one witnesses running away from that explosion in downtown London, or that other one who was almost "upgraded" by the invading Cybermen...the idea that there are many in this mythos who are directly and indirectly impacted by the Doctor and his (mis)adventures, and the dialogue of this episode seems to address this, to address how and what he leaves behind besides his legend...it also speaks to the viewers who have been along with the Doctor as his "silent companions" for all these years and episodes, traveling to the farthest reaches of the universe, in time and space. There is a feeling of victory and triumph in these tellings, fear, intelligence, the unknown, etc...and the idea of the payment one must render in the experience of such power, that those who come in contact with the Doctor, especially the ones closest to him, get burned in the end, that the adventure, for him at least,always continues on, and yet for all those others, it can stop at any time, in essence, death awaits from this life at any time, so live whilst one can, experience whatever one can, for the ride with the Doctor will surely come to a close at some point in your life, as every one of these characters can attest to...

It also addresses the Doctor being a "god" figure in the Davies/Tennant incarnation, that this character has the ability to bring people together, the power, in fact, to do so, which is portrayed here in a most campy light: the LINDA group and its further activities...starts out as a means to find him this strange "alien", but turns into a self-help, hobby, interest group of friends devoted to being together and spending time together, coming closer to each other in the process...which, i can see now, is an example of this wholesome image that Davies has been criticized for, this almost Disney version of a once terrible man...in fact, the Abosrbaloff rattles off a series of adjectives, including "sweet" which the Doctor cannot attest to (no!) ...

So the campy ELO scenes, the SUPERCAMP Scooby-Doo scene where they are running in and out of the various rooms being chased by the monster...what the hell? Since that one was towards the beginning, it has the effect of setting the tone for the entire episode, which is: oh, be prepared, this ones gonna be campy! And yet there were some nice storytelling ideas that cropped out,including the story of Elton (another camp device btw) when he was young and saw the Doctor in his living room, and as it turns out, the night his mother dies, and the portrayal of how this was affecting him, this was well done...but I mean, come on, LINDA forming a band? and then goofily playing an ELO cover? "Don't Bring Me Down"? I think? CAMP! the thing is, i can't enjoy it! it isn't a delicious camp, that one can savor from a Fulci film or from "Evil Dead II". I suppose for something to be excellent camp, it cannot be forced, that, in truth, it only comes out that way, for camp to be induced on purpose, and with a sizable budget, will not be effective, or at least, I've never seen it pulled off with these qualifications, or even double at least, the guys down at BBC and Davies just don't have the artistic vision, nor the ability to pull off prized camp, if indeed it is what they are trying to accomplish, and, sadly, if not, then all it is reduced to is just poor storytelling and a wholesome Disney portrayal to satisfy the mediocre watching tastes of general Joe and Jane Viewer who do not care to divulge for an instant a shred of a thought or reflection about what they witness on the "telly", and that this episode was for them "pretty good" and "ha-ha" at best...

Makes me wonder if the producers, executive or otherwise, (including Davies), and any higher-ups in BBC entertainment management, have a goal or simplified plan of what is expected from a series such as Doctor Who? And I wonder if, in fact, they have a formula, much like radio stations have formulas for playlists, on how a season is to be arranged, to achieve the highest rating potentials, for, from what I understand, Doctor Who is huge in Britain, and so, to keep things the way they are, if they expect certain things, like "safe" episodes, ones that people are not going to have to think about or trouble themselves to understand, BUT, mix these lighter tropes with the actual "great" episodes that lie therein, a la Dalek, The Impossible Planet, The Satan Pit, Midnight, etc....that these are indeed necessary over the season's story arc to flesh out and balance the season out...I would say "why?" on all the great albums there are no fillers, in fact, fillers are only there to flesh out an album so that they can call it thus, to basically support buying a full album just for the two (maybe three if you're lucky) hits that have driven sales and interest in the first place, I just want to know, does Davies think these episodes are of quality? or does he know, and only follows a formula? And why does it always seem to be Davies that writes them? Lost was guilty of this as well, filler episodes, and I only wonder why? Does it fill up space that couldn't be filled with quality storytelling because of poor scripts from a pool of nothing but? budget and/or time constraints? why can't they all be "mind-breaking" instead of some opting out for the "mind-numbing" category?

But, besides all this complaining, how do these fillers develop the overall story and/or characters? How did Love & Monsters? As mentioned before, it did well in the description of those he leaves behind and their coming together because of him in some way; that the character in essence is great, for he bridges bonds together between disparates, and forges them through his name, (so god-like is it not?) and this is a lighthearted telling of that phenomenon, in fact, the Doctor and Rose are only in this episode for a max of perhaps five minutes...his legacy and memory and effects are what drives this one forward...Elton's monologue at the end pretty much sums up the story: that out of convention, there is unusual strangeness, and out of the norm is unknown darkness, and however maddening this is (to live within it), it is so much for the better, so much more beautiful, than a life lived within a box metaphorically and physically (mentally and emotionally as well)...and this abnormality, this outside the box mentality, is what the Doctor represents, symbolizes for us all, and this fake-camp episode tries its best to get at the heart of this idea, and does in places, but yet falls short in the end, (probably reached at its highest peak and development with Martha Jones' season (perhaps the season finale with her?) where she spreads the "News of the Doctor" in an evangelical style (?) this was one of the first episodes I ever saw of the Doctor, has been a while, will be coming up on that one in the next season!)

It tries to do the trick with a seemingly average Joe, who vlogs his life, or, at least, those times of his life when affected by the Doctor, or, that man who was in my living room that night...for, outside of his dropping out of school, getting a job and liking ELO, which works to hammer in the ideas of "normalcy", there was this experience he had when he was younger...and then jumping to those other times in his life when he directly experienced alien intrusion upon the Earth (specifically London) which, lo and behold, were incidents that the Doctor was involved in...and the tragedy for this normal "Joe" aka Elton, which he has even then worked around and established a new set paradigm, was that his one true love, Ursula (played by Shirley Henderson of Harry Potter Moaning Myrtle fame), was trapped in a squared stone, and yet he was able to retrieve her (thanks to the Doctor), and now lives with her, and has actually a "kind-of-a-love-life" with her, and has, in essence, worked around such a tragedy to become a better person, and this is the wonderful horror of being burned by the Doctor, that living outside the box is indeed beautiful and wondrous, and yet it is indeed dangerous, and that one must be prepared to face these harsh truths when they do indeed come, its the whole "living on the edge" mentality and serves to promote this philosophy as a truer way to live, instead of normalcy and convention and rules and comfort, to just letting go and trying something new and facing the strange and the unknown, the darkness, and you do it with those you care about, that is the metaphor of the Doctor and his companion, and all of us "silent companions": that you go through life to struggle and face the unknowns, not to settle for comforts and routines, but you do it not alone, but only with those you care about, for the experience of life is not in a vacuum, and does not reside forever within your own eyes, for it is through the eyes of another that one may witness true bliss...

Screenplay versus novel: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, an analysis

vs.


















Half-blood Prince book versus screenplay...some thoughts:

S - for screenplay
B - for book

S - condensed following Draco to rooftop spying, no convo overheard whereas the magical earpieces used in the book, Draco was with his mother in film, in book he had to escape/hide from her
S - Dumbledore picks up Harry in a cafe,, as he flirts with a female employee, this sets up the teenage lust feeling, he was conversely picked up at Uncle Vernon's after a time by himself, stuck in his room, mourning...
S - Dumbledore did not accompany Harry to the Burrow, no Tonks, and there is a non-book convo between Harry, Ron and Hermione about Dumbledore being old, or getting old, with the effect of Dumbledore's credibility and power startiing to be at question, it serves to undermine his aura of power just like, and can be equated to, Dumbledore's blackened hand in the book, the one that Harry keeps looking at and wondering about, the one in which the Slytherin ring cursed when Albus destroyed it...this all has the effect, and is leading towards, the death of Dumbledore and Harry's transition to metaphoric manhood, very important in his maturation cycle, for the hero to come-of-age, which he is not in the book officially, for 17 is when wizards come of age, and he is only 16 at the time
B - no tip about the cabinet in the book, I think it is mentioned butonly in passing, in true mystery form, yet it is set up in the film from the beginning, with Malfoy and his mother going into Borgin and Burkes and them all hiddled round it, as if an object of importance, it is only explained, the thing Malfoy was talking about in the shop, was a gift, or an object, we do not find out until the end what it was he was talking about
S - Dumbledore wants hm to be "collected" by Slughorn, and Harry agrees, in film however, Harry avoids him and his parties at all costs...WHY? cannot remember!
S - hermione has awkward teen moments, with the toothpaste and butterbeer on her lips, Ron having to point out the faux pas both times (of course the guy se likes, has liked for some time!)
B - Harry never goes to a Slughorn party (except the Christmas one, which is iindeed in the film as well) but in the screenplay, he is at the FIRST one
S - the "conversation hour glass" owned by Slughorn, (very novel idea) is a film/screenplay invention, nowhere in the book
S - Remus is more aggressive in the screenplay/film, he is more laid back, tired, detached in the book, for he had been relieved from his werewolf intrigue
S - there is no mention of Ron's 17th birthday in the film, the same day when Ron is brought under the iinfluence of Romilda Vane's love potion chocolates intended for Harry, and when he is accidentally poisoned by the mead intended for Dumbledore (two separate "intendeds" that Ron is smacked with on same day
S - no explanation of the bezoar that Harry uses to save Ron with when he is poisoned by the Mead (in book, is the work of Three Broomsticks wench NAME? when under the iinflluence of the Imperius Curse) is only understood as another "Harry heroic"
S - Snape did not ask Harry for his Advanced Potions book, in fact he did not seem to get into any trouble at all (punished with detention on every Saturday morning until end of term, preventing Harry to miss his Quidditch Championship, in book)
S - no setup of Aragog's death, so Harry just invites Slughorn along, which he accepts (for what reason?) although he does keep mildly reprimanding Harry for being out of doors at night, he comes along...Slughorn had more tact in book because the context was more thorougly developed, because Harry was already invited to Aragog's funeral by Hagrid, and Harry told Slughron that was where he was off to...he has no tact in film because he asked for venom at the funeral, which Hagrid concedes...in book, he pretends to investigate Aragog's head from up close, Hagrid was way more upset in the book
S - story that Slughorn tells of Lily and the fish is a film iinvention, used to show his love and connection towards her
S - non-chalantly dropped in Dumbledore's blackened hand, when talking of Horcruxes to Harry, whereas his hand was heavily referenced in the book
B - the light emanating from the pedestal that supposedly held one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, was an eerie green, there was no particular colored light in the film, although the liquid that Dumbledore had to drink was purple
S - Snape was underneath Dumbledore in the Astronomy Tower with Harry, in fact, Snape told him to keep quiet, in book, DUmbledore jinxed Harry, makiing him frozen, and was also under the Invisibility Cloak, so he was almost non-existent
S - Fawkes was in last scene flying off, during day, his moaning cry heard, in book, Fawkes was heard throughout the grounds with his mourning cry that night when Dumbledore died, and then he left
S - the Room of Requirement was given almost no context until the end, Malfoy was just seen closing his eyes, and then he was in a room full of myriad items,, a motley vintage barrage, in book, Harry finally began to suspect that Malfoy was going in there, but not sure why,
S - the scene with Malfoy and the canary (?) and he sends it through the Vanishing Cabinet, (also the scene with the apple) film invention, although it very provocative and poignant, moreso than the book, because it sets a tone from Malfoy's point of view, especially when the canary comes back dead, and the look on his face, one of shock and almost contempt, it is symbolic of him? was this llike canary in coalmine symbol? something so innocent and free, now dead

June 2010: Indie Rock

Yes it only seemed appropriate, at this time of year, being summer, that I should resort to indie rock tactics for perusal and study...to my surprise, what I thought "indie" was, was not all I thought it to be...

Indie, from what I gathered, had a certain aesthetic, guitars, bass, drums, vocals...your stripped down rock outfit, but oh indeed, it has come to incorporate keyboards, synths, programming, etc...that these indeed are now incorporated, was a surprise, being that what I knew of as "indie" now had a synthpop/electronic edge now as well, which just further fuels the argument as to the real meanings behind the concept of "indie" and all that it stands for, which is: a DIY aesthetic to production, recording, and publishing, abstaining from the umbrella contortions of major label parentage, and (especially in current trends) the use of the internet for marketing, distribution, and selling, which has now become a foreseeably permanent fixture in this aesthetic landscape, not only in indie fields but in all music globally.

The contexts of the bands I randomly chose happen to run the gamut of styles and influences evident in the songs/albums that I've heard: from pop to synthpop, from rock to lo-fi, from heavy programming to simple songwriting....there is so much diversity in the 9 albums I listened to, a couple (or several?) of albums were not given as much study for their sounds were not sonically pleasing(!) but to my strange surprise, I found some gems on many of these albums, not to mention some all-time favs and classics I will adore forever! So just in that, in finding something in this musical genre that spoke to me so intimately says much, and serves to extend my constant dippings into this genre, peeking in on whats going on at any given time from here on out...but for now, these albums will do, (and gauntlet hair's two song duo-non-album piece is also included here, although not technically an album per se...)

Albums consulted:

1) Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)

2) Caribou - Swim (2010)

3) Cold Cave - Love Comes Close (2009)

4) Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (2010)

5) Gauntlet Hair - songs: I Was Thinking and Our Scenery (both 2010)

6) No Age - Losing Feeling EP (2009)

7) The National - High Violet (2010)

8) Toro y Moi - Causers of This (2010)

9) Also an album was heard from each: Fanfarlo, The Black Lips and The Futureheads, but were disregarded from further listen and study, falling short of critical worthytime (Fanfarlo being an Arcade Fire mediocrity (although the first song was negligibly cool), The Black Lips were a Velvet Underground rip-off hack band, and the Futureheads were decent but fell short of achievement)

Just noticed that most if not all were either released this year or the last, which contextualizes my study as being pretty up-to-date and current, contemporary, ie: the latest in the "scene" the genre...

Notes/observations (from Notebooks):

Aesthetic? low production standards BUT not always the case, differing levels of production values, so different yet what holds them all together genre-piece? because they run the gamut in terms of sound, from electropop to garage band, rustic to finesse(-ical) but what makes it INDIE?: independent labels, DIY aesthetic but what else? middle class, suburban/urban, parents supportive?, tinges of cold detachment (????) educated?

some level of production knowledge (or so) aka: white kids with instruments (ahhh not so with Toro y Moi!) an invasion of the suburbanite refuge

songs are usually based on classic songwriting tropes - hooks, verses, chorus, bridges...upbeat, low to moderate skillmanship/musicianship is established and displayed (no wankers here, no jack off solos etc....in other words, technical proficiency is not always lauded and not necessarily viewed as coveted in this genre, seems to be more of one's ability to establish a mood, atmosphere, good all round writing skills, your creativity when it comes to writing a great song, musically and lyrically, owing some nods to pop and alternative there, in fact, i wonder if technical proficiency as displayed would be a turn-off, frowned upon, walked away from...doesn't seem to get at the core of this music, perhaps a trait inherited from punk/post-punk etc.---technic virtuosity is NOT a mainstay, in fact, soloing seems to be irrelevant and avoided (almost at all costs) evoking an emotion/feel seems to be paramount, the art of crafting a good SONG seems to be the most important activity...

Use of synth technology very ubiquitous, 80s music and attitude from New Wave (which is a direct descendant, along with post-punk and alternative) is evident, so any physical and intellectual traits from these movements have thereby been inherited and are incorporated into, indie music today

Does and does not share mainstream trends, they are evident like the Animal Collective song My Girls , there is a Whoooooo! that is reminiscent of hip-hop or RnB, in fact the mainstream does pop up quite a bit, many artists incorporating these aesthetic values into their own music, but is not in any way ubiquitous, the logical end result of this is the signing to a major label, where many have done, either converting therefore to a more major sound, or elsewhere, keeping their indie roots while having a grander exposure...

apathy? non-courageousness? melancholy? quality/culture of cool? indie definitely embodies a culture capital of cool! down to the very dress, the new rock stars...it has sparked a re-interest in "lo-tech" or lo-fi industry-regarded antiquated processes and recording technology (ie: a throwback 50s sound) also tapes/tape trading/tape recording, analog measures of recording, in sum, an analog paradigm, an analog perspective

also has, as just mentioned, evolved and nurtured a look and culture, lo-fi melded with NEW, retronew RETRONEW! DIY taking advantage of cutting edge technology to meet ones ends...

Doctor Who, Tooth and Claw

Tenth Doctor (as played by the now infamous David Tennant) episode Tooth and Claw complete with (have to be) campy kung fu monks flipping about the place, wth master staves in hand, not a chance you Scottish blokes! these guys are stop-timing their way through the air as they flip, and charge, and slide over bars in the most action set-hero extravaganza you've ever seen on Doctor Who,,,, could one argue that this was, oh so American?

Directed by Euro Lyn, which was a surprise for methinks Euro did alot of episodes, none of which in recent memory were shot like this, as if BBC staff higher-ups demanded a typical Hollywood action setpiece for this screenplay (oh its got Queen Victoria in it, it just seems right doesn't it?)

Werewolves as alien, which brings to mind, all fairy-tales and myths as of alien origin...but why stop there? perhaps all human life, all life for that matter...alien? Just gives rise to the belief that ancient peoples could not have done anything on their own, that in fact, technology is not a product of man's ingenuity and imagination, but a gift from the heavens above, by that do I mean the gods? (aliens of course...)

The name "Torchwood" gets its name and beginnings here in this one, an interesting survey and peek into the culture and politics, from a British perspective of course, of 1879 United Kingdom (the episode's setting), ie: Rose's "nakedness", the crown jewel, and the lycanthropy of the British royal family, all of it imaginative outreaches and binges of thought on the presumed and explanations for the unexplained(?)

Tennant seems wide-eyed in these his earliest episodes, definitely sparked by his relations with his companion Rose, who also is the giddy one...life in adventure, life in time, is all a wide-eyed surprise for them both, in tandem, experiencing the World, nay, the universe together...Tennant's version of the Doctor is unique and contrasts well with Eccleston's Ninth Doctor characterization, his PTSD version, Tennant acts younger and with more ebullience than the Ninth, more at a comparison later...

This also seems to be the second in a running theme of religion within the screenplay, as if Davies was dawned with a new ideal and direction with Tennant's version, the previous episode and this one in particular so far, hold very distinct religious symbol and metaphor, (the laying on of hands and the baptism of New Earth, and the sacrifice of certain characters for the Doctor (which happens a lot), in Tooth and Claw giving the impression that these characters are giving their lives as "martyrs for the cause", indeed, for God...and the obvious Christ pose of the werewolf/host boy at the end, as a sacrifice for what? He is sacrificed so that...what? He has been persecuted, the alien and the boy host? Just the boy, for the werewolf-alien had nothing but delusions of grandeur...I just wonder at what point did Davies realize and begin to incorporate, other than the obvious, these religious metaphors into the storyline? Perhaps what is most intriguing is: why? The Doctor is a figure of hope, faith, action, saving, probably the impetus is written in because it was already there, and Davies wanted to bring it out, as if he were a god...

But this gives way to a interesting focus, of god as being a traveler, of having no roots but ones that were now long dead, a traveler of sorts who shows only to save the day, to be the hero, shining knight, then to leave, lessons taught, or not, then disappears just as quick as his entrance...the TARDIS being his reality, his connection, how powerful is he, really? without it? Who is the Doctor without his TARDIS? (pun not intended, but wincing now)

Doctor Who, Dalek

Dalek is the first episode, in the revised and re-envisioned Doctor Who series that was profoundly good, the ones leading up to this one, have their strengths, and while contain great stories, this one, the sixth episode in this Season One, formally, to me, known as the Ninth Doctor, was superb. Contains the (re)introduction of the Dalek as the Time Lord's oldest and most cunning adversary, (would like to know more on this cosmology, this character relation, how it started, what kinds of stories have been developed containing this rivalry, etc. also has it been from the beginnings? the actual first season??)
EXTERMINATE!
And so, this episode, goes in depth with this newly planted story arc of the Last Great Time War, between the Daleks and the Time Lords, in which all perished, leaving, as he once thought, him the only survivor, and him being the reason for this genocide (on both ends)

This episode is so strong, because it pits these two last remaining remnants of a species, a Dalek and a Time Lord, face to face, mortal enemies, then develops their characters throughout the episode in a way that places them in each other's shoes,. ie: the Dalek is given feelings because Rose Tyler touched him ("touched" him, get it? with emotions?) allowing him to regenerate based on her time-traveling energy, which apparently is kept within her DNA, which is the fuel it uses to regenerate itself. And in this process, he is given feelings, and emotions, he begins to have an existential crisis, in which he ruminates and questions his existence, his purpose, if I do not kill, then what is my purpose, if I cannot take orders, then what is my purpose? Who can give me orders, when there is no other Dalek left in existence to give me any? Lo and behold, in later episodes, we find that there are indeed other Daleks, actual pure ones, who are not mutated as this one was, with "mangled" mutt emotions and the putrid filth of feeling.

On top of this is suicide and genocide, with the Dalek committing suicide at the end, based on Rose's orders, it places her above him, as some sort of savior, and takes his final command from her, to exterminate itself. It begins to feel fear...is this the basis of self questioning? The basis of all existential angst? Fear? Seems rightly so, seems obvious, however never connected the two. With the incorporation of human genes, it begins to question its own reality, place in the universe, asking proverbial questions as "What is a Dalek?" Violence and hatred. Genocide and ignorance. Intolerance. Tyranny. Injustice. These creatures are unmerciful and will not stop destroying anything that is un-Dalek. And in an ingenious move, the writer, Robert Shearman, places the Doctor in this context, as one who also has committed genocide on his enemy's race, who hates, and who will go to anything to destroy, who is the better?

What I love about this series, is that it takes more of a reasoning approach, almost empathic, that takes into consideration larger issues of things like, genocide, and gives more credit to the supposed "other", giving them a context and viewpoint, when so often, they are just painted black or white and given no gray area to swim about in. Enemies are that way for a reason, and it is not always so obvious or plain, it does not take a reductionist "kill all" mentality, as would a genocidal race, which has been seen from the context of the "good guys" perspective all too often, but not portrayed in this way (paradoxical perhaps?) its deeper than that, this show's perspective, and treats most of the monsters and aliens with at least some respect,although most do turn to be self-serving and "evil", or power hungry, or greedy, or gluttonous, etc.

And corporate interests and the artifactation and museumizing of the universe is also dealt with, in a pretty biased way, in which i agree, a great line is in this vein:
the Doctor:
"An old friend of mine, well, enemy...the stuff of nightmares now reduced to an exhibit...I'm getting old."
Definitely makes it clear that out and living in the universe, to see it firsthand, and to experience it is living, not containing it and keeping it within a museum, or burying it, and I guess a museum or archive is of this like, a burial, a coffin, it is placed to rest, for its context is then lost, left to the realm of thoughts and knowledge, the realm of memory and nostalgia, once entered into a museum, it is dead...life sucked right out, eh? Sure, people will be able to experience it, but I suppose, it is the act of experiencing something in ts habitat, its own context, or just out of categorization, or alphabetization that makes it alive...an archive is a graveyard is it not? A burial chamber, a Temple of the Dead? A pyramid? Waiting for that trip to the other World? That trip across Acheron? Styx?

Great direction and storytelling/writing and the performances were also quite good, although the van Statten character was a bit stereotypical, he nevertheless served his purpose. The slaughter of the soldiers by the lone Dalek was handled with a bit of sympathy and empathy, which served to embolden the main thesis/point of the episode, which was to characterize the feelings of murder and violence against another, to either be able to sympathize, or to be intolerant towards, the supposed "other". In ways such as this, one defines the other. They are in essence, connected, through their hatred and murder, their deaths...the lone of each, singularity, which is the Doctor's life at this point. Will he be nothing more than this emptied Dalek? Who must get his orders? Who, in the end, will commit suicide, as the lone Dalek did, to end his race in shame? Of course not, for the Doctor represents, in some ways, all that is good in humanity, or what could possibly be, an archetype of sorts, an alien's view of humanity yet imbued with the human condition in himself, so that we can relate, we can see the Doctor within us, and with his problems, we strive to see ours, and possibly gain inspiration from him, an answer perhaps?

The corporatizing of life. The sell of it. Why when you could be a participant? The Doctor told van Statten that the Dalek was more honest about what it was, and therefore better than him, nice. Honesty and truth seem to be valued over many things. Was he an actor of Sartre's "bad faith"? Was it truly him to act as the corporate pig? Or was it just "all the World's a stage?" Ignoring his essential being of having freedom for choice...too..."corporate-ly"?

Anyways, excellent episode, and the best one of the series so far, Donnie needs to watch this one, thought about him as I watched the Dalek struggle with his new-found "humanity" think he could definitely relate, he reminds me of a Dalek in some ways! Interestingly enough, it wasn't even written by Davies, however Davies is an excellent writer, no question there, kudos to Robert Shearman, though!

Doctor Who, The End of the World, The Unquiet Dead

Am beginning from the beginning here, with the Gallifrey expatriate, Doctor Who, (so does that make the Master, Master Who?) and so on, beginning here with the Ninth Doctor, (played by Christopher Eccleston), some thoughts...

The End of the World - (Location: Earth's space, 5 billion years in the future) speaking of pop culture, try Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" and, oh so worse, a Britney Spears dance hit being played in a classic "relic"- a jukebox. The skinny: 5 billion years in the future is where the Doctor takes Rose on their first excursion "date", the Sun is collapsing and explodes outward, to dishevel the Earth, or in more obtuse language, totally destroy it...the Doctor gets emotional when the subject of "who he is" and "where he comes from" comes about, which is perfectly understandable to want to know, from Rose's viewpoint, brings him to tears as a matter of fact, when the Tree-creature (who is sacrificed in doing well for the Doctor) (a martyr for the "cause"? the "cause" of the Doctor?) finds out about him. Yet things get crazy when Cassandra gets involved wanting ransom money, to keep her "skin" alive, debacles and questions over what is human are raised, Casandra, as a sheet of skin, is self-touted as the "last human", versus Rose, who, probably at that moment in spacetime, is the last human, totally regularized and pure (a little racist perhaps?) all this against the backdrop of the destruction of the Earth, what is human? questions raised at the point of homeworld being brought to its destruction...a jukebox, a couple classic hits, no more than 2 decades apart from each other, versus the 5 billion years it took for culture to evolve and survive, how cheeky, 2 songs, 20 years apart, at the most...
Rose is faced with a plumber, who is alien, her character faces another "blue collar" typeset in the next episode The Unquiet Dead.
This seems to be used to develop her character, this facing of herself throughout the Ages, because back home, thats what she is, a worker in the shops, to show that this lower class has always been evident serves to strengthen her character in that, through time, she has had forebears and those who succeed her in this role, by the way, these two blue collars are both killed...(perhaps a shunning of this stigma?)

The Unquiet Dead - (Location: Earth, 1869, Cardiff) What is noteworthy about this episode is that tis the first to showcase an historical personality, Mr. Charles Dickens, (a la in other episodes featuring such greats as Shakespeare and Vincent van Gogh) And, as in the van Gogh episode, he is shown, or told, that his books will live on forever, (whereas in Vincent's, he did not "ask", he was shown deliberately, as a means to boost his spirits, his bipolar, depressive episodics would nevertheless continue however...(as it should be (?))
Rose, as before mentioned, meets a lower class, who sacrifices herself to maintain the good, and the lively, herself to save the World and its culture...Christian thematics here, as Davies is wont to do, and can be traced quite deliberately, as I am now wont to do...
Cool horror aspect in the storyline, would be nice to whip this one out for another viewing 'round All Hallows Eve...
Builds on the mythos of the TARDIS, how it is Time Lord technology, bigger on the inside, (which put in this way, makes it seem like a moral, or an allegory...) how Rose was told to change into something more "period" in terms of her clothings...and told to go down so many hallways and turns, past so many doors, and there on your right...would be a dressing room, the Eleventh Doctor's TARDIS looks larger, and appears to show more, whereas the Ninth and Tenth versions of the TARDIS do not show more, as is believed to be there.

English Beat: I Just Can't Stop It 1980

"Whine and Grind/Stand Down Margaret" has got to be one of my fav songs (of all time!) This ska 2 tone (?) band from England mixes ska/punk/pop into songs well-crafted and genuine (most of them) read lyrics for most of the songs as i listened, have not done this in quite while due to the fact that lyrics have ruined perfectly good songs to me in the past, but whats the problem? if the lyrics suck, then you make critical judgments and move on, no need to hack away the words anymore, must find more in this vein, seems to be a musics that blends and vibrates with me, a la Police, these two similar in reggae/ska skirmishes however Police has more rock roots and punk flourishes, more obvious, but The Specials seem to be a band in this genre, did not realize that ska had been round since the 1960s! what about reggae? has been round since?... So for the most part this album was a pleasure for a listen, got more weak after "Whine and Grind", yet maybe will rub off after repeated listens? not perfect, but close..."Mirror in the Bathroom" is another gem, very good topic, personal, vanity on the sheer surface of it, perhaps a deeper message? Also, i like the sociopolitical musings of the band's lyrics, this is another venue i want to explore, i have liked the clash's lyrics when dealing with these themes, as well as some of the Police's, soooo i think i may be interested, at least, in politics in this aesthetic realm, need MORE!
more research as well into the clash's leanings, this delves into punk as well, hmmmm the trappings of a muse, now leaned towards a sociopolitical realm for me, would this have been a greater risk and channel for me expressively? too technical was the thing that ruined, too introspective? thats what lyrics that deal with these themes seem to counteract, the selfish propensity for inward obsession and vanity, its an outer man, an outer...
NOTE: The English Beat was supposedly part of the "Second Wave" of Ska (that entered Britain in mid-70s?)

February 2010: Best Animated Films

According to Rotten Tomatoes, (their fifty best animated films of all time) i selected nine from this list to watch, all great choices i think, in the end, aesthetic value depending on film
LIST:

1) Paprika (2006) Satoshi Kon - this one needs another watch, (dense, with psychoanalytic symboletry) but definitely has harbored in my mind some of the most iconic images of dreams/insanity i've ever seen.




2) Akira (1988) Katsuhiro Otomo - I am Tetsuo. Anime at its finest, dark, surreal, techno-religious underpinnings, epic, nice

3) Bambi (1942) Walt Disney Classic - Mythological, symbolic of the cycle of Life/Death, nature and its cycles of youth, love, death, metamorphosis, didnt realize that Bambi was a prince! along with iconic characters as Thumper and Flower, attributing a most heart-wrenching scene where Bambi makes it back to safety harbor,with cries of "we made it momma!" to no reply, and from there on in, the father, absent as he was, nopw speaking to him from behind a wall of gently falling snow (which you could taste the blood on each little flake) that now he was to become a "man" a "deer" all grown, and this could only happen with his safe surroundings, his maternal force, ripped away

4) Yellow Submarine (1968) George Dunning - Beatles' flair, dry Liverpudlian humor, blue meanies and such, all with a decent and thoughtful appraisal including philosophy, loneliness, and a sublime sect of sadness harbored at within the screenplay, there might be more here than meets the eye, perhaps a second viewing will reveal more? funny cameo by band at the end

5) Dumbo (1941) Walt Disney Classic - great animation, creative use of the "drunken" scene (what else was in that champgane those hoodlum clowns were drinking?) liquid LSD! crows were characterized as black, the elephantess older cows you just wanted to whip and beat with all their judgments, a stereotypical look at females btw, great story of coming round despite character flaws, physical abnormality and due stress because of each, thanks to that mouse, timothy, they were able to rise above states of despair, together, poor dumbo and his mother, but freak show turned hero, you know the story

















6) Spirited Away - (2001) Hayao Miyazaki - great story, children's story, liked the hog motif, the place of the dead, of spirits, showcasing japanese culture and folklore here, the stuff of great legend and myth, No Face has become a greatest character of all time to me, what he represents, that malleable consistency within each of us, the force of environment, that all one needs, is that right puissance in your surroundings, thanks no face, go have some more cake

7) Fantasia (1941) Walt Disney Classic - a masterwork, really shows the tightly knit ties between visuals and audio, the forerunner of the modern music video, Disney's dream to incorporate all the sense dates back some time, probably 19th century? after developments of opera, therefore incorporating even touch and smell, taste even, this was Disney's dream too, too far beyond his time, has withstood the test of it, night on bald mountain/ave maria was brilliant and the firebird suite, all of it was inspired and creative, one of my favs

8) Pinocchio (1940) Walt Disney Classic - just now realized how heavily I relied on Disney movies for my list, anime as well, and there is still so much more Disney to watch, this was grand, a real mythos capture, the fox as "evil seed", the island with all boys who sinned turning into asses, neatly opposes the wish motif, something that against common belief, one must work for, conflicts involved, one must strive for the wish to come true, as opposed to the mode of everything handed to you on silver platter as in the Pleasure Island motif, where once given and slackened, one is transformed to gruel, physically, morally and spiritually

9) Snow White (1937) Walt Disney Classic - there is a god in this version? is there one in the grimm's? must see...only problem i had with this one was the music, and that only in certain parts, they dated it by using some jazz instrumentation (namely muted horns) dated it to the era, late thirties, yet most of the rest of musics were mythical and worked well in this fairy tale complex, violent, the evil witch with her dagger, remember this distinctly when younger, this mixed with baptist blood imagery, the daggers, the blood, the hearts pierced, the man upon the cross! it goes on, yet twas the need to puncture her virginity, her purity, ) a jesus theme as well?) so that she would be tainted, polluted, like the mature and evil witch, her vanity sought to destroy her, and off her off the side of a cliff she was, right to the depths of her self-loathing, corruption of the pure, a very old story eh?

A Certain Ratio (part of the "Guardian's 1000 albums to hear before you die" list)

A Certain Ratio - Early (2002) - punk-funk fathers? post-punk? cool energy and synergy of funk (leaning heavy on disco at times) mixed with punk, in certain instances/songs not really clear where the punk lay, yet others is clear and distinct, usually when vocals are present, no typical funk slogans here, energetic like punk, seems only natural the two would pair, much like the punk/reggae fusion of ska, the Police, etc. This record comps up all singles (I suppose?) from their heyday which seems to be primarily from the late 1970s to the early 1990s (?) also fused latin within their mash-ups, dark at times and aggressive, danceable and unique, nice...

A Winter of Industry

And so, January 2010 was all things industrial month, 9 new albums i've never heard (well except for two, wanted to revisit those) So what is the ethos/aesthetic behind industrial musics? From sources they list things of transgression, punk provocation, totalitarianism, futurism, also been called brash, repetitive, melodic, noisy, it focuses on transgressive themes and polemics but this only focuses on one side and really embodies the early movements...it has split into many sub-genres as genres are wont to do, which include, as ive learned, death industrial, EBM, industrial metal, industrial rock, dark ambient, among others...the vocals can be harsh or melodic, could be bubble gum pop or abrasive authoritarian slogans...ive found that it embodies similar themes that cyberpunk conveys and the two seem to be comfortable bedfellows because of this, the use of certain aesthetic, technological techniques such as electronic instrumentation, beat loops, synths etc, give rise to a repetitive discourse, (and a synthos (as synthetic ethos, ethics of syntheticism) at times even seeming as perfect propaganda, and i think all these seemingly controlling aspects are but a ideology and social outcry against such mainstay ideas of status quo and hegemony, that in fact through what seems as adherence is undermined as rebellion (the "noise" aspect is also regarded as retaliation against what music is, or at least considered to be) it seems that although some groups implement a fascist tendency in their music, only rarely is it meant in regular and should otherwise be seen as discourse and criticism...
as stated in regen's article, (which i consulted for my list: top 10 best industrial albums ever ) industrial has spawned so many offshoots that it is incredibly difficult to pinpoint what it is exactly, so therefore has become a state of mind, sitting firmly within a modern and better yet post-modern ideology, which the cyberpunk film/literature genre is also comfortably placed. this attitude of dystopian futures, cold atmospheres, technology, control, authority, rebellion, very indicative of current psychological/political climates, esp of the past 30 years
learned much (and still much more to go) about industrial genre, esp the fact that it has grown to be an overarching ethos and that, at least in its earlier days, was combined with other forms of artistic expression and culture including but not limited to performance art and tape trading (mail art), also learned of its history from throbbing gristle and its own industrial records (hence name of genre) and even this name is multilayered in many interesting ways...
SO here's the list of what i absorbed (based on regen's results (except the skinny puppy which i added myself))

1) Ministry - The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste (1989) excellent. one of the first, if not the first, industrial albums i ever owned, still great after 2 decades Breathe, Thieves, Cannibal Song oh the list goes on...ministry helped bring metal to the genre, more guitar driven, cool that electro and live percussion was used

2) Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (1994) u have to give reznor (along with ministry) the credit for introducing industrial to the masses, he also brought (according to wiki) more standard song structure formats to the genre (hence, or at least attributing to, its appeal) also didnt realize that this was a concept album, nice

3) Haujobb - Solutions for a Small Planet (1996) this was the first album in this series that i listened to that i had never heard and has instantly placed itself among my favs, according to regen it is a more subdued album for them and more beat heavy, i see this, excellent use of atmospheres and textures heard some electronica in there, vocals were a bit weak at times, couldve been more meaty, a la skinny puppy, had 3 instrumentals (actually 4 but the 3 aforementioned seemed to be of a running exposition) liked it, gave breathing room and nuance to the tracks/track order, upon hearing it i instantly saw the progression that industrial had made since my initial experiences of the genre, which were limited to late eighties/early nineties recordings - mainly skinny puppy and ministry

4) VNV Nation - Empires (2000) regen says vnv nation is a hybrid mix of industrial, trance, synthpop and EBM i saw this right off, liked the vocalist's timbre and the pounding beats, instantly saw the trance influence in the synth lines and appegiator, only used a couple samplers and the access virus synth to produce the record which is another feat, very lyrically driven, liked and the begin/end duo of Firstlight and Arclight, also enjoyed Fragments ... had a knack for repetitive sloganeering in Fragments ("all great things to come"), the whole album is very apocalyptic and dark even given the trance-y mood

5) Nitzer Ebb - That Total Age (1987) should have been called total ENERGY, it truly seems to be driven by a drum machine and the vocalist whose energy works to keep the album going, very punk provocative, sloganeering at its finest, Join in the Chant is a fav (Books Books, Books, Books, Burn , Burn, Burn etc...) gives more weight and power to the word when used in this way, also (where is the youth?) (now dont be lazy!) great energy, still relevant today, can see how this album spawned many dance floor hits

6) KMFDM - Angst (1993) prob my least fav overall out of this whole list yet can still see how it was included on regen's list, an extension of ministry's use of guitars, bringing metal to the genre (at least on this record) Blood Evil and Glory were my favs, another sloganeering attitude on this record, with all the KMFDM self-referencing involved, which from what i understand is something they do all the time anyways, which according to wiki is them satirizing themselves in a bit of lampoon

7) Einstürzende Neubauten Zeichnungen des Patienten O.T. / The Drawings of Patient O.T. (1983) apparently the fathers of dark ambient, very abrasive, what i think of when i think pure industrial, since they did use jackhammers and metal objects for the recording, disturbing, dark, cold, Armenia is a def fav

8) Front 242 - Front By Front (1988) first front 242 album ive heard, although i had seen them live - lollapalooza 1993 and remembering twas one of the most energetic/aggressive parts of the event, circling overland is a fav, lyrically and musically, great theme, from the planes perspective - supposedly vnv nation has done a cover must check this out, regen says front 242 are the fathers of EBM could see this in headhunter and several other songs, Agony (Until Death) was charged, regen also put this album at the top of their list, which was curious to me, nto sure why, but perhaps this album has more influential/historical effects that i am not considering, also perhaps the album succinctly displays the industrial ethos, in its purest sense? overall great album, still resonates today over 20 years later

9) Skinny Puppy - Mythmaker (2007) awesome, was wondering about this one, as so many bands seem to lose energy and edge with age, this album was a complete surprise esp for an act that has been active for so long, still seems relevant (as a group) and still has teeth, a perfect example to me of growth in an artist's career, an example of how a group can grow, within its own set framework, without having to resort to genre switches, seems to be a perfect evolution in their career, pedafly, politikil, and ugli are all dynamic, groove-centered, dark skinny puppy as i have known them yet with a sensibility that shows even more strength in their songwriting and production. instant classic!

Death Metal

Could Phobophile by Cryptopsy (album: None So Vile 1996) be the greatest death metal song ever?...

Canary in a Coalmine...Police Lyrical Analysis

First to fall over when the atmosphere
is less than perfect
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

You say you want to spend the winter in Firenza
You're so afraid to catch a dose of influenza
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine

Now if I tell you that you suffer from delusions
You pay your analyst to reach the same conclusions
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine

First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect
You live your life like a canary in a coalmine
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line

Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine
Canary in a coalmine

Great Police song, from Zenyatta Mondatta (1980), ascribes the canary subject to indiviudal(s) who live their lives in extreme suspect, to everything, who live irrationally, based on fear, hegemony, an overexercised paranoid mental state, etc...in avoidance of problems, which are in themselves (or at least could be) grounds and material for growth, yes these subjects are suffering from heavy doses of inertia. A neurotic. A hypochondriac.

First stanza: subject described
Second stanza: subject described with issue of Body
Third stanza: subject described with issue of Mind (hegemony of professionals know best)
Fourth stanza: repeat of First

Based on canary as used for methane/carbon monoxide gas detection leaking into new tunnels in coalmines, canaries are extremely sensitive (crux of song) to these gases (gases as metaphor for the World). Canary in a coalmine is also used as a metaphor for early warning, warnings in general, so the subject is living its life as if everything is a warning for something destructive, and therefore cannot live a life stabilized.

Sounds like OCD to me.

Christmas 2009

For December/Christmas 2009 I whipped out some festive nougat musics for the Holidays, reaching out far and wide for my selections, from Russian and Ukrainian carols to Vince Guaraldi's famous soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas, (and much more on the in-betweens). All of it was delicious, here's a program list with a few notes and favs:

1) The Choir of King's College, Cambridge - Christmas Carols From King's College, (1986) splendid recording and performance of trads and new carols I've never heard, examples: I Sing of a Maiden, Myn Lyking (Welsh perhaps?) Loved the lyrical quality of Once in Royal David's City and In Dulci Jubilo. Holly and the Ivy, prob one of my favorite carols with their treatment being the best I've heard so far, interesting that, according to my sources anyways, they for some reason cut out the last verse in their version, not sure why...lyrics:

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly and the ivy
Now both are full well grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

oh can'st thou see-est the Christian/Pagan thematics? So why? Why did they omit this last verse?
Beginning with the solo voice of boy soprano (swapping with a tenor at times) for a couplet. more boy compatriots in on the second couplet, and the full chorus for the rest, which leads to a satisfying end, form AAAAA...etc. (on general scale)

2) Robert Shaw, Atlanta SO and Chorus - The Many Moods of Christmas (1963) PATAPAN! PATAPAN! PATAPAN! my first dosage of how Christmas carols can rock, had never heard Patapan before, must find out more...
This performance, as arranged by Robert Russell Bennett, and conducted by Robert Shaw is supposedly a classic(al) recording which many people favor, I'm the newest convert...
Check it out here.

3) Various Artists (and Choruses I would believe) - Christmas in Russia (1995) - Russian choral music has the ability to make the soul quiver, at least mine, has the knack of giving the so sought after "goose-bump" effect, and this CD is full of these moments, haunting, beautiful, sad, sublime, earthy, aspects of the Russian spirit (eh?), favs: The Virgin Gave Birth to The Son but honestly, it was all great.

4) The Taverner Consort & Choir - The Promise of Ages: A Christmas Collection - And as opposed to the Cambridge all male choir, this is (seemingly) an all female choir...nice, included is a very different and stirring version of Hark! the Herald, which isn't one of my fav carols (in its traditional setting), but with this version mmmmm...testify. Many more great ones. Check out the ladies here.

and the rest: (not that these were in any way inferior)

5) The Cambridge Singers - Christmas Star - Carols For The Christmas Season (1981)
6) Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
7) London Symphony Orchestra - The Nutcracker (?)

I'll have to revisit all this in the coming Christmas season 2010, more in-depth analysis...