Postal

For those of you who have actually taken the time and care to check this thing, I must apologize for my absence. The pollen on the ground this time of year pretty regularly takes me out for brief periods of time. Having said that, let's get down to business.

I saw Eastern Promises with a friend of mine this past week, and I must say, I was very pleased with the film. The story was filled with complex characters and concepts. The brutality of the film was certainly there; however, it seems that, more than ever, Cronenberg has found a way to use explicit scenes of sex and violence to drive character development and create a conceptual platform for his ideas. To me, the film was unabashedly about being human. While there are traditional protagonists and antagonists in the film, each character seems to promote the full spectrum of humanistic traits. No character is absolutely good, nor absolutely bad (though some come close.) The culmination of these ideas seems to happen during the already nearly infamous steam bath scene. In this scene, Mortenson is jumped by a few members of a rival organization. The fight that ensues is, doubtlessly, the most carnal and brutal struggle I've seen in a film. Of course, since the scene does take place in a bath house and he is caught off guard, he is nude. As the scene progresses he becomes increasingly bloodied and battered. It is as if Cronenberg wanted to hide nothing when it comes to the nature and violence of humanity. This scene, to me, would not have been nearly as powerful had he been fully clothed in a back alley. I read an interview once in which Cronenberg states that he uses such vivid depictions of violence in his films for two reasons. The first is to show that violence does have consequences, and it seems that he feels these scenes must be depicted as graphically as possible in order to show theses consequences. The second is that the scenes stay with the viewer long after the credits roll. For my money, Eastern Promises accomplishes both of these ends, and I give it the seal of approval...for what it's worth.

On to other boring movie crap -

I was reading about this movie that's on it's way to theaters called "Postal." It is the new film from non other than Uwe Boll, who is responsible for such pieces of crap* as House of the Dead, Bloodrayne, and Alone in the Dark. (*But hey, that's just my opinion.) The main thing that these films have in common is that they are all based on video games and always always always get smeared by film critics. I'd been reading a bit about the film over the last few days and found that the studios are expecting great controversy over the film. And they're right. Apparently, the opening scene sort of takes a low jab at the 9/11 attacks. I know how I feel about this stuff, but I would like to hear from you guys. Below you'll find a clip of the first three minutes of the film. All patriotism, love of country, or even love of movies that are remotely good - does anyone think this is funny?

Take a look and let me know what you think.



Recommended iTunes Download -
Peach, Plumb, Pear
Joanna Newsom

Upcoming look goods.

Eastern Promises



A new film by David Cronenberg. The film is a story about the Russian mafia set against a back drop of dreary London back-alleys. One thing to beware of: If it is anything like Cronenberg's other films, there will be graphic sex, violence, and/or nudity. Generally a good director though. He isn't as strong with directing the performances of the actors; however, his films are generally very high concept and, generally, those concepts are nearly always engaging and provocative.



The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford



Interesting looking biopic of the outlaw Jesse James and how he met his untimely demise. Some will complain that the film is slowly paced and it may very well be; however, this film was never intended to be your run of the mill, shoot 'em up western. It seems meant to be much more methodical and calculated, and most likely for a more mature audience set. The director is Andrew Dominik, who is a new comer. In fact it is only his second film, and it seems that no one has ever heard of the first (I know I haven't.) The thing that excites me about the film (apart from the story) is the cinematography. I could tell from the trailer that the film is beautifully shot. When I looked up who the director of photography (cinematographer) was, it came as no surprise that it would be a beautiful film. His name is Roger Deakins who's credentials include:

No Country for Old Men
Jarhead
The Village
House of Sand and Fog
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
The Big Lebowski
Kundun
Fargo
Rob Roy
The Shawshank Redemption
and Barton Fink

All of these movies contain striking imagery and beautiful compositions, so I'm pretty excited about it. I'm hoping they are as good as the trailers make them seem to be.

Things that make me laugh.

It's a great feeling. When something unexpected makes you laugh - especially out loud.

For me, it's almost always the little things. For instance, I love those pictures where two people are squeezing in so tightly so they'll fit in the frame; only, there's far more than enough room for them to just be there...next to each other. Not squeezing in like a fool.

I also think the bag boy at the new downtown Publix is funny. I'm punching buttons on the card reader when he says, "Nice hair, man."
"Thanks." Not very creative or insightful on my end.
"Yeah," he says, "there are only so many people who can pull that look off."
I think it's particularly funny that he says this because I've never really thought of my hair or hairstyle as much more than...well, hair. Mind you, all of this is happening in the checkout line. After this slightly weird interaction, he offers - no, no, no; offer is the wrong word. I would say insists - he insists on taking my bags to the car for me. I've never felt so lazy and awkward. It could only have been worse if the walk to the car had been lined with starving orphans, and the bag boy (didn't catch his name) was feeding me grapes as we strolled to the car. Yeah, it was strange. Good Publix though.

There are some pretty awesome upcoming shows (local to me) that I'm planning to go to; as well as, suggesting that you join me/us. Just send me a message if you're interested.

Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello - Clemson, SC
The New Pornographers - Asheville, NC
Rilo Kiley - Asheville, NC
Joanna Newsom - Atlanta, GA
M.I.A. - Atlanta, GA
A Prairie Home Companion - Charlotte, NC

Today's suggested iTunes download -
The New Pornographers
The Bleeding Heart Show
from the album: Twin Cinema

The house didn’t quite look the same.
Unfamiliar cars in the drive, broken shingles on the roof. Big slide in the back that spirals down to the pool. Nothing is like I remember. I notice that the neighbors who cut my hair in the sixth grade are selling their house. I think it’s good. We aren’t the only ones who made it out.
This is Rockwood Drive.
This is where we lived while they were building my family’s house in Shorebrook – the posh subdivision in this small town of less than 4,000.
“Not that much less,” I told myself once, but it’s different now. I think this town gets a bit smaller every time I come back.
The school still looks the same, but bigger – but smaller. Our house in Shorebrook looks the same as it did before I got that frantic call from my mother. Before the bank took it away. There is a fence around it now - and a pool.
The Pizza place is still here, still denoted as “worst job” in the footnotes of my life. I’m sure the inside hasn’t changed either. Same goofy window paintings of people eating pizza on the outside – what should make me believe that the inside doesn’t have anything less than the same shitty pizza it did seven years ago? I’m tempted to go in, but afraid. I have this self-diagnosed “social dysfunction.”
It’s odd, and I really don’t understand it, but when I go home I am constantly worried about running into someone I know. Someone I went to High School with. God forbid, an ex-girlfriend. The weird thing is, underneath, or on the same level as all this fear is a hope that I actually will run into an old friend or flame.
I imagine myself telling them off. Rubbing it in their faces – how I left this little shit town.
I imagine them excitedly saying “You’re in advertising?”
Or
“Oh, you got the Civic Si.”
Maybe one would think, ‘I should have never left you.’
I almost immediately feel like an idiot. I can even feel my face turning red from embarrassment; though, there is no one there to see anyway. Am I really any different then I was then? After all, it was all of six years ago. How much could a person change in such a short amount of time?
I feel defeated. As big a dork as I’d been in the eleventh grade. At the prom. Not dancing. Not smoking pot. Dropping acid. Having sex. Not doing anything that I thought the cool kids were doing.
The Jeep in front of me at the drive-thru is missing the glass in the back. The gaping hole where the window is covered by a trash bag held on by some duct tape.
“Fucking rednecks.” I mutter to myself.
Am I any different though? It is as if my past, pent up teen angst and all, is veiled by some garbage bag held up by a couple of silver strips of duct tape. I can’t really remember much about anything – even when I concentrate. My memories are crystallized shadows. Some seem worse than they probably actually were. Some seem better. It all just depends on which way the wind blows the bag that day.
On my way home, I catch up with the Redneck Jeep - it’s faux, frosted rear window flapping in the wind. I think about passing it. But what’s the point?
I don’t think I’m ready to take off the plastic and replace the window yet. Glass that clear can come at a high price. Maybe one day.
I think about it again, drop into fourth, and I watch that beat up black Jeep fade away over the horizon in my rearview, and yeah, it feels pretty good.

Suggested iTunes Download -
Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
Rise Up With Fists!!