Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
|
|
12:17 am - Halloween II: An open letter
|
Dear Rob Zombie,
I realise that you love, or at the very least are fascinated by, Charles Manson. I respect that and even applaud the fact that you have managed to slip allusions to Charley's Family into the vast mjority of your ouvre. Maybe I sniggered a bit when you turned Otis from your take on "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" into a Charley-clone for "The Devil's Rejects", but at least it did fit the overall tone of the film.
Giving Michael Myers a big, bushy beard and letting him run around without his mask on for large parts of the film, just so he resembles a huge Manson or possibly just a bigger you was a bit silly, though. And not really helped by the film being boring, predictable, unengaging and lacking killings either nasty or entertaining. And why does Michael grunt all of the sudden? (Surely what was scary about him was his sheer lack of emotion). And will Malcolm MacDowell really do any film for money?
Look, there are some pretty funky dream sequences in this film that remind the discerning viewer of the cool visual stuff you used to do for White Zombie and even "House of 1000 corpses". You are good at that, use that. Maybe even in a film about Charles Manson. But please stay away from Halloween in the future.
Considering it's supposed to be a reimagining, it is sad that it only gets interesting as soon as you use the original Carpenter-music in the sort of hommage to "Psycho" which I had hoped for within the first half hour. Following *that* thread might have made for a cool film.
No love,
Me
current mood:  aggravated
current music: Kate Bush - How to be invisible
|
|
(comment on this)
|
|
Monday, November 23rd, 2009
|
11:49 pm - One of my favourite jokes (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) karohemd is to blame)
|
The Armenian Radio was asked: "Is it true that comrade cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin won a car during a street fair in Moscow?"
The Armenian Radio answers: "Basically yes, but it was not in Moscow, rather in Kiev, and it was not his car, but his bike and it was not comrade cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, but comrade highschool teacher Gagarin and he did not win it, but it was stolen."
current mood:  tired
current music: KiEw - Prinzip Ja
|
|
(comment on this)
|
|
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
|
|
3:07 pm - Gender equality
|
As somebody pointed out recently, there are quite a few female protagonists in RomComs whose closest ally/confidant is a gay man, but you never see a male protagonist with a lesbian best friend.
Strange. Yes/No/Dunno?
current mood:  contemplative
current music: Einstürzende Neubauten - Futuristischer Dub
|
|
(comment on this)
|
|
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
|
|
1:34 pm - Mr. Lucas knows his history
|
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Hoth
A Wehrmachtsgeneral whose troops played a central part in an increasingly hopeless battle in a harsh, snow-covered environment? Named Hoth? What a crazy coincidence...
(This post was brought to you by my reading "The kindly ones/Les Bienveillantes/Die Wohlgesinnten" by Jonathan Littel. A real bastard of a book, but very rewarding.)
current mood:  amused
current music: Feindflug - Roter Schnee
|
|
(1 comment | comment on this)
|
|
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
|
|
11:06 am - My, is that the time already?
|
20 years ago today, "Pretty Hate Machine" hit shelves. Celebrate! Just a little....
current mood:  blah
current music: Nine Inch Nails - The only time
|
|
(1 comment | comment on this)
|
|
Friday, October 9th, 2009
|
|
1:53 pm - Others will no doubt have pointed this out before me, but....
|
...there is some kind of discrepancy between these two news stories, isn't there?
Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize
and
US advance deployment of "Bunker Buster" bomb
I know that this is probably just an unfortunate coincidence, but still.
Besides, the man has been in office for a mere 10 months. Would it not be wiser to consider him for the NPP closer to the end of his term? You know, give him something to work towards?
current mood: thoughtful
current music: Cupol - Klaba Cupol
|
|
(1 comment | comment on this)
|
|
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
|
|
2:22 pm - Na, wenn es jetzt offiziell erlaubt ist...
|
Weil ein "Bild"-Leser in einer "taz"-Kinowerbung als Bilderbuchproll dargestellt worden war, sah sich das Boulevardblatt verunglimpft und klagte auf Schadensersatz. Ohne Erfolg. Der Bundesgerichtshof hat jetzt entschieden: Der Spot ist von der Meinungsfreiheit gedeckt.
Hamburg/Karlsruhe - Im Streit um einen ironischen Werbespot hat sich die Tageszeitung "taz" gegen die "Bild"-Zeitung beim Bundesgerichtshof (BGH) durchgesetzt. Der BGH hat dabei auch für andere Fälle deutlich gemacht, dass die "Grenzen humorvoller Werbevergleiche" zunehmend weniger eng zu stecken sind....
http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/0,1518,652661,00.html
current mood: erheitert
current music: BBC News Quiz 7.11.2008
|
|
(1 comment | comment on this)
|
|
|
3:32 am - Important German Word for the Teutonically challenged
|
"Totschlagargument": literally "Argument to batter someone to death with". Any sort of argument that immediately robs the other party of any way to respond intelligently.
Prime examples: "You can only understand it if you've experienced it yourself", "You're too young/the wrong colour/gender/etc.", "You clearly don't know what you are talking about".
All part of our regular service. :-D
current music: Coil - Red birds will fly out of the East and destroy Paris in a night
|
|
(comment on this)
|
|
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
|
|
11:55 pm - Thursday Tune: Bilingual Edition
|
In the german corner, all the way from 1920something, Herr Paul O'Montis:
Mein Bruder macht beim Tonfilm die Geräusche
Makes you want to wear smart clothes and drink cocktails. (and give Marilyn Manson the finger).
And now, from psychedelic 1966, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band with their take on the material:
My brother does the noises for the talkies
Do you think that drugs might have been involved?
current mood: amused
|
|
(comment on this)
|
|
Friday, September 4th, 2009
|
|
11:21 am - The Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day
|
|
|
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
|
|
12:20 pm - German sweets pervert british youth
|
http://adammacqueen.blogspot.com/2009/08/this-person-cannot-really-exist-can-he.html
Letter to the Daily Mail:
"The other day, while doing our weekly shop, I bought for my two children Benjamin and Ofelia, a packet of Haribo Maoam lemon-and-lime confectionery. It was only after I was leaving the checkout that I noticed the appalling illustration on the packaging. This consists of a lemon and lime locked in what appears to be a carnal encounter. the lime, who I assume to be the gentleman in this coupling, has a particularly lurid and distasteful expression on his face.
I demanded to see the shop manager and during a heated exchange my wife became quite distressed and had to sit down in the car park.
I was told to register my complaint with the manufacturer. I'm glad I spotted this before my young children, who are both very sensitive.
My wife and I have always tried to maintain their innocence - and to think our years of careful parenting could have been wrecked by, of all things, a sweet wrapper makes me livid.
I received a reply from the company saying that the wrapper design had been introduced in Germany in 2002 with a view to making the fruit figures 'more modern and lively' to 'better appeal to the consumer.' It said 'at no point was it intended to create sexual images.' It had been shown to a number of children and adults of different age groups, none of whom has made any comments referring to sexual content.
I consider this response to be less than satisfactory. As a member of our local church, I'm now urging other members of our flock to boycott Haribo products until this illustration is removed.
SIMON SIMPKINS
Pontefract, West Yorkshire."
How sexually repressed do you have to be to get aggravated about this?
I will probably entertain myself all through the day by reading out this letter in my "Disgusted from Surrey"-voice. XD
current mood: amused
|
|
(4 comments | comment on this)
|
|
|
1:43 am - The Descent: Part 2: more a rant than a review
|
|
|
Monday, August 24th, 2009
|
|
12:54 pm - Writer's Block: Interspecies Communication
|
No, but when I was younger, a friend warned me about stroking a sleeping cat, asking whether I thought it would appreciate being disturbed in this manner.
Quite besides my worries about getting bitten/scratched, I felt that it was probably also disrespectful and so I refrained.
Cats, on the other hand, have never had any qualms about disturbing my sleep. Perhaps if I started to scratch and bite, they would respect my personal snoring bubble more.
current mood:  sad
current music: Helena Espvall and Masaki Batoh - Sueno Con Serpientes
|
|
(comment on this)
|
|
Sunday, August 16th, 2009
|
|
2:48 pm - Unpopular Geek Opinions: Alien 5
|
Okay, so Ridley Scott has apparently signed on to do the next instalment of the "Alien"-franchise. I could be more excited. Don't get me wrong. I am all "Woo! Alien 5! Great!" and any new Scott-film is bound to be worthwhile, particularly if it's a return to Sci-Fi for him (My absolute love for "Blade Runner" is on record). I just feel that Scott never really was the voice of God when it comes to the "Alien"-series. Yes, he made a damn fine movie that paved the way for a new approach to Sci-Fi and he did turn a script that might have made for something hugely generic into something unique but the baton has since been passed on and run with for quite a distance. Messrs. Cameron, Fincher and Jeunet (Yes!) have made the Bitch their own and developed the mythos, story and series. Quite besides the fact that Ridley Scott certainly is great when it comes to creating a coherent universe, I don't really see him following a canon that has a changed a great deal since he decided to turn Dallas into an egg. We don't need to hear the backstories of the Nostromo's crew, we certainly do not need another film featuring Ellen Ripley and when exactly will Clive Barker get round to rescue the "Hellraiser"-franchise? "Cabal 2" would also be nice.... See? That would be exciting, or even James Cameron making another "Terminator".... actually, Ridley Scott making a "Terminator" would be cool, too.
But please keep the Nostromo dead.
current mood: tired
current music: Bahntier - Mush (Hypnose Mix)
|
|
(comment on this)
|
|
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
|
|
3:58 pm - Ye Gods!
|
|
|
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
|
|
9:42 pm - Supergroup from Hell
|
After reading Mick Harris' rant on gig organisers supplying with sound systems that are blatantly insufficient for his bass-needs, I pondered the situation for a moment and then realised what artists would probably create the most awe-inspiring piece of noise ever if they could be convinced to work together:
Mick Harris/Scorn for the bass-frequencies
Alec Empire and Nic Endo for the mid-range
Masami Akita/Merzbow for the high stuff
That should flatten just about everybody :-D
current mood:  silly
current music: Napalm Death
|
|
(1 comment | comment on this)
|
|
Monday, July 27th, 2009
|
|
11:07 pm - What a wonderful world we live in...
|
... where BBC Radio 4 still has the power to offend.
"Christian Concern for our Nation are probably wishing they lived in Ireland right now. In their latest mailshot they urge readers to complain to the BBC about “blasphemy” on Radio 4’s Now Show:
The BBC Radio 4’s Now Show has allowed a blasphemous satirical tirade against the Lord Jesus and the Word of God. We urge you to complain to the BBC (click here) at the offence caused to Christians and the corrupting effect of this kind of behaviour on a vulnerable audience.
They also helpfully provide a pdf transcript of Marcus Brigstock’s tirade, in which he opines uncontroversially that the Bible contains
acts of wanton genocide, infanticide, fratricide, straight murder, rape, pedophilia, enslavement, brutality and frankly, a level of sexism that would make John McCririck go “woo steady, now give the little ladies a break”
(ctd. on http://www.mediawatchwatch.org.uk/2009/07/24/bbcs-satirical-tirade-provokes-christian-complaints/)
Also:
Shake Mr. Brigstocke's hand when you see him, please.
current mood: amused
|
|
(3 comments | comment on this)
|
|
Saturday, June 27th, 2009
|
|
2:01 pm - Gay scientists isolate Christian gene
|
There is hope.
Happy CSD, peeps.
current mood: amused
current music: Tool - Die Eier von Satan
|
|
(comment on this)
|
|
Friday, May 8th, 2009
|
|
9:24 pm - You know what today is, don't you?
|
|
|
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
|
|
8:17 pm - Amen, Brother.
|
A short documentary on the Amen Break , quite possibly the most widely utilised drum loop in modern electronic music. Chances are you will have heard it before lots of times.
And even if you are not interested in this six-second cornerstone, I recommend you listen to this as it makes some very good points about the way that copyright in music has been handled in the past and is handled now and what this means for future musicians wanting to use samples from existing musical works in their music.
(Thanks go to P-A-L, who posted this on his Myspace)
current mood: thoughtful
|
|
(1 comment | comment on this)
|
|
pessimistic
dirty