Speaking at the 'Produced By'- conference last saturday, larger-than-life filmmaker (and one of my all-time cinematic heroes) James Cameron once again channeled P.T. Barnum as he pitched 3D as the next evolutionary step in the history of cinema. Funnily enough, he also allegedly dissed MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D - the one recent film I actually HAVE seen in three dimensions - for being nothing more than a cheap throwback to those 70's 'jabbing stuff in your face'-3D attractions (he's right, by the way). Guess I'll have to wait 'till december when Cameron's AVATAR is finally released and my cerebral cortex will be transported to Nirvana as 3D-images of crazy intergalactic jungle-people joyfully burst into my skull.Yet I'm wondering, apart from f*cking my eyeballs (it's an AVATAR internet-meme thing), is 3D really going to radically change the way I watch movies? A close friend of mine, who saw a digital 3D-version of Pixar's UP a couple of weeks ago in Cannes, said the funny glasses added little (if anything) to the experience of watching the film (an opinion shared by many others, apparently). I still haven't had the chance to see UP yet (grrr, stupid international release windows) but I'm sure a 'regular' digital presentation will be just as enjoyable as its 3D-counterpart. Pixar's greatest strength lies in terrific storytelling, not in technological gadgetry.
That's not to say I'm totally antipathetic to the idea of 3D in movie theaters. Some films (and I'm sure AVATAR will be one of them) should be 'experienced', rather than just 'watched'. And if Cameron delivers what he promises, AVATAR is bound to be the first genuine 3D-cinema experience, really sucking the audience through the looking glass and placing them smack-dab in the middle of all the action. But, as with Pixar, I consider Cameron to be a great storyteller first and a technological wizard second. At the end of the day (or rather, the start of the end-credits) the real question is: does the film have a compelling story? If it doesn't, no 3D in the world is likely to save it from being a boring dud.
Which brings me to another piece of film-related technological proficiency I recently heard about: D-BOX Motion Code. Already available in certain Canadian and U.S. movie theaters, this 'film enhancing' device promises to rock your world while watching a movie on the big screen. Quite literally. It's basically a chair that banks, tilts and rumbles along with the film you're watching. Not just randomly, mind you, the different movements are all meticulously programmed to match the action on screen. Cool idea? Definitely. But does it really add to the storytelling part of filmmaking? Well, I think you can answer that before even trying that chair. Who'd want to see DELIVERANCE, the D-Box experience?
Set phasers on stunning!
0 Comments Published by Steven Friedman on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 12:05 PM.
Boy, it's been almost a week now since I saw J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK-reboot (digitally projected, no less) and I think I actually needed that time to allow the full impact of that film to properly sink in. Sure, I'm a sucker for hyperbole when it comes to films I really like, but I think Abrams, Kurtzman, Orci, Pine, Quinto and pretty much everyone else who worked on this film are truly deserving of every bit of praise they're getting. I mean, 95% positive on Rotten Tomatoes? For a summer blockbuster scifi-vehicle? When was the last time that happened?Truth be told, I've never been a huge STAR TREK-fan. Actually, strike that 'huge'-part. I've just never been a fan, period. Didn't care much for the original series (the epitome of camp if you ask me), tried to watch a few episodes of that Next Generation-thingee, but it never struck a chord with me. As far as the films are concerned, I love WRATH OF KHAN and really dug FIRST CONTACT, but the rest is just a mishmash of great ideas and poor execution to me, with that humpback whale-story as an all-time low.
Now I'm definitely not a Lucashound in the sense that I vehemently hate everything Trek simply because the STAR WARS-universe is way cooler. It's just that Roddenberry's vision, as foreseeing and ambitious as it was, never managed to 'wow' me the way that STAR WARS did (and still does). It was just too clean, too neat, too organized, too utopian. From the uniforms to the design of the ships to the idea of an 'intergalactic Federation', it all felt so esoterically impeccable, that I didn't want to be a part of it.
In comes J.J. (soon to be the biggest director in Hollywood, trust me) and he injects the STAR TREK-universe with two elements I think it desperately needed: grittiness and fun. From the adrenaline-rush of the opening sequence, where the U.S.S. Kelvin gets attacked by a Romulan vessel emerging from a black hole, you know right away what kind of Trek-adventure this is going to be. Ships get banged up, people get sucked into the vacuum of space, shit blows up... all while Michael Giacchino's music soars and the sound and visual effects draw you into a world of fun and wonder.
This is a summer blockbuster the way it's supposed to be. After two fun-filled hours it leaves you both satisfied and hungry for more. The $75 million opening weekend might not be the biggest in history, but I think great word-of-mouth will keep this baby spinning in warp drive all summer.
Twitter is one of those internet-phenomena I've tried to stay clear from as long as possible. And there were a number of valid reasons for that. First off, I didn't think my boring-ass life would make for a very interesting read on a day-by-day (or, in the case of some Twitterers: minute-by-minute) basis.When I first learned about Twitter, back in 2007 I believe, I thought this was a fad that was going to die a quick and obscure death. Like the Macarena or flat-top haircuts. I mean, really, who would be interested in reading posts like:
"I'm off to the toilet. Had beans last night, so I guess I'll be on there for a while."
Secondly, this whole Twitter-thing revolves around following people and people following you. Nobody calls it this, but really it's all just a popularity contest. And I wasn't sure my fragile ego could handle not a single person in the twitterverse wanting to follow me. This would obviously end in me being overwrought with pain, grabbing the bottle, shooting heroin, prostituting myself, breaking into a nuclear power plant, getting infected, turning into a giant gelatinous monster, destroying Tokyo and getting killed.
Not a good prospect.
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago - seemingly out of nowhere - I decided to give Twitter another chance. Sign up, post a few tweets, see where it goes. And you know what? I kind of like it. Not just because it feeds the exhibitionist in me, but because now I can follow tweets by people who are actually interesting, like Jon Favreau, Stephen Fry and Kevin Spacey. Favreau, for example, is an avid twitterer and has already posted some interesting tidbits from the set of Iron Man 2, which started shooting this monday.
As you can see, I've put up a 'Latest Tweets'-section in the sidebar of this website. If you want the whole enchilade, you should visit my page on Twitter.
If you haven't already, sign up yourself. Trust me, it's actually a lot less imbecilic than it all sounds.
To squid or not to squid
0 Comments Published by Steven Friedman on Monday, March 09, 2009 at 4:25 PM.
That's the question. Or at least I'm sure it must have been one of them on director Zack Snyder's mind while translating Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons' canonical graphic novel WATCHMEN to the big screen. To the uninitiated, the absence of a monstrous, city-destroying, intergalactic squid in the film might seem higly inconsequential, but to the Watchmen-zealots it means the world. Apparently.I consider myself an avid fan of Watchmen. It's one of the few books I can take off the shelf again and again - and still enjoy every single read. That's the beauty of the dark, dystopian world Moore and Gibbons invite us to be a part of in Watchmen. There's always something new to discover in the shadows. Be it Rorschach's sociopathic view on life, Dr. Manhattan's moral dilemmas or the violent comic-in-a-comic Tales of the Black Freighter; this is so much more than just a comic book. For fans, it's the Holy Grail.
Back to the squid: did I miss it? Short answer: hell no. I saw the film for the first time last friday and seriously enjoyed every second of it. I think Zack and writers David 'Solid Snake' Hayter and Alex Tse did an absolutely terrific job in bringing the 'unfilmable' to the big screen. Is it flawless? Of course not, but I can honestly say this is the best and most uncompromising Watchmen-film I could have hoped for.
Not wanting to spoil anything for anyone: the writers managed to work their way around the squid-issue nicely. They knew the squid is not the point. Ozymandias' plan - and its moral implications - is. Dare I say it? I think maybe, just maybe, this ending is a tad better than the one in the graphic novel. Not only does it make more sense to the less Watchmen-savvy, it also adds more weight to Dr. Manhattan's storyline, opening a door to the fascinating philosophical issue of 'The Visible God'. I mean, what would God do if He - to quote Joan Osborne - was 'one of us'? Would He pick sides? Would He be feared? Revered? Mistaken? Interesting stuff...
Anyway, I can't wait to see Watchmen again - in Imax Digital this time. And for those of you who really can't live without the intergalactic squid, check out the Saturday Morning Watchmen below. At least he's in there.
Yet another Best and Worst-list
0 Comments Published by Steven Friedman on Saturday, January 03, 2009 at 3:44 PM.
Happy New Year everybody! Thanks to that nifty little invention we call the Gregorian calendar, these are the days we officially declare the twelve months past a year gone by and wipe our slates clean for twelve new and exciting months to come. Time for resolutions you know you probably won't stick to, for plans that are way easier to devise than to execute and for those silly little lists that sum up the best and worst you've seen / heard / eaten / smelled / whatever the previous year.
And hey, who am I not to indulge myself in that fine tradition? Even if nobody else cares (and I sincerely doubt that anyone does), it gives me the opportunity to personally wrap up the cinematic cycle that was 2008. Now I'm not really keen on top-10 lists, as I find it nearly impossible to rank films that are thematically, genre- and storywise so diverse in one single list (I mean, I wouldn't consider Slumdog Millionaire to be a better film than Wall-E, just different in its own brilliance). So, as a solution, I'll give you my personal favorites in various categories.
The films I consider 'eligible' for this list are simply the ones I've had the pleasure (or, in some cases, displeasure) of seeing in 2008. In Holland, abroad, at festivals, rented from the local videostore, at special screenings etc. Should you vehemently disagree with anything on my list, please feel free to write me an e-mail and I'll extend you the courtesy of not giving a sh*t. I mean, ultimately these are just films we're talking about. Right? Right?
Okay, so here goes:
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE:
THE DARK KNIGHT
I know, I know, this is a pretty broad category, but bear with me here. I honestly think that as far as 'classic Hollywood storytelling' goes, Chris and Jonathan Nolan went far above and beyond what was expected of them with THE DARK KNIGHT. They were to deliver a balls-to-the-wall second entry into their revamped Batman-franchise, but then they decided to do much more than just that. TDK is just as much a perfectly crafted crime-film as it is a superhero-movie. It's just as much a develishly clever character-study as it is a kick-ass action-flick. Studios everywhere, take note: this is what happens when you give the most talented of talented people out there the opportunity and freedom to create bigbudget-escapism according to their vision. This film is incredible.
BEST WRITING:
WALL-E
Ten, twenty years from now, WALL-E will be used in film schools everywhere as a textbook-example on how to effectively write emotionally engaging stories for film. Pixar-genii Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter and Jim Reardon wrote Wall-E like Apple designs computers. Not only is it a thing of beauty, it's concise, efficient and undeniably powerful in its simplicity. There's nothing in there that shouldn't be - and it shows in the final film. The first half of the film especially, where WALL-E bonds with EVE without any of them uttering a single word, is just mesmerizingly beautiful.
BEST MALE ACTING PERFORMANCE:
Heath Ledger as The Joker (THE DARK KNIGHT)
What can I say? Heath is an absolute force of nature in this film. Uncontrollably violent, yet devilishly intelligent. Gruesomely disgusting, yet suave and cunning. And it's the little subtleties that make Ledger's performance such a classic one. His intonation, the way he flicks his tongue, the maddening glimmer in his eyes -- this is an actor at the top of his game.
BEST FEMALE ACTING PERFORMANCE:
Kristin Scott Thomas as Juliette (IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T'AIME)
I happened to see this film right after sitting through SEVEN POUNDS and felt this movie to be the cure for that Will Smith-vehicle. Now THIS is how you write a mystery-drama, making the 'secret' unfold brilliantly before our eyes. And Kristin Scott Thomas doesn't carry this film, she IS this film. Now I haven't seen Meryl Streep's performance in Doubt yet and ever since seeing Vicky Christina Barcelona I'm kind of in love with Rebecca Hall, but man, does Kristin deserve an Oscar for this performance.
FILM THAT REALLY SURPRISED ME:
THE VISITOR
This film was grossly overlooked by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and I sincerely hope it will get some much deserved recognition from the Academy -- you know, where it matters. I didn't know anything about this film going in. Hell, I didn't even know it was directed by Thomas McCarthy (whose STATION AGENT I loved) until the end credits rolled. So yeah, THE VISITOR really took me by surprise. Like THE STATION AGENT, this is a wonderful 'little' film about a man (played brilliantly by Richard Jenkins) learning about life and love while hitting the brick wall of bureaucracy, specifically the red tape surrounding illegal immigrants.
BEST HORROR-FILM:
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Låt den rätte komma in)
Sure, I'm a gore-hound and I really enjoyed the virulent viciousness of A L'INTERIEUR and FRONTIERS, but LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is one of those horror-gems that only comes along every decade or so. Brilliantly written by John Ajvide Lindqvist (from his own novel) and superbly acted by youngsters Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson, this is a vampire-tale unlike anything you've ever seen. Truth be told, I was afraid of seeing yet another 'Little Vampire'-film going in, but boy was I wrong. This is as adult as horror-storytelling goes and I can't wait to see it again soon.
BEST SCIFI-FILM:
IRON MAN
I put up this category just to give IRON MAN a mention, really. As far as summer blockbusters go, I think Jon Favreau made one of the most entertaining pieces of superhero asskickery in recent memory. It's fast, funny, irreverent and features Robert Downey Jr. as probably the most unlikely (while at the same time most likeable) superhero in cinematic history.
BEST COMEDY:
TROPIC THUNDER
If I had to measure a comedy's quality solely by the amount of instances it made me laugh, than TROPIC THUNDER would win hands down. But this is much more than just a laugh-till-your-ass-falls-off experience. It's an engaging film about male bonding, about the cruelties of war, about... ah, who am I kidding, it's just a laugh-till-your-ass-falls-off experience. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
CINEMA-EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR:
CLOVERFIELD
Yeah, this film loses much of its impact when viewed on the small screen (even watching it in high def on my 50" plasma), but good Lord, did I enjoy watching this opening night in a packed theatre. CLOVERFIELD is as much about the experience as it is about the film itself. Right from the moment the first teaser for this film hit the net (you know, the one with the Statue of Liberty's head bouncing through the street), this immediately was the MUSTSEE-film for film geeks everywhere. Like me. And it all just came together on opening night: the hype, the crazyness, the story. Everything.
STINKER OF THE YEAR:
MEET THE SPARTANS
I could spitefully tell you to illegally download this film, but in all honesty, that would be a waste of precious bandwidth. Seriously, this thing has no redeeming value whatsoever. In fact, it's not even a film. It's just a collection of laugh-or-I'll-shoot 'film-jokes' with C-actors. Trust me, if you make it halfway through this crap, you'll wish they'd shoot you. And as far as Regency goes: yeah sure, this thing did 40 million domestically, but guess what? You actually spent 30 million on a project you could just as easily have made by downloading clips off of YouTube and stringing them together. Your profit-margin would have been much, much higher.
FILM I FEEL MOST SORRY FOR:
THE HAPPENING
Oh, M Night Shyamalan, what happened to you? After Sixth Sense and Unbreakable you immediately landed a spot on my I-don't-care-what-you-make-I'll-go-see-it-list of directors. Right alongside the likes of Spielberg, Cameron, Scorsese and Miyazaki. Seriously, what happened? Because I'm pretty sure THE HAPPENING wasn't made by the same director I put on that list. It couldn't have been. Wooden acting by otherwise pretty amazing actors, cheap-looking visual and gore effects and - worst of all - sloppy writing. By M Night Shyamalan! Can you believe that? I certainly can't.
FILM I HATED THAT EVERYBODY ELSE LIKED:
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
A 7.5 score in IMDB, 68% on Rotten Tomatoes... I must be crazy for really, really not liking this film. I don't know. I just didn't get it, I guess. The first time I saw this, I walked out after 40 minutes or so. With all the talent involved (especially director David Gordon Green), I thought it deserved a second chance. But again, it didn't do anything for me. Maybe it's because smoking weed isn't such a big issue here in Holland, maybe it's just because the jokes aren't funny. Again, I don't know. I just honestly didn't get it.
FILM I LIKED THAT EVERYBODY ELSE HATED:
ALIENS VS PREDATOR: REQUIEM
Yeah sure, call me an idiot and question my taste in films for eternity, but let me tell you how I watched AVPR at home: I had the remote in my hand the entire time, expecting to push the fastforward button from the very first minutes of the film -- and then 100 minutes had passed. I actually found myself enjoying this. Sorry. At least it was a hellofalot better than Paul W. Anderson's AVP-abomination and I think Colin and Greg Strause managed to deliver a balls-to-the-wall, dark (literally) and deliciously gory entry into the Aliens / Predator-franchise.
And hey, who am I not to indulge myself in that fine tradition? Even if nobody else cares (and I sincerely doubt that anyone does), it gives me the opportunity to personally wrap up the cinematic cycle that was 2008. Now I'm not really keen on top-10 lists, as I find it nearly impossible to rank films that are thematically, genre- and storywise so diverse in one single list (I mean, I wouldn't consider Slumdog Millionaire to be a better film than Wall-E, just different in its own brilliance). So, as a solution, I'll give you my personal favorites in various categories.
The films I consider 'eligible' for this list are simply the ones I've had the pleasure (or, in some cases, displeasure) of seeing in 2008. In Holland, abroad, at festivals, rented from the local videostore, at special screenings etc. Should you vehemently disagree with anything on my list, please feel free to write me an e-mail and I'll extend you the courtesy of not giving a sh*t. I mean, ultimately these are just films we're talking about. Right? Right?
Okay, so here goes:
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE:
THE DARK KNIGHT
I know, I know, this is a pretty broad category, but bear with me here. I honestly think that as far as 'classic Hollywood storytelling' goes, Chris and Jonathan Nolan went far above and beyond what was expected of them with THE DARK KNIGHT. They were to deliver a balls-to-the-wall second entry into their revamped Batman-franchise, but then they decided to do much more than just that. TDK is just as much a perfectly crafted crime-film as it is a superhero-movie. It's just as much a develishly clever character-study as it is a kick-ass action-flick. Studios everywhere, take note: this is what happens when you give the most talented of talented people out there the opportunity and freedom to create bigbudget-escapism according to their vision. This film is incredible.
BEST WRITING:
WALL-E
Ten, twenty years from now, WALL-E will be used in film schools everywhere as a textbook-example on how to effectively write emotionally engaging stories for film. Pixar-genii Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter and Jim Reardon wrote Wall-E like Apple designs computers. Not only is it a thing of beauty, it's concise, efficient and undeniably powerful in its simplicity. There's nothing in there that shouldn't be - and it shows in the final film. The first half of the film especially, where WALL-E bonds with EVE without any of them uttering a single word, is just mesmerizingly beautiful.
BEST MALE ACTING PERFORMANCE:
Heath Ledger as The Joker (THE DARK KNIGHT)
What can I say? Heath is an absolute force of nature in this film. Uncontrollably violent, yet devilishly intelligent. Gruesomely disgusting, yet suave and cunning. And it's the little subtleties that make Ledger's performance such a classic one. His intonation, the way he flicks his tongue, the maddening glimmer in his eyes -- this is an actor at the top of his game.
BEST FEMALE ACTING PERFORMANCE:
Kristin Scott Thomas as Juliette (IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T'AIME)
I happened to see this film right after sitting through SEVEN POUNDS and felt this movie to be the cure for that Will Smith-vehicle. Now THIS is how you write a mystery-drama, making the 'secret' unfold brilliantly before our eyes. And Kristin Scott Thomas doesn't carry this film, she IS this film. Now I haven't seen Meryl Streep's performance in Doubt yet and ever since seeing Vicky Christina Barcelona I'm kind of in love with Rebecca Hall, but man, does Kristin deserve an Oscar for this performance.
FILM THAT REALLY SURPRISED ME:
THE VISITOR
This film was grossly overlooked by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and I sincerely hope it will get some much deserved recognition from the Academy -- you know, where it matters. I didn't know anything about this film going in. Hell, I didn't even know it was directed by Thomas McCarthy (whose STATION AGENT I loved) until the end credits rolled. So yeah, THE VISITOR really took me by surprise. Like THE STATION AGENT, this is a wonderful 'little' film about a man (played brilliantly by Richard Jenkins) learning about life and love while hitting the brick wall of bureaucracy, specifically the red tape surrounding illegal immigrants.
BEST HORROR-FILM:
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Låt den rätte komma in)
Sure, I'm a gore-hound and I really enjoyed the virulent viciousness of A L'INTERIEUR and FRONTIERS, but LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is one of those horror-gems that only comes along every decade or so. Brilliantly written by John Ajvide Lindqvist (from his own novel) and superbly acted by youngsters Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson, this is a vampire-tale unlike anything you've ever seen. Truth be told, I was afraid of seeing yet another 'Little Vampire'-film going in, but boy was I wrong. This is as adult as horror-storytelling goes and I can't wait to see it again soon.
BEST SCIFI-FILM:
IRON MAN
I put up this category just to give IRON MAN a mention, really. As far as summer blockbusters go, I think Jon Favreau made one of the most entertaining pieces of superhero asskickery in recent memory. It's fast, funny, irreverent and features Robert Downey Jr. as probably the most unlikely (while at the same time most likeable) superhero in cinematic history.
BEST COMEDY:
TROPIC THUNDER
If I had to measure a comedy's quality solely by the amount of instances it made me laugh, than TROPIC THUNDER would win hands down. But this is much more than just a laugh-till-your-ass-falls-off experience. It's an engaging film about male bonding, about the cruelties of war, about... ah, who am I kidding, it's just a laugh-till-your-ass-falls-off experience. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
CINEMA-EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR:
CLOVERFIELD
Yeah, this film loses much of its impact when viewed on the small screen (even watching it in high def on my 50" plasma), but good Lord, did I enjoy watching this opening night in a packed theatre. CLOVERFIELD is as much about the experience as it is about the film itself. Right from the moment the first teaser for this film hit the net (you know, the one with the Statue of Liberty's head bouncing through the street), this immediately was the MUSTSEE-film for film geeks everywhere. Like me. And it all just came together on opening night: the hype, the crazyness, the story. Everything.
STINKER OF THE YEAR:
MEET THE SPARTANS
I could spitefully tell you to illegally download this film, but in all honesty, that would be a waste of precious bandwidth. Seriously, this thing has no redeeming value whatsoever. In fact, it's not even a film. It's just a collection of laugh-or-I'll-shoot 'film-jokes' with C-actors. Trust me, if you make it halfway through this crap, you'll wish they'd shoot you. And as far as Regency goes: yeah sure, this thing did 40 million domestically, but guess what? You actually spent 30 million on a project you could just as easily have made by downloading clips off of YouTube and stringing them together. Your profit-margin would have been much, much higher.
FILM I FEEL MOST SORRY FOR:
THE HAPPENING
Oh, M Night Shyamalan, what happened to you? After Sixth Sense and Unbreakable you immediately landed a spot on my I-don't-care-what-you-make-I'll-go-see-it-list of directors. Right alongside the likes of Spielberg, Cameron, Scorsese and Miyazaki. Seriously, what happened? Because I'm pretty sure THE HAPPENING wasn't made by the same director I put on that list. It couldn't have been. Wooden acting by otherwise pretty amazing actors, cheap-looking visual and gore effects and - worst of all - sloppy writing. By M Night Shyamalan! Can you believe that? I certainly can't.
FILM I HATED THAT EVERYBODY ELSE LIKED:
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
A 7.5 score in IMDB, 68% on Rotten Tomatoes... I must be crazy for really, really not liking this film. I don't know. I just didn't get it, I guess. The first time I saw this, I walked out after 40 minutes or so. With all the talent involved (especially director David Gordon Green), I thought it deserved a second chance. But again, it didn't do anything for me. Maybe it's because smoking weed isn't such a big issue here in Holland, maybe it's just because the jokes aren't funny. Again, I don't know. I just honestly didn't get it.
FILM I LIKED THAT EVERYBODY ELSE HATED:
ALIENS VS PREDATOR: REQUIEM
Yeah sure, call me an idiot and question my taste in films for eternity, but let me tell you how I watched AVPR at home: I had the remote in my hand the entire time, expecting to push the fastforward button from the very first minutes of the film -- and then 100 minutes had passed. I actually found myself enjoying this. Sorry. At least it was a hellofalot better than Paul W. Anderson's AVP-abomination and I think Colin and Greg Strause managed to deliver a balls-to-the-wall, dark (literally) and deliciously gory entry into the Aliens / Predator-franchise.
Music that makes you feel gay (as in happy)
0 Comments Published by Steven Friedman on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 11:34 AM.
Good Lord. Talk about finding a needle in a haystack. It's amazing how things you've painstakingly been trying to find for years on end can just suddenly fall into your lap when you least expect it. In this particular case, I'm talking about those quirky 50's-style lounge tunes with all those pizzicato violins and happy-go-lucky melodies. If you've ever seen a Ren & Stimpy-cartoon (and I sincerely hope you have), chances are you've heard the songs I'm talking about.Now trying to find these tunes proved to be a veritable mission impossible. I think I've been looking for this particular brand of music ever since Ren & Stimpy hit the small screen, and that was back in 1991. But where do you begin? There wasn't a record store that knew what the hell I was talking about (cue embarrassing humming in an attempt to clarify myself). I even remember writing Nickelodeon about this, asking them if they could unravel the mystery of that joyful music for me. Alas, they never replied.
Ah, thank God for the glory that is the internet. Though it certainly took a while before I was able to track down that elusive 50's style music, I recently had the luck of just stumbling upon it. While googling for 'music production', I came across a music genre called 'production music'. And that proved to be the key to unlocking the secret!
While 'production music' isn't a music genre per sé, it was widely used by filmmakers and television show producers (especially those on a tight budget) in the 30's, 40's en 50's. Stock music avant la lettre, if you will. That's exactly the reason why many people (myself included) associate that type of playful music with commercials for household appliances and such, especially those from the 50's.
Anyway, reading more about production music, I eventually came across this blog, run by Kirk Demarais (who, from now on, will always be a hero in my book). This brave soul managed to compile over 300 (!) of these production music-tracks, used on the Ren & Stimpy-show. He also created a track listing based on musical styles and handcrafted a nifty album cover. Best of all: you can download the ENTIRE COLLECTION from his blog!!!
To put it in the words of Stimpson J. Cat: JOY!!!!
Time flies when you're having fun. It also flies when you're up to your neck in writing assignments, with the big wedding day drawing ever nearer. So sorry for the lack of recent updates, but the past weeks have just been a veritable organizing and planning madhouse. However - as the picture on the left kind of shows - it's all done and done. I'm a married man.And proud of it.
To everyone reading this who attended the wedding: thank you so much for coming and making it truly the greatest day of our lives. And to whoever wasn't there or couldn't make it somehow: it was everything we possibly could have hoped for-- and more! The weather was terrific (despite the most dreadfully rainy summer since forever), everything went according to plan and the whole atmosphere was just magical. There was a huge turnout and from what we could tell that day (and judging from all the reactions we've received up until now), everybody was having a great time.
If you're interested, you can visit my Flickr-page for a selection of wedding-photos.
