I was at Virgin Records in New York last spring when I was struck by a song playing unlike anything I'd ever heard. It turned out to be "Szerencsétlen" by electronic artist Venetian Snares. It opens like a contemporary classical composition, with sharp, fragmented strings and pizzicato, before erupting into an electronic frenzy. Imagine an army of computers crashing into an orchestra. It is remarkable how he unites discordant pieces (not to mention genres) into such harmonious music.
Here's a brilliant fan-made video for the song:
Can't really go wrong with Venetian Snares and the best cartoon series ever.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Control (2007)
Shadowplay: Sam Riley is Ian Curtis in Anton Corbijn's Control
Photographer Anton Corbijn's debut film Control manages to escape the conventions of biopics documenting the life and death of troubled rock stars. Possibly it is the fact that Corbijn is foremost not a filmmaker but a figure deeply established in the story he is narrating, having photographed Joy Division and directed one of their videos before Ian Curtis's death, that makes the film so moving and raw in its account.
Sam Riley's Curtis is persuasive and utterly heartbreaking. Troubled by emotional fragility and bouts of epilepsy, he is tortured by uncertainty, indecision, and the fact that life and its decisions are not defined by one clear right. He cannot bring himself to leave Debbie, the woman he fell in love with and married too young (Samantha Morton), nor can he resist the beautiful Belgian woman he loves yet hardly knows (Alexandra Maria Lara, Riley's real-life companion).
Aside from love tearing him apart, he is disillusioned by the pressure of the band's swelling fame. He longs for the simplicity of life before Joy Division's rise, a time when he could love without distortion - music, literature, his family.
Shot in black-and-white and with the aesthetic elegance that comes only from a photographer's eye, the film simply captures the heart and soul of Ian Curtis. It does not loiter around creating background or making clear the progression of the band's success or the events of Curtis's life. With these details disregarded, Corbijn has ample room to explore the human tragedy of the singer's life, resulting in a film heartbreaking and profound in its narrative.
The film closes at the cemetery with a lovely shot as the camera slowly pans up until it lies just above the rooftops and gazes lingeringly into a blank, grey sky. Joy Division's 'Atmosphere' continues throughout as we float above this worldly conception of death to something beyond, something as of yet undefined, and, most of all, something that holds great hope, creating a sense that the music Ian Curtis created with Joy Division transcends all the tragedy and pain, all the absurdity and gravity of mortal existence, both Curtis's and ours.
Friday, November 14, 2008
A Surrealist Fantasy about Reality
After trekking through a portal into John Malkovich’s brain, challenging the boundaries of self-reflexivity in Adaptation, and ultimately undergoing memory erasure in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, we end up in Charlie Kaufman’s latest cerebral romp, Synecdoche, New York.
Inspecting miniscule art or human existence?
Marking his directorial debut, Synecdoche offers Kaufman at his “Kaufman”-est, with no filters installed by Michel Gondry or Spike Jonze. The result is a film unrelenting in its complexity, persistently confusing, absurd, surreal, heartbreaking, and, above all, beautiful.
The film’s protagonist, playwright Caden Cotard (played brilliantly by Philip Seymour Hoffman), suffers fears regarding his mortality and the pressure of achieving something meaningful before dying. Earning a prestigious MacArthur theater grant, he finally gets his chance to create a massive play that will cement his legacy to the world.
Upon embarking on this task, however, his vision grows larger and larger until he abandons his old reality to live in the reality he created. He is living in a play about his life creating a play, and new characters are brought in to play old characters, leading to uncertainty over what is reality and what is his creation.
Rather than try to understand the physical complexities of the film, we should appreciate that Kaufman has crafted a reality that is simultaneously absurd and deeply poignant. He offers plentiful humor, usually in the form of nonchalant acceptances of painful truths many of us don’t like to acknowledge. However, even in the midst of such pessimistic realism, he presents beautifully understated moments of life’s simple grandeur.
Kaufman offers a philosophical view of reality, the world, and our human existence within both. Using his films as texts, one can delve into his view of human experience: that there simply are no solutions or explanations, no matter what we try to do to create one. Though this appears to be the track to despair or nihilism, within Kaufman’s narratives also lies an unbounded optimism in finding profundity in the everyday existence that connects us as a human race. His stories tend to end with a twist that lands the protagonists far from conventional happiness, yet manages to be oddly uplifting in its depiction of life’s many ironies – and this film is no exception.
Inspecting miniscule art or human existence?
Marking his directorial debut, Synecdoche offers Kaufman at his “Kaufman”-est, with no filters installed by Michel Gondry or Spike Jonze. The result is a film unrelenting in its complexity, persistently confusing, absurd, surreal, heartbreaking, and, above all, beautiful.
The film’s protagonist, playwright Caden Cotard (played brilliantly by Philip Seymour Hoffman), suffers fears regarding his mortality and the pressure of achieving something meaningful before dying. Earning a prestigious MacArthur theater grant, he finally gets his chance to create a massive play that will cement his legacy to the world.
Upon embarking on this task, however, his vision grows larger and larger until he abandons his old reality to live in the reality he created. He is living in a play about his life creating a play, and new characters are brought in to play old characters, leading to uncertainty over what is reality and what is his creation.
Rather than try to understand the physical complexities of the film, we should appreciate that Kaufman has crafted a reality that is simultaneously absurd and deeply poignant. He offers plentiful humor, usually in the form of nonchalant acceptances of painful truths many of us don’t like to acknowledge. However, even in the midst of such pessimistic realism, he presents beautifully understated moments of life’s simple grandeur.
Kaufman offers a philosophical view of reality, the world, and our human existence within both. Using his films as texts, one can delve into his view of human experience: that there simply are no solutions or explanations, no matter what we try to do to create one. Though this appears to be the track to despair or nihilism, within Kaufman’s narratives also lies an unbounded optimism in finding profundity in the everyday existence that connects us as a human race. His stories tend to end with a twist that lands the protagonists far from conventional happiness, yet manages to be oddly uplifting in its depiction of life’s many ironies – and this film is no exception.
Friday, October 24, 2008
All in a week's work.
Things I've done in the past week:
1. Interviewed Stifler.
2. Received the gospel from Charlie Kaufman.
3. Been plunged into the deepest depths of the human condition.
Austin Film Festival took place this past week, and though I was out of town for a quarter of it and busy for the rest of it, I did happen to catch a special screening and perform an interview, which amounted to a more than sufficient amount of excitement for one week.
On Monday morning, I traveled to the Four Seasons downtown for a chat with writer-director David Wain and actors Seann William Scott and Jane Lynch of the new comedy 'Role Models,' which premiered at AFF on Sunday.
I'd caught an earlier screening before the AFF premiere - I enjoyed the film, but maybe not as much as I enjoyed my specially reserved press seat next to Ain't it Cool News. All pretentiousness aside, I did like the movie - nothing too memorable, but enough healthy laughs to keep me entertained for 99 minutes.
David Wain, Seann William Scott, and Jane Lynch were endlessly gracious and hilarious. You can find our conversation here.
Only when I began transcribing the interview did I realize that more than half the conversation I had recorded would not fit in a print interview, so what you see is probably a quarter of the banter. A few highlights:
[Side note: It looks like we've neglected him, but Paul Rudd is in this movie. I was originally scheduled to interview him last week, but he pulled out due to a family emergency.]
Now #2 and 3 on my list of things I've done this week all pertain to the Tuesday night AFF premiere of Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut, 'Synecdoche, New York' at the Paramount. Coincidentally, Tuesday's word of the day on dictionary.com was none other than synecdoche! Fate? Yes.
I can't decide which poster I like more.
Kaufman himself was present at the screening, performing a Q&A session following the film. The prospect of having him there to sort of elucidate the film was inevitably a futile endeavor - that man is simply on another plane of thought. At times he could hardly comprehend the simple questions the audience presented, and other times he was purposefully enigmatic, believing the power of the film lies in its subjectivity and ability to transform over time. Kaufman is undoubtedly the most cerebral and intellectual screenwriter working in the industry today, and though he gave little or no answers, he was a pleasure to be in the presence of.
As for the film itself, a review is in the works, and an overall very positive one. Conflicting reviews have been surfacing, from those blindly applauding its merits to those dismissing it as pretentious dribble. Personally, I see absolutely nothing pretentious about Kaufman's films - he merely strives to portray the deepest, most basic truths about the human condition.
'Synecdoche, New York' opens today in New York and Los Angeles; 'Role Models' opens November 7
1. Interviewed Stifler.
2. Received the gospel from Charlie Kaufman.
3. Been plunged into the deepest depths of the human condition.
Austin Film Festival took place this past week, and though I was out of town for a quarter of it and busy for the rest of it, I did happen to catch a special screening and perform an interview, which amounted to a more than sufficient amount of excitement for one week.
On Monday morning, I traveled to the Four Seasons downtown for a chat with writer-director David Wain and actors Seann William Scott and Jane Lynch of the new comedy 'Role Models,' which premiered at AFF on Sunday.
I'd caught an earlier screening before the AFF premiere - I enjoyed the film, but maybe not as much as I enjoyed my specially reserved press seat next to Ain't it Cool News. All pretentiousness aside, I did like the movie - nothing too memorable, but enough healthy laughs to keep me entertained for 99 minutes.
Director David Wain
Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, and Jane Lynch
David Wain, Seann William Scott, and Jane Lynch were endlessly gracious and hilarious. You can find our conversation here.
Only when I began transcribing the interview did I realize that more than half the conversation I had recorded would not fit in a print interview, so what you see is probably a quarter of the banter. A few highlights:
David, this film is quite different from some of the work you’re most well known for (“Wet Hot American Summer”, “Stella”). How was the experience doing this type of big-budget comedy?
DW: I had caviar. I had gold-plated cameras. I had “fluffers.”
SWS: I was one of them.
DW: It’s just different type of material, definitely a different machine behind it, but the actual process of making the movie itself was exactly the same. It’s still just figuring out the best actors, figuring out the best way to tell the story. The tools you have to tell the story no matter what the budget are the same. It was a great experience learning the other side of it.
The film had a great cast. And there were many actors that had worked with David Wain and with each other before. What was the dynamic like on set – did you all get along great?
SWS: It was funny – I hadn’t had a chance to work with any of the cast before. But it was really great for me; I’m a huge movie buff and I’d been a fan of the “alternative comedy.” “Wet Hot American Summer” is one of my favorite comedies, so it was a big opportunity to work with all the guys. But it did seem like all these people knew each other, so at times I kind of felt like the new kid at school.
DW: We beat him up sometimes.
SWS: They raped me.
DW: Then we realized that he was a lot bigger than us.
All of you have played some memorable comedic characters. How similar are you to these characters? Any disclaimers you’d like to present about roles you’ve played?
JL: I don’t think I could do something if it wasn’t in me somewhere. You know, I choose not to lead with the type of narcissism that [her “Role Models” character] Sweeney has, but it’s right under the surface.
DW: How similar are you to your character in “40 Year Old Virgin”?
JL: I don’t have any of the sexual entitlement. But I do have power issues.
DW: Do you ever just count up your IMDB number?
JL: On a daily basis.
DW: I read about myself on the Internet every day. I get Google alerts.
[Side note: It looks like we've neglected him, but Paul Rudd is in this movie. I was originally scheduled to interview him last week, but he pulled out due to a family emergency.]
Now #2 and 3 on my list of things I've done this week all pertain to the Tuesday night AFF premiere of Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut, 'Synecdoche, New York' at the Paramount. Coincidentally, Tuesday's word of the day on dictionary.com was none other than synecdoche! Fate? Yes.
Kaufman himself was present at the screening, performing a Q&A session following the film. The prospect of having him there to sort of elucidate the film was inevitably a futile endeavor - that man is simply on another plane of thought. At times he could hardly comprehend the simple questions the audience presented, and other times he was purposefully enigmatic, believing the power of the film lies in its subjectivity and ability to transform over time. Kaufman is undoubtedly the most cerebral and intellectual screenwriter working in the industry today, and though he gave little or no answers, he was a pleasure to be in the presence of.
As for the film itself, a review is in the works, and an overall very positive one. Conflicting reviews have been surfacing, from those blindly applauding its merits to those dismissing it as pretentious dribble. Personally, I see absolutely nothing pretentious about Kaufman's films - he merely strives to portray the deepest, most basic truths about the human condition.
'Synecdoche, New York' opens today in New York and Los Angeles; 'Role Models' opens November 7
Monday, August 18, 2008
The Olympics of advertising
I'm a sucker for the Olympics, and this year's games have been far more epic than I could have imagined. Even though it's taking place in a city that arguably doesn't deserve the Olympics, the games and performances themselves have not disappointed.
There have been so many moments, ups and downs, that will live on. Phelps' record-breaking eight golds, including phenomenal individual races that just showcase his physical refusal to lose a race, even if it means a win by .01 seconds that is incomprehensible even when watched in slow motion. Lezak's remarkable turn that won U.S. the 4x100 freestyle against France. The Greek gods of swimmers we had at this year's games: Phelps, Lochte, Peirsol, etc. Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson's 1-2 win in all-around gymnastics, especially Nastia's tearful smile as she stood atop the podium - pure Olympic glory right there. Sasha Artemev's rousing pommel horse routine that ensured U.S. men's team bronze, followed by his upsetting fall in individual competition that took away a medal he had clear potential to win. Liu Xiang, a hero in China and an inspiration as first Asian to win gold in a track event, pulling out of this year's competition, in devastating pain as a hurt Achilles heel tore him away from his dream of defending his title in his home country among a packed stadium of expectant fans.
Along with the Olympics always comes a bevy of memorable ad campaigns. The winner this year is Visa's 'GO WORLD', boosted by beautiful, inspiring images of the Olympics and Morgan Freeman's God-voiced narration.
My favorite by far:
Brilliant advertising right there. Such simple, eloquent truths that remind us why we need and love the Olympics.
Visa's always been consistently impressive in their ads. One of my favorite commercials was the 'Life takes Visa' campaign that came out during the 2006 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, I can't find it anywhere in large or embeddable form, but there is a small video available on the website portfolio of Mophonics, who composed its music.
Riding on the current love for Nastia Liukin, gymnastics all-around champion whose aesthetic grace has been unsurpassed this year, here is a lovely 'Impossible is Nothing' Adidas ad from 2004 featuring a 13-year-old Nastia and Nadia Comaneci, which has greater impact now following Nastia's gold medal win:
Another highlight from this Olympic season's batch of advertisements is Nike's 'Courage', featuring The Killers' 'All These Things I've Done.' I'm not a big fan of the band, but I am a fan of the song and it is used perfectly in this one:
This one's not Olympics related aside from coming out during the games, but United Airlines has been producing beautiful ads for their new business class that stand out due to their lovely, dreamlike aesthetic and wonderful use of Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue':
GE's been doing a series of Olympics/China related commercials and this charming 'Healthcare Re-imagined' advert is currently everywhere:
The Olympics, along with its advertising, is always the highlight of the season, almost becoming a drug as its conclusion always results in a sense of great loss, for nothing ever seems worth watching without the inspiring unity of the Olympic games. Together we witness the creation of sublime moments that will last a lifetime, see lives defined in an instant, whether it is experiencing the elation of years of hard work paying off and ambitions being fulfilled or feeling the painful defeat of dreams shattered in a split second. The entire spectrum of the human experience is displayed magnificently in the Olympics, and for those two weeks, all the world is united in common admiration for the pure achievement of humanity.
This year's withdrawal will definitely be a difficult one.
There have been so many moments, ups and downs, that will live on. Phelps' record-breaking eight golds, including phenomenal individual races that just showcase his physical refusal to lose a race, even if it means a win by .01 seconds that is incomprehensible even when watched in slow motion. Lezak's remarkable turn that won U.S. the 4x100 freestyle against France. The Greek gods of swimmers we had at this year's games: Phelps, Lochte, Peirsol, etc. Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson's 1-2 win in all-around gymnastics, especially Nastia's tearful smile as she stood atop the podium - pure Olympic glory right there. Sasha Artemev's rousing pommel horse routine that ensured U.S. men's team bronze, followed by his upsetting fall in individual competition that took away a medal he had clear potential to win. Liu Xiang, a hero in China and an inspiration as first Asian to win gold in a track event, pulling out of this year's competition, in devastating pain as a hurt Achilles heel tore him away from his dream of defending his title in his home country among a packed stadium of expectant fans.
Along with the Olympics always comes a bevy of memorable ad campaigns. The winner this year is Visa's 'GO WORLD', boosted by beautiful, inspiring images of the Olympics and Morgan Freeman's God-voiced narration.
My favorite by far:
Brilliant advertising right there. Such simple, eloquent truths that remind us why we need and love the Olympics.
Visa's always been consistently impressive in their ads. One of my favorite commercials was the 'Life takes Visa' campaign that came out during the 2006 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, I can't find it anywhere in large or embeddable form, but there is a small video available on the website portfolio of Mophonics, who composed its music.
Riding on the current love for Nastia Liukin, gymnastics all-around champion whose aesthetic grace has been unsurpassed this year, here is a lovely 'Impossible is Nothing' Adidas ad from 2004 featuring a 13-year-old Nastia and Nadia Comaneci, which has greater impact now following Nastia's gold medal win:
Another highlight from this Olympic season's batch of advertisements is Nike's 'Courage', featuring The Killers' 'All These Things I've Done.' I'm not a big fan of the band, but I am a fan of the song and it is used perfectly in this one:
This one's not Olympics related aside from coming out during the games, but United Airlines has been producing beautiful ads for their new business class that stand out due to their lovely, dreamlike aesthetic and wonderful use of Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue':
GE's been doing a series of Olympics/China related commercials and this charming 'Healthcare Re-imagined' advert is currently everywhere:
The Olympics, along with its advertising, is always the highlight of the season, almost becoming a drug as its conclusion always results in a sense of great loss, for nothing ever seems worth watching without the inspiring unity of the Olympic games. Together we witness the creation of sublime moments that will last a lifetime, see lives defined in an instant, whether it is experiencing the elation of years of hard work paying off and ambitions being fulfilled or feeling the painful defeat of dreams shattered in a split second. The entire spectrum of the human experience is displayed magnificently in the Olympics, and for those two weeks, all the world is united in common admiration for the pure achievement of humanity.
This year's withdrawal will definitely be a difficult one.
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