while shaving earlier today and it bled for several hours. It looked like I was lactating blood, which is totally metal and awesome.
I mowed the lawn yesterday. It looks worse than it did before when it was all jungly.
I've been doing a lot of Enjoying The Summer type stuff the past few days: drinking clandestinely by the river on docks that don't belong to me, swimming without having planned for it, letting the hot sun get my blood running all crazy. I recommend it.
I think I'll write a bit of fiction tonight, if I don't get distracted in between here and there.
That is all.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Half-Blood Prince
"Your King Osama looks like a dirty wizard, or a homeless Santa Claus."
-Sacha Baron Cohen as Bruno
Which unfortunately kind of sums up my personal appearance today. I'm all unkempt and unshowered and whatnot, I need a haircut, and I just had one of those weird epiphanies which revealed to me that I'm still wearing the same shirt I was wearing twenty-four hours ago. I've changed everything waist-down, thank God, but no dice with the shirt. You ever have those? I'm pretty easily distracted, and then sometimes stuff like this escapes me.
Also, see Bruno. Even if you're easily offended, you need to be offended by this. Besides being the funniest movie released this year (to say the least), it's an important piece of cultural reflection, probably will stand as one of those weird time-capsule artifacts in fifty years. And honestly, haven't you always wanted to watch an English comedian in character as an Austrian fashionista blow the ghost of Milli from Milli-Vanilli during a seance?
I also saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince yesterday, and I thought it was just a gorgeous movie. I'm one of those rare folks who think that the series is much better on film (J.K. Rowling is a hack who had one good idea). Many elements are missing from the bloated, self-indulgent source novel, and that's a good thing; conceptually, it remains intact, but many of the unnecessary bits from the book can be summed up in a single scene. Which they are, here. I'm glad they stuck with this David Yates fellow (who, for the uninitiated, directed Order of the Phoenix and will now go on to direct the two-part Deathly Hallows). I actually kind of hate the last three Harry Potter books, Order more than the others, but I absolutely loved that movie. And this one.
It contains, first of all, the most magnificent shot of the series: the camera backs away from Hermione, crying on Harry's shoulder in a heartbreaking failure of strength, then it begins a radial track winding like a spiral staircase up the outside of one of the tower/turrets of Hogwarts, through a window of which we see Ron sharing a secret kiss with his new infatuated girlfriend; at the top of the tower, the camera shifts into a vertical track of the castle to reveal Draco Malfoy brooding in the shadows of an upper floor, tormented by the injustice of the course his life must now inevitably take. A single, unbroken shot, mind you, no edits which are in any way obvious.
Things like this are what make this movie; action is mostly absent (although what action there is feels harsh, brutal, and absolutely real). But I love the element of burning sexuality among the students, which comes more to the forefront here than ever before. For anyone who cares to listen, I've long thought it criminally idiotic to pretend the age of sexual consent to be 18; the entire cast of Hogwarts kids, from 14 on up, are totally capable of said consent, and the camera simply loves them for it. It's evident in a curve outward of hip, as Ginny Weasley goes in for another secret kiss with Harry (she has a boyfriend, and tells Harry "You can leave that up here as a secret too, if you like"), in totally natural, undirected physical cues evident in everyone; that these actors are actually teenagers is apparent in every way. Mr. Yates, brilliant though he is, didn't have to tell them how to kiss each other, or how to attract each other. See Hermione sit coldly next to Ron, wanting furiously to imagine them as an old married couple before any overt courtship has ever begun; see also the way she takes his hand and leans over him while he hurts in Madame Pomfrey's sick room, relieved that she can do what she needs to while he sleeps. That's what this movie is about; I won't bore anyone with spoilers or plot details.
The new Wilco album is awesome. I don't have the proper perspective to write about it yet, but you should buy it.
No one forget about the Clever Animals' dates on the 24th and 31st. That's all. :)
-Sacha Baron Cohen as Bruno
Which unfortunately kind of sums up my personal appearance today. I'm all unkempt and unshowered and whatnot, I need a haircut, and I just had one of those weird epiphanies which revealed to me that I'm still wearing the same shirt I was wearing twenty-four hours ago. I've changed everything waist-down, thank God, but no dice with the shirt. You ever have those? I'm pretty easily distracted, and then sometimes stuff like this escapes me.
Also, see Bruno. Even if you're easily offended, you need to be offended by this. Besides being the funniest movie released this year (to say the least), it's an important piece of cultural reflection, probably will stand as one of those weird time-capsule artifacts in fifty years. And honestly, haven't you always wanted to watch an English comedian in character as an Austrian fashionista blow the ghost of Milli from Milli-Vanilli during a seance?
I also saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince yesterday, and I thought it was just a gorgeous movie. I'm one of those rare folks who think that the series is much better on film (J.K. Rowling is a hack who had one good idea). Many elements are missing from the bloated, self-indulgent source novel, and that's a good thing; conceptually, it remains intact, but many of the unnecessary bits from the book can be summed up in a single scene. Which they are, here. I'm glad they stuck with this David Yates fellow (who, for the uninitiated, directed Order of the Phoenix and will now go on to direct the two-part Deathly Hallows). I actually kind of hate the last three Harry Potter books, Order more than the others, but I absolutely loved that movie. And this one.
It contains, first of all, the most magnificent shot of the series: the camera backs away from Hermione, crying on Harry's shoulder in a heartbreaking failure of strength, then it begins a radial track winding like a spiral staircase up the outside of one of the tower/turrets of Hogwarts, through a window of which we see Ron sharing a secret kiss with his new infatuated girlfriend; at the top of the tower, the camera shifts into a vertical track of the castle to reveal Draco Malfoy brooding in the shadows of an upper floor, tormented by the injustice of the course his life must now inevitably take. A single, unbroken shot, mind you, no edits which are in any way obvious.
Things like this are what make this movie; action is mostly absent (although what action there is feels harsh, brutal, and absolutely real). But I love the element of burning sexuality among the students, which comes more to the forefront here than ever before. For anyone who cares to listen, I've long thought it criminally idiotic to pretend the age of sexual consent to be 18; the entire cast of Hogwarts kids, from 14 on up, are totally capable of said consent, and the camera simply loves them for it. It's evident in a curve outward of hip, as Ginny Weasley goes in for another secret kiss with Harry (she has a boyfriend, and tells Harry "You can leave that up here as a secret too, if you like"), in totally natural, undirected physical cues evident in everyone; that these actors are actually teenagers is apparent in every way. Mr. Yates, brilliant though he is, didn't have to tell them how to kiss each other, or how to attract each other. See Hermione sit coldly next to Ron, wanting furiously to imagine them as an old married couple before any overt courtship has ever begun; see also the way she takes his hand and leans over him while he hurts in Madame Pomfrey's sick room, relieved that she can do what she needs to while he sleeps. That's what this movie is about; I won't bore anyone with spoilers or plot details.
The new Wilco album is awesome. I don't have the proper perspective to write about it yet, but you should buy it.
No one forget about the Clever Animals' dates on the 24th and 31st. That's all. :)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
wut I've been up to
The show unofficially opened tonight - forty people showed up for Final Dress Rehearsal and it was as much a performance as any of the official ones will be. So thanks to everyone who came! It was fun.
Also, you should come. (Don't worry; the plug will be over in just a moment). July 10, 11, 12 and 17, 18, 19. I forget the number and all that jazz, but just call Northeast Alabama Community College and follow the bouncing ball and you'll eventually find your way to where you need to be.
The show's funny as hell. Promise.
Since last updating, The Clever Animals have recorded a new eight-song EP, "Glances and pauses," and played The Potato Festival in Henagar. I had a lot of fun recording; it was done quite quickly in about two weeks, most of the new songs in a completely new setting since the addition of Ashton on drums, and it was really just a blast. I won't speak for the other guys, but I suspect one or two of them may have enjoyed it, too.
It's not about anything, this EP. I like the idea of albums as a series of songs which relate to one another, a cohesive whole - a novel rather than a collection of short stories, if you will. Which is why I insist on calling this thing an EP, I guess. There have been "albums" that aren't as long as this thing (most of the songs are 4 1/2 - 5 minutes, and "London Sunshine" is well over 10), but the songs belong in different "albums" lol. How dorky is that? I pre-arrange songs in groups before they're recorded.
I play all electric guitar on this one, which is new and exciting for me. That's all. I don't have anything very interesting to say about it.
I'm seeing this girl a little bit. She's pretty cool, and I'm pretty ridiculous. Both of us are, actually. So typical. I'm constantly shocked at what a human being I am, how much I am still a slave to norms and to biology. Are you reading this? We're ridiculous. It's not a secret.
Also, you should come. (Don't worry; the plug will be over in just a moment). July 10, 11, 12 and 17, 18, 19. I forget the number and all that jazz, but just call Northeast Alabama Community College and follow the bouncing ball and you'll eventually find your way to where you need to be.
The show's funny as hell. Promise.
Since last updating, The Clever Animals have recorded a new eight-song EP, "Glances and pauses," and played The Potato Festival in Henagar. I had a lot of fun recording; it was done quite quickly in about two weeks, most of the new songs in a completely new setting since the addition of Ashton on drums, and it was really just a blast. I won't speak for the other guys, but I suspect one or two of them may have enjoyed it, too.
It's not about anything, this EP. I like the idea of albums as a series of songs which relate to one another, a cohesive whole - a novel rather than a collection of short stories, if you will. Which is why I insist on calling this thing an EP, I guess. There have been "albums" that aren't as long as this thing (most of the songs are 4 1/2 - 5 minutes, and "London Sunshine" is well over 10), but the songs belong in different "albums" lol. How dorky is that? I pre-arrange songs in groups before they're recorded.
I play all electric guitar on this one, which is new and exciting for me. That's all. I don't have anything very interesting to say about it.
I'm seeing this girl a little bit. She's pretty cool, and I'm pretty ridiculous. Both of us are, actually. So typical. I'm constantly shocked at what a human being I am, how much I am still a slave to norms and to biology. Are you reading this? We're ridiculous. It's not a secret.
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