Yet I have noticed that there has been a recent revival of Westerns. Good ones. The Proposition, Brokeback Mountain, No Country For Old Men, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and 3:10 to Yuma, for example. One also cannot discount the influence of HBO's series Deadwood, which took a serious, vulgar, and ultra-realistic tone to the whole concept, but did it with brilliance. It's impossible not to see how Deadwood has affected our idea of westerns on screen. And then I saw the trailer for Ed Harris' upcoming film, Appaloosa, and I couldn't help getting excited.

I know. It's a trailer. I hate getting excited about trailers, but considering the movement of truly good westerns in recent years, it's difficult to not get excited about it, especially when you have such a wonderful cast involved in the project: Viggo Mortensen, fresh off his Oscar nomination for Eastern Promises, Ed Harris, Jeremy Irons and Renée Zellweger.

Westerns have become a catalyst for the exploration of human nature through choices, and the morality of those choices, in a way that few, if any, genres have been able to as successfully. They are also, in so many ways, an American genre. It is true that The Proposition, for example, is Australian, but the concepts and ideas upon which it's based, and the influences it draws upon, are so clearly those of American westerns.

I'm hoping Appaloosa will live up to its predecessors of recent years. Though I won't get my hopes up too far. That's always asking for disappointment.

Ora quell'areoporto grazie alla giunta di centro destra si chiama -vincenzo magliocco- fascista colonialista morto in etiopia per l'onore di una italia disperata che mostrava i muscoli a mo' di bulletto che picchia gli sfigati per distrarre gli sguardi e non posarli all'interno. è stato ristabilito il vecchio nome, voluto in pieno fascismo, per ricordare i bei tempi di una volta, quando la gente lottava e moriva per tutelare il potere...non per colpirlo ai fianchi...

la cosa peggiore è che il sindaco, manco mi va di andare a vedere come si chiama, dice di aver citato un sondaggio secondo il quale il nome di piolatorre riscontrava SCARSO GRADIMENTO tra i cittadini interpellati...

ora, a parte che ho qualche dubbio che una buona parte dei siciliani davanti ad uno sconosciuto che ti chiede: preferisci un fascista o un comunista ammazzato dalla mafia? rispondano del tutto a cuore aperto, e che avevo già la sensazione da tempo che la storia la stessero riscrivendo con le telefonate d'aiuto da casa e i consigli del pubblico, ho il sospetto che il prossimo sondaggio (ma chi li fa, crespi?) dirà inequivocabilmente che la costituzione riscuote scarso gradimento da parte dei cittadini interpellati...

caparezza - pimpami la storia

c'è un'altra canzone bellissima di cui non ho l'audio ma di cui metto il testo a lato...duecento giorni a palermo dei Gang che racconta proprio la vita di Pio La Torre...

Here's a link to the news article:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7585509.stm

and while tp talked to me about it on monday or so, it was sort of left hanging until it coagulated, solidified as a tangible plan, rather than a puff of 'what if'.

but now what? they keep telling me that i'm an independent force (like a rebel), but the fact is that my job scope is undefined. i'm a free floater. ish. there is nobody to tell me where to start and end, because I start and i will pass the baton.

and when does the ISG begin? it is time for a concrete planz. oh horrorz.

stuff like this isn't supposed to happen. plans are plans but how can you tell between personal agenda and whatnot. i definitely have a personal agenda. but whether that gets in the way of anything has yet to be seen. how they were picked, i sort of wished it would have been different. it might have been different.

i am not a yes man.

talking with h was good. and i'm glad that she's not so down anymore. at least i can't see that anymore. and her boyfriend wears shirts and drives a big car. hur. and when we looked back.

it's just a feeling.

and when i challenge people to tell me how i've changed, they are at a loss. have i really not changed? am i still a constant, the little boy left behind at school? haven't we all grown older. maybe ageing is a process that we take for granted, because it is something we look to for wisdom; but in all the frivolity of our youth and vigour, we forsake/fight/struggle against it to preserve an innocence that would befit a child, but would criminalize a man.

have i not grown older, my man.

sento già dire qualcuno che "non è che che se ascolti buona musica sei un buon musicista" (sento anche un accento un po' calante) ma questa versione non è affatto male.

e poi pensare a quel disco, southern accents, è strano perchè lo ricordo come un macigno incomprensibile che non ho mai digerito del tutto. tutta colpa della produzione di dave stewart troppo fuori tiro per canzoni che rimangono bellissime. la title track è uno di quegli esempi che operano violente selezioni tra cantautori di serie a e gli altri. su un commento di youtube scrivono che johnny cash avrebbe detto che il brano dovrebbe sostituire dixie (l'inno del sud durante la guerra civile). non ho idea se sia vero ma in ogni caso l'ha incisa nel secondo degli american recordings: Unchainded, proprio quello in cui fa da backing band tompettyandtheheartbreakers.

credo che riascolterò almeno una volta i vampire weekend con attenzione e poi andrò a riesumare la cassettina originale di southern accents comprata bucata (la spiegazione magari ad un altro post) sul catalogo top ten a 4900 lire per poi scaricare con tutti i diritti il disco in questione e cercare di capirlo. (come avete capito sono tante le cose che non capisco e questo è un post circolare)

ma per finire e rompere l'equilibro una pubblicità progresso. siccome in italia funziona che tutti quelli che suonano, mangiano, si fotografano o appaiono sul palco con i pearl jam guadagnano fan ecco il mio personale contributo all'entrata in società di tom petty:

Next, I saw The Dark Knight for the second time. I was skeptical of seeing it again. I really enjoyed it the first time, but I wasn't jumping out of my seat saying it was the best movie ever and I needed to see it twenty more times in while it's still in theatres. The cast is amazing. Hands down. However, the movie's strengths are Heath Ledger as the Joker, Christian Bale's looks and the flawless special effects. I did not enjoy how they made TwoFace look. Seriously, if that much of his face is blown away, he is not going to have a fully functioning exposed eyeball. And Christian Bale was pretty to look at and plays an even keeled and witty Bruce Wayne, but my vocal cords hurt just from listening to his incomprehensible raspy Batman voice. It was actually pretty humorous to the point that I had to refrain from giggling almost every time he talked. Also, they kept calling him "The Batman". It was just awkward. Why not call  him Batman and nix the "The"? But really, Heath Ledger was phenomenal. There is talk that he will be the second person to be nominated and possibly win postmortem (First being Peter Finch of the 1976 film Network). Obviously, it is too early to even think of Oscars, but I hope Ledger is nominated and that he wins.

Tonight I saw the new Woody Allen flick Vicky Cristina Barcelona. First of all, I walked into the theatre not know what I was seeing. I assumed I was seeing some indie film. I mean, I'm not a total idiot. I knew that Woody Allen had a new movie out, but I had NO idea what it was called and vaguely remembered who was in it. I thought the film was fantastic. Woody Allen has done it again. The film is witty and light with a very blatant sexual overtone. And the backdrop being gorgeous Barcelona, makes you want to go find some Spaniard and get swept off your feet. Barcelona has definitely been bumped further up on my list of places to go in the immediate future. Penelope Cruz was hilarious and it was a pleasure to see Javier Bardem looking very sexy minus the awful hair piece he wore in No Country for Old Men (with hair that bad, no wonder he was so angry). Infact, does anyone else think that Javier has a Hollywood twin? Look:

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (best known as Denny from Grey's Anatomy Season 2) and Javier Bardem are practically twins separated at birth. Both sexy. Both with accents.

Anyway, if you haven't seen these three movies, please do. Especially Vicky Cristina Barcelona. You'll thank me later.

today however...money is my main motivation but i'm still bohemian...sorta...

i've narrowed down the place i want to go. it became really clear last week. the place that i think is for me fits all of my requirements...but there is also one more place...my own very delicate issue of which i have been reassured over and over again. sorry for the vague use of language. i have a fluid time schedule to see what all takes place how...and when. so, internally i'm aching to be gone off into the place i feel God has told me to fearlessly go and somehow inside that makes me feel free. freer. once i get my fam moved to our new house...the journey shall begin...for me...and they have added their blessings.

i've ran a tour de force of films. with the help of my friend stewart who attends my church and helps me in my movie selections at his second job. and with the help of one other special person in the life of heartbreak.

the movie that has affected me the most...is 'no country for old men.' it's the kind of movie that makes everything amplified in my real life afterward. it makes me want to make movies in the worst kinda way. adapted from a novel, the literal transistion is so rich. the dialougue is perfect and so unconventional. there is a raw pleasurable beauty to a film that has no cell phones, barely even credit cards or ATMs. the actors, josh brolin, tommy lee jones, woody harrelson, javier bardem...all the supporting cast...superb. i was literally awakened and mesmerized by every bit of frame. totally impressed and magnetized by brolin, though. the old west vs. new (modern) world in this thrilling, suspense absorbed film about a maniacal killer is really something impressive. and the end...oh man!!!!!!!

movies i've seen also 'phenomenon,' 'the kite runner,' 'gone baby gone,' and eps of 'weeds' all i would suggest.

peace.

Okay, I like Woody... enough to continue to watch his films after the last few stinkers. Instead of enjoying the last sunny days of the weekend or watching gay films at Vancouver's Queer Film Festival I spent the afternoon watching Vicky Cristina Barcelona. What's the film got going for it? It's hella sexy!

There's a beautiful and distinctly different chemistry between Bardem and each of the female characters. Before I saw the film I wanted to post that this looked like a steamy soft-core porn flick filled with bi curious tension and femme fantasy three way play... it's much much more. It's Intelligent, well made and sexy. Scarlett Johansson (who is a total gay in real life), is the sexiest she has been since Lost In Translation. I didn't really get into Match Point and didn't really see the big fuss. Sorry Woody. Penelope Cruz is absolutely stunning and portrays the sincerely neurotic tumultuous ex-lover of Javier Bardem, who is brilliant and actually kinda looks handsome without that mary-lou haircut from No Country For Old Men. Cruz made me feel like I was in a relationship with her and wanted to fight with her and rip my head off because of her, and then have hot messy make up sex with her for that fucked up feeling that ensues during good make-up sex.

This film is a must see. A trusted friend and film aficionado told me this was her favourite film of 2008. To which I said... "2008 isn't over yet?!" and she said, "I know and Benjamin Button is on the way... and The Dark Knight is a masterpiece... I still hands down have made it my favourite". I liked it, but not that much. Well enough to sneak into it for a second viewing after paying for a different film. Oh, I would like to mention the Rebecca Hall character (Vicky), she was an uptight sex bomb that made it hard to not want to effe her brains out. As for my older lady fantasies... they were full filled by the mysterious Patricia Clarkson, who was sadly under used. I think Woody and I would get along great, he has impeccable taste in casting female actors and is a bit of a dirty old man. As am I.

Wobei das natürlich das Letzte ist, was sich der Mann mit der rot überschminkten Karikatur eines Grinsens im Gesicht tatsächlich wünscht. Denn ohne den schwarzen Ritter im Fledermauskostüm, der wie von Zwangsneurosen getrieben beständig Gutes tun muss, ist er, der Joker, gänzlich unvollständig – doch das beruht auf Gegenseitigkeit. Die Maske des gesichtslosen Outlaws aber herunterreißen, um sein Geheimnis zu zerstören, seine Motive korrumpieren, um sie gegen ihn zu richten, ihn Dinge tun zu lassen, die alles verraten, wofür er steht – das ist der Mordplan des Jokers, und so sehen es die Karten vor, mit denen er spielt. Frei von den Fesseln einer wie auch immer gearteten Vergangenheit, die nur lähmt und fremdbestimmt, aber vor allem unbeeindruckt von moralischen Prinzipien, und damit in beiderlei Hinsicht seinem Gegenspieler ein entscheidendes Stück voraus, stellt der Joker seinen eigenen Regelkanon auf, und der bedeutet meistens: Entscheide Dich zwischen zwei Möglichkeiten, die Du beide nicht verantworten kannst. Folterspiele wie aus dem KZ, nur raffinierter und von langer Hand geplant, formale Terrorakte, die auf allen ideologischen Unterbau verzichten, und ein umfassender Blick auf die Natur seiner Gegner, der ihn immer einen fatalen Schritt voraus sein lässt - das sind die Waffen des Jokers, und sie verfehlen ihr Ziel nur, wenn genau das auch Teil des Plans ist. Kann man einer solche Figur ernsthaft applaudieren? Wohl kaum – aber die Zügellosigkeit, mit der sie über alles triumphiert, was die Zivilisation auch nur im Ansatz zusammenhält, fordert eine Form von Ehrfurcht ein, die sich nicht so leicht von der Hand weisen lässt. Das ist vielleicht des Jokers größter Triumph, und er braucht gerade einmal knappe zwei ein halb Stunden, um ihn davontragen zu können – was so unfasslich ist, dass man das Ganze wieder und wieder verfolgen will, weil man es einfach nicht glauben kann.

Schon das Versprechen am Ende des Vorgängerfilms, mit dem der Joker seine Wiederkehr auf die Leinwand angekündigt hatte, ließ so manchen Fan in echte Verzückung geraten. Waren doch bereits 16 Jahre seit dem letzten Kino-Auftritt des faszinierendsten und unberechenbarsten aller Gegenspieler aus dem DC-Universum vergangen - und das mit einem Stempel, den ausgerechnet der irrste aller Filmirren der Figur damals so nachhaltig aufgedrückt hatte. Die Nachricht, dass der sensible Heath Ledger nun die Lücke füllen sollte, die das frühzeitige Ableben von Nicholsons Joker-Fassung hinterlassen hatte, löste nicht wenig Skepsis aus, denn es schien ein weiter Weg von Mad Jack zu jenem homosexuellen Cowboy, mit dem Ledger sich merklich vom Image des austauschbaren Frauenschwarms ohne nennenswertes Profil hatte lösen können. Doch Ledger hatte die weiterführende Entwicklung seiner bis dato eher eindimensionalen Karriere bereits deutlich im Blick. Mit dem Heroindrama „Candy“ und seiner Interpretation des identitätslosen Bob Dylan in „I’m not there“ war der Schritt, den Ledger als Schauspieler anstrebte, unübersehbar, und die Entscheidung für Christopher Nolans kompromisslose Wiederbelebung des Jokers hätte genau jenen Wendepunkt bedeutet, der wohl auf seiner Agenda stand. Doch bekanntlich sollte es dazu nicht mehr kommen, und als der Schauspieler am 22. Januar verstarb, hat man im Hause Warner vermutlich mit einem unsicheren Balanceakt aus politisch korrektem Bedauern und marktstrategischem Jubilieren reagiert. Alle Aufnahmen mit Ledger waren bereits abgeschlossen und der Film somit nicht in der unangenehmen Lage, digitaler Nachhilfe zu bedürfen (wie etwa im berühmten Fall von Brandon Lee in „The Crow“ oder auch Oliver Reed in „Gladiator“). Für die Vermarktung also galt „Why so serious?“, denn nichts lässt sich in der Entertainment-Industrie so gut verkaufen wie der tragische frühe Tod eines Künstlers.

So erhielt der großangelegte virale Rummel um den mittlerweile sechsten Film des Batman-Franchise eine recht unangenehme nekrophile Note hinzugefügt: Die erste Joker-Actionfigur nach Ledgers Vorbild war schneller ausverkauft als die Kassen klingeln konnten, und ein unisono angestimmtes Oscar-Plädoyer mit dem Beigeschmack einer Erpressung, die sich der Joker selber nicht besser hätte ausdenken können (ein Anspruch, der darüber hinaus in der Mitte des Jahres so sinnlos ist wie die Forderung nach weißer Weihnacht, und der in seiner Absolutheit einfach einmal alles Spätere vorab ignoriert), sicherte dem kommenden Film eine Form der Bedeutsamkeit zu, die sich einzig aus Ledgers plötzlichem Ableben speiste. Am unwürdigsten allerdings gestaltete sich die Invasion schmierblättriger Spekulationen aus der untersten Schublade der Küchenpsychologie, die ungebremst darüber schwadronierten, wie der Schauspieler von der Rolle, die ihm soviel abverlangt hätte, absorbiert und an ihr zugrunde gegangen sei, wie die Trennung von Frau und Tochter ihn hierauf vorbereitet hätte (eine 1:1-Übertragung des Falles Owen Wilson, über den – da für einen Comedian nicht wirklich verkaufsfördernd - längst der Mantel des Totschweigens ausgebreitet ist) und Ähnliches mehr. Für die Legendenbildung sind solche Rahmenerzählungen aus der Kenneth-Anger-Schule unvermeidlich, und das erst recht, wenn ihr Träger ansonsten ein eher unbeschriebenes Blatt ist. Denn Ledger stand – und das unterscheidet ihn von der Riege der einschlägigen Frühverstorbenen – im Grunde für nichts als solides Handwerk: Keine Skandale, keine Ideologien, kein exzentrisches Auftreten. Umso mehr muss der Joker nun für seinen frühen Sturz herhalten. Absurd ist das allemal, und mit der Realität wird es reichlich wenig zu tun haben. Dem Absatzwert des Produktes hilft das ungemein, doch den klaren Blick auf Ledgers unstrittig exzellente Leistung trübt es gehörig. Denn die Heldenlieder, die von Anfang an auf seine Joker-Darstellung gedichtet worden sind, schießen in einer Art und Weise über das Ziel hinaus, dass sie durchaus an Hysterie grenzen.

Dabei wird vor allem übersehen, wie viel von Ledgers Interpretation in erster Linie auf der Grundlage einer perfide gestrickten Joker-Version Christopher Nolans und seines Bruders Jonathan beruht. Denn erst die Entscheidung der beiden Autoren, die Figur dort anzulegen, wo sie in ihrer schlüssigen Einheit aus Faszination und Abscheu für echtes Blockbuster-Kino eigentlich am unerträglichsten ist, und sie damit ausdrücklich von Burtons Vorgängerfassung abzuheben (die immer noch ein geheimes Einverständnis mit dem durchweg amüsanten Jack Napier zuließ), machte den Weg erst frei für Ledgers entfesselnd-verstörende Darstellung. Dabei hat diese Möglichkeit auch viel zu tun mit einer langen Entwicklung von Nemesis-Figuren im Hollywood-Film und der gewachsenen Bereitschaft, mit Abscheulichkeiten Kasse zu machen. Dass Nolans Joker nun auf seine Weise die genaue Schnittmenge zwischen „Hannibal“ und „Hostel“ getroffen hat, ist ein echter Glücksfall. Dabei macht er im Grunde nichts anderes, als sich der vorrangigen Version der Figur, wie sie in den Comics angelegt ist, möglichst weit anzunähern und andere Interpretationen außen vor zu lassen. Alternativen hätte es nämlich durchaus gegeben.

Seit der ersten Ausgabe der Serie von 1940 ein zentraler Bestandteil des Batman-Universums, durchlief die Gestalt mit dem verstörenden Dauergrinsen im Gesicht über die Jahrzehnte ihres Wirkens hinweg einige entscheidende Mutationen – und das ganz ohne Einfluss toxischer Chemikalien. Zu Zeiten der sogenannten Comic Codes Authority etwa, einer Art freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Verleger als Reaktion auf populäre Thesen, denen gemäß die bebilderten Hefte vor allem antisoziales und homoerotisches Verhalten förderten (berüchtigt: Frederick Werthams "Seduction of the Innocent: The Influence of Comic Books On Today's Youth" von 1954), degenerierte der Joker bis in die 60er Jahre hinein zum gemeinen, aber doch eher harmlosen Einbrecher und Spaßmacher, der so lange durch alberne Gimmicks auf sich aufmerksam machte (und von dem Nicholsons Version einiges erbte), bis ihn der damalige Herausgeber Julius Schwartz schließlich in die Verbannung schickte. Erst 1973 erschien der Joker wieder auf der Bildfläche, und das dank Denny O'Neil und Neal Adams nun als echter Soziopath mit Hang zu Mord, Folter und sadistischen Spielereien.

Über seine Herkunft besteht eher Uneinigkeit. Die bekannteste Version – nach Motiven eines „Detective Comics“ aus dem Jahr 1951 - stammt von Alan Moore (dem Vater der „Watchmen“) und erzählt die wilde Geschichte eines erfolglosen Stand-Up-Comedians und ehemaligen Chemieingenieurs, der zwei Gangstern den Zugang zur Fabrik seines früheren Arbeitgebers verschafft, um seine schwangere (im Verlauf der Ereignisse tödlich verunglückende) Frau finanziell versorgen zu können. Die Sache geht schief, und auf der Flucht vor Batman stürzt er sich in ein Säurebad, das seine Haut weiß, seine Lippen rot und seine Haare grün färbt. Der Tod seiner Frau und seines ungeborenen Kindes lassen ihn den Verstand verlieren, und aus dem glücklosen Niemand wird ein gefährlicher Krimineller. Doch wie bei Shaffers Salieri-Historie ist auch die Geburtsstunde des Jokers nur die fragwürdige Erinnerung eines Wahnsinnigen, der von seiner Vergangenheit ausdrücklich behauptet, sie habe vielfache Varianten. Tim Burtons erster Batman-Film etwa geht bekanntlich gänzlich andere Wege.

Von solchen Erklärungsversuchen nimmt Nolans Fassung bewusst Abstand. Ganz im Gegensatz zur detailliert zurecht erfundenen Historie von Bruce Wayne in „Batman Begins“ (ohne Drehbuch des Regisseurs) sollte die Herkunft des Jokers ausdrücklich unthematisiert bleiben. Den Gedanken einer multiplen Vergangenheit, wie Moores „The killing Joke“ (einer der wesentlichen Einflüsse für „The Dark Knight“) ihn durchspielt, übernimmt Nolans Film ein Stück, indem er den Joker Geschichten über den Ursprung seiner Gesichtsnarben der jeweiligen Gelegenheit und seinem Gegenüber einfach anpasst (oder vermutlich schlichtweg erfindet). Bei Nolan gibt es keine Vergangenheit für den Kartenspieler, keine Erklärung für seine Motive. Der Joker ist weder ein Terrorist (wie es eine ganze Abordnung von Kritikern gerne sehen will), noch ein ungeliebtes Kind, noch ein Prophet des Chaos, oder gar schlicht ein Fall für die Psychiatrie. Er ist all dies nur als Projektionsfläche, doch wirft er selber jeden Erklärungsversuch mit der nächsten Handlung wieder über Bord. Er gehört auf diese Weise in die Klasse der bedrohlichsten aller Villains, nämlich zu denjenigen, die sich nicht durch ihre Motive erklären lassen, um den Zuschauer mithilfe von Kausalisierungen in Sicherheit zu wiegen. „Beruhigen“ sollen solche Schemata, sagt Michael Haneke bei Gelegenheit, und damit der Tat selber ihren Schrecken nehmen (weshalb seine Figuren in „Funny Games“ bekanntlich nicht nur unerklärt bleiben, sondern auch noch die gängigen Motivklischees aktiv verhöhnen). Nolans Joker springt zwischen den Motiven, stellt seine Mitspieler (als Gegner würde er sie vermutlich nicht betrachten) so lange vor Alternativen, zwischen denen sich niemand wirklich entscheiden kann, und treibt sie vor sich her, bis sie zerbrechen, sich verleugnen, die Seiten wechseln oder resignieren.

Tragischstes Opfer seines Spiels ist der einst lupenrein demokratische Staatsanwalt Harvey Dent - von Bruce Wayne tatkräftig unterstützt in der heimlichen Hoffnung, mit Dents Aufstieg seine eigene Existenz als Batman beenden zu können. Doch Dent, der Mann der gerne eine Münze wirft, wenn Entscheidungen anstehen (ohne jedoch irgendetwas dem Zufall zu überlassen, denn seine Münze hat zwei identische Seiten), wird im Joker seinen Frankenstein finden und damit, wie es in Superhelden-Comics oft der Fall ist, auch den Vater seiner Identität als Monster. Wo die Münze zuvor Dents unbedingten Willen zur Entscheidung repräsentiert, wird sie später – nun wirklich mit zwei Seiten versehen (den sprichwörtlichen zwei Seiten der Medaille, und damit Spiegelbild der Figur selber) – den radikalen Wandel eines Weltglaubens zum Prinzip erheben lassen und den Zufall an die Stelle der Moral setzen (eine Technik, die sich auch der Bolzenschusskiller Anton Chigurh aus „No country for old men“ zueigen gemacht hat). Doch von derartigen Spiegelungen, Doppelungen und Inverssetzungen ist „The Dark Knight“ ohnehin randvoll.

Für Nolan ist die Verzahnung zweier Figuren, die sich gegeneinander definieren, bedingen und ausliefern, ein beständiges Motiv, das selbst in den Filmen, deren Vorlage er nicht selber geliefert hat, deutlich hervorscheint: Beobachter und Beobachteter in „Following“, in dem letzterer seinen Verfolger zum Komplizen und gleichzeitig zum Spielball macht, wenn er die Beobachtung potenziert – Leonard in „Memento“, der seine schwindenden Erinnerungen mithilfe von Tätowierungen festhält, und diejenigen Menschen, von denen er sich eine wiederkehrende Stringenz erhofft, selber aber zu deren Opfer wird (Natalie) oder ihre Identität bewusst umlenkt (Teddy) – die beiden rivalisierenden Magier aus „The Prestige“, ihre vielgestaltigen Doppelgänger und die Frau zwischen ihnen, deren Schicksale durch gegenseitigen Verrat bis in den Tod unlösbar miteinander verbunden bleiben – selbst Detective Dormer und der Kindermörder Finch aus „Insomnia“ sind durch den verschleierten Kollegenmord des Ermittlers und die Mitwisserschaft des Verfolgten so eng miteinander verbunden, dass keine klassische Auflösung möglich wird – und schließlich ist es Bruce Wayne selbst, der in „Batman Begins“ von Henri Dunn erst zu dem gemacht wird, der er als schwarzer Ritter mit Fledermausmaske sein Leben lang sein wird, nur um demselben Mann später als erbitterter Gegner gegenüberzustehen. In der Konfrontation von Batman und Joker finden derartige Motive ihre Nahrung und werden auf eigene Weise noch eine ganze Stufe überhöht.

Doch doppelte Existenzen und schicksalhafte Zweierkonstellationen stellen auch anderorts in „The Dark Knight“ die Koordinaten für dramaturgische Einheiten bereit (Wayne / Dent, Wayne / Rachel, Rachel / Dent, Dent / Joker, Dent / Twoface, Twoface / Gordon und andere mehr). Überall wird vorgetäuscht, mit Identitäten gehadert, versprochen und nicht gehalten, die Wahrheit verschwiegen oder umgestaltet – und überall ist es die Münze des grausem entstellten Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhardt, wie man ihn noch nie gesehen hat), die als zentrales Symbol das beständigen Ringen um die Seele von Gotham City repräsentiert. Am Ende bleiben die Versuchungen des Jokers Zeichen dafür, dass irgendwo in der Stadt ein schwarzes Loch darauf wartet, alles in sich zu verschlingen. Von nirgendwo gekommen und auch auf seine Weise nach eben dorthin wieder verschwindend, ist die bloße Existenz des bösen Clowns Beweis genug für die ständige Bedrohung eines grausamen Weltenendes. Mehr Mephisto als alles andere, was man in ihm sehen mag, hält er Batman am Leben und raubt ihm dasselbe im gleichen Atemzug. Denn kaum Schlimmeres hätte er ihm antun können als dasjenige, was dem um Luft ringenden Zuschauer mit unumstößlicher Sicherheit bald schon eine weitere Fortsetzung der Serie bescheren wird. Batman forever.

Artikel © 2008 Thomas Lenz. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.
Filmplakat: Warner Bros. Entertainment GmbH

Even though there might be a few random chuckles to be had in No Country for Old Men, no one would go so far as to call it a comedy. But, for the most part, that's what the Coen brothers are known for: dark, quirky laugh-out-loud funny movies. Putting aside a few forays into the world of mostly serious, nostalgic crime thrillers (Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, The Man Who Wasn't There) and a couple of forgettable missteps (The Ladykillers, Intolerable Cruelty), the Coen brothers have made a name for themselves with a string of unusual and beloved films that get their laughs more from situations and characters than from point blank jokes (Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou?).

Hoping to add to that list, the Coen brothers have written and directed Burn After Reading. The story revolves around a CD containing John Malkovich's CIA memoirs. After Brad Pitt finds the disc in a locker room, he and fellow gym employee Frances McDormand set out to use their newfound leverage to lighten Malkovich's wallet. The trailer begins with Pitt explaining what he's found to a few skeptical coworkers. He then sets up a meeting with Malkovich over the phone, and it's obvious that in the early going both Pitt and McDormand are treating their caper more like a game than an actual crime. When Pitt finally comes face-to-face with Malkovich, he gets a dose of reality and realizes that his plan might not go as smoothly as he once thought. From then on, it's an all-out battle between the bitter, condescending Malkovich and the flighty, misguided Pitt. Also, somewhere along the way, McDormand gets romantically involved with George Clooney. While it's not abundantly clear from the trailer what part he plays in the story, apparently Clooney is also sleeping with Tilda Swinton, Malkovich's ex-wife.

My favorite part of the trailer comes when Pitt meets with Malkovich for the first time. Sitting in Malkovich's car, Pitt tries to explain that he is merely a "good Samaritan." But, Malkovich instantly sees through his load of crap and punches Pitt square in the nose to make it perfectly clear that the gym rat is messing with the wrong dude. Burn After Reading opens September 12, 2008. Check out the trailer at Zuguide.com.

and it doesn't help that i'm seeing everything happen all over again. it doesn't help that i tend to choose the wrong people, and it doesn't help that i'm throwing myself in again. it doesn't help that my heart is healing only to be hardened again.

why, i ask.

it doesn't help that i don't really have anybody to ask now. it might have helped if i still held on. but that part of me died so long ago, that i have trouble remembering how much joy it brought while it lasted. everything doesn't last dude.

nothing lasts.

neither does this.

neither do we.

we fight so hard precisely because we die too quickly to make too much of a mark where we stand, therefore we beat the ground desperately to leave a mark so that people may look and say, "There he stood."

now i rest. rest up for plan b.

enough of this. get up you sissy.

I can say that I am not surprised by the broadness of their choices, but I am surprised by the choices themselves.  This is how they introduce the films:

Film at it's worst can be a pretty bleak medium.  With Hollywood churning out formulaic comedies, sappy dramas and brainless action, it can be hard to find the bright spots.  However, some films seem to transcend entertainment and speak to deep truths.  Here's our look at the 10 most spiritually significant films of the last decade.

I want to share their choices with you, and ask if this is a complete list, or are there films which hold no place here.

These are in no particular order.

• O Brother, Where Art Thou?  Chosen because the skepticism of the character, Everett, is replaced eventually in the film by a very real God.
• The Big Kahuna.  Chosen because of the character Phil, and his lifestyle, which exemplifies Christ better than the character, Bob, who is a born-again Christian. 
• American History X.  Chosen because it shows that "no one is beyond redemption.  Even long-seated hatred can be overcome."
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  Chosen because they believe the film shows that pain does have a purpose.
• American Beauty.  In their words, "It's a story about the beauty of life, even when it seems mundane.  [It] shows us that the things for which we should be most grateful are often the things we overlook."
• Crash.  Chosen because it shows "the gritty reality of the hatred and prejudices that can live in all of us.  [The film] ... defuses our preconceived notions by humanizing everyone involved."
• The Green Mile.  Chosen because, they believe, of these ten, it is the most overtly spiritual, and the story which never questions the intervention of God.
• No Country for Old Men.  Chosen because they believe there is a hidden message in this film, one that says "good people must carry the spark of human kindness even when all around is dark."
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.  It is a true story, and it "gives us a look at what makes us human.  We are more than the sum of our parts."
• The Royal Tenenbaums.  The story shows that "any of us can change, even when we've spent our entire lives being selfish."
  __________

There were an obvious two or three that I thought, maybe, should not have been chosen.  But nevertheless, it is their list. 

And though I've never used this as a forum, I'm a little curious.  Are there any films that should be worth a mention?  Or should some of these have never been considered? 

If you have some time, share your opinions.

Since our last interview (read Brandon Heath :: Missional Musician), Brandon moved from Nashville to Houston, accepting the position of worship leader at The Loft. “They just invited me to come. I felt like God was calling me to do it." He then adds, “It seems very atypical. It just doesn’t seem like the traditional route to go when you’re trying to launch a career, but for some reason, it made sense.” Then again, Brandon’s never been a traditional musician.

He began his career writing songs for artists such as Bebo Norman and Matt Wertz. Recording an album of his own wasn’t on Brandon’s radar. When producer and friend Dan Muckala heard Brandon perform the Dove Award nominated song “Our God Reigns” the first time, he urged Brandon to record his first album, Don’t Get Comfortable. This project launched Brandon into the spotlight with several Dove Award nominations and the prestigious honor of winning “New Artist of the Year."

Building on the successes of “Don’t Get Comfortable,” Brandon continues to do things that challenge him musically, as evidenced by the album’s first single, “Give Me Your Eyes.” Written after people-watching in an airport, the song is fused with a slight hip-hop sound, a definite departure from Brandon’s easy folk vocals. When asked if fans were jolted by the new sound, Brandon laughs replying, “I knew people would be a little surprised. If you listen to it two or three times, it’s like, OK, I can see Brandon doing this. I had to think about myself doing it actually. I thought, can I do this? Then the more I thought about it, I was like, yeah, I can do this.” Musing a moment, like he often does during the interview, Brandon adds, “It’s good to take risks.”

Risk seems to be a way of life for Brandon, who has traveled to India with his friend and mentor, Bob Goff of Restore International, and to Uganda with Blood:Water Mission. He is also joining Sara Groves, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, and Charlie Peacock this fall for the Art*Music*Justice Tour. Talking about our mutual love of Derek Webb’s music, I ask Brandon why people should check out the tour. He quips, “Besides the fact that Derek Webb’s on it, Sandra McCracken, his wife, is on it, too. That’s the other reason you should go.”

After a moment of banter, Brandon explains why he chose to tour with some of his songwriting heroes this fall. “This tour fits me so perfectly. It’s about issues that really are a burden for me to pray for and to ask other people to think about—human trafficking and figuring out how to handle the problem of human slavery in the world. It should not still exist.”

He passionately continues, “It exists because of corrupt governments, poverty, and greed. How do we figure out how to make it go away? I’m ready to see justice happen and to see people healed. This is my way of contributing to the education and hopefully, the actions of others.”

Before hitting the road in September, Brandon will once again travel with Bob Goff to Uganda. Having already visited, Brandon is eager to return. He will be spending time learning about those who reside in huge Internally Displaced Person (IDP, formerly refugee) camps. “They’re supposed to be temporary, but they’re not,” shares Brandon. “The people are literally living on top of one another.” The trip involves investigating ways the government of Uganda and others can help IDP's move into villages and sustain a living outside of the camps.

Not only does Brandon want to inspire others with social justice through his travels, but he wants to offer hope through songwriting. While traveling, touring, and leading worship, Brandon keeps writing songs. Besides the new hip-hip groove on "What If We," the album uses rougher guitar sounds and gruffer vocals, inspired by Brandon’s recent Western movie viewing, which is evidenced by his biographical song, "Wait and See". To achieve this acoustic, Brandon shares, “Little known fact: all of my vocals were recorded in a bathroom—in the bathroom at my producer’s studio.” It’s this sort of innovation that make Muckala one of Nashville’s most sought-after producers. Really.

Besides dishing on bathroom vocals, Brandon also discusses the benefits of international marriage. “If you marry someone from another country, you get dual citizenship... but that’s probably not a good reason to get married.”

The single 30 year-old musician admits that being unmarried can make his travels lonely at times. “There are days when I’m really content doing what I’m doing because I know I’m in a season where God’s got me on the road. Honestly, if I was married, I would want to be home; I wouldn’t want to be gone.”

Using his more signature sound, Brandon conveys his thoughts about solitude in “When I’m Alone.” Yet there are days when he feels the sting of being a bachelor. “On the other hand, you want to share your life with somebody. The other day I had a guy who’s 25 pat me on the back and say, ‘You’ll understand someday.’ It made my skin crawl.”

Just because he’s not married, doesn’t mean that Brandon isn’t a romantic, at least when it comes to writing songs. What If We features a few love songs, including the heart-wrenching, “London.” Brandon explains, “I wrote it with Chad Cates, but it’s really about his experience in London, missing his fiancée.” Then there’s “Listen Up,” a song in which a man comes to the realization that he didn’t hear his beloved’s heart when she was talking about her troubles. “To me, it’s like we [men] end up talking too much. The truth is, we don’t know what to say so we say dumb things that get us in trouble,” says Brandon, explaining the mystery of why men make insensitive remarks to distraught women.

A huge Jars of Clay fan, Brandon was excited to co-write “Sore Eyes” with the band. “They play all the instruments and background vocals; I’m just doing lead vocals.” The song was written about a sassy girl who seemed to be down all the time. “I don’t think she was really sad, but she thought that kind of demeanor worked for her."

Slightly darker is “Sunrise,” a song inspired by the movie, No Country For Old Men. Brandon even wanted the lyrics and sound to mimic the movie. “The song is about people who stay awake all night and wonder, ‘How long until I die?’ It’s really about fear and being afraid. Sometimes the dark is the scariest time, but light give us a little hope because we can see the situation for what it is.”

It’s this light that Brandon hopes to shine on social justice, fueled by ministry and music as conduits for change. Not just social change, but personal change—both topics on which he is particularly loquacious. Like all good things, our dialogue came to an end, with Brandon rushing off to do a sound check with his band—at least 10 minutes behind schedule.

Print copy of interview.

In Scarlett Vicky Christina Barcelona Love, Ms. Johansson talks about the smooch (she doesn't see what the big deal is), Woody, Javier Bardem's big brown eyes, and the beautiful city of Barcelona.

On a side note, can Javier Bardem get any cooler? First he portrayed one of the best bad guys ever seen on film, popping people with air rifles and silenced shotguns, now he's scoring with three hot chicks in this flick. He's peaked, there's no where left to go but down. The only way he could get any cooler was if he sported his 'No Country For Old Men' hairdo 24/7 365 days a year.

and girls wouldn't understand this. they know the 8 month lull period between As and uni, but they will never know the beauty of a 2 year lapse between one student life and another.

and so we have come so far.

hur.

and ntu isn't what i expected it to be so far. FOC was a blast (never had such a relak yet satisfying FOC in my life). and the people are awesome. i'm finally, so to speak, in my element, because i'm finally surrounded by people who actually more or less think like me.

and paradoxically, my entire history is in SCI. feebs, ros, huifen, xiangyu, wendy to name a few. pedro, sufi..and the dear ravis. random people who have access to my past because they are my friend's friends. my entire history. if you were to take their accounts of my life, you would be able to form a distinctive timeline, documenting my growth through my teens to now.

i have fallen in love with this place.

so much so that i am actually running for one of the top three positions in the main comm. i'm not really sure that i'm the first year one to do it, but i'm pretty sure that it takes a lot of balls. and i actually submitted my candidacy form with a picture of me with a lightbulb drawn on it.

This is where I show off. This is my show.

I'm breaking the norm again, yay.

and i couldn't help it. she leaned in; i could feel her warm skin under the hoodie. my heart staggered for a moment. i'm a sucker for these things.

I was well prepared to notice this last scene. Friends commented on how disappointed they were with it. It mostly went something like this: "...the movie was great, but the ending was incomprehensible and it spoiled it for me. Why did they have to end it like this?..."

Good thing they did! I may have higher then normal tolerance to ambiguity in films. David Lynch's Mullholand Dr. as an example, was fantastic for this reason alone. The Coens' (what's wrong with Cohens'?) and I assume, the author, Cormac McCarthy, ended the film with a perfectly logical ending.
Anton Chigurh, well acted by Javier Bardem, staggers away from an accident scene, not before he puts to shame our recoil from his abnormality. Two kids who happen to be on the scene, argue over splitting his blood money. His obvious monstrosity is a am extension to our mundane human foibles.
This final scene is in fact the movie's punch line cloaked in ambiguity. The look on Chigure's face is both a mild surprise and stoic acceptance. He himself was a random event that ends (or saves, with a flip of a coin) the lives of his victims. And so is the "accident" scene. It just happens wouldn't you know. Thoroughly enjoyable movie with the perfect ending. Was all the violence necessary? This question justifies a separate post.

Mr. McCarthy has pulled off a spectacular feat, winning both popular and critical acclaim for his work   He was named Charles McCarthy at birth in Providence, Rhode Island, on July 20, 1933.  An accomplished novelist and playwright, Mr. McCarthy has received the MacArthur Award (sometimes called the “MacArthur Genius Award”) and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for “The Road”.  The movie version of his novel “No Country For Old Men” received 4 Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor).

His novels and plays include:

A complete bibliography, critical reviews, scholarly articles, and newspaper stories can be found on his official website.

Or visit our website for more tips for the beginning collector.

Cormac McCarthy is like William Faulkner. Both unnecessarily complicated.

No Country For Old Men is a great movie, but that probably has more to do with the Coen brothers' ability to whittle the story down to its essentials. Too bad they cast Tommy Lee Jones in his typical haggard role (as Marco wrote in his Faceblog), otherwise that movie would basically be perfect.

People who has viewed this movie cannot refute that the No Country for Old Men Ending was jaw dropping. The story seems to be less about beginning, middle and closing, and more concerningthe totality of the human behavior. The good character (Brolin is the good character in this regardless if he took the money)fails because he becomes distracted from what he was doing, which was fending off the bad(Chigurh), which he seemed to be doing a good job of until he became aloof . So when he becomes absentminded by doing evil himself (adultery), evil kills him (Mexican thieves). Sin continues on its path of wreckage to his loved one's house, where the pure, moral individual tries to talk sense with the diabolical, only to find that evil is unreasoning, "I'm not calling it, the coin doesn't have a say in what happens to me, you do", but evil cannot deduce this, or it wouldn't be evil. Evil creates assumptions based on its own nature, not on someone else's. Good film, can't wait to read the novel. I stumbled across a site that does an magnificent job of summing up what the No Country for Old Men ending means.
You can check it out here.

10. Steven Spielberg 

An excellent director who always directs big-budget crowd pleasers.

3. Raiders of the Lost Ark

2. Jaws

1. Schindler's List

9. Francis Ford Coppola

A masterful director whose movies are well-crafted and intelligent.

3. The Godfather

2. The Godfather Part II

1. Apocalypse Now

8. David Fincher

A psychological director whose movies always make you think.

3. Zodiac

2. SE7EN

1. Fight Club

7. Christopher Nolan

An artist who can turn rocks into gold.

3. Memento

2. Batman Begins

1. The Dark Knight

6. Oliver Stone

An artist whose movies are almost hypnotically arresting.

3. Platoon

2. Natural Born Killers

1. JFK

5. Tim Burton

An artist whose movies are always dark, yet beautiful.

3. Big Fish

2. Ed Wood

1. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

4. Martin Scorsese

A entertaining artist whose movies are always fun, yet real.

3. Casino

2. Goodfellas

1. The Departed

3. Quentin Tarantino

His movies are intense, funny, fun and all iconic.

3. Reservoir Dogs

2. Death Proof

1. Pulp Fiction

2. The Coen Brothers

Their movies are all more intelligent than the common mind will comprehend and more detailed than the common man would care to notice.

3. Miller's Crossing

2. Barton Fink

1. No Country for Old Men

1. Stanley Kubrick

"If it can be written or thought, it can be filmed."

I can happily and with no doubt in my mind say that Stanley Kubrick is by far the greatest director of all time. He is an artist who can make a movie from any genre (basically has) and make a masterpiece. He is a genius at what he does and will never be surpassed.

3. Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb

2. Full Metal Jacket

1. The Shining

Check out her film works here.

I first noticed her in No Country For Old Men. I was instantly captivated. Then I saw the trailer for Choke last night. I am now planning to revisit Trainspotting, then work my way through her other films. Mmm...

The Road is a somber tale of a father and son fighting to survive in a post apocalyptic-like situation. With limited food supply and the constant threat of being cannibalized, or falling victim to the wrath of mother nature; they navigate an ash covered country in hopes of making it to the coast where they hope relief is available. McCarthy has an uncanny ability to pull readers so deep into his fiction that identical emotions are shared by reader and character, in the face of tragic and devastating life experiences. Heart wrenching scenes are a staple of the McCarthy story and this novel has an excess of them. You will read this novel in anticipation of the-end-game from beginning to end. If you are not familiar with Cormac McCarthy's work this novel will make you an instant fanatic. After No Country for Old Men took home the Oscar for Best Picture in 2008, we have the film representation of this novel to look forward to in the fall, and I have no doubt that this novel will make an equally magnificent film. Read this book!