Longtime readers will know that Eshi and I enjoy video games, and lately there has been one game that has been getting a lot of attention from me: Bloodborne. For those of you who don't know, Bloodborne is a game made by From Software, the guys who made Demon Souls and Dark Souls.
The premise is very similar: monsters are vicious and can kill you quick, but by killing them, you get exp (called echos) to level up your character. Bloodborne is slightly easier than its predecessors (the game's director didn't want a game that was only for "hardcore" gamers) but remains a fun and difficult game. I love the lovecraftian vibe throughout the game since the art is inspired by Bram Stoker and Lovecraft in general and it really excels at creating that kind of atmosphere.
Bloodborne also does a few things that I wish other games would do as well. I don't mean that all games should be Bloodborne, that would be terrible, but they could learn something from the way it presents itself. Bloodborne doesn't really hold the players hand at all, it is up to the player to piece together a story and learn how to play. There is a path you can take through the game, but it isn't always completely obvious where to go, so you get to explore, which is nice. Also you can miss huge sections of the game if you don't explore. Out of like 17 bosses only 7 are required.
There are a few cutscenes but they are light on actual exposition. I am not complaining though, I liked having to figure out the mysterious situation my character was thrown in. As a nerd, I love reading into things deeply. Also, there is no real tutorial. When you start the game you are in a fistfight with a big, fuck-off werewolf what wants to eat your face. After being eviscerated the player is transported to a place called "the hunter's dream" where you get two weapons and can read messages that tell you how to play the game. The thing is, you don't have to read them, you can just get the weapons and go straight back to the respawn point like I did my first time through. The game Dragon's Dogma (which we also really liked) did something similar. You are told about the world, and you get a tutorial where you play as a person who was in the same position as you in the past, but then doesn't tell you how to progress the main story, it leaves the exploration up to you. That kind of thing is great.
I love exploring games and finding all the little secrets and story chunks, it's great. That's not to say that linear stories are bad, they are just ubiquitous. Games today have a tendency to assume that the people playing the game have no idea what its all about and try to coddle the player. This seems like a good idea when games are trying to cast as wide a net as possible by making it playable for every person who picks it up, but making that a standard alienates a lot of people who already play games (the bulk of the market). By making a game that makes players explore and learn from experience From made something that melds with subtle storytelling very well and leaves the player wanting more. Speaking of which, I am going to go play more now. =p
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
His Superpower is Punching!
So a friend recently convinced me to watch the new Daredevil series. It should be stated that I've largely avoided the comic/TV bullshit. I dig the new Constantine but I didn't really go for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D or Arrow or any of that kind of thing. I just don't have any faith in the people who make TV happen and I fucking love comic books, so I tend to ignore TV adaptations. Daredevil is the reason I lack that faith. Not because its bad, but because its made by Netflix.
They don't have to worry about the same standards and practices fuckery that TV producers do. People on Daredevil speak like real people because believe it or not profanity plays an enormous role in human communication. I love this. We've discussed profanity here before, and it holds a dear place in both mine and Brian's lexicon. So a show about people in fucked up situations that allows them to discuss them in those terms is always more enjoyable than you'd expect.
The other big thing about Daredevil for me is the violence. It ought to come as no surprise that I appreciate me some physical aggression, and the clarity and relative honesty of the violence in this show is beautiful. Sure we've still got a guy in a kinda silly outfit throwing down with Russian mobsters and not getting shot repeatedly and dropped in a hole, but that doesn't actually reduce the brutality of the combat.
Now this might sound like an ad spot for this one show, but its not. I like some things about Daredevil. Some of it is ridiculous, of course it is, its a comic book adaptation. But the things I like about it stem from a lack of censorship. They don't have to sugar coat things to placate shitty people. I'm a geek; I love stories, the exploration of ideas, and the building of narrative worlds. When Constantine leaves out the details of what happened in Newcastle we lose a big part of that story and the motivations of the characters. I really don't have an issue with adapting comics or books to the screen but when we have to hobble them to make them suitable to irresponsible parents and ego-maniacal busybodies we've failed to respect what makes a story great.
They don't have to worry about the same standards and practices fuckery that TV producers do. People on Daredevil speak like real people because believe it or not profanity plays an enormous role in human communication. I love this. We've discussed profanity here before, and it holds a dear place in both mine and Brian's lexicon. So a show about people in fucked up situations that allows them to discuss them in those terms is always more enjoyable than you'd expect.
The other big thing about Daredevil for me is the violence. It ought to come as no surprise that I appreciate me some physical aggression, and the clarity and relative honesty of the violence in this show is beautiful. Sure we've still got a guy in a kinda silly outfit throwing down with Russian mobsters and not getting shot repeatedly and dropped in a hole, but that doesn't actually reduce the brutality of the combat.
Now this might sound like an ad spot for this one show, but its not. I like some things about Daredevil. Some of it is ridiculous, of course it is, its a comic book adaptation. But the things I like about it stem from a lack of censorship. They don't have to sugar coat things to placate shitty people. I'm a geek; I love stories, the exploration of ideas, and the building of narrative worlds. When Constantine leaves out the details of what happened in Newcastle we lose a big part of that story and the motivations of the characters. I really don't have an issue with adapting comics or books to the screen but when we have to hobble them to make them suitable to irresponsible parents and ego-maniacal busybodies we've failed to respect what makes a story great.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Weekly Cinemeh
Hello, and welcome back to Weekly Cinemeh. Last week we watched a Christopher Walken movie called The Suicide Kings, and it put us in the mood for more Walken. Walken is one of my favorite actors. His intensity is great for dramatic roles, and he shows a great sense of humor in comedies. He is great, and I encourage people to watch more of his films.
1: The Prophecy
The Prophecy is actually the first movie in a five movie series. I have seen the first three a few times and had no idea that they tacked on two more movies after completing what felt like a complete story. Regardless, the first movie is pretty good. Walken plays the angel Gabriel who is the leader of a group of rebelling angels who are mad at God because humans are held above all others in God's eyes. Walken's intensity adds a lot to the role of something that is supposed to be conviction personified. I have mentioned this movie before in my list of best portrayals of Satan, and I stand by that. The movie also has a couple of very darkly funny scenes when Gabriel raises humans from the dead so that they can drive cars for him. Its a good movie and the next two in the series are also good (I can't speak for the last two though). Watch it.
Eshi: I dig this series, at least the first three movies. Gabriel manages to be both deeply fucking creepy and wonderfully laid back. Its Walken playing predator and he plays it unreasonably well. I would hesitate to call The Prophesy art, but it is top of the fun list.
2: The Dead Zone
Based on a Stephen King book, which is based on supposed real life psychic Peter Hurkos (at least according to IMDB). I was expecting something a little like Scanners (Both movies are directed by David Cronenberg and involve people with psychic powers) but what I got was something far more tame and with a good message. This gets a little spoiler-y, you have been warned. I have talked about changing the past before in the blog, coming to the conclusion that changing the past is immoral because you can never tell what consequences this action would have. This movie deals with a similar issue, but in reverse. What if you know that in the future a person will become a tyrant, do you stop them? Its a good movie, and once again, Walken's intensity and odd mannerisms play well in the role. I am not a huge fan of Stephen King, but this was a good story. Watch it.
Eshi: One of the few Stephen King movies that he isn't really in and one of the better ones out there. I personally feel like there are a couple of scenes that would have benefited from a little levity (Thanks for keeping that pussy warm for me Walt!) but I'm a snarky dick. Seriously, it's Christopher Walken as a fucking psychic, how could you not love it?
3: King of New York
This was a great movie. Christopher Walken plays a gangster who is just getting out of prison. He starts to look around the city and decides to take over the New York crime world. He does so with some pretty extreme violence, though usually only after attempting to make a deal. The purpose for this power grab is different from most gang movies though: He wants to use the profits from the drug trade to reinvigorate the poorer boroughs. The movie brings up a thought provoking issue. Drugs will always exist in societies and if the drug trade will always be there, are you still a bad guy if you use it to help people instead of just yourself. This movie also deals with the police, and some of the problems with our judicial system in general, and what it means to take the law into your own hands. As I said, its a great movie, watch it.
Eshi: Fuck David Caruso. After you manage to get past "Larry" Fishburne chewing the scenery and making his ancestor ashamed it really is a delightful film. Well, I was delighted but that might not be the appropriate response. There are a few awkward, possibly racist, scenes but for the most part I really like King of New York. Its certainly worth the watch.
Honorable Mention:
You know what this list needs more of?
1: The Prophecy
The Prophecy is actually the first movie in a five movie series. I have seen the first three a few times and had no idea that they tacked on two more movies after completing what felt like a complete story. Regardless, the first movie is pretty good. Walken plays the angel Gabriel who is the leader of a group of rebelling angels who are mad at God because humans are held above all others in God's eyes. Walken's intensity adds a lot to the role of something that is supposed to be conviction personified. I have mentioned this movie before in my list of best portrayals of Satan, and I stand by that. The movie also has a couple of very darkly funny scenes when Gabriel raises humans from the dead so that they can drive cars for him. Its a good movie and the next two in the series are also good (I can't speak for the last two though). Watch it.
Eshi: I dig this series, at least the first three movies. Gabriel manages to be both deeply fucking creepy and wonderfully laid back. Its Walken playing predator and he plays it unreasonably well. I would hesitate to call The Prophesy art, but it is top of the fun list.
2: The Dead Zone
Based on a Stephen King book, which is based on supposed real life psychic Peter Hurkos (at least according to IMDB). I was expecting something a little like Scanners (Both movies are directed by David Cronenberg and involve people with psychic powers) but what I got was something far more tame and with a good message. This gets a little spoiler-y, you have been warned. I have talked about changing the past before in the blog, coming to the conclusion that changing the past is immoral because you can never tell what consequences this action would have. This movie deals with a similar issue, but in reverse. What if you know that in the future a person will become a tyrant, do you stop them? Its a good movie, and once again, Walken's intensity and odd mannerisms play well in the role. I am not a huge fan of Stephen King, but this was a good story. Watch it.
Eshi: One of the few Stephen King movies that he isn't really in and one of the better ones out there. I personally feel like there are a couple of scenes that would have benefited from a little levity (Thanks for keeping that pussy warm for me Walt!) but I'm a snarky dick. Seriously, it's Christopher Walken as a fucking psychic, how could you not love it?
3: King of New York
This was a great movie. Christopher Walken plays a gangster who is just getting out of prison. He starts to look around the city and decides to take over the New York crime world. He does so with some pretty extreme violence, though usually only after attempting to make a deal. The purpose for this power grab is different from most gang movies though: He wants to use the profits from the drug trade to reinvigorate the poorer boroughs. The movie brings up a thought provoking issue. Drugs will always exist in societies and if the drug trade will always be there, are you still a bad guy if you use it to help people instead of just yourself. This movie also deals with the police, and some of the problems with our judicial system in general, and what it means to take the law into your own hands. As I said, its a great movie, watch it.
Eshi: Fuck David Caruso. After you manage to get past "Larry" Fishburne chewing the scenery and making his ancestor ashamed it really is a delightful film. Well, I was delighted but that might not be the appropriate response. There are a few awkward, possibly racist, scenes but for the most part I really like King of New York. Its certainly worth the watch.
Honorable Mention:
You know what this list needs more of?
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
The Man In The Mountain
I came to an interesting and depressing realization this morning while I was taking a walk. There is no land anywhere (that is reasonable to get to, I doubt that real estate agents have Antarctica mapped out for sale yet) that isn't already owned by someone.
I know this seems obvious, but its depressing, isn't it? If I wanted to go into a forest near where I live now and mark out an acre for myself to subsistence farm, I would have to spend a bunch of money to do so. If I wanted to go live in a small area by myself and just be alone I can't. There is no option for people who want to opt out of society.
Its not that I want to go live by myself in the woods forever, but every once in a while I get the desire to abandon society and go live as a hermit. This comes from a large amount of self loathing, introvertedness, and a general weariness that accompanies existing in a society. It is a shame that you can't do this legally anymore without the cost being somewhat prohibitive.
It seems oddly constricting that something as simple as becoming a hermit can get you in trouble because you don't own a chunk of a mountain/have the money to pay for camping permits you can get fined or go to jail. If you want to live as a hermit, someone who generally eschews money and property in general, how could you pay those off? There is something sad about this to me. Every person on the planet could own an acre of land and still 75% of the land would be free for public use, but still all of the land is owned/controlled. Something seems off there.
I know this seems obvious, but its depressing, isn't it? If I wanted to go into a forest near where I live now and mark out an acre for myself to subsistence farm, I would have to spend a bunch of money to do so. If I wanted to go live in a small area by myself and just be alone I can't. There is no option for people who want to opt out of society.
Its not that I want to go live by myself in the woods forever, but every once in a while I get the desire to abandon society and go live as a hermit. This comes from a large amount of self loathing, introvertedness, and a general weariness that accompanies existing in a society. It is a shame that you can't do this legally anymore without the cost being somewhat prohibitive.
It seems oddly constricting that something as simple as becoming a hermit can get you in trouble because you don't own a chunk of a mountain/have the money to pay for camping permits you can get fined or go to jail. If you want to live as a hermit, someone who generally eschews money and property in general, how could you pay those off? There is something sad about this to me. Every person on the planet could own an acre of land and still 75% of the land would be free for public use, but still all of the land is owned/controlled. Something seems off there.
Monday, April 20, 2015
The Rules
I've been thinking a lot lately about practical morality. I know normally I'm more an ethics guy, and I stand by my prioritizing ethics over morality. But the rules people live by are important and I think we can all benefit from discussing them. So here are mine, this list can and probably will grow as shit happens and points are inevitably made. Feel free to comment with your list or rules you find important that you think I missed. (Disclaimer: These rules are discussed in a metaphorical tone, Kinda Whatevs does not condone or support the doing of harm (no matter how appropriate) to people (no matter how deserving). Neither Kinda Whatevs or its representatives espouse the breaking of laws or the destructive flouting of social conventions.)
1. Confirm Your Kill: This rule is just as true of violence as it is of chores. If you start something, don't just finish it, make fucking sure its done. Any number of problems is prevented by just making sure that the task you set out to do really is a done deal. This particular rule grows from the old "anything worth doing is worth doing well" maxim, only focused more directly on the solving of problems.
2. Be a Person: I've always found it vitally important to define personhood. Even more so for the individual than for society. A civilization has to on some level acquiesce to the least possible definition of personhood but I feel like one should hold themselves to a higher standard than the bare minimum of what society can call a person. In that vein, I think everyone should at some point sit down and define for themselves what it means to be a person, not just a human. You don't have to (and shouldn't) enforce this definition on others, but you should absolutely ensure that you live up to it... and probably avoid people who fall short of your definition to avoid the inevitable preventable conflict.
3. Don't Be That Guy: We all know That Guy. Sex, gender, creed, color, there is no category of human designation that is immune to That Guy. That Guy can come from anywhere, be anyone, but they are always a dick, they're Machiavellian, they're shitty, they lack loyalty, compassion and any sense of comradery. Fuck That Guy, its not even enough to not be That Guy, you should do everything you can to not seem like That Guy just to avoid confusion, at least partially because of Rule 4.
4. Kill That Guy: You probably don't have to actually kill this fucker, but definitely cut them out of your life. Nothing good ever comes from dealing with That Guy. Ever. Avoid whenever possible and do whatever you can be comfortable with to keep them out of your shit.
5. We Kill Monsters: Evil prevails because the Good fail to act or whatever. If you see someone being hurt and you do nothing then you are culpable. Not as fully as the one doing harm, but if you can do something and you don't then fuck you, you fail at society. Once again, you don't have to hurt anybody, but we have a responsibility as members of a society to help each other, that is the entire reason behind civilization.
1. Confirm Your Kill: This rule is just as true of violence as it is of chores. If you start something, don't just finish it, make fucking sure its done. Any number of problems is prevented by just making sure that the task you set out to do really is a done deal. This particular rule grows from the old "anything worth doing is worth doing well" maxim, only focused more directly on the solving of problems.
2. Be a Person: I've always found it vitally important to define personhood. Even more so for the individual than for society. A civilization has to on some level acquiesce to the least possible definition of personhood but I feel like one should hold themselves to a higher standard than the bare minimum of what society can call a person. In that vein, I think everyone should at some point sit down and define for themselves what it means to be a person, not just a human. You don't have to (and shouldn't) enforce this definition on others, but you should absolutely ensure that you live up to it... and probably avoid people who fall short of your definition to avoid the inevitable preventable conflict.
3. Don't Be That Guy: We all know That Guy. Sex, gender, creed, color, there is no category of human designation that is immune to That Guy. That Guy can come from anywhere, be anyone, but they are always a dick, they're Machiavellian, they're shitty, they lack loyalty, compassion and any sense of comradery. Fuck That Guy, its not even enough to not be That Guy, you should do everything you can to not seem like That Guy just to avoid confusion, at least partially because of Rule 4.
4. Kill That Guy: You probably don't have to actually kill this fucker, but definitely cut them out of your life. Nothing good ever comes from dealing with That Guy. Ever. Avoid whenever possible and do whatever you can be comfortable with to keep them out of your shit.
5. We Kill Monsters: Evil prevails because the Good fail to act or whatever. If you see someone being hurt and you do nothing then you are culpable. Not as fully as the one doing harm, but if you can do something and you don't then fuck you, you fail at society. Once again, you don't have to hurt anybody, but we have a responsibility as members of a society to help each other, that is the entire reason behind civilization.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Weekly Cinemeh
Welcome back to weekly cinemeh, this week's theme was a heavy one: David Lynch Films. Unfortunately, time constraints and a poorly timed sickness of Eshi and Eshi's SO made this only a two movie week, though we did see a third movie, but it was not a David Lynch film. David Lynch is one of my favorite directors/writers. His use of sound and visuals is unique and powerful and his tendency to make odd people the focus of his work is something I thoroughly enjoy.
1: Mulholland Drive
This is one of my favorite films. I don't want to talk too much about it because it is a great experience and it is good to go in with no knowledge about it beforehand. That being said if you haven't seen it yet, go watch it and then continue reading, I will wait. Its a fantastic mystery and amazes me every time I watch it. The acting is top notch and the visuals/script/soundtrack demand to be picked apart and analyzed, not out of some grotesque curiosity, but because it is a treat to do so. This was the first movie that I ever saw that elicited a need to understand it on a deeper level, and its fucking amazing. I know this gets said a lot about films, and it is certainly true about most films, but every time I see the movie I understand something different about it.
Eshi: David Lynch takes great joy in fucking with people, and this film does all of that. After finishing it all I could think of was how everything fit together and how I could be worthy of this story. I'm not entirely sure if its better to watch sober or not, but I'm sure there is something to be gained either way.
2: Blue Velvet
Much like Twin Peaks, this is a mystery that explores the darkness that lies beneath picturesque small towns. Also like Twin Peaks, Kyle MacLachlan plays a person at the center of a mystery, but instead of being an FBI agent, he is the son of a hardware store owner who comes home from college to help his father recuperate from a stroke. This movie is a wonderfully tense mystery that also remains darkly comic throughout. Dennis Hopper's character is hilarious and terrifying all at once, and I will never be able to look at him in the same way again. Its a good movie that shows that David Lynch is a master of creating atmosphere.
Eshi: I fucking loved Blue Velvet. There is a full length Heineken ad like, half an hour in that I completely forgave just because of how it was set up. Easily half of the cast is straight up bear-fucking banaynays in this movie and it handles it extraordinarily well. I will advise watching this with the brain bleach close at hand though, if for no better reason than you're going to need something to get that fucking song out of your head.
3: Suicide Kings
This was initially a palate cleanser, but ended up being the last movie we saw this week. It is a movie about a bunch of rich kids who kidnap a mobster to force him to use his connections to help one of the groups kidnapped sister. Christopher Walken is amazing (and really, when is he not) as a retired/semi-retired mobster who ends up piecing together the mystery surrounding the kidnapping. Its a fun movie, with a good sense of humor that displays a good example of why you shouldn't fuck with some people.
Eshi: I feel bad that this movie both had nothing to do with David Lynch, and was our last movie. That said, it was a delight. Fucking Christopher Walken is my hero.
Honorable Mentions:
Twin Peaks:
I mentioned this with Blue velvet, but it deserves its own entry. Twin Peaks is a great television show that deserves to be watched. The fact that they are restarting it soon means that more and more people will be going back to watch the original series again, and that is a good thing. The only disappointing thing about the new Twin Peaks is that David Lynch isn't tied to it anymore thanks to a budget dispute. Hopefully Showtime gets him to sign back on. Its a good series full of fun characters and some fucked up mystery. Anyone who hasn't seen it should give it a try, and for people who have, give it another watch, its worth it.
Eshi: Fuck yeah Twin Peaks.
1: Mulholland Drive
This is one of my favorite films. I don't want to talk too much about it because it is a great experience and it is good to go in with no knowledge about it beforehand. That being said if you haven't seen it yet, go watch it and then continue reading, I will wait. Its a fantastic mystery and amazes me every time I watch it. The acting is top notch and the visuals/script/soundtrack demand to be picked apart and analyzed, not out of some grotesque curiosity, but because it is a treat to do so. This was the first movie that I ever saw that elicited a need to understand it on a deeper level, and its fucking amazing. I know this gets said a lot about films, and it is certainly true about most films, but every time I see the movie I understand something different about it.
Eshi: David Lynch takes great joy in fucking with people, and this film does all of that. After finishing it all I could think of was how everything fit together and how I could be worthy of this story. I'm not entirely sure if its better to watch sober or not, but I'm sure there is something to be gained either way.
2: Blue Velvet
Much like Twin Peaks, this is a mystery that explores the darkness that lies beneath picturesque small towns. Also like Twin Peaks, Kyle MacLachlan plays a person at the center of a mystery, but instead of being an FBI agent, he is the son of a hardware store owner who comes home from college to help his father recuperate from a stroke. This movie is a wonderfully tense mystery that also remains darkly comic throughout. Dennis Hopper's character is hilarious and terrifying all at once, and I will never be able to look at him in the same way again. Its a good movie that shows that David Lynch is a master of creating atmosphere.
Eshi: I fucking loved Blue Velvet. There is a full length Heineken ad like, half an hour in that I completely forgave just because of how it was set up. Easily half of the cast is straight up bear-fucking banaynays in this movie and it handles it extraordinarily well. I will advise watching this with the brain bleach close at hand though, if for no better reason than you're going to need something to get that fucking song out of your head.
3: Suicide Kings
This was initially a palate cleanser, but ended up being the last movie we saw this week. It is a movie about a bunch of rich kids who kidnap a mobster to force him to use his connections to help one of the groups kidnapped sister. Christopher Walken is amazing (and really, when is he not) as a retired/semi-retired mobster who ends up piecing together the mystery surrounding the kidnapping. Its a fun movie, with a good sense of humor that displays a good example of why you shouldn't fuck with some people.
Eshi: I feel bad that this movie both had nothing to do with David Lynch, and was our last movie. That said, it was a delight. Fucking Christopher Walken is my hero.
Honorable Mentions:
Twin Peaks:
I mentioned this with Blue velvet, but it deserves its own entry. Twin Peaks is a great television show that deserves to be watched. The fact that they are restarting it soon means that more and more people will be going back to watch the original series again, and that is a good thing. The only disappointing thing about the new Twin Peaks is that David Lynch isn't tied to it anymore thanks to a budget dispute. Hopefully Showtime gets him to sign back on. Its a good series full of fun characters and some fucked up mystery. Anyone who hasn't seen it should give it a try, and for people who have, give it another watch, its worth it.
Eshi: Fuck yeah Twin Peaks.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Faux News
So, something that has been stewing in my mind for a while is a really angry tirade on how 24 hour news channels are fucking terrible, what with them creating tons bullshit to fill in all 24 hours. I tried to formulate some form of coherent rant but it quickly became more and more depressing as I realized something: real journalism (at least in the mainstream) is dead.
This sounds hyperbolic, and it kind of is, but not as much as you would hope. 24 hours is a lot of time to fill and since they don't have any way to gain funds other than by being funded by ad revenue and website traffic they have to make sure that they scrape as many views to them as possible. They do this by trying to bring people news faster than competitors such as the internet (good fucking luck there) and by trying to be entertaining/flashy enough to keep people there.
Trying to get news to people fast is what the internet was made for. In an attempt to get news out quick they get information they receive on the air ASAP which is often not fact checked. Remember the Boston Marathon bombing? Fox and CNN jumped on the story and all claimed that an arrest had been made before the actual police had made any movement towards suspects. The FBI actually scolded them for making this error because it could have caused problems. I am not trying to say that the news shouldn't try to get information to people quickly, but at least fact check it. Someone tells you that they are a policeman? Fucking check it. It doesn't take long. You are supposed to be journalists: people who try to get the truth of situations out to people. Being fast is great but when you sacrifice accuracy for that speed, you lose the core of your identity.
Being flashy does fuck all for information. In short this is news agencies trying to get people to watch all of their shit to justify ad companies to add to their unfortunately small revenue. To do this they try to get exclusives, but that only goes so far. A lot of news agencies have started to make small stories into big stories. Seriously, why else would Justin Beiber's arrest be newsworthy. Its not news, its tabloid fodder. You are supposed to be better than that news channels.
On this same note talking about violence constantly and trying to show the world falling into disrepair and how it is on the road to a mad max style society because no one has any morals anymore is bullshit. We are living in the most peaceful time in society yet. I feel like I need to say that I am not trying to say the wars going on around the world are not big or important, they are, but it should be a journalists responsibility to put that war into context. By the way, this also has a massively bad effect on people's psyche. Spending an entire 24 hours analyzing a shooting also desensitizes people to the problem and can create worse moods for people in general while exacerbating or causing depression in people who are prone to the problem.
I am not saying that we should only talk about puppies and sunshine, that would be stupid. I don't think that you should do any more than reporting the news and putting the news into context. This doesn't fill up 24 hour news networks programming? Then maybe 24 hour news is a bad way of doing things. People are watching television less and less, maybe just make a news website that creates good news reports.
This sounds hyperbolic, and it kind of is, but not as much as you would hope. 24 hours is a lot of time to fill and since they don't have any way to gain funds other than by being funded by ad revenue and website traffic they have to make sure that they scrape as many views to them as possible. They do this by trying to bring people news faster than competitors such as the internet (good fucking luck there) and by trying to be entertaining/flashy enough to keep people there.
Trying to get news to people fast is what the internet was made for. In an attempt to get news out quick they get information they receive on the air ASAP which is often not fact checked. Remember the Boston Marathon bombing? Fox and CNN jumped on the story and all claimed that an arrest had been made before the actual police had made any movement towards suspects. The FBI actually scolded them for making this error because it could have caused problems. I am not trying to say that the news shouldn't try to get information to people quickly, but at least fact check it. Someone tells you that they are a policeman? Fucking check it. It doesn't take long. You are supposed to be journalists: people who try to get the truth of situations out to people. Being fast is great but when you sacrifice accuracy for that speed, you lose the core of your identity.
Being flashy does fuck all for information. In short this is news agencies trying to get people to watch all of their shit to justify ad companies to add to their unfortunately small revenue. To do this they try to get exclusives, but that only goes so far. A lot of news agencies have started to make small stories into big stories. Seriously, why else would Justin Beiber's arrest be newsworthy. Its not news, its tabloid fodder. You are supposed to be better than that news channels.
On this same note talking about violence constantly and trying to show the world falling into disrepair and how it is on the road to a mad max style society because no one has any morals anymore is bullshit. We are living in the most peaceful time in society yet. I feel like I need to say that I am not trying to say the wars going on around the world are not big or important, they are, but it should be a journalists responsibility to put that war into context. By the way, this also has a massively bad effect on people's psyche. Spending an entire 24 hours analyzing a shooting also desensitizes people to the problem and can create worse moods for people in general while exacerbating or causing depression in people who are prone to the problem.
I am not saying that we should only talk about puppies and sunshine, that would be stupid. I don't think that you should do any more than reporting the news and putting the news into context. This doesn't fill up 24 hour news networks programming? Then maybe 24 hour news is a bad way of doing things. People are watching television less and less, maybe just make a news website that creates good news reports.
Monday, April 13, 2015
In Which My Philosophy Digs Me a Hole
Alright, I've written about this kind of thing before but I feel like it needs to be discussed in more general terms. The more power you accumulate, in literally any measure of power, the less freedom you have. See that dot to the right there? That's a period.
Now I'm going to put away my asshole hat and explain. If you are reading this you live in a fucking society. If you live in a society you are beholden, in one way or another, to other people in the society. Be it for your food or the electricity that powers your shit or just goddamn human contact, you owe. Now its very easy to go about this as some kind of absurdly complex system of poorly metered debt, but that would be fucking stupid. The better method of interacting as a society is a perpetual effort to pay it forward, to make society as a whole a better place. The greater your personal success, and thus the more resources you've tapped in order to succeed, the more you can and should do to improve society. Not by some circuitous bullshit pseudoeconomics, personally, like you actually give a shit.
Here's where things get a little weird. For some people forgoing selfish bullshit because its shitty and idiotic isn't enough, so there's more. If you accumulate power and fail to utilize your assets to benefit society, society has a responsibility to take your fucking power away. We are individuals and that's important to remember, but we are all in this together whether we like it or not. Having someone accumulate power without making an effort to actively, directly improve the quality of life around them is exploitative to all of us.
In this country especially this has been a discussion made in bad faith. There is a great deal of talk of the inevitability of social good arising from personal freedom. Which would be great if there wasn't a predisposition towards being a cunt. Not everyone has it, but enough people have it that just assuming that successful people aren't going to be shitty is willfully self-destructive. To simultaneously massacre two goodhearted maxims, whatever gets you off, as long as you don't fuck anybody over. Power is a form of freedom and freedom must be tempered by responsibility or it is monstrous, and dealing with monsters is a terminal endeavor for at least one party.
Now I'm going to put away my asshole hat and explain. If you are reading this you live in a fucking society. If you live in a society you are beholden, in one way or another, to other people in the society. Be it for your food or the electricity that powers your shit or just goddamn human contact, you owe. Now its very easy to go about this as some kind of absurdly complex system of poorly metered debt, but that would be fucking stupid. The better method of interacting as a society is a perpetual effort to pay it forward, to make society as a whole a better place. The greater your personal success, and thus the more resources you've tapped in order to succeed, the more you can and should do to improve society. Not by some circuitous bullshit pseudoeconomics, personally, like you actually give a shit.
Here's where things get a little weird. For some people forgoing selfish bullshit because its shitty and idiotic isn't enough, so there's more. If you accumulate power and fail to utilize your assets to benefit society, society has a responsibility to take your fucking power away. We are individuals and that's important to remember, but we are all in this together whether we like it or not. Having someone accumulate power without making an effort to actively, directly improve the quality of life around them is exploitative to all of us.
In this country especially this has been a discussion made in bad faith. There is a great deal of talk of the inevitability of social good arising from personal freedom. Which would be great if there wasn't a predisposition towards being a cunt. Not everyone has it, but enough people have it that just assuming that successful people aren't going to be shitty is willfully self-destructive. To simultaneously massacre two goodhearted maxims, whatever gets you off, as long as you don't fuck anybody over. Power is a form of freedom and freedom must be tempered by responsibility or it is monstrous, and dealing with monsters is a terminal endeavor for at least one party.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Weekly Cinemeh
This week we decided to go in a less serious route (its not like we are particularly serious to begin with) and watch some action movies. I will admit to liking the occasional action movie, though they tend to be middle of the road to just terrible. Every once in a while you get movies that are essentially perfect movie: They hit all the right notes for what they are supposed to be (Yippee-Kay Yay motherfuckers).
1: White House Down
This was my second time seeing this movie (we try to do movies that one or both of us have never seen) and I have been pushing it on Eshi for a while. Why? Because this is a Die Hard movie without the title. I heard that before watching it and I thought "really? One of two movies that came out within spitting distance of each other about people blowing up the white house was good?" It looked like a shitty action movie, but when curiosity caught up to me I had to watch it. I mean come on, it was compared to one of my favorite movies, it might actually be good. Here is the shocker: This movie is great fun. It scratches all the itches that Die Hard did (the first one and maybe the third one) and is a very entertaining movie. Its not a perfect movie, some of the green-screening is kinda bad (seriously every outdoors shot is green screened poorly), and it can get a little flag-wavy(literally at one point) what with it being about the white house, and some of the plot points are slightly insane. Its reasonably well acted and the rapport between Channing Tatum and Jammie Fox was good. If you are looking for a fun time, this is a good movie for it.
Eshi: I was hesitant about this movie partly because, as Brian mentioned, it looked a lot like the sibling to Olympus Has Fallen which looked like hot sick wrapped in Gerard Butler. Having watched it, I feel myself reconsidering my moratorium on Chan Tates. Spiffy explosions, some fun lines, and some pretty solid chemistry. Oh, and it is entirely a Die Hard movie, like a real one... not like #4. Jesus Bruce, we all love you here and we want what is best for you, learn to say no. Anyway... yeah its good, watch this one.
2: The Peacemaker
Spoilers ahead. This movie was odd. I like the actors (George Clooney and Nicole Kidman) and some of the action was exciting and well done, but the plot ignores something that would have solved the whole situation: better police-work. When the bad guy might be in a building, leave people at the fucking exits, don't just traipse up to his room with all your men. When the bad guy is flying in don't let people leave the airport until you can confirm that they don't have a nuke on them, even if they are diplomats. I am sure that they would understand being held up if it meant not being exploded. This is slightly unfair because the movie isn't bad per-Se, just kinda middle of the road. The main idea behind the plot was cool, and I genuinely thought that the bad guy's motivation and plan had potential to be a cool moral turn around (maybe I shouldn't kill a bunch on innocent people to get revenge for innocent people being killed). Even though it didn't go in that direction it was still a fun movie. If you just want to see George Clooney kill a bunch of bad guys, watch The American instead.
Eshi: I dig George Clooney. I like Nicole Kidman. They do not play well together. The action in this movie was pretty balls-out, but the characterization was... I'm going to say unfortunate. The antagonist fell into kind of a weird uncanny valley of sympathy, like I get why he's all fucked up, I appreciate his rage, but he's pretty fucking stupid for such a blatant stereotype of academia. There was almost no chemistry in the movie and the plot falls on its face like a drunken hobo being repeatedly tazed. This movie was unworthy.
3: Hard Boiled
Watching a John Woo action movie is like watching a kung fu movie with guns. There is a lot of emphasis on movement and scenes being highly mobile, flowing from one room to the next as the action continues to accelerate. This is a movie about two cops, one undercover, the other not, taking on a gun running ring out of Hong Kong. Chow Yun-Fat is a great actor and it was fun watching him slide around on the floor and fire two guns (also whilst leaping though the air). There are some truly epic fight scenes in this movie, and was a super fun to watch. If you haven't seen a John Woo movie, this is an excellent place to start.
Eshi: I had a gunfight erection ten minutes after the start of this movie. People give John Woo a lot of shit for his style but really, the man is a goddamn artist. The action, despite everyone having an infinite ammo cheat, was fucking spectacular, the camera work was goddamn intimate, and the story was just insane enough to be delightful. There was a kinda weird undertone of literally everyone seeming like they wanted to suck Tony Leung's dick, but it starts to seem pretty natural after about 45 minutes. He's a very pretty man is what I'm getting at. So, fuck yeah watch this movie.
1: White House Down
This was my second time seeing this movie (we try to do movies that one or both of us have never seen) and I have been pushing it on Eshi for a while. Why? Because this is a Die Hard movie without the title. I heard that before watching it and I thought "really? One of two movies that came out within spitting distance of each other about people blowing up the white house was good?" It looked like a shitty action movie, but when curiosity caught up to me I had to watch it. I mean come on, it was compared to one of my favorite movies, it might actually be good. Here is the shocker: This movie is great fun. It scratches all the itches that Die Hard did (the first one and maybe the third one) and is a very entertaining movie. Its not a perfect movie, some of the green-screening is kinda bad (seriously every outdoors shot is green screened poorly), and it can get a little flag-wavy(literally at one point) what with it being about the white house, and some of the plot points are slightly insane. Its reasonably well acted and the rapport between Channing Tatum and Jammie Fox was good. If you are looking for a fun time, this is a good movie for it.
Eshi: I was hesitant about this movie partly because, as Brian mentioned, it looked a lot like the sibling to Olympus Has Fallen which looked like hot sick wrapped in Gerard Butler. Having watched it, I feel myself reconsidering my moratorium on Chan Tates. Spiffy explosions, some fun lines, and some pretty solid chemistry. Oh, and it is entirely a Die Hard movie, like a real one... not like #4. Jesus Bruce, we all love you here and we want what is best for you, learn to say no. Anyway... yeah its good, watch this one.
2: The Peacemaker
Spoilers ahead. This movie was odd. I like the actors (George Clooney and Nicole Kidman) and some of the action was exciting and well done, but the plot ignores something that would have solved the whole situation: better police-work. When the bad guy might be in a building, leave people at the fucking exits, don't just traipse up to his room with all your men. When the bad guy is flying in don't let people leave the airport until you can confirm that they don't have a nuke on them, even if they are diplomats. I am sure that they would understand being held up if it meant not being exploded. This is slightly unfair because the movie isn't bad per-Se, just kinda middle of the road. The main idea behind the plot was cool, and I genuinely thought that the bad guy's motivation and plan had potential to be a cool moral turn around (maybe I shouldn't kill a bunch on innocent people to get revenge for innocent people being killed). Even though it didn't go in that direction it was still a fun movie. If you just want to see George Clooney kill a bunch of bad guys, watch The American instead.
Eshi: I dig George Clooney. I like Nicole Kidman. They do not play well together. The action in this movie was pretty balls-out, but the characterization was... I'm going to say unfortunate. The antagonist fell into kind of a weird uncanny valley of sympathy, like I get why he's all fucked up, I appreciate his rage, but he's pretty fucking stupid for such a blatant stereotype of academia. There was almost no chemistry in the movie and the plot falls on its face like a drunken hobo being repeatedly tazed. This movie was unworthy.
3: Hard Boiled
Watching a John Woo action movie is like watching a kung fu movie with guns. There is a lot of emphasis on movement and scenes being highly mobile, flowing from one room to the next as the action continues to accelerate. This is a movie about two cops, one undercover, the other not, taking on a gun running ring out of Hong Kong. Chow Yun-Fat is a great actor and it was fun watching him slide around on the floor and fire two guns (also whilst leaping though the air). There are some truly epic fight scenes in this movie, and was a super fun to watch. If you haven't seen a John Woo movie, this is an excellent place to start.
Eshi: I had a gunfight erection ten minutes after the start of this movie. People give John Woo a lot of shit for his style but really, the man is a goddamn artist. The action, despite everyone having an infinite ammo cheat, was fucking spectacular, the camera work was goddamn intimate, and the story was just insane enough to be delightful. There was a kinda weird undertone of literally everyone seeming like they wanted to suck Tony Leung's dick, but it starts to seem pretty natural after about 45 minutes. He's a very pretty man is what I'm getting at. So, fuck yeah watch this movie.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Game of Thrones: Another Example of "No One Can Be Happy"
So I want to start this off by saying that I am a fan of Game of Thrones. I enjoy the world that they are building, and look forward to watching the new season. That being said it is not a perfect series and I believe that fans should address the problems it has so it can become better.
Game of Thrones is one of many series that "ups the stakes" by killing characters. You never know who is safe from the sword of Damocles. This ads tension, sure, but after establishing that anyone can die at any time(*Spoilers/*like when you straight up behead Sean Bean or crossbow-bolt fuck an entire wedding party*/Spoilers*) you should be able to calm down and try to just tell a story. Instead you introduce characters, characterize them for an episode or maybe two if they are lucky, and kill them as a way of reinforcing the "immanent danger" aura the show portrays. I would think a world in which Ice Liches are raising the dead and marching them towards civilization on one end of the world while on the other side of the world a princess is waging war using dragons and freed slaves would be exciting enough without having to worry about constant betrayal.
Joss Whedon does this a lot as well. In Serenity they kill Wash so as to increase the peril of the climax. In The Avengers movie they kill Coulson to motivate the main characters (This also happens in his agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series). This eventually stops making me care.
Game of Thrones is a good show. I am glad that they are trying to differentiate themselves from Martin, but at the same time its constant danger has diminishing returns because it makes me stop caring about characters. And when I stop caring about characters I stop watching a show (See Lost). This show is kind of like fried chicken. I loves it but at the same time understand that it is probably pretty bad for me, but at the same time it is so, so good.
Game of Thrones is one of many series that "ups the stakes" by killing characters. You never know who is safe from the sword of Damocles. This ads tension, sure, but after establishing that anyone can die at any time(*Spoilers/*like when you straight up behead Sean Bean or crossbow-bolt fuck an entire wedding party*/Spoilers*) you should be able to calm down and try to just tell a story. Instead you introduce characters, characterize them for an episode or maybe two if they are lucky, and kill them as a way of reinforcing the "immanent danger" aura the show portrays. I would think a world in which Ice Liches are raising the dead and marching them towards civilization on one end of the world while on the other side of the world a princess is waging war using dragons and freed slaves would be exciting enough without having to worry about constant betrayal.
Joss Whedon does this a lot as well. In Serenity they kill Wash so as to increase the peril of the climax. In The Avengers movie they kill Coulson to motivate the main characters (This also happens in his agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series). This eventually stops making me care.
Game of Thrones is a good show. I am glad that they are trying to differentiate themselves from Martin, but at the same time its constant danger has diminishing returns because it makes me stop caring about characters. And when I stop caring about characters I stop watching a show (See Lost). This show is kind of like fried chicken. I loves it but at the same time understand that it is probably pretty bad for me, but at the same time it is so, so good.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Fuck You, Don't Pay Me
So here's a weird thing; I don't like getting paid. Not for my labor, not for goods, not at fucking all. Handling money in general bothers the fuck out of me. I've thought a great deal about why this is and how it happened that the absolute basis of our society came to repulse me. I'm not entirely sure how this state of affairs came about but I do have some reasons.
The main reason, I think, is that being paid to do a thing manipulates the nature of that thing. I'm no longer doing a thing because I want to or because I enjoy it, I'm doing it because I've been bought. At least rented. Now, this is probably some deep-seated fuckery from the circumstances of my rearing or whatever, but that doesn't make it less of a problem. Its to the point that if someone offers to pay me for say, my fucking delicious homemade molasses bacon, I not only don't want to give them any more, but I don't even want to make it anymore. Because clearly this person doesn't appreciate the act of love and attempt at comradery represented by my bacon, and if they don't then what's the fucking point. By offering to pay me it takes a fun, tasty offering of friendship and reduces it, and thus me and my friendship, to a commodity.
That's kind of the rub here, getting paid makes me feel cheap. I don't really value my own survival for its own sake. The things I do are done for earnest companionship, shared and personal joy and, fuck forbid, because I genuinely believe in what's being done. Getting monetarily remunerated just takes all of those great, ephemeral joys and tries to reduce them to a grubby, coke-stained stack of bills. Or worse, a digital means of survival that can only exist theoretically for me. It's saying that yeah, what I do is great and all, but you'd rather wave me away with money than allow a connection to form.
I fully recognize my unacceptable luck at having my needs accounted for, I don't deny for a second that this is a problem evoked only from a position of plenty. Unfortunately, my marketable skills consist of small batch baconry and the ability to swear on the internet, so my prospects are slim on my own. And considering my little neurosis gets worse the more abject my poverty and completely predates my current relative comfort I have, I would be fucked without my goddamn amazing wifemonster. At the same time, I think it says something absolutely disgusting about our culture when the knee jerk response to an attempt at brotherhood or an exercise in delight that results in a physical object, is "Here's some money so you'll keep doing that for me."
The main reason, I think, is that being paid to do a thing manipulates the nature of that thing. I'm no longer doing a thing because I want to or because I enjoy it, I'm doing it because I've been bought. At least rented. Now, this is probably some deep-seated fuckery from the circumstances of my rearing or whatever, but that doesn't make it less of a problem. Its to the point that if someone offers to pay me for say, my fucking delicious homemade molasses bacon, I not only don't want to give them any more, but I don't even want to make it anymore. Because clearly this person doesn't appreciate the act of love and attempt at comradery represented by my bacon, and if they don't then what's the fucking point. By offering to pay me it takes a fun, tasty offering of friendship and reduces it, and thus me and my friendship, to a commodity.
That's kind of the rub here, getting paid makes me feel cheap. I don't really value my own survival for its own sake. The things I do are done for earnest companionship, shared and personal joy and, fuck forbid, because I genuinely believe in what's being done. Getting monetarily remunerated just takes all of those great, ephemeral joys and tries to reduce them to a grubby, coke-stained stack of bills. Or worse, a digital means of survival that can only exist theoretically for me. It's saying that yeah, what I do is great and all, but you'd rather wave me away with money than allow a connection to form.
I fully recognize my unacceptable luck at having my needs accounted for, I don't deny for a second that this is a problem evoked only from a position of plenty. Unfortunately, my marketable skills consist of small batch baconry and the ability to swear on the internet, so my prospects are slim on my own. And considering my little neurosis gets worse the more abject my poverty and completely predates my current relative comfort I have, I would be fucked without my goddamn amazing wifemonster. At the same time, I think it says something absolutely disgusting about our culture when the knee jerk response to an attempt at brotherhood or an exercise in delight that results in a physical object, is "Here's some money so you'll keep doing that for me."
Friday, April 3, 2015
Weekly Cinemeh
Welcome to Weekly Cinemeh! This week's theme was Irish movies, though the first one slightly cheats by being French, Belgian, and Irish. I didn't have a whole lot of experience with Irish movies at the beginning of the week, but with what we saw I definitely want to see more.
1: The Secret of Kells
This was an animated movie about the creation of and story around the Illuminated Bible known as the Book of Kells. If you click that link you can take a look at some of the amazing pictures painted on the pages. These people where amazing artists and did all of this in 800 C.E.. The movie itself deals with a boy who helps one of the original artists of the book finish it. The movie also focuses on Kells (a city based in an old Irish hill fort) and its need to defend against coastal raids by the Vikings. The animation in the film is amazing. Its art style reminded me of the old cartoon show Samurai Jack (one of my favorites from my teen years) and was very well done in general. It is a very beautiful movie, in terms of story, art and music. Very good movie for adults and children alike watch it.
Eshi: This was a really good week for me. I love Irish cinema and this was a great way to lead off. The way the Vikings are portrayed is masterful, they aren't just big scary men, they're wave upon wave of Darkness coming to wash all civilization and goodness from the world. Kells is a super well balanced story in terms of moral and, despite some relatively jebus heavy bits, doesn't overly rely on any particular tradition. Beautiful, watch it.
2: The Guard
This movie is from the writer-director John Michael McDonagh and is about an Irish police Sergent and an FBI agent working to stop a very violent drug cartel working out of rural Ireland. Much like his brother Martin McDonagh (who is amazing by the way, 7 Psychopaths and In Bruges are great films) he is a fan of black comedy it seems, though this movie ends in a much less tragic way as all of the Martin McDonagh films I have seen (and considering the third movie from this week, that was a good thing). This movie loves its dark humor and revels in making the main character, played by Brenden Gleeson, seemingly go out of his way to be as crass as possible to great effect. It also has one of the greatest scenes in a crime movie that I have ever seen because it calls out the ridiculousness of this scene in other movies. This was a great movie that I would suggest watching. I will definitely be watching more movies from him.
Eshi: Brendan Gleeson is boss as fuck in this film. I like the dark cop-type dramedy (see Filth) and Mr. McDonagh does some fine fucking work on that front. Don Cheadle is also pretty great in this one, flowing relatively cleanly between stuffy MIB and charismatic lawful good buddy... Fuck it, just watch anything with "McDonagh" in the credits.
3: The Wind That Shakes The Barley
I want to get this out of the way first: this movie is fucking depressing as hell. It is about one of the wars of Irish Independence and the Irish Civil war that took place shortly afterward, and the relationship between two brothers as they fight through it. As a historical film, I knew how it was going to end (No one can be happy in that kind of situation) but regardless it was a fantastic movie. It was powerful and was great at showing the horrors of war and the consequences of the actions that take place in trying to end a war. I usually have a pretty good stomach for bad shit happening in movies but I had to look away in a few scenes when shit got real. Cillian Murphy (he played the scarecrow in the Nolan Batman films and Thomas in Peaky Blinders) is a great actor and handles the weight of his role well, and Liam Cunningham has great screen presence (he was also in The Guard as one of the heads of the cartel). This movie made me go and look up more information about the fight for Irish independence because while I knew about it, I didn't know about the civil war that followed. This movie is amazing and I am still thinking about it two days later, watch it.
Eshi: This movie is 127 minutes (fucking really, that was only two hours?!) of continuous heartbreak. Cillian Murphy is, as always, fucking amazing. I can't honestly bring myself to say too much about this one. Not because I'm afraid of spoiling anything, but because two days later its still raw enough to hurt. This is not a fun, get together on the weekend and watch this on a lark film. The Wind That Shakes the Barley is the kind of movie you spend a couple of days prepping for and only watch it with someone you're comfortable both crying and yelling in front of. It hurts really fucking deep, but it is entirely worth it.
Honorable mentions: As usual our honorable mentions tend not to be movies we saw this past week but other similar things we like. This week I would like to suggest some Irish comedians who have great stand up specials or T.V. series. Dylan Moran (Black Books and several funny stand up specials), Dara O'Brien (Mock the Week and several great specials), Tommy Tiernan (I have only seen one special and it was fantastic), and Ed Byrne (several funny specials).
1: The Secret of Kells
This was an animated movie about the creation of and story around the Illuminated Bible known as the Book of Kells. If you click that link you can take a look at some of the amazing pictures painted on the pages. These people where amazing artists and did all of this in 800 C.E.. The movie itself deals with a boy who helps one of the original artists of the book finish it. The movie also focuses on Kells (a city based in an old Irish hill fort) and its need to defend against coastal raids by the Vikings. The animation in the film is amazing. Its art style reminded me of the old cartoon show Samurai Jack (one of my favorites from my teen years) and was very well done in general. It is a very beautiful movie, in terms of story, art and music. Very good movie for adults and children alike watch it.
Eshi: This was a really good week for me. I love Irish cinema and this was a great way to lead off. The way the Vikings are portrayed is masterful, they aren't just big scary men, they're wave upon wave of Darkness coming to wash all civilization and goodness from the world. Kells is a super well balanced story in terms of moral and, despite some relatively jebus heavy bits, doesn't overly rely on any particular tradition. Beautiful, watch it.
2: The Guard
This movie is from the writer-director John Michael McDonagh and is about an Irish police Sergent and an FBI agent working to stop a very violent drug cartel working out of rural Ireland. Much like his brother Martin McDonagh (who is amazing by the way, 7 Psychopaths and In Bruges are great films) he is a fan of black comedy it seems, though this movie ends in a much less tragic way as all of the Martin McDonagh films I have seen (and considering the third movie from this week, that was a good thing). This movie loves its dark humor and revels in making the main character, played by Brenden Gleeson, seemingly go out of his way to be as crass as possible to great effect. It also has one of the greatest scenes in a crime movie that I have ever seen because it calls out the ridiculousness of this scene in other movies. This was a great movie that I would suggest watching. I will definitely be watching more movies from him.
Eshi: Brendan Gleeson is boss as fuck in this film. I like the dark cop-type dramedy (see Filth) and Mr. McDonagh does some fine fucking work on that front. Don Cheadle is also pretty great in this one, flowing relatively cleanly between stuffy MIB and charismatic lawful good buddy... Fuck it, just watch anything with "McDonagh" in the credits.
3: The Wind That Shakes The Barley
I want to get this out of the way first: this movie is fucking depressing as hell. It is about one of the wars of Irish Independence and the Irish Civil war that took place shortly afterward, and the relationship between two brothers as they fight through it. As a historical film, I knew how it was going to end (No one can be happy in that kind of situation) but regardless it was a fantastic movie. It was powerful and was great at showing the horrors of war and the consequences of the actions that take place in trying to end a war. I usually have a pretty good stomach for bad shit happening in movies but I had to look away in a few scenes when shit got real. Cillian Murphy (he played the scarecrow in the Nolan Batman films and Thomas in Peaky Blinders) is a great actor and handles the weight of his role well, and Liam Cunningham has great screen presence (he was also in The Guard as one of the heads of the cartel). This movie made me go and look up more information about the fight for Irish independence because while I knew about it, I didn't know about the civil war that followed. This movie is amazing and I am still thinking about it two days later, watch it.
Eshi: This movie is 127 minutes (fucking really, that was only two hours?!) of continuous heartbreak. Cillian Murphy is, as always, fucking amazing. I can't honestly bring myself to say too much about this one. Not because I'm afraid of spoiling anything, but because two days later its still raw enough to hurt. This is not a fun, get together on the weekend and watch this on a lark film. The Wind That Shakes the Barley is the kind of movie you spend a couple of days prepping for and only watch it with someone you're comfortable both crying and yelling in front of. It hurts really fucking deep, but it is entirely worth it.
Honorable mentions: As usual our honorable mentions tend not to be movies we saw this past week but other similar things we like. This week I would like to suggest some Irish comedians who have great stand up specials or T.V. series. Dylan Moran (Black Books and several funny stand up specials), Dara O'Brien (Mock the Week and several great specials), Tommy Tiernan (I have only seen one special and it was fantastic), and Ed Byrne (several funny specials).
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Thank You Jeremy
Just this today. Brian and I talk about this shit... just entirely too much. We're creatives at heart, and this is a topic that we grind on even more at home then we do on here. I've had this exact argument in various states with varying degrees of success and I wish with all of my heart that I had ever managed the clarity and passion Jeremy brings to this rant. We here at Kinda Whatevs are once again in your debt sir. Now if you'll excuse me I need to see if I'll ever finish my shitty little story.
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