Shi mian mai fu (House of Flying Daggers) (2004)

"Oh, that movie with the bamboo-forest?" is how everybody always replies when you ask them whether they saw this film.

Again, so impressed. Pure beauty, the fighting, which is dancing. The story, which is a fairytale. The backgrounds, which are heaven.

Chinese films; do they take things more to the extreme, or on the contrary simplify everything so much that it becomes much easier to relate to the subjects?

Love it. Miss China. Miss Chinese music, their poetry (though I don't understand), its people (though I don't comprehend), its everything

Feist - “Let It Die”

not bad, not impressive. it saunders on, a little stream

Ennio Morricone - "Fateless”

Recognizable, lonely flutes, a single woman's voice. Nice, and typically Morricone

Wonderful Days (2003)

It's been six years since I've seen this film for the first time, screened at B2 of Cinerama during the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival. It still does not cease to amaze me.

First of all, the visuals are simply astonishing. The feeling of depth, space, the details of the textures, they are amazing. One shot, about two-third into the film, of falling rain, simply -must- be 'real', that good.

All in all, there are 'bad details'. Certain quite unbelievable coincedences, a man who disappears under a truck and never is his body seen again. 

But watch the end and you either completely agree or completely disagree: this film and its story, it is not about exact, believable storylines and plots. It is an opera or a Shakespeare play: everybody knows the story, nobody doesn't mind the little tricks they tried to pull off, it doesn't matter. It is -how- they do it, -how- they show and tell the story.

Again and again, amazing.

John Bennet - "Much Ado About Nothing"

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child. The obsession with uniqueness is the one relentless constant in human evolution. We set ourselves apart and then corrode with loneliness. We invent a machine to spank our champion chessplayer and then fret ourselves into a frenzy. Waht does it mean to be human, we cry out, and being humna, we're left without an answer.
   Pure laughter is the highest form of intelligence. A computer will never laugh. Program one to do it and see how it makes you feel when the thing starts making its noise. Technology is how we mock ourselves.
   Wanting to know yourself is the worst form of schizophrenia. You can't know what you are. You can only be what you are. Wishing to be God, we become nothing It is, after all, as plain as the nose on your face.

Paprika

Skipped this one over a couple of times, but I can not remember why. Too chaotic, while life itself was already busy and I wanted something "simple"?

Nevertheless, the story about the ability to enter and change dreams, the kidnapping of this by an evil mind and the subsequent merging of reality and dreams, is well told. Such a story could easily collaps in a chaotic mix of real-vs-dream, and it does happen in the end that you have no idea "where" you are, but all in all, they keep a tight grip on their story and through that, the internal logic.

Some nice visual images, characters interesting enough.

Wandâfuru raifu (Afterlife) (1998)

When people die, they have to find the happiest moment of their life. It will be recreated on film and from that moment on, they "relive" that life forever.

An elegant story and some intriguing moments. Some people find it easy, some people do not want to choose. Almost no-one chooses the moment they originally thought they would choose.

In many ways, the story is told in a simple way. The re-enactments are very simple, very basic, almost to the point that you can't imagine that it looks anywhere near their original experience. But thinking back, that does not matter. It is probably no more than a catalyst that helps them to enter 'heaven'.

One character, a youth, seems almost bitter that there is no good or evil. There simply is 'heaven'. "So everyone comes here?" he asks, "No matter what they've done?" They don't explore moral questions like these much, and personally I think that it would've been interesting. But there are some personal issues involving the people who work there (who turn out to be unable to choose) and one of them, after working there for decades, finally decides upon his moment. He leaves behind a very sad and distraught co-worker but the viewer realises: everyone will find their 'perfect moment', sooner or later.

Every time I watch Japanese (/Asian) films with old characters, I can hardly believe they are actors. Perhaps because physically they really seem so old, perhaps they act simply much better, or in a way foreign enough to me that I simply accept they are 'real'.

Willem van Toorn - "In Memoriam"

Ik droomde dat je naast me lag vannacht.
Je was al ziek. Je zei: tot in mijn merg
ben ik van dood. Vind je het erg
dat je niet in me kunt? Hou me maar zacht

tegen je aan. Ik zei: je was zo wit
en moe toen ik je zag en dan onzicht-
baar in een kist waar ik het pad af ging,
de regen en het dorp in. Wachtend gras
lag naast de kuil in zoden opgetast.
Hoe ben je dan weer hier. Je zei: ik wou
nog doen wat ik waarom had nagelaten:
praten met je in bed hoe levens praten.
Maar wat ik nu ben heeft geen taal bij jou.

Er was geen lamp. Hoe ik je dan toch zag.
'k Viel in de droom in slaap. Je hield me vast.
Koud bleef de kamer tot ver in de dag.

Ode to Un-Googling

I was restless.

I forgot the name of the writer. Fortunately this collection has not been indexed by any search engine, and the title was too general anyway. The index started at page 2097, and browsing, I encountered gems and nonsense while the snow outside turned from grey to white. Until, page 2234, I saw a familiar title that I had read just before I happened to come across the part that had now become the goal of my search.

I continue, quiet now, content. Without a goal, but with an immense landscape of letters before me.

Wintergasten: Rory Stewart

Intrigerend interview met Brits "diplomaat/politicus/avonturier" Rory Stewart, die aangeeft dat op de mooiste momenten in zijn leven, hij alleen was. "With someone besides me... it wouldn't be the same." 

Deels oude stempel, zat bij de Schotse Black Watch, geeft adviezen aan Hillary Clinton en Barack Obama, en was op zijn 30e vice-gouverneur van een Afghaanse provincie.

Zeer scherp intellect

Nick Cave / Roy Orbinson - "Running Scared"

On "Rarities", Nick Cave plays a wonderful slightly slower version of "Running Scared". Crazy about it.

Big difference; Orbinson's last line reads "You turned around and walked away with me".

Nick Cave: "You turned around and walked away from me"

Das Leben der Anderen

DDR, 1984. Poet Dreyman becomes the subject of Stasi scrutiny out of personal, old-man's reasons of a high Stasi-officer. "HGW XX/7", the officer sent to listen in to every second of his private life, starts making his own assumptions and decisions.

A truly wonderful film. Characters as you seldom see them. The diversity of HGW XX/7, first bad, then good, then pushed to evil again, finally climbing up towards the Great Good, is amazing. There are few flat characters, and those who are there, minister Bruno Hempf, are there with a reason: they were those charicatures. They didn't have depth, just eye for their own gradual climbing.

Loved it.

Katzenjammer - "A bar in Amsterdam"

Just heard it on Kink ClassX, and damn, happy! powerful!

We still live in silence like sworn threats of violence
I long for an end and it's coming round the bend,
If we live through this night and we'd still be alright
We'd flee to Siam or a bar in Amsterdam


Must keep them in mind!

Alice (2009)

Suggested by a colleague, this very-mini series (2 episodes of about 90 minutes each) capture every hook and notch of the imagination.

Wonderland has progressed a lot since the "Alice of Legend" passed by (come to think of it, it is probably about a 150 years ago it was written?). But the Red Queen is still evil and people try to stop her.

Many characters make their appearance in the story: Alice (though repeatedly not -the- Alice, "Just Alica"), the Caterpillar, Mad Hatter, March Hare, &etc.

Alice, who lost her father when she was 10, finds herself in a world dominated by the Red Queen who uses the "Oysters", people from our world, to extract "real feelings", basically drugs.

The story is great, the acting is good. The settings are believable. No continuous Deus Ex Machina like in "Tin Man", even though the part where Alice, played by a convincing Caterina Scorsone, manages to turn everybody against the Red Queen in the end, happens rather sudden. The change characters go through, the wonderful Don Quichote-role of the White Knight (Matt Frewer, "Trashman" from "The Stand")...

The jokes are funny, but also "believable". They might be funny to the viewer, but they make sense to the story and/or characters.

Errol Morris - "A Brief History Of Time" (1991)

Biography of Stephen Hawking's life, family, colleagues and sickness, intermingled with his theories.

Hearing him explain his theories about the universe rekindles the interest in and love for the grand questions of the (mathematical) universe.

"When you've used the phrase 'gravitationally completely collapsed object' ten times, you realise you need another name. So I started to use 'black hole'"
[John Miller]

"When people ask me about black holes, and ask me how we can see them, I tell them: have you ever been to a ball with the boys in their black tuxedo and the girls in their white evening dress? When they turn the light so low you can only see the girls...? Well, those girls are ordinary stars, and the boys are the black holes. You can't see them, but when you watch the girls, that gives you enough convincing evidence that something keeps them in orbit."
[John Miller]

Music by Philip Glass. Good, though not impressive.

Wonderful to see the environmnt, the people, to get a feeling of his life, the history of that genius.

Strange though, that they never show the names of the people they interview. On purpose?

[about the Unifying Theory]
"In time, it should be broadly understandable by everyone. And then we can all, scientists, philosophers and ordinary people, take part in the greatest question: why we and the Universe exist. If we find the answer to that, it is the ultimate triomph. For we would know the mind of God."
[Stephen Hawking]

Clint Mansell - "Sahara" (2005)

"Mosque" brings back memories of that heart-stopping sequence in "The Cell".

"Hold Tight" is fast-moving, with James Bond-ish horns.

Blonde Redhead

uh?

what about it?

Not publishing a post but just saving it, doesn't really help when it's quite a while ago I heard the music...

Noord Nederlands Toneel - "La Divina Commedia"

Wow, intens, om het voorzichtig uit te drukken.

In de zaal zat ook een middelbare schoolklas, en vantevoren was ik bang dat deze wel eens roet in het eten zouden gooien, maar niets daarvan.

Vanaf het moment dat het doek opgaat, grijpen de acteurs (en de trapeze-artieste) het publiek bij de keel. Dat in eerste instantie de zaal direct werd toegesproken en werd betrokken ("hier zitten de overspeligen, daar zitten de godslasteraars"). Het aloude verhaal wordt gecombineerd met "maatschappelijke" thema's, een term waar ik normaliter tegenop hik, maar nu met diep respect naar terugzie.

Vluchtelingen, ontreddering, xenofobie, Wilders, PVV, al dit en veel meer wordt op een bijzonder aangrijpende, en bij tijd en wijle humoristische, manier over je uitgestort, met daarbij nog eens een overdonderend visueel spektakel.

Charlotte Gainsbourg & Beck - "IRM" (2009)

Soft, though with some rougher edges. Melodious.

"Heaven Can Wait", a duet with her producer, is ok, but doesn't stand out from the rest of the album. Was I thinking too much of "Heaven Is Inside You"?

"Me And Jane Doe" is very much like Moldy Peaches, and that is something positive in my opinion. Bit tiresome.

"Vanities" is much quieter, though not yet "girly moan pop". "Dandelion" is a wonderful loopy-eyed tune.

All in all it seems it is a nice but not spectacular album.

2010-01-14 (should I create another entry?)

"Master's Hands", the openingstrack, is nice.

"Le chat du café des artistes", a slow, softly melancholic song, with haunting strings.

Yozakura Shijuusou (Yozakura Quartet)

I'm stealing here from Fub: "There's this circle of cherry trees that was used as a gate between the youkai and human world. In modern times, a city has sprung up, and youkai and humans coexist there. Of course, not every youkai wants to keep to the rules, and it's up to a team of four youkai and a single human to keep the peace. Akina is the last of the 'tuners', who can possess the youkai and send them through the gate."

Quite enjoyable. Well-drawn, interesting characters and a fastmoving pace.

Tin Man (2007)

Saw a trailer when watching a Doctor Who episode on Sci-Fi channel.

A grown-up version of the Wizard of Oz story, basically telling the story of what happened to the land of Oz years after.

It just didn't do it. Zooey Deschanel, though ok as Trillian in tHHGttG, performs as a mere puppet in this series. The acting in general is bad, the actors' lines are abominable and the plot twists and jumps.

I am not sure whether the whole series is overdone or given not enough attention. The repeating shot of the evil sister baring her heaving bossom to let the devil-tattoos fly away, is too much.

I couldn't care for the characters, and hardly any more for the story itself.

5

Chris Corner - "Heaven Is Inside You - I Monster"

(OST "Les Chevaliers Du Ciel")

Heaven knows I'm not a fan of vocoders, but for this song I make an exception.

It gives the music and words an Air-ish feeling, evocative... eerie, ethereal would be words that spring to mind.

Cambodian Room (part of IDFA's "Paradoc 4")

A magnum photographer seeking the place "without morality, so all is pure reality", or something like that.

It showed some interesting moments, and definitely increased the idea (I wouldn't say "understanding") behind his pictures, but in a way this was about the photographer, not about Phnom Penh (basically my main reason for watching)

It wasn't bad, it wasn't staggering good.

Enemies of the People

Gripping account of a man who seeks the faceless killers of the Khmer Rouge, and tries to understand them, asks them to tell their story.

He manages to get all the way up to Brother Number Two, Nuong Seng, which is simply amazing. Three years it took him to earn the old man's trust.

Beautiful images of the Cambodia I remember so well. Horrifying stories. Honesty. Facing the past. Gave the chills.

Mando Diao - "Gloria"

Catchy as hell!

Reminds me of the remix of Frankie Valli's "Beggin'" song, remixed into popularity again.

Those blue-eyed Swedes, who'd have thought...

Mick Harvey - [Serge Gainsbourg tunes]

Crooning, with style. There's a rancid edge. Marc Almond-ish

Monsters of Folk - "Monsters of Folk" (2009)

Nice album, though not every song is as catchy as the air-borne "Man Named Truth"

Old-fashioned tunes, friendly.

The high-pitched voice does get on your nerves though, after a while.

Jules Deelder - "Lof op Pilatus"

De rol van Pilates in het lijden van Christus
is in de loop der tijden te zwart afgeschilderd.
Dat hij wel degelijk een hart had, en meer nuance
dan zij die over hem schreven,
moge blijken uit het feit dat hij,
toen hij hoorde dat Jezus timmerman was,
deze zelf zijn kruis liet kiezen.
Dat Jezus Jelti koos, het hardste hout ter wereld,
op dat zich niet of nauwelijks laat bespijkeren
waardoor zijn kruisigin ernstige vertraging opliep,
en het lijden onnodig gerekt werd,
kon Pilates niet worden verweten.
Net zomin als dat deze zich na de confrontatie
met Jezus de handen wies, met het oog op mogelijk 
besmettingsgevaar.
Hij dient daarvoor veeleer geprezen.

Chet Baker - "The Thrill Is Gone"

this is the end
so why pritend
and let it linger on
the thrill is gone

Hoshi no koe (Voices of a distant star) (2003)

watched it again. still phenomenal.

The truth of living in a single hand.

Diary snippet

Writing (nanowrimo) went ok. Snooker didn't go well. Didn't feel like continuing.

Watched episode #5 of "Last Chance To See" with Stephen Fry. Love it. New Zealand. Ozzie accent.

Now: Tanita Tikaram, Tori Amos and most of Leonard Cohen. No (live-)TV please. No mail, God no, no facebook, twitter...

No.

The mesmerizing beauty of the 3D Mandelbrot and the last edge of Earth as photographed by the Osiris sonde fit this mood quite well.

Rudy Rucker - "As Above, So Below" (short story)

Found it alongside the stunning 3D Mandelbrot images. It's not bad, but again I was hit by what a thin line separates the good cyberpunk from the "hey I talk hacker-lingo".

Can't help but think William Gibson is so good at what he does because he hints, never tell. It's not even the film-rule "Show, don't tell", it's even more subtle. Show the edges, never the inside. Show its shadow, never its shape.

Perhaps it's the same after all.

Radiohead with Björk - "I've seen it all"

Never realised it's Radiohead that performed it... 

Is that true for the "Dancer in the Dark" version (the film that made her write to Nicole Kidman: "Don't work with Lars van Trier. He destroyed my soul") as well? Yup, "performed by Björk, Thom Yorke". Composition and the such all courtesy of the Iceland woman.

Tracy Bonham - "Give us" (album "Down Here" - 2000)

Come to our emotional desert
Come to our emotional desert
Then leave us high
Then leave us high and dry

A less aggressive sound. More classical, violins, rusty records,... 

Tracy Bonham - "The Burdens of Being Upright" (1996)

Oh I did knew "Tell it to the sky". Like so many songs, I knew it but didn't knew it.

"Kisses" has a low repeating "oh...oh..I......oh...oh...I" Like it.

A, "Sharks Can't Sleep" is also familiar. More so than "Tell it to the sky". I wonder whether her music becomes repetitive after a few albums. Skunk Anansie had the same problem, though it never became too repeating.

3D Mandelbrot

http://www.google.nl/images?client=opera&rls=en&q=3d+mandelbrot&oe=utf-8&channel=suggest&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=B3Q3TZW_J4T4sAOO1MChAw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=6&ved=0CD8QsAQwBQ

http://www.skytopia.com/project/fractal/mandelbulb.html

Mr T-Bone & Friends - "Give Me A Call"

From the KinkFM playlist:

Mr. T-Bone & Friends - "Give Me A Call" (Mr. T-Bone Sees America (2004, Megalith Records))

"Ska with an Italian accent"

I want to live without you

[...]

Every day is a sunny day

happy!

Coraline

Nice, but can't help to be a bit sad that my own images are shattered by watching this film. It lacked the magic from "Nightmare before Christmas" and the such.

Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

I watched "Ocean's 13" because... I didn't want to think. Didn't want to analyse people, their traits, character, ananchronisms. The story, its plot-devices, its story-telling, the originality of characters, the...

oh what the hell. I was tired. I just wanted something easy.

In a way, "Ocean's 13" provided "something easy". And, I noticed I couldn't stop analysing. Now, some of the acting was just plain bad, even, a moment or two, of YYYYYYYYY, someone I'm not used to see in bad acting.

The dialogues, though good at times, were painful at moments.

What they aimed for: people who knew the characters, expected this storyline.

So: keep. people. interested.

No, rather: keep them _curious_. Hint!

Provide difficulties. Provide difficulties even they, with all their smart moves and brain, couldn't foresee. Then, make the viewer feel good: they _did_ foresee it. And they even did it out of the goodness of their heart... (yeah, too bad).

Good vs. Evil, even when Good is not legitimate good. We're talking about Real Good here. Good isn't the law. Good is what you'd like your friends to do when you're in trouble. This film did this well.

Provide arrogance, smoothness, sweet talking and easy action. Provide a world people never entered, but think exist and desperately want to be a part of it.

That's Hollywood. It's all so simple.

I still want something non-analysable. Better switch to Playboy channel.

Bob Dylan - "Man in the Long Black Coat"

From the "Oh Mercy" album, which I chose to play because Klaus Schulze, Nick Cave and "Walk the Line" didn't appeal to me, and because it features "Most of the time", this song suddenly came by.

Quite enjoyable.

Klaus Schulze & Pete Namlook - "The Dark Side of the Moog 3"

Subtitled: Phantom Heart Brother

It is slow and ambient as ever, but today I don't feel like listening to it for a long time. Too much of a difference with Nick Cave? Not enough variation?

I am not sure. 

"Last Chance To See" (BBC series)

Beautiful animals and landscapes. Exotic cities teeming with colourfull people. I want to travel again. I want to do something worthwhile with my life. IT is not "worthwhile" at all.

U.N.K.L.E. - "Psyence Fiction"

Beautiful album. Beats and slowmelting melodies that string you along.

Confused: "Lonely Soul"... now is that U.N.K.L.E. or DJ Shadow??

Love "Celestial Annihilation" and "UNKLE (Main Title Theme)" and "Rabbit in your headlight" of course.

U.N.K.L.E. and Ian Brown, "Be There", is okay, but will never beat Thom Yorke's haunting words and voice.

Brian Eno & David Byrne - "I Feel My Stuff"

from the album " Everything that happens will happen today" 

Alice-In-Wonderlandish. Triphoppy. Crazy lyrics

The cheapest dog, the hottest sun, the fiercest cat & the meanest gun
You got to hold the peelings in your hands, baby
It's a safety belt, it's a Christian crime, a rocket ship, it's a joke of mine
I took away the day that I'd be gone- shoot!

Don't fancy many of the other songs. He can't really sing, which isn't a problem per se, but his voice grates a bit...

DJ Shadow - "Lonely Souls"

Came across it while scheduling DJ Shadow's full discography.

Same evening, while watching some game previews... there it was again. Subtle coincedence.

VPRO Marathon Interview: Ischa Meijer met H.J.A. Hofland

Ziet Drees als oorzaak het beklemmende, het saaie in Nederland. Geen prettige koffiehuisjes waar je van ' s ochtends zes uur tot middernacht binnen kan komen. Teveel regeltjes, teveel gedoe.

Houdt van New York, de stad die hem aan het Rotterdam van voor de oorlog herinnert.

Ze bespreken de oprichting van D66 door o.a. goede vriend Hans van Mierlo op de redactie van het Handelsblad. Bij het doordringende gepruttel van het koffiezetapparaat op de achtergrond zegt Hofland "Dat is een beetje hoe het klonk, de oprichting van D66."

(over W.F. Hermans)
Ischa Meijer: "Ben je nog bevriend met hem?"
Henk Hofland: "Nou, weer een beetje, denk ik. Maar dat weet je nooit bij hem."

Ischa Meijer: "Heb je veel geleerd van Constance?"
Henk Hofland: "Ja, het schrijven van commentaar. Kijk, het gaat zo; je moet het altijd maken in drie stukken. Dat is: these, antithese, synthese. En als je dat nou eenmaal in de gaten hebt, dan gaat het vanzelf. En zo was het ook. Eenvoudig drie sierletters, en wat er dan verder in stond, dat kon je niet verrotten, niet schelen. Rammelebam, en dan stond het er."

Henk Hofland: "Dan heb ik geleerd; je moet nooit rectificeren. Dat maakt de zaak alleen maar erger. En die lui zijn toch allang vergeten wat je verkeerd hebt gedaan."

Henk Hofland: "In '72 ben ik opgehoepeld. Als hoofdredacteur."
Ischa Meijer: "Maar je bent continue gebleven. In die drie situaties ben je gebleven. Dus eigenlijk in vijandig gebied."
Henk Hofland: "Aan de ene kant dacht ik; ik blijf zitten, ik bljif als een zweer in jullie organisatie zitten. Bekijk het maar verder. Aan de andere kant was ik ook doodmoe hoor. Na vier jaar, eerst als hoofdredacteur met illusies, toen als hoofdredacteur zonder illusies, en toen conducteur van de bijwagen op wiens afbellen niet gelet wordt. Dat is natuurlijk heel vervelend. Dus in '72 was ik werkelijk een verbruikt persoon. 14 dagen."

Maarten van Roozendaal @ de Kleine Komedie

Een prettige avond in de Kleine Komedie, de eerste van vijf voorstellingen dit seizoen. Op de allereerste rij. Dan zit je vooraan. Dan zit je heel erg vooraan.

De teksten, vaak geprezen in recensies, deden mij niet heel veel. Een keer dacht ik zelfs "dit is wel erg Acda & de Munnik", wat geen positieve typering is: het iets te bewust zoeken naar woordspelingen. De té gewilde semantische wendingen, het zoetsappige. 

De muziek was soms rustig, maar vooral funky, jazzy. Het was prachtig om vooral de drummer en de organist van dichtbij te zien. Vooral die laatste had een bizarre motoriek wanneer hij de toetsen beroerde, verwilderd opkijken naar zijn medemuzikanten terwijl hij zijn Hammond liet janken. Prachtig.

Maar het deel na de pauze was beduidend meer ingetogen, en lag veel meer in mijn smaak. Rustiger liedjes, droevig, mooi. Met nog een bijzonder grappige pastiche op de hedendaagse rap waarin hij rapt dat hij gewoon, gewoon, weetjewel, gewoon eens alleen, alleen, niet altijd meteen met z'n allen, gewoon alleen met een meisje, een meisje r'spect, een meisje, gewoon eens alleen, r'spect, met een meisje, gewoon op haar bank zitten... 

"Jochie": mooi treurig. "Red mij niet", een "Laat Me"-achtig nummer, "Mooi" vol werkelijke levensvreugde.

J. Slauerhoff - "De argeloozen"

Aan alles onttrekken wij ons, niet aan 't verwijt
Dat we ontrouwen zijn en eervergeetnen;
Maar kunnen wij ons vrijwillig keetnen
Waarom zooveel verten wachten, zoo wijd?

De nijveraars heeten onze dwazen, verblinden,
En voorspellen: het zal ons berouwen
Dat wij op zeeën en bosschen en winden
Als vrienden en eeuwige vreugde vertrouwen.

't Is waar dat wij roekloos de krachten verspillen
Waaruit zij een veilig leven maken;
Zij noemen ons droomers, maar wij waken
Over andere belangen en willen

Ons niets dat wereldsch is laten verbergen
Zoover als de zeeën de landen kussen,
De gedaanteverwissling van planten, bergen
En de glanzen en geuren daartusschen

Mede te leven, gespannen te trillen,
Geen lichtflits, geen golfslag ons laten ontgaan,
Zoo van ons trage gestaltnis ontdaan
Dat we eindlijk in niets meer van hen verschillen.

De andren gelooven zich het leven te wijden,
maar scheiden zich er, al wroetend, van af;
Zij denken zich lusthovens te bereiden,
Maar delven zich dagelijks dieper een graf.

Doch 't einde is hen licht: voor wanhoop gevoelloos
Maakt hen het gezin, in welks schoot zij sterven;
ons wacht geen genademiddel: doelloos
Vergaan wij als wij niet meer kunnen zwerven

En kunnen nimmer vinden die even
Vaderlandsloos zijn om saam mee te wachten;
Wij komen misschien waar zij kort verbleven
Of gaan voorbij waar ze onzichtbaar smachten.

En dan wordt een stad ons toekomstig sterfoord,
In de woestijnen was het niet eenzamer,
Wij kunnen niet heen, denken daaglijks aan zelfmoord,
Maar veroudren in onverschillige kamer.

Vaak dwalen wij langs het aanlokkelijk water,
Waakzaam in een vaag ochtenduur,
Of hunkren met een kleumenden kater
Slapeloos bij een uitgaand vuur.

De dag verschrikt ons, van een terras
Slaan wij 't voorbijgaan wezenloos gade,
als waren wij van een verloren ras,
Wij blaadren in boeken aan de kaden.

Soms schenkt in ' t laatste van den avond
Het toeval ons nog een vage vrouw,
Wij nemen het met geluk niet zoo nauw,
Voor liefdestormen te zeer gehavend.

Van al het schoon, weleer zwervend verworven,
Kunnen wij niets aan ' t hart zoo vast drukken
Dat de dood het ons niet kan ontrukken;
Lang voor zijn komst zijn wij steenarm gestorven.

Misori (1992)

Girl joins fairground after she has lost her parents. She's abused, physically and mentally, until a dwarf joins the troupe and saves her from the malicious freaks of the fairground. They fall in love, marry, and seem to find a happy ending...

But just not yet. The end has a particularly estranged sequence when she runs through a town where her husband was planning to buy some food for the journey. Unknown to her, he is killed by a robber. Her crazy run takes place in a town that seems utterly strange. In the end she suddenly sees him with her old "mates" from the fairground, just laughing at her... Was it all just an illusion? (The dwarf is capable of that.) I couldn't say for sure.

Very simple animation, mostly sounds or small details that move, full-body movements are shown using a few sildes per second, nothing fancy, yet definitely distinct.

Supposed to be a ero-cult, partly manga, film. 

Again I watch something disturbing while in a disturbed mood.

Halloween Horror Night @ Tuschinski

De luidste stem klonk erg bekend. Voor me zaten twee mensen zich bijzonder te ergeren. Het was als vanouds.

De films in het heel-kort:

Trick 'n Treat : leuk, aardige slaughter, 4 "miniverhalen" door elkaar heen, de gebruikelijke "grap" dat wat verminkingen en doden niet opvallen tijdens Halloween, wat vampiermeisjes, wat verdronken kinderen,
een moordzuchtige rector.
Orphan: suspence-horror over een geadopteerd Russisch meisje wat in werkelijkheid een moordzuchtige dwerg van 33jaar blijkt te zijn (genetisch defect, blabla), incluis (poging tot) lolita-verleiding, popachtig meisje met accent dat goed met messen overweg kan, &etc. Goed gedaan, goede effecten, verhaal ok.
Triangle: Groundhog-Day slachtpartijen op een verlaten creepy spookschip waarbij hoofdpersoon zichzelf en haar mede-opvarenden meerdere keren om zeep helpt om maar terug te kunnen keren naar de wal alwaar haar zoontje kort daarna al telkensmale zou zijn overleden (er moet nog een grammaticale vorm worden uitgevonden voor dergelijke constructies). Nacht hiervoor slecht geslapen en ik moet bekennen dat ik hier een keer of 2 - 3 indutte, maar dat lag niet aan de film. Het voordeel van een dergelijk concept is dat, wanneer je het "trucje" al kent en begrijpt dat eerdere scenes nog zeker een paar keer herhaald worden, je best een minuutje kan missen. Mocht ik hem nog eens tegenkomen, zou ik hem zeker nogmaals bekijken, want hoewel de originaliteit er niet vanaf droop, was alles goed opgezet en werd er een duidelijk eigen sfeer gecreeerd.
The Tripper: aangekondigt als "killer met Ronald Reagan masker slacht hippies af". Biedt perspectieven, zou je zeggen, maar niets was minder waar. Compleet bagger. Vage suggesties over politieke kwesties, prototypes hippies en rednecks, wat niet erg hoeft te zijn als er dan maar leuk veel, of origineel, bloed vloeit. Maar neen, suffe dialogen die werkelijk nergens over gaan, bagger acteerwerk, een verhaal/plot-snelheid die zich voortsleept met de snelheid van eengeamputeerd hoofd. Waarom sliep ik hier niet?? Geregisseerd door David
Arquette, u weet wel, Scream enzo. First against the wall when the revolution comes, als je 't mij vraagt.

Het schreeuwen was na film 1 inderdaad beduidend minder (tot m'n verbazing) maar kwam met regelmaat nog wel even opzetten (tot m'n voldoening). Film 2 en ook 3 leenden zich uberhaupt wat minder voor het gebruikelijke schreeuwwerk, al nodigde Triangle uit tot "niet weer die kutboot!"

't Was overigens niet bijster druk. Als de NoT een woelige uitgaansavond op zaterdag is, was dit meer een paar uurtjes in de kroeg op woensdag, zeg maar.

Kacey Chambers - "Little Sparrow"

Dolly Parton cover. Breathtaking.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

"Your Funeral... My Trial"

Great album. Eerie, nightmare.

• "The Carry", with its parlando voice, reminds of "the Cat Piano"

"The Boatman's Call"

• "Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?" - slow, sad
• "Green Eyes" - this is pretty horrible, absolutely Cave-ish in lyrics, but the parlando-over-singing... it's a 50's pastiche!

"Henry's Dream"

• "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry" - power, a carriage running wild, with the Bad Seeds as dangerously answering choir
• "John Finn's Wife" - orchestral
• "I Had A Dream, Joe"

"Tender Prey"

• "Watching Alice" - strange, plonk-wieew guitars, slow
• "Up Jumped The Devil" - Cave at his best evil self (at moments his intonation (incantation) reminded me of Jules Deelder's "Oh kut": "O My O My / What a wretched life / I was born on the day / That my poor mother died / I was cut from her belly / With a stanley knife / My daddy did a jig / With the drunk midwife"

"The Firstborn Is Dead"

more experimental. less my liking.

• 
  

Men Jiao (751-814) - "Najaarsemoties, vijftien gedichten"

(vertaald door W.L. Idema)

I

Mijn botten kunnen eenzaam 's nachts niet slapen,
Cicades zingen tsjirpend tot elkaar.
Mijn oude huilen heeft geen tranen over,
De herfstdauw vormt om mij haar drip-drop druppels.
Verval van krachten lijkt voortdurend knippen,
De ouderdom is warrig als een weefsel.
Wat ook gebeurt, het wekt geen nieuwe lust,
Herinneringen brengt mijn droefheidswildgroei.
Maar hoe kan ik, zo'n zuidwaarts zeil vervolgend,
Bij de Rivier in het verleden treden?

Up! (2009, Pixar)

Wonderful film. Little gem, if only for the first 10 minutes.

They did it again. Though I think that, if it could somehow be compared, "Wall-E" and "Finding Nemo" blew me "more away" (what's the superlative? "... it blewer me away"?), I loved this film. The importance of and love for details, the rough-angled old guy versus soft-rounded youth, the fact that their physical appearance isn't the most realistic one and that it doesn't matter. I'm not sure whether it's brave or simply logical to do so, but it focusses on the story, the scenery, the settings by taking a great leap over the uncanny-valley (ok, this is an outrageous comparison, it actually proves the theory of the uncanny valley, but nevermind, I'm being lyrical here, alright?)

The dogs; I didn't mind their "talking trick" too much, but the fight in the airplanes were slightly overdone. Suddenly they became merely jokes, instead of a okay-ish group of side-characters.

Saw it in "3D" and it worked pretty well. I hope the balloon-guys optimised the collision-detection algorithm, otherwise...

But, those first ten minutes. Ten minutes in which two lifetimes floated across your eyes. They portrayed life down to its simplicity and beauty. Love, loss, hope, dreams, crying and laughing together after those have gone. It was one of the few perfect life-passing-by shots I have ever seen. I'm sentimental, if you know what I mean.

That, and the moment immediatly afterwards, when he screechingly slow lowers himself on the stairs-elevator on the music of Bizet's "Habanera" (Carmen).

I wonder whether my admiration for those first 10 minutes comes from the fact that I could never write such a thing - it was too gentle, too perfect, too ... sad? I could do sad, but not the other two - or whether it simply touched a certain spot just behind my eyes.


first ten minutes: 9.5
rest: 8

VPRO Marathon Interview - Ischa Meijer & Freek de Jonge

"Het contrast met Hugo Claus kon bijna niet groter," is het eerste wat in me opkomt. Dat is onjuist. Beide geïnterviewden zijn "performers", artiesten die iets creëeren. Dat ze onderling verschillen als water en vuur (verkeerde metafoor, ze zijn niet elkaars tegenpolen) moge duidelijk zijn, maar er zijn overeenkomsten.

Ook Freek de Jonge maakte een duidelijk anti-establishment periode door, bij uitstek het programma "Neêrlands Hoop" met Bram Vermeulen. Ik ken er helaas niets van.

De sfeer van het interview is een geheel andere daar Ischa Meijer, waarvan ik weet dat hij een beduchte reputatie heeft, een havik is. Hij deinst er niet voor terug zijn eigen mening te verkondigen en de geïnterviewde direct tegen te spreken en in de reden te vallen. 't Maakte de aardige vraag los in hoeverre we de interviewer moeten kennen voordat we zijn werk, het interview, op waarde kunnen schatten. Niet alleen de waarde ervan, maar ook de betekenis, de intepretatie zo men wil.

Christophe Beck - "Elektra OST"

Haven't seen the film, but the soundtrack has its intriguing moments. I seem to remember it as a run-off-the-mill action flick, but the score as of yet doesn't really support that. At moments, yet, but not as often as one would think.

"Homecoming" is nice.

The album isn't overwhelmingly good.

"healthy" 14 yo girl dies because of Mexican Flu (pig flu)

So.

It's began.

Kraftwerk - "Minimum - Maximum"

on BBC 4.

Even on a small screen, it's fucking amazing. Not much light in the room and the stroboscopes hammer through the room. Musick.... nonstop......

Radio...activity.......

They fucking rule. I want to see them live again. Alone please.

Charles Bukowski - "16-bit Intel 8088 chip"

with an Apple Macintosh
you can’t run Radio Shack programs
in its disc drive.
nor can a Commodore 64
drive read a file
you have created on an
IBM Personal Computer.
both Kaypro and Osborne computers use
the CP/M operating system
but can’t read each other’s
handwriting
for they format (write
on) discs in different
ways.
the Tandy 2000 runs MS-DOS but
can’t use most programs produced for
the IBM Personal Computer
unless certain
bits and bytes are
altered
but the wind still blows over
Savannah
and in the Spring
the turkey buzzard struts and
flounces before his
hens.

ain't that the damn truth

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - misc

Thought I brought OST of "The Proposition" with me, but it seems I didn't. Did copy a "misc" OST-ish collection of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis though, featuring songs from "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford", the "Bunny Munroe" soundtrack, and other recordings, such as an acoustic version of "Jesus of the Moon" from the "Dig! Lazarus! Dig!!!" album.

Added that album to my playlist as well, it's much harder, and I realise I hardly know it.

"Song For Charly", on the OST of "The Assassination..." beautiful mate... candidate for iFuneral?

Some of those "The Assassination..." songs remind me strongly of Firefly's score which, according to IMDB, are done by a certain Greg Edmonson. Doesn't ring a bell.

"No pussy blues": excellent for a fucked up friday-afternoon.

coding crap

nothing beats SSH coding with the 3rd glass of alcohol, "Dark Knight OST" on headphones.

Yet, is this what I want? Why this? Why coding? Why IT? Why serious?

Am I too lazy to quit, or too scared.

Bloody hell.

Danger Mouse ft. Sparklehorse - "Dark night of the soul" - cont'd

Just reread previous post about it, but I have to revise. What was I doing when I wrote that, and where was I?

Working on an October night, it absolutely captivates me. True enough, not every song, but the title track, and "Pain" featuring Iggy Pop... yes, those do, those absolutely do.

Have been listening to DJ Shadow today while writing "poste restante". Might have something to do with it.

(Ok, that "Jaykubb" with a certain Jason Lyttle... don't like it)

Or the catchy "Little Girl" (you / twisted little girl), feat. Julian Casablancas. "Grain Augury" feat Vic Chestnutt... but now I can't remember why he sounds so familiar. ("famous" singer-songwriter, spotted by R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe... uh, ok. Still, I do know the guy's name)

DJ Shadow - "Private Press"

Old recordings, scratches of tired tape.

Slow beat, a guitar, two. One.

Samples resampled. Faster. Lovage.

It's only monday... 

Klaus Schulze, Pete Namlook, Bill Laswell - "Dark Side of the Moog"

Still a wonderful piece of music. As haunting as much of Schulze's work, yet at times more techno-ish, more ambient house style.

It seems there are already 7 albums! Must look around. Saw track titles of #7, all numbered "Psychadelic Breakfast #.." Isn't that a Pink Floyd song as well?

Chris Rea - "The Very Best Of"

Yes, well, one need some kind of music and why not give the old man a try again!

And admit, otherwise I would' ve missed the "sometimes it seems this body's a mind of its own" in "Auberge". Or "Driving home for Christmas" in October...

Scarlett Thomas - "The End of Mr. Y"

Mr. Y's search for the fair-ground doctor: the reader's search for the writer.

his experience after drinking the fluid, sharing another man's soul: reading a book "becoming" the protagonist?

thought is matter. Splendid little philosophical ideas and discussions which don't wander off into too intricate details, but leave you wondering and thinking. The philosophical stories and conundrums are real (problems) for the characters, which makes sense again that by thought, behaviour and matter can "change", or rather, start to exist while it might have been unformulated before.

From story-writing point of view; small real-world examples (objects, small deeds people do) tend to illustrate the grander thoughts and ideas of the story.

the computer program's thought-experiment: little simulated characters becoming conscious. their thoughts (binary, 0, 1) and their matter (binary, 0, 1) are alike. they can change by thinking, yet do not have ultimate power.

the love for stories and books in this book is almost tactile. 

A wonderful story which gripped and intrigued. The protagonist sounded almost demure at times, yet had an overwhelming array of knowledge which kept whispering questions and wondering about so many things we never even think about.

9

VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theatre

Nine Inch Nails-ish. Less aggressive, or rather, more subdued. Choirs.

Pretty When You Cry:

i didn't want to fuck you baby
i didn't want to fuck you
i didn't want to fuck you
but you're pretty
when you're mine
i didn't really love you baby
i didn't really love you
i didn't really love you
but i'm pretty when i lie

Robert Frost - "Acquainted With the Night"

I have been one acquainted with the night. 
I have walked out in rain—and back in rain. 
I have outwalked the furthest city light. 
I have looked down the saddest city lane. 
I have passed by the watchman on his beat 
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain. 
I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet 
When far away an interrupted cry 
Came over houses from another street, 
But not to call me back or say good-by; 
And further still at an unearthly height 
One luminary clock against the sky 
Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right. 
I have been one acquainted with the night. 

Louis MacNeice - "Autumn Journal"

(snippets)
Note
Nor am I attempting to offer what so many people now demand from poets - a final verdict or a balanced judgement. It is the nature of the poem to be neither final nor balanced. I have certain beliefs whiich I hope emerge in the cause of it but which I have refused to abstract from their context. For this reason I shall probably be called a trimmer by some and a sentimental extremist bij others. ut poetry in my opinion must be honest before anything else and I refuse to be "objective" or clear-cut at the cost of honesty


i

And I am in the train too now and summer is going
   South as I go north
Bound for the dead leaves falling, the burning bonfire,
   The dying that brings forth
The harder life, revealing the trees' girders,
   The frost that kills the germs of laissez-faire


ii

Only the spider spinning out his reams
   Of colourless thread says Only there are always
Interlopers, dreams,
   Who let no dead dog lie nor death be final
Suggesting, while he spins, that to-morrow will outweigh
   To-night, that Becoming is a match for Being,
That To-morrow is also a day,


iv

September has come and I wake

So I am glad
   That life contains her with her moods and moments
More shifting and more transient than I had
   Yet thought of as being integral to beauty;


ix

October comes with rain whipping around the ankles
   in waves of white at night

xiii
So blow the bugles over the metaphysicians,
   Let the pure mind return to the Pure Mind;
I must be content to remain in the world of Appearance
   And sit on the mere appearance of a behind.
But in case you should think my education was wasted
   I hasten to explain
That having once been to the University of Oxford
   You can never really again
Believe anything that anyone says and that of course is an asset
   In a world like ours;
One should not gulp one's port but as it isn't
   Port, I'll gulp it if I want to gulp
But probably I'll just enjoy the colour
   And pour it down the sink
Good-bye now, Plato and Hegel,
   The shop is closing down;
They don't want any philosopher-kings in England,
   There ain't no universals in this man's town

Sparklehorse - "it's a wonderful life"

Soft slow singing, sadness in the lazy changes of melody.

A piano finds its way across the heartbeat.

An angry track, a growling rhythm.

Sia - "Taken For Granted"

Wrote about Sia before. Heard "Blow It All Away" last night on LushFM (a SomaFM channel). Liked it.

Listening to the "Healing Is Difficult" album again, and know now for sure: I simply don't like most songs. Definitely not my style.

"Taken For Granted" though, is catchy. Should listen to the other two albums ("Colour the Small One" and "Some People Have Real Problems") and simply keep the songs I like.

Ain't I the craziest.

update

so now we've got

• "Breathe Me"
• "Blow It All Away"
• "Untitled"
• "Taken For Granted"
• "Sunday"
• "Moon"
• "I Go To Sleep" (not a bad cover) (uh, I lied, that one is gone as well now. Oh well, that's how it goes)
• "Electric Bird"
• "Soon We'll Be Found" (oh wait, I do have "I Go To Sleep"...  all in all "Some People Have Real Problems" is overall a much more enjoyable album in my opinion)
• "Academia" (see, told you so, this album is better than the other 2!)
• "Lentil"

the Antlers - "Atrophy" (Hospice)

(X-Rated). Soft-voiced. Almost singer-songwriter. But a dark edge.

Variant - A Silent Storm

Heard on X-Rated again. Reminded me of... what? Leftfield? Africa Bambaata?

Beats and strings, with sung and almost shouted lyrics

Parca Pace - Raumspannung

Obviously from X-Rated; dark, slow beats, sharp tones, scratching violins and strange sounds of people who are fighting softly in the background. I wonder if you would hear the latter when you weren't listening with headphones on.

Good writing music.

Wild Beasts - "All The King's Men"

I only remember the comparison with Arcade Fire when I first heard this song on the radio, a couple of days ago. It is an entirely correct one.

Their voices in unison, archaic monk-prayer style, combined with a catchy melody & rhythm.

Something to keep in mind.

10CC - "I Wanna Rule The World"

From the album "How Dare You", 1976. A wonderful silly song from which a snippet is used at the start of every hour of VPRO's "Marathon Interview"

Hooverphonic - "Sad song"

Came across my Hooverphonic collection. "Sad song" is eerie, dragging you along.

I'll always remember their bad performance at Werchter a couple of years ago. But their albums are still sweet and sour.

Raymond van het Groenewoud live @P60, 2009

Het valt even moeilijk om Raymond van het Groenewoud meteen goed te classificeren zonder andere artiesten en concerten daarmee teniet te doen of onheus te bejegenen. We kwamen eruit. Hij is waarlijk een muzikant (wat iets anders is dan een artiest, maar vraag me niet naar de verschillen in definitie, die ontzeg ik u) en hij rockt.

"Rocken" zegt men niet van moderne artiesten als The Editors of Placebo. Maar het is verre van oneervol of uit de mode. Daarom slaat het zo goed op Raymond van het Groenewoud. Iemand die met zoveel verve, plezier en kunst zoveel verschillende soorten muziek maakt; meezinger, breekbaar liefdeslied, chanson, rock, americana, dark blues. En telkenmale enthousiast.

"Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly". "Jesus was sexy"

Mooie teksten, breekbaar, simpel. "Let a glass of water taste like gin", hij lijkt het ter harte te hebben genomen. Zie "Gelukkig Zijn"

"Foei foei foei, we hebben weer gedronken"

Zie "ik hou van U".

Stanislaw Lem - "The Investigation"

The very first book of mr Lem that I actually read. Wanted to read this logicus', philosopher', scientist's stories for years, never got around (excuses!).

Inspector has to investigate into curiously disappearing bodies of recently diseased.

Larger-than-life characters, obvious tension between them. Paranormal activity is suggested, never proved. Main protagonist must believe in reality though, even if he would be faced with the "facts" of a paranormal event (this doesn't happen, not proven at least), because otherwise his world crumbles. It makes a strong character.

Reactions of characters sometimes overdone.

"So-called common sense relies on programmed nonperception, concealment, or ridicule of everything that doesn't fit into the conventional nineteenth century vision of a world that can be explained down to the last detail"

I liked the fact tha the actual "crime", if it even is one, isn't explained. No solution is given. It becomes a bit meta: the investigation into the investigation. I should reread it after a while with this in mind.

Dead Man's Bones [myspace]

Because of a review in de Volkskrant I took a look at their myspace site. (I still loathe the myspace layout! Nothing has changed there.) Describing themselves as "gothic, gospel" they have songs with titles like "Flowers grow on my grave" and "My body is a zombie for you".

It isn't bad, but the "dark-indie" sound isn't unique and sounds a bit the same in every song. Perhaps I must try it again some other time.

Broken Records - 2 Meter Sessie

Listening to the 2 meter sessie by "Broken Records", a Scottish band playing folk-songs.

Like it. Should find some of it and pay more attention

shit, not again

Strong M-moment.

Thought I'd left that behind by now. Shouldn't have listened to "the Weeping Song" that often today.

An evening with Nick Cave

It was splendid. Nick Cave, Warren Ellis and someone else in the Royal Carré Theatre in Amsterdam. Many well-known songs they played, including "Weeping Song", "Mercy Seat", "People Just Ain't No Good", "Into My Arms".

He answered questions from the audience, the strangest ones as well ("Sir, you are one bizar man"), so the lights went up after every song. They seemed like a bunch of three young men just having fun. Enjoying themselves with words, music and a willing audience.

I made bets with various people beforehand whether Nick Cave would be his usual "electric self", kicking his legs as if 380V went through them. He didn't. But crazy drummer and flute-player Warren Ellis took this role. Same guy which whom he made various soundtracks.

"Mercy Seat" gave me goosebumps. Even though the snare drum resonated with every single note. (Someone from the audience yelled something about it afterwards and it was immediatly corrected.)

That marvellous voice of his. He just has to say "reap" and you hear the Pale Rider sharpen his iron.

He read three parts from"Bunny Monroe" and again, marvellous. I so want to read it now. I learned about writing simply by listening to his words. And again, it's not just hearing a writer read his own works, it's his voice that so suits the dark, sinister sentences that he weaves.

And thank you so much, Nick Cave, for being the only man who said "cum-encrusted sock" out loud in Carré. Thank you, from the darkest depths of my mind and body.

Afterwards, he simply sat down and signed copies of everything. Posed for pictures, answered questions, gave kisses. The crowd was large, he didn't seem to mind.

This was one of the most wonderful events I've visited for quite some time. I didn't want to leave that wonderful, creative bubble in the amphitheatre of Carré. To go outside would mean to let that bubble get burst by the frosted touch of pale gray people with their pale gray lives.

Kink1400

songs I keep forgetting:

• 578. A Flock Of Seagulls
  I Ran (So Far Away)
  
  
• 577. Trockener Kecks
  Nu of Nooit
  
  

VPRO Marathon Interview - Hugo Claus - 1986

uur 1

Hugo Claus: "Ik weet niet goed waarom ik gevraagd word. Ik kan niet spreken, ik stotter, ik hakkel, mijn zinsconstructies zijn uiterst lamentabel."

Johan Anthierens: "Luisteraar, de meester zit in een simpel blauw overhemd..."
Hugo Claus: "Simpel? Versace."
Johan Anthierens: "Pardon. In een exclusief blauw overhemd, Italiaans."

uur 2

Johan Anthierens: "Hoe zouden mensen dat doen, die echt dagboeken aanleggen? Dat is voor mij altijd een raadsel geweest, wanneer ga je daarvoor zitten?"
Hugo Claus: "Ik denk voor het slapen gaan. Ik moet er niet aan denken. Dat herkauwen van wat er net gebeurd is, nee, ik zou vol schaamte m'n bed induiken en er niet meer uitkomen. [...] Het is zoals mensen die foto's nemen. Dat is mij ook bijvoorbeeld helemaal vreemd. Op vakantie gaan en dan foto's nemen. Namelijk een daad stellen voor een mogelijk profijt van later dat je op die foto zult kunnen zien dat je daar geweest bent. Dat wanhopige vast willen prikken van een ervaring, dat ken ik niet. Ik vind dat 't waarschijnlijk wel waardevol is voor vele families. Ik vind 't geloof ik een klein beetje verachtelijk. Om zo nodig van dit gore leven een neerslag te willen vastprikken en dan de volgende generaties ermee te willen besmetten."

Hugo Claus: "Als zij in de tram of in de bus zat, dan fataal kwam er iemand naast haar zitten die haar begon te vertellen waarom haar nichtje een voorhoofdsontsteking had. Die verhalen kon zij wonderlijk goed weergeven en vertellen. Ze had er een hels plezier om dat voortreffelijk te imiteren."
Johan Anthierens: "Dus dat komt van de moeder, 't verhalen, dat assimileren."
Hugo Claus: "Dat weet ik niet. Maar 't leugenachtige van de vader mag er ook zijn. Nee, vanaf de wieg begenadigd."

uur 3

Johan Anthierens: "In dat pakket van 100 boeken zijn er een paar waarvan ik nu zeg; die had ik nooit moeten schrijven?"
Hugo Claus: "Nee, dat zeg ik nooit. Ik zeg dat ik ook slechte boeken moet schrijven. Althans boeken die niet aanslaan of boeken die ronduit mislukkingen zijn. Dat hoort daarbij. Er is geen enkele auteur die niets dan meesterwerken geschreven heeft."
Johan Anthierens: "Dat hoort bij het proces van schrijven."
Hugo Claus: "Ja."

Hugo Claus: Als ik bijvoorbeeld 100 figuranten nodig heb, en 's ochtends komen daar 6 figuranten. Op zo'n moment moet je zeggen; 'meneer de producent, waar zijn mijn 100 figuranten? Ik ga nu naar huis, bel me maar op als die 100 figuranten er zijn.' Dat is de enige houding. Dan komt die leemte, die tweespalt in mijn wezen, dat is dat ik gedreven ben door een mateloze hoogmoed, door een hubris. Waardoor ik denk; goed, de gegevens zijn 6 figuranten. Ik zal eens laten zien dat je met die 6 figuranten net zo goed kan werken als met 100. En dat is van een totale imbeciliteit, want dat moet je niet doen. En dat is natuurlijk de reflex van iemand die gewoon is heer en meester te zijn over zijn eigen materiaal als auteur. En die denkt dat hij dat vermogen heeft om over zoveel verschillende elementen waaruit een film bestaat, daarover ook te heersen als een potentaat. En dat is niet zo."

over Hugo Claus als autodidact
Johan Anthierens: "U moet onvoorstelbaar veel gedaan hebben om die rijke kennis zelf bij elkaar te hamsteren."
Hugo Claus: "Opnieuw moet ik U teleurstellen. Ik heb het niet bij elkaar gehamsterd. Mijn geheugen is een soort vuilnisbak. Daar gaat vanalles in en rarigheden, rariteiten, totaal onbelangrijke feitjes blijven aan de oppervlakte hangen, daar kan ik beroep op doen. Heel elementaire, serieuze dingen vergeet ik. Het is een ratjetoe van kennis. Het is geen kennis. Het is het verzamelen van een hoop materiaal, aangesleept door de omstandigheden. Het is geen kennis, want het komt niet vanuit een logica, vanuit een ordening."

misschien was één van de mooiste momenten wel de Ster-reclame en het nieuws wat op dit uur volgde: spionnenruil tussen Oost- en West-Duitsland om een politieke impasse omtrent een gevangen spion op te lossen. En een lepeltje Completa houdt uw koffie warm en pittig!

uur 4

Hugo Claus: "Maar dat was helemaal geen schabauwelijk taaltje, dat was het prachtige West-Vlaamse dialect, waarvan ik vind dat het hét originele en het enige echte mooie grandioze sublieme Nederlands is. En al de rest beschouw ik als zwak afkooksels van die basistaal en dat het West-Vlaams. Tussen Oostende en Brugge ligt het mooiste Nederlands wat er is."

Hugo Claus: "Als een boek zoals 'Het verdriet van België' achter de rug is, dan heb je werkelijk geen zin meer om te gaan herkauwen, zeker niet ten behoeve van de armoedige beschouwers. Zoals de methode van het verzamelen en ordenen van materiaal leidt tot het schrijven, zo heb ik ook de methode om er vanaf te stappen. Al dat materiaal moet ook weg. Ik wil er ook niet op terugkomen. Ik ga er ook geen vervolg op schrijven. Ik ga het ook niet toelichten. [...] Ik wend me af van het boek eenmaal als het geschreven is, als de hond van zijn uitwerpselen. Dat wil ik niet meer meemaken. Omdat er een gevoel van schaamte rond hangt; is dit alles? Kan je werkelijk niet beter dan dit? Je zou je rot moeten generen. Het moment waarop je gezegd hebt; 'beter kan ik het niet', was het foute moment. Je had nog 10 jaar moeten wachten."

Johan Anthierens: "En toen kwam het thema overspel ter sprake en U zei toen die hele mooie zin: 'Ik ben zo monogaam als de valk.'"
Hugo Claus: "Ja."
Johan Anthierens: "Maar even later vloog de valk over koekoeksnesten. De vrouwen in het leven van Claus."
Hugo Claus: "Daar zal ik heel kort over zijn. Ik heb dat standpunt niet verlaten. Ik ben monogaam. Alleen ben ik tezijnertijd monogaam. En overigens, al zou ik, laat ons zeggen, toevallig, door samenloop van omstandigheden, één of meerdere dames behagen, dan beschouw ik toch nog niet als bigamie. Het monogame ligt, zoals praktisch alles, in de verbeelding, en niet in de feiten."

uur 5

natuurlijk zijn er vele mooie dingen gezegd. "wijze woorden gesproken, holle vaten geklonken" zoals de "ringmeester" aan het einde sprak. Maar ik laat het hier bij. Dit marathon interview heeft me de afgelopen dagen bij de hand genomen terwijl ik mij met de meest aardse zaken bezighield en het heeft zijn afdruk in mijn geheugen achtergelaten. De stem van de Meester weerklinkt soms zacht door.
Op deze mooie oktobermiddag ben ik wat treurig, en ik verkies me hierin te laten gaan en de makkelijke verlokkingen van afleiding even terzijde te laten.

http://www.vpro.nl/programma/marathoninterview/afleveringen/35389618/

The Stand (1994)

On VHS tape, nonetheless. w00t!

Mother Abigail doubts her own believe in God. She knows what the answer will be: to die.

Many parts felt a bit "hastened", a feeling I can't recall from the previous (and first) time when I watched it, many many years ago.

The slow guy put mannequins into the street to feel less lonely. I wonder if I somehow still had this in mind when I wrote a similar part for "poste restante". It might just be a "logical" thing. Then it's a fairly strong (small) plot device.

"The old way is ending"... compare "The Dark Tower" series.

All characters are fairly straight-forward, but, not unusual, the bad character Nadine Cross sways between good and evil. When she's rejected by good guy Nick Andros, she cries because that pushes her over.

update

"I Am Legend" featured an identical mannequins-in-street scene. This was the film that, before I watched it, gave me an idea for "Poste Restante". Guess I wasn't original after all. Normality is restored.

White Lightnin' (2009)

The last mountain dancer is simply a crazy guy with "the devil in his blood" as he repeatedly tells us. This rejects any real responsibility in a way, even though he often tries (and fails) to stay on the good side.

Shot in a grimey over-exposed white, strange flat colours. The music built up slowly, taking minutes and minutes, finally dragging you along. 

I wasn't thrilled but it was definitely a film that can survive on its own.

7

9 (2009)

Beautifully crafted dolls, wonderful details. Knitted puppets, bestowed with (a part of) the soul of their creator, struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic world from which humanity was wiped out by its own doing.

Moody with the occassional light note. Bit unbelievable coincedence / improbabiliy of events, "suddenly noticing" something, etc. 

Story parallel with the humans who once destroyed themselves.

Produced by Tim Burton. Created by the same team that did "Coraline", so I guess I really do have to see that one as well (its DVD got 5 out of 5 stars recently). Directed by Shane Acker, who did animation on LoTR. 

8.

Earlimart - "The World"

This refers to  a song, not an album. I heard it while watching s01e13 of Dollhouse (see somewhere below) and decided to search for some more music by this band.

It's evocative, slightly eerie. Q/Midnight at the Castle ish.

The rest of Earlimart failed to grab my attention as this song did. Most of them are very much alike. The indie-band with their not-too-serious songs. I'm reminded of Shivaree's "Goodbye Moon" which turned out to be completely different from her other songs.

Still, will listen to Earlimart's four albums again. The music isn't irritating, and who knows I find another gem.

Voorpagina Volkskrant

De hoofdartikelen op de voorkant van de Volkskrant lijken tegenwoordig steeds meer opinie-artikelen te worden. En al is het dan nog geen (hoofd)redactioneel commentaar, of een ingezonden stuk, er wordt geimpliceerd en een sfeer geschapen zonder dat de feiten die aandragen.

Neem het artikel "Lange vlucht Demjanjuk is ten einde" over de (laatste grote) oorlogsmisdadiger van WO II. Het begint met  "Zolang de rechtspraak bestaat, heeft de mensheid het tafereel gekend van de eenzame man die op de vlucht is voor de zwaarste beschuldiging die kan worden uitgesproken: moord." Hier wordt een verhaal verteld, geen feitelijk relaas gegeven. (Kom niet aanzetten met de bewering dat dit als feit kan worden aangenomen; het openen van een artikel met deze woorden creëert een specifieke sfeer.)

Later: "De man over wie wij het hebben, is bijna een leven lang op de vlucht geweest voor wat als een duistere schaduw boven zijn hoofd hangt: het proces. Zelfs als hij meende eraan ontsnapt te zijn, keerde het terug als een kwade droom." Geen aanhalingstekens, geen citaat.

Over wie "wij" het hebben? Sinds wanneer presenteert de journalist zich zo uitgesproken in een feitenrelaas? Er volgen metaforen en aannames. Nou kan een metafoor verduidelijkend werken, maar hier is de functie wederom een smeuïge omschrijving.

Is dit slecht? Ik weet nog niet goed wat ik ervan vind. Het valt opt. En voor kranten als het NRC en de Volkskrant is het naar mijn weten niet gebruikelijk. Zwichten zij voor de gratis dagbladen en worden ze sensationeler? Moet het nieuws mooier, aangrijpender gebracht worden?

update

Lezen is een kunst. "Reportage", staat er bij het stuk van Max Pam. Maar ik blijf het vreemd vinden dat dit pontificaal (direct onder de kop) op de voorpagina staat.

Nitin Sawhney - "Philtre" (album)

Dark, though not gloomy, slow triphop (sliphop?), interlaced with fragmented ambient sounds. Subdued.

The following list is not complete

• "Everything" got me immediatly interested
• female voice on "Spark" is slightly eerie
• "Dead Man", more hiphop, with oriental influences. Not particularly good
• "Mausam", even more Indian-sounding, not really my thing
• "Journey", starts jazzy, reminds a bit of Seal, but the close-harmony later on is a bit too boybandish
• "Koyal (Songbird)" start slow, melancholy. Oriental voice and words again. A gem.
• "Noches en Vela (pt1 & pt2)", starts slowing, builds up to a fast South American rhythm. 
• "Throw", standard
• "Swing set", bit too hyper

Moon (2009)

A moodpiece. Lonely man on the moon, fulfilling a 3 year contract, suddenly finds his own clone.. and realises he himself is a clone.

It can't be helped that there are strong reminders of "Do Androids Dream Of Electronic Sheep?" and the like. Is man more than the sum of his memories? This film does not provide an answer. One could argue that, since one of the clones manages to destroy the blocking antennae and escape in a pod to Earth, he is.

But he merely responds to new information, so one could argue that, still, man is nothing more, but.

Music: Clint Mansell. Obviously, it was perfect. Kevin Spacey as the robot. Good voice.

I realised you need reoccurring scenes to establish routine first, only to show something is different later.

To me, the film wasn't too much about existentialism, though there are definitely anchors and pointers to fire up a discussion, it was a classical moodpiece with unity of time, place and character.

A film to ponder about when you walk out of the cinema, to relish its feeling, its mood.

Roger Whittaker - "I don't believe in if anymore"

This song got stuck in my head more than a few days ago. In one of those lucky circumstances that never happens when one wished they did, the song played in a pub in which I was having too many beers after a 16km walk (without food).

Later, fuelled by Fry's fantastic "The Ode Less Travelled" I even imagined for a little while that it was an answer to Rudyard Kipling's poem "If". It isn't, of course. (I say this with the dedain of someone who just looked up the actual lyrics: I've always thought he said "fool" where it is actually "foe"). But a small part of my mind still wishes it was. 

But nevermind that. It was, is, and will ever be a wonderful song full of grasping, wishing, fearing. 

Dollhouse s01e13 / s02e01

Still an intriguing series. Am thoroughly happy that it seems to continue. After all, wasn't there some talk after s01e12 about this series "doing a Firefly"?

Fortunately, not.

s01e13 was described to me as "chaotic, not really having to do anything with the storyline". I completely disagree and would almost refer to Irving, who, in my opinion, is still master of "telling what will happen long before it does, yet keeping you glued to your seat" (think "A Prayer For Owen Meany"). This episode - is it really the unaired pilot? - draws you to the inevitable conclusion. Mankind will destroy itself with this knowledge. And you want to know how. And you want to know how the few are gonna escape. Because they are the good, so they must live, right?

I have enough faith in Joss Whedon to trust him to make the right decision. After all, his characters are merely imprints with which we love to identify.

s02e01 is a fairly common episode, but it continues the thread of psycho Echo, starting to remember.

All in all, Dollhouse keeps messing with facts you take for certain; the mind, the "me". A body is downgraded to a mere vessel, a mind is constructed from a harddrive. The horror in the eyes of creater Topher as he realised, it was me who unlocked the secret of how to turn millions into drones. How brilliant. How horrible.

Children with matches. Yet we are fireflies. Always drawn to the fire, no matter how destructive.

Clint Mansell - "The Quiet American OST"

There are two words scribbled in my notebook and I have no idea what they say.

The third, though, I can decipher: "ok".

I listened to this right after his "World Trade Center OST" and remember it was much better. More Mansellish?

Clint Mansell - "Word Trade Center OST"

not very interesting.

Sarah Waters - "Little Stranger"

Bought just because it's her latest book. It took me quite some time to get through it. Two months, it seemed.

She's very good at describing moods by describing physical buildings, details, people. Perhaps sometimes a bit too much.

The struggles of the main character are well-written, but all in all it all takes a bit too long. Not enough pace?

Her alternating use of the main character's POV and an all-knowing writer's eye was a bit strange when you look for it, but it didn't hurt the story. One could easily read through it without noticing it.

All in all, ok. But I probably won't reread it.

Razorlight - "Wire by wire"

Discovered the album "Slipway Fires" again, particularly this song. "Hostage of Love" might even be a bigger hit, but they're all catchy.

I'm usually not too fond of the suddenly high-pitched voices, but it suited Wire by Wire". A calling-out, a longing.

Catchy. Keep listening to it.

P.D. James - "Children of Men"

Was looking through lists of dystopic stories, this title sounded so familiar. Turned out that the film with similar title starring Clive Owen and Julianne Moore was loosely based on this story. When I found it in the library, it seemed to fit alongside "Poste Restante" and why shun some possible inspiration?

Can't help it, but yes the book was better, compared to what I remembered from the film. Less action, less clear answers. Those aren't the point.

In short: suddenly the whole world becomes infertile. No cure is found. Strange practices start, "mothers" with dolls as substitutes. The Quietus: killing of old people because they want it to end (an escape?). The nephew of England's "leading counsil man" Xan (basically, tyrant) becomes involved with an anti-government group, 4 people, not experienced in anything like warfare. After bombings they have to flee across England and one of the women turns out to be pregnant.

quote: "no one was more adept at demolishing a woman's self-confidence while treating her with meticulous, indeed almost insulting, consideration and courtesy."

I wonder whether "I got the blues. The black dog on my shoulder" is a common proverb.

The first sentence of a paragraph often seems factual. Afterwards, it continues with facts or introduces subversive viewpoints. Describe what people do - "spying" -, not just the facts - "has another country found the cure to global infertility" -, but add emotional reasons, - "adult buccaneering". Sometimes, start with this emotional POV.

Lots of Christan elements, without becoming a religious story. Certain things are not explained, the infertility or why the woman can become pregnant again. Moral grounds when there are no facts. Choices to make. Repentance for sins of the past. Xan == Herodes. Julian == Maria. Faron (main character) is ...? Humanity?

Some would call this an open ending. Xan dies, Faron takes his place. A child is born. I like the fact that the story doesn't provide certainties, there aren't always answers. Living is groping in the semi-darkness and trying to make the best of it, I guess.

Wonderful writing.

The Cat Piano

http://www.thepra.com.au/Content.aspx?p=117

A wonderful dark jazzy tale of cats and an evil man who snatches them away to create his devilish "cat piano". Narrated by Nick Cave, simple animation with only a few colourtones per scene, it is beautiful.

The animation seemed somewhere between old-fashioned and flash-web, probably produced with tools of the latter by people who really know what they are doing.

Ponyo on a cliff by the sea

The latest from Hayao Miyazaki, studio Ghibli

It's a nice piece, happy, bubbly (literally) but a whole lot more aimed towards children. Or rather, less aimed at adults. The dark undercurrents that were so typical of his other films, are almost completely gone here.

Still, reading through some trivia, one can't help but marvel at the beauty and craftmanship:

• The opening 12 seconds, involving vast schools of fish and undersea creatures, required 1613 pages of conceptual sketches to develop.

Millenium: mannen die vrouwen haten (Män som hatar kvinnor) (2009)

The books are said to (become) a big hit. They're huge. LoTR style.

I must admit I read some reviews, all of them positive, before watching the film, but those didn't spoil it.

Haven't read the books, some of my family have and they considered them ok, but one quote I remember well: the reviewer actually prefers the shortcut the film needs to take to the extensive description of literally every character offered by the book(s).

I wouldn't say I am as lyrical about it as some of the people I've met, but it is definitely a good film. Gripping at moments, a high pace. The style one could describe as typically Scandinavian; cold, winter, bleak colours, but this is also due to the setting of the story.

There is one plot instrumentum that I wasn't too happy with. It becomes obvious that while "sidekick" Lisbeth Salander (she's much more than that, a stronger personality than Mikael Blomkvist, which is part of the whole male vs female discussion that the book/film raise) discovers who the murderer is, he of course is just at the house of the killer. And is caught by him. And yes (no! you groan) she manages to save him at the very last moment.

Yes, go on, give me crap about timing and suspence, but it ruined the fairly realistic tone that was established. This single plot device suddenly turns you around and you see the Hollywood cardboards, the effects, ... 

But that sounds too harsh. I truly liked the film.

Mono - "Hymn to the Immortal Wind" (album)

Where did I get this album from? X-Rated suggestion?

Long, chaotic, running-wild soundscapes. Bit busy to the ears, but not bad.

The songs, for example "Burial At Sea", feel like a 5min bombastic song that has been stretched into 15-20min. It is slow, yet progressively overwhelming.

There are wonderful parts, but a bit too excessive and repeating. At least, while one is supposed to be working.

Muse - "The Resistance" (album)

1. Uprising
   still as good as ever
2. Resistance
   Good, same mood.
   
3. Undisclosed Desires
   boyband-beatish, though the low base-notes at the beginning are very Muse-ish. Not a favourite.
4. United States of Eurasia
   "ha! ha! ha!"
   In the latest Q, Matthew Bellamy tells they want an "over the top" part on every album. A bit that cracks them up when they hear it back. Guess this is the one.
5. Guiding Light
   Okay.
6. Unnatural Selection
   oh! organ! love the uptempo "ocean...ocean..." with the multivocals. Bit System-Of-A-Down-ish at times
7. MK Ultra
   uptempo (that's relative, I admit). good
8. I Belong To You
   wondered by the title whether this'd be a kind of "Unintended". It _is_ definitely more slowpaced with a hint of the "chinese harmonics" that featured in United Status of Eurasia. The slow piano and drawling voice make a good second "over the top" candidate. Crazy tempo-changes! Invites a near boogy at the end.
9. Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (overture)
   Violins, orchestra... piano, soft voice. Bellamy in NME: "I think on the next album I’d like to do at least one 15-minute space-rock solo."
   

Klaus Schulze - "Dark Side of the Moog"

Love its soundscapes. Flying over a dying world, watching an unborn planet.

Life is sizzling, but it is strange and not human. Reptilian. Hot. Fighting the cold of space.

M. Vasalis - ("ik droom steeds vaker in mijn dromen")

Ik droom steeds vaker in mijn dromen 
een barre grond, groot en verlaten, 
gegolfd, versteend, verwonderlijk geplooid, 
met kromme, bladerloze, grote bomen, 
als een van te nabij gezien en oud gelaat, 
en voel mij thuis – te dicht bij huis – gekomen. 
Te sterk, te naakt, te vroeg berooid. 
Daar is geen rust, gewen dood, al bloeit geen blad, 
al is het stil – geen vogelstemmen... 
De stilte en rust zijn schijn: 
het hart van een cycloon, 
al klopt het niet, een niet te temmen 
kracht schijnt alles bij elkaar te klemmen. 
Zo is het land, waarin ik woon. 

O tovenaar, o kracht, waar zijn de vogels toch gebleven, 
de kleine, warme, met hun ritselende veren, 
die zich van takjes stortten met een dikke keel; 
de twijgjes die zich verende herstelden 
van ’t licht gewicht, dat het zo sierelijk verliet? 
Het waren toch zo vele 
Wanneer ik sterven moet, wil ik bij kleine vogels sterven 
en water horen en de oortjes van het gras 
zien spitsen en de losse aarde voelen.

M. Vasalis - ("In de oudste lagen van mijn ziel")

In de oudste lagen van mijn ziel,
waar hij van steen is gemaakt,
bloeit als een gaaf, ontkleurd fossiel
de stenen bloem van uw gelaat.

Ik kan mij niet van u bevrijden,
er bloeit niets in mijn steen dan gij.
De oudste weelden zijn voorbij
maar niets kan mij meer van u scheiden.

Simon Carmiggelt - "Femme d'artiste"

Zij loopt hem na met spijs en spet,
als hij in trance zijn gaven zit te melken,
of na veel kroegen eindelijk in bed 
van het artiestenfeest ligt te verwelken.

Zij kent zijn vijf verschillende gezichten,
zijn vreugd, zijn woede en zijn dom gepoch. 
Hij kan niet veel, dat weet ze wel, maar och...
geduldig luistert ze naar zijn gedichten.

En laat zich wekken 's nachts, omdat zijn luit
weer iets bijzonders aan de Muze heeft ontwrongen.  
Zij wacht tot 't uit is en zegt ongedwongen:
'Het is heel mooi, Wim, je gaat steeds vooruit.'

Een jurk kan zij niet kopen, want het ongerief
van zijn gestadig dingen naar de erepalm
maakt haar zo arm. Maar in de keukenwalm
ziet zij hem stralend aan - ze heeft hem lief.

Martin Scorcese - "Warming By The Devil's Fire" (disc 4)

With Ma Rainey, Son House, Charley Potten, Mildred Jones.

"Oh Brother Where Art Thou"-ish. Perhaps not the best...

uh

I wanted to write: "perhaps not the best music to code with."

But just right now Billie Holiday started with "I'm A Fool To Want You"... and there is always a good time for Billie Holiday.

Stephen James Taylor - "Give Me Freedom" : gospel, slightly dark.

Definitely a multiversed collection. Just had Eagle Eye Cherry, now Public Enemy. Not one of my favourite songs though. Or Tom Jones in duet Jeff Beck. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds!

Slumdog Millionaire

Saw it again and was positively impressed by the story-telling. Though many actions might seem random, they fit together in a plausible way.

First lesson during the first minutes: confuse your audience. Bombard them with the same character in opposite situations without telling what is going on. Curiosity rules.

"Jai Ho" still catchy. Must admit that the vocoder is used well here.

The Orb - "Sentinel" / "Toxygene"

Remixes from Mike Oldfield are nice. They fit the ever-eerie melody well.

Six versions of "Toxygene" might be a bit too much.

the Orb - "Assassin" (album)

Just deleted this album. Have many more to listen to, and its beats simply didn't appeal to me. 

Right now listening to the "classic" one

"A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Center Of The Ultraverse".

Much more ambient.

Pogo - "Alice"

Forgot where I found it, but it's a song consisting solely of sounds and voice-excerpts of Disney's "Alice in Wonderland". There is an eerie feeling to it, which fits the Wonderland idea rather well (perhaps not the Disney idea as much).

It must be said that "Alice" is by far the best of the four songs, the others being "Bread and Butterflies", "Lost" and "UnBirthday". Whether this is simply because "Alice" has been given much more attention during its creation, it was the first song that was created, the rest came forth from its popularity, or whether this gimmick wears off quickly, is hard to say.

Nina Simone - "Remixed and reimagined"

First track, "I can't see nobody", remixed by a certain Daniel Y. I realise it's probably sacrilege to many people to even think about remixing Nina Simone, but while listening to the first track I think, well, she does have the voice for it... the swung of her words, it does seem to fit the strange beats.

But after a few more tracks, it becomes fairly monotone. Now breakbeatish music has never been much of my taste, so that might be a problem here, but I doubt this one is on my squeezebox to stay.

By the way, "reimagined", is that really so different from "remixed"? To the connaisseur perhaps, but remixing a track well, doesn't that require re-imagining the song in the first place?

Blaine L. Reiniger & Steven Brown - "100 years of music : live in Lisbon 1989"

Have no clue how or why I ever got this CD. Must be X-Rated on which I heard something.

It's wonderful. The first track, "Iberia", with its jumping chords, reminds me of  one of Evangelion's themes.

Music that rumbles, grumbles, rolls forward, sweeping everything away...

There's more. I hear Die Anarchistische Abendunterhalting in track "Licorice Stick Ostinato"

Andrew Motion - interview BBC World

Andrew Motion - ex poet laureate. What a wonderful man!

"A parent who does not teach his child the love for poetry, has failed"

about Rudyard Kipling, the interviewer asks him: "Didn't he say a poet should never become a paid civil servant?"
A.M; "well, he refused to become poet laureate, didn't he?"

(about the strength of simple language) "let a glass of water always taste like a glass of gin"

Toon Tellegen - "Het bezoek"

Op een dag was het zover.
Ik besloot haar eindelijk eens op te zoeken.
Haar gieren deden mij peinzend open.
Haar honden gingen mij voor naar haar vertrekken,
de sporen van hun tanden in mijn been.
Haar slangen schonken mij een kopje thee in,
met een wolkje melk, en roerden het om met hun tongen.
Haar slakken likten mijn mondhoeken schoon.
Zij was er niet, zij was zojuist vertrokken,
zei haar hyena, huilend in mijn nek.
En zij komt nooit meer terug,
zei haar spin, de aanzet tot een web
reeds strak gespannen om mij heen.

Muse - "Unintended"

Have been watching the clip over and over again. Love the effect.

It's every time in every scene the same, but keeps mesmerizing... and just fits the music perfectly.

'A' net station

Based in Antartica, it plays "mostly music by artists who perform internationally, and typically do not to seek the music industry's favor" according to the website and Wikipedia.

It's nice. No idea why it's listed in the "Decades / 70's" listing of the Squeezebox Boom, but still.

For once, a link: http://www.anetstation.com/

La Roux - "Bulletproof"

Catchy. Daft Punk, but better. Kraftwork-ish video, but too many colours. Too many recognizable facial parts, while we're at it.

But catchy.

Leonard Cohen - "Came so far for beauty"

Must have heard it before of course, but didn't really remember it.

As so many of his songs, beautiful. The minor chords after a while, the lyrics.

Simplicity. There is so much to learn.

La vie en rose

Gripping, to say the very least.

Why is it that biographies often tell the bad ending before unfolding the story that led to it? Is it because it is often wellknown and can't be used as a plot-device?

I agree that pretending the ending is "new" isn't the point. Taking the viewer by the hand and making him believe and feel the story, is. Impregnating him with the doom to come adds extra tension? Sure, but it feels a bit forced, because it is so commonly used.

"La vie en rose" differs slightly from this by showing Edith Piaf's end "often" inbetween scenes of her youth and past. It becomes a bit more functional.

It did in no way defer me from the real story or the brilliant acting of Marion Cotillard. She's a diamond in every portrait of la môme piaf.

Harsh story, in which the crying is often drunken revelry, making it all the more painful.

What to do with the singing. A film about one of the greatest voices of mankind cannot be dubbed. So she has to playback. What about singing of which no recording has been made? Scrap it from the script?

The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford

Wonderful film, no action-thriller at all, au contraire, a slow pace.

Admirable, or merely wondrous, that Warner Brothers went with the director's cut while he didn't have final cut. They wanted more action, he didn't. Brad Pitt made a difference, perhaps.

Casey Affleck did a great job. He was scary, he was ambitious. Convincing.

What I missed, was -why- Jesse James was so popular. He gave money to the poor... but we never saw that.

Just as him going more and more paranoia. It is voice-overed, once, but made believable by the fact that other members of his gang were being rounded up soon after. Him fleeing the city was smart. At the end though, it is suggested he was quite paranoia, but this is conveyed through dialogue by others, hardly by anything he shows.

OST by Nick Cave was good. Don't know whether it'll hold up without the images.

Prodigy - "Omen"

Sziget 2009.

In all honesty, the concert would personally have been better when I wouldn't have to take care of anyone else, but so it goes.

Awesome concert, full of favourites, enough new stuff, like "Omen" from the '09 album "Invaders must die!"

Jace Everett - "Bad Things"

Watched the first episode of "True Blood"'s second season. Still not convinced about it, but it's good popcorn stuff.

Openingssong and visuals haven't changed, and still consider them really good.

Openingssequences not featuring actors or scenes; you know they intentionally thought about which images suited the series. Like it, it's good.

Doors - "You're lost little girl"

Watched 2/3rd of Oliver Stone's "The Doors" last friday. Highly entertaining, right up there with Cohen' "I'm your man" in the list of films one watches out of sheer joy for the music they portray.

Logically, and because it seems to agree with a cloudy after-party head (BBQ), listening a lot to the Doors. Trying to listen to the more obscure songs

• "You're lost little girl" (strange, mineerie (music in minor, eerie))
• "Whiskey, Mystics and Men" (hey ho!)
• "Orange County Suite"

Gulag - "track 14/3"

(mostly) instrumental surf, catchy!

not sure which of the songs above it is, but taking the Russian spoken words, I go with Gulag. (Otherwise it'd be something by "Electric Joe")

Happy surfing on a boring friday-afternoon!

*jiggles back 'n forth* hey! *keeps jiggling*

update

they keep changing the names! now it's "Gulag Tunes"

Stephen Fry - "The ode less travelled"

ti tum, ti tum, ti tum, ti tum, ti tum, ti tum

Now you, and read it out loud!

That's how he describes a iambic pentameter.

Gotta love the guy, if just for his grant love of, amongst a thousand other things, language, words and poetry.

Had to write 10 iambic pentameters as an exercise.

This book will reside rather long in the "started" phase because you don't just browse over it every moment. But it is wonderful. I already know three people I'll recommend it to.

Remco Campert - "Brief die is blijven liggen"

Je komt dus niet er is iets
waardoor je niet komen kunt

ik neem aan er is een diertje dood
het behoeft begraving

of de hak van je pump
zit vast in de plank

het struikgewas is te hoog gegroeid
het vuilnis opgestapeld

hoe ook de knappe telegrambesteller
boerenzoon met werk bij het rijk

zwoegt en ploetert
hij komt er niet doorheen

met zijn ijlboodschap
dring aan op aanwezigheid

ben je het dak op gevlucht?
lees je een boek in een kast?

80 jaar, dat moet toch even vermeld.

Sarah Waters - "The little stranger"

Bought it a while ago because I liked "Tipping the Velvet".

"Tipping the Velvet" isn't the craziest or most amazing of stories, but she does an impressive job at describing her characters as plausible, believable and likeable personae, even though they are often far from perfect. 

Nothing difficult, just a nice and easy read...

Coil - "Musick to play in the dark" (vol 1. and vol. 2)

Listening a lot to these albums again. Ripped them partly because I suddenly became afraid of diskrot after unpacking hundreds of recordables after 3 years (fortunately, most of them are on quality discs, but still), but they help to imagine and write.

Used them while writing preliminary ideas for the first "crazy" letters (him ---> her) of "Poste restante" (working title, though I like it very much).

It seems I need estranged music for estranged writing.

the Buddha of Suburbia

Written bij acclaimed writer Hanif Kureishi, produced by the BBC with David Bowie providing the soundtrack, this must be something... 

It is comprised of four episodes of about 45 minutes, haven't heard the commentary track.

Good, enjoyable, giving a good (I think?) idea of the bleak prospects and hopeless dreams of suburban people, the vibrant soundtrack was at a positive juxtaposition, but I was confused throughout the series.

Changes in time happened quickly and seemingly at random. This wouldn't have been so much of a problem when the changes in character though, felt "hastened" as well. Sudden changes in main character "Creamy" weren't believable in my eyes.

Loved the music, the scenes, decor, as I said, it seems to give - wasn't there, alas - a good impression.

Portishead - "Machine gun"

Can't help but feeling the sudden change around 3'16 is, well, strange.

The second version of the beat is identical concerning rhythm and style, it's "just" as if the samples are switched.

But why do that?

Must be missing something here.

Scanner - "Delivery"

Did I actually ever listen to it, after copying? Probably heard it during a drunken X-Rated session and decided at that moment I had to have it.

Wonderful background music on a beautiful lonely saturday night. Volume too low to make out most of the voices (but reading Mitchell's "Black Swan Green" anyway) but the resulting auditive suggestions fit right in.

Dead Can Dance - "Into the labyrinth"

playing it for the upteenth time.

still beautiful.

I might favour this album because my love of the word "labyrinth" and the images it evokes.

"4 S"

Found while putting recordables into black booklet. Just those two characters scribbled quickly in red pencil.

I remember.

And I remember this is my own copy, since I liked the compilation. A look into my musical tastes of years hence.

1. Counting Crows - "Colourblind"
   [on the soundtrack of "Cruel Intentions", which makes me think of E,T. That befits the period in which I made this disc.]
2. K's Choice - "My heart"
3. Craig Armstrong - ...
   ["Romeo and Juliet" soundtrack, but I haven't heard it with movie-quotes for a very long time]
4. Current 93 - "Gothic lovesong"
5. Radiohead - "Street spirit (fade out)"
6. R.E.M. - "Nightswimming"
7. Alan Parson - "Old and wise"
8. Queen - "Is this the world we have created?"
9. Tori Amos - "Smells like teen spirit"
10. Soulwax - "When logics die"
11. Mark Knopfler - "A love idea"
12. K's Choice - "Winter"
    [I knew about artist separation, obviously]
13. Tori Amos - "Jackie's strength"
    [though not that much]
14. U2 - "October"
15. Alanis Morissette - "Uninvited"
16. Jacques Brêl - "Quand on a que l'amour"
17. Righteous Brothers - "Unchained melody"
    [haven't heard that one in aeons]
18. something-like-smashing-pumpkins-last-track-without-words
19. Jewel - "Foolish games"
20. Queen - "Those were the days of our lives"
    

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (#6)

A film like this should stun and flabbergast, mesmerize and lead beyond the places that are never imagined. In this, the sixth Harry Potter film failed.

The score wasn't impressive, though the eerie tingling harp throughout Harry and Ginny's moment in the Chamber of Requirements ("Kamer van Hoge Nood" in Dutch... oh dear oh dear, what was the translater thinking!)

Blood, the last vampire

Found in a small shop near Camden, London, this 45-minute anime features a little girl as the last "true vampire", not concerned with anything like civility, completely focussed on her goal of killing off mean beasties.

Not bad, but there wasn't a "wow" feeling. This is the middle sequence of a 3-part OVA, the only one which has been made, it seems. Can't say I found it truly sorry this did not continue, it didn't catch my attention and had some illogical steps in the story.

Director was animation director of Akira (1988)

Chronicles of Riddick - Dark fury

The 35-minute animation featuring the voices of Pitch Black actors (of which Vin Diesel is the only one worth mentioning), set between Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick. For me, the fact that it is directed by Peter Chung, of Aeon Flux and "Matriculated", was the main reason of buying it during a decadent London-weekendtrip.

The visuals didn't let me down, though the strange eerie feeling of Aeon Flux wasn't there. The 'hand of the master' was visible in all characters, but not in set-design, which basically was the futuristic-spaceship-style. Particularly the scene in which evil miss shows him her collection of frozen badass motherfuckers... they could've done more with that.

Story-wise, it didn't add anything. Mostly acknowledge that Richard B. Riddick is indeed a wellknown bad-ass. Oh, and he wins. Yay.

Should watch the extra's.

David Mitchell - "Black swan green"

Will it be as awesome as "Cloud Atlas"?

Shouldn't expect that much. In all honesty, the first 25 pages don't seem to indicate so, but there is a strangeness to the story.

Should try to dissect it while reading. Notice the style, the tricks, the ideas.

Robert A. Heinlein - "Time enough for love"

After 153 pages, out of a 600+, I decided to stop reading this.

True enough, reading this has have been far from continuous. The Harry Potter series intervened, and there were some other books that begged for attention.

But it is not merely being "out" of the story and its characters that made me take this, quite uncommon, step. It simply doesn't really appeal to me.

It's a kind of Sheherezade story, in which The Senior, a very very old man, is just in time prevented from performing suicide after living for more than a 1000 years. He agrees to telling his story without murdering himself, for as long as he'll stay interested in the descendants that have revivded him.

The story becomes a framework for story-chapters in which he relates his travels and experiences. That's it, and it didn't keep me glued to the pages, it didn't even keep me mildly interested.

The writing style does not really appeal either. The characters tend to have very sharp tongues, but it becomes tiresome after a while. There is only so much smart remarks on one page one can take.

And the funny trap that almost every writer seems to fall for: particularly in a story like this which spans multiple centuries, the number of allusions and references to our time and place is much much higher than any other reference-count. It becomes too obvious it is written for our time, in our time by someone from our time.

Strange moral codes...

in an article about one of the biggest pirates:

"You know you're in a universe with a strange moral code when people start complaining that the stolen goods they're in turn stealing weren't stolen properly."

http://www.slate.com/id/2204367/pagenum/2/

Sandman Comics - 01 "Sleep of the just"

took some time to get into reading comics again. the BOLD letters, the short phrases. drawings are wonderful. story typically Gaimanesque. Wonder how it develops.

Interview Guardian with Leonard Cohen

From "The Guardian"

"These times are very difficult to write in because the slogans are really jamming the airwaves - it's something that goes beyond what has been called political correctness. It's a kind of tyranny of posture. Those ideas are swarming through the air like locusts. And it's difficult for the writer to determine what he really thinks about things. So in my own case I have to write the verse, and then see if it's a slogan or not and then toss it. But I can't toss it until I've worked on it and seen what it really is."

and he quotes Tennessee Williams: "Life is a fairly well-written play except for the third act."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/jul/10/ghomeshi-interviews-leonard-cohen

Leonard Cohen on Q TV [youtube]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugh8Xe6hX7U

American Psycho

The controversial film... it wasn't bad, it wasn't good.

Didn't like the voiceover. Patrick Bateman is this cold human being with hardly any emotion, "except greed and jealousy". Why tell us, the reader, who he is, what he is? We are not to associate with him. We are supposed not to understand him. Show, don't tell. It will be different to show that he has almost no emotion, but coldly telling us... no.

And why the love for music? Didn't he say he had no emotions whatsoever? How to appreciate music without positive emotions? Then again, this could be explained as his way of "being part of humankind, being indistinguisable".

In stories like these, you have to accept certain facts, or stop reading / watching. In this case, the main character has no (positive) emotions. The origins are not explained, but sure, I can go along with that. What makes it unbelievable, is the clear fact that he becomes crazy; mixing up names, reading "feed me a stray cat" on an ATM. So it turns out he is not a very strange human being, he is simply mad as a hatter.

The point is that there is no point. Die yuppy scum. I don't buy it.

But the scene with the calling cards is still pretty good.

Samuel Beckett - "Waiting for Godot"

Of course, reading it before watching Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan next week. Can't read it every time of the day, need to focus.

But such words!

Lost - season 5

Liked it. Loads of explanations. One can start conconting one's own theory. At the moment I'd say: it's Monster (black smoke, "guardian of the temple" that saved Benjamin Linus and "resurrected" John Locke) vs. Jacob, the "Horus-God", eternally living.

Except that he has been killed by Linus, by order of Locke.

It has been repeated multiple times that "the island doesn't bring dead people back". Earlier we've seen 'impossible' reincarnations, such as Jack's father. So John can actually be a "representation" of the Monster, which explains why Ben was told by the Monster to do anything John told him to do.

But, Jacob is dead.