The other day I caught a commercial for the product Children's Claritin that really bothered me. It's not like I haven't seen drug companies marketing towards kids before; who hasn't at some point got that wonderful jingle "10 million strong...and growing" stuck in their head from the Flintstones vitamins commercials, and I certainly feel as thought I have seen plenty of commercials lately advertising a better tasting cough syrup, or a dissolving strip of medication meant to replace the trauma of swallowing a pill or spoonful of goo in your formative years.
No, what made this commercial different was the way it marketed its product. The commercial puts a young, aspriring skateboarder in the oh-so-clever, allergy-induced fog that you will be in if you have neglected to take Claritin. This blurry veil of perception is magically stripped away by the Children's Claritin, and our young protagonist is suddenly Tony Hawk circa 1980: skatin' up a storm and livin' the good life.
There are three beefs I have with this commercial spot. First off, this commercial is not marketing the taste or the ease of this medication; instead, it is marketing the disease and the symptoms that come with it. Next thing you know, every kid who sneezes when he is trying to ollie is going to claim that he has an allergy problem. Secondly, if memory serves, this thing is shot from the child's point of view rather than catering to the parent's concerns for their child's symptoms. Lastly, this commercial definitely suggests, in the same way so many adult pharmaceutical commercials do, that this product will enhace your abilities and general joy in life.
Don't we have enough adults that are trying to play doctor by inquiring about drugs that are being piped into their consciousness alongside images of cool sneakers, delicious food and awesome cars? Where are the good ole days when all kids wanted were toys and gimmicky snacks for their bag lunch?
Same to same,
Capt. Pat Hendry
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Ouch!
Recently I came across a reference to this historical character, Robert-François Damiens. I had not heard of him before and did some searching only to find that he was perhaps the most insidiously tortured man I have ever come across. For a complete account check out this link:
http://www.gweep.net/~abate/WPIWEB/sick.html
Same to same
http://www.gweep.net/~abate/WPIWEB/sick.html
Same to same
Monday, May 28, 2007
Equinox...more like Equi-Rocks!
If equinox by definition refers to a point in time celestial bodies are in alignment, Equinox the film is the initial alignment of three cinematic powerhouses. Dennis Muren, Jim Danforth, David Allen - If you think you haven't seen any of their work, think again. Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Howling, The Hunger, The Hulk, Jurassic Park...if you've seen any one of these films you are familiar with some of their work. These three men have all been Oscar nominated for their achievements in the realm of special effects; a world that they inherited from special effects pioneers Willis O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen. Equinox is the $6,500 film project that represents the humble origins of these three artists.
That being said, I don't want to mislead you into thinking that Equinox is a polished, jaw-dropping, special effects extravaganza, for it is not. The film caters to a specific taste: it is a classic Lovecraftian tale with our protagonists finding a book of evil that leads them into a world of dark minions threatening their very sanity, and it is a B-movie that many viewers may prefer seeing behind the wisecracking silhouettes of the MST3K cast. Still, the film is a testament to the fact that talent and hard work will get results. There is also something refreshing behind the concept of making an effects dependent film clock in around 90 minutes. Those were the days!
The Criterion Collection DVD of this film contains two version, the 1967 film as made by these young entrepeneurs and the 1970 "polished" theatrical release. I watched the 1970 theatrical release and then went back and checked out the four major effects scenes as they were original cut in the 1967 version...this seemed to work really well. I also highly recommend taking the extra seven minutes to check out the Forrest J. Ackerman interview.
Also, if you are looking for more good times from these three wizards of film, check out the classic camp Flesh Gordon.
Same to same,
Capt. Patrick Hendry
That being said, I don't want to mislead you into thinking that Equinox is a polished, jaw-dropping, special effects extravaganza, for it is not. The film caters to a specific taste: it is a classic Lovecraftian tale with our protagonists finding a book of evil that leads them into a world of dark minions threatening their very sanity, and it is a B-movie that many viewers may prefer seeing behind the wisecracking silhouettes of the MST3K cast. Still, the film is a testament to the fact that talent and hard work will get results. There is also something refreshing behind the concept of making an effects dependent film clock in around 90 minutes. Those were the days!
The Criterion Collection DVD of this film contains two version, the 1967 film as made by these young entrepeneurs and the 1970 "polished" theatrical release. I watched the 1970 theatrical release and then went back and checked out the four major effects scenes as they were original cut in the 1967 version...this seemed to work really well. I also highly recommend taking the extra seven minutes to check out the Forrest J. Ackerman interview.
Also, if you are looking for more good times from these three wizards of film, check out the classic camp Flesh Gordon.
Same to same,
Capt. Patrick Hendry
Just the Facts (if there are such things)
The other day, I found myself in a conversation that eventually got hung up on one particular question...who was the lead singer of AC/DC that preceded Brian Johnson? After some long pauses in which everyone attempted to pull this elusive name from thin air, and during which a myriad of comical and incorrect guesses were made, one of us succumbed and finally looked up the answer (Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott). There was a time when we would be plagued by questions for days, even weeks, until somehow the answer came our way or we had the chance to consult the local library and hunt down a topical book using ye olde Dewey decimal system.
Nowadays, as a friend of mine and I always say, "Take it to the net!"
That is exactly how I was reminded that it was Bon Scott who was on the Highway to Hell. I don't know if this fact was grabbed off of Wikipedia, or a quick Google search was done, but it is a fairly well known fact and easy to find corroborative evidence backing it. But today I thought I would hop on Wikipedia and see what else they had to say about Bon Scott so as to further quench the sponge for knowledge in my skull; but, was I really learning or just latching on to "facts" as presented.
On that very same page, these two sentences appeared in different paragraphs:
''Back in Black is currently the second best-selling album worldwide and the biggest selling album worldwide by any band."
"Some sources rank Back in Black as the second-best-selling album in history."
Had I only read the first sentence, I would be telling just about everybody who gave two shits about AC/DC that Back in Black was the second best-selling album of all time....done...it's a fact. However, I did read on, there appeared to be some discrepencies, and upon closer inspection through Wikipedia I found that Back in Black is actually one of four albums claiming to have sold over $40 million copies worldwide. This sort of makes it potentially tied for second place. That doesn't sound quite so much like a fact anymore.
I know recently Middlebury College in VT banned citing Wikipedia as a source for term papers, so academia has certainly begun taking steps to ensure that their integrity is withheld. Still, the fact remains that the majority of the populace is getting most of their facts from sites like Wikipedia, IMDB and Google seaches that lead us to random pages. People are fueling the collective global knowledge using the world wide web, and I am just as guilty as any of them. We used to say that "History is written by the winners," but now it seems that history and even the present is written by whomever has a mind to...and I'm not even sure that is a bad thing.
What I do know is that I love this world where I can instantly get the satisfaction of an answer to my most innane questions, and that I am usually only superficially concerned about the integriy of the source material. And honestly, are things really that different, or is it just that there are so many more sources than there used to be? Newspapers and televised news programs have been shouting out headlines as fast as they can for decades, and corrections and apologies rarely make the front page (there are exceptions - sorry, Dan Rather). At least most of the larger fact dispensing websites let the public know that they are instrumental in maintaining the accuracy of that website. Again, history now being written by the collective audience that it seeks to educate.
I guess that the facts that often matter are the ones that the most people agree upon, and when push comes to shove, it is the truths they believe in that really make a diffence in the long run.
How's that for deep?
So until then I'm going to be spreading the fact that Back in Black is the second best-selling album of all time, and I might even start telling people that Appetite for Destruction is the first. Is it a fact? If enough people belive me and start spreading it around, it might just become one.
Same to same,
Hendry
Nowadays, as a friend of mine and I always say, "Take it to the net!"
That is exactly how I was reminded that it was Bon Scott who was on the Highway to Hell. I don't know if this fact was grabbed off of Wikipedia, or a quick Google search was done, but it is a fairly well known fact and easy to find corroborative evidence backing it. But today I thought I would hop on Wikipedia and see what else they had to say about Bon Scott so as to further quench the sponge for knowledge in my skull; but, was I really learning or just latching on to "facts" as presented.
On that very same page, these two sentences appeared in different paragraphs:
''Back in Black is currently the second best-selling album worldwide and the biggest selling album worldwide by any band."
"Some sources rank Back in Black as the second-best-selling album in history."
Had I only read the first sentence, I would be telling just about everybody who gave two shits about AC/DC that Back in Black was the second best-selling album of all time....done...it's a fact. However, I did read on, there appeared to be some discrepencies, and upon closer inspection through Wikipedia I found that Back in Black is actually one of four albums claiming to have sold over $40 million copies worldwide. This sort of makes it potentially tied for second place. That doesn't sound quite so much like a fact anymore.
I know recently Middlebury College in VT banned citing Wikipedia as a source for term papers, so academia has certainly begun taking steps to ensure that their integrity is withheld. Still, the fact remains that the majority of the populace is getting most of their facts from sites like Wikipedia, IMDB and Google seaches that lead us to random pages. People are fueling the collective global knowledge using the world wide web, and I am just as guilty as any of them. We used to say that "History is written by the winners," but now it seems that history and even the present is written by whomever has a mind to...and I'm not even sure that is a bad thing.
What I do know is that I love this world where I can instantly get the satisfaction of an answer to my most innane questions, and that I am usually only superficially concerned about the integriy of the source material. And honestly, are things really that different, or is it just that there are so many more sources than there used to be? Newspapers and televised news programs have been shouting out headlines as fast as they can for decades, and corrections and apologies rarely make the front page (there are exceptions - sorry, Dan Rather). At least most of the larger fact dispensing websites let the public know that they are instrumental in maintaining the accuracy of that website. Again, history now being written by the collective audience that it seeks to educate.
I guess that the facts that often matter are the ones that the most people agree upon, and when push comes to shove, it is the truths they believe in that really make a diffence in the long run.
How's that for deep?
So until then I'm going to be spreading the fact that Back in Black is the second best-selling album of all time, and I might even start telling people that Appetite for Destruction is the first. Is it a fact? If enough people belive me and start spreading it around, it might just become one.
Same to same,
Hendry
Friday, May 25, 2007
Sprint to get this Print
With Memorial Day upon us, so begins the summer season according to the powers that be. Therefore this is a perfect time to get your summer reading list together. I don't know that the books below are necessarily considered to be especially geared for the beach or for the lazy, hazy days of hot weather and flip-flops, but they are my favorite four books, and I thought I would throw them out there.
Dracula by Bram Stoker: That's right, Dracula. Price of the undead, vampire extraordinaire, long fangs, pale skin, night owl. I originally was turned off by the fact that the book is written as an epistolary, which is to say that all the chapters in the book are diary entries or letters written to other people or even newspaper articles; but in retrospect, this style of writing almost makes this supernatural tale feel more like a memoir of real events. Even in this day and age, this book is chilling. There are people I know who couldn't keep reading this book at night because they were being instilled with feelings of dread. If you think you know the whole story from seeing countless (well, there is always at least one Count) screen adaptations, think again, for few movies come close to touching upon all the major plot points, or even characters, in the novel. Lastly, don't be afraid that this novel is simply cheap, paperback horror writing, it is as beautiful a piece of literature as any I have read, which I am sure accounts for it being deeply embedded in our culture.
Catch 22 by Joesph Heller: I was never assigned to read this book in high school or college, and I count that among my blessings. When I tackled this book as an adult, I felt that I was probably better able to appreciate the black comedy and irony that saturates nearly every paragraph of this WWII surreal experience. Trying to describe this book is almost a waste of time, it is something that needs to be read to really understand; but, I promise you comedy, tragedy, action, stagnation, logic, nonsense and above all...satire. This book empowers its reader by fine tuning your mind into an instrument that can recognize the inherent hypocrisy and sheer silliness in the extremes of love, life and war.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein: This novel can be found in the science fiction section of your local bookstore, but don't let that turn you off it that is not your scene. This book is more social commentary than Star Wars. Heinlein merely uses the fantastic nature of the genre to create situations above and beyond the norm; these in turn give him the chance to show us the kind of world we could live in. Emotionally engaging, and often dealing with the ever complicated world of our sexuality, this book will challenge the way you approach relationships with people, and gives the reader a chance to look at society from a fresh pair of eyes for awhile. Time Enough for Love and I Will Fear No Evil are two other works of his that I find equally successful critiques of some of the more sensitive areas of our social norm.
The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson: Ok, so this is really a series of three novels following the adventures of a myriad of characters both fictional and real. It takes place in the late 1600's and is the most entertaining and informational history course I have ever taken. I think I learned more about the origins of modern science, theories of economy and currency, and European history than my combined years of knowledge leading up to my reading of this trilogy. That being said, it is by no means boring. Stephenson is sharp as a tack and makes me laugh out loud. His characters, even those based on real historical figures, are driven by the most outrageous (and sometimes depraved) motives. If you can muscle your way through the intimidating size of this body of work, and embrace his sometimes longer than necessary tangents, you will find yourself rewarded at the end with a breadth of knowledge and a satisfying adventure. To try the author on for size in a smaller piece of work, I also recommend Cryptonomicon or Snow Crash.
None of these appeal to you? Here's the short list of some things I've read over the past year or so:
Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist: Nice thriller set in England during the 1800's. One part science fiction, one part adventure.
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks: Disturbing little read about the strange, isolated existence of a young serial killer who has more secrets than even he knows.
Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forrester: Adventure on the high seas. Quick reads with plenty of smart action.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Suzanna Clarke: What if there were actually a wizard or two in England trying to bring back the practice in the 1800's. This book is not simply Harry Potter for adults.
So get your mind out and about this summer, and pick up something to read...and if you have some time, let me know what else I should be looking to read.
Same to same,
Capt. Patrick Hendry
Dracula by Bram Stoker: That's right, Dracula. Price of the undead, vampire extraordinaire, long fangs, pale skin, night owl. I originally was turned off by the fact that the book is written as an epistolary, which is to say that all the chapters in the book are diary entries or letters written to other people or even newspaper articles; but in retrospect, this style of writing almost makes this supernatural tale feel more like a memoir of real events. Even in this day and age, this book is chilling. There are people I know who couldn't keep reading this book at night because they were being instilled with feelings of dread. If you think you know the whole story from seeing countless (well, there is always at least one Count) screen adaptations, think again, for few movies come close to touching upon all the major plot points, or even characters, in the novel. Lastly, don't be afraid that this novel is simply cheap, paperback horror writing, it is as beautiful a piece of literature as any I have read, which I am sure accounts for it being deeply embedded in our culture.
Catch 22 by Joesph Heller: I was never assigned to read this book in high school or college, and I count that among my blessings. When I tackled this book as an adult, I felt that I was probably better able to appreciate the black comedy and irony that saturates nearly every paragraph of this WWII surreal experience. Trying to describe this book is almost a waste of time, it is something that needs to be read to really understand; but, I promise you comedy, tragedy, action, stagnation, logic, nonsense and above all...satire. This book empowers its reader by fine tuning your mind into an instrument that can recognize the inherent hypocrisy and sheer silliness in the extremes of love, life and war.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein: This novel can be found in the science fiction section of your local bookstore, but don't let that turn you off it that is not your scene. This book is more social commentary than Star Wars. Heinlein merely uses the fantastic nature of the genre to create situations above and beyond the norm; these in turn give him the chance to show us the kind of world we could live in. Emotionally engaging, and often dealing with the ever complicated world of our sexuality, this book will challenge the way you approach relationships with people, and gives the reader a chance to look at society from a fresh pair of eyes for awhile. Time Enough for Love and I Will Fear No Evil are two other works of his that I find equally successful critiques of some of the more sensitive areas of our social norm.
The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson: Ok, so this is really a series of three novels following the adventures of a myriad of characters both fictional and real. It takes place in the late 1600's and is the most entertaining and informational history course I have ever taken. I think I learned more about the origins of modern science, theories of economy and currency, and European history than my combined years of knowledge leading up to my reading of this trilogy. That being said, it is by no means boring. Stephenson is sharp as a tack and makes me laugh out loud. His characters, even those based on real historical figures, are driven by the most outrageous (and sometimes depraved) motives. If you can muscle your way through the intimidating size of this body of work, and embrace his sometimes longer than necessary tangents, you will find yourself rewarded at the end with a breadth of knowledge and a satisfying adventure. To try the author on for size in a smaller piece of work, I also recommend Cryptonomicon or Snow Crash.
None of these appeal to you? Here's the short list of some things I've read over the past year or so:
Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist: Nice thriller set in England during the 1800's. One part science fiction, one part adventure.
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks: Disturbing little read about the strange, isolated existence of a young serial killer who has more secrets than even he knows.
Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forrester: Adventure on the high seas. Quick reads with plenty of smart action.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Suzanna Clarke: What if there were actually a wizard or two in England trying to bring back the practice in the 1800's. This book is not simply Harry Potter for adults.
So get your mind out and about this summer, and pick up something to read...and if you have some time, let me know what else I should be looking to read.
Same to same,
Capt. Patrick Hendry
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Whose Camera is on First?
The past couple of nights the Yankees and the Red Sox have been playing a series, so I've been relaxing with a few baseball games in the evening. The other night while watching the game in New York City on the Boston based NESN, I began to wonder what the media set-ups were like for sport venues.
Now, the answer to this question could be as simple as this: each sports station makes sure that they are equipped with a very thorough mobile unit. One that brings video switchers, audio boards, mics, cameras and all that jazz. However, when you stop and think about all the time and effort that would be spent rebuilding and then tearing down all the pieces of such a major production, it seems that there must be a better system in place.
My best guess is that they must have an entire media suite already in place for those visiting teams. In my mind this suite would contain the switcher, audio board and the visiting team would have cameras already in place that are reserved for visiting media.
I also wonder if the meat of the game isn't the same for multiple broadcasters. When Andy Pettitte is on the mound with the glove over his face, and then the camera goes to a tight shot of Posada crouched behind the plate, follows the hit by Youkilis and then showcases the sweet defensive play by Cano, Jeter and Mientkiewicz ...this turn of events could be shared by ESPN, YES and NESN if they are all covering this game. Then during the dead time between plays, different networks can use the guest cameras around the stadium or use their own camera set ups that they have brought so that the shots focus in on players that the conversation is revolving around.
Truly I have no idea what really happens. I assume that a lot of the work is being done in the stations hometown where all the graphics are being added into the show (including players names, stats, fullscreen information and promotional material) but I would appreciate any light that could be shed on this.
Same to same.
Capt. Hendry
The idea really occured to me when I started thinking about the cameras used for these games. The cameras and their pedestals are pretty large pieces of equipment. It seems that they would not be very travel friendly. Then I started to think about all the other pieces of equipment that would need to be broken down and transported from stadium to stadium, sometimes with only a day of travel time in between. So how do they pull this off?
Now, the answer to this question could be as simple as this: each sports station makes sure that they are equipped with a very thorough mobile unit. One that brings video switchers, audio boards, mics, cameras and all that jazz. However, when you stop and think about all the time and effort that would be spent rebuilding and then tearing down all the pieces of such a major production, it seems that there must be a better system in place.
My best guess is that they must have an entire media suite already in place for those visiting teams. In my mind this suite would contain the switcher, audio board and the visiting team would have cameras already in place that are reserved for visiting media.
I also wonder if the meat of the game isn't the same for multiple broadcasters. When Andy Pettitte is on the mound with the glove over his face, and then the camera goes to a tight shot of Posada crouched behind the plate, follows the hit by Youkilis and then showcases the sweet defensive play by Cano, Jeter and Mientkiewicz ...this turn of events could be shared by ESPN, YES and NESN if they are all covering this game. Then during the dead time between plays, different networks can use the guest cameras around the stadium or use their own camera set ups that they have brought so that the shots focus in on players that the conversation is revolving around.
Truly I have no idea what really happens. I assume that a lot of the work is being done in the stations hometown where all the graphics are being added into the show (including players names, stats, fullscreen information and promotional material) but I would appreciate any light that could be shed on this.
Same to same.
Capt. Hendry
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Funniest Joke in the World
For those of you who are not familiar, there is a classic Monty Python sketch based around the plot that an English jokesmith creates an anecdote that inevitably results in the death of whomever should hear it. The joke then is employed by the British armed services in WWII. The joke is never heard in it's native tongue, but only in the German translation (worked on at a ratio of only one person per word...as they say, "one translator accidentally saw two words and was in a coma for weeks"....or something along those lines).
Anyway, for years I had been under the assumption that the German joke told in the episode did have an English translation that would result in an actual joke (secretly I expected some classic Vaudevillian one liner that everyone knows). Well, today Wikipedia has given me the answer, and I have survived. Here is the joke in both versions...READER BEWARE!
GERMAN: Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Slotermeyer? Ja! ... Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput.
ENGLISH: "When is the nowpiece 'git' and 'Slotermeyer'? Yes!... 'Beier'dog the or the 'Flipper'forest 'gersput'."
If you are still reading this now, then you obviously have not expired. That was always the greatest apprehension I had with translating this joke: would it be satisfying and funny enough to literally kill me, or would I be disappointed and still alive after reading the translation. To be honest, I am somewhere in the middle...the power of the joke is somewhat diminished by the fact that there was not a mortal result; however, there are still some pieces of gibberish in there that when properly translated could make this joke lethal.
The more I think about it, the more brilliant it is. I like to assume that those Monty Python guys are pretty damn smart, and had the foresight to know that people would never resist translating "the joke." By making parts of the joke completely untranslatable, they have still maintained the integrity of the joke's ability to cause the instantaneous expiration of any given individual. Sleep soundly in your beds, the joke remains safe.
Strangely enough...I think it makes me laugh more when I hear it in German.
Same to same,
Capt. Patrick Hendry
Commanding Officer Joke Division
Anyway, for years I had been under the assumption that the German joke told in the episode did have an English translation that would result in an actual joke (secretly I expected some classic Vaudevillian one liner that everyone knows). Well, today Wikipedia has given me the answer, and I have survived. Here is the joke in both versions...READER BEWARE!
GERMAN: Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Slotermeyer? Ja! ... Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput.
ENGLISH: "When is the nowpiece 'git' and 'Slotermeyer'? Yes!... 'Beier'dog the or the 'Flipper'forest 'gersput'."
If you are still reading this now, then you obviously have not expired. That was always the greatest apprehension I had with translating this joke: would it be satisfying and funny enough to literally kill me, or would I be disappointed and still alive after reading the translation. To be honest, I am somewhere in the middle...the power of the joke is somewhat diminished by the fact that there was not a mortal result; however, there are still some pieces of gibberish in there that when properly translated could make this joke lethal.
The more I think about it, the more brilliant it is. I like to assume that those Monty Python guys are pretty damn smart, and had the foresight to know that people would never resist translating "the joke." By making parts of the joke completely untranslatable, they have still maintained the integrity of the joke's ability to cause the instantaneous expiration of any given individual. Sleep soundly in your beds, the joke remains safe.
Strangely enough...I think it makes me laugh more when I hear it in German.
Same to same,
Capt. Patrick Hendry
Commanding Officer Joke Division
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Deerhoof Rocks?
There has been a small influx of music lately that I am finding hard to determine if I really like or not. A great example of this is the song by Deerhoof "Matchbook for Maniacs." The first few times I heard this song, I dismissed it as something a bit too disjointed for me and as a song that chose some musical notes that I would not have. I wasn't ready to go so far as to say I disliked it, but I wasn't won over instantly. Now, after hearing it a dozen+ times, I can't get it out of my head. I keep humming little bits of it as they pop in my head, and I don't even really know what the lyrics are that are stuck in there. So do I like this song now? I still am not sure if the song has won me over as a fan, or if I have merely embraced it as part of my current musical experience and thus accepted it for what it is. All I know is that I do kinda like the lady's high pitched, almost exotic, voice.
Some shit I am just not at all sure about: klaxons, and joanna newsom (I used to think I was just missing something with her music, now I think it just doesn't do it for me.)
On the opposite side of the spectrum, there has also been a huge number of catchy, almost poppy, songs that are storming the indie rock scene. Most notably for me:
the ark - absolutely no decorum
pipettes - pull shapes
belle and sebastian - another sunny day
jesse malin - in the modern world
amy winehouse - tears dry on their own
the apples in stereo - can you feel it? & energy
the pernice brothers - somerville
voxtrot - trouble
bright eyes - four winds
Poppy indie music always freaks me out a bit. I always feel a bit guitly about liking it as much as I do, maybe it is just because I feel like in the mid-90's when I was really getting into the indie scene at school is was so anti-pop. Still, there is no denying that the progression of indie rock over the past decade has, in my experience, opened up the door for poppy/catchy music. Personally, I think if you just follow the New Pornographer over their three albums you can see a sort of microcasmic example of this evolution. So I guess now a catchy song is still supercool, as long as it is kept sort of secret.
Same to same,
Captain Patrick Hendry
ps. some other bands to check -peter, bjorn and john, fujiya & miyagi, panda bear...if you are looking for these tracks I find that www.hypem.com is a good little resource for streaming.
Some shit I am just not at all sure about: klaxons, and joanna newsom (I used to think I was just missing something with her music, now I think it just doesn't do it for me.)
On the opposite side of the spectrum, there has also been a huge number of catchy, almost poppy, songs that are storming the indie rock scene. Most notably for me:
the ark - absolutely no decorum
pipettes - pull shapes
belle and sebastian - another sunny day
jesse malin - in the modern world
amy winehouse - tears dry on their own
the apples in stereo - can you feel it? & energy
the pernice brothers - somerville
voxtrot - trouble
bright eyes - four winds
Poppy indie music always freaks me out a bit. I always feel a bit guitly about liking it as much as I do, maybe it is just because I feel like in the mid-90's when I was really getting into the indie scene at school is was so anti-pop. Still, there is no denying that the progression of indie rock over the past decade has, in my experience, opened up the door for poppy/catchy music. Personally, I think if you just follow the New Pornographer over their three albums you can see a sort of microcasmic example of this evolution. So I guess now a catchy song is still supercool, as long as it is kept sort of secret.
Same to same,
Captain Patrick Hendry
ps. some other bands to check -peter, bjorn and john, fujiya & miyagi, panda bear...if you are looking for these tracks I find that www.hypem.com is a good little resource for streaming.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Feelin' a bit Old
I thought I felt old when I first heard three Nirvana songs in a row on the local classic rock block party, but hearing the Huey Lewis and the News anthem "Power of Love" on the oldies station yesterday may have made me feel even older.
same to same
same to same
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Con-Pro-Life
Watching the two installments of Masters of Horror directed by John Carpenter was like watching his entire career summed up in two hour long endeavors. The first episode, Cigarette Burns, was great. It was moody, atmospheric, well-acted, engaging, slightly disturbing with an interesting story and some solid gore. The second, Pro-Life, was like the second half of Carpenter's career...you watch it because you want to give him the benefit of the doubt and find some of that magic that he delivered in Big Trouble in Little China, or The Thing, but all you really get is Vampires or Ghosts of Mars. It had cheese for effects (although there was a bit of a shout out to the Thing in it) and just didn't hold the attention like it could have.
I thought he was back after Cigarette Burns, but unfortunately I was wrong. Although I did notice that his son is taking up scoring films.
Same to Same,
Capt. Hendry
I thought he was back after Cigarette Burns, but unfortunately I was wrong. Although I did notice that his son is taking up scoring films.
Same to Same,
Capt. Hendry
Last King of Scotland
This film was nothing like I expected. I had settled into the fact that this film would be a decent film which was heavily overshadowed by an amazing performance by Forest Whitaker. I figured that it would be heavy and depressing and more a performance piece than anything...I was terribly wrong.
The first half of this film is flat out fun. It is lively, it is funny and Whitaker is charismatic/psychotic. James McAvoy, who was a newcomer to my movie scene, plays his role as the youthful Scottish doctor with a contagious energy that carries the film (and the viewer) joyfully along with such momentum, that I didn't even realize the film had switched gears to a thriller before it was too late. I, like McAvoy's character, had become so embedded in the near Utopian lifestyle that Uganda was providing, that by the time Whitaker's character (the infamous dictator General Idi Amin Dada) starts to really scare me...it is way too late to just duck out.
I am surprised that this didn't get more Picture nominations in such a lackluster year....I really liked.
Same to Same.
Capt. Hendry
The first half of this film is flat out fun. It is lively, it is funny and Whitaker is charismatic/psychotic. James McAvoy, who was a newcomer to my movie scene, plays his role as the youthful Scottish doctor with a contagious energy that carries the film (and the viewer) joyfully along with such momentum, that I didn't even realize the film had switched gears to a thriller before it was too late. I, like McAvoy's character, had become so embedded in the near Utopian lifestyle that Uganda was providing, that by the time Whitaker's character (the infamous dictator General Idi Amin Dada) starts to really scare me...it is way too late to just duck out.
I am surprised that this didn't get more Picture nominations in such a lackluster year....I really liked.
Same to Same.
Capt. Hendry
Friday, May 18, 2007
Spidey Sense
I went to see Spiderman 3 the other day, here is my take on it. First off, Venom is where the money is in all aspects of this film. Venom, or the oily and sinewy alien symbiote that he originates as, was the big marketing push for this film. Everything is hyping up the dark side of Spiderman and the supercool black suit of his. Knowing that they drew the audience in with this, the filmmakers put the bulk of their effort into the way Venom looks, and it is awesome. Although it relies heavily on CGI, the effects are top notch, and the creature often looks almost as good as a practical effect (something I wish I could say for the Sandman, which looks like recycled footage from Brendan Fraiser's Mummy film in the late 90's - although he is a great character). Also, Tobey Maguire is having more fun that I have ever seen him have on screen as he plays Peter Parker gone bad and his enthusiasm makes for fun onscreen antics. The only real problem with the Venom storyline is that it doesn't kick in for a good hour and twenty minutes into the film.
Although it makes a very early appearance, don't expect the symbiote to be a major factor in the film for awhile. Instead get ready for Mary Jane and Peter figuring out their love life, Harry and Peter figuring out their friendship and of course, Peter figuring out himself. The character development isn't even bad, but the time spent on it is too long for me and a little bit repetitive. I feel like MJ and PP have the same talk three times in the film and Harry and Peter have the same discussion twice.
Still, once the action picks up, the last hour+ of the film is solid summer fare...and, damn, Venom looked good.
Same to same,
Capt. Hendry
Although it makes a very early appearance, don't expect the symbiote to be a major factor in the film for awhile. Instead get ready for Mary Jane and Peter figuring out their love life, Harry and Peter figuring out their friendship and of course, Peter figuring out himself. The character development isn't even bad, but the time spent on it is too long for me and a little bit repetitive. I feel like MJ and PP have the same talk three times in the film and Harry and Peter have the same discussion twice.
Still, once the action picks up, the last hour+ of the film is solid summer fare...and, damn, Venom looked good.
Same to same,
Capt. Hendry
Thursday, May 17, 2007
An Introduction
A quick note to all who wander over here...if you know me at all, you know I have much to say on movies, music, books, society, religion, food, beer...perhaps even fashion. Tired of verbally delivering the same reviews and opinions multiple times in one day, I figured I would just start posting them. I also encourage other people to tell me what is going on out in the world, 'cause I am always looking for something.
So come...read...write...leave...do as you will.
Same to same,
Capt Hendry
So come...read...write...leave...do as you will.
Same to same,
Capt Hendry
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