It's been one of those sunny, hot and busy weeks that often lead me to sitting at my computer thinking "Well I should probably write something". Or maybe I just read some journalism for the first time in a good few months and felt like it was something I'd like to do again. What We Watched was always my favourite thing to write. It was like a diary based around culture which to be honest is the only thing I find worth documenting. I did keep a diary for a while, but when I read it back it became apparent the only things I wrote were "Ate some delicious food" and "The film was brilliant" and variations there of. I'm gonna throw in some music and other forms of cultural art pursuits cause hell, films are only 25% of living a good art filled existence.
Picture
My favourite tree is the silver birch. It's a strange statement I admit. I honestly never thought I'd be the type of person to have a favourite tree but hey, it's happened I'm that guy who says things like "My favourite tree". Anyway this wonderful painter called Julia Wardingley has an entire collection of Silver Birch oil paintings. Maybe I'm a sucker for that bumpy texture you get from oil paintings but just looking at a forest of silver birch trees makes me happy. Promise I won't talk about trees now (trees are so awesome).
Films
****
When I missed Wes Anderson's new film at the cinema I realised that Orange Wednesdays is still a thing and is apprently incredibly popular. I can't say I was more annoyed that I didn't think it'd be busy or that I didn't even have a code to get the cheaper tickets. Anyway, about six months later and I've finally seen it. Clearly it's a wonderful film. It's a lot like Fantastic Mr. Fox in terms of pacing and a lot like Steve Zissou in terms of tone. The one thing I would say is that it's in no way surprising. It's that same warm comforting Wes Anderson glow most of us love. For better or for worse, it didn't really feel anything but superficially different to the rest of his catalogue.
Quadrilogy of Documentaries
For some reason documentaries have become something I binge watch. I always watch one and immediately watch at least two more. Yesterday I decided I could think of nothing more enjoyable than staying in bed and watching documentaries about lawsuits, women in media, climate change and Evangelical Christians indoctrinating kids into the fray...as you do. However I always rate documentaries as films. By which I mean how entertaining and artistic they are as a film rather than just was it an interesting topic. Just pointing a camera at some people and asking some questions for 90 minutes to me does not justify a feature film, you've got to justify the art form you've chosen. Essentially I'd give it 1 or 2 if it was just terrible or with a glimmer of promise, 3 if it was interesting but didn't justify its existence as a film. Chasing Ice has a fascinating topic and the work it puts forward is interesting but the film itself only shows that work. The research is 5 stars clearly, but showing 5 star research doesn't lead to a 5 star film. Finally, 4 or 5 if it's reached that wonderful level of art and fact. Restrepo is a good example. Film is that only way to appreciate the story it tells.
Hot Coffee - **** Jesus Camp - **** Miss Representation - *** Chasing Ice - ***
Dragonslayer
*****
Writing all that has reminded me of a documentary that I watched a few weeks ago. Dragonslayer is about a 20 something guy who has recently become a Dad and is a skater who decides that skating is all he wants from life. It's hard to explain why I adored this film so much but it is a rare perfect film to me. I know a few people who skate, but not so intimately that I have ever sat in a skate park and forced them to accept me as a groupie. It's a world that has always deeply fascinated me. I have no interest in it as a professional sport (Not that I don't respect it, I just have little interest in any sport) but as a culture it is the most exceptional thing I can think of. Maybe if I myself skated the magic would vanish but as an external observer it is a mythical and exciting world. I just realised I'm rambling. Maybe because I don't understand my infatuation with this culture. Dragonslayer is just awesome. P.S. Filming skaters is the most fun you can have if you've never tried it.
Dragonslayer
*****
Writing all that has reminded me of a documentary that I watched a few weeks ago. Dragonslayer is about a 20 something guy who has recently become a Dad and is a skater who decides that skating is all he wants from life. It's hard to explain why I adored this film so much but it is a rare perfect film to me. I know a few people who skate, but not so intimately that I have ever sat in a skate park and forced them to accept me as a groupie. It's a world that has always deeply fascinated me. I have no interest in it as a professional sport (Not that I don't respect it, I just have little interest in any sport) but as a culture it is the most exceptional thing I can think of. Maybe if I myself skated the magic would vanish but as an external observer it is a mythical and exciting world. I just realised I'm rambling. Maybe because I don't understand my infatuation with this culture. Dragonslayer is just awesome. P.S. Filming skaters is the most fun you can have if you've never tried it.
**
First, I don't like Brain De Palma's Carrie anymore or less than this film. To me, Carrie can only ever be what it is. A short horror novella that turns highschool into mysticism and hyperbole. I just don't think there's much to it as a story. The final scenes after Carrie has been humiliated don't feel cathartic. I want her to kill all those that have wronged her and feel catharsis myself. Transpose all the faces of my childhood bullies onto the enemies of Carrie and laugh at her vengeance. If you'll allow me to go off on a tangent, I think it would be hard to turn a book I don't think much of into a film I think highly of. The only time it's happened to me was with The Hunger Games. I really did not enjoy the book but I think the film is well worthwhile. Writing is very important to me in a book, I can't read a book that has a great story but is terribly written. The Hunger Games has a great world and plot but the writing was so dire I just didn't care. I won't say Carrie is terribly written (mainly because I read it when I was 12) but if the plot doesn't engage me, how can the film engage me?
Songs
I probably spend 50% of my waking hours listening to music however I don't have much skill in writing about it or at least I don't feel my words will help illuminate the good things I see in the music I love. The one thing I can do however is link you to three songs and let you hear the things I enjoyed hearing. If you want to hear me say "Sick Beats" or "Those lyrics made me sad :(" feel free to imagine me saying that as you listen! Also, I can't rate music out of five. It's too short a medium to judge in such strict constraints.
I probably spend 50% of my waking hours listening to music however I don't have much skill in writing about it or at least I don't feel my words will help illuminate the good things I see in the music I love. The one thing I can do however is link you to three songs and let you hear the things I enjoyed hearing. If you want to hear me say "Sick Beats" or "Those lyrics made me sad :(" feel free to imagine me saying that as you listen! Also, I can't rate music out of five. It's too short a medium to judge in such strict constraints.
