Top Two Movies Of 2010: And What They Mean To Me

   

And yes, I have seen Inception

The new Harry Potter movie was a bit of a surprise, the more I thought about it. Sure, parts of it were campy, and the ending wasn’t exactly a cliff hanger that made you beg to watch the second half. HOWEVER, it did what no fantasy movie to my knowledge really did. There was no you-are-the-one storylines we are used to and sick of, especially since we are this far along in the series. There is no endless training, there is no what-if-the-villain… (insert adjective, verb or long story here) that we are looking for, because we know who the villain is and what he is capable of. All it did was build. And build, and build. While I am not a huge fan of the Potter series, I must say that this is what we’ve come to expect before the big show down, but in a full length feature form. Yes, the movie makers are taking advantage of our money. But they also gave us a movie to make us think more than fear and wonder.

Black Swan actually follows in this same pattern. While this is a once-and-for-all movie, most of this movie is also about build up. There were many parts I noticed while watching this that seemed out of place and too brief to really add to the plot. But somehow Darren Aronofsky always does it – the transformation of a character means a lot of things, no matter how small and seemingly irrelevent it truly is. And while I found this movie also didn’t have an ending that blew your mind (like his other work does), this is his existential film about art. Why not give it your all? Why not be pushed to the brink? And while I’m sure there are many reasons you shouldn’t, for once a story tells you to go further than before.

While I can’t say that my life has been built up and built up without any resolve, or in any real way relate my life to the two movies as I did with the albums, I have to say that my movie tastes are changing. While on one hand, earlier in the year I arrogantly said that Inception failed at being Memento part 2, I’m realizing that each movie needs to tell its own story. Nevermind the cheese, nevermind the mellowdrama. Nevermind its over-the-topness. Let the movie bring you along and teach you its lessons. And well, may life do the same.

Top Two Records Of 2010: And What They Mean To Me

   

And yes, I have heard Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs

The Laura Veirs CD has a lot of backstory to it, most of which is history and lessons learned. I’ll just say I bought it on a whim, after having dinner with someone I thought was really cool. Actually, the album has a lot to do with something along those lines. To call the songs love songs is a bit of a stretch, but to call them anything else is less accurate. The first song I really dug was “When You Give Your Heart,” which is a simple folk song about wanting someone to love the singer. I could relate, seeing as how I fall for girls easily, and rarely get the same feeling back. But there is so much more to the album. “July Flame,” the title track, is about wanting that certain someone to be yours and yours alone. On the flipside, the opening track “I Can See Your Tracks” is about leaving the past where it is – which is a nice trick, cause the two tracks follow one another. “Saddle Song” might as well be about accepting ones own mortality, while “Make Something Good” is about just that – making something that lasts. Leaving something behind since you are bound to die. And just as I wrote when I first got it, calling it Twee is a bit of a stretch, and it certainly doesn’t rock like Indie Rock. This is perfect Indie Pop.

The other album, Belle and Sebastian’s CD was a bit of a surprise. I didn’t even know they had a new album, and it pretty much blew me away. While over time it looses its newness, certain songs are really unique. “I Want The World To Stop” is the most catchy song I’ve heard all year, with perfect backing vocals and borderline dance beat. “Ghost of Rockschool” is probably the most objective song I’ve heard in a while, with lyrics like She’s in her tower and she’s beautiful sure/the quicker you learn/she has no soul to discern/at least no business of yours/you bear the vacuum of scars/she was put there tempt you like the perfume of flowers. You see, there are some worth persuing, there are others who are just no good for you, no matter how you feel. Even better, the understated “Calculating Bimbo” has a wonderful line It’s better still to love her/it’s harder still to love her – sometimes it’s better to do what you have to, even if you don’t want to; just as it’s written in the liner notes.

You see, this past year has been just about that. I used to think I was so intelligent thinking about life and what it means. But I’ve learned that there’s no point waiting to be loved, if you can’t love. Which is something I need to learn to do.

Best Scene Ever?

It has to be!

P.S. I have some personal news, which is funny, cause I wanted to kinda focus on career goals, and not personal news. So, I’ll try to put it on the back burner…

*sigh* Why does life do this?

2001: A Takk… Odessey

I found the synch I’ve been looking for ever since I watched 2001.

I’m also drunk right now, so maybe the synch isn’t actually there. Orange soda and rum – yum!!!

Happy December!!!

I really wanna see you really wanna be with you

Wow, has it really been nine years already?

Thank you so much George. You left us too soon.

Giving thanks?

I’ll take it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOgpT5rEKIU

So, here we are again, this time of year. The Holidays. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, Christmas in just over a month away, and New Years will be here a week later. We only have maybe, 5 full weeks left of this year!

But time is a personal matter. What you do with it is up to you. You can be selfish, and realize that 5 weeks isn’t much time to get a lot done. Or you can realize that 5 weeks is a good amount of time to change, even if it is only for the holidays. It really bugs me, that we have friends and family over only for the holidays, and not any other days. The same with gifts and things – I realize if we gave someone a $1 gift each day we’d have to shill out $365 on one person each year. But is that really a lot? Okay, it is, cause I don’t even think my totals for Christmas gifts is even near $365.

But I need to realize, and probably some of you do too, that my friends are my true gifts. My family is, although I like the one saying, you can pick your friends but you can’t pick your family. And I should realize that I have a lot that my friends like. That may sound selfish, and it is a selfish point of view, but that isn’t what I mean. It’s that I should enjoy what I have as much as my friends do, as they should do with themselves. I realize that my friends don’t vent to me their personal problems, and vise-versa (mostly), and those problems can bog down the things I have that I’m good at. But I’m happy with who I am, and what I have. Both possession wise and mutual wise.

So don’t worry about getting that one last thing you want right now. It’s time to reflect on the year it’s been, and good times shared this past year. And remind them too, when you see them over the holidays.

It already feels like winter.

I dunno why. But it does.

I feel lifeless, and it’s isn’t even 8. I feel cold, but I’m sitting in the warmest room in the place (though, the heater isn’t on yet). I’m drinking coffee, but even that seems awfully dull.

I don’t know what to do. I feel alone. I feel left out. I want something, need something right now. But I probably won’t get it. This season…it does something to you.

You can’t live, with everything dead around you. You can’t see things to the end, cause the end is in sight.

And it isn’t even November yet…

3 Years Of Me & Ukulele

I never posted “Life’s Too Fun” on this blog (I don’t think – I should verify that). But I’ve put up a lot of ukulele tunes I’ve made. Perhaps one day when I get my own laptop back I’ll post more.

But ya know, with the weather how it is, I see why 3 years ago I wrote “Life’s Too Fun”. It’s worth celebrating. Snow has stopped falling; winter is indeed appalling. Spring has just sprung, what can be done?

I remember a few months ago writing my 100 Word Challange about “Hey Pal” arguably my best song. I remember the night I recorded it. I remember a few of the other songs I’ve uploaded…

And well, I’m impressed. I’m still going with it, even if it’s just a hobby. When I play that simple D-chord, I’m impressed cause my voice can’t do that. I play the impossible to pair with anything B7 chord, but use it in an instrumental, I’m ecstatic. And well, I keep it. It’s harmony; nearly perfection.

100 Word Challange: Valentine’s Day

I hate Valentine’s Day.

Hate is passion. Love is passion.

For once I don’t know what to do this Valentine’s Day. Usually it’s no one, occasionally it’s one. Now it could be two. But I’m probably just dreaming…

I can follow through with plans – which should be enough, for both. I can change plans, but I think that will ruin what I have. I can just ignore the fact, but that doesn’t change the fact.

However it’s also the Chinese New Year. I can let things be. Let the pieces fall where they may – as long as I come out fine.

Take One Step Forward, Take Two Steps Back

…Cause I’m dressed like a cat

Yay Family Guy reference!

Life’s getting weird. I dunno where to begin. But you do stuff, you make change. And it either goes wrong, goes wrong and then goes right, or slowly fades between the two. I dunno where to begin. So, I won’t.

Instead, I’ll just marvel. You make change. Something happens in return. The day to day stuff is exciting, and worth noting. It’s not worth overlooking, it should be appreciated.

But you make change, and change will make you. You kick a pebble, it will hit something it wouldn’t have. While this doesn’t effect you, unless it hits a nearly run down building that then collapses, it changed what small universe was around it. When you return it will never be the same. So, you make change. And you might end up further back than you started, but it will forever change the course of your life.

I dunno where it is either, but I tell you what – I accept it.