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lilspice05 · 4 years

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Review time loves

Hey my lil Spicers, I know it's been a while and you've been waiting for me to post. So this week we are going to be doing something a little bit different. I'm going to be doing a movie review on a really old movie that actually has been banned in England and a few other countries for how outgoing it is.

Which is why for this week's blog I had the pleasure of watching the crazy, out of the world, and all out weird movie called A Clockwork Orange directed by Stanley Kubrick. This film is actually based off the 1962 novel written by Anthony Burgess and took place in England. This movie itself focuses on multiple issues that society had around the 70's such as drugs, unfair laws, and high crime. Which is based on all those issues plus religion and how everyone has a devil and god side inside of them and depending on how we are winded up like a toy is the side we choose. The director's purpose of making this film was to get not just society but every person to start to realise what was right and wrong. Now I myself had been told by other people that before watching expect something weird and just plain strange. Well I definitely wasn't disappointed as their were scenes of weird men and women sitting in a bar with mankins all around drinking milk, dicks and vagins all on the walls, a woman killed with a giant dick, and even when Alex the main character played by Malcom McDowell is being tested to show he’s cured had a man yelling at him to lick his shoe and a naked women shoved into his face. I will say this as well if you are not a fan of nudity and or rape, violence, or even police brutally then this is not the movie for you. However, it is a really good movie for adults or people who want the real truth about society and it’s dark side. As Alex himself is the narrator throughout the film giving a deeper meaning. With saying that scene that really couldn’t get out of my mind even as you are reading this was when the main character Alex was strapped down in the chair and had his eyes forcefully held open with surgical tools. They did this to the main character as an experiment to try and expel the ‘evil’ out of him, but in the process they were doing some terrible things themselves. The scientists or people who were in charge of the experiment made him watch a series of short films, twice daily. These films included rape in the form called ‘in and out’ by the main character Alex, scenes from World War II, people dressed in all white like his old so called ‘friends’ used to wear. Those so called ‘friends’, Dim and Georgie back played by Warren Clarkeand and James Marcus back home had stabbed him in the back and left him alone to deal with all the consequences of their crimes that they were accomplices too. All of these films related to Alex and really messed with his mind throughout the film. He was also given drugs that caused him to feel nauseous throughout this process so his mind would form a pattern relating to seeing these events and how he actually felt. Those in charge of the experiment were brainwashing Alex into believing that he was actually nauseous whenever he was faced with ‘evil situations leaving him vorable. The scientists even accidentally made his brain form a pattern between the music playing during these films as well and he became nauseous later on in the movie when he heard a song by Beethoven play, which happened to only be the 9th. The brainwashing changed Alex’s life and he was not prepared to go back out into the dark world that was out waiting for him. His family basically forced him out of the house, he got beat down in the streets, and then his so called ‘friends’ returned with badges and they were now cops. They took him into the woods and nearly killed him and left him to die. By the end of the movie, enough was enough for Alex and he decided he no longer wanted to live with his mind being in the state he was in and he jumped out of the window in what looked to be like a 3 story building. While this fall did not kill him, it relinquished him of his burden that the scientists had put on him. His injuries had practically erased those patterns that had formed and his mind was once again free. Alex was no longer trapped with the burden of feeling nauseous whenever something bad happened in front of him. Leading towards the end of the movie where he just finally just flips a switch and becomes the person he was before.

If you're still here after reading all of that and slowly processing how much this film takes you through, I have to say it's a 4 out of 10 on the scale for me. It wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen but it also wasn't the best either.It was actually in my top 10 worst films though. It was just too weird for me as it was totally out of my comfort zone and differently could have been filmed in a different way to portray some of the problems as I said above differently. Also not to mention it made a renfence to being gay and how bad it was back then it was frowned upon. That wouldn't really be expected in this day of age as everyone has their opinion. That's why I wouldn't recommend this movie to really anyone unless for an example of what not to do.

Well i’m little Spicers, it's always the best writing for you guys and gals and i hope this review gives you the insight that you needed on a film that no one really knew was still around. As always have a spicy day and I love each and every one of you.

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sophrosinn · 4 years

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the (un)lucky ones

story description:

“the story’s great, but I think it would be better if the story ended like this”

Affronted at the audacity of the comment, she furiously replies, “then write your own story, asshole!”

word count: 2,048

a/n: happiest solar anniversary to one of my best girls @vanaera! thank you for being the bestest friend a girl could ever ask for. this short story, which is loosely based irl, serves as my gift to you. i hope you’ll like it!

shout-out to @senfleurs for being the best gal and helping me out with this. she even stepped up and edited this omg, and i cannot stress how much I’m thankful, lol especially she made sure that I get to finish this on time

—

In retrospect, she knows better than to let some dumb comment, especially from someone on the Internet, rile her up this much. Even her followers tell her as much: it’s unwarranted, insensitive even. One of her followers, hippopopo tries to take it a step further, justifying by saying, verbatim: It’s her story anyway!!! So only she knows how the story should end best, okay! 😤😠💢

(in actuality, she has qualms about that, mostly because she had read some books which she thought didn’t end well. but that would take time to unpack and this story isn’t about that, no. she’s flattered at the support, nonetheless.)

And yet, there she is at 8 in the morning, her fingers furiously gliding across her keyboard as she writes a spite-filled story in response. Oftentimes, her muse for writing comes from movies she watched with her family, or from songs she heard on Korean dramas, or those meet-cute scenarios she gushed about with her best friends. This time, however, spite’s her main gal.

She finishes at 10. Later at 4 in the afternoon, she posts it. About an hour later, she doesn’t even try to contain the smirk lighting up her face when a familiar notification pops up.

—

The story starts with an inconspicuous like from a user named agust-d five months ago. Back then, she thought nothing of it. A day later, agust-d comments on a story from her drabble series. Since then, every day without fail, agust-d leaves a small token of their appreciation for her works; brief, concise comments such as, “nice job on the flower descriptions,” or “i liked it.”

Belatedly, she wonders if agust-d is a person of few words, because why else would they leave comments with only six words or less, even on her works with over 30k words? Don’t get her wrong, of course she’s eternally grateful for all the support she receives from her affectionate dears. But sometimes, especially on days her self-confidence plummets and she’s in need of reassurance, she ponders if all her efforts are for naught. (of course not, never, she gently reminds herself.)

And each day, she resists the growing urge to reply: don’t you have anything more to say!!! (but alas, she isn’t a rude person—unless provoked—she can’t so she settles with letting her mind wander.)

Three months of this and she finally caves in. With her interest piqued, she browses through agust-d’s posts. After two hours, she learns that agust-d goes by suga online. Coincidentally, Suga is a male student at the same university she’s currently attending. For a moment, she briefly considers a possibility—what are the chances that they’ve met, have fallen into step alongside each other, have passed by him in the large hallways, or have shared her table with him at the library during exam season? The possibility of knowing someone without actually knowing them?

(that’s the funny thing about the online world, she supposes. you may know all that matters about someone: their likes, dislikes, kinks, fears, and horrid taste in music, absolutely everything except that one thing that matters the most: their names.)

Suga, she eventually learns, is not a man of few words. In truth, he’s got a few words too many to say about a diverse range of controversial topics. In his words, his passion burns bright and clear, but for her, he doesn’t shine any brighter than when he talks about music. It shows in his blog, which consists of a myriad of album reviews across different genres (fascinating, she notes, their music interests align as well).

Occasionally, he posts his renditions of some popular rap music, and as sporadic as this happens, she admits that his covers are her favorite part of his blog. And naturally, she refuses to acknowledge that it has everything to do with her fascination with deep, raspy voices, which, (un)fortunately for her, Suga undoubtedly has.

After some serious debating with herself, she decides to not follow him back. But she makes sure to check his profile every other day for no real reason, really, her soul wallowing in denial. In her defense, when did anyone need a reason to stalk someone?

And so, it begins, her fascination with this stranger on the other side of the screen. Never in her whole life did she imagine herself harboring a (teeny-tiny, infinitesimal) crush towards someone on the Internet. Certainly, she knows there’s always a one-in-a-thousand chance that it happens in real life, it’s just that out of all the 7 billion people in the world, she wasn’t expecting herself to be the (un)lucky one.

—

The fateful day begins like any other. She wakes up to a brand new day, at 7 am, and like clockwork, she begins to stretch atop her pink yoga mat. Halfway through her workout, her phone pings with a new notification. Immediately, her phone screen lights up: agust-d has left a comment on your work!

Her traitorous heart skips a beat in the utmost display of betrayal. It’s Suga!

Ever since she scrolled through his blog two months ago, she has been exchanging messages with Suga. Her covert mission to surreptitiously listen to his song covers ends miserably when she accidentally double-clicks on a post he made two years ago. A string of expletives followed as she stared agonizingly at the post. She attempts to remove her blunder, but soon accepts defeat as it doesn’t even take a full minute until she receives a message notification from Suga. The internal debate resumes as her finger clumsily hovers on the computer mouse and she hesitantly clicks. From thereon, the rest, as they say, is history.

She ends up following his account the day after.

Although, if she were being truthful, all they’ve been sending back and forth are pleasantries. Suga seems hellbent on keeping the conversations polite and distant. She doesn’t understand, it’s not like she’s flirting with him! All she just wants is a compelling conversation with someone (because the Lord knows how much she needs an intellectual to talk to; and suga seems like an intellectual, if his posts are anything to go by).

She unlocks her phone and throws herself onto her bed. Normally, her lips quirk up automatically in response to seeing his name pop on her notifications, but it is not the case for this time. Instead, a frown mars her forehead as she reads his comment.

agust-d: the story’s great, but I think it would be better if the story ended like this

For a moment, she can’t believe her eyes. She blinks a few more times in the hope that her eyes were just playing tricks on her. Nada, it remains the same.

If there’s one thing to know about her, it’s that she meticulously plans out every detail in her stories. She even spends weeks to outline a draft, and even then, it must be decent enough before she puts it in writing. Publishing her works online, for all the world to see, still intimidates her even after all this time. Not knowing how people will respond to her works frightens her, but what is life without a little fear?

In addition, she’s receptive to constructive criticisms, but criticisms that come from those she looks up to? It’s a bitter pill to swallow sometimes. Suga—he’s become one of those people, and seeing his comment really hurt. She turns her phone off and does her chores for the time being. The moment she logs back in, she is taken aback by the multitude of comments expressing the same sentiment.

bubbleboy: “Yeah, I agree, I think it would be best if the story ended in this manner.”

She can’t help but feel the bubble of anger gradually rising. Another even started with,

orange-gloss: “No offense, but the ending being suggested by others is kinda good.”

The audacity and the entitlement in this comment! Asking her to not be offended when it is within her right to take offense is absolutely laughable. Furthermore, who are you to even tell me how I should react?

When she reaches the 20th comment, she explodes. The next two hours find her furiously typing out a decent response disguised as a story, albeit with passive-aggressiveness, addressed to all of the comments, but primarily to the one left by Suga. She talks to the rude commenters with the sweet addition of a phrasing 101 lesson. In her contained rage, she ends with the note: remember, it doesn’t hurt to be nice, and if you have qualms about how I ended my own story, do me and yourself a favor and write your own story!

She makes up her mind to take some time off her blog for a while. But after a familiar notification pops up at 5 PM, she resists the urge to run away and instead, opts to open the messages he sent.

agust-d: i’ll admit, the way I said it was rude

agust-d: but I stand with what I said

agust-d: you should consider the possibility as well

seen

(In hindsight, she realizes that, for once, Suga’s comment surpasses 25 words.)

—

After the whole debacle with the barrage of rude comments and her consequent outburst, everything has never been the same. Understandably, some of her fans have left since then, but the majority stayed with her and for that, she’s eternally grateful. Although she still publishes her stories and interacts with her followers, a certain emptiness fills her at times.

A part of her thinks it has a lot to do with Suga, who she doesn’t talk to anymore. She… doesn’t know how to respond to him after her outburst. In a span of a moment, she manages to both defend her honor and drag agust-d through the mud, which was never her intention to begin with. Okay, well, maybe just a little bit. But she’s hurt, so it only makes sense to retaliate.

If only she could easily strike back in her current situation.

Unbeknownst to her, someone with the handle void-mayo tags her on a malicious post the night before, calling her out for being fake. Apparently, she’s a ‘copycat writer wanna-be with no real ideas of her own.’

She only discovers it when her followers start sending her messages of reassurance and appreciation. Of course, she checks the post at once, reading carefully and taking in everything that was written. (Shit, at least I have a better username, she muses). And not for the first time, she feels hurt, uneasy, and anxious at the same time. Void-mayo is already an established writer, with years of exposure under her belt and a large army of rabid fans at her disposal. Meanwhile, she’s just started her writing blog. And although she’s diligent, thorough, and ensures that each of her stories has its own personality and flavor, most of void-mayo’s fans wouldn’t care. She can’t risk losing her credibility over a baseless accusation such as this!

And with that, she feels anger bubbling from the pit of her stomach. She doesn’t get the purpose behind the destructive post. She gets humiliated, her reputation tarnished, and worse just because she had written a similar scene with an ice cream . It certainly doesn’t help that others are quick to join in calling her names and ‘cancelling her’ without even bothering to check the facts.

And as she contemplates on how to proceed with such a delicate situation, her dashboard refreshes. At the top, she notices that agust-d reblogs void-mayo’s post with the addition of his response and for once, the word count exceeds 100.

—

In a roundabout way of saying sorry and expressing her gratitude, she proceeds to write the ending Suga requested. And illuminated by the dim light of her laptop screen, she can begrudgingly admit that he does have a point; his version of the ending does make sense.

—

fin.

—

omake

agust-d: so am i forgiven yet?

you: i don’t know

you: maybe you’ll have to make it up to me

you: and get me some coffee first?

you: 😉

—

a/n pt. 2: happiest birthday to you again! i’m so grateful to have met you in this lifetime. truly, like you’re the best. even if your internet connection’s always shitty, you always find ways to join our chats and discord parties. just thank you, for all the countless laughs that i’ve had with (and because of) you, for the counsel with my writing, and for the stories and advice you’ve willingly shared with us. here’s to our three years of friendship and counting! i love you so much! enjoy this day and stay safe!

p.s. keep rocking and keep writing! we’ll always be here with you! muah! ❤️❤️❤️

p.p.s. hihi 🦆🍄

#birthday fic #for #vanaera #this is the first fic i've finished writing #my own fic #omg #also #all the uns in this fic are for comedic relief #esp void-mayo #from stardew valley #bts #min yoongi #fic

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purplesurveys · 4 years

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782

Your ten favorite movies

Movie number one: Two for the Road (surprise surprise) 1) Who's the main actor? Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney. 2) When did it come out? Pretty long time ago. It came out in 1967 if I’m not mistaken. 3) What's the genre? Romantic comedy and drama. 4) Do you know where it was filmed at? Yeah, as far as I know the whole film was shot on location throughout southern France. 5) How old were you when you saw it? I don’t actually remember the exact year anymore, but it was either in 2013 or 2014, which makes me 15 or 16 when I watched it for the first time.

Movie number two: Good Will Hunting 1) Who's an actress in this movie? Minnie Driver, and she did such a fantastic fucking job with her role.

2) Out of 10 stars you'd give it? 9.5. The part where Robin Williams and the actor playing the math teacher handle their differences was a bit blah for me, but the film was otherwise perfect. 3) Did it have a surprise ending? I wouldn’t call it a surprise. It was a well-deserved ending for the main character and I’m sure everyone who’s ever watched this movie rooted for such an ending as well. 4) How long was it? Around two hours? idk I never checked. 5) Did you first see it in theatres? Hahahaha definitely not. It came out five months before I was born. Movie number three: A Clockwork Orange 1) What's this movie rated? Like, in terms of parental advice or its score? I’m not sure so I’ll put both. The film in all its unedited glory got an X rating which is real fucking understandable given that, in my opinion, this was Kubrick’s most intense work; though in my research just now they were able to tone it down to R after Kubrick edited out a certain scene. As for its score, it holds an 87% in Rotten Tomatoes and 8.3/10 on IMDb. 2) Did critics approve of it? Critics definitely approved of it as a piece of film, but I’m sure it was very uncomfortable for the viewing public. 3) Who were you with when you saw it? I watched it on my own. I didn’t know what it was gonna be about, so I was in for the shock of my life when Alex and his droogs broke into the first house. 4) Did this movie make you cry? No but it made me feel uneasy. 5) Who are five actors/actresses in this movie? I only remember Malcolm MacDowell, who played the lead character. I’m honestly not familiar with the other actors. Movie number four: Revolutionary Road 1) Is the main actor your favorite actor? One of them is - Kate Winslet. I’m alright with Leonardo DiCaprio but he isn’t my favorite. 2) Do you know how old he is? Kate Winslet? Not so sure, but I think she’s like 45. 3) Did this movie make you laugh? This movie is not to be laughed at lol 4) Last time you watched it? A few months ago before they took it out of Netflix forever, ugh. 5) Are you the appropiate age to see it by yourself? Yes. And I would rather watch it by myself, because it’s a lot to take in. Movie number five: Gone with the Wind 1) What made you mad about this movie? The racism that surrounded the film makes me angry. For example, the actress who played Mammy (Hattie McDaniel) was the first black actor to be nominated for an Oscar, but she wasn’t even allowed to attend the ceremony where she was nominated in. It took one Clark Gable throwing a fit and threatening to boycott the event for the higher-ups to finally agree on Hattie attending the Oscars. 2) Was it based on a true story? It was based on real historical events, but the story itself wasn’t real. 3) Do you wish it was real in any way? It kinda was. 4) So what's it about, anyways? This is really not one of those movies you can explain in one sentence lol but uh rich privileged southern belle gets entangled in the Civil War, marries thrice and never for love, everyone around her dies, and once she’s left alone we see her fend for herself and start building a life of her own. That doesn’t even do the movie justice and if you really wanna know, best to watch all four hours of it. 5) Did they make a video game out of this movie? OMG no, that would be in such poor taste. Movie number six: Room 1) Did this movie bore you at any time? Not at all. It had me invested from start to finish. 2) Was there a kiss scene? I don’t know, I don’t think so. 3) Who was the protagonist (main character)? Brie Larson plays the lead role, but I’ve forgotten her character’s name, or if she even had one. 4) Have you seen this movie more than once? Absolutely. This was my favorite film for a brief period and I watched it everyday then. 5) Last time you saw it? 2016, probably. Movie number seven: Roman Holiday 1) What is this movie's genre? Romantic comedy. 2) Are there any kid actors in this movie? Nopes. 3) Where did it all take place? A biiiiiiig chunk of the movie was shot on location in Rome. 4) Who was the biggest star in the movie? Gregory Peck. Swoon. Fun movie fact! This was Audrey Hepburn’s feature film debut, and originally the studio was to give her a much smaller billing at the start of the movie compared to Gregory. He had an inkling Audrey was gonna end up super popular once the film got released, so he told the studio to give her equal billing, which technically made her also the big star in the movie alongside Gregory. He wasn’t wrong. 5) What year did it come out? 1953. Movie number eight: Requiem For A Dream 1) Main actor and/or actress? Oh dude, a lot. This movie didn’t fuck around with its cast lol you had Jared Leto, Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans. 2) Is this a one-time only movie? I have no idea what you mean by this. 3) Is it a sequel to anything? Nopes. 4) How much money did it make? Bruh I don’t know lmao? I’ll have to Google that - Wikipedia says it made $7.4 million. 5) Favorite part? It’s not my favorite part because it makes me happy, but for me the most memorable scene was when the mom was at the peak of her addiction and her refrigerator came to life. The montage in the end also gave me goosebumps. Movie number nine: Carol 1) When did you first see this movie? 2015. It was one of the factors that made Gab and I reconcile as friends, so I’m super thankful that this film allowed us to bond. 2) Did it take a second time for you to like it? Not at all. I was in love with it from the very beginning. 3) Does it have a happy ending? Yes. 4) Who would you recommend it to? People who want an LGBT film with a happy ending. 5) What's its theme song? It doesn’t really have one, but its score was composed by Carter Burwell. OH I just remembered Billie Holiday’s Easy Living was featured prominently in one scene, but it’s not really the movie’s theme song. Movie number ten: Portrait of a Lady on Fire 1) Do you still have the movie ticket? I think mine is still with Gabie, if she kept it. 2) Favorite part? Everything about this movie was beautiful. I loved when Héloïse’s dress caught on fire, when Marianne was drawing Héloïse in her sleep, when Marianne finally saw her vision come to life, when Marianne attended the exhibit and saw the painting of Héloïse...and that final fucking scene. 3) Were there any songs you knew in this movie? Nope. I don’t remember if they played any songs. 4) A quote from this movie: “In solitude, I felt the liberty you spoke of. But I also felt your absence.” and “Do all lovers feel they’re inventing something?” 5) Were the main actors/actresses a perfect match or not so much? Yes they FREAKING WERE AAAAHHHHHHHH Random Questions 1) Which one have you seen most on DVD? Gone with the Wind, but only because it’s the only film in this selection that I have on DVD. 2) Which one have you seen most in theatres? Other than Portrait, I didn’t get to catch these in the cinema. 3) Did your parents like any of them? They haven’t seen any of the movies I picked. 4) Which one did you see with your best friend? Carol and Portrait hahahaha, both lesbian movies. She was the one who made me watch them in the first place too. 5) Would you see #1 again? Over and over again. I will never grow tired of it. 6) Is #4 a movie you can only watch every once in a while? Yes, super accurate. The subject matter is very heavy to begin with, so pair that with superb acting and you’ve got yourself a movie that’s hard to get through. 7) Was #5 hard to understand? Only because it’s sooooo long and there are so many plots and subplots. Also, as someone who has never actually read about the Civil War in full detail, it has also hampered my understanding of some of the events in the movie. 8) Did you see #2 the day it came out? I didn’t see it until like, 18 years after its original release. 9) Do you have #3's movie ticket still? I never had it to begin with. 10) Are there any sequels to these movies coming out? As far as I know, no. 11) Does your best friend like #9? Gabie’s very in love with it. She once kept count of how many times she had watched it when it first leaked on the internet loooool and if I remember correctly her watch count peaked at 126. 12) Did #10 have horrible special effects? No. 13) Who directed #6? Lenny Abrahamson. 14) Did #8 scare you? Absolutely. I needed a long-ass break from everything after I finished it lmao. 15) Does #7 have a better effect at night? No. The effect has been the same for me whatever time I watch it.

#survey #surveys

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the-master-cylinder · 4 years

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SUMMARY Andrew Norris is the new music teacher at a troubled inner city school. As he arrives on his first day, he meets fellow teacher Terry Corrigan, who is carrying a gun. When Andrew asks about the firearm, Terry assures him he will learn why the protection is necessary. When they enter the school, Andrew is shocked to see everyone scanned by metal detectors and frisked. He spots a student with a knife, but the security guards let the kid go because they are so overworked.

The halls of the school are covered with graffiti. Andrew learns he is expected to patrol the halls as a security guard during his off periods. In his first class, a group of five disruptive students are roughhousing and causing trouble. The leader of the gang is Peter Stegman, the only member of the group who is actually registered in that class. They all eventually walk out, and Andrew discovers the rest of the students actually want to learn, especially Arthur, who plays the trumpet, and Deneen, who plays the clarinet.

As Andrew gets to know the school and the area, he decides that he wants to put together an orchestra with his more advanced students. Peter’s gang sells drugs, run a strip club, and cause all kinds of mayhem. They follow Andrew home and taunt him one night.

At school, Andrew is confronted with more and more evidence of Peter’s crimes. The two grow increasingly at odds. Eventually, after Stegman killed Terry’s animals in his lab, Andrew and Stegman wind up in a bathroom alone together. Peter throws himself into a mirror and beats himself, claiming that Andrew attacked him. Trying to clear things up, Andrew visits Peter’s mother at home. Frustrated when Peter still plays the victim and his mother will not hear Andrew out, he hotwires Peter’s car and drives it into a wall. During lunch, Stegman’s gang start a “food fight” and force their friend Vinnie to stab Arthur, which he does so and causes him to be sent to a hospital. Vinnie is arrested and held in a youth detention center. Terry is driven insane after the incident with the animals in his lab and is killed after crashing his car when trying to kill Stegman and the others.

Andrew’s orchestra is about to give its first concert. As his wife Diane gets ready at home, Peter’s gang breaks into the house and gang rapes her. One of them takes a Polaroid of her being raped and has it delivered to Andrew on the podium, just as he is about to start the concert. Horrified by the photo, he runs off the podium in pursuit of Peter’s gang. Andrew and the gang chase each other through the school. Andrew kills them off one by one, and finally confronts Peter on the roof. Their last scuffle ends with Peter falling through a skylight and getting tangled to his death in the ropes above the stage. His corpse falls into full view of the audience as his neck is broken by one of the ropes. Andrew is never charged because the police could not find a witness to the crime.

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Interview with Director Mark L. Lester

What was the initial inspiration for Class of 1984? Mark L. Lester: I was visiting my old high school, and I noticed there were gangs walking around with no shirts, really tough kids, and the whole school had changed. Then I started to do some investigating, and found that there were some schools, just a couple, that were starting with security and checking for guns. I thought, “Boy, that’d be a good idea for a movie,” and started researching violence in high schools. Over about a year, I came up with the story.

I read that the dialogue the detective (Al Waxman) has is verbatim from interviews you did with cops while researching the film. Mark L. Lester: Yes, I went to a police station and talked to the juvenile officer; I described a case like this and the scenes in the movie—“What would you do?” I just copied his answers down and put them in the script.

Mark L. Lester

Psycho II and Fright Night’s Tom Holland has story and co-screenplay credit; were there significant differences between his draft and what wound up on screen? Mark L. Lester: There was an additional writer [Barry Schneider] who didn’t take credit, but we worked on making it more like A Clockwork Orange, with the dialogue. None of that was in Tom Holland’s script, so we rewrote it to be more like Clockwork Orange, where the gang talked in their own kind of language. And then there was a large punk element added, because that movement was just taking hold in England. I got the costuming and the whole flavor of the punks from that, from British magazines and so forth.

How difficult was it to find a school to shoot in? I imagine a lot of high schools would object to a movie like this filming in their hallways. Mark L. Lester: Well, that was Toronto’s Central High. We shot it during the summertime, so the school was available. We did put graffiti on the walls and it was very hard to get it off, so when the kids came back to school, all the graffiti was still there. It caused quite a stir.

How did you wind up casting Perry King as Andy Norris? Mark L. Lester: I just interviewed him; I had seen him in Bad, the Andy Warhol film. But when it came time to do the scene in the wood shop, it was a mini-revolt. He said, “No, I can’t kill a kid on a table saw! That’s too gruesome, with the blood splattering on my face… That’s beyond anything I could do.” I said, “But Perry, don’t you remember, you boiled that slave alive in Mandingo!” He said, “Oh, that’s rightI guess it’s OK then.”

How about Roddy McDowall? He’s terrific as Corrigan. Mark L. Lester: I just knew him from Planet of the Apes and had always wanted to work with him. So I asked him to do it, and he was fantastic.

McDowall drove the car himself for the scene where Corrigan tries to run Stegman down. Was that his choice? Mark L. Lester: I was gonna use a stuntperson, but he said, “No, no, I want to drive, and I’m gonna drive really crazy.” I got in the back seat to do the sound, and he just took off and started driving insane, right up to the crash point. It was unbelievable; he was swerving all over the road.

So he didn’t have any qualms about the film’s violence? Mark L. Lester: No, he was a real professional. Everyone wanted to be involved in a hip, young movie that was different, and cutting-edge at the time. Even Lalo Schifrin, who was considered a very prestigious composer, wanted to do it, and he brought in Alice Cooper to do the theme song (“I Am the Future”).

That was quite an odd match of musical talents… Mark L. Lester: Yeah… Schifrin brought in a guy named Gary Osborne to write the song with him, and brought Alice Cooper in to perform it, and he did a really good job.

Another musical highlight is when Stegman surprises Andy by playing a piano concerto in his class. According to the credits, Van Patten wrote that piece himself. Mark L. Lester: That’s right. I was going to use another piece of music, and then he said, “No, no, let me use my own.”

How did Van Patten wind up being cast? Mark L. Lester: I saw him on a TV show, The White Shadow. He was playing a bad kidnot like he does in this movie, but he was perfect. This is his best work ever as an actor; he actually directs now. And Michael J. Fox I saw on TV also; it must have been Palmerstown, U.S.A. I hired him based on that, and it was only his second feature film.

Merrie Lynn Ross, who plays Andy’s wife, was also a producer on Class. How did that come about? Mark L. Lester: She put up some money for the film. I had worked with her before; she was in Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw for me.

It’s interesting that she would help with the financing of a movie in which she’s so rudely treated on screen… Mark L. Lester: Yeah, but she never complained. She’s not naked in [the rape scene], she’s fully clothed… Also, the Canadian producer, Arthur Kent, became the “Scud Stud.” During the first Gulf War with George Bush, he was the guy reporting for the TV news on the rooftop [from the war zone), and became known as the “Scud Stud.” Then he protested a dangerous assignment and started picketing the network that was Arthur Kent.

Your stunt coordinator was Terry J. Leonard, who had just done Conan the Barbarian and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Were there any stunt scenes that posed particular challenges? Mark L. Lester: In those days, there was no CGI, so the whole ending on the rooftop was actually a stunt guy crashing through glass and right into the auditorium. We flipped a car in another scene—but the movie revolved a lot more around the thriller aspects than any big stunts, so in that sense, it was different from films today. It didn’t rely on big action gags through the whole movie, it relied on the suspense of the teacher and what was going to happen to him.

Speaking of potentially injurious situations, you’ve said that a lot of extras in the club were real punk kids. Mark L. Lester: Yeah, I actually held auditions for them. They came in and were all handpicked; they had to have certain hairdos and all that, so it was very carefully done. And then they were really slam-dancing hard into people, hurting them, and we had to carry a few people out of there!

As far as the staged mayhem goes, were there concerns about the film’s violent content while you were shooting it? Mark L. Lester: I didn’t have any, but later on it was banned in certain countries, like Switzerland. It was considered too controversial, with the teacher killing the kids like that. But the wood-shop scene became the biggest crowd-pleaser of the movie. When the teacher and the boy go at it with the table saw, the audience just went wild every time that scene played; they couldn’t wait to see him kill that kid.

Class of 1984 was released in the U.S. by United Film Distribution, which had sent out movies like Dawn of the Dead and Mother’s Day unrated. Was there ever talk of releasing Class the same way? Mark L. Lester: No, they wanted to cut down the table-saw scene and a bunch of others, and it ended up getting an R rating. But the funny thing is, by mistake the prints ended up getting struck with the X version; those were the ones that got released, and no one ever questioned it.

The film got widely mixed reviews when it first came out-but surprisingly, one of the raves was from Roger Ebert, who was on a tear against “dead teenager” movies at the time. Mark L. Lester: Yeah, Ebert really kicked things off; he saw it at the Cannes Film Festival and gave it a great review. About half the reviews overall were great, and then some people didn’t like the violence and so forth. Newsweek was a bad review, Time was a good review, the New York papers liked it-and it did huge business.

Did you think that when you made this way back in the day, that it would have reached cult-status, much like it has now? Mark L. Lester: No, I had no idea that it would take off like it did, although until it opened, it was very controversial when it came out. It was in Time Magazine, and Ronald Reagan once had a speech about education, and they put the pictures from the movie into an editorial, and it had such controversial press, so it took off back then, and at the beginning of the film, I’d put a warning to the country that this would happen, the future couldn’t get much worse I don’t have the EXACT wording.

“Class of 1984” is not a great movie but it works with quiet, strong efficiency to achieve more or less what we expect from a movie with such a title. It is violent, funny, scary, contains boldly outlined characters, and gets us involved. It also has a lot of style. One of the reasons for the film’s style may be that it was made by people who knew what they were doing. …It tells a strong, simple story. It is acted well. It is not afraid to be comic at times and, even better, it’s not afraid at the end to pull out all the stops and give us the sort of Grand Guignol conclusion that the slasher movies always botch. You may or may not think it’s any good, but you’ll have to admit that it works. Roger Ebert – CLASS OF 1984 (1982) January 1, 1982

Interview with Actress Lisa Langlois

Class of 1984, you played Patsy the Punk. A completely different character…as rotten-of-an-apple as you can get. Was it fun to be vicious and terrorizing rather than terrorized? Lisa Langlois: Well, it’s so much more interesting. Although understand, they brought me in to play the nice girl, Michael J. Fox’s girlfriend. I went in and they told me they really saw me in that part. I said, “You know what? Would you just let me come back dressed and acting like the other character?” I explained that I grew up with four brothers. I’ve been around a lot of their friends and I’ve seen these kinds of tough people. I know how to do it. So I came back in, did the role and they loved it.

You really stand out in that film. How much of your characterization was in the original script? Lisa Langlois: I’ve gotta tell you…there was really not a lot of dialogue for me in that film. Everything that I did was improv and they kept it in the final cut. That’s what I liked about the director, Mark Lester. He didn’t have an ego about you throwing a line in or some business. He loved it.

What was the experience like for you making Class of 1984? Lisa Langlois: Not good. One was that all the Canadians (not the Americans) got asked to work for scale. They said they would give us a buyout later because they didn’t really have the money to make this film. And then the movie became this big hit and none of us ever got paid any residuals for television or video, etc. The extras really got mistreated. They hardly got paid. They got peanut butter and jam sandwiches. That scene where the girl takes her clothes off in front of the punks…that was really hard to do. It involved real acting for Tim Van Patton and me because she didn’t want to do that scene. She didn’t want to take her clothes off. She was shaking.

It reminded me of what happened to me in Phobia. You get intimidated and you don’t want to make waves. You’re young. You want people to like you. And they make it sound like it’s no big deal. That poor girl was literally shaking. I remember it was so sad, my makeup artist was making her up and I was sitting next to her. She told the girl, “Don’t worry, I’ll make you up so that no one will recognize you.” And I thought, that’s NOT just the issue. It doesn’t matter whether someone can see your face…in front of everybody, you’re taking your clothes off! Right. Timothy and I were talking about how uncomfortable we were with that. He said something to Mark because that guy was a gentleman. I just loved him.

There’s an almost lascivious nature to your character Patsy in that scene with the naked girl…almost lesbianic…? Lisa Langlois: That was an acting choice I made. Like I mentioned, I made the choices with Patsy because in the script she was just…standing there. That was one of my complaints. We had this really terrific stunt coordinator with Terry Leonard, and he never gave me anything to do in the fight scenes. Nothing. I decided I would be this character who’s really perverted in that I got off on sex and violence. What I would do is, when they were beating people up, I would jump up and down, and dance around. And when someone had to take their clothes off, I would get excited.

Tim was generally unhappy on this shoot. At the time, the movie was very violent. To me, it seemed so surreal and over-the-top and exaggerated because where I came from, I could never imagine kids behaving like that in school or having to go through metal detectors to get into class. Again, it was the wild, wild west we talked about earlier. The punk rockers that were hired to be extras…they weren’t really extras, they were real punks.

Did they cause any problems on the set? Lisa Langlois: Well, for me personally, they knew I wasn’t a real punk rocker. I had my hair purple, pink and some other colors. So a) they knew I was an actor and not one of them, and b) they didn’t appreciate me wearing a dress. Several times, I had punk rocker women come up to me and say, “We’re gonna get you…”

That’s awful! Lisa Langlois: Mark really wanted reality. It would have made more sense for me to have a wig than to dye my hair all those colors anyway. It was hell getting my hair to look normal again. But I was terrified. You won’t notice in the movie, but whenever there were big scenes like in a club or whatever, you wouldn’t see me. Because I would literally disappear.

For your own safety… Lisa Langlois: Yes. I was afraid. When they were slamming people, they were actually doing it. It was for real. They were really hitting each other. The punk extras got off on it.

Lester has talked in documentaries about going out and finding these punks for the film. Lisa Langlois: It wasn’t well thought out for the actors. It wasn’t taking care of us. I was afraid because I knew there was no protection on that set.

Did the female punks consider you a poser? Lisa Langlois: I think that would be the term you would use now. They just felt I was a fraud, I guess you would say. We were embarrassed to be in that film and it ended up being this big, big hit.

What did you think when you saw the finished product? Lisa Langlois: I didn’t go see it for a long time. However, I remember my mother saying that it was the quintessential moment for her when she knew I had done a good job as an actress. Because she was in a theater watching it, and when I got killed at the end, the audience got up and cheered. It was a real memorable moment for her.

Great! The audience was so engaged, they cheered. Lisa Langlois: Although, honestly…I don’t think I’m killed. I think I survived.

A car comes crashing down on your head! We’d have to side with the people who think you died. It’s pretty extreme. Lisa Langlois: Yeah, but it IS the movies. And I’m still talking. Which reminds me, I had completely forgotten about the part where the gang members killed Roddy McDowall’s animal in the biology lab. That was horrible. That was really, really horrible. I watched it and just thought, “Oh, wow…” But it was really great to act opposite Roddy in that movie.

The scene where he has the gun pointed at you is quite a good moment. Lisa Langlois: It was one of those things where you’re thinking, “Oh my God, I have this scene with Roddy McDowall…how am I going to do this?”

Do you think Roddy was one of those people who was unhappy making this movie? Lisa Langlois: I don’t know. Because the scene with the gun was really the only one I had with him. When there’s a big scene like that with lots of people, you don’t get any instant one on one time.

We wanted to ask you about one of the most powerful, unnerving scenes in the movie. The sort of Clockwork Orange scene where the gang goes in and rapes Perry King’s wife. Was that difficult? Lisa Langlois: So upsetting. I just saw it. Again, that was my idea to get a Polaroid camera and take a picture of it.

That was a good idea. It’s certainly revolting! Lisa Langlois: It’s really revolting. And then to give the Polaroid of his raped wife to Perry at the event. It was also my idea to put my finger in my mouth…my middle finger…and summon him with it. I came up with the moment when Patsy, like a little juvenile delinquent, takes her finger and pushes it through a hole she makes with her index finger and thumb.

You should be really proud of yourself, Lisa. Lisa Langlois: You know what? I had to find something to do because they never gave me any lines. In fact, before I thought of lines and things to do, my boyfriend suggested I wear a chain that makes noise. So whenever the audience would hear that chain, they would know that character is present. I thought that would never fly because the sound department wouldn’t go for that. We have to say the choices you made are fantastic. We couldn’t take our eyes off you. Even in the scenes in which you aren’t necessarily supposed to be the focus of attention. There was a certain…unpredictability to your character that made us always want to watch you.

Was the “kissy kissy” thing your idea as well? Lisa Langlois: Yes, that too. Ironically, they gave me a Marilyn Monroe shirt to wear. I’m wearing a shirt with her face on it. I also really hated my makeup in Class of 1984 because in my mind, that was so not punk. The makeup artist that I had was this woman who was not a young person. Privately, I thought, “She doesn’t know what punk is.” She kept bringing out all the glitter stuff and everything. It was so not the character.

Interview with Actor Timothy Van Patten

How did you get cast in Class of 1984? Timothy Van Patten: I have to go in the wayback machine; it was 1980 or ’81 when we made it. I think it was just a routine casting call. You know, the part couldn’t have been further, at that point in time, from the person I actually was, which was sort of a health fanatic. The character was a thrasher, a total punk rocker. In order to prepare for the movie, I went up to Toronto and started hanging out in punk clubs, which was a whole new experience for me (laughs).

Did you get into any hairy situations doing that? Timothy Van Patten: I was with some other actors who were sharing the experience. I never got into any major situations.

What was your working relationship with Mark Lester? Timothy Van Patten: Mark was a very good director, very capable. Decisive. He had a vision, and has turned out quite a few memorable films. He absolutely knew what he wanted, and I remember the entire experience going smoothly.

You’ve got that great scene with Michael J. Fox in the bathroom. What do you remember from shooting it? Timothy Van Patten: Michael was the first person I met on the film. We befriended each other immediately and started hanging out. Actually, we went to a pawnshop and each bought a guitar, and in our free time we’d go to the park and play. We became pretty good friends. Man, so much time has passed. Michael was playing the opposite of me, sort of a clean-cut kid. You could tell the guy was really good even then. He made his small part memorable. As the years go on, I appreciate him more and more because of his body of work.

In a interview Lester talked about the scene where you play the piano concerto, which you’re credited with composing yourself. Is that true, or did you work with the film’s composer Lalo Schifrin at all? Timothy Van Patten: You know something, it was totally improvised. I play the piano, but I don’t read music. At the time, it was just some sort of song I was fiddling around with; there was nothing written down for it. I was under the impression that I would play that piece, and they would replace it with different music by Lalo or something. They ended up keeping it, and they paid me a whopping $50 Canadian for it. I don’t think I even cashed the check. I may still have it somewhere.

In those days, was that like $15 American? Timothy Van Patten: Exactly! It’s hysterical. It totally works for the character. It totally works.

It’s clear that you’re really playing—your fingers are hitting those keys and that really adds to the scene. Timothy Van Patten: I haven’t seen the movie in a long time, but I think they left in the production sound. The sort of music-class, banged-up piano sound.

Do you recall the scene where you beat yourself up in the bathroom to get Andy Norris (Perry King) in trouble? Timothy Van Patten: All those scenes, they were all so heightened that for an actor, they were fun. There’s a lot of stuntwork in the movie, which I loved doing when I was that age. Perry was a very experienced actor, and I had just started acting three years before that. I had come off a television series called The White Shadow, and I wasn’t that experienced. Working with a guy like Perry made it easy. The writing was good, and those scenes worked between Perry and I. That bathroom was rigged, but I remember hitting the mirror as hard as I could, and it didn’t break. I said, “F**k it! I’ve got to stay with this!” and slammed my head into the mirror again, and it broke. If you look at the film, I’m a little bit dazed after that first hit.

Did they give you a stunt bump in pay for that? Timothy Van Patten: No! We all sort of did our own stunts in that film. The big fight with the African-American gang under where the highways converge, that was mostly us. The great Terry Leonard was the stunt coordinator. He was a legendary stuntman; he was Harrison Ford’s stunt double in the first Indiana Jones film. This guy has had every bone in his body broken twice, including his back and his neck. That was a thrill for me, working with Terry.

McDowall’s character “Mr. Corrigan” is shown pointing the gun at the class is an alternate poster. Have you seen that one? Timothy Van Patten: No! I’d love a copy of that. I just thought that scene was extraordinary. I remember looking at his copy of the script, spying it when it was on a desk while he was rehearsing. Every page of scenes he was in was covered, front and back, with notes. Small, small handwriting, top to bottom. It just impressed the shit out of me. That guy was a total pro. He and Perry really anchored the movie. All the other actors like Stefan Arngrim, Lisa Langlois, Neil Clifford and those guys—they lifted me up. I was the oddest piece of the puzzle, because I really wasn’t as experienced as all of them. I didn’t relate to the material as much as they did; Stefan Arngrim had some experience in his life in that world. They were all totally invested in their characters, and they carried me along and taught me a lot.)

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CAST/CREW Directed Mark L. Lester

Produced Arthur Kent

Screenplay by Tom Holland Mark Lester John Saxton

Story Tom Holland

Starring Perry King Merrie Lynn Ross Timothy Van Patten Lisa Langlois Stefan Arngrim Michael Fox Roddy McDowall

Music Lalo Schifrin Alice Cooper

CREDITS/REFERENCES/SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Fangoria#317 Fangoria#318 dreadcentral terrortrap.com

Class of 1984 (1982) Retrospective SUMMARY Andrew Norris is the new music teacher at a troubled inner city school. As he arrives on his first day, he meets fellow teacher Terry Corrigan, who is carrying a gun.

#80sFilms

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mst3kproject · 6 years

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520: Radar Secret Service

So here’s a challenge. My stated goal for this blog is to watch and find something halfway intelligent to say about each and every movie the show ever featured. I’m not sure I can say anything intelligent about Radar Secret Service. I’m not sure I can say anything stupid about Radar Secret Service.

I don’t know if I can even describe the plot. The introduction is pretty straightforward, explaining to us that the men of the Radar Secret Service can find just about anything, from a school of fish to a hidden murder weapon. I wonder if anybody’s asked them about the g-spot. With a tool like that, they could go looking for the Ark of the Covenant or Jimmy Hoffa or something, but instead they’re keeping an eye on a shipment of radioactive material. Some crooks manage to steal the stuff despite the high-tech surveillance… and that’s where the movie starts to lose me. I can pay attention to this for about ten minutes, and then my brain just shuts the fuck down.

I mean, I keep trying to watch, I really do. I don’t know why I can’t. Radar Secret Service is only sixty minutes long, for crying out loud, surely I can pay attention to something dull and stupid for sixty measly minutes! I watched the sandstorm sequence in Hercules Against the Moon Men. I sat through the Rock Climbing in Lost Continent. Hell, last Thanksgiving I listened to my Dad and my brother-in-law talk about their unfinished home improvement projects for what felt like six days. Surely Radar Secret Service cannot be the thing that defeats me. I get myself a snack and my knitting and settle down, but without fail, by that ten minute mark I’ve lost track of who any of the characters are or what they’re supposed to be doing. My knitting’s on the floor and I’m playing Marvel Puzzle Quest. Shit.

I start over and try again. This time I turn off my phone. I close the blinds. I do my best to remove all distractions. I still can’t focus. The walls of my living room are more interesting than this movie. I find myself looking at them and wondering what happened to that National Geographic solar system poster I had when I was a kid, the one that showed all the moons to scale. I mean, it’s horrendously out of date now but it was my favourite poster for ages. Twelve-year-old me named all the characters in half a dozen unfinished fantasy novels after those moons. Out of sheer curiosity I googled, and found out that holy shit, you can still buy it! Well, damn, that’s kind of tempting, just for nostalgia’s sake.

Okay, no. I have to watch the movie. By twenty minutes in, I still don’t know any of the characters’ names but ‘radar’ no longer sounds like a real word. In fact, it’s not a real word. It’s an acronym for RAdio Detection And Ranging. In the UK it’s also the Royal Association for Dis-Ability Rights, and the Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago has the Research on Adverse Drug events And Reports committee. I bet either of those would make a better movie.

Wait, I’ve gotten distracted again. This isn’t working. Maybe I can watch it in MST3K form. Radar Secret Service is so short that almost all of it got into the episode. I could cheat and do a review based on just that. I do remember snickering at the skit about the Quinn Martin nature preserve. I should look up some of those people on IMDB. Maybe I can find some material for Episodes that Never Were. It says Lee Meriwether was in a mad science movie called The 4-D Man, which looks remarkably bad. I definitely need to see that…

God damn it.

Okay, clearly having a computer at all is too much distraction for me to watch this movie. I’m gonna have to pop the disk into an actual DVD player and watch it that way. Some kind of drastic measures are definitely needed here because I’ve written almost an entire page of this review and I have not yet actually managed to watch the fucking movie right through in one sitting. There’s nothing there to watch. Where are these people? Who are they? They all look and dress and sound alike. They all have identical mustaches and drive indistinguishable cars – I can’t even tell which is the Radarmobile unless we’re in a wide shot that shows the Christmas ornament on top. The only reason I’m sure that Waitress and Leopard Lady are two different characters is because they had a scene together at the beginning. Are they both wearing the same wig? They’re so alike that when one of them shoots the other I’m tempted to say it counts as suicide.

The characters have no character. The script imparts nothing to us besides minimal so-called plot information and the performances are dismally bland. The music is boring. The direction is listless. It’s no wonder they picked Oh!! There’s a dead man there!!! as the stinger because it’s literally the only memorable moment in the whole film. I’m not using literally to mean emphatically, either. I’m using it to mean literally.

Why did they make this movie? I don’t understand. It’s not an action flick because there’s no action. It’s not a drama because there’s no drama. It’s not a comedy because nothing’s funny. It’s not sci-fi because there’s no science. What are we supposed to take away from this experience? What are we supposed to learn? The movie is like a black hole, sucking in our hopes for entertainment and hiding them away behind an event horizon of boredom and confusion, from whence they can never be retrieved. I feel actively stupider for having seen even part of it.

Even if I were to make myself watch it all the way through, from the finding of the gun to the final arrest, in a single sitting, even if I were to force my unwilling brain to recognize every frame of it, what could I possibly say? There’s nothing to analyze here, no meaning, no metaphor. Even on a technical level, there’s not much I could add to what Mike and the Bots already said. Yes, everybody looks the same. No, I have no idea which side most of these identical gray suits with meaty 50’s men in them are on. No, the people who made this movie have no idea what radar is or what it’s used for. The Radar Men from the Moon were more relevant to radar than this movie and I don’t think they ever even used the word.

I could just talk about the short. The short! A shining beacon of something I can actually pay attention to! Sadly, the very fact that I could fill a review with my thoughts on Last Clear Chance is surely a sign it deserves an entry of its own. Where does that leave me?

It leaves me sitting on the sofa, realizing I haven’t paid any attention for the last few minutes because I zoned out dreaming up flowery metaphors for my struggle. I’m starting to think the only way I could actually watch this is to strap myself into a chair with my head locked in place and tape my eyes open, like something out of A Clockwork Orange. Even then, I might still manage to get distracted. My entire body is rejecting this movie. I think I’m making antibodies to it.

I cannot tell you how much I’d rather be watching A Clockwork Orange than Radar Secret Service. Hell, I’d rather be watching Caligula. Caligula had stuff to look at. It had characters with names.

Maybe… wait. What if Radar Secret Service is actually a brilliant work of art and I’m missing it because I can’t pay attention for long enough? Maybe it’s a satire of 50’s futurism and tedious moviemaking! Maybe the ultimate-spy-tool-radar premise is a comment on the erosion of our privacy in an increasingly technological society! Maybe the reason it’s so hard to tell the heroes from the villains is because the modern world has rendered both concepts irrelevant! There is no good or evil anymore, just men in suits either giving or obeying orders, no one individual identifiable as the reason why something happens! Maybe the two women are identical because the filmmakers are trying to point out that patriarchal society turns women against each other and ultimately against themselves! Of course! It all makes sense! How did I not see it before?

I have no memory of typing that last paragraph. What’s going on?

Oh my god. Oh shit. I know what this is. It’s the hypno-helio-static-stasis! I’m already in its clutches! The world is fading. I need to inject something thoughtful and entertaining directly into my eyeballs immediately. There may still be time if I can only reach Netflix…

And suddenly, there it is, looming over me like a glittering spaceship above Devil’s Tower National Monument… like a saving angel… could it really be? It is! It’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind! I reach out for it. I can already hear its dulcet tones ringing in my ears like a siren song… doo-doo-DAH-doo-DAH…

And then the ship wavers and fades away, leaving only a brushed chrome ball. My browser’s not even on Netflix. It’s on DailyMotion, and all that’s playing is a shitty print of Radar Secret Service.

I hope you guys enjoyed my mental disintegration because it’s all the review you’re gonna get. See you next week. Fuck this movie.

#mst3k #reviews #radar secret service #tw: suicide #fuck this movie #50s

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doomonfilm · 6 years

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Ranking : Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999)

Well, ladies and gentlemen, that time has come... I’m stepping outside of my comfort zone, and I’m officially putting down rankings for the directors I like. I’m sure that, one day, I will contradict myself, and forever be shamed by my vain desire to document my musings, but that’s life eh? If I’m going to start ranking, I may as well go with my hands down favorite director : Stanley Kubrick.

For this particular ranking group, we will focus on his films that received major distribution and theatrical release. All films in his filmography prior and up to Killer’s Kiss will be omitted for the purposes of this list. A.I. Artificial Intelligence will also be omitted, as this was not directed by Kubrick.

11. Spartacus (1960) I don’t know, at this point, what number one will be, but I know with great certainty that Spartacus will be at the bottom of this list. From what my fan-based research has taught me, Kirk Douglas took an opportunity to hitch his wagon to a rising director-shaped star, but Kubrick was not given the freedoms normally associated with his projects. In my opinion, it shows, in spite of the fact that Spartacus is a much better film than many other Hollywood offerings.

10. The Killing (1956) While a great film in its own right, The Killing falls low on this list due to the fact that the story is nowhere near as unique or controversial as a handful of the films that followed it. The ending twist is a nice balloon burst of a moment, and top-notch performances across the board make it noteworthy, but it does stand within the shadows of giants within the canon of modern day cinema when placed against Kubrick’s latter work.

9. Lolita (1962) The first true controversial offering in the Kubrick catalog. He took what was already controversial material and embraced it fully, hiring Sue Lyon to portray Lolita at the age of 16. The film pre-dated the ratings board, but pressure from the Hays code and the Catholic church forced Kubrick to tone down much of the story, opting instead for visual humor and symbolic moments to substitute for the outright eroticism portrayed in the original book. Due to these restraints, the film does not pack quite the wallop it wants to, and is mostly controversial more so in nature than in execution.

8. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) In the eyes of many fans, this was the true final film in Kubrick’s canon. A heavily mysterious production preceded the release of this film, with then married stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman being famously quiet about the project when asked. The film, like most Kubrick fare, found controversy in its erotically charged Bohemian Grove-esque scenes, but the film itself is a riveting tale about love, trust and commitment in the modern day marriage. A fitting final statement from a true legend.

7. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) Although Lolita was a funny film in its own right, this was the film that truly showed me how intelligent a sense of humor Kubrick possessed. It actually took me several viewings to truly understand the depth of the comedy, as many of the laughs are played as straight as the military men the cast portrays. The subject matter itself is extremely dark, and at the time so relevant that it actually seemed to be occurring via the Cuban Missle Crisis. Well before 2001 : A Space Odyssey made it crystal clear Kubrick was a genius, this film was a bold announcement of that fact.

6. Paths of Glory (1957) Stanley Kubrick knew how to make a war film, and Paths of Glory was proof of that right out of the gate. The film was only his second in terms of feature length full scale productions, but the elements he shows mastery of hint to the skill level of a seasoned veteran : the trench shots are a spectacle to behold, the tension of the trial (and subsequent executions) delivered both visually and within the narrative is pitch perfect, and the ending is one of the most tear-jerking and heartbreaking endings captured on film. The young woman who would sing the song that scores this ending, as a matter of fact, later went on to marry Kubrick.

5. The Shining (1980) Not many films can be an instant box office success upon release, only to find another life nearly four decades later as an endless source for interpretations, conspiracy theories and visual trickery. The film famously took on a life of its own from the Stephen King novel in the hands of Kubrick, and people to this day debate the fallout of the production and the lasting effects it had on star Shelley Duvall. What cannot be debated, however, is the fact that the film disturbs, frightens and intrigues in ways that few horror films can.

4. Full Metal Jacket (1987) This film gets such a high placement on my list strictly because of sentimental value. One late night on Cinemax, I stumbled across army recruits getting haircuts to the song Goodbye My Sweetheart, Hello Vietnam, and as a budding fan of Vietnam cinema I was hooked. The following journey was one that changed me forever, particularly right around the halfway mark when who I then thought was the protagonist blew his brains out, and before I could process what happened we were waist-deep in Wei City. Almost everything that was an earmark of Kubrick style was present in this film : deeply punctuating score for compelling moments, stark usage of color, unique framing (purposefully not done in widescreen format), a wholly intriguing story, and a significant connection to the real world. This film, in my opinion, may be the best film to introduce someone to the films of Stanley Kubrick with.

3. Barry Lyndon (1975) When I finally purchased the Kubrick collection in its entirety, this was the film I was least familiar with. I never was a big Ryan O’Neal guy on top of that, so my expectations were pretty much non-existent. The impact this film had on me, therefore, was more than likely magnified due to my lack of knowledge. This is by FAR the most beautiful of all the Kubrick films... the story behind the lengths he went to for creating a camera that could shoot indoors and outdoors with natural lighting is legendary in its own right. Every frame of this film is truly a painting, and the story is perhaps the most heartbreaking portrayal of Murphy’s Law I’ve ever seen committed to film. Truly a spectacle to behold.

2. A Clockwork Orange (1971) The most controversial of all Kubrick films, hands down. Not only was the film controversial enough to cause public outcry due to copycat criminals emulating Alex and his Droogs, but Kubrick made the controversial decision to remove the film from British theaters in the midst of several high-profile court cases that directly attributed their actions as influenced by the film. On its own merit, the film is a brutally straightforward and honest tale of a young monster’s criminal and sexual exploits, the monsters that try to take advantage of him for their sake, and the monsters created by opportunity when given the chance for revenge. Kubrick took a standout book and made a nearly perfect film out of it, and a film that will undoubtedly stand the test of time despite production choices that make it instantly recognizable to a specific time period.

1. 2001 : A Space Odyssey (1968) Of all the films out there, and not just those made by Kubrick, this is one of the closest attempts and executions of what could be considered pure art that there is. This film is astonishing on monumental levels : visually, it was way ahead of its time, and is scientifically sound on top of that... in terms of story, the tale is incredibly expansive, but flows effortlessly between incredibly long cycles of time while handling incredibly lofty concepts... as an experience, not many films force you to ask (and attempt to answer) deeply ambiguous questions about mankind, the nature of existence, and artificial intelligence, and I argue that no other attempt at an experience would be nearly as entertaining. This is the true signal of genius in a catalog full of genius level work.

It’s not hard to see why many people, including myself, consider Stanley Kubrick to be the best to ever grace a director’s chair. His catalog is truly unparalleled, and even his worst work is miles ahead of the best work of many contemporaries and directors that have emerged since.

#ChiefDoomsday #DOOMonFILM #StanleyKubrick #TheKilling #Lolita #DrStrangeloveOrHowILearnedToStopWorryingAndLoveTheBomb #PathsOfGlory #Spartacus #EyesWideShut #TheShining #FullMetalJacket #AClockworkOrange #BarryLyndon #2001ASpaceOdyssey

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mi4017 · 3 years

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a Clockwork Orange, Kubrick (1971)

Hi:

I’m Ike. I’m an 18 year old British student who spent most of his life in the UAE.

right now, I’m in the second semester of my university degree, and this will be a blog where i am documenting my thoughts, findings and work alongside my studies.

for my first lecture, we looked at the opening to...

i wrote some notes, and didn’t want them to go wasted - so i figured I’d invest some time into writing a detailed analysis of the opening, and posting it onto the TUMBLR blog you're reading right now!

this is how we’ve been showcasing our work the majority of our modules this year. At first i wasn't proficient with using the site, but after the first semester: i think I’ve started to get the hang of it.

the film starts, with loud staccato inceptions over a piercing red screen. bold text introduces the production companies, with each new company flickering between red and blue, two very polarising colours. perhaps settling the viewer into the world of this film? as the instant juxtaposition with two very distinct, alternating, bright colours, against piercing string inceptions conveys a sense of unorthodox.

the title itself is a point of interest: to say that one has the appearance of a natural organism: with a distinct, bright orange colour, and delicious juice - but is in fact only a clockwork, mechanical entity - this, again creates a sense of things not being as they seem, through juxtaposition.

we instantly cut, on beat a man with an inked on eyelash appears in the centre of the screen, looking directly at the viewer, with his head tilted downward - and eyes peering upward from beneath his eyebrows (the Kubrick stare). as the camera zooms out we see three of his cronies sitting on either sides of him: enjoying glasses of... milk?

the way the central character slowly swigs from his glass, is menacing; and adds to the uneasy tone, the scene is creating.

one of the first things that stood out to me was their dress sense and how it contrasts with the dark background.

they are very dandy - unduly concerned with looking stylish and fashionable, with their bowler hats and makeup. speaking of which - they each have their makeup for each part of the face:

- the leader (Alex) has the lashes, - first to his left (Dim) has lipstick, - far left (Pete) has eye shadow on his left eye, - and to the right (Georgie), coloured eye shadow on his brow.

white is a colour that suggests purity - further emphasised by the child-like milk drinking, this is potentially a way of showcasing these are the protagonists of this film - the “good guys” however throughout later scenes, of intro they are seen as thugs, on multiple accounts: first attacking an innocent bystander, but later brawling with a rival gang, and saving a woman from their clutches.

i especially like the way conventions are played with, and even broken - it’s almost as though Kubrick is saying there’s no innocence, or safety in the world.

the camera pans out further to show more people, much bulkier - potentially guards of some sort, due to their placement: protecting the central four.

as we get further we see a walkway, leading towards the four - surrounded by multiple female mannequins - in grotesque, sexual positions - implying the woman of this society are very low level: showcased as furniture.

Kubrick did a good job instantly making the viewer feel uneasy...

a faceless voice, suggested to be the central character calmly, narrates over the scene. the walls are littered with phrases; each containing the word “moloko” which is based off the Russian word (молоко) for ‘milk’

he introduces himself, and his cronies - as well as the different types of milk served in the milk bar

- Moloko Vellocet (mixed with opiates), - Moloko Synthemesc (mixed with synthetic mescaline) - Moloko Drencrom (mixed with adrenochrome and other hallucinogens).

stating they’re drinking “Moloko Drencrom” - as it will

“sharpen (you) up for a bit of the ol’ ultraviolet”

the entirety of the scene is very strange - arguably quite off-putting.

the scene suddenly cuts to a homeless man, laying on the ground: loudly belting out a drunken old nursery rhyme (“Molly Malone” by the Dubliners)

In Dublin's fair city Where the girls are so pretty I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone As she wheeled her wheel-barrow Through streets broad and narrow Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

the shadows of the four delinquents, seen earlier begin to approach him. There is a use of a lot of extreme lighting, very large - and harsh shadows which add to the sinister tone this scene is building.

the silhouettes of the four boys, continue to approach - confidently striving, forward - with a bright streetlamp illuminating them, from behind: just enough to be recognisable, but not enough to identifiable. the most central one: is armed with a melee weapon of some kind, menacingly resting upon his shoulders. I find this dynamic to be very stylised - suggesting that they do this as an art, rather than just mindless violence.

as the gang approach, the narration continues; stating...

“one thing i could never stand was to see a filthy dirty old drunkie howling away at the filthy songs of his fathers and going blurp blurp in-between. as it might be a filthy old orchestra in his stinking rotten guts. I could never stand to see anyone like that, whatever his age might be. but especially when he was real old like this one was”

the use of such hateful, condescending language suggest that this man, is under the belief he is of a higher class, and thinks he’s better than the homeless - seeing them as a problem, that must be eliminated, rather than as equal human-beings.

not only that - he creates an instant distinction between those who are “old” and themselves, this suggest they are young, and that gang violence is a growing problem with youngsters.

the gang condescendingly claps down to the drunk, and cheers at his singing, but as the viewer - we know that this is disgenuine, and begin to imagine what the delinquents are about to do to the man: now that they have engaged in a situation, after drinking the “Moloko Drencrom”.

the man asks for change in an informal, and friendly way: with his hand raised up, begging for help - the crew literally looking down on him.

despite his friendly demeanour, and desperation - he is responded to by being laughed at by the cronies, as the leader plunges his gentlemen’s cane, harshly into his stomach.

the way the group are represented as such charismatic villains: people who do awful things, with such an attitude that you are interested in the viewing of them is a genius standpoint of telling a story, as once again it breaks convention - with the protagonists we’re following the story of being villains, rather than a typical hero.

the irish drunk asks the men to kill him - as he’s

“sick of living in a stinkin’ world like this”

the serious tone of this scene is emphasised by the lack of music - but contradicted, by the most prominent audio: the cronies laughing in the background - this makes it seem like the characters aren’t taking this encounter seriously, and are having fun and doing what they want.

the camera has a habit of showing the faces, of the characters from very close-up, which adds to the abnormal nature and overall uncomfortableness the viewer feels watching this film: by making them feel quite claustrophobic. despite only able to watch each event occur, the viewer is involved in the scene due to their direct viewing and uncomfortable closeness to the characters; through close-up shots.

I also noticed that the boss is the only one who initiates conversation, which showcases the respect the cronies must have for him - to allow him to dictate how the encounter goes.

the boss, smugly asks why its a “stinkin’ world” to which the drunk responds...

“it's a stinking world because there's no law and order anymore! It's a stinking world because it lets the young get on to the old, like you done. Oh, it's no world for an old man any longer. What sort of a world is it at all? Men on the moon, and men spinning around the earth, and there's not no attention paid to earthly law and order no more.”

Kubrick, through this character has done some very early world building: and directly told the viewer that this is a world where the young, are in gangs and are free to attack the old.

men on the moon is talking about the abnormality of the situation - as it is not the way the world should be. in his opinion; the “earthly law” has been broken - as there is no consequence for breaking it, and as such everything is out of order.

he goes back to singing a different song, when the gang beats him with concealed blunt objects, curb-stomping him.

it is clear they’re trying to portray this gang as juvenile criminals, as although they are causing problems and breaking the law: attacking what by all means are innocent people; they are using blunt objects to beat them - which is quite tame especially compared to the next scene, which gives a good intro to the film is about...

a very upbeat, iconic classical medley begins, as the distant screams of a woman can be heard. despite the distressing sound: the scene attempts to establish a sense of calm through the initial shot being the floral pattern on the walls of an abandoned theatre. the camera begins to zoom out, showing more of the scene: where a gang of five lads, are forcibly stripping a woman and throwing her on a mattress, with intentions to rape her.

the narration reveals this is the work of “Billy-Bob” - and comedically states they’re going to “perform a bit of the ol’ in out in out”

this scene uses comedy, and music to make the whole thing feel rather lighthearted and juvenile, in contrast of the severity of what’s actually going on. This extreme dissonance adds another layer of uncomfortableness for the viewer: being forced to watch this woman be overpowered by this gang.

the scenes length, further adds to the uncomfortable nature - as the viewer s=is unable to do anything, helplessly just watching as the unspeakable act occurs.

this gang visually look like a lot more serious offenders - with a dark green, military-like ensemble of outfits, and much more aggressive, serious crimes.

their weapons differ too, with Billy-Bob’s gang using blades, a much more serious, lethal form of weaponry - compared to the blunt clubs, bats, and canes of the four goons: who are more camp.

the fact this scene takes place in an abandoned theatre suggests that this is what’s replaced the theatre. what was once a haven for artistic expression is now a dangerous gang infested zone.

the leader of the goons very elaborately enters the scene, from the dark - with his cronies at his side. making sly remarks at Billy’s gang

the very theatrical nature of the goons, instead of just "violence and murder" as seen with Billy’s group - is what i think, makes Billy’s gang lose interest in the girl - as their confidence is extremely sinister, in my opinion.

it’s as Alex insults Billy that we get a closer look at the gang’s attire: where the Nazi imagery is very apparent. further adding to the severity of how dangerous his gang, and actions are. As nazi’s were fascist extremists.

he confidently draws a switchblade with a menacing smile, spitting out his chewing gum. before calling his boys to attack

the fight scene is portrayed very comedically, with the gangs having a good ol’ brawl - accompanied to classical music - which juxtaposes the scenes: where it is upbeat while the scenes are showcasing these exaggerated acts of violence.

despite being five of them: the knuckleheads energetically scrap with the rivals.

the elaborateness of this scene is astonishing: with them sometimes appearing inept in combat...

flailing their arms in circles, dog-piling, tackling to the ground

and other times appearing extremely competent...

humorously smashing chairs over enemies, breaking bottles and throwing Billy’s gang through windows

the scene ends with them victoriously beating them when they’re down on the floor - instilling hope, that although juvenile criminals - this gang is more competent than a larger gang of some of the most evil people conceivable (extremist, rapist, criminals)

the leader notices sirens from outside, and whistles to his crew: one comedically still in a bloodlust - causing him to continue whistling, to signal them of danger. the danger being police

the fact, that in this crime-ridden world: police still exist, and install fear in this competent gang of miscreants further suggests that they are more than just delinquents, and know the extent of their crimes.

as they run away humorously screaming - the scene suddenly cuts, to them escaping in their car. celebrating like a couple of children.

they go under a truck and cause a passing car to crash - showing they’re driving on the wrong side of the road. all the while, chuckling loudly. maybe they only do what they do for fun, and won't go to extreme lengths like other gangs: which is why their story is being followed. its why they can make light out of horrific situations.

its why they commit crimes: because its a laugh to them.

despite being seen as a problem by society: I’d argue the group see themselves as heroes; cleaning up the city - stopping rapes, “solving” homelessness, etc.

and having fun while they do it

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stevecanmakeanythingnerdy · 6 years

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RANDOM RECORD WORKOUT SEASON 5 Battle 29 Billy Ocean: Suddenly (Side 2 ) Vs. Sigue Sigue Sputnik: Flaunt It (Side 1 ) Billy Ocean: Suddenly (Side 2 ) Here is the lowdown on Billy Ocean. Aside from having a pretty cool last name, Billy Ocean (actually born Leslie Sebastian Charles) is a Trinidadian-born English recording artist who had a string of R&B international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British R&B singer-songwriter of the early to mid-1980s, so take that, seal! He was wildly popular in the UK, and eventually had a series of transatlantic successes, including three US number ones. In 1985, Ocean won the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his worldwide hit, "Caribbean Queen" which is included on this album. In fact, the middle 80's were quite kind to Mr. Ocean. This album had his biggest hits, and he also had the theme song to the popular film Jewel of the Nile a little later after this album. Billy has been active, pretty much since 1969, and part of that is attributed to his lungs. No, really. Freak fact about Billy- dude has an extra lung! In the 70's a routine doctor's appointment discovered an extra pulmonary node central to his albeit medically normal lungs. This extra lung has been attributed with the longevity of Billy's singing career. Crazy, right!?! Well, anyhow, lungs aside, Billy can also write a pretty mean tune. "Loverboy" starts off the second side. I have always thought this would make an excellent rocked up cover. Gwar has already tackled "Get out of my dreams" so I am calling this one! Mine! Think of the chord progression with some cool rugga chuggas...?! Yeah? You get it. The tune made big waves on the air. "Lucky Man" follows it up. More in a similar vein of the previous tune, but this time with acceptable funk levels. Late night airwaves party! A B-side for sure and very Lady positive so that's good. Billy appreciates his woman! "Dance Floor" contains a slow jam from the ocean man. Tide comes in, tide goes out. The actual tide, not the laundry detergent everyone is eating. What is wrong with you anyways! Call up Lionel, because we are dancin' on the CEILING with these key heavy rhythms! (#seewhatididthere). "If I Should Lose You" is an even slower jam. Real smooth and steady like waves from the ocean (#seewhatididthere). "Suddenly" is an even SLOWER jam, and more famous...since it's the title track and a major hit off the album. A bit of pop and orchestral arrangements. Simple piano seals the deal. Billy's voice is so smooth and flawless. He really is a great singer. Right in line with Ray Parker Jr. And Lionel Ritchey. Billy can kill it. Also worth noting is the impressive line art on the cover. Sigue Sigue Sputnik: Flaunt It (Side 1 ) Sigue Sigue Sputnik were a British new wave band formed in 1982 by former Generation X bassist Tony James. The band had three UK Top 40 hit singles, including the songs "Love Missile F1-11" and "21st Century Boy", both on this LP. The band was formed by Tony James, who had just left the band Gen X, and Neal X(Whitmore), who recruited "post-punk drag queen" Martin Degville. Degville was a clothes designer and supplied the band's wardrobe, and YaYa, the store where he worked, became the band's base. Their first gig was in Paris, supporting Johnny Thunders, with James' former Gen X colleague and then drummer for Thunders, Mark Laff, on drums. The band's name Sigue Sigue Sputnik (pronounced "cig-cig" btw), is a supposed reference to a Russian street gang and supposedly meaning "burn, burn satellite". Themes and imagery in the band's songs were often influenced by futuristic, dystopian or post-apocalyptic films such as A Clockwork Orange, The Terminator, Blade Runner and the Mad Max trilogy. Visually, their image included fishnet masks and brightly coloured wigs. It's essentially a mash up of Max Headroom meets New York Dolls. SSS even went as far as to sell advertisements in between tracks. You may also recognize the name from the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off soundtrack. To say they were unique is an understatement. The previously mentioned "Love Missile FL-11" starts off all the bizarre action. Lots of production, loops, synth, sound clips and fades. Literally, the sound fades from speaker to speaker at points. This is Devo on speed. It's a cool trick, but not mind blowingly amazing. "Atari Baby" is the next tune and it's slower...building techno. Maybe if U2 were an electronica band? Innovative and different certainly...but not actually too different from the previous track. "Sex Bomb Boogie" is back to the up tempo beats. I feel like there are going to be lots of sex noises. This song just seems like a drunken Tokyo all nighter gone awry. Too long for my tastes on this one. Strangely no sex noises, though. "Rockit Miss U. S. A. / Deathwish VII" is the final cut. Eastwood's famous "make my day" line kicks it all off. I Am sure this is ripe with controversy, but I don't get it. Still pretty futuristic and chaotic sounding, but really not that different from all three tunes before it. This is starting to seem like a one trick pony. I appreciate the weirdness for the sake of being weird, but it's just...too weird. It's like Billy Idol and Tina Turner met in Thunderdome and went waaaay beyond. (#seewhatididthere). Village people 2.0 for the future. Literally if the Blade Runner city street scenes came to life and formed a band, this would be it. And that's sad because I love all of those things. It's the reason I picked this up in Vienna, Austria and carried it all the way back to the U. S. A. I saw that cover and said WTF?!? I HAVE TO HEAR THIS!!?! Polysics beta. I think it's one of those cult things. You either get it or don't. DJ's on crack. One thing is for sure, they must have been a site to see live! Maybe the Buggles tripping with the Cure?!? And to clarify I mean tripping on acid, not actually tripping on cords on stage...which could also happen. I *think* I even heard the Willhelm scream! (#lookitup #itsathing) Mr. Ocean put in motion all kinds of commotion, but he burned off 165 calories over 22 minutes and 5 tunes. That is 33.0 calories per song and 7.50 calories per minute. Billy also earned 9 out of 15 possible stars. Sigue Sigue Sputnik not only flaunted it, but also exploded my mind and burned 161 calories over 4 songs and 21 minutes. That is a total of 40.25 calories per song and 7.67 calories per minute. The Sputniks earned 8 out of 12 possible stars in the process. Looks like Sigue Sigue Sputnik can also flaunt a RRW win, too! They beat Billy by .17 CPM! Listen for yourself! Check out the links: Billy Ocean: "Loverboy" https://youtu.be/CmhjXEkI5Lg Sigue Sigue Sputnik: "Love Missile F-11" https://youtu.be/Dn4EOGJMAgU #RANDOMRECORDWORKOUTSEASON5 #RANDOMRECORDWORKOUT

#randomrecordworkoutseason5 #randomrecordworkout #billy ocean #sigue sigue sputnik #max headroom #vinyl #records #vinyl record #vinyl collection #love missile #sound clips #weird #ocean #Loverboy #80s music #80s

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scrawnydutchman · 7 years

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My Top 10 Favorite Cartoons

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Animation is the greatest art form in the world. It’s film making, painting, doodling, caricature, satire, illusion, literature and music all at the same time. Truly poetry in motion. It simply does not get enough credit for just how miraculous the form can really be. Being the innovation in our culture that it is, making this list was difficult; because every time I thought of a worthy candidate for the list another worthwhile one popped up in my memory. As such, expect an honorable mentions before we get to number one. Before we jump in though, some ground rules.

1. If it’s animation, it counts. It doesn’t matter if it’s western animation or Anime, 2d or 3d, traditional or motion tweened, for children or for adults, for television or on the web. If it involves the cycling of drawn pictures to create the illusion of life then it qualifies.

2. This is not in order of objective quality and is strictly opinion based. Overall quality is a factor, but this list is mostly about how much of an impact it’s had on me as an individual.

enough ado, let’s get into it.

10. Being Ian

It’s more then Likely those of you readers who are American or anywhere besides Canada for that matter don’t know about this show, so in order to make sense of this entry let me provide a bit of information about myself. I am Canadian, and thus grew up with an entire library of Canadian produced shows intended for Canadian audiences. While I think the U.S.’s animation game is undeniably stronger then what we’ve got up north, we had some pretty solid entertainment like 6teen, What’s With Andy?, Total Drama Island, stuff like that. While it’s all well and good, the only thing I regret about our history as animators is that we rarely aim for more fantastical premises and almost always make shows about hijinks in mundane Canadian smalltown life. It’s nice every once in a while but we do it a little too often. I’d kill for a Canadian Adventure Time or Gumball. So why is Being Ian here? Well, the simple answer is this is the show that made me want to get into film making. Seeing as the premise is all about a nerdy kid with his camera trying to make an inspiring career out of his mundane life and constantly imagining scenarios that are treated as homages to famous movies like King Kong, Clockwork Orange, Jurassic Park and so on (many references I didn’t get as a kid) it makes sense that this would make me want to take on the same kind of lifestyle. It put me on live action for a while but as I found my talents are more in line with animation I moved onto it shortly after. Quite honestly, that’s it’s only real reason for being here. The animation is passable but nothing to write home about, it’s comedy got a chuckle out of me at times but isn’t really the most clever show ever (in fact sometimes it relies a little too much on grossout humor, as do most Canadian shows in fact), but the show undeniably played a major role in my development as a person. Also, it’s theme song is by Parry Gripp (the “Do You Like Waffles?” guy) so that’s a plus.

9. Wander Over Yonder

Alright, now that some of the country-based sentimentality is out of the way, let’s get into the really high quality stuff. The stuff with the bright colours, the wacky characters, the emotionally driven storylines and just everything great about cartoons. Craig McCracken is among my favorite animated show producers of all time (as previously stated in another article I wrote: Why Craig McCracken is a genius). This show is the perfect example of his talent and skill. Effectively just Road Runner on an intergalactic level with a touch of The Muppets, Wander Over Yonder is the cartoonist cartoon you will ever watch in your cartoon-filled life. It’s got a great sense of humor, intoxicatingly likable characters like the optimistic too-nice-for-his-own-good Wander, the spunky and adventure loving Sylvia and of course the abundantly evil yet adorable Lord Hater and his number one henchmen Commander Peepers, and it’s animation is miles upon miles in quality in comparison to what you may find on the air most of the time. I think objectively it is one of the finer shows on this list. So why only number 9? Well, the truth is . . . I haven’t watched very much of it. I watched the first season and pieces of the second. I intend to watch the rest once I get a bit more spending money but for now I gotta settle with what I bought, and for a show as high quality as this I refuse to pirate it. But this show left a great impact on me and came into my life when I needed somethin this cheery most. I discovered it when I was coming off of a really hard breakup that was way more difficult then it really needed to be and it bent me out of shape real bad, so putting this on felt like turning the lights in my brain back on. For that I’m really grateful.

8. Avatar: The Last Airbender

Ho man. Who knew Nickelodeon of all networks would make a move as artistic, risk-taking, original and highbrow as Avatar: The Last Airbender?? Oozing with eastern culture influence (so much so that there is an ongoing debate as to whether or not it counts as an anime), hours and hours of some of the most fantastic animation and fight choreography ever to hit the waves of television all done in glorious hand drawn frame by frame no less AND being the premiere of some of the most unforgettable characters in pop culture like the lovable Aang, the witty Sokka, The badass Katara and Toph and the honorable (haha) Zuko, this show is something you absolutely can’t miss out on for any reason at all. I would know as much, because I actually binged watched the whole thing as an adult instead of catching it while it was still on the air even though I was totally aware of it’s existence at the time. I was a stupid, stupid kid. It’s too bad Nickelodeon developed a history of terrible decision making that screwed over the follow-up series The Legend of Korra SUPER hard. All well. This show is fantastic and you need to watch it right now.

7. Venture Brothers

Alright, so at this point I feel an obligation to point out a certain bias I have when picking favorite shows. That bias being my love for superheroes. I. LOVE. Superheroes. They are a bigger chunk of my life then they realistically should be. So fair warning; a lot of these entries are superhero themed, this being one of them. But Venture Bros isn’t just that: it’s one giant satirical love letter to every kind of adventure show you can imagine. It homages everything from James Bond to Indiana Jones to Scooby Doo to Johnny Quest to Superfriends to Marvel Comics. It’s got fast witty dialogue that seamlessly alternates between high and lowbrow in seconds and has an ever expanding cast of great celebrity voices like Stephen Colbert, Clancy Brown, Seth Green and of course the manliest man who ever manned in the history of mankind, Patrick Warburton as Brock Sampson. Testosterone incarnate. The show has great appealing character design and so many memorably hammy characters that all comes together for a great slick style that’s every bit as badass as it is hilarious. You can totally get enraptured in the gut wrenching dialogue while still being invested in the plot full of conspiracy and espionage.

favorite line from this show: “If that were a woman, I’d marry it!” “Yeah, and then I’d jeopardize our friendship by bangin’ yer hot wife!”

6. Cowboy Bebop

Anime fans rejoice; I put the most cliché basic answer for favorite anime on my list! In all seriousness though, Cowboy Bebop is often regarded as the gateway anime for an American audience and rightfully so. It’s heavily influenced by American culture, it’s got a soundtrack comprised almost entirely of Jazz, Blues and Bebop as is it’s namesake, every episode homages some sort of American genre of film like Noir, Sci-fi horror and even Blacksploitation flicks and it’s American dubbing is considered one of the few on par with the original if not better, with Steve Blum giving a cool as ice raspy take on Spike as the lead character as well as the rough but fatherly Jet, the seductive but sensitive Faye and the optimistic child prodigy Edward (who is a girl, in case you don’t know). But none of that would matter if the anime wasn’t good . . . . so it’s a relief that this show KICKS SO MUCH FUCKING ASS THAT IT DOES OH MY GOD!! If I could sum this show up in one word, it’s “cool”. You will never find a show cooler then this. That is a challenge. It’s got great Bruce Lee inspired martial arts action as well as Reservoir Dogs esque shootouts, and most importantly it’s got a lot of heart and dripping emotional tension enraptured in mystery that insists the viewer keep watching to peel back the layers of every character. Through nuance storytelling choices, heavy atmosphere and carefully chosen dialogue this show has a style and edge that will never be known again. Let’s just hope the live action adaptation doesn’t fuck it all up (it’s got Sunrise Pictures backing it though so that’s reassuring).

5. The Simpsons

This gif is just the tiniest taste of the timeless wit behind the golden age of this show. What can I say about the Simpsons that hasn’t already been said before? It’s one of the most culture revolutionizing pieces of all time, let alone the 20th century. It perfected the archetype of the family sitcom, is the longest running American television show in history, was once so ahead of it’s time to predicted the future eerily frequently and has even had some of it’s original dialect like “D’oh!” make it into the dictionary. This show is no doubt one of the largest reasons for our cultures current sensibilities and outlook. Most importantly though, it was just something me and my whole family could watch and bond over. Some of my fondest memories as a kid was getting so excited whenever this show would come on because it was a time where me and all the siblings and our folks would huddle around the couch and all laugh together at some great slapstick, clever one liners and just straight up bizarre jokes at times where the only way you can logically respond is to laugh. It’s too bad this delicious fruit has rotted quite a bit and Fox won’t just send it to compost already. I already wrote up an entire article about why the current Simpsons sucks now so if you’re interested, go check it out. For now, I’m just going to look fondly on it’s golden age through clips, old episodes and internet shitposts.

“Don’t cry for me. I’m already dead.” - Barney.

4. Homestar Runner

Oh, Homestar Runner. Ye ancient relic of the early days of the Internet before youtube. A simpler time when Flash cartoons were all the rage and you can tune into the surreal misadventures of a star spangled armless oblivious dolt and his more popular counterpart, the boxing glove wearing e-mail answering Luchador Strong Bad. When I was very little I was obsessed . . . OBSESSED . . . with Homestar. I think the great appeal of Homestar was that while it was clearly popular enough for references to pop up here and there purely by word of mouth and for the series to eventually get a videogame developed by Telltales and for the creators Matt and Mike Chapman to eventually move on to working for Disney, it was JUST obscure and surreal enough to make its fans feel like they were in a unique and secret club where they could really bond over references to the show and not have it ruined by having the brand just pop up everywhere and anywhere. As hipstery as that sounds, my point is that Homestar felt like a Niche where problems were simple, everything was up for ridicule and old Atari and computer games were always cool. They went on a hiatus for a few years and only recently came back with a little cartoon every once in a while (nothing regularly scheduled though) but if you want to dabble in a little bit of early 2000s lighthearted weirdness then I highly suggest checking out their website. I’ll link to it down below.

http://www.homestarrunner.com/

3. Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends

When I first came up with the idea to do this list this was the first show to immediately pop in my head. I just get into a good mood whenever I think about this show. It’s colour scheme, it’s wildly imaginative characters, it’s silly yet offbeat sense of humor, it’s great pacing. Mostly it’s premise is just so ingenious you have to wonder how nobody ever thought of it before. This show is the sole reason why Craig McCracken is among my absolute favorite Animation Directors. Everytime I heard the intro to this show come on as a kid I had to immediately stop whatever it is I was doing and catch a hilarious episode. This was a show my sister really liked too, so much so she learned how to play the theme on the piano. Whether it was letting awkward tension build or immediately escalating to a high speed chase, this show would always keep me giggling the entire way through. Not to mention some of it’s episodes were really heart wrenching and actually made me choke up a bit. I know leave you with one of it’s funnier bits.

youtube

2. Teen Titans

That superhero bias I was talking about is coming back with a vengeance. This show is great for a lot of the reasons I really like previous entries in this list actually. It’s got a great art style that’s heavily anime influenced, a cast of diverse and unforgettable characters (with my childhood favorite being the quirky and wise cracking Beast Boy and my adulthood favorite being the hilarious, innocent and lovable Starfire), a hell of a lot of heart that makes me tear up in some of it’s most emotional moments, FANTASTICALLY fluid and suspenseful action (once again done in glorious classical animation), a great soundtrack with a hype as hell opening number that’s so good I have it on Spotify, all sorts of homages to action show tropes as well as nods to the larger DC universe and takes itself the right amount of seriously to let some of it’s sillier aspects shine. I distinctly remember seeing the first episode when it came on for the first time and getting instantly hooked. Every main character in this show is cast spot on and give some of the most memorable performances I’ve ever heard. Plus it’s a show that only gets better with time . . . especially in comparison to . . . that other show.

Before we get into number one, here are some honorable mentions: Rick and Morty, Disney’s Recess, One Piece, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Clone High, Samurai Jack, The Legend of Korra, The Amazing World of Gumball, Steven Universe, Fairly Odd Parents, Danny Phantom, Young Justice, Spectacular Spider-Man, 6teen.

1. Justice League Unlimited

Let’s take a moment to appreciate just how Amazing Bruce Timm’s take on the DC universe is, because . . . oh man . . . it is masterful. The stupendously likable characters, the intense action and suspense, the drama, the fast paced and impactful action and animation, the simple yet effective character design, the ever engrossing storylines. These are just some of the reasons why Bruce Timm is my favorite animated show developer of all time. There have been many great DC shows to come after this like Batman: Brave and the Bold or Young Justice, but none of them come close to the majesty of Justice League: Unlimited. When it comes to Bruce Timm shows most people would put Batman: The Animated Series higher up there, and while I without a doubt respect it’s legacy the fact that it’s Bruce Timm’s earliest show as director for the DC universe is pretty prominent in it’s pacing, action and to an extent it’s line delivery. The show moves rather sluggish and has more then a few issues in it’s animation, especially in it’s first season. I don’t hold that against the show in any way as it’s still very impressive for what it is, but you can tell Timm and his crew were just beginning to hone their style and would go through some growth pains further down the road. Justice League had some remnants of these problems here and there but they were beginning to shake these issues off. JLU is where Timm’s style got perfected. Perfect pacing, perfect line delivery, perfect animation, perfect action sequences where you can feel the impact of every punch and blow, perfect storytelling, and most impressively perfect juggling between the largest cast of characters Bruce Timm has tackled in his run. While Justice League would keep it between the original 7 in terms of juggling, JLU would take on characters like Green Arrow, Captain Marvel, Huntress, Black Canary, The Atom, Vigilante and so many more and make them all just as likable as the main cast if not more at times. And of course, there is the number one reason to watch the show . . . The Question.

God, do I love the Question. This show is the sole reason he is my second favorite DC character (first being the Flash). But anyway, to wrap it up, Bruce Timm once said in an interview that JLU was his favorite work because it was the only show he could keep going back to and continue to enjoy. I wholeheartedly agree.

So that’s my list. I hope you saw some of your favorites on there, and if not just enjoy what you enjoy and keep this medium alive dammit!

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sunsolaire · 7 years

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Identity questions!! 1, 2, 5, 6, 15 (!!!), 16, 17, 21, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30

oh my good golly gosh! so many! challenge accepted.

1: if someone wanted to really understand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to?

Hmm…I’d say watch OPM, Black Sails dont even get me started on this show, and the LOTR/Hobbit movies, and various TV shows like Rick and Morty. Listen to Gorillaz, the National, Glass Animals, Kings of Leon and Banks and so many more ohmygodilovemusic Read fanfiction. nuff said.

2. have you ever found a writer who thinks just like you? if so, who?

I don’t think so. No one comes to mind

5. do you think of yourself as a human being or a human doing? do you identify yourself by the things you do?

Human being. A lot of the time I like to say that I’m just existing sometimes. I guess i like to identify myself based on my mental state like whether I’m happy with my life and if i’m stressed and such.

6. are you religious/spiritual?

I’m an atheist but I’m not one of those obnoxious ones. I really enjoy studying other religions. I just finished a course on Buddhism, actually.

15. five most influential books over your lifetime.

Oh boy. strap yourselves in kids.

The motherfucking Great Gatsby heavily influenced my writing style and I would die for that book. daisy can go fuck herself Then there’s Anthem by Ayn Rand, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. (You can tell there’s a certain time period I like with these last books haha)

16. if you’d grown up in a different environment, do you think you’d have turned out the same?

Probably if we mean location wise. I’m like the definition of emotionally constipated and I also hate people by default. Both of those traits are the embodiment of my dad. But if we mean people wise then Probably not for the same reasons lol

17. would you say your tumblr is a fair representation of the “real you”?

Hell nah. I’m a lot, like a fuck ton, more polite and optimistic on Tumblr than I am in real life. I’m actually a pessimistic sarcastic asshole with a heart of gold in real life. (I’m probably criticizing myself too much but whatevs)

21. would you rather be in Middle Earth, Narnia, Hogwarts, or somewhere else?

Well, all these places are dangerous. haha but i’d say Hogwarts or Middle Earth. I’d probably kick it in Ravenclaw (or Slytherin) or in Rivendell

22. list the top five things you spend the most time doing, in order.

Doing something on my laptop, playing video games (on my laptop or PS4), sleeping, watching Youtube videos, writing

26. how would you describe your gender/sexuality?

I’m a cis lady who likes dem mens

27. do you feel like your outside appearance is a fair representation of the “real you”?

I suppose? I do embody and personify the image of a hipster which I find to be wonderful. Granted, if we’re adding society and the media into this then I don’t “look like a nerd” or a “gamer”. Once, I was literally told I was too pretty to be a gamer. I kid you not.

29. three songs that you connect with right now.

hit me with all these musical asks. plz. i love. I connect to songs based on their sound instead of their lyrics mostly so I’ll list three ultimate favorites: Still Wild by La Mar, Pyro by Kings of Leon, and Runaway by The National.

30. pick one of your favorite quotes.

“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”

It’s not exactly a vocal quote but it’s one of my favorite lines from the Great Gatsby.

#yaaaaaay #finished #these are fun #parlez-vous

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iheartsurveys · 7 years

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148

1. What’s the last thing you and your sibling laughed about? No clue 2. What’s the last thing you took a picture of? My time sheet 3. When are you getting your next new phone? I just got this phone last month so not for a while 4. Can you tell the difference between Chinese and Korean writing? Probs not 5. What was the last song you listened to about? I haven't listened to music today, actually, so idk 6. When’s the last time you cleaned out your keyboard? My laptop has been dead for a few months, and even before that I'm not really sure lol 7. Do you listen to classical music? I did when studying/writing an essay in college 8. Why did you buy the last CD you bought? I bought Harry's album because I love him lol. And I had a coupon. And it's a great album 9. What did you do for your last science fair? I don't think I've ever had a science fair in school tbh 10. If you’ve seen “A Clockwork Orange”, would you volunteer for that “cure” after you saw what happened to Alex? Haven't seen it 11. Do you like DIY things? I do, I like crafting and whatnot 12. Do you tell your parents who you like? Why or why not? Ehhh I do if it becomes something. Andrew was a special situation kinda because we got set up, but I told my mom I was taking him to formal/going to his, and she knew some details like I'd tell her if we went on a date after that when we kind of were a thing. My dad, however, saw pics from formal on Facebook and was like who is that? Lolllll so I don't really tell him much. In the past too mom usually knows when I go on a date with someone, and my dad knows after the fact. 13. Are you due for a haircut? Yessss my ends are awful. I'm going this Friday but I'm torn between a trim and cutting a few inches. I've wanted long hair forever and it's getting pretty long but I'm also tempted to chop it a little, so we'll see how that goes 14. Are you dealing with any health-related problems right now? Not really 15. Do your parents like the music you listen to? Mom likes some, like 1D and Harry and some alternative stuff I listen too. Dad doesn't like that stuff but I listen to things he likes, like older stuff so we bond over that 16. Do your parents approve of your beliefs? Yes 17. What’s the last thing you mailed? My time sheet 18. Do you know anyone who’s racist? I have fb friends with conservative views that can say/share questionable things. No one is outwardly like hey! I'm racist! And if you confronted them on it I'm sure they'd say "no im not racist!" But you can definitely tell based off things they say or share that they have prejudice/racist vibes 19. What about a homophobe? ^^ same as above. 20. What about a pedophile? I don't 21. Who’s the most annoying person in your neighborhood? I've kind of answered this a few surveys ago. No one is really annoying; the guy across the street is just kinda eh. 22. Name one of your psycho exes? No one I've dated is/was psycho 23. Why were they a psycho ex? ^ 24. What’s the best revenge you ever got on someone? I'm very non confrontational sooo no revenge 25. Do you know what RSVP stands for? No clue tbh 26. How often do you shop at dollar stores? Not very often, definitely more around the holidays for bags and wrapping paper and whatnot 27. What screen name do you use to prank people with? I don't lol 28. What screen name did you use in 6th grade? Can't remember 29. How long ago did you make your current screen name? Instant messengers aren't a thing anymore, this survey must be old 30. What “older” bands do you listen to? The Beatles, beastie boys, zeppelin, queen, nirvana...those are the main ones but I enjoy quite a bit of older music, bands and solo artists 31. Do you like older or newer music better? Probably newer a little bit more but I love some good 60s-90s jams 32. Do you make your own clothes and/or add designs to them on your own? I don't but that sounds cool 33. Who does the laundry in your house? I do my own, and my mom and stepdad switch on and off doing theirs 34. What brand of eyeliner do you use? I think it's L'Oréal? I need to find a better one the last 2 I've tried get too smudgy 35. Do you have a friend who tends to act pessimistic? Yeah, about some things. And I do sometimes too 36. What’s something you need to do? Clean my room tomorrow, and work out 38. If you had a band, what would you name it? Oh man idk. 39. When with a guy/girl you like, do you make the first move? Lol never 40. Have you ever done “naughty things” in a movie theater? Nope 41. What’s your favorite part of a song? I mean, it varies depending on the song <<< 42. What’s the last song you listened to remind you of? As I said earlier, I don't remember what that was 43. Did you/will you change yourself before you go to high school? In like 2 weeks it'll be 5 years since I graduated high school lol 44. How’s life treating you lately? It's okay. I finished temping last week and the temp agency wanted me to start another assignment but I declined because I start my job in a month and I have plans in between then and now i wanted time to myself to chill. So I'm just chillin 45. What was the coolest thing to happen today? Nothing really, all I did was clean and nap and then watch tv

#surveys

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geekade · 7 years

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Legion of Spoilers - Chapter 1

This past Wednesday, FX finally premiered the long-awaited Legion, written and produced by Fargo’s Noah Hawley. Although the show is based on the lesser-known character from the X-Men universe, Hawley has described it as an adaptation built on the same foundation as the original’s volatile powers and identity.

Chapter 1 opens with a montage of scenes of David Haller's (Dan Stevens) childhood. The sequence starts innocently enough, with moments that could have been plucked from any family album in mid-century middle America, before progressing through increasingly chaotic scenes that hint at the scope of David's powers and instability. The series appears to have taken a page from Breaking Bad, adopting a saturated and vivid palette in which each color has its own significance. Take the opening two scenes: the montage and the hospital visit. David's early childhood is rendered with the nostalgia of sepia and pastels. As his powers grow and the whispers grow louder, everything darkens, the lighting deepening to more ominous shades that culminate in his attempted suicide. He vanishes downward, leaving only darkness bisected by an orange electric cord.

In the next scene, David has risen from the bottom of the frame and is dressed in a lighter palette, the earth tones that recur throughout the psychiatric hospital where he is being treated for paranoid schizophrenia. Even his hair is lighter. Sitting opposite him is a woman later identified as his sister, Amy (Katie Aselton), clad in bright green and navy blue that pop incongruously against the wan décor of the visiting room and David’s more muted shades. She offers him the saddest birthday cupcake of all time, which becomes improbably sadder when a guard denies David even a taste of chocolatey goodness. The visit ends abruptly when an orderly announces it's time for his next pill, and before he leaves the table, David mutters to his bewildered visitor, "Something new needs to happen soon."

And then it does: David spots a new inmate. Sydney Barrett (Rachel Keller) picks her way through the ward, anxiously and assiduously avoiding physical contact. Smitten immediately, he offers her Twizzlers stolen from his (understandably miffed) ward buddy Lenny (Aubrey Plaza). Thus begins a charming and innocent courtship conducted over evening skylines and cherry pie. But the time is already out of joint: One moment David is standing to receive his pill, and the next an orderly is pushing him along in a wheelchair. It's unclear how much time has passed between those two shots, or since his sister's visit. The transition – so seamless I initially missed it – sets up a series of cuts worthy of Billy Pilgrim’s Tralfamadorian time-jumps.

By his own admission, David is an unreliable narrator. Dogged by voices and visions of a creepy Humpty-Dumpty demon (The Devil with Yellow Eyes), his grip on reality is tenuous at best. That he is aware of this does nothing to help ground him or viewers. The first chapter doesn’t so much play out as it assembles a disorienting collage of non-linear moments. It’s nearly perpetually unclear whether we're seeing the present, a flashback (that is, an accurate depiction of a past event), a memory (an event as recorded by the notoriously unreliable human brain), a hallucination or dream, an alternate timeline, or some cocktail of all of the above. I have a theory about what happened but you probably have one too, and it’s anybody’s guess how well that squares with David Haller’s (or Noah Hawley’s) chronology.

One moment David and Sydney are sharing a quiet evening, and the next David is hunched over a candy-apple red table in a very white room. Now in civilian clothes, he’s being questioned by a polished official in a brown suit (Hamish Linklater) while a sinister whittler with a weird eye (Mackenzie Gray) lurks at the edges of the room. By degrees, the interrogation – intercut with what we'll call flashbacks – reveals that David possesses telepathic and telekinetic powers, that the latter tend to manifest spectacularly in moments of great stress, and that something very bad happened at the hospital. That incident – which coincided with Sydney's discharge from the hospital – killed Lenny, shook the building to its foundation, and sealed every patient behind doorless walls.

Only it wasn’t Sydney who was discharged: When they kissed each other goodbye, Sydney and David switched bodies, and David's mind emerged from the hospital in Sydney's body. Several scenes later, David's body somehow catches up while "Sydney" is sitting in an outdoor café. He makes his way to his sister's place on what turns out to be Halloween and eats every waffle in the house before retiring to the basement to apologize to a hallucination of his former ward buddy. At least, you assume it's a hallucination until David's sister pops in to check up on him and the camera shows Lenny’s reflection in a nearby mirror. Silent and motionless, Lenny watches as David crouches over the fragments of a (telekinetically) shattered lamp and his sister absconds with every nearby sharp implement as diplomatically as possible.

David snaps back to the interrogation to find he's been moved to a filled swimming pool rigged with high voltage cables. In true Bond villain fashion, his interrogator looms over him brandishing a kill switch; and in true Bond villain fashion, he and all his henchmen are incinerated in a near-cosmic conflagration that leaves the building (and of course David) untouched. The explosion announces the arrival of a rescue team led by (who else?) Syd Barrett, who takes them to a boat launch where Melanie Bird (Jean Smart) awaits. After one last leer from the Devil with Yellow Eyes, David takes Ms. Bird's hand, and – what do you mean the next episode isn’t for another week?!

Show runner Noah Hawley is in his usual fine form, with every line, shot, cut, and costume composed with the rigor of Fargo and the panache of The Unusuals. Catchy and eclectic soundtracks are another Hawley trademark, and here as well Legion lives up to its predecessors. The aesthetic genuflects to Pink Floyd even as the show defies viewers to place it in a recognizable historical moment. This appears to be intentional as well, both as a world-building and thematic choice: Asking when all this happens or whether it even happens in our universe distracts us from the more material how. Unfortunately every potential answer to the latter is terrifying; sharing David’s sense of dislocation is less frightening than considering he is in possession of an immense power that he cannot control.

We all construct our own realities, but what happens when you can bend reality – whether you want to or not? What happens when you can’t know whether your delusions manipulate your perceptions or the actual fabric of space-time? David’s power unmoors him from every dimension we rely on to make sense of our experiences – but of course, that’s the point. The combination of his power and mental illness keep him at a remove, inspiring a fear that reaches past allies and enemies into the world we like to call real. I wouldn’t want to have his power, but I can’t wait to see what he’ll do with it next.

QUOTES

"My 260th Thursday as a passenger on the cruise ship Mental Health."

"Do you...wanna be my girlfriend?"

"Okay. But don't touch me." "Okay." "Yeah?" "Yeah." "Okay."

"If he so much as farts too loud, we're moving to Level Two."

"Don't give a newbie a bazooka and then act surprised when she blows shit up."

"What's so funny?" "I'm insane, you idiot. This is my delusion."

ODDS & ENDS

Full disclosure: I haven’t read the Legion comics, although I have done some Internet research in preparation for the series. Any references to the comics will be sourced and linked for comics fans who care to check my work. If you haven’t read the comics either, CBR has a pretty good primer.

Hawley has said the show won’t be a blow-by-blow recreation of Legion’s history or arcs, but he is trying to do justice to Sienkiewicz’s signature visual style. (Related: The Hair has been promised.)

So far, the only nod to the X-Men aside from the X in the show's title card is the yellow and blue color scheme of David’s pajamas. Hawley has suggested that the show takes place in one of X-Men’s alternate universes, but the title card suggests that the two worlds will eventually collide.

I will not pretend to have any idea what was up with that dance sequence, but if you’re interested, it was set to “Pauvre Lola” by Serge Gainsbourg.

The other two songs featured prominently were The Who’s “Happy Jack” (the opening montage) and The Rolling Stones’ “She’s a Rainbow” (David and Syd’s courtship). And yes, Sydney is named after Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett.

Legion opened with several Hawley show alum, and I’m hoping for more. The most notable appearances in this chapter are Jean Smart and Rachel Keller, who starred in Season 2 of Fargo as Floyd and Simone Gerhardt. Mackenzie Gray and Brad Mann have also appeared in Fargo and Hamish Linklater is slated for Season 3.

Other notable cast members: Aubrey Plaza and Dan Stevens. Stevens played Matthew Crawley on Downtown Abbey. Plaza is probably best known for April Ludgate in Parks & Recreation and Daria in a briefly viral CollegeHumor trailer, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn she also voiced deadpan creepytwin Eska on The Legend of Korra.

Hawley is a fan of Kurt Vonnegut and is also working on adapting Cat’s Cradle for FX.

The ambulance parked in front of Clockworks after the incident bears the name Calvino, no doubt a nod to postmodern novelist Italo Calvino. My eyes are now peeled for a sly reference to The Nonexistent Knight.

The character debuted in 1985, written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Bill Sienkiewicz. In the comics, David Haller/Legion suffers from multiple personality disorder – his name is based on the biblical story in which a group of demons possessing a human identify themselves as Legion – and each personality controls a different power. I think something similar is going on in the show (more on that in Fan Theories).

FAN THEORIES, or WHAT THE HELL I THINK IS GOING ON

I don’t believe Sydney Barrett is real. Ditto for Rudy (Brad Mann) [I may have gotten the name wrong, but the telekinetic dude in black tactical wear]. My theory is that Sydney is a psychokinetic projection of one of David’s latent personalities, and that Rudy is either psychokinetic or hallucinatory projection of another latent personality. This would explain why Lenny and Dr. Kissinger both see Sydney, why David kissing her generates a concussive energy wave (as David suddenly adopts Sydney’s body and leaves a psychokinetic projection of David behind), and how David finds himself – body and mind – sitting in a chair previously occupied by “Sydney.” Both Sydney and Rudy demonstrate powers we already know David to possess – telepathy and telekinesis, respectively.

The nature of David’s illness prevents him from recognizing these projections as aspects of his own mind.

I’m on the fence about Ptonomy (Jeremie Harris) and Kerry (Amber Midthunder). It’s 50/50 between them being additional latent personalities OR employees of Melanie Bird (whose existence I’m buying for the time being). They don’t seem to possess any mutant powers, but they do speak in a slightly stilted manner that seems more imagined than natural.

At least some of David’s hallucinations aren’t hallucinations. He possesses the ability to reach into parallel universes (mentally if not physically) and what looks like unreality to viewers and squares is actually David accessing a world of (if you will) alternative facts. That Lenny’s reflection appears in a mirror that is out of David’s line of sight suggests to me that her existence is not a quirk of rogue brain chemistry.

Chronology: David is sharing a house with girlfriend Philly and several housemates. After a bad fight, Philly storms off and David retreats to the kitchen, where his tumultuous emotions manifest in a poltergeist-type phenomenon that gives us a glimpse of The Devil with the Yellow Eyes. Shortly afterward he laces up an electric cord and tries to hang himself, which leads to his six-year occupancy of the Clockworks Psychiatric Hospital. The cupcake visit occurs in the fifth year of his tenure; after a time jump of less than a year he meets and befriends Syd Barrett. In the latter’s form he eventually convinces Dr. Kissinger to discharge them, performs the psychokinetic switch described above, and escapes the facility in year six. Nevertheless, the stress of Syd’s “departure” provokes the incident that kills Lenny and seals the ward. After approximately a week of freedom, David calls the hospital hoping to talk to Syd, only to be told that they have no record of any such patient. Ptonomy and Kerry try to pick him up, only to be intercepted by The Eye and his SWAT minions. David comes to in the interrogation room, vanishes his lunch tray, blows shit up, and gets knocked out and removed to the pool. From there he musters some nasty pyrokinesis and makes his daring escape.

Every color signifies something. Pastels and sepia tones are childhood memories. Earth tones (muted oranges, yellows, and dull greens) recur throughout Clockworks, both on the inmates and in the décor. Syd’s overcoat and kerchief are also orange, suggesting she is inextricable from Clockworks even after she leaves. However, she carries a bright green suitcase which echoes the lime and then Kelly greens sported Amy Haller; these shades only appear on those free to leave the hospital. David is wearing gray when he loses control, first in the shared house kitchen and again during what I affectionately call the InterroBang. Fittingly, his latent personalities wear black – Sydney’s track jacket is black, as are the clothes she’s wearing the day she leaves the hospital. Dead Lenny is wearing a black tank top under beige overalls, a manifestation that he didn’t create from whole cloth because alive Lenny was real. The last colors that jumped out at me are also the hardest to parse: white and red. Both the interrogation room and the orderlies’ uniforms include broad, geometrically rigid blocks of white. I have no idea what this means. And when David exercises his power with great force, a lurid red glow suffuses the screen. This red glow also silhouettes the dog(?) sitting in a kennel in the government facility where David is interrogated, implying an as-yet unrevealed connection. Red also seems to accompany moments of profound anxiety, reverie, or dislocation: It features prominently in the house kitchen counters, the café tables and chairs, and of course the table in the interrogation room.

#TV #articles

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stevecanmakeanythingnerdy · 5 years

Text

Battle #18

The Motels: S/T (Side 1)

Vs.

The Twins: Passion Factory (Side A)

The Motels: S/T (Side 1)

The first incarnation of The Motels (yes, there were two) formed in Berkeley, California in 1971. It lasted a few years and even had a record contract offered, but the band rejected it and disbanded. Then in 1978, Martha Davis and lead guitarist Jeff Jourard (formerly of a pre-fame version of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) decided to reform The Motels. Extensive auditions resulted in a new line-up of the band being formed, consisting of Jourard's brother Marty, who played both the saxophone and keyboards, Michael Goodroe on bass, and Brian Glascock on drums. This history would seem to be a recurring theme for the group. As is often the case of a professional working band, line up changes are common. The band reached most of its success in the early To middle 80s, as they came into the spotlight thanks to MTV with both “Only The Lonely” and “Suddenly Last Summer” in heavy rotation. This album is the band’s first. It does show a bit of maturity (for a debut-probably largely due to the bands pre-history) but still smacks of a rookie debut. It’s a mixed bag of sounds and styles with very little direction and guidance. Side one begins with “Anticipating”. A slow start, but showcasing Martha Davis’ unique, smokey voice right away. Decent rock and Missing Persons level structure. Something lacks though, there is no punch. “Kix” follows and is certainly a better choice for number one in my opinion. A punkier edge, including elements of Heart with this one. It’s more cohesive and more driven. “Total Control”-which was actually a single off the album- is a slow jam. Building riffs and such, but it never really pays out. The seeds of the band’s future success are certainly there. I even hear hints of a Quarterflash vibe. “Love Don’t Help” is also slower and more confined. Trying really hard to be soulful. There is difficulty in describing this but it isn’t bad, just unnecessarily funky. Rather weak. “Closets and Bullets” is the closest thing to the future version on the band. Most indicative of the sound they would eventually adopt. Better and best bluesy solos with light new wave action. The Cars-like in nature with driving solo work (#seewhatididthere). This was actually the first single, but it flopped. I am not sure why, because in my humble opinion it is the best tune. At least on this side. If I remember correctly, side two is much better.

The Twins: Passion Factory (Side A)

The Twins are a German synthpop and new wave duo. They were popular (possibly) in Europe during the 1980s. Their successful singles include "Face to Face - Heart to Heart", "Not the Loving Kind", "Ballet Dancer" and "Love System” though NONE of those appear on this, their 1982 debut Passion Factory. It was very difficult to find any information on this band, but as usual I let my gambling instincts take over. When I saw it, I was immediately drawn in by the Kubrick/Clockwork Orange-esque art. It seemed German (check) which means brilliant or weird, probably both. It seemed new wave or electronica (check) based on the time frame, and because of those two things it seemed there would be a good chance I would enjoy it (double check!). Oh, also it was 50 cents, so...I mean, right?!!? Well, now I am very glad I forked over the fifty cents and very sad I couldn’t find much on them, because they were pretty great. Apparently they still play too! She thanks to internet nerd-dome I have been able to piece together that this is their first effort. Another rookie debut! Unlike the previous effort by The Motels though, this is a well polished gem from beat one. It is new wave tea steeped in electronic worship. 2 (presumably) German dudes-one on percussion and one on “compurhythms”. No shit, that’s what the jacket says. Well, sign me up brother, because I want to play compurhythms too! Dark, dreary and gothic at time, but happy, upbeat and upscale at others. Rich with Devo-like vocals and Tubeway Army-like synth work. Do I even need to spell it out?!? It’s F#$*%&+ FANTASTIC!! “The Passion Factory” (appropriately) starts it off. I am not even joking when I say, if your eyes were closed you would think it was a Gary Numan outtake. Sick compurhythms and parallax syntax! Killer harmonies seal the deal. “X-Ray Eyes” May end up as my favorite (but hell, I haven’t even heard Side 2 yet...let’s not jump to conclusions). This jam has keyboard SFx all over the place with great builds and a catchy follow through. It’s midi-fi heaven. These guys did their kraftwerk (#seewhatididthere). “Satellite City” is slower and more picturesque. There are beautiful floating bass keys and more math like precision. Well, crap. We are only 3 cuts in and I’m in love. “Runaway” punks it up a little. Tempo is elevated to times two. That is to say it is slightly faster than the previous offerings. Still present are the catchy riffs and flashy fills and fringe. For a 2 piece this band has a very full sound. A more introspective take on this one, perhaps. The final track (nooooo!!!) is “Electric Bats”. Yes BATS, not beats. I think this literally may be a Numan cover, but a quick check of the liner says otherwise. Well, an homage or borrowed riff at the very least. Also, ROBOTIC VOICE Y’ALL!!!! Independent hi-fives all around. It’s subdued so it’s basically BG noise thus making this effectively an instro outtro. I think it is an absolutely fair and accurate description to say this is Gary Numan’s “Cars” reinterpreted five times. And each one is DELICIOUS!! Wow. I am truly impressed by this. And you know what? Hi-five to past ME. For having the insight and knowledge that future me would really dig this! I don’t know, I think I see playoff predictions for these dudes...needless to say, great stuff.

The Motels are not just a place you stay, but a band that plays early 80’s radio rock with a new wave angle! Who knew! They burned 135 calories in 19 minutes over 5 songs on their debut. That equals 27.00 calories per song and 7.11 calories burned per minute. Also, they earned 10 out of 15 possible stars. The Twins are not just a baseball team in Minnesota, but a synth-pop band that is now one of my favorites! Also debuting their goods they burned an impressive 187 calories over 5 songs and 24 minutes. That is 37.40 calories burned per song and 7.79 calories burned per minute. The band earned 13 out of 15 possible stars. The Twins clearly have a passion and it’s manufactured in their factory through compurhythms! Today’s winner are The Twins!!

The Twins: “X-Ray Eyes”

https://youtu.be/4h2jHG2D0N0

#Randomrecordworkoutseasonsix

#Randomrecordworkout

#randomrecordworkout #randomrecordworkoutseason6 #80s music #80s #vinyl #records #80's music #the twins #the motels #suddenly last summer #synth #synthwave #synth pop

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