Jenn commented, tonight, that my blog was “crazier than before,” and “manic.” I want to note: Yes. Holy crap yes. But, if you knew me last February, you’d know that it’s how the old LJ started, too. Constant re-edits, excessive attempts at humor, overposting but still remaining eerily private (for me). But I get my footing back at some point, if I remember correctly.
Tonight, I bought the best pants ever made. I know I said this just three months ago, but I found a pair even better. Is it wrong that I’m this excited about them?
*waits*
Okayfineyeahitis.
Dear everyone: I’m only halfway through, but I am convinced that Three Kings is amazin’ beyond amazin’. I hate making statements like that, because now people who inexplicably trust me watch it and go “Uh, I guess that was okay.” So, don’t see it! Just take my word on it! We’ll all be happier.
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Chris Cunningham is the third of the three-director series that no one seems to watch, or want to watch.
A review.
Let’s start with some inevitable pretension: A critic once said that Monet was a painter with only an eye, and no brain behind it. Seeing that this is probably the only thing I know about art history, I kept remembering it (whether it applied or not) while watching Cunningham after the Gondry and Jonze DVDs.
I think a lot of people would disagree, but I see the work on the other two Director’s collections as almost art almost entirely separate from the original songs.
Gondry did the best with a few striking pieces like “Around The World” and “Everlong,” but as much as I love Jonze, I don’t visualize a single one of his pieces when hearing the associated songs.
But: before tonight, I had seen the video for “Come To Daddy” only once…when I was 17. I didn’t hear the song again until the middle of 2003, when I found the EP in a record shop in Oldtown (not that it wasn’t readily available online, but GIMME SOME CRED HERE). The second “Come To Daddy” started, I saw the entire video again, and with good cause: “Come To Daddy” was the perfect video for this song, not as something that sparked interest or made me laugh or was worth talking about the next day, but as something which came purely and perfectly from what I felt when I heard it. Cunningham has somehow taken that moment of visualizing we all do when we hear a great piece and carried it through to the end, never compromising once, even if ideas seem impossible or nonsensical late in the process.
Whether or not any of this makes it better art is a different discussion, because I still prefer and adore work from J+G’s discs, and they’re much better conversation pieces (and generally more engaging), for the most part. Still, it’s interesting to realize what Cunningham has tapped into, here: His understanding of exactly what he felt the first time he heard the song.
—–
And since I’m all warmed up and opinionated:
A few other recent Netflix opinions!
- Roger and Me: Didn’t have as many points or conclusions as it could’ve, but damn, it sure was sad. I feel like I got tricked into watching a movie that forced me to empathize instead of mindlessly slam corporate heads.
- Seven Samurai: I have no idea what the hell was up with this. I must be missing something.
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: “This doesn’t seem fucked up at all,” I recall telling someone mid-series. But! As it turns out, Evangelion may be one of the darkest, sickest, biggest, and weirdest shows ever put on television. It’s watered down, sure, but there are moments in there that rival Apocalypse Now and Seven for sheer horror/memorability. Good luck figuring out what the hell happened at the end, because I wasn’t able to invest the energy. *needs a bath*
- Fullmetal Alchemist: If you’re not already watching this, you probably won’t. But: Solid, entertaining, well-acted, packed with plot progression, and remarkably mature. Even the slow points ride in the wake of spectacular scenes, and don’t seem to drag as much as they probably could.
- Harold And Maude: I guess that was good. Maybe I had been there to see it when it came out? It was beautiful to watch, at least.
- The Battle Of Algiers: Unbelievably timeless in message and style. If it came out today, I would’ve been equally as awed.
- Arrested Development: Okay, Leina’ala wins. This show is funny beyond all reason.
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Never heard of Styrofoam until my sister sent me four damn CDs albums, which mysteriously failed to show up on Gracenote and, thus, got skipped repeatedly until today. I finally decided it was time to find tracklists and name some of these lovely little pockets of synth and confusion, only to find that this guy basically has used nearly every song title I would ever want to (were I musically inspired):
“It’s Just That We Don’t Show It”
“By Anybody Else I Mean You”
“You Pretend You Own This Place”
“Forever, You Said Forever”
“I Have To Keep Reminding Myself To Be Pissed Off”
Curses!
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