21 March, 2006
On the Gramophone
This week I want to point listeners over to the DGM Live Library. DMG is the record label of King Crimson, amongst others, and they offer Crimson shows from throughout their career for download as mp3s or FLACs. A tune from each month's release is given away as a sample. This month's tune is "Improv I", nearly 10 minutes of Crimsony improvisational goodness from their performance on 6 October 1973 from the University Of Texas, Arlington, Texas.
20 March, 2006
Prost Gotvin - Part 19
This is Prost Gotvins geometri by Gert Nygårdshaug. The translation was done by Roy Johansen. Nygårdshaug is a Norwegian author and the text has not yet been published in English. Roy is a friend of mine who recently moved back to his native Norway. He has translated a good part of the novel and I'm trying to convince him to finish it.
Here’s Part 18.
Father Gotvin's First Journey (continued)
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. Bull's eye! I had caught the mother grayling on the first throw. Thank you God for lighting my path. I was going on a plane with Mr. Hansson the glazier? That's what it seemed like. He was an uncommonly nice-sounding fellow. He'd written a book? I had to get a copy of it immediately. I froze. Was this the book she had been reading on the train? Right across from me? It was possible. I half ran through the streets of the idyllic little Danish hamlet; a bookstore – I had to find a bookstore immediately, but there was no bookstore. The closest I came was the souvenir kiosk at the entrance of the fortress. I ran there, tried to calm down and strode inside where I asked the attendant woman. Was she acquainted with a book by Preben Hansson? She looked at me brusquely, nodded slowly, and told me, leaving no doubt, that that was not the sort of books they carried there. Besides, she had heard that it was out of print. But could she at least tell me its title? Again she nodded brusquely, "Nonetheless, they were there" – this was the title of the book, but as she had abundantly made clear, this was not the kind of establishment that dealt with that sort of literature. It made me wonder, but I wasn't about to question her further. I thanked her and sauntered away from the kiosk in deep though. "That sort of literature"? I must admit that my curiosity only increased as I strolled up and down an alley hedged with poplars right outside the legendary Viking fortress ruins. And the title of the book – "Nonetheless, they were there" – peculiar title. What was there? The Viking fortress, probably. But not according to Lucienne. If the Viking fortresses were "the wrong tree", why was I here at all? I felt increasingly confused, but not at all discouraged. I was going to meet Preben Hansson, the Mr. Hansson, no doubt about that. The author of a book that the stern lady in the kiosk felt above carrying. Could it be an obscene book? There was always the possibility.
I walked up to the entrance.
There were a lot of visitors.
I bought a ticket.
The are was large and I immediately realized that few of the circles would be visible from the ground. The inner circle was in reality a large rampart and the stones – the odd little rowboat-like shapes – were not as prominent when ambling around them. I was standing on one of them. I squatted, stroked it – "Who put you here?" I thought. What did they look like? I sat down on the grass, wafted a few flies away. Summer in Denmark and summer in Norway. My very first trip abroad drew towards its close. It had not at all turned out the way I had expected. The Gotvin Soleng returning to Vanndal was not quite the Gotvin Soleng who had left. What had changed? Besides meeting her and becoming a man? Wasn't I feeling more free? But of what did this freedom consist? This I did not fathom. My God was the same, my faith remained unscathed - didn't it?
A cold puff of air blew along my spine.
I turned around.
No one there.
I had committed a sin.
I had been in jail.
I had struck a stranger's head.
I had committed adultery.
"I had committed adultery" – this sentence struck me with all its force. Suddenly the sentence had a terrible chasm, I could see it now whereas I hadn't before. I had been blinded, blinded by her. I had done something a good Christian, least of all a minister, should never do. Gotvin the pure had set out from Vanndal; Gotvin the filthy and sinful would return. That's how it was and, on top of that, I had the nerve to walk around feeling free?! I had become a frivolous, irresponsible sophist who was trying to twist and corrupt the words of the Bible, of my Heavenly Father, and I was in the process of falling. Falling down into a heathen gnosis or perhaps into Judaistic hedonism. I had committed adultery, there in Spain, on a patch of grass by the municipal baths in Santiago de Compostela; I had succumbed to the sins of the flesh. So hardened had my heart become that it had taken me until now to realize this, but unlike St. Augustine, there was no Simplicianus there for me. Who was there to provide for my pitiable soul? Who was my spiritual advisor? Magnus Storakbråten? Hardly. The bishop? Could she understand what had compelled me to go? My fall from grace? I was having doubts again –all this uncertainty! I pounded my fist in the grassy ground. It smarted and I was bleeding. I must have hit something sharp. A shard of glass? I dug down into the grass while sucking the blood from my hand. A hard, pointed object. I held it up, blinked and stared at it. It was green with tarnish, but I immediately saw what is was: a bronze arrowhead. Bronze? But the Vikings' era wasn't the Bronze Age. They had used weapons made of iron, but there could be no doubt that what I as holding in my hadn was an ancient bronze arrowhead. What should I do with it? Hand it over to one fo the guards, fo course. I put it in my pocket. This unexpected interruption into my thoughts about my iniquity, my fall from grace, my sincere feelings of guilt and remorse made the worst melancholy subside. Granted, I had committed adultery, but it had been a mild form of adultery. Yes, my Dear Heavenly father, might I not say that in the particular case, this incident of very mild adultery was even necessary? Could You agree to that? Perhaps this arrowhead was a message from You, a piece of noble metal given to me as a sign of forgiveness or sanction. The exceptionally mild form of adultery I had engaged in that night under that jasmine bushes had done me a world of good, Dear Father. Reconciled with these thoughts I again made peace with myself sitting on the grass in the middle of a Viking fortress. Still, a voice deep within me was still murmuring something about copulating for hours on end with a woman who was, essentially, a total stranger and it could hardly be labeled as mild adultery, but this was not the voice of my God.
I had forgotten about the miracles.
My failure in the library.
The investigations that were turning me into an infidel.
An infidel according to the Catholics.
This touchstone of faith had still not been gauged.
Not weighed in the balances.
Not been designated a place among the Lutheran tenets.
Of course, thinking back I realize that the first few days following my departure from Santiago de Compostela were filled with thoughts of her and that all other impressions became insignificant scrims. That's how it had to be. Therefore these things w3er for the time being pushed to the back of my consciousness but they were destined to resurface in full force. But there in the heart of Trelleborg I was busy solving a riddle and the certainty that once the riddle was solved, the certainty that this was the key to hearing her voice again, smell her, and meet her spurred me on in a euphoric high which only for brief moments like the one I had experienced just before I found the arrowhead. I got up from the grass and walked one full circle on the rampart. It was getting late in the afternoon. I had a thousand kroner in my wallet – one thousand crisp kroner which, to be sure, belonged to Margit Nederstuen and which very soon would have to be repaid, but portions of which I nevertheless had every intention of squandering on a luscious Danish dinner. I had glanced at the menu at the inn: herring in cream sauce, shoulder of pork and hamburger, crayfish casserole, hand or pork and eel – I could take my pick. This was my vacation, after all, my only vacation this summer. My swimming trunks, orange with vertical stripes had cost half of what Margit had lent me. I still had not used them – would I ever get a chance to use them? But weren't they too big for me? I might give them away to someone who'd make better use of them, that's what I'd do. I walked back to the inn and took a seat in the dining room which was a cozy room with 4-5 tables with white tablecloths and candles. I ordered the herring in cream sauce from the plump waitress. She flashed me a friendly smile and thanked me. I said a simple prayer, ate my meal with great relish, and grew blissfully tired. At nine, after two cups of coffee with cream, my eyelids started to droop and I went to bed. I closed my eyes and fell asleep in the garden under the jasmine bushes.
Here’s Part 18.
Father Gotvin's First Journey (continued)
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. Bull's eye! I had caught the mother grayling on the first throw. Thank you God for lighting my path. I was going on a plane with Mr. Hansson the glazier? That's what it seemed like. He was an uncommonly nice-sounding fellow. He'd written a book? I had to get a copy of it immediately. I froze. Was this the book she had been reading on the train? Right across from me? It was possible. I half ran through the streets of the idyllic little Danish hamlet; a bookstore – I had to find a bookstore immediately, but there was no bookstore. The closest I came was the souvenir kiosk at the entrance of the fortress. I ran there, tried to calm down and strode inside where I asked the attendant woman. Was she acquainted with a book by Preben Hansson? She looked at me brusquely, nodded slowly, and told me, leaving no doubt, that that was not the sort of books they carried there. Besides, she had heard that it was out of print. But could she at least tell me its title? Again she nodded brusquely, "Nonetheless, they were there" – this was the title of the book, but as she had abundantly made clear, this was not the kind of establishment that dealt with that sort of literature. It made me wonder, but I wasn't about to question her further. I thanked her and sauntered away from the kiosk in deep though. "That sort of literature"? I must admit that my curiosity only increased as I strolled up and down an alley hedged with poplars right outside the legendary Viking fortress ruins. And the title of the book – "Nonetheless, they were there" – peculiar title. What was there? The Viking fortress, probably. But not according to Lucienne. If the Viking fortresses were "the wrong tree", why was I here at all? I felt increasingly confused, but not at all discouraged. I was going to meet Preben Hansson, the Mr. Hansson, no doubt about that. The author of a book that the stern lady in the kiosk felt above carrying. Could it be an obscene book? There was always the possibility.
I walked up to the entrance.
There were a lot of visitors.
I bought a ticket.
The are was large and I immediately realized that few of the circles would be visible from the ground. The inner circle was in reality a large rampart and the stones – the odd little rowboat-like shapes – were not as prominent when ambling around them. I was standing on one of them. I squatted, stroked it – "Who put you here?" I thought. What did they look like? I sat down on the grass, wafted a few flies away. Summer in Denmark and summer in Norway. My very first trip abroad drew towards its close. It had not at all turned out the way I had expected. The Gotvin Soleng returning to Vanndal was not quite the Gotvin Soleng who had left. What had changed? Besides meeting her and becoming a man? Wasn't I feeling more free? But of what did this freedom consist? This I did not fathom. My God was the same, my faith remained unscathed - didn't it?
A cold puff of air blew along my spine.
I turned around.
No one there.
I had committed a sin.
I had been in jail.
I had struck a stranger's head.
I had committed adultery.
"I had committed adultery" – this sentence struck me with all its force. Suddenly the sentence had a terrible chasm, I could see it now whereas I hadn't before. I had been blinded, blinded by her. I had done something a good Christian, least of all a minister, should never do. Gotvin the pure had set out from Vanndal; Gotvin the filthy and sinful would return. That's how it was and, on top of that, I had the nerve to walk around feeling free?! I had become a frivolous, irresponsible sophist who was trying to twist and corrupt the words of the Bible, of my Heavenly Father, and I was in the process of falling. Falling down into a heathen gnosis or perhaps into Judaistic hedonism. I had committed adultery, there in Spain, on a patch of grass by the municipal baths in Santiago de Compostela; I had succumbed to the sins of the flesh. So hardened had my heart become that it had taken me until now to realize this, but unlike St. Augustine, there was no Simplicianus there for me. Who was there to provide for my pitiable soul? Who was my spiritual advisor? Magnus Storakbråten? Hardly. The bishop? Could she understand what had compelled me to go? My fall from grace? I was having doubts again –all this uncertainty! I pounded my fist in the grassy ground. It smarted and I was bleeding. I must have hit something sharp. A shard of glass? I dug down into the grass while sucking the blood from my hand. A hard, pointed object. I held it up, blinked and stared at it. It was green with tarnish, but I immediately saw what is was: a bronze arrowhead. Bronze? But the Vikings' era wasn't the Bronze Age. They had used weapons made of iron, but there could be no doubt that what I as holding in my hadn was an ancient bronze arrowhead. What should I do with it? Hand it over to one fo the guards, fo course. I put it in my pocket. This unexpected interruption into my thoughts about my iniquity, my fall from grace, my sincere feelings of guilt and remorse made the worst melancholy subside. Granted, I had committed adultery, but it had been a mild form of adultery. Yes, my Dear Heavenly father, might I not say that in the particular case, this incident of very mild adultery was even necessary? Could You agree to that? Perhaps this arrowhead was a message from You, a piece of noble metal given to me as a sign of forgiveness or sanction. The exceptionally mild form of adultery I had engaged in that night under that jasmine bushes had done me a world of good, Dear Father. Reconciled with these thoughts I again made peace with myself sitting on the grass in the middle of a Viking fortress. Still, a voice deep within me was still murmuring something about copulating for hours on end with a woman who was, essentially, a total stranger and it could hardly be labeled as mild adultery, but this was not the voice of my God.
I had forgotten about the miracles.
My failure in the library.
The investigations that were turning me into an infidel.
An infidel according to the Catholics.
This touchstone of faith had still not been gauged.
Not weighed in the balances.
Not been designated a place among the Lutheran tenets.
Of course, thinking back I realize that the first few days following my departure from Santiago de Compostela were filled with thoughts of her and that all other impressions became insignificant scrims. That's how it had to be. Therefore these things w3er for the time being pushed to the back of my consciousness but they were destined to resurface in full force. But there in the heart of Trelleborg I was busy solving a riddle and the certainty that once the riddle was solved, the certainty that this was the key to hearing her voice again, smell her, and meet her spurred me on in a euphoric high which only for brief moments like the one I had experienced just before I found the arrowhead. I got up from the grass and walked one full circle on the rampart. It was getting late in the afternoon. I had a thousand kroner in my wallet – one thousand crisp kroner which, to be sure, belonged to Margit Nederstuen and which very soon would have to be repaid, but portions of which I nevertheless had every intention of squandering on a luscious Danish dinner. I had glanced at the menu at the inn: herring in cream sauce, shoulder of pork and hamburger, crayfish casserole, hand or pork and eel – I could take my pick. This was my vacation, after all, my only vacation this summer. My swimming trunks, orange with vertical stripes had cost half of what Margit had lent me. I still had not used them – would I ever get a chance to use them? But weren't they too big for me? I might give them away to someone who'd make better use of them, that's what I'd do. I walked back to the inn and took a seat in the dining room which was a cozy room with 4-5 tables with white tablecloths and candles. I ordered the herring in cream sauce from the plump waitress. She flashed me a friendly smile and thanked me. I said a simple prayer, ate my meal with great relish, and grew blissfully tired. At nine, after two cups of coffee with cream, my eyelids started to droop and I went to bed. I closed my eyes and fell asleep in the garden under the jasmine bushes.
My IMAX V For Virginity Lost
I went to see V For Vendetta on Friday night at our local IMAX theater. This afforded me the chance to see some former co-workers and friends whom I hadn't seen in many a moon as well as take in the latest Hollywood blockbuster.
I want to admit that I've never read the graphic novel upon which the film was based, though I have read other works by Alan Moore. Let me start at the end and say that I was saddened to see in the credits that Adrian Biddle had died. V For Vendetta was his last picture. At first I thought he was another DoP but I looked him up and realized my mistake. Instead I found that Biddle was Ridley Scott's cinematographer during Scott's middle period which includes Willow, Thelma & Louise, and 1492: Conquest of Paradise and was focus puller for Ridley's first two films, The Duellists and Alien. In addition, Biddle shot the darkly moody films Event Horizon and Reign of Fire. Plus Aliens and The Princess Bride. Apparently he died of a heart attack. A shame.
Since I've never read V For Vendetta I can't compare & contrast the book and film. What I can say is that the film was a visceral and fun ride. People get killed and shit gets blown up. This is, of course, assuming you can get passed Natalie Portman's horrid attempt at an English accent. There's no nuance here at all. V is a fairly typical hero fighting against stereotypically evil government. If there's any political commentary to be had, it's the rather hackneyed aphorisms of V.
The film traces the efforts of V to bring down the totalitarian government in the story that runs the UK. All the while, the history of the man behind the Guy Fawkes mask slowly unravels before us as well. In addition, Portman's character, Evey, gets thrown into the middle of it all and she her past also plays a role. The script is well-paced and does a good job of alternating between telling V's and Evey's story. The special effects are excellent as is the cinematography. There's a wonderful scene where a doctor wakes up in the middle of the night. The moonlight coming in through her windows sharply divides the room into areas of light and shadow. A wind blows through the windows and moves the curtain which sheds just a bit of light on V who stands in the corner. There are several nice touches like this although I could have really done without the Matrixization of the final fight scene at the end.
Two final comments: Firstly, did Madison get a mini-IMAX? I thought the screen would be much bigger. And secondly, there was a trailer for the re-make of The Poseidon Adventure. No, no, NO! A thousand times NO! No Ernest Borgnine, no good.
I want to admit that I've never read the graphic novel upon which the film was based, though I have read other works by Alan Moore. Let me start at the end and say that I was saddened to see in the credits that Adrian Biddle had died. V For Vendetta was his last picture. At first I thought he was another DoP but I looked him up and realized my mistake. Instead I found that Biddle was Ridley Scott's cinematographer during Scott's middle period which includes Willow, Thelma & Louise, and 1492: Conquest of Paradise and was focus puller for Ridley's first two films, The Duellists and Alien. In addition, Biddle shot the darkly moody films Event Horizon and Reign of Fire. Plus Aliens and The Princess Bride. Apparently he died of a heart attack. A shame.
Since I've never read V For Vendetta I can't compare & contrast the book and film. What I can say is that the film was a visceral and fun ride. People get killed and shit gets blown up. This is, of course, assuming you can get passed Natalie Portman's horrid attempt at an English accent. There's no nuance here at all. V is a fairly typical hero fighting against stereotypically evil government. If there's any political commentary to be had, it's the rather hackneyed aphorisms of V.
The film traces the efforts of V to bring down the totalitarian government in the story that runs the UK. All the while, the history of the man behind the Guy Fawkes mask slowly unravels before us as well. In addition, Portman's character, Evey, gets thrown into the middle of it all and she her past also plays a role. The script is well-paced and does a good job of alternating between telling V's and Evey's story. The special effects are excellent as is the cinematography. There's a wonderful scene where a doctor wakes up in the middle of the night. The moonlight coming in through her windows sharply divides the room into areas of light and shadow. A wind blows through the windows and moves the curtain which sheds just a bit of light on V who stands in the corner. There are several nice touches like this although I could have really done without the Matrixization of the final fight scene at the end.
Two final comments: Firstly, did Madison get a mini-IMAX? I thought the screen would be much bigger. And secondly, there was a trailer for the re-make of The Poseidon Adventure. No, no, NO! A thousand times NO! No Ernest Borgnine, no good.
Finally, A Superhero I Can Relate To
It has come to my attention that we godless heathens finally have a comic book superhero of our own. Yes, it's The Atheist!
If that's him on the cover, he looks bad-ass. Don't fuck with a guy in a yellow suit.
If that's him on the cover, he looks bad-ass. Don't fuck with a guy in a yellow suit.
On the Night Watch
A couple weekends ago, The Dulcinea and I went over to Westgate to catch Nochnoi Dozor (Night Watch). Approaching the cinema, we found several people waiting in line to purchase tickets. After getting ours, we wandered into the lobby only to find it packed with people milling about and jockeying for position in line to get popcorn and sweat treats. We made our way to the theater only to find that it was empty save a clutch of souls willing to brave subtitles. Obviously everyone else had come to see Brokeback Mountain or Transamerica.
Night Watch begins by informing the audience that there are some people who are different that than the rest of us - Others. Others are human but have special abilities or powers. We are then shown an epic battle from centuries ago in which the forces of Darkness and Light fought to a stalemate. The bloodshed was stopped after they agreed that neither side could recruit Others to their but instead had to let each individual make that choice of his or her own freewill. Each side will monitor the other to ensure compliance. And so the Night Watch refers to the activities of the legions of Light making sure the Dark folks don't lure anyone to their side.
We then zoom ahead to 1992 and meet Anton Gorodetsky. We witness as he goes to the apartment of an old woman. He suspects that his girlfriend has left him for another man and he seeks the aid of the psychic who informs him that his suspicions are true but also that she is pregnant. The woman sets out to kill the fetus psychically after Gorodetsky assumes the blame for the deed. The woman is, however, stopped by the forces of Light before she can kill the unborn child. At this point, Gorodetsky learns that he too is an Other. The film then shoots ahead to 2004 and Gorodetsky is on the Night Watch. We learn that the forces of Dark are vampires in this world and we also learn more about the folks on the Light side. Their leader is introduced and we also find out that there are shape-shifters among them.
The rest of the film concerns an apocalyptic prophecy and the plight of a boy who hears "The Call". This call is sort of pubescent thing for Others. They hear voices and instinctively follow them. In this case, the voices are leading the boy into the Dark and Gorodetsky must stop this so that the boy can choose his own path.
At the time of its release Night Watch broke box office records in its country of origin, Russia. This isn't too surprising when you consider that it is a very conventional film in many ways and not an art film. (Though Americans tend to think that films not in English are automatically "arty".) The narrative is straightforward and there's no long, drawn out passages of quiet contemplation. It is, in a sense, a very stylish vampire film. There's CGI, to be sure, but it never comes off as being ostentatious or thrown in just because the director could. (This is probably due to budget contstraints.) The film is set in post-Cold War Russia with tattered apartment complexes, empty streets, and just a dark, gloomy atmosphere. I thought the cinematography was uniformly excellent and it was mostly grays and browns making it look a lot like Se7en. The special effects aid the dark atmosphere and never betray the gritty realism of the film's mise en scene unlike most American fantasy films which seem to be extended music videos that privilege computer technology over story & character development. I should admit my bias here. At least I think I have one that's relevant. I highly suspect that I liked Night Watch quite a bit because it was Russian. It had that exotic/foreign mystery and allure to it despite being a fairly conventional fantasy film. However, when I look beyond all this, I find that I like the balance that director Timur Bekmambetov struck between vampire-hunting, developing the Gorodetsky character, and laying the groundwork for the next two films in the trilogy. (Yes, it's a trilogy.) There was a lot of ground that needed to be covered here and I think it did the job well. There are bits here and there that remain unsolved or characters that appear and disappear almost as quickly and I suspect that they'll return later.
The sequel, Dnevnoy dozor (Day Watch) was released in Russia a couple months ago. I've read that the plan is to release it Stateside later this year. A clip is available at the MTV site, of all places. I've also read that the final film in the trilogy is to be filmed in English. Why, I don't know. $$$, presumably. Let's hope this doesn't pan out and that Bekmambetov gets this whole notion of pandering to American audiences out of his head.
Afterwards, The Dulcinea wondered aloud whether the story had any elements of Russian folklore in it. The only bit that I could think of was the old woman in the beginning of the film - was she Baba Yaga who had gained some weight and traded in her hut on chicken legs for a dingy apartment? The comment made me feel like I did walking out of the theater having seen Russian Ark. While I embraced that film on many levels, I couldn't help but feel that much of it went way over my head owing to the fact that I'm woefully ignorant of Russian history. I wonder what I missed in Night Watch that your average Russian viewer understood.
It's a shame that the film was only here for a week. Madison screens show a fair number of non-mainstream films but are sorely lacking when it comes to those not in English.
Night Watch begins by informing the audience that there are some people who are different that than the rest of us - Others. Others are human but have special abilities or powers. We are then shown an epic battle from centuries ago in which the forces of Darkness and Light fought to a stalemate. The bloodshed was stopped after they agreed that neither side could recruit Others to their but instead had to let each individual make that choice of his or her own freewill. Each side will monitor the other to ensure compliance. And so the Night Watch refers to the activities of the legions of Light making sure the Dark folks don't lure anyone to their side.
We then zoom ahead to 1992 and meet Anton Gorodetsky. We witness as he goes to the apartment of an old woman. He suspects that his girlfriend has left him for another man and he seeks the aid of the psychic who informs him that his suspicions are true but also that she is pregnant. The woman sets out to kill the fetus psychically after Gorodetsky assumes the blame for the deed. The woman is, however, stopped by the forces of Light before she can kill the unborn child. At this point, Gorodetsky learns that he too is an Other. The film then shoots ahead to 2004 and Gorodetsky is on the Night Watch. We learn that the forces of Dark are vampires in this world and we also learn more about the folks on the Light side. Their leader is introduced and we also find out that there are shape-shifters among them.
The rest of the film concerns an apocalyptic prophecy and the plight of a boy who hears "The Call". This call is sort of pubescent thing for Others. They hear voices and instinctively follow them. In this case, the voices are leading the boy into the Dark and Gorodetsky must stop this so that the boy can choose his own path.
At the time of its release Night Watch broke box office records in its country of origin, Russia. This isn't too surprising when you consider that it is a very conventional film in many ways and not an art film. (Though Americans tend to think that films not in English are automatically "arty".) The narrative is straightforward and there's no long, drawn out passages of quiet contemplation. It is, in a sense, a very stylish vampire film. There's CGI, to be sure, but it never comes off as being ostentatious or thrown in just because the director could. (This is probably due to budget contstraints.) The film is set in post-Cold War Russia with tattered apartment complexes, empty streets, and just a dark, gloomy atmosphere. I thought the cinematography was uniformly excellent and it was mostly grays and browns making it look a lot like Se7en. The special effects aid the dark atmosphere and never betray the gritty realism of the film's mise en scene unlike most American fantasy films which seem to be extended music videos that privilege computer technology over story & character development. I should admit my bias here. At least I think I have one that's relevant. I highly suspect that I liked Night Watch quite a bit because it was Russian. It had that exotic/foreign mystery and allure to it despite being a fairly conventional fantasy film. However, when I look beyond all this, I find that I like the balance that director Timur Bekmambetov struck between vampire-hunting, developing the Gorodetsky character, and laying the groundwork for the next two films in the trilogy. (Yes, it's a trilogy.) There was a lot of ground that needed to be covered here and I think it did the job well. There are bits here and there that remain unsolved or characters that appear and disappear almost as quickly and I suspect that they'll return later.
The sequel, Dnevnoy dozor (Day Watch) was released in Russia a couple months ago. I've read that the plan is to release it Stateside later this year. A clip is available at the MTV site, of all places. I've also read that the final film in the trilogy is to be filmed in English. Why, I don't know. $$$, presumably. Let's hope this doesn't pan out and that Bekmambetov gets this whole notion of pandering to American audiences out of his head.
Afterwards, The Dulcinea wondered aloud whether the story had any elements of Russian folklore in it. The only bit that I could think of was the old woman in the beginning of the film - was she Baba Yaga who had gained some weight and traded in her hut on chicken legs for a dingy apartment? The comment made me feel like I did walking out of the theater having seen Russian Ark. While I embraced that film on many levels, I couldn't help but feel that much of it went way over my head owing to the fact that I'm woefully ignorant of Russian history. I wonder what I missed in Night Watch that your average Russian viewer understood.
It's a shame that the film was only here for a week. Madison screens show a fair number of non-mainstream films but are sorely lacking when it comes to those not in English.
Have You Seen This Man?
The Green Man - for making plants grow.
Aliases:
John Barleycorn
Jack-in-the-Green
Green George
Description: Humanoid. Body and face made of foliage.
Today is the vernal equinox and it's now spring! For all you pagans out there, Happy Ostara!
If you're looking to celebrate, the Arboretum is having an Equinox walk tomorrow evening at 5:30. So join a naturalist for "...sunset on the first day of spring, half-way between the winter and summer solstices."
17 March, 2006
Jefferson a Theistic Rationalist?
As a follow-up my post on Thomas Jefferson in which I described him as a deist, I want to point readers to this review by Gregg Frazer. It's a review of Alf J. Mapp, Jr.'s The Faiths of Our Fathers: What America's Founders Really Believed. In it, he discards the term "deist" when describing various Founding Fathers, such as Jefferson, and instead terms them "theistic rationalists".
Although affiliated with various denominations, the major founders did not typically hold to the beliefs officially espoused by their denominations. Similarly, while Franklin and Jefferson are regularly listed as deists, they did not believe in the fundamental tenets of deism. The key founders shared a common belief which might be called theistic rationalism. Theistic rationalism was a hybrid, mixing elements of natural religion, Christianity, and rationalism, with rationalism as the predominant element. Accordingly, the founders believed in a benevolent, active, and unitary God who intervenes in human affairs. Consequently, they believed that prayers are heard and effectual. They believed that the key factor in serving God is living a good and moral life, that promotion of morality is central to the value of religion, and that the morality engendered by religion is indispensable to society. Because virtually all religions promote morality, they believed that most religious traditions are valid and lead to the same God.
Though theistic rationalists did not believe that Jesus was God, they considered him a great moral teacher and held a higher view of him than did deists. They believed in a personal after-life in which the wicked will be temporarily punished and the good experience happiness forever. Although they believed that God primarily revealed himself through nature, they believed that some written revelation was legitimate. Finally, while they believed that reason and revelation generally agree with each other, theistic rationalists believed that revelation was designed to complement reason (not vice versa). Reason was the ultimate standard for learning and evaluating truth and for determining legitimate revelation from God.
Although affiliated with various denominations, the major founders did not typically hold to the beliefs officially espoused by their denominations. Similarly, while Franklin and Jefferson are regularly listed as deists, they did not believe in the fundamental tenets of deism. The key founders shared a common belief which might be called theistic rationalism. Theistic rationalism was a hybrid, mixing elements of natural religion, Christianity, and rationalism, with rationalism as the predominant element. Accordingly, the founders believed in a benevolent, active, and unitary God who intervenes in human affairs. Consequently, they believed that prayers are heard and effectual. They believed that the key factor in serving God is living a good and moral life, that promotion of morality is central to the value of religion, and that the morality engendered by religion is indispensable to society. Because virtually all religions promote morality, they believed that most religious traditions are valid and lead to the same God.
Though theistic rationalists did not believe that Jesus was God, they considered him a great moral teacher and held a higher view of him than did deists. They believed in a personal after-life in which the wicked will be temporarily punished and the good experience happiness forever. Although they believed that God primarily revealed himself through nature, they believed that some written revelation was legitimate. Finally, while they believed that reason and revelation generally agree with each other, theistic rationalists believed that revelation was designed to complement reason (not vice versa). Reason was the ultimate standard for learning and evaluating truth and for determining legitimate revelation from God.
Opening Today
The adaptation of Alan Moore and David Lloyd's graphic novel, V For Vendetta opens tonight. In fact, I'll be heading to the late show on the IMAX over at Star. From the review I read today, it looks to be a pretty generic action experience. Then again, it was penned by Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski, the guys behind The Matrix Trilogy which I thought was a disaster. Still, Natalie Portman is a little hottie and I'll have 4 stories of her at which to ogle.
Also of note is Manderlay by Danish direction Lars von Trier. It's the second installment in a planned trilogy about America, which Lars is none too enamored of. Still, I think he's a great director and a little criticism from without is not a bad thing. Oh, the first installment was Dogville.
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America also opens today. It's a satirical documentary which ponders what our country would be like if the South had won the Civil War. Kent Williams' Isthmus review is here.
Lastly, there's the Neil Young concert film, Heart of Gold. It was filmed on his tour for Prairie Wind and I believe the bulk of the songs are from that album.
Also of note is Manderlay by Danish direction Lars von Trier. It's the second installment in a planned trilogy about America, which Lars is none too enamored of. Still, I think he's a great director and a little criticism from without is not a bad thing. Oh, the first installment was Dogville.
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America also opens today. It's a satirical documentary which ponders what our country would be like if the South had won the Civil War. Kent Williams' Isthmus review is here.
Lastly, there's the Neil Young concert film, Heart of Gold. It was filmed on his tour for Prairie Wind and I believe the bulk of the songs are from that album.
Patience, Star Wars Fans
Producer Rick McCallum has been talking about the upcoming Star Wars TV show which is set to start shooting in 2008:
The TV series spin-off of the Stars Wars film franchise will run to at least 100 episodes, according to producer Rick McCallum.
He told BBC Radio 1 the writing team would soon be meeting to start on the project, which would begin filming in 2008 and be ready the same year.
"Hopefully if we can make it work and everybody's excited and watches it we will keep on going," said McCallum.
The series will be set between episodes three and four of the film saga.
It would cover the 20 years in the life of Luke Skywalker growing up that remains a mystery to most film-goers.
McCallum said there would be "a whole bunch of new characters" and the series would be "much more dramatic and darker".
So, about the time Lost is ending, we should have some Star Wars goodness to take its place.
The TV series spin-off of the Stars Wars film franchise will run to at least 100 episodes, according to producer Rick McCallum.
He told BBC Radio 1 the writing team would soon be meeting to start on the project, which would begin filming in 2008 and be ready the same year.
"Hopefully if we can make it work and everybody's excited and watches it we will keep on going," said McCallum.
The series will be set between episodes three and four of the film saga.
It would cover the 20 years in the life of Luke Skywalker growing up that remains a mystery to most film-goers.
McCallum said there would be "a whole bunch of new characters" and the series would be "much more dramatic and darker".
So, about the time Lost is ending, we should have some Star Wars goodness to take its place.
Happy (Belated) Birthday James Madison
Happy (Belated) Birthday James Madison!!
Our city's namesake was born 16 March 1751. He was good buddies with Thomas Jefferson and was a prominent fixture in the Virginia government. He was one of the authors of The Federalist Papers, had a big hand in drafting our Constitution, was Jefferson's Secretary of State, and served two terms as President himself.
New Who Premieres Tonight on Sci-Fi
For all you Doctor Who fans out there, don't forget that the new series premiere's tonight on the Sci-Fi Channel. They'll be showing the first two episodes from last season, "Rose" & "The End of the World". Don't let the picture is this week's Isthmus fool you - it was taken from the episode called "The Long Game". They could have at least refrained from showing the monster which is not revealed until towards the end of the story, if they're not gonna print a promo pic from tonight's episodes.
As for new episodes, the premiere of series two featuring David Tennant as the tenth Doctor looks to premiere in the UK on 15 April.
As for new episodes, the premiere of series two featuring David Tennant as the tenth Doctor looks to premiere in the UK on 15 April.
When In Doubt About Local Irish Stouts
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I want to respectfully disagree with Doug over at Dane101 who says:
...don’t worry too much about finding a locally-brewed Irish-style stout around here. There isn’t any.
Well, unless Sprecher decided not to brew their Irish Stout this year, then there is a local Irish-style stout around here. Similarly, Lakefront Brewery offers Snake Chaser Irish Stout. Their webpage does not make mention the brew, however, recent reviews indicate it should be available. In addition, J.T. Whitney's on the west side has an Irish Stout and an Irish Ale on their beer list. Neither are listed as being available yet but I'm not certain when the webpage was last updated.
Maybe all of this is because Doug and I disagree about the term "local" but Milwaukee is a helluva lot more local than Ireland. Or Canada or wherever the Guiness we drink is contract brewed.
Plus, who say's you have to drink a stout on St. Patty's Day? Might I suggest a nice Gray's Irish Ale?
I want to respectfully disagree with Doug over at Dane101 who says:
...don’t worry too much about finding a locally-brewed Irish-style stout around here. There isn’t any.
Well, unless Sprecher decided not to brew their Irish Stout this year, then there is a local Irish-style stout around here. Similarly, Lakefront Brewery offers Snake Chaser Irish Stout. Their webpage does not make mention the brew, however, recent reviews indicate it should be available. In addition, J.T. Whitney's on the west side has an Irish Stout and an Irish Ale on their beer list. Neither are listed as being available yet but I'm not certain when the webpage was last updated.
Maybe all of this is because Doug and I disagree about the term "local" but Milwaukee is a helluva lot more local than Ireland. Or Canada or wherever the Guiness we drink is contract brewed.
Plus, who say's you have to drink a stout on St. Patty's Day? Might I suggest a nice Gray's Irish Ale?
16 March, 2006
Inherit the Wind 2: Design Harder
Paramount Pictures has green-lighted a film about the recent Dover trial in which a judge ruled against the teaching of Intelligent Design.
According to Variety, the studio just hired Ronald Harwood to write a screenplay based on last year's court decision ruling that a Pennsylvania school board didn't have the right to force teachers to teach intelligent design. (Interestingly, the film's producer was thinking "movie" from the very start, so much so that she actually sent someone to watch and take notes on the trial - does that show clever foresight or a disturbing tendency to turn every major news story into tomorrow's blockbuster? Both?) In Harwood's eyes, his benchmark is Inherit the Wind, the play and film that told the story of the famous Scopes trial, which allowed evolution into (Tennessee) classrooms in the first place. "Our aspiration is to make a film that powerful...We have a highly emotional case that divided a town right down the middle, and a judge whose summary was spectacular."
While I do find it a bit odd that the studio sent someone to the trial to take notes, it gives me hope that perhaps there will be less films coming out of Hollywood that are mere remakes of crappy television shows. If a Bosom Buddies flick ever gets made, there'll be hell to pay...
According to Variety, the studio just hired Ronald Harwood to write a screenplay based on last year's court decision ruling that a Pennsylvania school board didn't have the right to force teachers to teach intelligent design. (Interestingly, the film's producer was thinking "movie" from the very start, so much so that she actually sent someone to watch and take notes on the trial - does that show clever foresight or a disturbing tendency to turn every major news story into tomorrow's blockbuster? Both?) In Harwood's eyes, his benchmark is Inherit the Wind, the play and film that told the story of the famous Scopes trial, which allowed evolution into (Tennessee) classrooms in the first place. "Our aspiration is to make a film that powerful...We have a highly emotional case that divided a town right down the middle, and a judge whose summary was spectacular."
While I do find it a bit odd that the studio sent someone to the trial to take notes, it gives me hope that perhaps there will be less films coming out of Hollywood that are mere remakes of crappy television shows. If a Bosom Buddies flick ever gets made, there'll be hell to pay...
The Pariah of the Senate
When you kow-tow to the executive branch, the Senate kow-tows with you; when you try to uphold the law, you try alone.
Well, almost alone. Aside from Tom Harkin of Iowa, Russ Feingold's move to censure President Bush for his domestic spying program has drawn no support from fellow Dems.
"I haven't read it," demurred Barack Obama (Ill.).
"I just don't have enough information," protested Ben Nelson (Neb.). "I really can't right now," John Kerry (Mass.) said as he hurried past a knot of reporters -- an excuse that fell apart when Kerry was forced into an awkward wait as Capitol Police stopped an aide at the magnetometer.
Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) brushed past the press pack, shaking her head and waving her hand over her shoulder. When an errant food cart blocked her entrance to the meeting room, she tried to hide from reporters behind the 4-foot-11 Barbara Mikulski (Md.).
"Ask her after lunch," offered Clinton's spokesman, Philippe Reines. But Clinton, with most of her colleagues, fled the lunch out a back door as if escaping a fire.
Theoretically, however, Feingold is not alone:
Many of Feingold's Democratic colleagues agree that Bush abused his authority with the NSA spying program. And they know liberal Democratic activists are eager to see Bush censured, or worse. But they also know Feingold's maneuver could cost them seats in GOP states.
Republicans, meanwhile, are calling Feingold all manner of names and reveling in the lack of support for his call:
Republicans were grateful for the gift. The office of Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.) put a new "daily feature" on its Web site monitoring the censure resolution: "Democrat co-sponsors of Feingold Resolution: 0."
Paul Soglin has pointed out Senator Arlen Specter's pansy attitude towards the matter. First Specter expressed his belief that the wiretapping violated the law but now he's excusing it because he believes that Bush acted in good faith. Where are all the conservatives who profess strict constructionism now? Why are they not lecturing Bush on the Rule of Law? Have they gone all post-modern now and decided their ideology is merely a contingency? Personally, I would think that violating the letter of the Constitution would be one of those "We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists" kind of moments.
Well, almost alone. Aside from Tom Harkin of Iowa, Russ Feingold's move to censure President Bush for his domestic spying program has drawn no support from fellow Dems.
"I haven't read it," demurred Barack Obama (Ill.).
"I just don't have enough information," protested Ben Nelson (Neb.). "I really can't right now," John Kerry (Mass.) said as he hurried past a knot of reporters -- an excuse that fell apart when Kerry was forced into an awkward wait as Capitol Police stopped an aide at the magnetometer.
Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) brushed past the press pack, shaking her head and waving her hand over her shoulder. When an errant food cart blocked her entrance to the meeting room, she tried to hide from reporters behind the 4-foot-11 Barbara Mikulski (Md.).
"Ask her after lunch," offered Clinton's spokesman, Philippe Reines. But Clinton, with most of her colleagues, fled the lunch out a back door as if escaping a fire.
Theoretically, however, Feingold is not alone:
Many of Feingold's Democratic colleagues agree that Bush abused his authority with the NSA spying program. And they know liberal Democratic activists are eager to see Bush censured, or worse. But they also know Feingold's maneuver could cost them seats in GOP states.
Republicans, meanwhile, are calling Feingold all manner of names and reveling in the lack of support for his call:
Republicans were grateful for the gift. The office of Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.) put a new "daily feature" on its Web site monitoring the censure resolution: "Democrat co-sponsors of Feingold Resolution: 0."
Paul Soglin has pointed out Senator Arlen Specter's pansy attitude towards the matter. First Specter expressed his belief that the wiretapping violated the law but now he's excusing it because he believes that Bush acted in good faith. Where are all the conservatives who profess strict constructionism now? Why are they not lecturing Bush on the Rule of Law? Have they gone all post-modern now and decided their ideology is merely a contingency? Personally, I would think that violating the letter of the Constitution would be one of those "We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists" kind of moments.
Gays Join Rushdie in Fatwa Club
It's times like these that make me glad that I'm straight. It's bad enough that politicians are trying to enshrine discrimination against gays in our state constitution, but now the Iraqi cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, is calling for the deaths of queer folk.
On his Web site, used to communicate with Shiite masses throughout the country, Sistani this week issued a fatwa against Sunnis and gays.
He urges followers to kill homosexuals in the "worst, most severe way".
On his Web site, used to communicate with Shiite masses throughout the country, Sistani this week issued a fatwa against Sunnis and gays.
He urges followers to kill homosexuals in the "worst, most severe way".
The Torn Up Credit Card Application
Via Sivacracy, comes the story of a man who ripped up a credit card application, taped it back together, filled it out with a different address, submitted it, and was given a new line of credit. Start incinerating those unsolicited applications.
Battling Cancer With Capsaisin
A new study suggests that capsaicin can make prostate cancer cells commit seppuku:
The same component of jalapeño peppers that makes them burn the tongue also appears to kill prostate cancer cells. Prostate tumours in mice treated with the compound, called capsaicin, shrank to one-fifth the size of those in non-treated mice, found a new study.
To explore capsaicin’s effect, Phillip Koeffler of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, US, and colleagues exposed human prostate cancer cells in a laboratory dish to the natural compound. They found that capsaicin dramatically slowed the proliferation of the cells in the dish.
He believes that capsaicin jump starts a pathway that triggers cell death. Molecular tests suggest that it achieves this by causing a cascade of events inside the cell that lead to the release of a protein complex called NF-kappa Beta, which subsequently causes the cell to self-destruct.
Unfortunately, these effects require rather high dosages:
He adds that one also must take dosages into consideration. A 200-pound (90-kilogram) person would have to eat about 10 fresh habañera peppers – one of the hottest chillies around – per week to consume an amount of capsaicin equivalent to the levels received by Koeffler’s mice.
Now that's a challenge!
The same component of jalapeño peppers that makes them burn the tongue also appears to kill prostate cancer cells. Prostate tumours in mice treated with the compound, called capsaicin, shrank to one-fifth the size of those in non-treated mice, found a new study.
To explore capsaicin’s effect, Phillip Koeffler of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, US, and colleagues exposed human prostate cancer cells in a laboratory dish to the natural compound. They found that capsaicin dramatically slowed the proliferation of the cells in the dish.
He believes that capsaicin jump starts a pathway that triggers cell death. Molecular tests suggest that it achieves this by causing a cascade of events inside the cell that lead to the release of a protein complex called NF-kappa Beta, which subsequently causes the cell to self-destruct.
Unfortunately, these effects require rather high dosages:
He adds that one also must take dosages into consideration. A 200-pound (90-kilogram) person would have to eat about 10 fresh habañera peppers – one of the hottest chillies around – per week to consume an amount of capsaicin equivalent to the levels received by Koeffler’s mice.
Now that's a challenge!
Happy St. Urho's Day
St. Urho is the patron saint of Finnish vineyard workers:
As legend has it, he was responsible for saving the Finnish vineyards from a swarming outbreak of locusts. His method of control -a pitchfork and some strong words. "Heinäsirkka, heinäsirkka, meine täättä hiiteen" or roughly translated to English "Grasshopper, grasshopper, get the hell out of here," was enough to eradicate the hoards of locusts from the vineyard.
So cook up some fish stew and sip some wine!
15 March, 2006
Corpus Juris Canonici v. Corpus Juris Civilis
How does that oath hoolie work again?
On Wednesday, March 1st, 2006, in Annapolis at a hearing on the proposed Constitutional Amendment to prohibit gay marriage, Jamie Raskin, professor of law at AU, was requested to testify.
At the end of his testimony, Republican Senator Nancy Jacobs said: "Mr. Raskin, my Bible says marriage is only between a man and a woman. What do you have to say about that?"
Raskin replied: "Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did not place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible."
The room erupted into applause.
On Wednesday, March 1st, 2006, in Annapolis at a hearing on the proposed Constitutional Amendment to prohibit gay marriage, Jamie Raskin, professor of law at AU, was requested to testify.
At the end of his testimony, Republican Senator Nancy Jacobs said: "Mr. Raskin, my Bible says marriage is only between a man and a woman. What do you have to say about that?"
Raskin replied: "Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did not place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible."
The room erupted into applause.
Word of the Week
bildungsroman (bill'-dungs-roam'-an) n. a novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character.
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