I hadn't set out to make this a reviews blog, but entertainment seems to be my main source of subject matter these days. It happens during times of boredom. I've found myself having video game dreams several times in the past couple weeks. Hopefully something else will come along soon.
The theater (that is, cinema) in my town gives a significant discount on Tuesdays. It used to be $2 per ticket (earning the title, "Twoonie Tuesdays"), but they upgraded their projectors and upped the price to $3. Still a good deal, so it's a good time to see a bunch of movies in one day. This is the first of my Threenie Tuesday review series. Fingers crossed.
The first movie I saw tonight The Pirates! Band of Misfits, the newest feature film by Aardman Animation, the company responsible for Chicken Run and the Wallace & Gromit cartoons. It wasn't a particularly interesting film, not nearly as clever as anything else I've seen from Aardman.
The premise was innocently silly enough to get my interest: the Pirate Captain (that's his actual name, as far as the movie is concerned) and his motley crew of... well, pirates, set out to win the Pirate of the Year award by being... the best pirates of the year. Piracy here is treated like it is in a lot of children's entertainment: a noble profession full of glorious, misadventurous amusement. The "bad guy" is (do you really care? I'll say it anyway, just in case) ***SPOILER ALERT*** the Queen of England, whose motivation is clear from the start of the film: she hates pirates.
Now, I understand how cliche it is to go on a rant about declining values in children's entertainment, the corruption of our youth by the media. That's been covered by much louder, dumber people than me, and I see no reason to add to the noise. Besides, children's entertainment has been screwed up for a long time. Have you ever heard a nursery rhyme or fairy tale? There's really very little room for values to decline here.
I will say, though, that this film has the unfortunate, but not uncommon, problem of not knowing who its target audience is. Big mistake, especially for a comedy The theater in which I saw it was far from full. There were a few young adults other than myself, but mostly it was parents with young kids. The kids were not laughing. They didn't understand most of the jokes, which is honestly a blessing. It was humorous enough to elicit a few chuckles from us twenty-somethings, but no more than any other slapstick comedy could. It was too juvenile for the adults, and too mature (if you can call it that) for the kids. If they had zeroed in on the kids' humor and made it more innocent, or tried to appeal to the adults and make it really irreverent, the element of genuine humor wouldn't have been so sorely absent.
Beyond that, the usual marks of the Aardman style were definitely missing. The characters were underdeveloped and underutilized, giving the audience little reason to invest in the action or gags. The antagonist in particular was not nearly despicable enough for me to care, especially in comparison to the terrifying Mrs. Tweedy from Chicken Run. Overall the dramatic tension ranged from medium-low to very low.
Maybe at some point I'll devise a rating system for my reviews. For now, I'll just say I didn't like it.
I also saw the newest Jason Statham vehicle, "Safe." I have thoughts on that too, but I've done enough blogging for one day. I'll post my review of that in a couple of days.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Meshuggah, May 8, 2012 @ Commodore Ballroom - Concert Review
A week ago I went to see Meshuggah play the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. I've been a fan of theirs for a few years now, but I'd never been to one of their shows.
For those of you who aren't familiar with Meshuggah, they are a Swedish heavy metal band. They've been around since the Late Eighties, but they didn't start to get big until about a decade later. Throughout their career, they've carved out a very unique sound and reputation. They are known as one of the heaviest bands in the world, but not in the sense that one might expect. Their sound would not be accurately described as "death metal." There are no blast beats, no growled vocals, and their lyrical content is not particularly preoccupied with death, though it is dark to be sure.
There are several elements of their music which really stand out and define Meshuggah's unique place in the world of metal. The best-known, most talked-about element is their polyrhythmic guitar riffs. They've said in interviews that they only ever play in 4-4 time, but the guitar parts are written in weird meters apart from the drum beat, lending the songs a highly complex rhythmic feel. What is really remarkable about this approach is that they do not let it hinder their musicality. Though it is challenging to listen to at first, the music grooves along very well, and once you listen to it for a while, you learn when to bang your head along to it. Generally, you just follow the crash cymbal.
Marten Hagstrom and Fredrik Thorendal, the two guitarists in the band, have chosen their guitars and amp setups for maximum efficiency and destructive power. They play custom Ibanez 8-string guitars, which are constructed more like short-scale (30.5") basses, Lundgren pickups, and Line 6 amps. The resulting sound is sharp, tight, percussive, and cold. It's machine-like, really. It's like a mechanical device designed to generate to most powerful metal guitar tone ever heard.
Jens Kidman's vocals are also quite different from the droves of growlers and screamers on the scene right now. Instead of a devilish, death-metal style, his vocals, like the guitars, sound almost mechanical. "Robotic" is a term I've heard used to describe it, which I think is accurate. He paces himself rhythmically, just like the rest of the band.
For those of you who aren't familiar with Meshuggah, they are a Swedish heavy metal band. They've been around since the Late Eighties, but they didn't start to get big until about a decade later. Throughout their career, they've carved out a very unique sound and reputation. They are known as one of the heaviest bands in the world, but not in the sense that one might expect. Their sound would not be accurately described as "death metal." There are no blast beats, no growled vocals, and their lyrical content is not particularly preoccupied with death, though it is dark to be sure.
There are several elements of their music which really stand out and define Meshuggah's unique place in the world of metal. The best-known, most talked-about element is their polyrhythmic guitar riffs. They've said in interviews that they only ever play in 4-4 time, but the guitar parts are written in weird meters apart from the drum beat, lending the songs a highly complex rhythmic feel. What is really remarkable about this approach is that they do not let it hinder their musicality. Though it is challenging to listen to at first, the music grooves along very well, and once you listen to it for a while, you learn when to bang your head along to it. Generally, you just follow the crash cymbal.
Marten Hagstrom and Fredrik Thorendal, the two guitarists in the band, have chosen their guitars and amp setups for maximum efficiency and destructive power. They play custom Ibanez 8-string guitars, which are constructed more like short-scale (30.5") basses, Lundgren pickups, and Line 6 amps. The resulting sound is sharp, tight, percussive, and cold. It's machine-like, really. It's like a mechanical device designed to generate to most powerful metal guitar tone ever heard.
Jens Kidman's vocals are also quite different from the droves of growlers and screamers on the scene right now. Instead of a devilish, death-metal style, his vocals, like the guitars, sound almost mechanical. "Robotic" is a term I've heard used to describe it, which I think is accurate. He paces himself rhythmically, just like the rest of the band.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Penny for my thoughts? PLEASE?
So, um... I'm broke. Not a huge surprise, I guess. It's very easy to run out of money using my own time-tested method of spending money without earning any. I take pride in the effectiveness of my methods. Of going broke.
Something weird happens to me in times like these, where I try to rationalize my position. I start this very odd thought pattern, trying to convince myself that I don't need money. This is probably nothing new to some of you out there. You tell yourself that, in the grand scheme of things, money is a very small, relatively insignificant thing. After all, you've got your health, good looks, talent, intellect, relationships, dreams, etc. haven't you? Aren't those really more important than the trivial, mundane matter of money?
Before I go on, I should let you know that I know that you know just how stupid that sounds. This is an interesting ability that we humans have, of wilful self-deception. We can alter our perception of reality to make it fit something, whether it's a romanticized expectation on the course of our lives or a comprehensive (heh) theory of the universe. We can believe things which we know on some level, even most of our being, to be false. Look at... example.
Erm...
Well, relationships can certainly have that element. I'm pretty guarded about this in my own life, and even I have fallen prey to a rose-colored outlook. Other people I've known suffer much worse in this regard, where their views on their relationships take on a sort of bipolar character: it's either, "I really can't stand him/her," or, "He's/she's my favorite person in the world!" This is one extreme form of self-deception, where one oscillates between two opposing fallacies. It's really bizarre to behold, yet it happens all the time.
Self-deception is not always a wholly evil thing. It's what allows us to engage with art, especially fiction. Of course, the appropriate term in that context is, "willing suspension of disbelief." Sounds much nicer, doesn't it? Funny thing about euphemisms: while there may be real, important distinctions between terms, using language like this carelessly can allow for some weird blurring of definitions. Euphemisms are about reassigning value in words. Saying "self-deception" suggests that value is placed on truth or reality. "Suspension of disbelief" suggests that disbelief, the default mindset, somehow limits the audience's ability to see or understand something, and therefore must be suspended for a time. Take away the value judgements in those words, and the two terms mean exactly the same thing: accepting fiction as reality, falsehood as truth.
Uh, I guess I'm done for now.
Something weird happens to me in times like these, where I try to rationalize my position. I start this very odd thought pattern, trying to convince myself that I don't need money. This is probably nothing new to some of you out there. You tell yourself that, in the grand scheme of things, money is a very small, relatively insignificant thing. After all, you've got your health, good looks, talent, intellect, relationships, dreams, etc. haven't you? Aren't those really more important than the trivial, mundane matter of money?
Before I go on, I should let you know that I know that you know just how stupid that sounds. This is an interesting ability that we humans have, of wilful self-deception. We can alter our perception of reality to make it fit something, whether it's a romanticized expectation on the course of our lives or a comprehensive (heh) theory of the universe. We can believe things which we know on some level, even most of our being, to be false. Look at... example.
Erm...
Well, relationships can certainly have that element. I'm pretty guarded about this in my own life, and even I have fallen prey to a rose-colored outlook. Other people I've known suffer much worse in this regard, where their views on their relationships take on a sort of bipolar character: it's either, "I really can't stand him/her," or, "He's/she's my favorite person in the world!" This is one extreme form of self-deception, where one oscillates between two opposing fallacies. It's really bizarre to behold, yet it happens all the time.
Self-deception is not always a wholly evil thing. It's what allows us to engage with art, especially fiction. Of course, the appropriate term in that context is, "willing suspension of disbelief." Sounds much nicer, doesn't it? Funny thing about euphemisms: while there may be real, important distinctions between terms, using language like this carelessly can allow for some weird blurring of definitions. Euphemisms are about reassigning value in words. Saying "self-deception" suggests that value is placed on truth or reality. "Suspension of disbelief" suggests that disbelief, the default mindset, somehow limits the audience's ability to see or understand something, and therefore must be suspended for a time. Take away the value judgements in those words, and the two terms mean exactly the same thing: accepting fiction as reality, falsehood as truth.
Uh, I guess I'm done for now.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
The Intro Post
Where to begin...? I guess I can start with some thoughts on identity. Normal people call this an "introduction." This blog will be a little bit different, though, so it's very important for you who are reading this understand where I'm coming from.
My name is Ryan. I identify myself as "male." More on that later.
I consider myself a religious person. I know some people tend to view that term with some distaste, but it's taken on new meaning for me in the past year, and it's begun to shape my thinking and my identity. I'm an artist, as well: I've been playing guitar for about ten years now, and drawing cartoons for basically my whole life. My major right now in college is "Worship Arts," which is the perfect blend of theology, ministry training, and aesthetics.
One of the primary motivations for blogging is that when it comes to things that I'm passionate about, I have too many thoughts to possibly bring up. The best example of this is music. If I am asked what kind of music I like, all I can do is list the handful of bands that I'm listening to at the time. There are patterns in my taste: I am very much drawn to most things that came from punk rock. At the same time, for nearly every band (maybe every album, even) there is a story behind why I bothered to give them a try, and why I bother to continue. In fact, there's some kind of story for a lot of my life. I hope to share some of those stories with you.
I should note that this (blogging, that is) is a pretty new thing for me. I suppose, like a lot of other people, I've started a bunch of blogs before and virtually abandoned them a few days later. I'd never had a vision for blogging. I don't even know why I bothered to start them. This time it's a bit different. I've learned about myself and what I'm good at, and I've spent a lot of time developing my voice in how I write. For the purpose of this blog, I will apply an analytical approach to my boring life, my art, my church life, and my relationships, in the hope that something I discover will mean something for someone else.
A note about my writing voice. This is pretty apparent to most people who meet me, but I tend to have an at least half-serious demeanor. In social settings, I tend to use sarcasm as a way of expressing exactly what I mean, but in a way that, in all likelihood, will fly over the heads of my audience. In a sense, it's a test: I give my meaning in a somewhat cryptic way, wanting only those who are really interested to find out what I mean.
That's sort of what I'm doing with you, my new readers. I thought I'd at least be nice enough to let you know, and invite you to try to unravel what I'm saying. Please don't mistake this for contempt, though. I'm kind of a weird and complex person. I realize that I can be infuriating at times. I swear, it's not you. It's me.
There will no doubt be tons of themes throughout the life of this blog (assuming I keep up with posting), and they'll probably change as time goes on, as I gain more knowledge and life experience, and as I keep writing and (hopefully) interacting with my audience. However, the themes I'm exploring right now include identity within various contexts, shifts in life and culture due to the rise of technology, ritual and tradition in religious practices, and integration of religion into daily life.
I don't pretend to lead a particularly interesting life. For the purposes of this blog, though, I really don't think I need to. The sick, scary wonders of suburban Canada provide enough material for a lifetime of reflection and analysis. So strap in. It's going to be a long, bumpy, uncomfortable ride to nowhere.
This is gonna be fun on the bun.
My name is Ryan. I identify myself as "male." More on that later.
I consider myself a religious person. I know some people tend to view that term with some distaste, but it's taken on new meaning for me in the past year, and it's begun to shape my thinking and my identity. I'm an artist, as well: I've been playing guitar for about ten years now, and drawing cartoons for basically my whole life. My major right now in college is "Worship Arts," which is the perfect blend of theology, ministry training, and aesthetics.
One of the primary motivations for blogging is that when it comes to things that I'm passionate about, I have too many thoughts to possibly bring up. The best example of this is music. If I am asked what kind of music I like, all I can do is list the handful of bands that I'm listening to at the time. There are patterns in my taste: I am very much drawn to most things that came from punk rock. At the same time, for nearly every band (maybe every album, even) there is a story behind why I bothered to give them a try, and why I bother to continue. In fact, there's some kind of story for a lot of my life. I hope to share some of those stories with you.
I should note that this (blogging, that is) is a pretty new thing for me. I suppose, like a lot of other people, I've started a bunch of blogs before and virtually abandoned them a few days later. I'd never had a vision for blogging. I don't even know why I bothered to start them. This time it's a bit different. I've learned about myself and what I'm good at, and I've spent a lot of time developing my voice in how I write. For the purpose of this blog, I will apply an analytical approach to my boring life, my art, my church life, and my relationships, in the hope that something I discover will mean something for someone else.
A note about my writing voice. This is pretty apparent to most people who meet me, but I tend to have an at least half-serious demeanor. In social settings, I tend to use sarcasm as a way of expressing exactly what I mean, but in a way that, in all likelihood, will fly over the heads of my audience. In a sense, it's a test: I give my meaning in a somewhat cryptic way, wanting only those who are really interested to find out what I mean.
That's sort of what I'm doing with you, my new readers. I thought I'd at least be nice enough to let you know, and invite you to try to unravel what I'm saying. Please don't mistake this for contempt, though. I'm kind of a weird and complex person. I realize that I can be infuriating at times. I swear, it's not you. It's me.
There will no doubt be tons of themes throughout the life of this blog (assuming I keep up with posting), and they'll probably change as time goes on, as I gain more knowledge and life experience, and as I keep writing and (hopefully) interacting with my audience. However, the themes I'm exploring right now include identity within various contexts, shifts in life and culture due to the rise of technology, ritual and tradition in religious practices, and integration of religion into daily life.
I don't pretend to lead a particularly interesting life. For the purposes of this blog, though, I really don't think I need to. The sick, scary wonders of suburban Canada provide enough material for a lifetime of reflection and analysis. So strap in. It's going to be a long, bumpy, uncomfortable ride to nowhere.
This is gonna be fun on the bun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)