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THAT MUSHROOM ENDS THE FILM
Jan. 6th, 2010 12:49 am
Boom boom boom boom,
This is dF
Jan. 6th, 2010
Boom boom boom boom,
This is dF
COKE ADDS LIFE WHERE THERE ISN’T ANY
Jan. 6th, 2010 08:05 pmITEM: Tuesday marked the 30th anniversary of the US release of The Clash’s London Calling album.
I confess I completely missed it when it first arrived. Like a lot of suburban Tennessee kids, my first exposure to the Clash was Combat Rock via "Rock The Casbah" and "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" – and that was largely thanks to the invention of MTV. Naturally, by that time the Clash were already falling apart, and it wouldn’t be until I joined the Army and met The Right People that I started getting into them (with some help from Mr Cat Taylor, who also met The Right People and advised me via mixtapes what to seek out).
But anyway, London Calling is on regular rotation on the DefPod, and I'm still not tired of it. It's one of those albums that rightly deserves its rep not only as the definitive Clash album, but one of the best albums in rock history. Not everyone likes sociopolitical commentary in their music, I know. On the other hand, how many more love songs did we really need by 1980?
There’s lots of highlights I could select, but I’ll go with this love letter to Madison Avenue – with a bullet.
FUN FACT: The Palladium in New York City – where that iconic album cover photo was shot – doesn’t exist anymore. It was demolished in 1998, and has been replaced by a New York University dorm.
London calling to the zombies of death,
This is dF
I confess I completely missed it when it first arrived. Like a lot of suburban Tennessee kids, my first exposure to the Clash was Combat Rock via "Rock The Casbah" and "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" – and that was largely thanks to the invention of MTV. Naturally, by that time the Clash were already falling apart, and it wouldn’t be until I joined the Army and met The Right People that I started getting into them (with some help from Mr Cat Taylor, who also met The Right People and advised me via mixtapes what to seek out).
But anyway, London Calling is on regular rotation on the DefPod, and I'm still not tired of it. It's one of those albums that rightly deserves its rep not only as the definitive Clash album, but one of the best albums in rock history. Not everyone likes sociopolitical commentary in their music, I know. On the other hand, how many more love songs did we really need by 1980?
There’s lots of highlights I could select, but I’ll go with this love letter to Madison Avenue – with a bullet.
FUN FACT: The Palladium in New York City – where that iconic album cover photo was shot – doesn’t exist anymore. It was demolished in 1998, and has been replaced by a New York University dorm.
London calling to the zombies of death,
This is dF
Just a gentle reminder for those of you trying to uphold America’s traditional family values:
Gay marriage: bad.
Marriage between family members: not as bad (provided they’re not gay, obviously – unless you live in Massachusetts, Vermont or Connecticut, in which case yr in the clear, kid).
Kissing cousins,
This is dF
Gay marriage: bad.
Marriage between family members: not as bad (provided they’re not gay, obviously – unless you live in Massachusetts, Vermont or Connecticut, in which case yr in the clear, kid).
Kissing cousins,
This is dF
You need another Best Films Of 2009 like you need a hole in yr soul, but you know, we have a blog to run here.
DISCLAIMER: I saw less than 30 movies this year. Only seven of them rate what I would call “really, really good”. So some selections may be somewhat eyebrow-raising. You’ll cope, I’m sure. Also, if yr favorite movie isn’t here, it’s likely because either (1) I didn’t get a chance to see it, or (2) it hasn’t been released in Hong Kong yet.
TOP TEN DEF FILMS OF 2009
1. Watchmen
As comic adaptations go, it’s good. And as films go, it’s not only good, it’s also possibly one of the more subversive superhero films ever made.
2. District 9
Grim, cynical stuff informed by the all-too-real xenophobia, corruption and brutality of real life.
3. Star Trek
Probably the best thing about the film is the plot device that basically says, “Fuck continuity”. THAT is how you do a reboot.
4. Drag Me To Hell
Not Raimi’s best film, but certainly his best in a long time, and certainly better than most of what passes for horror films these days.
5. Inglourious Basterds
Trust Tarantino to come up with a WW2 movie that not only gives the Jews some payback, but also has no regard whatsoever for historical accuracy. Good, but he still needs an editor.
6. Up
The daft premise and unusual choice of protagonist kept me wondering just where this was going to go. Maybe not the best Pixar film ever, but certainly the most unusual.
7. Avatar
Finally, a 3D movie that uses 3D as an immersion technique, not a device to throw objects at you. Predictable story aside, it’s good to have James Cameron back.
8. Sherlock Holmes
Probably the most accurate portrayal of Holmes ever captured on film: an obsessive social misfit who takes cases to keep his brain occupied. Result!
9. Public Enemies
Public Enemies, like any decent gangster film, is about The Legend more than The Real Life Criminal. So taken at face value, it’s pretty entertaining and gripping at times, probably disappointing for anyone expecting it to be like Heat.
10. Gamer
A mashup of The Running Man, Rollerball and Johnny Mnemonic with a video-game twist. Not clever or subtle, but at least it’s a film with something to say, even if it isn’t always said that articulately.
HONORABLE MENTION
Milk
As an entry-level introduction to gay rights history in the US, it’s pretty good and strikingly accurate. My only real complaint is the script’s damn-near hagiographical take on Harvey Milk, which is counterproductive.
Coraline
Pretty good adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s book about a girl who discovers her doppelganger parents, although Gaiman’s storytelling vibe is swapped for Henry Selick’s big production numbers, so overall, I’d prefer the book.
WORST FILM OF 2009 (THAT I SAW)
GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra
The movie is everything I expected it to be: loud one-dimensional America-centric gung-ho Alpha-male sanitized high-tech war-porn. That’s not a compliment.
READING TIP: Click the titles to see the original reviews (an idea I stole from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thelastaerie, whose 2009 list is also out and is way more authoritative than this one, if that’s what you need).
PRODUCTION NOTE: The 2009 music countdown will commence shortly.
Knowing is half the battle,
This is dF
DISCLAIMER: I saw less than 30 movies this year. Only seven of them rate what I would call “really, really good”. So some selections may be somewhat eyebrow-raising. You’ll cope, I’m sure. Also, if yr favorite movie isn’t here, it’s likely because either (1) I didn’t get a chance to see it, or (2) it hasn’t been released in Hong Kong yet.
TOP TEN DEF FILMS OF 2009
1. Watchmen
As comic adaptations go, it’s good. And as films go, it’s not only good, it’s also possibly one of the more subversive superhero films ever made.
2. District 9
Grim, cynical stuff informed by the all-too-real xenophobia, corruption and brutality of real life.
3. Star Trek
Probably the best thing about the film is the plot device that basically says, “Fuck continuity”. THAT is how you do a reboot.
4. Drag Me To Hell
Not Raimi’s best film, but certainly his best in a long time, and certainly better than most of what passes for horror films these days.
5. Inglourious Basterds
Trust Tarantino to come up with a WW2 movie that not only gives the Jews some payback, but also has no regard whatsoever for historical accuracy. Good, but he still needs an editor.
6. Up
The daft premise and unusual choice of protagonist kept me wondering just where this was going to go. Maybe not the best Pixar film ever, but certainly the most unusual.
7. Avatar
Finally, a 3D movie that uses 3D as an immersion technique, not a device to throw objects at you. Predictable story aside, it’s good to have James Cameron back.
8. Sherlock Holmes
Probably the most accurate portrayal of Holmes ever captured on film: an obsessive social misfit who takes cases to keep his brain occupied. Result!
9. Public Enemies
Public Enemies, like any decent gangster film, is about The Legend more than The Real Life Criminal. So taken at face value, it’s pretty entertaining and gripping at times, probably disappointing for anyone expecting it to be like Heat.
10. Gamer
A mashup of The Running Man, Rollerball and Johnny Mnemonic with a video-game twist. Not clever or subtle, but at least it’s a film with something to say, even if it isn’t always said that articulately.
HONORABLE MENTION
Milk
As an entry-level introduction to gay rights history in the US, it’s pretty good and strikingly accurate. My only real complaint is the script’s damn-near hagiographical take on Harvey Milk, which is counterproductive.
Coraline
Pretty good adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s book about a girl who discovers her doppelganger parents, although Gaiman’s storytelling vibe is swapped for Henry Selick’s big production numbers, so overall, I’d prefer the book.
WORST FILM OF 2009 (THAT I SAW)
GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra
The movie is everything I expected it to be: loud one-dimensional America-centric gung-ho Alpha-male sanitized high-tech war-porn. That’s not a compliment.
READING TIP: Click the titles to see the original reviews (an idea I stole from
thelastaerie, whose 2009 list is also out and is way more authoritative than this one, if that’s what you need).PRODUCTION NOTE: The 2009 music countdown will commence shortly.
Knowing is half the battle,
This is dF
