Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Lucky Strives
By Webster's definition this is definitively, defiantly an example of progress. It's slightly less mistake-ridden. I am progressing.
/bangs head against desk
clips: Forbidden Images (CineGraphic, 2007), Wings (1927), I Married Joan, Nightmare Weekend, Lucky Strikes - Square Dance
samples: Touch Too Much (AC/DC), I and I Survive (Bad Brains), Ain't Misbehavin' (Fats Waller?)
Manic Inertia
I sometimes wonder
Whether I have the Gumption, sheer Verve or the Nerve
To quit with the fidgeting, wavering and weaving. The longer I wait, the madder the dash
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Drawings, n'est pas?
I haven't drawn anything in about two years. The only subjects I am capable of drawing are people. According my artist friends, people are the hardest things to draw. Mind you, I draw somewhat decently. I might get back into it this summer. I just need a good subject to draw.
Scarlett Johansson was the first person I ever attempted to draw. As you can see, I can't do shit with hands. It's screwy but I got an A on it in my art class.
I'm quite proud of my Quentin Tarantino. My art teacher loved it and had it hung at the district office, which was amusing to me since this man makes a living making movies about people killing each other in cold blood with dialogue infused with the word "fuck" every other word. The ear could have been done a lot better.
A friend of mine who resides in Austin, TX. I had to do a drawing of a friend for a project, and felt comfortable drawing someone hundreds of miles away from me. That, and it's nice drawing someone who bares a strong resemblance to Clive Owen. He liked it so much he put it as his profile pic on his Myspace (This was back in 2007). I have the least amount of qualms with this drawing, but obviously it still needs a lot of work.
I drew this back in my freshman year of college. I was obsessed with Ian Curtis. Still kinda am. Too bad my scanner is fucking cheap--makes the drawing look worse than it is.
Scarlett Johansson was the first person I ever attempted to draw. As you can see, I can't do shit with hands. It's screwy but I got an A on it in my art class.
I'm quite proud of my Quentin Tarantino. My art teacher loved it and had it hung at the district office, which was amusing to me since this man makes a living making movies about people killing each other in cold blood with dialogue infused with the word "fuck" every other word. The ear could have been done a lot better.
A friend of mine who resides in Austin, TX. I had to do a drawing of a friend for a project, and felt comfortable drawing someone hundreds of miles away from me. That, and it's nice drawing someone who bares a strong resemblance to Clive Owen. He liked it so much he put it as his profile pic on his Myspace (This was back in 2007). I have the least amount of qualms with this drawing, but obviously it still needs a lot of work.
I drew this back in my freshman year of college. I was obsessed with Ian Curtis. Still kinda am. Too bad my scanner is fucking cheap--makes the drawing look worse than it is.
Evil Woman I (Throw My Hands Up)
Another lesson learned: Don't delete video files before you're absolutely positive you won't want to re-edit the video. So I have to leave this one as is, overlong Debbie Drake segment and all.
clips: Debbie Drake Show, Ella Waldek vs. Jane Mull, Ernie Kovacs, It Could Be You, Phil Silvers Show
samples: Evil Woman (Black Sabbath), Corpus Christi (Avengers), I Wish You Love (Blossom Dearie), Make Me Feel Better (Fabolous) Outside Love (Brethren), Girl From Ipanema (Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz)
Zine thing
More on that story later. Grammatical and everything.
Incidentally, I would love to go back in time to, say, the eighties and blow all the 'zinesters away with my tubular future 'zine and print tech. So if anyone out there working on that kind of thing can hook me up that'd be really great. I've often considered a career in loaning myself out to super science experimentation.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Life's Weary Chase
Clips:
"Alice's Wonderland", by Ub Iwerks and partner.
Samples:
"Tea for Two" by Blossom Dearie
"Joker in the Pack" by The Adicts
"Into the Void" by Black Sabbath
Nicki Stanwyck
That was fun.
Nicki Minaj sketch done by Un Willing. Lingerie shot for King Magazine, scanned and watermarked by egotastic. At least one still of Barbara Stanwyck from Double Indemnity. The rest? Internet is not forthcoming on the subject.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Foul Follow-up (and not a feathered fiend to be seen)
Ugh.
File under lessons learned in the fine art of not biting off more than can be chewed.
I had ambitions. This video was to have animations, a narrative structure. It was to be a thing of beauty. Or was it to be? It was not at all. To be at all a thing. My head is wunky tonky; syntax is a luxury.
Anyway, after a while I just gave up and threw some undifferentiated images together with no concern for timing or transitions. My next video will be a simpler affair conducted with a modicum of foresight and a soupcon of humility. I sincerely hope. This weekend has sucked.
Artists included include Jim Fern, Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Marshal Rogers, Frank Miller, Alan Davis, Paul Neary, Carmine Infantino, Dave Gibbons, JH Williams III, Walt Simonson, Don Newton, John Cassaday, JG Jones and many more, including a few Bob Kane ghost-artists, including probably Jerry Robinson and Dick Sprang, among other inclusions.
Includion, blah.
Friday, June 24, 2011
The Father, The Son and The "Pineapple Express"
I wrote this essay this past semester in my film studies class. My professor was your stereotypical film snob, and in fact resembled Woody Allen in a lot of ways. When my professor gave us the assignment to analyze a film and its inner workings, he told us to chose a film that was deep and meaningful. Something that provoked some sort of thought process. He said if we felt that a Farelly Brothers film provided us with deep thoughts then we could do it on that. The way he said it though was in a condescending and sarcastic tone, meaning he really didn't want us to do a film like that for our essay.
I knew the majority of the class was going to kiss his ass and do a film that came from the French New Wave or a film from the silent era or something that could be considered pretentious. Don't get me wrong--I love those films, but I felt like doing something different. That, and I really wanted to spite my professor for being an elitist snob. So after talking about it with the bro, I settled on doing my essay on Pineapple Express. Not only did the film seem to have little to no purpose on the surface, but it also had Seth Rogen in it and my film professor just loved ragging on Seth Rogen for no apparent reason. It was a win-win.
I was surprised how much symbolism was in the film, and within 15 minutes of re-watching it I already had my thesis statement. I got an A on the assignment. I think this is an important lesson for all fans of film--just because Akira Kurosawa didn't make the film doesn't mean it is a bad film. The argument would be different if we were talking about Michael Winterbottom...
-----------------
The stoner action comedy, Pineapple Express (2008), can easily be dismissed as a meaningless film that only has the sole purpose to entertain college students and stoners alike. However, this David Gordon Green directed film hardly succumbs to the stereotypical stoner comedy. Religious imagery and symbolism is beyond prevalent throughout the entire film. Whether or not writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg purposely put this imagery in the movie is up for debate, but this film can no longer be labeled as a frivolous and vapid piece of work. Pineapple Express explores religious undertones through the use of symbolism, characterization and mise en scène.
Pineapple Express is packed with religious symbolism, particularly the reoccurrence of the number three and physical representations of the numerical figure. Three is a significant number in Christianity. It refers back to the Trinity, also known as the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The number three reappears quite frequently throughout the film. Saul Silver (James Franco), Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) and Red (Danny McBride) form an alliance in the film to fight off Ted Jones (Gary Cole), the hit man hunting these men down and his mistress, Carol (Rosie Perez), a corrupt police officer abusing her power to save her lover. Saul, Dale and Red symbolize the Holy Trinity in human form, combining their forces to prevail in this battle of good versus evil. This isn’t the only place where the number three comes into play. In Saul’s apartment there are three television sets. One of the sets is shut off, while the other two are playing two different programs. One television set is playing an old sitcom, Good Times, while the other set seems to be playing Lord of the Rings, a modern day picture, which is a technological representation of the Trinity. The strain of marijuana that everyone is fighting over, known as "Pineapple Express", is the force that brings these three men together in the film. In one scene, Saul describes the Pineapple Express to Dale as “God’s vagina”. In the same scene, Saul and Dale smoke a “cross joint” that is in the shape of a crucifix. These instances allude to the audience that this particular strain of pot is one of a holy nature. Pineapple Express is referred to as God, or rather God’s lady parts, implying that Pineapple Express is indeed God. Following this form of logic, when this strain of ganja is inhaled these men become possessed by God. Thus, these three men are a form of God and become the Holy Trinity.
Saul Silver, the forever stoned drug dealer bares a striking physical resemblance to Jesus, with his long, brown hair and lax fashion that displays his meager living. Even though Saul is slow in nature and seems to always be high on something, he is regularly described in the film as being a “good guy”. Saul remains loyal to his friends, and sticks by Dale even after they engage in a huge fight over their friendship, or rather lack there of. Saul also proves to be a very forgiving man. He still manages to forgive Red, and proclaim that he is his best friend after Red betrayed his trust many a time, embracing Jesus’ mentality for forgiveness. Red, on the other hand, represents Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus. In the film, Red acts as if he is looking out for Saul and Dale’s best interest, when in fact he already told Ted’s second hand men that he sold the Pineapple Express exclusively to Saul. Red gets Saul and Dale over to his place, and after a clumsy attempt in hand-to-hand combat, Red admits that he ratted Saul out but will protect him in the future. However, Red betrays Saul once again by immediately admitting to the gangsters where Saul and Dale are hiding out. Throughout the film, Red escapes death at every turn. His neck almost gets broken, he is repeatedly shot at, bleeding to death for the duration of the film, and miraculously survives a massive explosion in an isolated farm house. Red represents immortality, a trait that is only seen in one being -- God.
Many of the scenes in this film display the Holy Trinity in some way, shape or form such as the grouping of television sets in Saul’s apartment. One scene, however, depicts the art of getting high as being a religious experience. When Dale and Saul are trapped in the woods, it is decided that they need to hitch a ride to get to Red’s house. Before doing so, Dale and Saul smoke some of the Pineapple Express they have left. The mise en scène creates a feeling of serenity and happiness. This engulfing, claustrophobic forest these two men were once frightened of becomes an open space. Trees are farther apart than they were when we first see them in the wilderness, illustrating that the young men are at peace with their surroundings. The lighting becomes soft, hitting both characters from behind. It appears to be that this scene is taking place right before sunset, when the sunlight is glimmering throughout the forest. This effect gives Saul and Dale an angelic look, creating a halo effect. This halo effect symbolizes that something holy is occurring in this scene, that these two men are having a religious experience with their pot. Everything in the scene is copacetic. Saul and Dale are becoming one with nature, whilst exploring their spiritual bliss.
Pineapple Express is more than just an action-packed stoner comedy. Combining entertainment with traces of religious imagery produces a film that the viewer can escape in and think about long after the movie is over. With the use of symbolism, biblical character representations and mise en scène, Pineapple Express articulates religious motifs in a film devoted to the heavy use of marijuana. The film conveys intellectualism mixed with stupidity. To create a work that blends two contradicting statements together is no easy feat. In fact, it makes the film just that much smarter.
I knew the majority of the class was going to kiss his ass and do a film that came from the French New Wave or a film from the silent era or something that could be considered pretentious. Don't get me wrong--I love those films, but I felt like doing something different. That, and I really wanted to spite my professor for being an elitist snob. So after talking about it with the bro, I settled on doing my essay on Pineapple Express. Not only did the film seem to have little to no purpose on the surface, but it also had Seth Rogen in it and my film professor just loved ragging on Seth Rogen for no apparent reason. It was a win-win.
I was surprised how much symbolism was in the film, and within 15 minutes of re-watching it I already had my thesis statement. I got an A on the assignment. I think this is an important lesson for all fans of film--just because Akira Kurosawa didn't make the film doesn't mean it is a bad film. The argument would be different if we were talking about Michael Winterbottom...
-----------------
The stoner action comedy, Pineapple Express (2008), can easily be dismissed as a meaningless film that only has the sole purpose to entertain college students and stoners alike. However, this David Gordon Green directed film hardly succumbs to the stereotypical stoner comedy. Religious imagery and symbolism is beyond prevalent throughout the entire film. Whether or not writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg purposely put this imagery in the movie is up for debate, but this film can no longer be labeled as a frivolous and vapid piece of work. Pineapple Express explores religious undertones through the use of symbolism, characterization and mise en scène.
Pineapple Express is packed with religious symbolism, particularly the reoccurrence of the number three and physical representations of the numerical figure. Three is a significant number in Christianity. It refers back to the Trinity, also known as the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The number three reappears quite frequently throughout the film. Saul Silver (James Franco), Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) and Red (Danny McBride) form an alliance in the film to fight off Ted Jones (Gary Cole), the hit man hunting these men down and his mistress, Carol (Rosie Perez), a corrupt police officer abusing her power to save her lover. Saul, Dale and Red symbolize the Holy Trinity in human form, combining their forces to prevail in this battle of good versus evil. This isn’t the only place where the number three comes into play. In Saul’s apartment there are three television sets. One of the sets is shut off, while the other two are playing two different programs. One television set is playing an old sitcom, Good Times, while the other set seems to be playing Lord of the Rings, a modern day picture, which is a technological representation of the Trinity. The strain of marijuana that everyone is fighting over, known as "Pineapple Express", is the force that brings these three men together in the film. In one scene, Saul describes the Pineapple Express to Dale as “God’s vagina”. In the same scene, Saul and Dale smoke a “cross joint” that is in the shape of a crucifix. These instances allude to the audience that this particular strain of pot is one of a holy nature. Pineapple Express is referred to as God, or rather God’s lady parts, implying that Pineapple Express is indeed God. Following this form of logic, when this strain of ganja is inhaled these men become possessed by God. Thus, these three men are a form of God and become the Holy Trinity.
Saul Silver, the forever stoned drug dealer bares a striking physical resemblance to Jesus, with his long, brown hair and lax fashion that displays his meager living. Even though Saul is slow in nature and seems to always be high on something, he is regularly described in the film as being a “good guy”. Saul remains loyal to his friends, and sticks by Dale even after they engage in a huge fight over their friendship, or rather lack there of. Saul also proves to be a very forgiving man. He still manages to forgive Red, and proclaim that he is his best friend after Red betrayed his trust many a time, embracing Jesus’ mentality for forgiveness. Red, on the other hand, represents Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus. In the film, Red acts as if he is looking out for Saul and Dale’s best interest, when in fact he already told Ted’s second hand men that he sold the Pineapple Express exclusively to Saul. Red gets Saul and Dale over to his place, and after a clumsy attempt in hand-to-hand combat, Red admits that he ratted Saul out but will protect him in the future. However, Red betrays Saul once again by immediately admitting to the gangsters where Saul and Dale are hiding out. Throughout the film, Red escapes death at every turn. His neck almost gets broken, he is repeatedly shot at, bleeding to death for the duration of the film, and miraculously survives a massive explosion in an isolated farm house. Red represents immortality, a trait that is only seen in one being -- God.
Many of the scenes in this film display the Holy Trinity in some way, shape or form such as the grouping of television sets in Saul’s apartment. One scene, however, depicts the art of getting high as being a religious experience. When Dale and Saul are trapped in the woods, it is decided that they need to hitch a ride to get to Red’s house. Before doing so, Dale and Saul smoke some of the Pineapple Express they have left. The mise en scène creates a feeling of serenity and happiness. This engulfing, claustrophobic forest these two men were once frightened of becomes an open space. Trees are farther apart than they were when we first see them in the wilderness, illustrating that the young men are at peace with their surroundings. The lighting becomes soft, hitting both characters from behind. It appears to be that this scene is taking place right before sunset, when the sunlight is glimmering throughout the forest. This effect gives Saul and Dale an angelic look, creating a halo effect. This halo effect symbolizes that something holy is occurring in this scene, that these two men are having a religious experience with their pot. Everything in the scene is copacetic. Saul and Dale are becoming one with nature, whilst exploring their spiritual bliss.
Pineapple Express is more than just an action-packed stoner comedy. Combining entertainment with traces of religious imagery produces a film that the viewer can escape in and think about long after the movie is over. With the use of symbolism, biblical character representations and mise en scène, Pineapple Express articulates religious motifs in a film devoted to the heavy use of marijuana. The film conveys intellectualism mixed with stupidity. To create a work that blends two contradicting statements together is no easy feat. In fact, it makes the film just that much smarter.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Ian (1993-2009)
This was my very first car. Got it in the summer of '08. I was 19 years old and just got my driver's license. I named my car "Ian", after Ian Curtis of Joy Division. Every time I started the car it would make this deep, rumbling noise that reminded me of Curtis' timber. "Ian" may have not had air conditioning, which annoyed my brother, but he sure had a great heater, which made the bro complain a little less during those cold, Southern California winters. The seat belts were a bit wonky, too and depending on where you sat, it was a different experience. The back seat had absolutely no seat belts. If you were on the driver's side you had to lift the seat belt. If you were on the passenger side the seat belt tried to strangle you (It was one of those that moved automatically when you opened and shut the door).My dad changed the hood since the original wasn't very sturdy. So instead of getting a hood that matched the car, he got a completely different colored hood. It wasn't just a silver car anymore--it was silver and maroon! I can't tell you how many men thought I was awesome for having a two toned car. It made all the boys' panties wet! I also personalized my car with a Joy Division sticker (Appropriate since I named him "Ian") and Piña Colada air freshner, another thing my bro complained about ("Why does your car always smell?")
I never had sex in the car simply because I never got the chance to. Six months after I got him he was sideswiped by some moron going 90 mph on a residential street. "Ian" was parked outside my house. Luckily no one got hurt. However "Ian" was way too old to salvage so I had to junk him. I cried like a little baby about it. My first love became a cube of metal. But I got two grand out of it and bought a '96 Mercury Sable Station Wagon for a thousand. I call him "Daryl", after Daryl Palumbo from Glassjaw (Screw giving female names to cars)! A few months after I got the station wagon it started making weird gurgling noises and throwing up water. Palumbo has Crohn's Disease, so it felt appropriate. "Daryl" gives me problems from time to time, but I can't even imagine losing him! God knows what I'll do if I have to junk him or if he becomes non-operational.
I never took a picture of "Ian", so you can imagine my surprise last year when the bro and I were fucking around on Google Earth and I found "Ian" outside our old townhouse. "Ian" may have moved on to bigger and better things, but there will always be a record of him out there in Google Earth...at least until they update it.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Brimfuls and Beyond
We were tossing ashes into the ocean today. Me, the sis, that guy and of course the ashes. Unfortunate that her birthday falls on the first day of summer. Would've preferred less bystanders to the act. Not a crowd but more than too many.
We didn't have much of a moment besides a bit of talk, some soothing words we knew had to be said, for solemnity's sake and maybe for ours, but it was a moment nonetheless. It was a moment out of our hands. It was likely illegal. I'll remember it fondly.
While we were tossing ashes into the ocean the sis and I had some ideas for some stories that neither of us may end up writing. A comedic sketch about a scattering taking too damn long. Boredom it becomes, and chore-dom. We were tossing it in handfuls, after all. That's a lot of handfuls. The passersby, the surfer a half dozen yards deep, they saw. They know. It's a lot. It's naturally comedic, the way the wind plays with us and it. The wind was against us. There's symbolism in that but we prefer to be amused.
In the nervous confusion about how best to be done with it, we wondered where else we could've spread the ashes. In a tanning bed. A lot of our story ideas settled upon inconvenient locations for a final rest. She liked tanning beds as much as the beach. It's an idea worth pursuing.
I yanked up out of the depths an old, old idea I had long before it was relevant. A passing-off of an urn from family member to family member until it lands in the lap of a kid who can't be bothered to properly dispose, so off he goes to school where he leaves the ashes in the grass field. A commotion ensues, confusion, cops. Still not sure the beach is any more proper but it was what she would have wanted.
We didn't have much of a moment besides a bit of talk, some soothing words we knew had to be said, for solemnity's sake and maybe for ours, but it was a moment nonetheless. It was a moment out of our hands. It was likely illegal. I'll remember it fondly.
While we were tossing ashes into the ocean the sis and I had some ideas for some stories that neither of us may end up writing. A comedic sketch about a scattering taking too damn long. Boredom it becomes, and chore-dom. We were tossing it in handfuls, after all. That's a lot of handfuls. The passersby, the surfer a half dozen yards deep, they saw. They know. It's a lot. It's naturally comedic, the way the wind plays with us and it. The wind was against us. There's symbolism in that but we prefer to be amused.
In the nervous confusion about how best to be done with it, we wondered where else we could've spread the ashes. In a tanning bed. A lot of our story ideas settled upon inconvenient locations for a final rest. She liked tanning beds as much as the beach. It's an idea worth pursuing.
I yanked up out of the depths an old, old idea I had long before it was relevant. A passing-off of an urn from family member to family member until it lands in the lap of a kid who can't be bothered to properly dispose, so off he goes to school where he leaves the ashes in the grass field. A commotion ensues, confusion, cops. Still not sure the beach is any more proper but it was what she would have wanted.
Experiments in Experimenting and other great somethings
This is me taking my new video editing software for a spin. Feel free to not watch. I know I won't. Acknowledgements beneath. (Heroic Hint: Everything is Terrible did most of the work.)
Video clips:
"The Prop Comic Preacher" from Everything is Terrible
(http://www.everythingisterrible.com/2010/08/prop-comic-preacher.html)
"200 Christmases In 2 Minutes" from Cinefamily
(http://vimeo.com/16628606)
And there's chocolate at the end. All hail, sweet chocolate.
I'm going to be posting this and similar nonsenses on a semi-regular basis solely to chart my progress. That holds true of generally everything I contribute (Hey there, I'm the Henry) but I've never felt the need to explain me, myself, my .gifs, my photoshops, I or my rambling writings. This, on the other hand, merits some mumbled explanation.
And, you know, the .gifs are awesome. I'd live my life in a waterfall of my own .gifs if I could. Not a thing that needs explaining about those.
Video clips:
"The Prop Comic Preacher" from Everything is Terrible
(http://www.everythingisterrible.com/2010/08/prop-comic-preacher.html)
"200 Christmases In 2 Minutes" from Cinefamily
(http://vimeo.com/16628606)
And there's chocolate at the end. All hail, sweet chocolate.
I'm going to be posting this and similar nonsenses on a semi-regular basis solely to chart my progress. That holds true of generally everything I contribute (Hey there, I'm the Henry) but I've never felt the need to explain me, myself, my .gifs, my photoshops, I or my rambling writings. This, on the other hand, merits some mumbled explanation.
And, you know, the .gifs are awesome. I'd live my life in a waterfall of my own .gifs if I could. Not a thing that needs explaining about those.
Monday, June 20, 2011
I'm kinda feeling the "Empty Nest" theme song
I've this theme stuck in my head all day long. It's so damn catchy!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Before there was Golden Girls
There was Soap. Brought to you from the same, filthy minds.
And before there was cheesecake, there was that ring concoction. How can you have horny old women without cheesecake?
Someone with more time than either the sis or I could probably edit together an entire episode's worth of scenes fitting the Golden Girls formula. Needn't all be Soap clips, either. What I'm saying is someone do this. I demand it.
And before there was cheesecake, there was that ring concoction. How can you have horny old women without cheesecake?
Someone with more time than either the sis or I could probably edit together an entire episode's worth of scenes fitting the Golden Girls formula. Needn't all be Soap clips, either. What I'm saying is someone do this. I demand it.
Saturday Night, Feel Alright
Gonna have Some Fun. C'mon, all and one.
T G I F
h o ' u
a d m n
n k
k y
Friday, June 17, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
One Year
So it has been a year since anyone has done anything on this damn thing. But don't fret--we're making a comeback! And yes, I will finish my top ten films of the decade even though it's half way through 2011.
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