Here are some thoughts on some films I have watched in the last couple weeks.
The Apartment (1960) ****
Director Billy Wilder tackles adult themes with tact in a delightful comedy. As always, the writing is superb and the performances are pitch perfect. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine star.
The Devil's Backbone (2001) ***1/2
Involving ghost story from director Guillermo Del Toro. His second best film, behind "Pan's Labyrinth". Classic Hitchcockian suspense with a supernatural twist.
Blade II (2002) **
Not even Guillermo Del Toro can save this one. Stylish action and lots of blood, but scarce plot. And Wesley Snipes is as boring as ever.
The Matador (2005) ***
A colorful dramedy about a burned out hitman, played by Pierce Brosnon. Greg Kinnear is the neurotic middle-aged businessman who befriends the assassin. Some fun scenes here, but nothing unforgettable.
Idiocracy (2006) **
Director Mike Judge (of Beavis & Butthead and Office Space fame) loses sight of his characters in this futuristic comedy starring Luke Wilson as a man who is cryogenically frozen and wakes up years later to find he is now the smartest man in the world. There's some really clever stuff here, but nothing on par with Office Space.
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If you haven't heard of Guillermo Del Toro, educate yourself immediately. This guy's one of the most gifted filmmakers working today. I'm still working through his catalogue, but "The Devil's Backbone", "Hellboy", and "Pan's Labyrinth" are all fantastic. His visual sense, his knack for great storytelling, his compelling characters, and his handle on Hitchcockian suspense make Shyamalan look like a hack.
Del Toro on IMDB
Pan's Labyrinth Official Site
Del Toro Films Fan Site
My wife has a new store on etsy.com, so go to it and buy some stuff!
audreyblissful.etsy.com
It's been a great four days. Thanks, Rob and Mike!Well, one more day of tracking is complete. Pics follow:
Hmm...I believe James Gregory has been here.
Masterminds.
Masterminds (Close-Up)
The diabolical scribbles of Professer Gregory.
No studio is complete without Thomas Kinkade.
Knobs and stuff.
Mike tuning my guitar (after I commanded him to do so).
SATCO break.
Packing up.
Thanks, gentlemen!We started tracking today for my album at Fireside Studio in Nashville. Here are some pics from the session:
Michael Olson lays it down.
Rob Burrell, producer extraordinaire.
Professor James Gregory does his thing.
Mike strikes a pose with Father Christmas.
Posing for the camera.
That's all for now, folks...
Do I really need this kind of temptation? Apple is brilliant.
I frequently find myself being labeled as "the guy who doesn't like abstract art". Let me correct that statement: I'm the guy who doesn't like modern art. Let me tell you why.
What we call "modernism" began to emerge at the tail end of the 19th century, a result of prior movements and ideas, such as Romanticism, Impressionism, and the philosophy of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. Originally labeled as "avant-garde", the modernists sought to overthrow all forms of tradition and order in favor of discovering radical new ways to approach art.
In the 1920s, the Dada movement in Europe took things a step further. Dadaists prided themselves on being "anti-art", intentionally creating art which was ugly and without meaning. To quote a reviewer from the American Art News, "The Dada philosophy is the sickest, most paralyzing and most destructive thing that has ever originated from the brain of man."
Postmodernism is, essentially, an extension of Modernism. While modernism was based in ideals such as rationalism and progress, Postmodernism questions whether these ideals (or any others for that matter) exist at all. Postmodernism revels in fragmentation and disorder, stressing subjective experience as the only reality.
Why do I find it difficult to appreciate modern art? Well, it originated from a worldview that stands in stark opposition to mine. As a Christian, I believe in objective truth, tradition, beauty, and order, all of which Modernism rejects.
So please do not describe me as "the guy who doesn't like abstract art". However, feel free to call me "the guy who doesn't like modern art" anytime you like. In fact, I'm proud of it.
The study of Modernism is sad, depressing, but most of all, human. Without the theological framework of the Gospel, we are lost in a tumultuous sea of confusion and despair. Thank God he has provided an alternative: Himself.