created an ongoing anthology of seapunk and seapunk-related music videos
12/01/2012
8/01/2012
trailer: 'cloud atlas'
your friend posts a link to a video highlighting the fact that 'lana wachowski', previously 'larry wachowski' has 'come out' as transgender
you watch the video because it seems obvious it is a press release of some kind
you watch the wachowski siblings and tom tykwer do a 'cheesy', 'kickstarter-wave' promotional group-monologue
you watch the wachowski siblings and tom tykwer do a 'cheesy', 'kickstarter-wave' promotional group-monologue
you think, 'oh holy shit i want to see this movie, why is everyone just saying 'omg look he is a woman now'?'
you google search the 'really really really really really long trailer'
you immediately think, 'oh shit this is what i thought 'tree of life' was going to be and wasn't'
6/04/2012
4/17/2012
interview: beach sloth
the first person to review the movie 'DEAD MIDGETS', even prior to its release, was a mysterious internet personality and anonymous blogger/media reviewer by the name of beach sloth.
i recently had the pleasure of meeting beach sloth in real life and discussing with this super endearing anonybro and my new internet friend, for literally hours, interesting topics ranging from the music of steely dan and donald fagan to the merits of strip clubs [apparently there aren't many] all the way to discussing such abstract things as the dynamo behind that wild superorganism/metaman that is new york effing city.
beach sloth has, for as long as i can remember, been the most cutting edge review/summary blog, covering internet events, alt lit shitstorms, and music releases with more prolificacy and enthusiasm than any other blog of this type.
this past weekend, we traded emails asking each other silly questions. beach sloth posted my responses here, and below are beach sloth's response to mine:
romantic rhetoric: is there a specific species of sloth you 'gravitate' towards? a certain region-oriented sloth-type?
beach sloth: I like the Costa Rican sloths the best. They have their own orphanage. Since there is a great deal of my family tree that is not blood-related (a lot of adopted kids in my family) it warms my sloth-filled heart.
rorhet: what was your favorite band between the following timespans/ages: 0 - 10, 11 - 16, 17 - 18, college, and pick one band/sound project, post-college - present that you have consistently enjoyed
beaslo: Feel this question could be used to accurately gauge my age. Not sure if that’s possible though. I have weird taste in music.
0-10: Tchaikovsky/random house music I heard on ‘Solid State with Liquid Todd’ on K-Rock
11-16: Dat Politics
17-18: Flying Saucer Attack
College: Mouse on Mars/anything I played on my old radio show
Post-College: Low
Note these are not definitive. I’m a music nerd so creating any ‘standard’ list like this is very difficult. These bands are subject to change.
rr: what are your thoughts about 'mainstream speculation' that alt-lit writers might just be autistic people who document their lives through auto-biographical fiction?
bs: Many of the alt-lit writers I’ve met seem better adjusted than my non alt-lit friends. Realistic alt lit people know exactly what they want to do and how to do it. It’s a diverse group of people completely devoted to their craft and those who do it more as a ‘passion project’ while still working full time. I’m definitely in the latter category.
There’s probably some truth to the speculation for some writers but they are definitely in the minority and not the majority.
rr: what is your favorite region of the world you have visited? give three reasons why it is 'your favorite'
bs: Malaysia is my favorite place. I haven’t been everywhere yet, so there might be places I’d like even more. There’s one distinct memory I have, of walking on the northern coast of Borneo that I will probably never forget. There were all these little crabs on the beach making geometric patterns in the sand. Part of me wanted to steal one, bring it to New York, and be the agent of this conceptual crab artist. I never did it though. Laws exist prohibiting the smuggling of wildlife. Still though, I think I want to see those crabs again at least one more time in my life.
I only just realized you wanted three reasons. The other reason was how nice it was. Malaysia is basically the nicest place ever. When I was there I kept on thinking to myself ‘I’m an asshole compared to these people’. How do people even become so nice?
Third reason is the sun. There’s nothing but sun there. I like sunny places by the beach. That’s pretty much the best thing ever.
rr: your overall positive disposition confuses me somewhat. does your interest in 'hopefulness' and 'positivity' derive from a discernible part of your upbringing/personality/life experience? if so, 'where', and how does that affect your qualitative perception of what you read/watch/listen to?
bs: I definitely get ‘down in the dumps’. Everybody gets depressed. I’m no exception. When I write I feel happy so the posts reflect my enthusiasm. Unlike a large number of alt lit writers, I tend to write out of happiness rather than a blank emptiness.
Knowing ‘Gravity’s Rainbow’ even exists makes me happy. I remember reading it and thinking ‘holy shit you’re allowed to write this why’. It seemed really liberating to write in such a dense, crazed fashion. Hunter S. Thompson’s work had a similar influence on me too. Both writers sort of embody crazed, frantic, yet oddly positive stance on the present and future.
I’m interested in weird things, anything that shows immense amounts of time, effort, and dedication naturally appeal to me. That’s why I like alt lit. Alt lit is done out of pure love. I don’t think anybody goes into it thinking ‘I’m going to make so much money from this’. Usually they have a passion for it.
My upbringing was not remotely unusual. I had an average childhood. Years later my parents have no idea how I got interested in all these weird artists, bands, and writers. They were supportive even though they didn’t quite understand it.
rr: do you typically buy movie tickets online or at the theater kiosk? if the former, what website do you use [fandango,movieticketsonline.com, moviefone]?
bs: ‘Jesus’ what is this insane question. I feel like this is ‘paid advertising’ for various movie ticket companies. Please tag all these companies in your post though. I want you to get paid.
I actually rarely (if ever) go to the movies. Normally I buy the tickets there. Unfortunately I’m not really much of a movie person (or sloth).
rr: what are three non-sloth mammals that seem 'intriguing' to you due to some 'bizarre' biological quality they have? what do you like/dislike about these mammals? what do you perceive their 'general personality types' might be based on what you know about them?
bs: I like Elephants because they are really smart and unusually fast (for a giant creature).
Horses seems interesting to me. I wonder who decided they were okay for riding.
Platypuses are bizarre in general. I don’t even know where to begin with this one.
Side note: most of the animals I really enjoy (sloths aside) are generally aquatic animals or insects. It was hard finding mammals I like.
rr: what is the 'secret' to your prolificacy? how do you manage to publish an average 50 posts-per-month? is there a secret league of sloths working somewhere out of indonesia/thailand? do you outsource your content similar to how some speculate HRO does?
bs: HRO outsources like crazy. If you read HRO’s post carefully, you’ll notice it isn’t even in English, it’s some sort of internationally recognized Hipster flarf. Carles spent years on the ‘Hipster-Flarf’ algorithm so I can’t fault the guy.
I’m really organized about writing. I don’t find it overwhelming. My posts reflect my current mood. Nor do I treat writing as a way of ‘making friends’ or ‘being cool’. I write out of happiness, out of a desire to improve. Every post is an attempt to be just a little bit better. Besides, I usually have a pretty good idea about what I’m going to write about, along with the number of posts I’m going to do for that day.
rr: any funny videos you found online recently?
Does this count as funny? I think it is a really charming, sort of sweet video.
rr: without re-watching the movie, what was your favorite scene in 'DEAD MIDGETS'? why? (sorry about being narcissistic here)
bs: Seriously you don’t want me to re-watch the movie? Whatever bro, I’m totally doing that. It’s a good movie.
I like the repetition part of ‘It’s alright’ where she hugs him. For some reason that feels really comforting to me. There’s something about repetition done right that I enjoy. Most of ‘Dead Midgets’ doesn’t seem that repetitive so maybe that’s why I’m so attracted to that part.
4/01/2012
movie livetweet: 'hunger games' [minimal spoiler alert]
on march 28th, buttercup mcgillicuddy 'livetweeted' his thoughts while watching the new movie, 'hunger games'. he had not read any reviews, synopses, excerpts from the book, or talked to anyone about specific aspects of the plot of the movie prior to seeing it. he had watched the trailer 1 or 2 times. here is what he tweeted, unedited:
2:17 PM — live tweeting 'hunger games' for the next ~2hrs #hungerlames #romanticrhetoric
2:22 PM — trailers: 'gi joe' with d. johnson and b. willis, 'spider-man', tim burton vampire movie, 'mr. mom' ripoff, two kristen stewart movies
2:24 PM — is this about the holocaust? little sister is affecting anne frank
2:26 PM — note: i don't know anything about the books/setting/plot #hungerlames
2:28 PM — okay. it's the future. it's john waters' version of the future
2:31 PM — was really hoping they showed the lead naked in bath scene. fucking PG movies/YA fiction #hungerlames
2:35 PM — this british broad in victorian dress is hot. and is that d. sutherland's voice #hungerlames #livetweeting
2:36 PM — oh, she's not british, she's just a bitch #hungerlames
2:39 PM — this is dumb [so far] #hungerlames
2:40 PM — need to pee
2:47 PM — oh, drunk w. harrelson, 'embrace the probability of your eminent death,' seems likely that will be my favorite line #hungerlames
2:51 PM — just saw benedict cumberbatch with yellow hair #hungerlames
2:52 PM — lenny kravitz as fashion advisor, big mistake. #johnwatersfuture #hungerlames
2:54 PM — oh hey president donny #hungerlames
2:56 PM — just 'got the chills,' really unsure why
2:57 PM — whoa, the lead's waist to hip ratio seems digitally enhanced #notempoweringladies #hungerlames
3:08 PM — i knew the william tell thing was coming before the scene started #hungerlames
3:14 PM — oh, that is actually lenny kravitz. jesus christ #hungerlames
3:17 PM — this film seems horribly sexually repressed. this pacing is just begging for a sex scene. dress on fire is no substitute #hungerlames
3:21 PM — she just looked longingly at the doomed boy, and he's confessing his love publicly, this is so fucked #hungerlames
3:24 PM — what the fuck is this movie about? #hungerlames
3:27 PM — my brother seems to think i could get in trouble for tweeting in a theater. fuck the system #hungerlames
3:30 PM — lenny kravitz is being creepy and i just fantasized about his IRL daughter a little which makes me creepy a little too i guess #hungerlames
3:32 PM — not enough people dying in this scene. like, five more would make it 'worth my time' #hungerlames
3:34 PM — 240-338-6835 if you've been trying tm @ me
3:36 PM — lol, 'district nine' #hungerlames
3:38 PM — just farted #hungerlames
3:48 PM — serene music, gushy noises, women moaning, dagger throwing #sexuallyrepressedmovies #hungerlames
3:49 PM — lol, acid wasps #hungerlames
3:50 PM — l-s-bees #hungerlames
3:53 PM — oh hey magical negros!!! #hungerlames
3:55 PM — what else is this girl in? the little one
3:59 PM — perceived self biting thumbnail during mine scene #hungerlames
4:03 PM — lol, death toll seems pretty good. ppl can stop dying now #hungerlames #livetweeting
4:06 PM — lol, mourning rituals. it's whatever rue's just a black anyway. lol, district 11, lol #hungerlames #superlame
4:10 PM — is this a metaphor or a simile? #hungerlames
4:14 PM — fuck yeah sex scene! lol, j/k #hungerlames
4:18 PM — cat fight. deus ex magical negro. need to pee again #hungerlames
4:19 PM — oh shit, an actual sex scene! lol, j/k #hungerlames
4:24 PM — fuck, i hate fantasy. now it's a fantasy movie all of a sudden? getting pretty hungry #hungerlames
4:26 PM — rooting for kado #hungerlames #livetweethng
4:27 PM — damnit #hungerlames
4:33 PM — going to miss john waters' future. no plans to see the sequel(s) #hungerlames
4:35 PM — crushing hard on donny sutherland after all that #hungerlames #livetweeting
4:36 PM — cato** just saw in the credits #hungerlames
4:58 PM — this livetweet has been brought to you by romantic rhetoric @rorhetblog #hungerlamesbuttercup mcgillicuddy:
blog
tumblr
1/26/2012
critical generic analysis: romantic comedy
romance
you think that 'love'—much like 'quantum physics', 'spirituality', 'the internet' and, to some degree, 'gravity'—is a memetic coalescence invented by humans to explain something that is currently incomprehensibly abstract, and is persistently referenced to as a single conglomerate to falsely concretize—as an abstraction-trumping security mechanism—an intuitive phenomenon that may or may not exist as humanity understands or experiences it and will change as humanity better communicates mutual subjective experiences and also as scientific studies better explain the phenomenon in more concrete terms
you feel uncomfortable that 'love' is a defining aspect of human interconnectivity, because of its nature as a presumed universal and humanity's linguistic inability to define it, despite its ubiquitousness, and think that the memetic transference of the concept may have developed into a highly flawed rhetorical device, confusing and inaccurately assigning an 'umbrella term' to a complex series of emotional responses and 'desires' that might be better communicated through more nuanced differentiation
but you perceive that 'love' is 'marketable' as a primary theme in various 'artistic media', specifically movies, and that, based on your interest in movies, love 'requires' conceptual dissection
however you find the trend of foregoing all rational story arcs when culminating romantic experiences occur and the resulting sense of 'transcendent euphoria' at the end of movies ungratifying
you feel that this sudden breakdown of rationale is jarring, and 'fucks' the movie's 'suspension of disbelief', but because [most romantic comedies] are generically prescribed the title 'romantic comedies', you think maybe this designation is a device that 'justifies' the dissolution of the story's coherence as long as intense, emotional sequences are periodically present between the middle and end portions of the movie
comedy
you think—based on your preconceived ideas about death, suffering, and existential despair—that life has an inherently, consistently bleak quality that is somewhat alleviated by communication that results in intentional paradoxes
you think that the bleakness-decreasing human instinct considered 'humor' seems to be the simplest response and most difficult to induced subtly in order to prolong combat against bleakness
your are an advocate for combatting bleakness
comedy exists, inherently, you think, in everything, if juxtaposed against an appropriately absurd idea
the very mention of 'love', for instance, at all, ever
romantic comedy
you perceive that the generic concept of a 'romantic comedy' is basically a title given to a movie that's primary focus is to embody the concept of 'romance' by narrating a two-plus interpersonal and possibly sexual relationship and approach it with a certain optimism that will allow the movie to conclude with a sense of euphoric, perhaps existentially impossible 'success' in the context of either a romantic pursuit or a romantic trial
however the nature of relationships, you believe, is fluid and ephemeral, perhaps unknowable, so the creative choice to end a story, regardless of the theme, by indiscriminately leading to the 'happy ending', because [in context] it 'needs' to end that way (happily ever after...), is inherently disingenuous and missing the nuance necessary be considered a 'reflection of the human experience'.
therefore you relegate 'romantic comedy' to a non-art status, in your mind, and will not address the concept or genre again
you think that 'love'—much like 'quantum physics', 'spirituality', 'the internet' and, to some degree, 'gravity'—is a memetic coalescence invented by humans to explain something that is currently incomprehensibly abstract, and is persistently referenced to as a single conglomerate to falsely concretize—as an abstraction-trumping security mechanism—an intuitive phenomenon that may or may not exist as humanity understands or experiences it and will change as humanity better communicates mutual subjective experiences and also as scientific studies better explain the phenomenon in more concrete terms
you feel uncomfortable that 'love' is a defining aspect of human interconnectivity, because of its nature as a presumed universal and humanity's linguistic inability to define it, despite its ubiquitousness, and think that the memetic transference of the concept may have developed into a highly flawed rhetorical device, confusing and inaccurately assigning an 'umbrella term' to a complex series of emotional responses and 'desires' that might be better communicated through more nuanced differentiation
but you perceive that 'love' is 'marketable' as a primary theme in various 'artistic media', specifically movies, and that, based on your interest in movies, love 'requires' conceptual dissection
however you find the trend of foregoing all rational story arcs when culminating romantic experiences occur and the resulting sense of 'transcendent euphoria' at the end of movies ungratifying
you feel that this sudden breakdown of rationale is jarring, and 'fucks' the movie's 'suspension of disbelief', but because [most romantic comedies] are generically prescribed the title 'romantic comedies', you think maybe this designation is a device that 'justifies' the dissolution of the story's coherence as long as intense, emotional sequences are periodically present between the middle and end portions of the movie
comedy
you think—based on your preconceived ideas about death, suffering, and existential despair—that life has an inherently, consistently bleak quality that is somewhat alleviated by communication that results in intentional paradoxes
you think that the bleakness-decreasing human instinct considered 'humor' seems to be the simplest response and most difficult to induced subtly in order to prolong combat against bleakness
your are an advocate for combatting bleakness
comedy exists, inherently, you think, in everything, if juxtaposed against an appropriately absurd idea
the very mention of 'love', for instance, at all, ever
romantic comedy
you perceive that the generic concept of a 'romantic comedy' is basically a title given to a movie that's primary focus is to embody the concept of 'romance' by narrating a two-plus interpersonal and possibly sexual relationship and approach it with a certain optimism that will allow the movie to conclude with a sense of euphoric, perhaps existentially impossible 'success' in the context of either a romantic pursuit or a romantic trial
however the nature of relationships, you believe, is fluid and ephemeral, perhaps unknowable, so the creative choice to end a story, regardless of the theme, by indiscriminately leading to the 'happy ending', because [in context] it 'needs' to end that way (happily ever after...), is inherently disingenuous and missing the nuance necessary be considered a 'reflection of the human experience'.
therefore you relegate 'romantic comedy' to a non-art status, in your mind, and will not address the concept or genre again
1/19/2012
1/04/2012
movie review: 'the future'
miranda july directs
herself
and hamish linklater
you arrive home after living abroad for five months
your brother asks if you've seen 'the future'?
'the movie? by miranda july?' you ask
'yeah,' says your brother
'no, but i've been wanting to'
'it's really weird'
'yeah, she's crazy'
'i got it on redbox, it's in the DVD player'
you go downstairs to the den and wrap yourself in a blanket and use the remote to turn on the DVD player
during the movie you try to discern what the title of the film 'means' or is referring to,
then you remember the title of miranda july's last movie was 'me and you and everyone we know' and vaguely remember a character saying 'me and you and everyone we know' or something like that during the movie
you expect this to happen in 'the future'
after the movie you discuss the themes with your brother
he thinks that the injured cat, the 'soul of the movie' is the worst thing about it
you think about an interview with miranda july in which she admits to never having seen 'lolcats' and think this may have informed, in a way, the movie's overall 'non-self-awareness'
you 'go mad' and contemplate stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping
herself
and hamish linklater
you arrive home after living abroad for five months
your brother asks if you've seen 'the future'?
'the movie? by miranda july?' you ask
'yeah,' says your brother
'no, but i've been wanting to'
'it's really weird'
'yeah, she's crazy'
'i got it on redbox, it's in the DVD player'
you go downstairs to the den and wrap yourself in a blanket and use the remote to turn on the DVD player
during the movie you try to discern what the title of the film 'means' or is referring to,
then you remember the title of miranda july's last movie was 'me and you and everyone we know' and vaguely remember a character saying 'me and you and everyone we know' or something like that during the movie
you expect this to happen in 'the future'
after the movie you discuss the themes with your brother
he thinks that the injured cat, the 'soul of the movie' is the worst thing about it
you think about an interview with miranda july in which she admits to never having seen 'lolcats' and think this may have informed, in a way, the movie's overall 'non-self-awareness'
you 'go mad' and contemplate stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping time stopping
12/26/2011
vimeo.com account review: sebastian sommer
you perceive 'an epiphany'
you realize that there is a high probability that more filmmakers are in the 'muumuuhouse school of experimental filmmaking' [for lack of a better term] besides ellen frances, adam humphreys, pirooz kalayeh, kacper jarecki, david fishkind and MDMAfilms
you feel compelled to look for 'similar artists' on the internet
'at some point' you find the vimeo account of sebastian 'sebsom' sommer, a student at NYU
on sebsom's vimeo account is a video asserting that it is a 'reimagining' of two of tao lin's short stories, found in his bear parade-published collection 'today the sky is blue and white with bright blue spots and a small pale moon and i will destroy our relationship today'
while watching the video titled 'happily drowning', you feel high levels of confusion re choices in characterization, location, and costuming
you think maybe sebsom had difficulty with use of 'narrative tact' and with his attempts at establishing a discernable 'mood', but you also perceive that sebsom, being a student, probably had limited resources, and made the video with fellow students, friends and perhaps SAG actors who [probably] can't communicate his artistic sensibility with palpable, disbelief-suspending clarity
or perhaps sebsom, you think, has yet to 'manipulate' the scenario in a manner that is 'definitively sebsom-like' and not simply unlike other student filmmakers
you watch the other videos on sebsom's vimeo account multiple times and feel similar types/levels of confusion
you think about 'revisiting' sebsom's work in the future, when his 'voice' is more developed/coherent/horrific
sebsom sends you a friend request on facebook
you accept
sebsom sends you a message via facebook:
'hey dude! lookin forward to dead midgets! i wanted to know if you could possibly check out my latest short film EIGHTEEN SLASH STAINLESS and possibly review it? but first, a little about me. I'm from Manhattan and I've been making films my whole life. I made an experimental film Mama Said Sardine Baby that played at the TriBeCa Film Festival. I've also worked with Tao Lin on adapting one of his short stories into a film.
Here is the link to the short: http://vimeo.com/33370714
Here is the link to my site: http://sebsom.com/
Please let me know!
Seb'in a mutually beneficial 'promotional agreement' you review '18/S'
you watch the video several times and feel consistent levels of an 'indiscernible confusion', like... you feel unable to discern the filmmaker's 'intent', which seems... like... 'jarring', in that you perceive that your ability to enjoy a video is solely dependent on your ability to discern the filmmaker's use of 'narrative tact' and/or 'spectacle', but due to the paradox caused by the video's high production quality, non-existant narrative structure and seemingly 'thrown-together' spectacle, you think '18/S' is like... naive... in its... projection of... like... life's horror... maybe
you decide to use a cliche to describe sebastian sommer's current oeuvre: 'shows promise'... in like a similar way to how the first short film you made in film school 'showed promise'
12/20/2011
11/27/2011
vimeo.com account review: john campbell
john campbell of 'boo hoo boo' and 'pictures for sad children' makes videos
you think they're 'pretty sweet'
you think they're 'pretty sweet'
11/25/2011
trailer: 'dead midgets'
you feel strange/awkward/guilty promoting your own movie on your blog
but you like... feel obligated to... like, for two reasons
first, for promotional purposes, because people who are interested in movies read your blog and are more likely to watch a trailer via your blog than by 'stumbling on' it or watching it via social networks like facebook because your blog gets way more hits
second, because you think that you would be interested in this movie via some hypothetical parallel experience of watching this trailer without the subjective attachment of having been a part of the entire process of making the movie, so you feel obligated to expose other people with similar sensibilities to the project
you contemplate writing a critique of the movie, but feel this is 'too bold', perhaps, and would involve a lot of much information, information that would be better introduced to the world via promotional media outlets to create a 'slow stream' of output and increase in 'buzz'
you think about the fact that 'this is normal, it is normal for "bloggers" to promote creative output via their own media source', however because 'romantic rhetoric' seems designed as a 'farcical' movie critique blog a la 'variety'-meets-HRO, or maybe something else entirely, you think 'this feels weird... awful maybe'
you keep writing things... to fill space maybe...
you think about saying something related to the production of the movie... percentages of completion maybe... something about your relationship with the cast... various scandals that happened during pre-production and production... who the film is dedicated to maybe... why it's titled 'dead midgets'... you can't process or discern what is best to talk about
you consider what marketing repercussions this might have
'will this produce press at all?' you think, 'would this even remotely be considered a tactful marketing strategy?'
'does this movie even "approach" "good enough" to be exposed "to the public"?'
'will anyone enjoy watching these videos? will anyone come to the premier? do i like the movie?'
but you like... feel obligated to... like, for two reasons
WARNING/DISCLAIMER/SELF-DEFENSE MECHANISM: DON'T WATCH THIS VIDEO IF YOU HAVE OR WISH TO HAVE ANYTHING RESEMBLING 'RESPECT' FOR THIS BLOG/FUTURE POSTS BY THIS BLOG THAT ARE NOT ABOUT 'DEAD MIDGETS'
first, for promotional purposes, because people who are interested in movies read your blog and are more likely to watch a trailer via your blog than by 'stumbling on' it or watching it via social networks like facebook because your blog gets way more hits
second, because you think that you would be interested in this movie via some hypothetical parallel experience of watching this trailer without the subjective attachment of having been a part of the entire process of making the movie, so you feel obligated to expose other people with similar sensibilities to the project
you contemplate writing a critique of the movie, but feel this is 'too bold', perhaps, and would involve a lot of much information, information that would be better introduced to the world via promotional media outlets to create a 'slow stream' of output and increase in 'buzz'
you think about the fact that 'this is normal, it is normal for "bloggers" to promote creative output via their own media source', however because 'romantic rhetoric' seems designed as a 'farcical' movie critique blog a la 'variety'-meets-HRO, or maybe something else entirely, you think 'this feels weird... awful maybe'
you keep writing things... to fill space maybe...
you think about saying something related to the production of the movie... percentages of completion maybe... something about your relationship with the cast... various scandals that happened during pre-production and production... who the film is dedicated to maybe... why it's titled 'dead midgets'... you can't process or discern what is best to talk about
you consider what marketing repercussions this might have
'will this produce press at all?' you think, 'would this even remotely be considered a tactful marketing strategy?'
'does this movie even "approach" "good enough" to be exposed "to the public"?'
'will anyone enjoy watching these videos? will anyone come to the premier? do i like the movie?'
what is filmmaking? why do people do it? why do i do it? what is the purpose of suspending disbelief and causing extreme emotions? what are the repercussions of this human 'diversion'? what contribution, if any, will my movies have to the process of making movies? will i 'succeed'? will i be 'the greatest filmmaker in the world' as i wanted to be as a child? is that even possible? who else has achieved that? steven spielberg? wes anderson? david lynch? do i respect these people? do i 'genuinely enjoy' their movies or have i been conditioned to? where does 'enjoyment' derive from scientifically? philosophically? memetically? is this important? should i just 'keep going'?
11/21/2011
movie critique: 'another earth'
mike cahill directs
brit marling
and william mapother
rating: 'goddamn... goddamn...'
you dismiss the trailer for 'another earth' without finishing it
you think 'this is maybe one of the worst attempts at fusing sci-fi and drama that i have seen that has gotten anything resembling an accolade'
you move on to 'more interesting' movie trailers and watch like... movies that aren't 'another earth'
you read a review for 'another earth' and feel confused about the positive nature of the review
you contemplate the fact that between lars von trier's 'melancholia' and terrence malick's 'tree of life' it seems coincidental that there is an 'indie' movie with similar imagery/themes and begin to develop slight interest
you watch the trailer again, you feel the same way you did originally
one night while an acrobatics troupe is staying at your house you get extremely high and watch 'another earth' via a spanish-language movie streaming website
while watching 'another earth' you feel extreme emotions, cry, lose suspension of disbelief, but don't care and are 'convinced' that 'another earth' is your 'new favorite movie'
the next day, you watch interviews with the cast and director and find out that mike cahill is part of a trio of actor-writer-directors in the same vein as wes anderson, noah baumbach and owen wilson and feel affected by the group dynamic/'narrative tact' with how they approach 'storytelling' and the extremity of the subject matter
you feel so deeply affected that you think 'i don't care that the movie is "not believable" because it is self aware of its non-believableness and approaches the subject/themes/characters/effects with understanding, tact, wit, and life-affirmation as a basis... sweet'
you contemplate doing a 'write up' of 'the theme of science-fiction-related drama in recent movies...' but... well... maybe you'll do that a little later...
brit marling
and william mapother
rating: 'goddamn... goddamn...'
you dismiss the trailer for 'another earth' without finishing it
you think 'this is maybe one of the worst attempts at fusing sci-fi and drama that i have seen that has gotten anything resembling an accolade'
you move on to 'more interesting' movie trailers and watch like... movies that aren't 'another earth'
you read a review for 'another earth' and feel confused about the positive nature of the review
you contemplate the fact that between lars von trier's 'melancholia' and terrence malick's 'tree of life' it seems coincidental that there is an 'indie' movie with similar imagery/themes and begin to develop slight interest
you watch the trailer again, you feel the same way you did originally
one night while an acrobatics troupe is staying at your house you get extremely high and watch 'another earth' via a spanish-language movie streaming website
while watching 'another earth' you feel extreme emotions, cry, lose suspension of disbelief, but don't care and are 'convinced' that 'another earth' is your 'new favorite movie'
the next day, you watch interviews with the cast and director and find out that mike cahill is part of a trio of actor-writer-directors in the same vein as wes anderson, noah baumbach and owen wilson and feel affected by the group dynamic/'narrative tact' with how they approach 'storytelling' and the extremity of the subject matter
you feel so deeply affected that you think 'i don't care that the movie is "not believable" because it is self aware of its non-believableness and approaches the subject/themes/characters/effects with understanding, tact, wit, and life-affirmation as a basis... sweet'
you contemplate doing a 'write up' of 'the theme of science-fiction-related drama in recent movies...' but... well... maybe you'll do that a little later...
movie critique: 'putty hill'
matt porterfield directs
sky ferreira
zoe vance
cody ray
and dustin ray
rating: 'damn, bro'
mid 2010 you see a promotional video for an upcoming movie via 'kickstarter' titled 'putty hill'
you see the director, who is from a city adjacent to your hometown, talking about the movie in a video and feel abnormal interest in the movie, but mostly negative, maybe jealousy-related emotions about the director
you move to baltimore in late 2010
'putty hill' is showing at 'charles village theater' near your house
you repeatedly make plans to see the movie but do not, instead seeing [other various movies you don't remember]
when people mention 'putty hill' in conversation you consistently assert 'i hate that guy, the director' which garners interest in why
you do not 'hate' the director, though you feel, perhaps, small types of competition-related emotional outbursts when thinking about 'putty hill' and how well 'putty hill' is doing domestically as an insanely low-budget movie
you are solicited to audition for a short video made by students at 'MICA' (maryland institute college of art) and are cast as the co-star of the video, along with your friends kristin and huckleberry
you appear on set and feel surprised to see the director of 'putty hill' standing by the viewfinder and are introduced to him and the crew seems to look at you suspiciously because in social settings you have asserted to 'hate' him
the director of 'putty hill' is the instructor for the course the video is being made for and appears multiple times around many of the same venues as you
you talk casually about movies and life in baltimore and personal anecdotes and perceive that you have established a relationship or at least repertoire
later, the director, who has directed multiple music videos for the band 'double dagger' appears at a 'secret show' at your house, which you make a movie about
he seems excited that you are there, making a movie and multiple times makes friendly gestures and asserts that he is happy to see you
mid-november, 2011, you see via the director's facebook that the DVD for 'putty hill' is on-sale
you have no money and are not in the country, so you search the internet to see if it is available to download via torrent
it is
you watch the movie and feel deeply affected
you feel surprised at how affecting and new-feeling the movie is and feel inspired and maybe 'in awe' of the director a little
you feel happy and watch the movie again that night while falling asleep
you think 'good job, matt' repeatedly while falling asleep
sky ferreira
zoe vance
cody ray
and dustin ray
rating: 'damn, bro'
mid 2010 you see a promotional video for an upcoming movie via 'kickstarter' titled 'putty hill'
you see the director, who is from a city adjacent to your hometown, talking about the movie in a video and feel abnormal interest in the movie, but mostly negative, maybe jealousy-related emotions about the director
you move to baltimore in late 2010
'putty hill' is showing at 'charles village theater' near your house
you repeatedly make plans to see the movie but do not, instead seeing [other various movies you don't remember]
when people mention 'putty hill' in conversation you consistently assert 'i hate that guy, the director' which garners interest in why
you do not 'hate' the director, though you feel, perhaps, small types of competition-related emotional outbursts when thinking about 'putty hill' and how well 'putty hill' is doing domestically as an insanely low-budget movie
you are solicited to audition for a short video made by students at 'MICA' (maryland institute college of art) and are cast as the co-star of the video, along with your friends kristin and huckleberry
you appear on set and feel surprised to see the director of 'putty hill' standing by the viewfinder and are introduced to him and the crew seems to look at you suspiciously because in social settings you have asserted to 'hate' him
the director of 'putty hill' is the instructor for the course the video is being made for and appears multiple times around many of the same venues as you
you talk casually about movies and life in baltimore and personal anecdotes and perceive that you have established a relationship or at least repertoire
later, the director, who has directed multiple music videos for the band 'double dagger' appears at a 'secret show' at your house, which you make a movie about
he seems excited that you are there, making a movie and multiple times makes friendly gestures and asserts that he is happy to see you
mid-november, 2011, you see via the director's facebook that the DVD for 'putty hill' is on-sale
you have no money and are not in the country, so you search the internet to see if it is available to download via torrent
it is
you watch the movie and feel deeply affected
you feel surprised at how affecting and new-feeling the movie is and feel inspired and maybe 'in awe' of the director a little
you feel happy and watch the movie again that night while falling asleep
you think 'good job, matt' repeatedly while falling asleep
11/16/2011
movie critique: 'the tree of life'
terrence malick directs
brad pitt
sean penn
jessica chastain
rating: 'perplexing'
you feel a sort of personal antipathy towards period movies due to their inability to apply existentially to your experiences on earth
you see the trailer for 'the tree of life' and think, 'seems like a less narrative-oriented version of "revolutionary road"' and consistently return to this thought whenever thoughts of the movie 'arise'
you deduce from an article on 'hipster runoff' that there are dinosaur sequences in the movie and think, 'whoa, kind of want to see this now'
you read the wikipedia page for 'the tree of life' and feel confused about the casting of sean penn as brad pitt's son, and develop further feelings of ambivalence toward seeing the movie
you read an article in 'variety' describing the movie as 'more art than cinema' or something and feel annoyed, like... 'if this is art then it's probably boring, abstract, museum-y, etc. and not something that will appeal to me on a basic emotional level... so like... why watch it?'
you 'cave' due to overwhelming desires to experience a movie with a 'cosmic scope', which you have trouble discerning the definition of
you watch the movie over the course of ~3 sittings and consistently do 'other shit' while the movie plays in the periphery
you pause the movie several times to attempt to find interviews with the director, terrence malick, but only happen upon this:
you return to the wikipedia article and feel interested in reading about the special effects in the movie
you find an article saying that the 'sfx' bro who did some of the scenes worked on '2001: a space odyssey'
you finish watching the movie and return to the original state of ambivalence re 'period pieces' and 'abstract narratives' you felt after watching the trailer, but with a heightened sense that maybe some of the events occurred in the life of the director, and validate them in an existential sense
you feel compelled to watch more movies like 'the tree of life' and 'melancholia' that juxtapose planet-level enormity with 'relatable' images of 'modern life' and recall 'diebuster' with positive sentiments
brad pitt
sean penn
jessica chastain
rating: 'perplexing'
you feel a sort of personal antipathy towards period movies due to their inability to apply existentially to your experiences on earth
you see the trailer for 'the tree of life' and think, 'seems like a less narrative-oriented version of "revolutionary road"' and consistently return to this thought whenever thoughts of the movie 'arise'
you deduce from an article on 'hipster runoff' that there are dinosaur sequences in the movie and think, 'whoa, kind of want to see this now'
you read the wikipedia page for 'the tree of life' and feel confused about the casting of sean penn as brad pitt's son, and develop further feelings of ambivalence toward seeing the movie
you read an article in 'variety' describing the movie as 'more art than cinema' or something and feel annoyed, like... 'if this is art then it's probably boring, abstract, museum-y, etc. and not something that will appeal to me on a basic emotional level... so like... why watch it?'
you 'cave' due to overwhelming desires to experience a movie with a 'cosmic scope', which you have trouble discerning the definition of
you watch the movie over the course of ~3 sittings and consistently do 'other shit' while the movie plays in the periphery
you pause the movie several times to attempt to find interviews with the director, terrence malick, but only happen upon this:
you return to the wikipedia article and feel interested in reading about the special effects in the movie
you find an article saying that the 'sfx' bro who did some of the scenes worked on '2001: a space odyssey'
you finish watching the movie and return to the original state of ambivalence re 'period pieces' and 'abstract narratives' you felt after watching the trailer, but with a heightened sense that maybe some of the events occurred in the life of the director, and validate them in an existential sense
you feel compelled to watch more movies like 'the tree of life' and 'melancholia' that juxtapose planet-level enormity with 'relatable' images of 'modern life' and recall 'diebuster' with positive sentiments
11/13/2011
trailer: 'girlfriend'
like... you feel your head performing tiny series of combustions... and like... air leaking out of somewhere... cranial sutures, you discern
you think 'how did i find this? how did i find this without seeing it on a twilight forum?'
'it is so bleak that i found this trailer,' you think
'i need a "break"... a "break" from "movie hell"'...
you think, as you count down one minute to walking away from the computer, 'this was what it was like to discover harmony korine... but this is... this is more depraved maybe... unsure'
you think 'how did i find this? how did i find this without seeing it on a twilight forum?'
'it is so bleak that i found this trailer,' you think
'i need a "break"... a "break" from "movie hell"'...
you think, as you count down one minute to walking away from the computer, 'this was what it was like to discover harmony korine... but this is... this is more depraved maybe... unsure'
two sleeping beauties, one year
two movies came out in the past year, one titled 'sleeping beauty', and the other, 'la belle endormie'
which trailer do you feel most affected by?
'i'm going to go masturbate to both,' you think
which trailer do you feel most affected by?
the one about a high-end, barely legal prostitute who gets banged in her sleep and calls it a 'skill'?
or the 'retelling' of the fairytale that looks like something out of a magical realism novel that may or may not have a plot?
'i'm going to go masturbate to both,' you think
trailer: 'being elmo'
you discern high levels of of 'bewilderment' after this trailer finishes
you think 'this feeling is similar to the revelation that jaleel white did the voice of sonic the hedgehog i think'
you have, maybe since birth, been... like... abnormally confused by and had like... a pop-culture related fascination with 'elmo'
but have perceived, since high school, that puppeteering, in general, is like... 'low art' or a more objective equivalent
like... not creatively challenging
or... like, delusional because everyone knows it's a fucking puppet, like, you're not fooling anyone, and it's not funny, it's like, creepy mostly
so like, you never thought about the puppeteer
you feel like this is similar to when you found out jim henson did the puppeteering for kermit... or walt disney the voice of mickey... or frank oz the voice of yoda... or tim allen the voice of buzz lightyear... or like... mel gibson the voice of john smith in 'pocahontas'... 'like... who spends their time being a voice,' you think
but like... you realize this guy must have been working insanely hard for a long time... into the 21st century... just... like... doing this... being elmo... every day...
'jesus,' you think, 'why is my brain processing this like this?'
you think 'this feeling is similar to the revelation that jaleel white did the voice of sonic the hedgehog i think'
you have, maybe since birth, been... like... abnormally confused by and had like... a pop-culture related fascination with 'elmo'
but have perceived, since high school, that puppeteering, in general, is like... 'low art' or a more objective equivalent
like... not creatively challenging
or... like, delusional because everyone knows it's a fucking puppet, like, you're not fooling anyone, and it's not funny, it's like, creepy mostly
so like, you never thought about the puppeteer
you feel like this is similar to when you found out jim henson did the puppeteering for kermit... or walt disney the voice of mickey... or frank oz the voice of yoda... or tim allen the voice of buzz lightyear... or like... mel gibson the voice of john smith in 'pocahontas'... 'like... who spends their time being a voice,' you think
but like... you realize this guy must have been working insanely hard for a long time... into the 21st century... just... like... doing this... being elmo... every day...
'jesus,' you think, 'why is my brain processing this like this?'
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