The Human Cost.link
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Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Original Schmoriginal.
i was just in the shower thinking about Tim Burton. and originality. and i started wondering why were so obsessed with being original, especially when it comes to movies. i mean a good movie is a good movie, doesnt have to be original to be good. but still we somehow, for some reason, value original ideas or ways of making something to the point that we put it up on a pedestal. im not saying theres anything bad with liking/valueing original ideas, i know i do, but im just wondering why we value them so much? i mean, basically an original idea is just a new idea. or a new take on something old. so is it this that attracts us? the freshness, the newness of something. the constant craving for something new. maybe its some sort of basic human trait, a constant strive for new things, experiences and inventions. i guess its this in us that has resulted in the amazing leaps forward we have accomplished as humans. i wonder what our world would be like if columbus hadnt wanted to find a *new* route to india or einstein hadnt found a *new* theory to explain the world or the wright brothers hadnt followed through on the idea of a *new* form of transport, i think you can see where this is going. maybe its this trait in us humans, the craving for anything new, that still sticks with us and causes to require/praise new and original ideas in films. we are no longer content with something thats been done before, no matter how great or fantastic it might be. but who cares? originality is great. new ways of making films, and new ideas and such, should be encouraged and supported all the way, however we should still never judge a movie for solely its originality, an extremely original crap movie is still crap. nothing to it. but then again, why should we stay on the earth when we can go to the moon?
think about it, think, think about it.
(flight of the conchords)
ps. lets not forget "old" ways of making movies, such as stop-motion animation. they will always have a place in peoples hearts and minds.
think about it, think, think about it.
(flight of the conchords)
ps. lets not forget "old" ways of making movies, such as stop-motion animation. they will always have a place in peoples hearts and minds.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Smash those damn Pumpkins!
this is it. the mother of all reunions. brace yourself. sit down. take a deep breath. and read on. my favourite band when i was younger, and still one of the great bands, Smashing Pumpkins have gotten back together! and are releasing a new album this year, 7th July at 7:07. its called "Zeitgeist". and thats just simply amazing. thats it. just needed to inform you guys. enjoy.
smash & grab.
smash & grab.
And the winner is...
so, the moment youve all been watiting for, the winner of my super funkdaddylicious comptetition. sadly the outcome wasnt what i was hoping for, ie. more comments, so ill just ask you nicely now: please, just comment on my posts if you have ANYthing, anything at all to say, it really makes my day. so just do it. you can feel good about yourself for making me feel good, yeah. yeah. but, back to the issue at hand, the winner of the gemini croquet contest, my super-green man:
el FLO
with the correct answers of 1. R.E.M. - Lotus y 2. The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy (A Collection of Tim Burton poems)
thank you. and come again. and comment.
El antonio magnificó
el FLO
with the correct answers of 1. R.E.M. - Lotus y 2. The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy (A Collection of Tim Burton poems)
thank you. and come again. and comment.
El antonio magnificó
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Do you feel lucky?
welcome. in order to keep my blog fresh and attractive, i shall do what everyone does when they need to attract the interest of others, hold a competition! im gonna keep this brief and very to the point. the rules are simple, if you answer the two-part question that follows correctly you will win a fantastic prize, which is a SURPRISE EVENT with me, free of charge. i know i know. how can i just give away something amazing like that? well, im just such a good person. its easy for people like me. anyway, the winner will be notified personally, and receive the fantastic prize on a later disclosed date. so answer this if you can:
1. From what song (including artist name) is the "name" of my blog - "dot dot dot, and i feel fine" (the 'name' of the window that youre surfing in right now)?
Part Deux. What does the name "The Oyster Boy" (in the URL of this blog) refer to?
There you go. answer those two simple questions and you might be the winner. if there are many correct answers, the winner will be randomly selected from all those who have answered correctly. also, a bag of candy will be raffled off between ALL participants. so ANYONE can WIN.
send your answers to my email, or leave a comment to this post if youre not afraid others might steal your answers.
the winner will be announced on Tuesday 20th March.
My Top Tip of the Week
my apologies for missing last weeks top tip. however, this week the movies will be so awesomely fantastic, that the movies i wouldve suggested last week, will feel SO middle of last week. lets keep it short and concise, to the point.movie to see at the googlo-plex: The Good Shepherd. if you like a movie involving men in long over-coats and hats, peering suspiciously over their shoulders, meeting in shady back-allies, and the phrase "TOP SECRET", then this is the movie for you. fantastically directed by Robert De Niro, who also plays a small part in the film, and equally well acted in by Matt Damon. both performances, as director and leading-man, contribute fantastically to the over-all mood of the film, you even find yourself becoming suspicious of the person sitting next to you (did he just slip something into my drink?). matt damon is stunning as the strong silent yet smart type, and i believe he says less than Mother Theresa in a confessional, during the movie. however, a word of warning, if youre not interested in secret agencies, and even secreter men, then this is NOT the movie for you. it was on the limits of being too long and tedious even for me (note. LIMITS, it wasnt too long, dont be put off by that comment), and i liked it a lot.
rent-a-thon: to counter-act, the seriousness and highly sombre feel of the Good Shpeherd, i will suggest a fantastic slightly brainless stoner-road-trip comedy: Harold & Kumar go to White Castle. nothing to explain. just see it. but remember... its awesome.
actually, go and see the Good Shepherd at the movies (sleep well the night before), and then afterwards go with your friends and buy a huge bag of candy and maybe some nice brownies, and rent Harold & Kumar, and watch it. make it into a veritable movie-fest-night. youre welcome. good night.
A breath of fresh Air.
air came out with a new album last friday. fantastic. ive always loved them, and luckily this album is no different. havent had time to listen to it that much yet, but its standard air, which is a very good thing. so far not as catchy as some of airs previous albums, however, what it lacks in catchy stand-out songs, it makes up as a whole album. so if you want music to chill to, accept no substitute. air is the only way to fly. and their new album is as good as any for that purpose. so if youre interested in air, listen to their new album 'Pocket Symphony'. but do listen to the ALBUM, as a whole, it works really well as an album. air.pocket symphony 8.5/10sticking to the theme of music, ive been introduced to a new band, 'Von Hertzen Brothers'. have only heard the first two songs from their semi-new album 'Approach', but if the rest is similar, then we have a winner. fantastic progeish rock. the second fantastic finnish artist/band ive been introduced to in the past couple of months (the other being Tuomo), thank you linda. it seems as if we still have a chance, finnish music might still see the light. i am very pleased. von hertzen brothers.approach 8/10 (based on the first two songs - 9/10)
EDIT 28.3: von hertzen brothers.approach 7/10 (the opening songS are superb. but the rest are a bit middleclass, but good nevertheless)
so now then, it seems i have become a music critic as well. well i guess i have to live up to it in the future as well then. so, from now on, whenever i buy a new album i shall review it here, for the pleasure/displeasure of all of you.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
One kebab. Keep the change.
i read an article in NYT yesterday (it always seems to start from an article) about racism. they had interviewed three aspiring politicians on their views on immigration and immigrants. i wont start to go through what they said in the article, but needless to say it was ridiculous. of course this is only my opinion, but i am fairly sure that most of you would agree with me (read the article if you have time and access to NYT).
but im not here to argue against racism or the politicians, i do believe my stance on racism is pretty clear to the most of you. what i came here to talk about was another kind of "racism", a kind that i myself am guilty of. an intellectual who argued against the three politicans in the article reminded me of something i talked about a long time ago with my co-leaders when i was a youth leader at a skriba. he said that he and his friends had been guilty of "reverse-racism", where a somali man who was drunk and very disruptive had disturbed their drinking at a bar, and instead of telling him to piss off, like they would have had it been a finnish man, they had asked him to join them and subsequently suffered the entire evening of his loutish company. i have realised that i am guilty of something similar to this, i am VERY anti-racist, and i am used to a multi-ethinc culture, having lived abroad a couple of years during my life, i also have friends of many varying races, even a couple of caucasians.
but nevertheless, what i noticed in that conversation long ago, was that i sometimes got the feeling that all black people are good people when i saw them (this only relates to strangers though, i dont notice a difference with my friends, or friends of my friends, dunno why that is). which is almost as racist as being overtly racist. its obviously not as bad as hating everyone of a different race, but it means that i notice the difference, and that it registers in my mind subconciously or conciously. and this is a big problem i think. there should be no difference, one shouldnt notice the colour of another persons skin. i think that most of us have at some point been guilty of such behaviour, and i can imagine that this is also the case for most moderate/liberal finns. i guess this is what you get for living in such a homogenous society. and i think the only way to rid us of this is to create a more multi-cultural society, and make diversity an everyday thing. and inter-racial couples are great, just blend all the races together and soon we wont have any races, and no racism.
so again i wanna bang on about understanding and compromise. try to understand your fellow person and instead of dismissing their views and thoughts, try putting yourself in their shoes and think about it from their point of view. just do your best to understand other people, and forget hate. and listen. listen. listen. i know i will. at least do my best.
-anton
but im not here to argue against racism or the politicians, i do believe my stance on racism is pretty clear to the most of you. what i came here to talk about was another kind of "racism", a kind that i myself am guilty of. an intellectual who argued against the three politicans in the article reminded me of something i talked about a long time ago with my co-leaders when i was a youth leader at a skriba. he said that he and his friends had been guilty of "reverse-racism", where a somali man who was drunk and very disruptive had disturbed their drinking at a bar, and instead of telling him to piss off, like they would have had it been a finnish man, they had asked him to join them and subsequently suffered the entire evening of his loutish company. i have realised that i am guilty of something similar to this, i am VERY anti-racist, and i am used to a multi-ethinc culture, having lived abroad a couple of years during my life, i also have friends of many varying races, even a couple of caucasians.
but nevertheless, what i noticed in that conversation long ago, was that i sometimes got the feeling that all black people are good people when i saw them (this only relates to strangers though, i dont notice a difference with my friends, or friends of my friends, dunno why that is). which is almost as racist as being overtly racist. its obviously not as bad as hating everyone of a different race, but it means that i notice the difference, and that it registers in my mind subconciously or conciously. and this is a big problem i think. there should be no difference, one shouldnt notice the colour of another persons skin. i think that most of us have at some point been guilty of such behaviour, and i can imagine that this is also the case for most moderate/liberal finns. i guess this is what you get for living in such a homogenous society. and i think the only way to rid us of this is to create a more multi-cultural society, and make diversity an everyday thing. and inter-racial couples are great, just blend all the races together and soon we wont have any races, and no racism.
so again i wanna bang on about understanding and compromise. try to understand your fellow person and instead of dismissing their views and thoughts, try putting yourself in their shoes and think about it from their point of view. just do your best to understand other people, and forget hate. and listen. listen. listen. i know i will. at least do my best.
-anton
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