Portrait of Kirsten Dunst for Melancholia, by Christian Geisnaes
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I love a great piece of film. But I’m no film expert. I don’t have any real credentials to back up a formal review of anything I see in the theater, so I have no intentions of criticizing or applauding what I know little about.

I do however feel secure in saying Melancholia, the most recent work from Danish filmmaker, Lars von Trier, was my most eagerly-anticipated film of 2011, and I won’t be surprised if it is the best thing I’ll see in all of 2012.

I didn’t know anything about Lars von Trier until I read about his 2009 film Antichrist, and found it to be a wildly emotional and unnerving portrayal of grief, mourning, and in turn, deep depression. With Antichrist, all it took was two characters in a very isolated setting to hook my attention. After watching it I wanted more from the director, and couldn’t have been more excited about Melancholia. Which is sort of weird, since its another film that explores depression.

But when a gray subject matter is supported by such thoughtful and ambitious ideas, its hard not to appreciate it as a thing of wonder. The opening sequence is a series of vignettes presented in surreal slow motion, which illustrate the key chapters of the film in such artful hyperbole, leaving little question to what ultimately will happen in the film. Lars von Trier refers to this as the film’s overture. And just as the overture of Antichrist had my immediate attention, so did this beautiful sequence, preceding acts one and two of Melancholia. It really set the stage for a film that features what lacks so much in mainstream cinema: thoughtful idea development, through carefully considered symbolism and visual representation, that allows the audience to interpret what is being portrayed, what greater perspective the director is trying to express, and what we can take away as tangible insight on a very real avenue of human life.

I value this sort of filmmaking so much. When I go to the movies, I want to see something I can truly appreciate as a thoughtful piece of work that doesn’t feel tainted or influenced too heavily by the needs of a greater audience. An idea that is well considered by an artist, and in turn, a perfectly curated film that only exists because they wanted to explore an intimate detail of their life. Lars von Trier has dealt with depression in his life, as he deems himself to be a melancholiac. This just makes me admire Melancholia even more, knowing that its creation stems directly from an artist who can empathize so directly with the characters he’s created.

Like I said, this was not meant to be a formal review of Melancholia, but just an outlet for me to appreciate a great film. I really felt something when I watched Melancholia, if nothing more than a great feeling of privilege to experience a real work of art.

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I would encourage anyone who has seen the film to read an interview with Lars von Trier, called Longing for the End of It All, by Nils Thorsen. Here, the director talks openly about the characters in the film, and how he came to write and direct Melancholia, as well as his thoughts on existence, wether we are truly alone on Earth, and what that means to him. It’s not exactly a film spoiler, but I would encourage reading the interview only after seeing the film to get the most out of it.

http://www.melancholiathemovie.com/#_interview

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The official Melancholia trailer below.

I shot Rites two months ago with two cameras around my neck. At one point I was shooting Ilford 3200-speed black and white film, the kind that is a bit more difficult to have developed. After sitting on the errand for a couple weeks longer than I should have, I finally dropped off my film at the Gamma Imaging Company on Lake and Desplaines (CHI) and 5 days later… gold!

The thing about 3200-speed film is it’s like grain city up in here. The film is more sensitive to light so you can shoot a little faster than normal and still get a decently-exposed shot. With these photos I still shot a little slower than I should have for 3200, so everything is a hair over exposed. But I’m still in love with the entire roll. A few selects are featured above, and I’ll soon have these and others clumped into the Rites photo shoot, featured currently in all vibrant color on my website.

As always, check these guys out – Rites is the band right now!

These lovely and entertaining title screens from the presumed trailer for The House of Terror were all found at the horror-devoted blog, Monster Movie Music. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

A film about a tire that kills people with telepathic powers.

If you must know more, a synopsis:
RUBBER is the story of Robert, an inanimate tire that has been abandoned in the desert, and suddenly and inexplicably comes to life. As Robert roams the bleak landscape, he discovers that he possesses terrifying telepathic powers that give him the ability to destroy anything he wishes without having to move. At first content to prey on small desert creatures and various discarded objects, his attention soon turns to humans, especially a beautiful and mysterious woman who crosses his path. Leaving a swath of destruction across the desert landscape, Robert becomes a chaotic force to be reckoned with, and truly a movie villain for the ages.

Just… just watch the trailer.

Travelling through Europe on tour, Circa Survive sat down in the woods with SoundCloud to perform a few acoustic songs and answer questions sent in by fans. Charming and Fall-y, these videos have put me in a good mood this afternoon! Make sure to check out the entire session here.

One thing’s for sure, this session with Circa Survive is so refreshing after Kanye’s confusing Cremaster Cycle rip off.

First of all, thrilled about the upcoming The Chariot album release, Long Live. Secondly, today the band premiere the first single off the album titled David De La Hoz, via an excellently inventive live, one-take video. Super creative, just as these dudes consistently are!

Check out The Chariot’s myspace page if you haven’t heard them.

The Social Net—what?

So listen, I’m not a huge theatre-goer, but I do love great film, and I love Gaspar Noe. I saw his French mind-bender, Irreversiblé in a film class a few years ago, and it left quite the positive impression on me. It was a wild, complicated, over the top contemporary film that pushed the boundaries of conventional cinema and what the average audience can truly handle—and stomach.

With his newest film eight years later, Gaspar Noe takes an enormous step forward.

Enter the Void is more than a movie; it’s an experience. I realize that might sound cliché, but never has a theatre experience inspired me to feel the entire spectrum of human emotion in one sitting. From the blazing opening credits to the final two gut-punching frames, the film analyzes life, family, the separation of family, fear, death, the consequences of death, and a paralyzing look into Noe’s concepts of afterlife. The entire human experience in 150 minutes.

I hesitate to even call Enter the Void a movie, but rather a demonstration. It is unrated because the MPAA would have a field day with the explicitly honest content, but each and every controversial scene of the film is dripping with meaning and purpose. The story is told perfectly, the camera work is the most inventive I’ve ever seen—yes, ever—and I was so pierced to my seat with awe, I didn’t even open my king size box of Junior Mints. And that never, ever happens!

Seriously, not a single Junior Mint. For real.

This movie will leave you absolutely speechless. You won’t even realize the it’s over until the film strip literally comes off the reel. It isn’t for everyone, in fact a number of people left the theatre during scenes that are borderline tasteless. But Gaspar Noe clearly has something to say about life, and he makes his stand loud and clear.

If you are at all curious about this film, I highly encourage a screening before it leaves theaters. Cinema experience of the year, hands down—and that’s an understatement.

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The Social Net—what?

So listen, I’m not a huge theatre-goer, but I do love great film, and I love Gaspar Noe. I saw his French mind-bender, Irreversiblé in a film class a few years ago, and it left quite the positive impression on me. It was a wild, complicated, over the top contemporary film that pushed the boundaries of conventional cinema and what the average audience can truly handle—and stomach.

With his newest film eight years later, Gaspar Noe takes an enormous step forward.

Enter the Void is more than a movie; it’s an experience. I realize that might sound cliché, but never has a theatre experience inspired me to feel the entire spectrum of human emotion in one sitting. From the blazing opening credits to the final two gut-punching frames, the film analyzes life, family, the separation of family, fear, death, the consequences of death, and a paralyzing look into Noe’s concepts of afterlife. The entire human experience in 150 minutes.

I hesitate to even call Enter the Void a movie, but rather a demonstration. It is unrated because the MPAA would have a field day with the explicitly honest content, but each and every controversial scene of the film is dripping with meaning and purpose. The story is told perfectly, the camera work is the most inventive I’ve ever seen—yes, ever—and I was so pierced to my seat with awe, I didn’t even open my king size box of Junior Mints. And that never, ever happens!

Seriously, not a single Junior Mint. For real.

This movie will leave you absolutely speechless. You won’t even realize the it’s over until the film strip literally comes off the reel. It isn’t for everyone, in fact a number of people left the theatre during scenes that are borderline tasteless. But Gaspar Noe clearly has something to say about life, and he makes his stand loud and clear.

If you are at all curious about this film, I highly encourage a screening before it leaves theaters. Cinema experience of the year, hands down—and that’s an understatement.

—

If not for the hit Lauren Weisberger novel with the same title, The Devil Wears Prada would be a pretty sick band name. And it is a sick band name, I just keep picturing Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway on keyboard and guitar. TDWP’s earlier releases on Rise and Ferret Records never really had me. I gave them each a few listens but the music just wouldn’t sit quite right.

But I’ve got to hand it to this band—because they have grown. With their most recent release, Zombie EP, they demonstrate a remarkably matured sound. Personally, I am relieved they dropped most of the keys/synth that littered past albums, and what keys are on this record blend better with the overall sound than before. But above that, stylistically and compositionally it is evident TDWP are growing and taking major steps forward as musicians.

Conceptually, Zombie EP is intriguing. I suppose you could call the release a concept record, with each track telling a separate part to a greater story. Without researching the lyrics word for word, it feels like a mildly political message; verses of concern for our well being; being outnumbered as a species; taking arms and finding safety.

Standout tracks for me: Escape, Anatomy, and Outnumbered. But honestly this little five-track EP has been on repeat since it’s release. It’s a good one!

The Devil Wears Prada – Zombie EP Promo from James Baney on Vimeo.

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Listen to The Devil Wears Prada on their MySpace.
Pick up Zombie EP here.

If not for the hit Lauren Weisberger novel with the same title, The Devil Wears Prada would be a pretty sick band name. And it is a sick band name, I just keep picturing Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway on keyboard and guitar. TDWP’s earlier releases on Rise and Ferret Records never really had me. I gave them each a few listens but the music just wouldn’t sit quite right.

But I’ve got to hand it to this band—because they have grown. With their most recent release, Zombie EP, they demonstrate a remarkably matured sound. Personally, I am relieved they dropped most of the keys/synth that littered past albums, and what keys are on this record blend better with the overall sound than before. But above that, stylistically and compositionally it is evident TDWP are growing and taking major steps forward as musicians.

Conceptually, Zombie EP is intriguing. I suppose you could call the release a concept record, with each track telling a separate part to a greater story. Without researching the lyrics word for word, it feels like a mildly political message; verses of concern for our well being; being outnumbered as a species; taking arms and finding safety.

Standout tracks for me: Escape, Anatomy, and Outnumbered. But honestly this little five-track EP has been on repeat since it’s release. It’s a good one!

The Devil Wears Prada – Zombie EP Promo from James Baney on Vimeo.

—
Listen to The Devil Wears Prada on their MySpace.
Pick up Zombie EP here.