For my birthday, which was this last Monday, my friend Jessy gave me a bag full of Ray Brabury paperbacks. I love Ray Bradbury, so this was a lovely gift. I also found myself really loving the cover art for the books...
There's just something so unique and creative about vintage cover art. I wonder if it may have something to do with how, before the digital age of entertainment, books had a very prominent role in our popular culture. That isn't to say that they don't now, but it can be denied that, outside of phenomenon like Harry Potter and that godawful Twilight craze, interest isn't at the levels that it probably was back then.
Anyway, here are a couple of my favorites from recent searches:
I can't remember whether it was 2046 or In The Mood For Love that I saw first. I do know that, whatever the order, I came away with a sincere love and appreciation for director Wong Kar-Wai's style and stories. It's nearly impossible to not find yourself caught up in the emotion that seems to fill every frame of his films. It's not really less-is-more when it comes to his visual style, but more of an all-the-right-ingredients feeling. They are films about love that don't beat you over the head with their themes or with heavy-handed narrative that is more often than not employed in American rom-coms. Well, there was My Blueberry Nights, but we'll just say that something was severely lost in the translation there...
Out of all of his films that I have seen, In The Mood For Love has always been my favorite. Every time I watch it, I am hard pressed to single out any aspect of the film that doesn't work for me. Christopher Doyle's cinematography is beautiful with it's subtle flourishes of color, while the simultaneously vulnerable and intense nuances of both Maggie Chueng and Tony Leung Chiu Wai's performances keep you captivated and invested until the end.
Whether or not I was in the mood for love before watching it, there's no question as to where I stand when the credits begin to roll.
Jan Lenica (1928-2001) was primarily a Polish poster designer who wrote numerous books and essays on poster art. During the 50's, through a creative relationship with director Walerian Borowczyk, he also dabbled in the world of of experimental cinema, primarily stop animation. The result of that would become a large influence on the works of Jan Švankmajer and Terry Gilliam.
A brilliant, misanthropic narrative from one of the greatest minds of american cinema, or nothing more than the derivative product inspired by the work of Frederico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman? I have seen 8 1/2 as well as my fair share of Bergman films, and while I can definitely see how comparisons can be drawn, I have more faith in Woody Allen than that. I don't doubt the influence, but I do doubt the notion that he didn't know what he was doing when he made Stardust Memories. It is right up there with Shadows and Fog in terms of my favorite Allen films.
lest all memory fade like neglected tapestries the heart consumes resilience like an evergreen and rises forthwith against the rising tide
casting lots meant to capture unforseen outcomes the water running forward with belligerent indifference with intent to whitewash your best perceptions
silence your loquacious concern in favor of survival clarity stretch your neck as though the trunk of the oldest conifer breath deep while washed over by the force of the unexpected
I remember renting some VHS tapes of this show from the Video Choice down the street from where I used to live, as well as from the library from time to time. I don't think that either place had the beginning of the series, so I ended up having to piece together what the hell was going from what I saw. Essentially, its reptilian aliens infiltrating the human race for their own nefarious purposes.
It's too bad humankind has such a substantial inferiority complex so as to instill such distrust and suspicion into our minds regarding any potential galactic neighbors. We're definitely going to have some awkward first impression moments to work through.
So it seems that ABC has decided to remake the series. Remembering back on the time I spent with the original, I can see how certain themes may be considered relevant to our present socio-political environment. I can't help but feel, however, that fueling the distrust level of the American people, if even through metaphorical sci-fi narratives, isn't within our best interest.
I don't know. This concept seems very beaten horse to me at this point. I will definitely end up giving it a shot when it premiers. Hopefully it will surprise me. I almost want it to.
And, I mean, c'mon:
I'll watch pretty much anything Morena Baccarin is in.
also:
Hello Elizabeth Mitchell. So I am assuming from the substantial role that she plays in this show that Juliet is as good as really dead on "Lost". Iiiinteresing...
