Book: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

I'm constantly playing catch up, constantly seeking out books and movies and music I should've experienced before, and I've been thinking about why I interpret my situation this way. It's certainly not for my own personal enjoyment, although I do enjoy most of what I absorb. I think it's simply because I'll have one more artifact of culture to share with someone else. I yearn for someone to ask me what the last book I read was, so I can reply without hesitation, "the 200 page acid trip titled Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." And then I could describe a couple of my favorite scenes and they could describe a couple of theirs. Isn't that the only reason we do any of this?

But I can't remember the last time someone asked me what the last book I read was. So I'll use this place to say that I loved Fear and Loathing. It was a trip, a high speed chase, a hurricane of social commentary filtered through the consciousness of a drug addled paranoid schizo. The story and the dialog moved so quickly I was done with it in two days and now I'm left with images that will no doubt inhabit my subconscious for the rest of my short life. Thompson was a lunatic, a dangerous person, but that didn't stop him from understanding better than most people how insane existence in this country is. How the American Dream is a void when looking at it as a spectator. When in search of it, all you'll find is an obese ex-stripper sitting at a slot machine so drunk she can hardly keep herself upright. But if you choose to live it, the dream can be literally anything you want it to be, from a crazed dope fiend to an uptight family man. And it doesn't really matter which you choose to strive for because both identities will ultimately end the same way.

5/5

Book: The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists

I've been wanting to read this for a few years now, ever since my friend James brought it home our senior year of college and suffered through jokes and ridicule until he completed it. The pickup artist community has always fascinated me in a strange way. I more or less knew what it was about, a group of people who believe that human interaction can be reduced to a series of variables that if manipulated correctly can give an otherwise insecure person the ability to attract women. The fascination obviously came from my own insecurity, an insecurity I think a lot of people share in modern civilization.

We're born into a family, most often by a mother and a father, and we see that as the model of existence from a very young age. Our parents are our role models and if they were able to make a family then we should be able to as well. But, there are no lessons to be learned, no guidance, no strategies that parents can instill upon their children because their union is a result of their life experiences up until their meeting. Their being together doesn't give us any reassurance that we are also capable of beginning a family. They simply show that it's possible and beneficial, but we have our own journey, our own life experiences to learn from in order to get there and there's no guarantee that your better half will ever come along.

This point has been frightening for me ever since I became an atheist. At that moment you realize the only possible avenue of immortality is to pass your genes on to the next generation of man. If you fail to procreate then you die without a trace. Given, if you're a generous person, people will have benefited from your existence, but without children your physical traits will be lost forever.

So I picked up this book and another (Bang by Roosh V) to maybe learn something about human nature; to filter out the shallow bullshit that is inherent in the art of pickup and learn enough so that I might be more prepared to achieve my ultimate purpose.

This particular book isn't a how-to, it's a story about a group of people who founded the business of pickup, people who stream-lined the concept into a product and sold it to men who felt like they needed help meeting women. Neil Strauss, the writer and main character also known as Style did a great job. He taped so many conversations, described so many delicate moments and strategies that he developed and passed on to his students either willfully or not. The only thing I could criticize Strauss for would be his lack of objectivity. There were definitely passages that were unjustly colored, characters that were described in an unflattering light because of his feelings toward them. And although he admitted his own faults now and again, I think Strauss displayed an unattractive sense of elitism throughout which was detrimental to the effort as a whole, but at the same time, made the read more honest and human than if it were written by a more objective observer.

Did I learn anything that will help me with my journey? That question is complicated. As with any complex topic, research only leads to more questions, but there are several key points that the book made quite clear which I will list:

1) Independent of venue, the only way to meet a girl is to talk to her. Even the best pickup artists get rejected 95% of the time, but they meet more women because they talk to more of them.

2) The opener is the hardest part. If you get over the anxiety to begin a conversation then your chances of meeting someone special are going to increase. There are actually many wonderful openers described in this book and Bang that would be effective simply because they serve the purpose of initiating conversation. When no words come to mind there's nothing shameful in having a few openers memorized to get things going.

3) The actual conversation should be natural, you don't have to have entire stories memorized, but if you talk about aspects of your life that even you consider boring then you're going to bore your audience. There's no way around that. So talk about something you're passionate about and if she seems uninterested, walk away and try again with the next one.

4)  Include everyone. If you see a girl you're attracted to and she's with people, it's going to seem creepy to approach her and alienate her friends. Approaching a group is the ultimate skill of pickup because instead of singling one girl out and forcing her to make up her own mind about you, there is a group of people to reinforce the idea that you're a fun person. If her friends like you, she will have all the more reason to like you.

5) Don't feel the need to get hammered to loosen up at a bar or club. Alcohol helps, but your chances will be better if you control yourself and portray the image of someone who can have fun without it.

6) Don't be a prick. It was the intention of almost everyone in this book to sleep with the girl they approached, but if you're reading this and you know me then you'd know that I don't agree with that line of thinking. One night stands are an experience, but a relationship is a fulfilling experience. And as I stated, the ultimate goal is to start a family, so if you find yourself seeking validation by sleeping with women you don't know, take some time to reflect about your own insecurities and find a more sustainable solution.

Maybe obvious points to you, but they weren't obvious to me. And although I'll still have anxiety with the approach for some time, at least I have some stories, some tools, some knowledge of other people's experiences to help me. Let me know if you'd like to borrow either The Game or Bang and I will gladly accommodate.

4/5

Best of 2010

#1 - Deathspell Omega -  Paracletus

You were seeking strength, justice, splendour!
You were seeking love!
Here is the pit, here is your pit! Its name is SILENCE…

These are the final words spoken on Paracletus, the climax of a trilogy composed by a very enigmatic band. They've gotten a lot of attention this past year from the metal community in the form of unwavering devotion but also slanderous hate. People have used words like pretentious, overrated, unsatisfying while describing their work and though I may have lashed out in anger at these opinions at first, I've come to respect that Deathspell Omega just isn't a band that everyone is going to appreciate. What's important for the sake of this list is that I appreciate their work and in my mind Paracletus has raised the bar for what I'm going to expect from bands in the future.

The density of the composition, the unconventional techniques, the hypnotic atmosphere, lyrics that read like ancient text... every part of this album is intricately developed, polished and delivered with unbelievable precision. I didn't have this strong opinion after my first spin of course. It was all too much for me to absorb, but given time, each instrument revealed itself individually. I found myself focusing on the smallest details (like clever rhythms on the high hat) and isolating them to see where they would take me. And after I had explored each instrument, layers of synth work and subtle whispers and screams began to draw my attention. With each listen my initial curiosity and excitement matured into quiet admiration which gives me no choice but to give Paracletus my #1 position.

Best of 2010

#2 - Cephalic Carnage - Misled by Certainty

AHHHHhhhhhhhHHAHHAHHHhhhhhhhhhh, IT'S SOOOOOOOOOO HEEEAAAVVYYYYYYYYY, AAAAHHhhAHHHAHahhahah, I CAN'T STAND THE TENSSSIOOONNNNN. THESE PEOPLE ARE SADISTIIIICCCC. UUHHHHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA, I'MMMMmmm GOING TO HAVE AN ANEURYSMMMM!

Best of 2010

#3 - Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit

There was a lot of anticipation for this album. I followed the headlines as closely as I could, watching for the track list, the cover art and telling everyone I knew with excited enthusiasm that the new album was approaching quickly and that it was undoubtedly going to be in my top 10. I never had any doubt, which leaves me in an odd position. All I want to do is get people to listen to this so I'll try my best to do that here.

Have you ever gone on a hike into a forest without knowing where the trail would take you? Picture the entrance, the sign post weather-beaten and unclear but you proceed with a sense of adventure. It's winter out with a fresh snow covering the rocky ground like a blanket. You walk along the trail noticing the sound of running water, the icy wind blowing through trees making their branches sway and creak. Things seem so serene and peaceful you lose track of the distance walked and suddenly realize you haven't seen a trail marker in some time, maybe a mile, maybe two. The first attempt is made to regain your bearings, but the path is unclear, what you've been walking on has been your own path, one previously untraveled and this realization sends a shiver of panic through your body.

Confused and trying to deal with the feeling of being lost in a strange place you search for something familiar; the running water, the stream you heard at the entrance to the forest. Approaching the sound a clearing comes into view. Moving at a frantic pace toward the clearing hoping for a sign of civilization, a road, a farm, but what you approach is a lake frozen over and still. It's beautiful and for a moment the silence takes hold of you trudging up memories, regrets, the struggle of existence as you walk onto the ice looking up toward specks of white against the gray. Suddenly the ice gives way and you're reminded that your delicate existence is being questioned right now. You struggle for the edge, for your life which caught in a moment of reflection is soon to be snuffed out, but you manage to escape the icy grip of death.

It may not be possible to find a way out of the forest before nightfall, so you start considering other options. In this moment a faint line of smoke becomes clear against the gray horizon. It may not be a way out, but at least it's a warm place to ask for help, a glimmer of hope in an otherwise hopeless situation. You make your way to a small cabin, a hunting lodge for one. And inside through the window you see a figure but can't believe your own eyes. It is you, rocking in a chair swaddled in a red cotton throw next to a raging fire. Is this a dream or death? Have you drowned?

This is what Marrow of the Spirit feels like to me. Now go and find out what it feels like to you.

Best of 2010

#4 - Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

Enslaved has been around since the beginning, since black metal emerged from the cold dead heart of Norway, and they're one of the few bands from the original scene still making records. While spinning this album countless times over the course of 2010 I've been trying to figure out why they're still here; what makes them resilient when their brethren have fallen into distant memory. To display my theory I'll have to give a bit of background. Black Metal was started as a form of immature teenage rebellion, albeit more extreme than examples of American suburbia. These young gents lit up churches and killed people for spite, but it was still just teenage insecurity. Back then, the music was mostly the same, blasting insanity with horrible production and literally no effort to enter the mainstream. This initial group of musicians gained fans, gained popularity and became something definable, a musical movement; structure when the original intent was anarchy. I think this realization had a powerful effect on a lot of the musicians involved and caused two reactions: personal struggle, insanity and stagnation, in the case of Varg and Fenriz and an evolutionary leap of creativity in the case of Enslaved and Emperor. Unfortunately, Emperor split in 2001 with Ihsahn preferring to compose under other various monikers. Enslaved on the other hand released Monumension in 2001; the album that ended up disillusioning the Enslaved fan base but also paving the way for truly progressive black metal.  

So here we are in 2010 with a band that has been shaping black metal since it began, that has been releasing consistently astounding albums, one after another, for their entire 20 year career. What can I say about the new one? What can I say about Axioma Ethica Odini that hasn't already been said? Probably nothing, but I can tell you with absolute honesty that it is essential listening and that it is a welcome addition to an already unbelievable discography.

Best of 2010

#5 - Withered - Dualitas

My perception of this album has changed quite a bit since the first time I spun it. At first I was blown away by the heaviness. The production is absolutely filthy bringing the guitars and percussion somewhere underground, somewhere damp and devoid of light where monstrous crags shift and quake. The vocalist is trapped down there somewhere suffering and struggling desperately to climb toward the surface. And with that description I'll gladly give Dualitas the title, "Heaviest album of 2010." 

But when I started delving into the lyrical content and the artwork of the album, it shed it's initial brutality in favor of something more intelligent. In the liner notes under the lyrics for every song is an explanation of what each song is about. I've never seen anything like this before and although I generally believe good music to be interpretive and appreciate it when the same music can mean something different to different people, it's certainly refreshing to see exactly what these tracks represent according to the musicians who created them. Boiling the explanations down, this album is about being able to identify the shallow nature of popular culture and distancing oneself from it in order to grow as a spiritual individual. Needless to say I was not expecting this sort of content from the lyrics. I was expecting dark meaningless imagery mixed in with words that sound good when growled, which is what most death metal lyrics are comprised of. What I got was a message these musicians are obviously passionate about; a message that they want their fans to absorb and learn from.

This evolution from bludgeoning brutality to intellectual enlightenment is why Dualitas is worthy of your undivided attention and why it's here in my 2010 list.

Best of 2010

#6 - Kayo Dot - Coyote

Coyote was originally written as a long-form composition by Toby Driver and New York based writer/filmmaker Yuko Sueta who had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The composition was to be used as the sound track for a film, but when Sueta became unable to continue the work, Driver decided to adapt it as music for his band Kayo Dot. The motivation behind this work was Sueta's battle with the disease and with her own mortality. Yuko Sueta passed away while the album was in post-production on October 31st 2009. Here are some lyrics from the album which should convey the atmosphere, the honesty and why I picked it for my Best of 2010.

Help me, I'm disappearing
The doors are breathing
Floorboards are bowing
Remind me if I'm not saying anything
There's just so much I can't see
I feel misplaced

Like a moth trapped in the window blinds
After wings came apart into pieces

Who knows who I am anymore?

One day I entered the room of my mind
Shut the thick door behind my bed
Although there was no life

I felt safe here

I decided to draw some pictures in the air
When the darkness drove it up - all my imaginations
They were creeping and you told me

I want to live forever

Best of 2010

#7 - Her Name is Calla - The Quiet Lamb

What a wonderful little album... I feel the same way about post-rock as I do about post-metal as described in my last entry. Post-anything should come from simple beginnings and take you somewhere new and exciting. This album is another stunning example of how creative musicians can be if they forget about genres, acceptable techniques, templates and formulas and write directly from the heart. Her Name is Calla go so far, it's hard to even call this rock. It's got equal amounts of ambient, neo-classical and a dollop of free jazz mixed together to make a beautifully delicate composition.

Delicate is the key word here. There are many moments of near silence with a single instrument sounding quiet notes or a light drum beat establishing a loose rhythm, but the music never loses your attention. I love it when a band can do that. Moments of quiet simple melodies create so much space within a composition. When my ears can barely make out the subtle nuances, my brain makes up for it by picturing the sound off in the distance with obstacles in the way; blowing wind, falling leaves, a snowfall that has the audacity to feel warm. And in between these moments are the conflicts presented by a soaring, passionate lead vocal accompanied by guitars, horns, strings and a trove of percussion instruments. The artists involved showed not only that they can tastefully incorporate a wide selection of instruments, but also a mastery in execution. Be patient with this one and you'll undoubtedly be rewarded.

Best of 2010

#8 - Questioner - Self-Titled

On to the metal. I mentioned these guys before saying they were the light at the end of the tunnel; a tunnel built by my disappointment with 2010 from a musical as well a more personal perspective. In retrospect that opinion held true. Although the year didn't take the dramatic turn I begged for, it did begin to show promise after I discovered this release. And the discovery of this album made me more aware of BandCamp which I personally think is the future of music marketing and distribution.

Anyway, this album is a good example of what I look for in metal these days, which is music that is difficult to define and manages to tell a story in an original way. After hearing that, someone might just say, "Oh, post-metal, what's the big deal?" but they would be missing the point. Although Questioner could be described as post-metal, they bring their own personality, their own influences to the table. I make the distinction because in the ocean of post-metal, bands will take influence from other post-metal bands and mimic them instead of attempting to find their own identity. It is only the post-metal elite who expand upon the idea of metal; they take basic ideas and techniques and draw them out, driving them somewhere new and original. 

I actually wrote a little description of the sound of this album in a previous post, so out of laziness I'll quote it here:
"Questioner flows organically, but not in the sense that it's warm or comforting, in the sense that it's raw, unassuming, maybe a little rough around the edges. In a world where crystal clear production reigns, Questioner is deliberately muddy, but not to any detriment. The slightly mid-range heavy mix gives every nuance a sort of subtlety, a hint of modesty. The percussion is aggressive and seems to be the leading instrument with the guitar following close behind with a touch of reverb. The second spin is revealing minor tonality, but the resolutions are a little confusing. There's a lot hope in this which means they're taunting the listener with a few temporary resolves into the relative major. This approach gives Questioner a really nice emotional balance having sorrowful intervals resolved by big complex rhythm sections. I hear a bit of death metal, a bit of blasting black coming together in a nice posty blend of metal goodness."

Best of 2010

#9 - Crippled Black Pheonix - I, Vigilante

I was born in 1985, so in the grand scheme of things I've seen very little of music history with my own eyes. I've thought of what it would be like to live in the 70's and see how culture responded to Pink Floyd and King Crimson and of course Led Zeppelin, but all I can do is listen to their music, listen to the music they influenced, and speculate. These artists represent something special in my mind, they represent music that was intelligent, emotionally charged, yet accessible enough to appeal to anyone. Very few bands can claim to embody those qualities these days but a few are trying as hard as they possibly can, which leads me to my #9 spot, I, Vigilante by Crippled Black Pheonix.

Previous efforts by CBP have left me unsatisfied, as if they were still trying to figure out who they were or who they wanted to be, but I knew it was just a matter of time before they figured it out. I, Vigilante represents a turning point for the band; the time when they figured out how to let their obvious talent for writing catchy hooks unfold into a few of the most ambitious compositions I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. There are only five tracks on this album plus one hidden track so we're talking length here; length, without an ounce of filler. Each track has such a strong identity I can easily picture them being released as a series of 5 EP's but when combined these songs make for an emotional journey. I, Vigilante reminds us that you can write beautifully intelligent music and still maintain humility, modesty, and patience, that invariably appeals to the human spirit and ultimately reveals itself as timeless in the grand scheme.

Best of 2010

#10 - Island - Self-Titled

Every list needs to be grounded, it needs to begin with a setting, a symbolic grassy pasture in which one can sit down and expand his ideas, build something, go somewhere. Island is the pasture in which I did a lot of thinking this year so it would be an appropriate place to begin. Hailing from Germany, Island is a group of musicians who by themselves embody a small but substantial movement of music. You may or may not be aware of Valborg or Woburn House or Klabautamann but they are all related to the same founding artists, the same creative fountain. Island in particular swells with ideas and influences I can't pin down; rhythmic discoveries, melodic resolution that shouldn't make sense but consistently does.

This record is certainly not a blasting slab of metal, rather a wanderer. The guitars are mostly clean sometimes accompanied by subtle horns, yet the composition has a density that makes it feel complete; as if each idea was developed patiently and brought to its inevitable end. The verses are hinged together with a warm, mostly clean production that has a very smooth organic feel burying the listener in atmosphere and guiding them with welcome narration unique enough to stand out in my memory for some years to come.

Best of 2010

As the years pass it's important for us to remember personal events, accomplishments, experiences so that we may grow as individuals, educate others, and ultimately reflect upon them in order to evaluate our lives and find some comfort in our eventual departure. I have many memories of my past but few that I could identify with a year. 2010 presented an exception. 2010 was the year we lost Peter Steele and Ronnie James Dio, and I don't think I'll ever forget that. The music of these two men greatly influenced my growth as a metalhead and their deaths set the tone for what music I searched for over the past year. Even though much of this influence was subconscious I recognize that 2010 was a year of loss and the music I spent the most time with, the music that I found most attractive, was music that sympathized with me, that comforted me, and ultimately helped me understand that it's important to move on and welcome new bands and musicians with the passing of the old. So this is my list, a selection of 10 albums from 2010 that helped me through a tough year.

Book: Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton

 I bought this book a while ago as another source of lyric ideas without the intention of ever reading the whole thing, so this isn't a review. I just wanted to share a poem within that serves as an introduction:

'Tis my sole plague to be alone,
I am a beast, a monster grown,
I will no light nor company,
I find it now my misery.
The scene is turn'd, my joys are gone;
Fear, discontent, and sorrows come.
  All my griefs to this are jolly,
  Naught so fierce as Melancholy.
I'll not change life with any King,
I ravisht am: can the world bring
More joy than still to laugh and smile,
In pleasant toys time to beguile?
Do not, O do not, trouble me,
So sweet content I feel and see.
  All my joys to this are folly,
  None so divine as Melancholy.
I'll change my state with any wretch,
Thou canst from gaol or dunghill fetch.
My pain's past cure, another Hell,
I may not in this torment dwell,
Now desperate I hate my life,
Lend me a halter or a knife.
  All my griefs to this are jolly.
  Naught so damn'd as Melancholy.

Show: Enslaved and Dimmu Borgir

I almost missed this but thanks to an unlikely coincidence I was reminded to get my ass up to Norther Lights in Clifton Park. The venue was smaller than I was expecting. In the center of the room was a large rectangular bar surrounded by maybe 20 feet of standing floor on each side with the stage in the front. And, get this, the bar served Dogfishhead 60 minute IPA for $6 a solo cup which paired nicely with progressive black metal.

The opening band, Dawn of Ashes was interesting. They played a sort of fun blackened GWARish metal complete with costumes and breakdowns aplenty. They were definitely fun live, but I'm afraid I can't with good conscious recommend them. Here's their myspace in case curiosity strikes:
http://www.myspace.com/dawnofashes

The second opener is considerably more well known, Blood Red Throne. Even though these gents weren't clad in hellish costumes they embodied brutality and evil much more accurately. This band is all about harsh blasting, slightly blackened, death metal. Most of what they did tended to blur together in constant bludgeoning speed, but there were a few memorable solos to be enjoyed, so I was content:
http://www.myspace.com/bloodredthrone666

Enslaved was up next and I was indeed giddy. There's something about seeing a band in person for the first time after watching countless interviews and the infrequent music video, something that makes my time spent admiring music seem worth it. As far as their performance it was exactly what I was expecting, expertly choreographed, expertly executed with a stage presence that was honestly menacing. Grutle Kjellson was especially impressive as the frontman. His vocals although obviously not leveled any higher than normal fought with the already overwhelming guitar tone, which in this sort of music is rare and I can only image how much damage he's dishing out to his poor vocal chords. I certainly appreciate his sacrifice in any event. Here's a taste, but I highly recommend all their albums especially their most recent Axioma Ethica Odini:
http://www.myspace.com/enslaved

Dimmu Borgir has been taking a lot of flack lately, and I can see why. Their focus has shifted over the past few albums toward an orchestral-centric sound, which means they're moving away from guitar-centric much to the fans' chagrin. Live however, a band has an obligation to play the old with the new and it was the old that captured my attention, especially a couple tracks off of Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia; one of the guiding albums in my metal education. And even though the rest of the material wasn't nearly as memorable, it was still solid fucking metal and the band was tight. There was a lot of focus on the light show and the lead even needed a break for a costume change, which I thought was rather silly, but overall a good end to a good night. Here's some Dimmu:
http://www.myspace.com/dimmuborgir

Movie: Night of the Living Dead

Traversing the strange realm of the zombie flick, I was led here by very reliable sources of guidance. I had not known until now that this was the film that defined the genre and after sitting through Dawn of the Dead, I was skeptical. However, as anyone should know the skeptic in me is often wrong and after the final scene of this cult classic I was skeptical no longer.

I first started watching the 30th anniversary version with over dubbed audio, but as soon as I was told that the original was available on IMDB I switched over. There's something wrong about a film from the late 60's having perfectly produced synth work as the soundtrack. The original soundtrack is much more haunting, but anyway.

The aspect of this movie that stood out for me was the script which is full of the most memorable quotes of any horror film I've ever seen. In fact a few of them I had heard before at the beginnings of Death Metal and Grind songs, as those musicians are apt to use such things in their compositions.

Here's a few:

Johnny: They're coming to get you, Barbara, there's one of them now!

Newscaster: It has been established that persons who have recently died have been returning to life and committing acts of murder. A widespread investigation of funeral homes, morgues, and hospitals has concluded that the unburied dead have been returning to life and seeking human victims. It's hard for us here to be reporting this to you, but it does seem to be a fact.

Ben: Don't you know what's goin' on out there? This is no Sunday School picnic!

Johnny: Hey, come on, Barb. Church was this morning.
[pause as lightning is seen]
Johnny: I mean, prayin's for church.
Barbara: I haven't seen you in church lately.
Johnny: Well, there's not much sense in my going to church.

Dr. Grimes: In the cold room at the University, we had a cadaver, a cadaver from which all limbs had been amputated. Some time early this morning, it opened its eyes and began to move its trunk. It was dead, but it opened its eyes and tried to move!

Newscaster: All persons who die during this crisis from whatever cause will come back to life to seek human victims, unless their bodies are first disposed of by cremation.

Field Reporter: Chief, do you think that we will be able to defeat these things?
Sheriff McClelland: Well, we killed nineteen of them today right in this area. The last three, we caught them trying to claw they're way into an abandoned shed. They must of thought someone was in there, but there wasn't though. We heard them making all kind of noises so we came over, beat 'em off and blasted them down.

Sheriff McClelland: Good shot! OK, he's dead; let's go get 'im. That's another one for the fire.

Another quality worth some explanation is the perspective the modern era has toward this film. There are obvious scenes of racism and sexism throughout. I think the most shocking for me was when Ben slapped Barbara across the face because she was freaking out. I understand that in movies back then when a woman broke out into "hysterics" a man would hit her. This doesn't happen very often in modern cinema and I'm thankful for that, and I'm not about to say anything condoning such a response, I'd just like to say that I appreciate the shock value of such a scene.

One more interesting aspect having to do with how dated this film is was the use of radio as the source of updates on the zombie outbreak. Just hearing the words spoken by a fearful newscaster describing what was happening was so much more powerful than if it had been a tv station reporting on pictures of what they saw. Little devices like that make the imagination run wild and I wish modern horror at least attempted to take advantage of them more often.

Anyway, I now understand why this film provoked a movement and I'm glad I finally experienced it.

5/5

Book: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Wandering the rows of fiction in B&N, buzzed on caffeine, keeping an eye out for girls hovering around the Murakami section, this jumped out at me. I should say the newer addition with the movie tie-in jumped out at me, but fuck that. I reached down, pulled out the original and fanned through it for a minute wondering if watching the movie first ruined any future enjoyment I might have. As with most trips to B&N this trip was motivated by impulse so I carried it to the checkout and drove home on a new avenue of self-inflicted depression.

I'm not sure if the general public knows about this story. If I recall correctly, the movie did rather well, but I can imagine the subject matter having somewhat of a polarizing effect on hopeful audiences. Just in case the story isn't known I'll describe enough to convey the mood.

The Road is about a father and his son, both unnamed, traveling toward the ocean. The world around them is burned, decaying and cold. Everyone they knew is dead, and many of the remaining survivors have resorted to cannibalism in order to stay alive.
The story documents their journey as they attempt to live as good men, finding food where they can, finding warmth and avoiding survivors who no longer have the capacity for mercy.

Given I'm not a novelist, nor do I ever plan to be, so I'll leave the technical commentary to those better educated. What I can comment on is how it made me feel.
And, quite simply this novel made me feel awful. Empathy was pouring out of deep wounds cut with paranoia, loneliness and desolation. And if you know anything about me, you'd know that I quite enjoyed it.

There were so many heart-wrenching scenes. I've heard criticisms of repetition, but they're unfounded. Each scene of loss builds on the last, each step they took was toward a conflict of whether or not to live. And the father, a man of great strength always chose to keep going, and tried to instill the importance of the fight, the fire of survival, in his terrified son.

A few scenes are going to stick with me for a while and I'll describe two for my own future benefit, but please stop here and go buy the book if this sort of thing interests you. The man and his son happened upon a farm house, seemingly vacant and a possible source of forgotten nourishment. Within the house the man finds a cellar and descends with his son eager to find food, but what they find are people, stripped, emaciated and unclean, chained to walls and steel mattresses begging for help, gasping in terror. And they had to leave them there, food for cannibals, helpless. Truly horrifying.

The other scene worth mentioning is one that hit me on a personal level. When I was in grade school, my father came down with an illness that brought him near his own demise. There was a day before he was admitted into the hospital when he asked for me to listen to him. He simply wanted to tell me that he loved me. This jarred me as a teenager, I was filled with sadness and hate and... it was hard. So toward the end of the story when the father is speaking his last words to his son, trying to convince him to keep the fire alive, to keep going without him, I was there with him. It was a profound moment for me, so I owe you some gratitude Mr. McCarthy. That's the sort of emotion I live for because pain reminds us how fragile and beautiful life is.

Anyway, buy the book, enjoy it, if you can; if you can handle being dragged through mud and ash and fire and loss.

5/5

Movie: Fallen

I've said before that the only benefit of centuries of religion is artistic influence. What I never personally understood was why there aren't more great films about satan and his demon hordes. There are countless ancient stories to lift and adapt, yet movies about the devil are perpetually campy and shallow.

There are exceptions however, like Fallen. It would be harsh to call this one campy, but it rides the line; I'd be more apt to call it modest. The story follows a detective who is introduced as the valiant hero in a serial murderer's capture. The killer is executed, but unfortunately for Detective Hobbs, the killing doesn't stop.

Before long Hobbs discovers that what he's been chasing can't be described in terms of the physical world and his valiant nature transcends his title as detective into a new role as a crusader.

This isn't a perfect movie; there are weak bits. Hobbs' brother played a pivotal role but was portrayed awkwardly. We never find out much about him other than he's a father and slightly mentally handicapped. A little more character development with him and the emotion Hobbs felt toward him would've been more believable. And this is definitely subjective, but a little more time with Embeth Davidtz's character would've been appreciated. I've always had a thing for her, one of the rare modern examples of glamour. Her and Saffron Burrows... But she's not in this movie so I'll get back to the point.

Overall Denzel did a great job bringing life to the script and there are a few very memorable scenes, especially the final battle between Hobbs and a demon. Highly recommended for a unique portrayal of evil of a biblical nature.

4/5

Movie: The Shining

The Shining is a staple for any decent Halloween movie marathon and a film that I've loved for a long long time. Every scene is literally dripping with horror, from subtle beginnings of a child's delusion and his innocent, understanding mother to bold foreshadowing of the hallway flood of crashing waves of blood, going so far as revealing the climax of the film in one of the first scenes; the plot is so rich and complex, so multi-dimensional and cyclic. Given the story is from Stephen King, so yes, it's wonderfully developed, but it's Kubrick's atmosphere and such a wonderful casting job that brings this movie to the top of the horror genre.

A mandatory film for foggy halloween nights.

5/5

Movie: Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Second movie of my horror marathon, and a supposed classic that I've never seen before. What can I say about this one... Hmmm. This might be an example of a movie that should be respected for getting the ball rolling, but not one that will stand in my mind as a great horror film. I can sum up my sentiment with this: It was just too goofy. The characters, especially the Captain America soldier guy, were goofy. The conflicts (driving freight trucks in front of the entrances?) were goofy. The music was painfully goofy.

The gore was good, I thought they did really well with what they had at the time and I certainly cringed during a few chomping scenes, but damn were the zombies themselves really goofy. They just painted green makeup on them and had them stumble around... I know, I know, this was before the whole 28 days later running zombies revelation, but man...

You could dive into the interpretive side and say "Well, the stupid slow zombies are a jab at middle-class america." And I'm sure there are many similar satirical elements going on here. It's fairly clear that the fact that the zombies gravitated toward the mall was a pretty big statement about how mindless most of the people are who shop there, but I think any comments of genius or visionary should be left to... well... not George Romero.

The one part that struck me as really interesting, but much too short-lived was right after they conquered the mall as a zombie-free zone and realized there was nothing really to do. So they wandered around and watched tv and tried on fur coats etc... Triumph against the zombies is kind of a bum deal when you realize you can never just resume your previous life.

Overall Meh... too Goofy.

2/5

Movie: [REC]

So I've setup a little horror movie marathon for myself to combat the long stretches of time in between reading and pacing. First on the list was [REC]. If I recall correctly it was some IMDB list that led toward this. I had known little about it other than it was the original film that inspired an american rehash called Quarantine, which I'm pretty sure bombed, but the existence of an american rehash generally means the original is worth seeing. So here we go...

The movie begins with a cute spunky girl, the host of a TV show titled "While you're asleep," or something like that, on her way to a fire department to report on the nightly activities of fire fighters. She begins by interviewing a few of them asking what their job entails other than putting out fires and as the night progresses she grows impatient wanting a spectacle of sorts to report on to make the show an especially good one.

At this point it's fairly obvious the writer/director has a good sense of anticipation which is a relief because this is one of the make or break qualities of any horror film. The people involved really have to show restraint and hold off on the shock until that sliver of time right before boredom and then lay it on thick.

The call finally comes for the firefighters to pack up and deploy to an apartment complex where a woman is reported as being trapped in her room. As the story develops relationships are formed rather quickly between the reporter and the firemen. When they arrive on scene more characters enter the mix, the tenants of the building gathered in the lobby, waiting impatiently. They explain that not only is the woman alone in her apartment but that she'd been screaming wildly and uncontrollably.

I'll stop there with the description of the story because any good horror film should be experienced without any prior knowledge of the surprise. I can say however that tension escalates very quickly after the introduction of the conflict.

A quality that stands out for me is the strength of the characters. This film is a short one and we only know a few of the characters for a short time, but they were colorful enough to be memorable; and not overstated beyond an honest reflection of how a person would act in such a situation of chaos.

As far as how scary it was, there was one scene that really got me. There were many moments of sudden shock and the film should be commended for that, but the one scene that stood out for me I'm almost embarrassed to say. I'll describe it without much detail: The cameraman is peeking into an attic panning around slowly in a circle. You know something is going to happen, I mean, it's a dark attic, something's going to pop out and I was just waiting patiently. But, man, when it happened I went cold and stiff all over. I think I may have yelped a little in horror. It was a good moment for me.

Anyway, if you like horror movies and aren't thrown by subtitles, this is definitely worth the ride.

5/5