Category Archives: DVD
Review: The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter
To a certain-“that’s an interesting story”-extent, I have always been intrigued by serial killers. Not in a creepy-avid-fandom sense, but rather from the perspective of psychological curiosity. I have always felt the need to somehow understand society’s monsters; to find some rationality in their chaos of thought and action. From a reflective standpoint, one might assume that I somehow seek to understand the irrational and illogical in an attempt to feel at ease. Maybe by deciphering the enigma of the modern maniac, I can in some way seek ‘the pattern’…’the purpose’. Which I suppose is true. In my mind, I just feel that everything can be boiled down to a core – a central spark of principle. By seeking to dismantle the carnage and context, I feel that I can, in some way, ‘get’ these people. And in turn I feel safer; I feel that I can protect myself and my family from the crippling irrationality of fear and confusion. Or maybe I’m just like everyone else, and carry a warped fascination with gore. Regardless of this, I recently stumbled upon a documentary which I feel maintains a similar purpose as my own; to deconstruct the mind of evil.
Him & Her: Season 1
In my slightly sheltered world there has been very little buzz about ‘Him & Her’. This is surprising because the second season recently began in the UK on BBC Three. Let me be upfront: I think this is great and it is definitely worth re-visiting the first (short) season to catch up. Him & Her is a sedentary sit-com revolving around the mundane lives of two London twenty-somethings. Read the rest of this entry
That Whole Skywalker Thing
Okay, if you live under a rock and have never seen (or heard of) The Empire Strikes Back, this post could contain spoilers. (Also, Rosebud is the name of the guy’s sled.) What’s more, if you are a die-hard Star Wars fan and a George Lucas apologist, you may find the post below disturbing. For the rest of you, let’s talk about the Skywalker thing.
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What DVDs did you get for Christmas?
Normally I buy my kids whatever the new blockbusters are on DVD. But IMO, there weren’t many good movies this year, so I got my kids (who are all teenagers) mostly cult classics. I think it’s safe for you to assume that my kids would appreciate them more, anyway.
My 15 year old son asked for and received:
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DVD Review: Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
Well, the series makes a whole lot more sense now.
And a whole lot less sense. (Spoilers below).
Big Man Japan
Since we’re talking movies, let me tell you about the best movie I’ve seen in awhile: Big Man Japan!
At first glance, it looks like a Godzilla movie with a giant human instead of Godzilla fighting the monsters.
It pretty much is. But it’s a lot more than that, too.
It’s awesome. Read the rest of this entry
Susan Boyle: hairy angel or savvy media manipulator?
Now that everyone with an internet connection has seen her performance on Britain’s Got Talent at least once, and Susan Boyle has begun her stateside media tour, there’s an emerging meme that maybe she’s not all that she seemed. Reports are flooding in: she lied about never being kissed! She was caught wearing a leather jacket! She’s started trimming her eyebrows!
The subtext—and, in some cases, the text—of these reports is that there may be a backlash coming if her fans feel they’ve been snookered. I’d like to go on the record now that if it turns out Susan Boyle knew what she was doing all along, my admiration for her will increase exponentially: she goes from being a dowdy-looking English Scottish** villager with a good singing voice to a dowdy-looking English Scottish villager with a good singing voice and an amazing ability to exploit pop-culture media expectations. The latter is much more interesting and, yes, even admirable.
Go back and watch that clip again and see Simon Cowell’s reaction. If you look into his cold, dark eyes, you can see him figuring it out. There are very few people more media savvy than Simon, and he knows something’s up. That doesn’t stop him, of course, from giving Boyle a standing ovation—maybe that’s why he gave her one.
**Edited to account for my typical American ignorance of British sensitivities.
Ladyhawk Los Angeles 05-29-08
There’s some music that makes me want to gather it up in my arms and squeeze it so tight that it sinks into my body. I want to absorb into my bones, so I can carry the feeling it gives me around with me forever. Ladyhawk’s music is like that.
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Apple TV: So I Finally Did It
Well. I finally did it. After my kids manage to lose yet an other DVD and I looked at what replacing a Disney DVD cost I realized it was time to get the AppleTV. The way I figure it I need only justify the cost of 12 DVDs and I’ve paid for the AppleTV. Plus I get the convenience of having all the movies handy without having DVDs in a place where prying little hands can scratch them or worse put them in the trash.
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