Bits and Pieces of My Mind

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams

Movie: Brief Encounters (1945)
Genre: Unfulfilled Romance, Violent Drama

Before I begin talking about this movie, I would like to express my utter pleasure in listening to Celia Johnson’s voice for almost an hour and a half as she passionately describes the unexpected feelings that came over her during a mundane train trip. She has such a soft and calm tone, playful at times, desperate at others that really won me over and made me feel like her closest friend to whom she was confessing her new found and lost love. Concluding with her words: ” I wish I could trust you. I wish you were a wise, kind friend, instead of a gossiping acquaintance I’ve known casually for years and never particularly cared for. I wish, I wish…” I will try to fulfill her wish and play the part of the kind friend and tell you her story.

Moving to the Wild Wild West

John Wayne walks into a bar (half way house) and finds everyone dead, the piano playing by itself, and somebody watching him mysteriously through the cut eyes of a painting of an old man. No, this is not the beginning of a cowboy joke, it is from a movie: Randy Rides Alone.

I’ve just finished watching my first two movies with The Duke they are not on the A-list, but they are very good as an introduction to the type of westerns done in those days (30s) and a good start for me on my journey towards becoming accustomed to his work. During this short break between semesters I plan to watch as many of his movies as I can (until i get bored, go blind or become a social outcast) and, in the end, make a comparison between him and my favorite cowboy so far, Clint Eastwood. So, wish me luck…

Killing goats is not as funny as it used to be

Movie: The Men Who Stare At Goats
Genre: Dark Comedy, War Parody, Animal Violence

Who would ever want to hurt a goat? Well, according to this movie, the American army has no problem with testing nuclear weapons on the poor defenseless creatures, or, even worse, the psychic powers of specially trained soldiers of the future. Now, how much LSD do you have to have consumed to come up with the idea to kill a goat with your mind? Apparently not much, just a mild hint, and thus a movie was born.

I truly believe that this movie was bound to happen sooner (rather than later, but, oh well, maybe the producers were waiting for the right war to start preaching the unconditional surrender of the American army to new types of flower power attack). I’ve been hearing and reading about army experiments related to mind control, brainwashing, subliminal messages and so on and so forth, and I have to admit they do make up a nice controversial story, the kind just right for a Hollywood movie (unfortunately Men Who Stare at Goats was produced by BBC Films, but I guess Hollywood can make the sequel). Some big names have gotten themselves involved implicated this movie, like George Clooney, Ewan Mcgregor, Kevin Spacey (he always manages to freak me out since I’ve seen him in American Beauty), Jeff Bridges, and Robert Patrick.

Let’s talk plot, or, more appropriately for this movie, the losing of the plot in the middle of the desert. Ewan McGregor plays a failed reporter who just got dumped by his wife for an one-armed man, reason why he decides to go to Iraq to prove his manliness. While trying to get into Iraq he meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) who plays an ex-army member from the flower power division named New Earth Army, a unit that used psychic powers to distract and control the enemy (although the examples shown in the movie are about finding objects, killing goats by staring at them, mentally telling the enemy what to do, etc). And thus begins an epic journey to nowhere through the desert, full of kidnappings, mambo-jumbo stories from the past and confusing dialogue (confusing for me because I know it is intended to be funny, but it did not manage to tickle my funny bone). I will skip to the end and tell you that the goats are released into the wild to be staring-free and George and Jeff (the New Earth Army most esteemed members) die in a helicopter crash (or so the Army says, we can believe what we want). The movie closes with Ewan going through a wall at his office after his story of the accounts has been rejected  and made fun of by media.

Conclusions: they definitely were trying to get some message across, but I somehow feel that all I got was sand in my eyes and pity for goats (not to mention the armies that are willing to do almost anything to get an advantage over their opponents - the only part of the movie that really struck a chord with me was that about the reason to do psychic research [the Russians heard a rumor the American were doing it so they started it too, thus leaving the Americans with no other option than to really start doing it too]).

5 Reasons to Watch the 52th Grammy Awards

This year I’ve decided to try and watch the ceremony for the Grammy Awards and I must admit that when it comes to show stopping numbers, Americans know what they are doing. Some of the parts were really boring, as in for die-hard industry specialists and their families, not for the laymen public, but other parts were really interesting, so my advice is to download the show and just skip the annoying bits and enjoy just the tasty ones. And here comes my list of favorite moments (in a slight chronological order):

1. Lady Gaga singing with Elton John

I’ve kinda missed this type of humor

New TV Series: Kids in the Hall - Death Comes to Town
Genre: Comedy

I have seen any of their previous work so I am going to base this review only on the current three episodes available for download on eztv. The plot is fairly simple: after failing to get the Shuckton town accepted as the host of the 2028 Olympics, the mayor gets his head smashed and stuck in the mailbox by a mysterious character dressed in black in the presence of Death (half-naked, riding a kids bicycle, one toothed-man). I’ve read that a series of murders is going to unfold while the police tries to find the killer (and always blaming the one 16th part Indian dude that steals hand cleaner gel).

What I like about this TV show is that the five guys that form the group play multiple characters, dress in drag or fat suits (that reminds me a little of Mrs. Doubtfire) and tell politically incorrect jokes, grouse humor at times, but somehow manage to remind me of the atmosphere in my home town where everyone is a little bit loony. I especially loved the part from the first episode when the mayor walks in a dinner and everyone is letting me have his way, whether is stealing someones food or wife, they all seem happy just to be noticed.

Although it is funny at times,it does fail to intrigue and seems to lack any character depth (it is a comedy series, so I wasn’t excepting much of that in the first place), and in the end what really keeps my coming back to this is the sometimes amazingly witty dialogue like the one between Heather Weather and Corrinda Gablechuck about morning sickness.

Here is the trailer:

Who needs clothes when we’ve got blood?

New TV series: Spartacus - Blood and Sand
Genre: Action, Drama

The story on which Spartacus: Blood and Sand is based, I believe, is of no news for anyone, so the creators are surely not trying to impress us with a brilliant script and interesting plot twists (my comments are based on just the first two shows, so there is still a chance that things will get a bit more interesting as the story unfolds.) Until now, the man in search for his loved one, willing to do anything (in this case, kill them all) to get to her, is not much of a innovation, not even in terms of internal turmoil the actor (Andy Withfield) manages to express on camera (he does the angry, mad part much better than the sad, sobbing one).

I can’t help myself, I have to discuss the sex scenes, not because I suffer from an obsession or anything, but just because the show is mostly performed by naked people prancing around giving inspiring speeches or doing something that might fall in the category of soft porn. I don’t mind the nudity and the sexual lessons (Roman style), they remind me a little bit of The Tudors and TrueBloods, but sometimes I feel that the producers are putting their hopes in this kind of entertainment to boost the series’ popularity and they kinda forget that there are still some of us that listen to the dialogue and follow the storyline.

And then I have to talk about the fights, in slow motion, blood everywhere (this is a very good show for the people that like red), excellent movements (at least one scene left me not far from puking my brains out - the part with the neck cutting), overlapping images, beautiful scenery, what can i say more? I am impressed.

This series has an excess of blood gushing from every possible vein in the human body and a shortage of clothes. I guess that the wonderful special effects that make the battles seem so realistically disturbing left no budget for dressing the actors up with something other than some tiny underwear. Even in winter time, when it seems to be freezing and the snow is knee-deep, Thracians are still running around naked, fighting everything they meet in their way. At least the Romans have togas, which do a much better job of hiding their pectorals

I believe that the old saying should be adapted to the modern times and become: “When in need of inspiration, do what Romans do” as so many TV series today are based only on sexually explicit content, brutal confrontation and lack of intelligent dialogue. At first glance, this series has all it takes to become a thriving success (blood, sex, revenge) and thus I wait anxiously to see how it develops.

Here is the official trailer:

De ce piratăm? (cont.)

Revin la ideea că protejarea proprietăţii intelectuale a devenit foarte dificilă în momentul în care am început să descriem realitatea cu ajutorul numerelor (tehnologie digitală) şi am putut să o dematerializăm. Într-un articol precedent am descris motivele pentru care piratez în voie şi acum vreau să completez lista cu ajutorul Pamelei Samuelson[1] care a identificat şase caracteristici ale informaţiei digitale care o transformă într-o pradă uşoară pentru piratul din noi. Hai să vedem care sunt acestea:

1. uşor de reprodus - cu doar un copy/paste putem obţine propria copie a unui text, nu avem nevoie decât de spaţiu pe hard sau de un CD gol ca să stocăm muzică, filme sau programe, you name it; nici măcar xeroxul nu este la fel de la îndemână

2. uşor de accesat şi de transmis - cea mai simplă reţetă: se ia un calculator, se conectează la internet şi gata s-a obţinut reducerea distanţei dintre noi şi orice informaţie la un simplu click

3. uşor de modificat - acum apelez la un exemplu bine cunoscut tuturor studenţilor: se ia un text copiat, se trece în Word şi se rescriu frazele până când pare de nerecunoscut (la primul search pe Google) şi aşa se obţine o lucrare de nota 10; pentru mine cel putin, informaţia digitală e ca o bucată de plastilină, o pot modela, adăuga altor bucăţi şi nu simt că fur nimic de la nimeni, doar împrumut

4. îmbinarea mai multor tipuri de informaţie - audio, video, text (cică asta complică lucrurile pentru că există legi diferite pentru fiecare tip şi la un moment dat nici nu mai ştii pe care să le aplici, eu propun să le aplice pe toate că doar merităm pedeapsa maximă, nu?)

5. nu este direct accesibilă - încă mai avem nevoie de hardware şi software pentru a accesa informaţia digitală, dar aştept cu nerăbdare minicalculatoarele incorporate

6. conexiunile între informaţii, cât şi căutarea lor sunt uşor de realizat - doar două cuvinte am de zis aici: Google rulz!

Dacă privim informaţia digitală din perspectiva acestor caracteristici nu mai e de mirare faptul că ne face la toţi cu ochiul şi că o schimbăm între noi cu atâta uşurinţă. Într-un fel e cea mai democratică formă pe care o poate lua informaţia si eu zic că trebuie să circule.

[1] - Pamela Samuelson, Digital Media and the Changing Face of Intellectual Property, 16 COMPUTER & TECH. L.J. 323 (1990).

Eurovision Needs Help

While I wait for the finalists for Eurovision 2010 that should be posted in the web somewhere in February, I can’t help commenting on this wonderful piece of music that did not manage to qualify: Florin Salam - Help me.

Now, please read the comments while enjoying their performance during the Happy Hour show.

Do not be fooled by the piano… wait to see what happens next, this is not some classical bullshit, this is real music with a powerful message. SO.. we begin with a toothless man singing about advertising, campaigns and promises… very promising, right? Now we move on to a gorgeous woman telling us with a smile on her face about tears (when tears alone all are all you’ve got *she grins happily at the poor pianist*), let’s touch hands and bounce from side to side gaily. And then, the strawberry on the cake (in this case more of a blackberry), the chorus sang by Salam himself like a cat on a hot thin roof: HELP ME (at this point we all sing along desperately and the pianist shoots himself). The Romanian part is more intelligible, HELP…ME. It appears that the only one really getting the message is the pianist, who puts on a brave face and looks at the camera as if he were about to die of pain, of course artistic pain, but nonetheless excruciating pain. Please also notice the way they move like puppets on a string blowing in the wind and the occasional hip movements (professional defect). I am amazed that it did not make it to the final ;)).

I’m Blue… da ba dee da ba da…

Feeling like an outsider on this planet? Longing for alien companionship? Well, I got just the remedy for you: watch the following clip.

Want to be amused by strange men making sweet music out of plastic tubes? Watch the second clip. What I really like about these guys is that they somehow manage to be funny with no words and barely no facial expressions.. talk about minimal humor. Btw they are also very good source of information. This is where I have learned that there is a color called naked people:)).

De ce piratez?

Textul care urmează este scris de o persoană care nu a reuşit să fure până acum nici măcar o gumă, dar care apelează zilnic la serviciile site-urilor gen btjunkie pentru a downloada gratis seriale şi filme. Pirateria este o formă de furt, dar când vine vorba de această formă specială de furt se pare că sufăr de un “blind-spot” moral şi nu am nici cea mai mică problemă de conştiinţă, ca să nu mai zic că nu mă tem că îmi va bate vreodată poliţia la uşă. Şi totuşi, este un furt şi se pare că, din cauza mea şi a multor altor oameni care probabil gândesc la fel, casele de producţie suferă şi se plâng că nu mai este la fel de profitabil să scoată filme sau muzică pe piaţă.

Întrebarea de 100 de puncte este următoarea: cu ce diferă pirateria online de furtul obişnuit de îmi pot permite să comit această faptă ilegală cu atâta nonşalanţă?

După îndelungi introspecţii am ajuns la următoarele concluzii:
1. datorită faptului că ceea ce fur este în format digital, nu pare că îi răpesc nimănui şansa de a se bucura exact de acelaşi film dacă il downloadez şi eu şi
2. mai ales datorită faptului că totul se petrece în faţa calculatorului şi tot procesul pare foarte impersonal şi anonim, deşi, de fapt, semnătura mea digitală e lăsată drept mărturie peste tot pe unde navighez.

Dar pare că sunt protejată, nu mă vede nimeni, nu ştie nimeni că eu am piratat şi mai ales ce, nu rămâne un gol în locul de unde am downloadat, deci piratez în voie.

Mai mult, îmi înlătur orice formă de remuşcare prin argumentul că oricum nu folosesc informaţia obţinută astfel pentru a face bani, ci pur şi simplu pentru entertainment-ul personal, lucru care este permis şi de lege. Nu e ilegal să împrumuţi un cd sau un dvd de la un „prieten” şi să te uiţi şi tu la el, nu? Păi, cam asta cred eu că fac şi nu mă interesează dacă respectivul prieten a plătit acel cd/dvd sau l-a primit şi el de la altcineva. Să numim acest lucru un fel de lanţ al slăbiciunilor, în care trebuie să existe măcar un om care chiar cumpără cd-ul/dvd-ul (se poate să-l „primească” de la surse din interior, dar asta e deja altă poveste).

Acuma sunt sigură că fiecare dintre voi a piratat ceva măcar o dată şi sunt foarte curioasă cum vă motivaţi/explicaţi voi acţiunile, pentru că mai bănuiesc şi ca nici un hoţ „cu acte în regulă” nu va vizita acest site, deci suntem toţi prizonieri ai aceleiaşi dileme.