Author Archive
Word 199: Masticate
Out of the corner of my eye, I had seen her unwrap the gum, pop the wad in her mouth and masticate it experimentally.
masticate (v) 1: grind and knead 2: chew (food) [syn: chew, manducate, jaw] – source: Shush!
Music videos galore
Misc movies
Houhokekyo tonari no Yamada-kun
If it’s Ghibli, it’s good. My motto still holds. The story of the Yamadas has a distinctive look that floats the movie even when the storyline falters. Not that there would be that much of a story anyhow; it’s mainly just thinly connected vignettes that sort of chronicle the life of an ordinary Japanese family.
However, it’s Ghibli and therefore damn good.
Smultronstället
I can value Bergman’s film as a character study. I’m not quite so sure I enjoyed it as a movie, though. All this probably means I’m a redneck who wouldn’t recognize a classy flick if it bit him in the ass (and my choice of words more than proves this), but I still find Bergman to be Tarkovsky’s equal ie. vastly overrated. Mighty fine artists, very boring filmmakers.
Siriuksen vieraat, Delegaatio
Matti Ijäs would definitely qualify as an auteur. He writes his own stuff, has a large oeuvre and a distinctive style. Plus I happen to like his movies, at least the ones I’ve seen.
Siriuksen vieraat was scripted by Arto Melleri of all people and unfortunately it shows the whole thing is a bit of a mess, an artsy-fartsy semi-coherent story that doesn’t really gain anything from its would-be lyrical dialogue.
Delegaatio is a different story altogether. It’s funny, makes a point and isn’t too long. Quite simply it’s a damn-near perfect telemovie. Hilarious.
Scratch
How very, very boring scratching vinyl albums sounds like. And how very, very entertaining it can look. As a documentary Scratch really isn’t that special the same things could’ve been told in a five-minute infomercial, but as timewaster the movie works. DJ Shadow and the other diggers, the unbelievable bodyrockers (or whatever it was called) and standard-fare keeping it real chitchat make this a nice romp into one of hiphop’s less appreciated footnotes.
Hotel Room
So even Lynch can fail at times. His segment in Hotel Room is just pure ellipsis. The second sequence in this ultra-cheap HBO teleplay is the best but that still isn’t saying much. Better steer clear of this one.
A riddle
Answer: A boy and a girl on two dance mats.
That whooshing sound
The whole thing was a bit of a shapeless blob. So Tekevä Foundation was five years old, but then what? The interviews weren’t difficult to get but the interviewees were. What’s more, I had to version a short comment for the 16.30 radio news, which meant putting off work on the television story.
So yes, it was pure SNAFU. But here I am alive and well, and a second dance mat just arrived. Life is good, after all.
Weekly summary
But let me tell you about the nicest piece of television reporting I’ve ever had the honour of participating in. The day was last Thursday and the assignment was to cover the then-upcoming Jyväskylä Summer Jazz 04 festival for telly. I called their office and got hooked up with two world-class Brazilian musicians.
Jarkko, who is an excellent cameraman, tagged along as I went to the conservatory to listen to the gentleman practice & compose. What heavenly music! I’m starting to think that almost any music sounds good live, if the people playing are professionals. You still won’t catch me dead with a recording of Mozart’s one or other, but live jazz does the trick for me.
Back at the office I laid down the base audio track and spliced the interviews on it. It was easy as ever, sounded good and looked good as well. Of course the news value was a tad doubtful but hey, I enjoyed doing it.
On Friday I did a bit on the planned memorial for the Konginkangas bus accident victims but there’s really nothing to say about it.
Good DVD news
Shake your ”booty”
Answer: Yesterday, after just 30 minutes of playing Dancing Stage Unleashed, I ordered a second mat.
BTW: The topic is a quote from Dancing Stage Unleashed. Who the uses quotation marks with booty?
Excuse my indulgence
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