My 3-weeks camping journey through ex-Yugoslavia with wife & kids ended on a bitter note in Germany the second day when a fuckin’ BMW started slipping on the highway and crashed into our car. Fortunately, nobody was hurt but the monthly budget I spent on records, books & films during the last 20 years will now serve for the hire purchase loan of our new second-hand car. A real bummer but on the other hand, it was about time to impose some restraints on my compulsive buying addiction. At last, I will finally have some time to listen attentively to my music collection and moreover, there will still be some cash left for our Mexico/Guatemala trip next year so there’s really no need for desperation I guess. Of course, I will buy some stuff every now and then but only if I think the purchase guarantees 100% satisfaction (read: after I checked the entire album on Soulseek or think the movie is a masterpiece – with books it’s often hit or miss). As far as this blog is concerned, I will review at least 1 remarkable record from my own collection every week (that’s what I am aiming for at least).
Before the end of this month, I will publish some music reviews on my site too including a couple of records that flew under the radar recently but are absolutely fantastic. The main reason why I dedicated some of my precious time to reviewing these albums is that I can’t stand the fact that some albums are doomed to be ignored although they are downright outstanding. I hope I tickled your fancy and will let you know when the reviews are uploaded in cyberspace.
Last week, I saw 4 movies at the theatre: INCEPTION, AMER, ENTER THE VOID and THE GHOST WRITER. I didn’t like the Belgian fake-as-fuck AMER but enjoyed watching the other 3 although I once again realized that blockbusters like INCEPTION and THE GHOST WRITER aren’t really my cup of tea. Sure, THE GHOST WRITER is a masterfully directed thriller but the film leaves no room for personal interpretation or profound emotions. INCEPTION on the other hand takes itself way too serious although multiple scenes are often stuck in ordinary James Bond territory. Of course, with a budget of 200 million dollars you can’t take a lot of risks so the most clever thing to do seems to be aiming at both the masses and the critics. Call me pretentious but that’s where I am dropping out as I despise people who butter their bread on both sides. The film that made the biggest impression on me this week was ENTER THE VOID. It might be flawed but it’s also a damn courageous and challenging film that leaves you KO. The way Noé visualizes the effects of hallucinogenic drugs through kaleidoscopic visions and electronic sounds is mind-boggling; like a drug-infused A Space Odyssey! Beware however: this film begs to be seen on the big screen!
Some upcoming films I am really looking forward to include Julie Bertucelli’s THE TREE, Shirin Neshat’s WOMEN WITHOUT MEN, Xavier Beauvois’ DES HOMMES ET DES DIEUX and especially Palme d’Or winner Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s latest tour-de-force LONG BOONMEE RALEUK CHAT. In the meantime, I am really looking forward to further explore Claude Chabrol’s amazing filmography by means of these 2 quintessential DVD box sets I bought when I still had the cash. I already saw 7 of the featured films and not one of them let me down! Enough said.
A record that is on constant rotation over here for the last couple of weeks is last year’s “Fragments of the Universe Nurse” by HUMAN EYE. It was released on Hook Or Crook Records and since I believe there won’t be any extra pressings, I suggest you to order this record right now as it’s probably the ultimate Timmy Vulgar record. While I am typing this, I realize how much ENTER THE VOID and this HUMAN EYE record have in common as far as psychotic alienation goes. Step into new dimensions and check both out. I promise you won’t regret!
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