Lost Series Finale Review (unedited; spoilers)

In the following moments after the finale, I found myself in a state of anxiety, frustration, exhaustion. Both my boyfriend and friend who were watching it with me seemed confused but were exclaiming their appreciation for it. As always, my expectations and desires make everything so hard. I might swear off watching television shows where no clear cut ending can be established ahead of time. As we know, Lost had to adapt to many changes in the cast and audience reactions (commendable still), but it meant some of the questions built up would remain unsolved or “left up to interpretation." Finally I thought all the anticipation, all the pondering and theorizing would be finished. 

Sister Experiment

It began as a simple invite on Facebook, which I typically ignore, and has developed into a frustrated attempt at clarifying my point. The three sentence explanation of the event was enough to warrant frustration, but the mob mentality of those who joined elicited outright disgust. Woman across the internets rebelled against the man by exposing their flesh in what has been dubbed the Boobquake experiment. This event arose in response to the declaration by an Iranian cleric that recent quakes and threats of more in their region are due to women's immodesty (click here for original article). Feminists jumped to the frontlines to combat these apparent fear tactics to keep women in-line. Some participants are regarding it as harmless fun, others are avidly opposed to any comment which seems to teeter toward being against the movement, deeming it blasphemous to feminism and free society. I am of course referring to the responses I received against my critical analysis of the event. I assure you I maintain similar values regarding female pride and freedom from male oppression in all its forms, but my dispute is specifically aimed at the method of the movement as posted on facebook (must have account to view).

Kick-Ass Review (R)

If you are between the ages of 13 and 18, a self-proclaimed geek, not homosexual, not male, not white are shocked by your pedophile tendencies and would cry with glee at the sight of a rocket pack, you will probably enjoy this movie. Everyone else belonging to a minority, for fear of being either offended or made to feel too young or too old, you'd be better off watching How to Train Your Dragon.
There is only one other movie I considered prematurely walking out on lest my soul bleed from the holes under my fingernails I had to create just to stop the raping of my senses. Kick-Ass didn't quite measure up to that sort of torture, but I had the urge many times (which I could name). Perhaps my tastes have become too accustomed to real films, or perhaps I'm just not a teenager anymore, but I refused to conform to the rest of the audience's low standards of what makes an entertaining film. I was awkwardly frustrated when the room jolted from their seats to applaud the screen and one person yelled in sarcasm "That was a terrible movie!" to which everyone shared a group-bonding laugh about. Obviously Kick-Ass was a flick, designed to appeal to the flood of hormones of a teen, a guilty pleasure of fulfilled sexual fantasies, stardom, and rebellion, meshed with an open appreciation for one race of geek. It doesn't help that it would be accepted as freshness when the only activities in my town for underage night owls looking for some danger is spying on the hippies in the park.

The Believer - An Evening With Hapa

Perhaps I was wrong (refer to Writing Style Experiment). My friend had a dream come true, to play with those who inspired the path he follows, Hapa. Each concert, every gig working toward a way of living, learning guitar, building two groups together, endless rehearsals, a degree, jam sessions, all with a belief in what Hapa stood for, what he felt they accomplished and brought to his life. For some an idol is essential inspiration, a starting point or ideal. It was ill of me not to acknowledge that a belief is more than just the walking vessel. My apologies. They were not my models, but I appreciated the escape they provided nonetheless.

The concert was sold out, fans of young and old filled our little university recital hall. Add in our music professors and cream pies and we got ourselves a party! We could shave their heads if they would prefer that.
Ha'ena, my friend's local cover band, were invited to open the show for their idols as guest performers. Let us know how it was guys to watch and chat with them backstage. Chicken skin was your phrase?

I cannot fathom that true bliss of exchanging words with my guiding light. For comparison, would you compare it to meeting God? Better make certain Hapa doesn't read this, may overwhelm their egos. Possible?

The performers themselves were not what I expected. Familiarized with the relaxed traditional Hawaiian music my friend's group Ha'ena plays, I was surprised when a Billy Joel impersonator walked on stage and began dancing with his guitar like he was a one man band (minus the bad accent, at least Barry admitted being howlie). But it was entertaining to see a rock star in action, and the musician in me still sat amazed at the way their hands glided over the strings. I sware it was an optical illusion (what is this supposed to be?); I heard the notes, but my eyes couldn't catch their strumming. But I sank at the warmth of Nathan's voice. To hear vibrato and warmth like his applied to traditional songs was an experience all in itself. Never have I been so aroused by a man's falsetto. Whew.

I always enjoy watching traditional hula as well. The grace and simplicity of the movement speaks of a strength found in feeling connected to something greater than any one person. It demonstrates an appreciation for the land and ocean, for family, and encourages respect for the female form rather than the overly sexualized generalization created by media.
Truly a pleasure to be a participant in a rich display of empowerment. I am so happy for you my friends. Chi-hoo Ha'ena!

Disclaimer: For personal reassurance, I maintain high consideration for those whose lives inspire my writings. It is never my purpose to tell another's story, only to theorize about myself and my environment based on observation. I am fascinated by the affect the slightest interaction has on my perception of the world. I aim to share my musings on the human experience while the inspiration is stirring. Thus my work is my interpretation of his behavior based on my own colored lens and filtered through my own experience.

Doubt

This was a film deserving of its nominations. While the obvious preoccupation with this movie would be deciding whether the priest did indeed commit the undeclared acts suggested of him or not, I avoided that debate, since it was never satisfactorily stated. Big surprise. Instead, I appreciated the subtleties of the filming, like how slight tilts of the camera angle at certain moments in the plot added to the suspicion, and the greater lessons suggested.
The plot itself was brilliantly set up. There was a fair balance between the two rivaling characters, giving them equal ground to walk on, negative and positive aspects. As the viewers we did feel the pull either way, making the doubt most realistic.
The accuser, the principal of a religious school based in 1964 in New York (before the mess with the Catholic Church was going on), is an intolerant leader who expects her students and others in the Parish to follow the guidelines strictly. She is constantly correcting the people around her and demands a way of perfection. The preacher however, is portrayed as a lenient father, who breaks the rules on occasion for simple pleasure: sugar in his tea, a smoke outside, drinking with his fellow priests. He teaches boys basketball and regards his students with respect, letting them ask questions that pertain to their immediate lives, giving them advice and modeling they need. When his relations with a particular child come into question, he is accused of making advances on him. He claims to be taking him under his wing to protect him. The boy is an outcast, bullied, isolated, abused by his home father, and black in a white school. However, the sister believes the boy to be a prime target for a wandering priest. Right off she suggests that she's seen it before, that her experience tells her the Father is trouble. Above all the rest of the suggestions made by the camera angles, the shots, the lack of information, hers is key. She saw everyday behaviors, possibly misdiagnosed behaviors that she came to conclusions about because of past experience. It only takes one to ruin it for the rest.
One accusation or case of sexual assault on someone thought to be the most trustworthy and holy of men spreads doubt like a brush fire through the church. Suddenly everyone is concerned about the behavior of religious leaders in relations with children. A touch on the shoulder becomes force, a place of confession becomes the right circumstances for a predator to strike.
In psychology we recognize the Power of Suggestion; we compensate for it in studies by using a placebo effect and go to great lengths to control it. It takes one scare and suddenly we have instances of discrimination: those of Japanese descent are forced into camps, the wrong words could put you on the Black list, "random" searches of persons thought to be Islamic or of Middle Eastern descent. Our history is built on the doubt that leads to the rights of innocent people being ignored.
We never get to learn if the Father accused in this movie was guilty. We are left guessing if he who breaks the rules once in a while is truly out to help those who need a role model, or is abusing his position. Is the strict principal filled with conviction that is based on no definite evidence only seeing what she expects to see? How can we ever really know the truth when the mob mentality holds the control with its chaos, when its better to be safe than sorry.

Inglorious Basterds (R)

Tarantino has done it again and with such a sick but satisfying humor that you can't help but walk away delightfully offended. His trademark setup of using conversation and dialogue to create the tension that would otherwise be overdone special effects in an action movie, has been taken to a new level. The dialogue is clever, often with philosophical underpinnings, but mostly brash, adding that necessary comedic element so indicative of his scripts.
If you're not used to his style, you may be rather confused at the hype since it seems to move along randomly, without any indication how it might all come together, and seems to twist and blatantly alter history. Just as Abrams went his own way with an alternate reality of Star Trek (minus the annoying hollywood abuse of Uhura as the tamed woman turned nurturer for our big hero), the story is a filmmaker's conception of how WWII might have gone; a sort of bizarre fairytale telling about various efforts coming together to put Hitler and his Nazi's in their place, a place where they are blindfolded, stripped naked, and piled together for any person who ever secretly dreamed of revenge to point and laugh at them (the terrorism reference should be familiar).
I appreciated the non-sugarcoated violence. Tarantino has no qualms about showing dismemberment or lingering on a shot of tearing flesh while portraying total indifference in the characters as though to mock our rolling stomachs. Ah the subtleties.
The movie itself is a wonderful experience for an American to hear such a mix of language in a way that appeals to our short attention spans. It is mostly subtitled, showing a rich diversity of French, German, English, American, and even Italian. And he left some room for humor in his subtitles as well, if you know to watch for it. Perhaps, almost equally delightful as the script was Christoph Waltz's performance as the villain Colonel Hans Landa, which he has already won an award for at the Cannes Film Festival in France. His character is a cunning, psychotic villain, a true hunter, capable of noticing minute details and steering his prey into a trap with finesse and delight. He is quite the similar in many respects to Brad Pitt's character, a deceptively stupid American in charge of the Basterds who speaks bluntly and without any attempt at fancy talk, but together they provide a balanced humor by contrasting one another's style.
I highly recommend this movie to anyone who appreciates a good film and dark humor. Just be prepared to go "WTF?"

Ciudad de Deus (City of God) (R)

I do not usually watch foreign films because the cultural differences are often too much for me to truly appreciate, but this one has me questioning the depth and quality of America's film industry in comparison. The scenes of violence and blood are vivid and realistic, as though it is more a documentary than scripted scenes. It is haunting when a child of no more than seven is crying from a shot to the foot as his life is being subject to an either or choice by another child holding a gun. Children pushed to limits you and I could never know, forced to fight and steal or die and be exploited.
The movie tells the story of a slum on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, a city known for its beauty and history. Gangs of adolescents run the streets through threat of violence while managing drug trade for income. Calling their lifestyles "hood" these boys rise and fall quickly, living until they are struck down by corrupt law enforcement, or assassinated by other gangs. Lives in poverty, where starving dogs roam the streets, where the youth must steal from passing vehicles for gas fuel.
The narrator, a boy witnessing the events of gang violence and drug trade take place in his neighborhood while pursuing his dream of being a photographer. His inside advantage to the crime that plagues his streets allows him opportunities to capture images he sells to a newspaper, eventually establishing himself as a photographer and the chance to earn an honest living.
If you can get pass reading the movie through subtitles, and still catch the subtleties of the films artistry, this movie is a beautiful insight into a hell most of us can never imagine.

The Sing-Off Review

Usually I avoid the trendy pop-culture media, but in this case I am willing to make an exception. Finally the contemporary acappella genre has received national recognition for the creativity, musicality, and entertainment it represents. Eight groups from around the country put their lives on hold for the chance to win $10,000 and a Sony recording contract. Each group brings a unique understanding of the genre, harnessing the voice as a versatile instrument to produce a visually and orally entertaining atmosphere.

Being in the original founding group of a contemporary acappella group, working with OSU and UO's founders, competing, and researching on my own has provided me with the background to appreciate these groups. The amount of energy and commitment required to prepare for a performance that combines composition/arranging (knowledge of blend, harmony, part-writing, dynamics, tempo, choosing appropriate syllables or words), choreography and drama (interpreting the music and lyrics, using the space, timing, coordinating with singing, gesture and motion), and most importantly singing (choosing soloists, blending voices, proper and appropriate diction, dynamics, imitating instruments, complimenting other roles) which also includes the vocal percussionist (VP) more commonly known as beat-boxer. VP must understand how to adjust and maintain tempo to aid and compliment the singers, all while keeping the mouth moist and making the sounds consistently clear. Other duties a group's success rides upon is song selection. An arranger can make a wonderful arrangement of a song, but if the singers cannot interpret it right and the audience doesn't feel it, the performance suffers. Each part is integral to group. How all the parts come together and the quality of the individual areas and performance as a whole will decide the ultimate success of a group.

Acappella music puts a new spin on a range of other musical genres, including classics, popular music, jazz, rock, all contemporary. It allows music to be a mobile profession, something you take with you everywhere but requires the unit to be complete.

One aspect of the show that bothers me the most is Nicole Scherzinger as a judge. Her comments seem overly superficial and lack constructive criticism or even intellect. While others might believe her background as a lead vocalist for a pop group is enough to qualify her to judge a competition on group dynamics, I do not buy it. She knows nothing of the genre, nor does she seem to know much about music as an art and study. For those who dare compare this sort of competition to American Idol, understand this first, these groups focus on musicality, harmony, interpretation. This is not a scene where the group only sings their part without concern for the background vocals, instruments, choreographers, without knowing anything about music, how to read it or actually interpret it. Performing a solo and taking claim to all the credit and fame is not what the genre is about. They are real people, it is a competition of a popular variety, but the similarities end there. This is where real music begins.

Episodes are available to watch on nbc.com or hulu.com. It is on at 8pm channel 5 (cable) for only one or two more episodes (week-long competition). It takes a long time to prepare so many pieces so they had to make it doable for the groups by limiting the repertoire. Its not gimmicky; it may be annoying in a way to see the sudden hype when its been around awhile, but pleasing nonetheless. I recommend it to those willing to enjoy and appreciate it.

Avatar Movie Review

I thoroughly enjoy a good fantastical setting, but I am often disappointed by the cliches or lack of creativity. This one made me swallow my words (gotta love em, the cliches I mean). The overall artistic ideas were interesting as well as the quality being stunningly beautiful in detail and color (I continue to be disappointed at my inability to catch seats for a 3D showing). The transition from the human scenes to the CG with the avatars began awkwardly. But I am willing to dismiss it as a purposeful attempt to represent the characters' own awkward transition to a new body.
Being an anthropology minor and science fiction reader, I was semi pleased by the overarching idea presented. Although the overarching plot was predictable, particularly the love story, it did not hinder the film but rather gave it a base to expand from. It exemplified the classic epic love story in a way that had even some men in the audience hiding their eyes. The story blends the progressive technological era with the reemerging naturalistic perspective, encouraging audiences to see Mother Nature in a relatable way with science. I was especially impressed by the female Navi actress. Her raw emotive presence greatly overshadowed the lead male, pulling us in and speaking to us with gesture and facial expression (the more universal language) than words.
I also appreciated that the camera did not overuse large detailed scenes with every shot as I often felt many films today do (particularly during war scenes). The more personal shots maintained an intensity and anxiety those larger shots strive for. Whenever a large scene was included, it was to give the feeling of chaos, to acknowledge the feeling of being overwhelmed from the character's perspective, and to convey the awe at viewing the epic beauty of the scenery.
The accusation that the avatar creatures are plagiarized from another author's imagination unrelated to this work should be recognized. This has been suggested against countless works and frankly as long as enough is different I see no harm. It is possible for two people to come up with the same idea.
I have also heard much criticism in the form of demeaning the script as that of Pocahontas with blue people. I feel this is a blind oversimplification. It is a story above all else, as a fiction movie of this type should be focused on, one that is told beautifully in all elements of dialogue, visuality, plot, conflict, perspective, themes, and character development, all while incorporating social commentary about the vanishing culture and the impact of globalization (which is what the Pocahontas critics are referring to), the theory of interconnectedness (world as a neural network like our brain), and issues of our modern addiction of escapism through fantasy avatars (evident in video and role-play gaming). Despite that some of its aspects "have been done before" is it still not a story worth repeating and updating for the modern generation? Every good moral has been repeated in one manner or another, it is a testament to the writers and film's crew not whether they created a new moralistic ideal or original story (which can certainly be amazing) but how they recreate and spin an existing one. These are lessons that should be reiterated constantly, as it seems they are easily forgotten. Ignorance is a choice.
I do caution generalizing this view that aboriginal, untamed, uncivilized, savage, unspoiled, primitive (all synonyms, interesting connotations) cultures have all the answers or a better way of living. The common response when studying culture is to romanticize the natives. Every culture has its problems. It is both interesting and concerning that the film defines the native culture as "alien" while comparing them to exotic native cultures in our world.This would seem to dehumanize them by considering them alien. Or perhaps it is simply as District 9 attempted, to criticize the typical human response to 'others' which is further evidenced in every major US movement for equal rights: blacks, women, homosexuals, Harley bikers (couldn't resist). It is our tendency to view those different from us as less human, or lacking in something we believe we possess.
There have been reports that the Catholic Church has shunned the film's concentration on the spirituality of naturalism as deviation from the beliefs of the Catholic religion. What is religion truly selling anymore, surely not encouragement to find one's own answers. Nor does the Church seem to acknowledge that one can be in touch with nature on a spiritual level and still practice Catholicism. How did everything become so black and white? They quickly labeled the behavior of the Navi for their planet as worship, demonstrating a complete lack of understanding for the relationship many naturalists have with our Mother.
With the amount of popular viewing this movie has received, it is inevitable that someone will have a problem with it. Hold a light to the surface and its imperfections will be magnified. But remember to pull away and see the entire being as a whole. It is becoming more essential that we learn to analyze the images we are bombarded with in our culture, especially the ones we choose to let impact us (in response of how idealized woman and sexualized images flooding the worlds of young girls has influenced a generation of women to obsess about weight and appearance; striking to have a five year old come to you and complain about being fat), but I feel it equally important to see both sides of the coin or we lose the other half of a balanced understanding.
Get passed the so-called flaws the individual is easily preoccupied with (and the lame unobtainium reference) to consider it an opportunity for conversation, reflection, learning with either a negative or positive focus, or simply enjoyment.