Correction… some might have noticed that I pulled a mini-review of the cliche ridden Mission Impossible

Mission Impossible 3 buzz on google earth (Photo credit: POPOEVER)

Correction… some might have noticed that I pulled a mini-review of the cliche ridden Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol soon after posting it. That’s because the bad guy was Swedish, not Russian as I’d said. I guess by the time he’d entered the film I was already falling asleep.

I still think it was a borderline effort… more like a sponsored ad for face recognition technology than a serious film. The only saving grace was the supporting cast, which made it just interesting enough to watch to the end.

Otherwise, I can’t understand why this film did so well. Maybe I’m just an old dinosaur with different expectations than the newer generation of spy movie audiences, which generally give this film a positive rating.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1229238/

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Jane Eyre Trailer

had to pause the dvd a couple of times but definitely worth watching… characters are utterly convincing until, perhaps, the very end.

Telling Lies – David Bowie

Interesting student video of Bowie’s Telling Lies. I don’t think Bowie did a video for this song. There’s another video at YouTube that’s a sort of remix of other Bowie footage, and *very* ugly as all lies and liars are. But this one isn’t quite so harsh. I like its ambiguity.

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old robot

old robot, a photo by earthpages on Flickr.

I took this after a midday mass. I recently acquired a 300mm+ zoom camera that allows me to take odd, arty shots without drawing too much attention to myself in the busy city. With my old camera, I had to get up pretty close, and people watching would have been a distraction. With my new camera I can stand nonchalantly at a distance and still get some good details.

∞ Alan Parsons Project ∞ The Voice ∞ I Robot ∞

Another blast from the past.  I hope this doesn’t make everyone paranoid!

Joe Jackson – Right and Wrong

Here’s another one that was pretty big while I was at Trent. I remember seeing the album for the first time at Trent Radio, where I did a show called “From Here to Otanabee” (there’s a river there called the Otanabee, and student residences by the same name). That was a play on “From Here to Eternity.” I don’t think many of my peers got it at the time. My show probably wasn’t that popular (we didn’t have official ratings polls). But I had fun and met some interesting people—fellow DJs, music lovers, dropouts, etc.

Anyhow, Joe Jackson seemed so cool back then. And the album cover for this disc spoke to me. Turns out I won a scholarship to study in India soon after, so I did experience the “big world” first hand (I didn’t travel much as a kid). And now with the internet, the album art seems to have almost foreshadowed things to come.

Right and Wrong… do you know the difference?

Roll over Beethoven?

symphony, originally uploaded by Michael Clark.

Went to the symphony today, filling in for someone who couldn’t make it. First part was okay. Second better. But the third, Béla Bartók’s Dance Suite was out of this world!

My feeling is that he’ll be increasingly recognized as a great composer in the coming years.

You’re not getting older… you’re getting… Shakespeare!

Henry V, surveying the Battle of Agincourt

One of the nice things about getting older, aside from all the growing aches and pains, is that you can appreciate those things that, in your younger days, you might have only noticed fleetingly.

It seems in life, my life anyhow, there were in youth precursors to interests that took middle age to bloom. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, for instance, on the musical side. And in literature, Shakespeare.

I always respected Shakespeare and, even in high school, could appreciate some of his more accessible lines. But understanding a play back then seemed pretty tough. The antiquated talk was just too remote, unless I took the time to look up each term, which, in my youth, I hardly had patience for.

But now older and hopefully a bit wiser, I can actually sit and read Shakespeare, and yes, GET it!

I find that printing a play from this site as a PDF file enables me to read it better, than say, from a book. I like merging the old text with the latest technology. Nothing lost and everything gained!

http://shakespeare.mit.edu/henryv/full.html

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Mikes 100+ Essential Pop from the 50s to Now!

Isaac Hayes performs at the International Amphitheater in Chicago via Wikipedia

Back in the saddle. Actually, it’s back on a chair. This is the first time in a while I’ve really sat down in front of my laptop for more than a few minutes. The culprit? A bad cold leading into the Christmas rush, and a bona fide fever just after it.

During my malaise I started reminiscing about all the great music I’ve loved as a kid to now. I was born in ’62 but had a lot of older brothers and sisters. So I know 50s stuff too. That’s why this retrospective goes from the 50s to now. It’s not what you’d hear in the TimeLife ads. Well, maybe some of it, for sure. But it’s more about what touched me personally. That’s why it’s called Mike’s 100+ Essential Pop from the 50s to Now!

I started the list hoping to keep it to 100. But there just had to be some overflow. The Beatles, Stones, Elvis, Elton John, Bowie, Dylan and Neil Young are purposely played down, because, hey, we all know they’re great, and I was hoping to bring out some golden oldies that otherwise might have been forgotten.

Many more tunes could be added… actually, I’ll have to add some more because I don’t think there’s anything in here much past the 90′s, with the exception of TobyMac. And I do like some new stuff. Problem is, I usually hear it on the car radio and miss the song title and artist name… ah getting old, to think all pop radio was once on the tip of my tongue…

Mike’s 100+ Essential Pop from the 50s to Now! (mindless computers! add 100 after 99…)

1. Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
2. She’s Got the Devil in her Heart – Beatles
3. Ruby Tuesday – Rolling Stones
4. Light my fire – Doors
5. Sonny – Hose Feliciano
6. People are Strange – Doors
7. Baby Love – Dianna Ross and the Supremes
8. Walking After Midnight – Patsy Cline
9. Move it on Over – Hank Williams
10. Rock around the Clock – Bill Hailey and the Comets
11. Hound Dog – Elvis
12. Roll over Beethoven – Chuck Berry
13. Rock and Roll Music – Chuck Berry
14. Mr. Tambourine man, Byrds
15. So Happy Together, Turtles
16. Mellow Yellow – Donavan
17. Eight Days a Week – Beatles
18. White Rabbit – Jefferson Airplane
19. It’s Nature’s Way of telling you – Spirit
20. Lovely to See you Again – Moody Blues
21. Story in your eyes – Moody Blues
22. Tuesday Afternoon – Moody Blues
23. Dear Diary – Moody Blues
24. Paved Paradise – Joni Mitchell
25. We are Stardust – CSNY
26. The Times they are a Changin – Dylan
27. The Weight – The Band
28. The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down – The Band
29. No time left for you – Guess Who
30. I can see clearly now the rain has gone – Johnny Nash
31. Raindrops keep falling on my head – B. J. Thomas
32. Alone again, naturally – Gilbert O’Sullivan
33. Little Boxes – Pete Seeger
34. Like a Rolling Stone – Dylan
35. Hotel California – Eagles
36. I’m not in Love – 10cc
37. Rich Girl – Hall and Oats
38. Yellow Submarine – Beatles
39. Silly Love Songs – Wings
40. Listen to what the Man said – Wings
41. Live and Let Die – Wings
42. Let em in – Wings
43. Band on the run – Wings
44. Singalong Junk – Paul McCartney
45. Your love is Lifting me Higher – Rita Coolidge
46. Octopus’ Garden – Beatles
47. Rocket Man – Elton John
48. Daniel – Elton John
49. 21st Century Schizoid Man – King Crimson
50. Communication Breakdown – Zep
51. Whole lotta love – Zep
52. We Won’t Get Fooled Again – Who
53. Baba O’Riley – Who
54. Who are You – Who
55. Midnight Train to Georgian – GNPips
56. Rikki don’t lose that number – Steely Dan
57. Lowdown – Boz Scaggs
58. Feels So Good – Chuck Mangione
59. Breezin’ – George Benson
60. Touch – John Klemmer
61. Piano Man – Billy Joel
62. Captain Jack – Billy Joel
63. Moving up – Billy Joel
64. Vienna Waits for You – Billy Joel
65. Too late – Carole King
66. You’ve Got a Friend – Carole King
67. So far away – Carole King
68. Fire and Rain – James Taylor
69. Wandering – James Taylor
70. How Sweet it is – James Taylor
71. Home by another way – James Taylor
72. Saturday in the Park – Chicago
73. Let it Be – Beatles
74. Stairway to Heaven – Rolling Stones
75. Time Keeps on Slippin – Steve Miller
76. The Joker – Steve Miller
77. Leroy Brown – Jim Croce
78. Time in a Bottle – Jim Croce
79. Peace Train – Cat Stevens
80. Arc of a diver – Steve Winwood
81. Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson
82. Fame – Bowie
83. Micro Kid – Level 42
84. Sweet Dreams – Eurythmics
85. People are People – Depeche Mode
86. Staying Alive – BeeGees
87. I will survive – Donna Summer
88. Hearts of Fire – EWF
89. Theme from 2001 – Deodato
90. You Oughta Know – Alanis Morissette
91. Salisbury Hill – Peter Gabriel
92. Planet Claire – B52s
93. Roundabout – Yes
94. Close to the Edge – Yes
95. I get up I get down – Yes
96. I know what I like (in your wardrobe) – Genesis
97. Justified and Ancient – KLF
98. Space Oddity – Bowie
99. Starman – Bowie
100. No more blue horizons – China Crisis
101. Cisco Kid – War
102. Papa was a rolling stone – Temptations
103. I’m a Stranger Here – 5 Man Electrical Band
104. Signs – 5 Man Electrical Band
105. You’re so vain – Carly Simon
106. Tell Me Why – Neil Young
107. I feel the Earth Move – Carole King
108. One of these nights – Eagles
109. If – Bread
110. Diary – Bread
111. School – Supertramp
112. Bloody Well Right – Supertramp
113. Girlfriend – Supertramp
114. Goodbye Stranger – Supertramp
115. Give a little bit – Supertramp
116. Take the Long Way Home – Supertramp
117. Asylum – Supertramp
118. Sweet City Woman – Stampeders
119. Painted Ladies and a bottle of wine – Ian Thomas
120. The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel
121. Cecelia – Simon and Garfunkel
122. Bridge over troubled water – Simon and Garfunkel
123. Kodachrome – Paul Simon
124. Snowbird – Ann Murray
125. If you could read my mind – Lightfoot
126. In the early morning rain – Lightfoot
127. Love will keep us together – Captain and Tenille
128. Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
129. Avalon – Roxy
130. I Zimbra – Talking Heads
131. Once in a Lifetime – Talking Heads
132. Message in a bottle – Police
133. Mysterious Ways – U2
134. One – U2
135. Wildflower – Skylark
136. Spinning Wheel – Blood, Sweat and Tears
137. Toby Mac – Lose my soul
138. Living in this world – Guru (Jazzmatazz)
139. Never Stop – Brand New Heavies
140. Minute by Minute – Doobies
141. Black Water – Doobies
142. Heaven is 10 zillion light years away – Stevie Wonder
143. Superstition – Stevie Wonder
144. Brain Damage – Pink Floyd
145. The Wall – Pink Floyd
146. Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether – Alan Parsons Project
147. I wouldn’t want to be like you – Alan Parsons Project
148. What’s the Buzz – Jesus Christ Superstar
149. Herod’s Song – Jesus Christ Superstar
150. Shanghai Noodle Factory – Traffic
151. Mr. Fantasy – Traffic
152. Paperback Writer – Beatles
153. Watching the Wheels – Lennon
154. Happy Xmas (War is Over) – Lennon and Ono
155. You can’t always get what you want – Stones
156. While You See a Chance– Winwood
157. Lucky Man – ELP
158. Little Wonder – Bowie
159. Redemption Song – Bob Marley
160. Coming in from the cold – Bob Marley
161. Theme from Shaft – Isaac Hayes
162. Something in the Air – Thunderclap Newman
163. Isn’t it a Pity – George Harrison
164. Your Song – Elton John
165. Michelle Branch and Santana – Game of Love
166. Don’t Worry – Appleton
167. All you need is love – Beatles

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Review – Rose (DVD)

Knight Productions

This review also appears at Earthpages.org

Title: Rose
Genre: Crime, Drama
Production Company: Knight Productions

There’s something about a Kemal Yildirim film. Just what it is isn’t easy to put your finger on. But it’s certainly there. In spades.

His short film Rose is based on a true story and shot, in his own words, on a “miraculous” budget. This might contribute to the film feeling something like an early performance of Shakespeare, where the key actors apparently pulled together to get the most out of their modest resources.

Over the years, Shakespeare’s troupe got bigger budgets and more elaborate staging. And from watching Rose, one would expect a similar evolution with Yildirim’s work.

Also like a Shakespearean play, Rose’s direction gazes from an almost mystical, mind’s eye. That is, Yildirim’s films can deal with the harshest of topics with unruffled focus and calm compassion. This rare perspective arguably takes Rose to a spiritual plane, even though the film deals with some of the rough and disturbing aspects of contemporary society.

The film features Helen Clifford, a pretty 20-something actor who convincingly portrays the distressed character of Rose. Rose could be your little sister, daughter or niece. She’s a “nice girl” who’s made some very bad choices, finding herself tragically hooked on junk.

To make matters worse, Rose doesn’t have a lot of money to fuel her addiction. Her struggle for inner and outer peace is brought out by Clifford’s promising performance and by a solid supporting cast. Add to that the director’s unique way of getting to the point without lapsing into sheer vulgarity, and Rose comes out a winner.

Without giving away the details, suffice it to say that the opening and closing scenes involve light–first in darkness and last, shining through a cross.

Rose is a pleasant surprise, to be sure. And for a film that deals with such difficult subject matter, that’s quite an achievement.

Extras include some extensive behind the scenes footage, a five minute promo, a photo gallery, along with trailers for additional Knight Productions.

–MC

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