Not dead, but this Blog would seem to be....

Alas, it is not. I work like a you know what, and so my creative juices have been stoppered with the need for sleep and for focus and for slacking. But today I had a jolt. Lucky you.

Today in documentaries I wish I hadn't watched...

Zeitgeist: The Movie

Calm your proclamations external or internal that I am a day late and a dollar short, I know the movie was released in 2007, it just took me a while to get up the nerve to get back in touch with my inner conspiracy theorist. But now that I have allowed myself to fall back into the endless, fruitless task of pondering the depth of the American government's (and the world's) evil, read my thoughts on a film that while not completely believable (nothing but the things we research and find out by our own enterprise should be believed, usually) manages to serve as a thoroughly thought provoking documentary that addresses some issues surrounding 9/11, organized religion and American political, financial and societal systems. Take heed, if you are not allowing your mind to be provoked, they've already won. Who are they? Oh, I think you know!

  Zeitgeist: The movie, which Netflix summarizes as "Peter Joseph's exploration into the controversial links between organized religion, global financial markets and the international power structure", begins with a mildly frightening examination of the foundations of Christianity. The ideas expressed in this segment of the film are troubling since with light research done without typing "similarities between Jesus and Egyptian/ancient gods" reveals that these gods went through many of the same trials as Jesus, were sometimes born in the same manner as Jesus (even on the same date as Jesus), and are tied to the zodiac and its symbols like...Jesus. But no worries, I won't be ranting about the subject of whether Jesus exists or not or whether Christians are a bunch of judgemental loonies (not saying that they are, conversely, many devout Christians are amazing insightful people.) To be honest, my thoughts on religion are very complex, they shift daily, and I'm no theologian. Furthermore, I don't, for whatever reason, feel comfortable making any claims about religion, Jesus, God,  my divine legs, face, or lips on the Internet, so I won't. Except, maybe I'll go on one of my world famous (or at least, blog famous) tangents....right....now.....

Have I mentioned how extremely attractive--no--divinely attractive I am? I should be illegal. If Horus (a god whose story (birth, death, god-like acts) is eerily similar to that of Jesus') were around today, he would give up his day job of basking in the sun's rays and lapping up the adulation of his worshippers to take me out for a steak dinner at J. Alexander's just to lay his bird-eyes upon the magnificence of my countenance.

See what I did there? I shifted your thoughts with conceited proclamations that may or may not be true. I'm being suggestive. I should have a news network.

Anyway...outside the treacherous million mile deep pit of religious discussion, Zeitgeist is a movie that examines the acts of the government in our financial system, our international relations, and our very lives. Zeitgeist takes the well trodden road of revealing secret plots surrounding America's involvement in international wars like all documentaries of this type by suggesting government execution of sinister war maneuvers, exposing the ways in which presidents of years past have manipulated international relations to the point of inciting attacks on American soil, and just might succeed in causing anyone who comes across the film to fear any man that drinks his coffee from a solid gold cup in a Capitol Hill cafeteria.

The specifics of the film are important, and  Peter Joseph makes many good points, but I won't rehash the specifics here other than to state that the ideas presented in the film seem well researched and are presented in a less crackpot fashion than Michael Moore fare. My fear, however, with films of this type is that an impressionable mind (I possess one of those by the way, mine is just so amazing that it is impressionable for mere moments before my amazing research techniques and penchant for disbelief of anything and everything fed to me through screen mediums (screen mediums is what I call anything with a screen. I am speaking to you from a screen medium. Aren't I clever? And cute? Also, how do you like this parentheses within parentheses action? Want more of it? Too bad!) causes me to take everything I may have witnessed with a large hypertension inducing grain of salt) might just take the ideas presented in this film as truth and spew them with reckless abandon to even more impressionable minds, which would be a tragedy.

When I view a documentary like this it serves only to make me more vigilant, discerning and critical of a government that seems to be inept at best and purposely detrimental to American prosperity at worst with only their own gain in mind. With that said I charge you to view this film with an open intelligent mind, and then I challenge you not to hold it as your doctrine, not as your guide to secret American history, (although it would be a good conversation starter at a place like, oh...say the Republican National Convention since many of the politicians placed under a microscope in these films brandish an elephant on their festive buttons)  but use Zeitgeist as a proverbial fire to place under your complacent ass.

Ask questions of your government, cast blank stares at those who seem to think the federal government is full of well meaning, affable men who also happen to be bajillionaires who think of the rights, lifestyles and struggles of the poor and just-making-ends-meet that comprise the bulk of American society. I charge you to take off your blinders and be an active, question asking, letter writing, forward thinking person of this society, because your brainpower is needed and your efforts to be an active participant in the dealings of your government will be appreciated by the entitled yet lovable brats that will inherit this world.

About now, after reading this amazing mind blowing blog post, you're wondering why I titled this rant of epic and well written proportions "Today in documentaries I hadn't watched..." and the answer to that is, old creepy footage of dead eyed politicians doing bad stuff and images of the carnage of war and greed and hopelessness make me sad. Plus, it made me think. I'm an American, I don't like to think. Just kidding, I, like many Americans, love thinking. Yet I can admit that I like to spend my days enjoying lighter fare--however--the light stuff doesn't garner such long, well written and thought provoking posts like this. So thank gosh for documentaries that present palatable fear mongering!!!

In other news, have you seen Dark Knight Rises yet? If you haven't, don't. It was horrible.

Peacy Weacy!!

Low Battery, Low Energy, High Desire...

...To make an appearance two days in a row to make a stamp of consistent and real effort and devotion upon this blog.

This post shall be as paltry as yesterday's, but know that this emptiness refers to content not quality and consideration.

See you tomorrow, on the Monday of good intent. Do you think I'll show?

Wham Bam! Here I am Again!

I won't ask if you've missed me. I won't ask if you've come to my page time and time again in the last two months hoping that I've emerged from my two job hustle and posted more bombastic musings for your eyes to feast upon....

I won't ask you how to knit a paw print place mat, or ask you how to serve drinks to late night gamblers at a new Midwestern casino. (I now know how to do both of those things, yay me!) I won't ask you why my first post in two months is going to be horribly lame and underwhelming.

I will, however, ask you to stick with me, ingest my ramblings and make an informed decision about whether you will return tomorrow. I'm here to tell you that you will. If you know what's good for you!!

I work 10-6 tomorrow, and then I'll be here, slathering myself with wordplay juice or what I like to call H20 and I will dowse you with interesting tidbits straight from my grey matter. The important thing is, I'm back for real this time.

Hope you enjoyed the break!

Oh, and because a special someone enjoyed this picture, and to celebrate the fact that this dumb-dumb is not one of this year's disappointing presidential candidates, here's Rick Perry, doing what he does best.

Read more about this sausage muncher, here.

Guess who's got two jobs?

I do, you amazingly supportive readers! Stay tuned, after a 70 hour work week for which I am currently preparing, I am sure I will have the energy to write all about it here for all of you to enjoy!

I Hate to Do It, But....

.....Goshdarnit,

Is a.....

Well duh!! You might say. And to you who say that I say, "I know right?" But dammit all! I really wanted to see this film! I adore Juliet Lewis, like Drew Barrymore, I can stomach Ellen Page enough to watch a film about the very intriguing sport of Roller Derby, and I was excited to see a nice "Girl Power" film. Alas, it was as corny as an Ohio field, and almost as long, oh, and twice as boring.

Did it have some good moments? Yes. What movie doesn't? The Roller Derby scenes are exciting and fast-paced, some of the characters were amusing like the seldom seen Wilson brother's character Razor and Ellen Page's character Bliss' best friend Pash and coworker Birdman.

The problem is, the parts of this movie that fell short of being generally okay were horribly contrived. Everything was too simple. And corny. And everything got wrapped up in a cute little boring, linear, predictable, amateur bow.  A bow shooting laser beams of bore at everyone from atop a large pile of corn.

Man.

Movie snob! Yes, I am weird about movies. I pick them apart as I watch them, as I enjoy them, and when I am unable to find anything badly done, badly written, implausible; when I can safely say that a film is not laden with unbearable saccharine sweetness---I can deem it good.

However, it's all my opinion. Some people, those who like bad movies, might have loved Whip It!

Also, don't think I don't take into account the fact that I tend to gravitate toward darker fare, therefore a feel good Simple Simon film like Whip It! isn't my cup of tea in the first place. All I know is after being subjected to a five minute long scene of Bliss and her love interest doing synchronized swimming moves underwater while making out, I lost all interest and began wandering about my house doing some cleaning of all things, and eventually I ended up sitting in front of my laptop and writing a blog post about it in the last quarter of the movie.

So yeah. Cornfest Supreme. Stay away. Unless you like corn, in which case you should Netflix this film as fast as your fingertips allow!!


Peacy Weacy!!

Oh Gee I Just Laughed So Hard!!

Conan O'Brien on Zach Galifianakis' "Between Two Ferns" Hilarious.

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Conan O'Brien & Andy Richter from Between Two Ferns

Mind Blown On A Sunday Afternoon on this Burning Hot Rock We Call Earth!

Sitting here, drinking water and eating sunflower seeds...and having my mind blown by Through The Wormhole with Morgan Freeman. My mind is blown over the content, sure, but what's more, it's blown with contemplation of the subject of the Earth, planets and otherworldly lifeforms.

As the opening credits splashed across my screen I wondered if shows such as this are  reputable. Do they present ideas and theories that are well grounded and well researched or present the crackpot ideas of random people all over the world?

I began to question the authenticity and the credentials of the scientists that offered commentary on very abstract, nearly unfathomable theories about the galaxy, aliens, the Earth's history, etc. Is it worth my time to watch a show that is nothing but speculation? Is the show mere speculation? The possibilities for theoretical and logical pitfalls are endless, so I left my criticisms behind for an hour or so and simply watched with a clear mind.

The stereotypical photo of a wormhole associated with articles about space.

The show had a few segments, one part was about the different rocks found throughout the world indicating that over time, the Earth has undergone dramatic climate changes and been formed of myriad  materials that comprised a world that humans today could not have inhabited. Another part focused on how Alien lifeforms would look on different planets with different climates and offered speculation about what evolutionary characteristics they might possess. All the ideas presented in these segments, whether I scoffed at them or contemplated them, led me to start asking a few questions myself, and heeeeere they are!!

Isn't it a given that life exists on other planets? The Galaxy is just too large for us to assume that we are the only things breathing.

Isn't it true that any scientist's speculation about our planet and its relation to the vast stretch of space in which it revolves will never live long enough to see their predictions be proven fact?

Will any of us live to see any speculation of our own realized? The Earth changes slowly. Any natural resources or species or rock formations etc. that we lay eyes upon today took millions of years to form and get to its current state. We are living in a constantly morphing world. But it's a slow morph--or--the Earth changes too slowly for the span of most of our lifetimes.

Are there superior mechanical beings on other planets or gaining intelligence on our own? Oh no! Are we going to get The Terminator'd?

Is it possible that our Earth exists in an ideal state (being geomagnetic, mild and generally stable) that no other planet can boast and therefore we are the only beings in the entire Galaxy? Isn't the idea that we are here all alone a bit eerie?

Ahh planet Earth. Isn't she beautiful?

Or, what if what we call oxygen would kill a being from another planet? What if organisms on other planets survived on Neon or Fluorine or Krypton (except that the gases integral to their survival wouldn't even be called by these names since all of these words are made by natives of this Earth). So if other species are able to survive on other gases, that would mean that other species on other planets do not need oxygen to survive, and therefore any speculation about whether or not other planets have life on them shouldn't be contingent upon whether or not the planet has oxygen, or even water for that matter. What other planetary beings need to survive may not be what we as human beings of the planet Earth need to survive.


And here's the main most mind blowing question I asked myself....

What if the earth is extremely cold, and we just don't notice! Or for that matter, what if it's extremely hot? Think about it, if the Earth was really hot, we wouldn't know it because we are able to survive in this climate and are comfortable in it. Or to blow the mind a bit more, what if we are designed to endure both extremes incredibly well. What if the parts of the Earth that experience freezing cold winters  and snow etc. would be considered uninhabitable by anyone but us--and then even WE can't go running through the Siberian tundra in our skivvies! We live on a planet of crazy weather patterns, volcanic eruptions, boundless waters and shifting platelets. We are pretty amazing and bad ass for existing quite successfully in a world that is as beautiful as it is unpredictable, as comfortable as it is dangerous to our health.

And then, a segment came on about age, and my mind reeled in an entirely different direction! And another question arose!

Are we aware of how much we have evolved even within the span of a couple hundred years? Look at pictures of people from the period before 1950, for example. We don't really look like them physically, we're a lot cuter for one.We're definitely healthier and smarter. While your at it check out Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and see how far we've come in the realm of common sense and decency! We are not the people of that time, our ever increasing brain power has allowed us to make certain technological advances to ensure that we don't die from a cold or get wiped out by ruthless plagues, we are generally healthy and resilient. We have evolved. Trust that we aren't done. I'm glad I'll be pushing daises before I see what we turn into a thousand years down the line. That is, if the Earth doesn't combust before we can evolve past what I've deemed to be a human evolutionary trend toward shortness.

Are my sentences as confusing as I think they are? Perfect. It's good for you.

Anyway, just rambling really. None of these questions or ideas I've presented are particularly novel even though they are my own. The joy of thinking!

Peacy Weacy!!

The Social Network blew my mind right here.

I absolutely love this scene from The Social Network. Why? Is it the magnificent auditory treat of Trent Reznor's rendering of Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" (that's one of the reasons for sure, that remix was dramatic and unique and maintained the integrity of a classical masterpiece)? Was it the knife sharp cinematography? The image of handsome, strong, driven young men rowing their hearts out? Is it the way the scene symbolizes the the Winklevoss' struggle against Mark Zuckerberg that culminates in a devastating loss? Is it the otherworldy shine of the River Thames, bordered by the rich, successful and powerful spectators? Is it the commentary on a culture based around the potential to excel? Yes, all of these things made this scene so vivid to me.

The Social Network is a film that is flawed yet beautifully shot and scored by David Fincher and Trent Reznor respectively, and this scene is one of the films finest offerings. It reminds of why I wanted to be a film maker early in life. It is beautiful, artistic, and full of angst and emotion of the relatable sort. Enjoy the clip. I sure did.

Peacy Weacy!!

The First Addition to Prosepunk's Certified Corn List is...

Clubbed

A British stinker full of cliche's, implausibilities, comical death scenes, gaping plot holes, and downright cringe worthy corniness. No bueno.

This one is a....

You've been warned.

Laugh with me. Not a request, that was a demand.

A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever -- powered by Cracked.com

It's funny because it's true.


Found this at Cracked.com. Go pay them respects for posting such greatness.

There are movies one might view that may not exactly scream out for an Oscar nod but hold up as completely good and enjoyable filmmaking. One such movie is Kathryn Bigelow's 1995 film "Strange Days" (written by James Cameron whom I like more and more everyday. Avatar anyone?).

The movie stars the beautiful and always classy Angela Bassett and the smoldering Ralph Fiennes who boasts a great head of hair and an intensity that matches the sleazy other worldliness of the film. "Strange Days" depicts a unique and realistic future where the clock is ticking toward the year 1999, and the world is eerily messed up. Still.

There are no flying cars, no presentations of  higher human function and power, no drastic technological advances--no technological advances in the beneficial, wholesome vein, anyway. We are introduced to a new drug of choice; a piece of deviant technology called a SQUID device that commits a person's experiences directly from their cerebral cortex to a disc that is sold to any willing customer that wishes to live and experience a different existence or relive a particular memory. Make sense?

People become strung out on the SQUID so to speak, addicted to the varied experiences of others or in Ralph Fiennes' character Leonard Nero's case, addicted to the nostalgia inducing memories of time with his ex-girlfriend Faith played by the ever magnetizing Juliette Lewis.

Alongside this flashy display of humanity's ever enduring propensity for addiction and debauchery  exists the story of the slaying of a popular black public figure by racist cops that leads to a cover-up that if exposed could disrupt the entire foundation of an already shaky social climate. Strange Days shows a future laced with many of the same defects as the time in which the film was created, and the film handles it all the gritty simplicity that characterized a lot of films of that period.

My series on black women kicking butt in good films in good roles treats the woman as an integral and amazing part of the whole. I want to display movies that Hollywood got right, a film where the director present a strong black female character that is human above all else and not a slave to, or caricature of their pigment.

Angela Bassett's character Mace was complex, she fought to shed light on the cover-up while she pined for a man whose brain was fried with memories of a woman that no longer wanted him or even  possessed the very qualities that promoted his longing. Mace was beautiful and confident amidst a cast of flawed, well drawn characters who helped tell a story about race in a stark and memorable way.

So watch Strange Days. See a black woman help make cinematic gold and kick ass both literally and figuratively.

And the soundtrack rocks. It has Skunk Anansie on it!!!

You know I'm about to give you the discography!


Strange Days Motion Picture Soundtrack (1995)

1. Skunk Anansie – "Selling Jesus"
2. Lords of Acid – "The Real Thing"
3. Tricky – "Overcome"
4. Deep Forest – "Coral Lounge"
5. Strange Fruit – "No White Clouds"
6. Juliette Lewis – "Hardly Wait"
7. Me Phi Me/Jeriko One – "Here We Come"
8. Skunk Anansie – "Feed"
9. Prong/Ray Manzarek – "Strange Days"
10. Satchel – "Walk In Freedom"
11. Kate Gibson – "Dance Me to the End of Love"
12. Lori Carson/Graeme Revell – "Fall in the Light"
13. Deep Forest feat. Peter Gabriel – "While the Earth Sleeps"

Peacy Weacy!!

I HAVE RETURNED!! *Cue rolls of thunder and crying babies

Ya miss me?

I would promise to never stay away so long again, but you know what they say: promises are made by beautiful black women with heads full of words. Oh, is that not the expression?

Anyway, I don't have much to say on this gorgeous Wednesday evening. The sun is still shining outside, the weather has turned warm in this slow Ohio town, and I am sitting in a fleece robe staring at the screen of my phone as a person I don't want to talk to calls me. Fun!

Anyway, I was thinking about starting a new blog series that I won't  follow through on! This new one will be about films starring black women in interesting, non-stereotypical roles! Meaning, roles outside of a Tyler Perry film, roles that aren't in movies about baby daddy's, roles outside of films depicting the everyday foibles of some ne'er do well in the drug game, roles outside of movies about gang violence or  troubled relationships that involve any party that can be referred to as a "baby daddy" or "baby mama" etc. I want to speak about quality films starring black women in quality roles.

Why?

Well, first off I'm a black woman as I have stated many times on this blog and I enjoy watching positive female characters as a whole, so if they're hot and black and multi-dimensional, I'm in heaven! Second of all, I like movies! Don't you?

So come with me down this road that will taper off into nothing after one or two blog posts on the subject, join me in learning that black women can kick ass, be sought-after sex pots, or be superheroes that aren't named Storm.

I said join me! Do as your told.

My mac & cheese is about finished so I'm about to go devour it, but afterwards (or tomorrow) be ready to ingest some well worded mentions of films starring brown skinned female thespians that will knock your top hat asunder!

Peacy Weacy!!

Yes (Santigold, "Big Mouth") please.

Santigold rules. Loved her since Stiffed. Gonna have to do a post on her soon. But not today becaus I'm a lazy so and so.

Peacy Weacy.

Hey, how about a little peak into my day?

Not much going on….however, I am enjoying season 1 of Shameless (U.S.) right now.

Multi-cultural cast
Steamy scenes of intimate bliss
Eye candy by the bowlful

Most importantly, it’s damned entertaining and pretty well-written. It's a bonafide adult show that takes a unique look at a dysfunctional family complete with that gritty tinge that all paid-movie channel original series have.

Nice Thursday off!

Peacy Weacy

2 Blog Posts in one Day?

Yes, but it's short, sweet and random.

So, I decided to turn off the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton flick "Faster" the moment the one couple got married and then went to shoot at bottles in the desert with their wedding clothes on. Gimme a corny break. I mean, corn city.

I don't know what I'm like that with movies. I mean, certain things just turn me off so bad and usually it's such a miniscule thing. I never wanted to see Faster in the first place but it's playing on one of my movie channels right now so I happened to catch quite a bit of it. Sure, it was pretty bad, but nothing made me scramble for my remote until that damn couple.

It's like, bad characterization. So anyway I was barely paying attention to the movie, I was writing and such, but it's not that complex so I could glean most of the details and with minimal attention you know, but as I understand it, The Rock's character's brother got killed by bad guy that *insert villainous gimmick here* and now that Rock character is out for blood!

The police played by a drug addicted Billy Bob and an ever oh-so-coolCarla Gugino are looking for Rock's character who I'll just call Rock from here on out because he killed some people, I think. But anyway there's this couple in the movie and one can tell they're a BAD to the BONE racing car couple that lives on the wild side!

So they have a small wedding, after which I'm presented with a scene of them shooting cans in the desert, her in her wedding dress and him in his tux. No thanks. Just beat me over the head with it why dontcha? Ever heard of subtelty?

And Billy Bob, what the hell? Do you just take every role offered to you? I know the money's good so listen, I won't hate that bad, but where's your darkness gone, man? You used to be striking!

Anyway. Check the labels. This is just a rant. Great grammar does not apply. Nor does sense, or having a point.

Now for some How It's Made.


Peacy Weacy!

Off to work!

It's 6:48 am, and it's a new day! I've thrown misery to the wind, though I'm sure I'll meet that cold bastard again, and am here this bright new morning to present to you one of the bands that powered me through college, Pitty Sing. Their music is hard to find outside of youtube, as are their albums, however, anything is possible. Maybe this video and song will light a little fire under your patootie to get out there and listen to some quality.

So here it is, Fallen by Pitty Sing. Catch their short but rad discography down below as well!






Discography:

Pitty Sing (2005)
Demons You Are the Stars In Cars Til I Die (2004)

Eat it up!

Peacy Weacy!

Hello there misery

January 9th
2012
Misery came and slid itself
Twirled around my psyche
Leave me in the abysmal dark
Reach me in the searing light
Distance travelled in mental strides
A vortex of thought
Sound of mind

Hello there person of the future!

Welcome to 2012, wow, I accidentally typed 2011 instead of 2012 back there. Isn't that hilarious? Especially when you consider the fact that this post is being made with the New Year in mind.

So, anyway, welcome person of the future, you person who exists in the time depicted in movies like the horrible 2012, the very good I Am Legend, you.

Come join me and celebrate the arrival of 2012 by doing something very 1900's; peruse this list of sci-fi books including one that takes place in 2012 and consider reading them. You know, reading, the amazing thing you're doing right now! Isn't it fun?!

1.

Future History by Robert Heinlein- Can't go wrong with Heinlein and this story is set in 2012!

2.

Moon Fall by Jack McDevitt. I love McDevitt and his books are quality sci-fi that have a diverse cast of characters!! Deeeelish!

3.

Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. Amazing! A complex plot and style, strong imagery, and an alien starship with a cylindrical sea? Gimme more. But when I got more, it was effing Rama II. I'm not even linking to that book. Stay away. The WORST sequel since Son of the Mask which I didn't even need to watch to know it was horrific. Gosh Rama II is horrible. For shame Arthur C. Clarke! You're lucky Rendezvous with Rama was a masterpiece because if it hadn't been I would've shown up at your house and commanded you to go on a Rama II burning crusade during which I would force you to find every copy of Rama II in the world, collect them and bring them to a location of my choosing where we would toss them all into a raging fire.

Plus, Mr. Clarke, you could always blame it on Gentry Lee. Ooooh horrible.

4.

Ancient Shores by Jack McDevitt- I told you Jack McDevitt was good, because this one is bombastic as well. Pow!


5.

Ender's Game--The ending obliterated my mind. A satisfying book. Just really good, man! Ender rocks.



So eat those up and let me know how they taste, sweet thangs.


Peacy Weacy!!


P.S.

Yeah I called you all sweet thangs.