clark kentism (on the topic of BSG, GTA 4, and other exciting acronyms)
so there are little things i've wanted to think on, mull over, and reevaluate on here. however, with an increasing sense of ADD and interest in not writing the encyclopedia of mind-emptying rants i've already expressed on these topics, i feel it can be nothing short of disappointing.
over the last couple months, i've become a hardcore fan of both "Lost" and "Battlestar Galactica" - the former a show i always avoided because of the hype and just to annoy my friend Fernando, the latter a show i avoided because of the serious consequences of liking a show called "Battlestar Galactica", along with its corny, campy 1980 sci-fi baggage planted deeply in what i'd like to call...the Nerdcore.
but clearly, i have been wrong. in the quest to replace the emptiness and sorrow in my soul that "The Wire" filled for the better part of the last 3 years (6 if you're being technical), i was searching for anything well written, well shot, and well, not broken. it's so easy to jump aboard a show when it first starts. you get in at the lobby level and ride it to the top...if it's good. coming in on anything at Season Four, as i did with both Lost and BSG, is not only risky but downright guaranteed to prove the JUMP THE SHARK theory. i caught up quickly, season by season, on each show, like i've done in the past with shows like "24".
problem is, by the time i caught up and invested my time, commitment, and interest in 24's first five seasons, i got dropped into a kiddy pool of vomit, stupidity, and liquid poo we call Season Six. for those not initiated, Season 6 of 24 is probably the most unoriginal, rehashed, badly plotted example of a show resting on its laurels since Season 3 of "Ghostwriter".
or "Extreme Ghostbusters" for that matter. yeah! i said it! (what is it with ghost programs blowing?)
so, nonetheless, that's why i was skeptical to catch up to Season 4 of both respective programs. there's no way this can be good, both have to have betrayed something intrinsic to the spirit of their rep. long story short, both are fucking amazing. while i was an immediate convert to Lost fandom, BSG's first season, i felt, was spotty. i told myself i would give it the benefit of the doubt, shrugging obvious filler episodes as a "show finding itself". by the last 6 or 7 episodes of season 1, i was hooked. and after much consideration, i think the turning point rested in 2 aspects: the music and a little man named Gaius FRAKKIN' Baltar!
music in Lost and BSG is indelible.
where Lost's composer, Michael Giacchino, injects a brand of mystery score (Twin Peaks, X-Files mainstays), classic overture (Jaws, the Medal of Honor & Mercenaries video games), and delicate piano work, Lost keeps becoming deeper and more intertwined in classic adventure score and contemporary experimental movements (further down the rabbit hole, if you will). if you listen carefully, you can draw connections to so many hallmark movie scores, especially those of John Williams. the exploration theme of Lost (i.e. when any number of characters are going on a quest of getting their asses kicked) is modeled almost exactly on that cat-and-mouse piece in "Jaws" when Quint, Brody, and Hooper are in the middle of nowhere on the bobber that is Quint's boat.
and i think making those certain connex helps a viewer appreciate Lost for not only what it's trying to do with the genre but how it's placing one's emotional commitment in a familiar place, with a definite musical frame of reference to "Jaws", "Indiana Jones", "Psycho" and any Bernard Herrmann/Hitchcock combination (Kate's theme). and that's just the tip of the iceberg. in terms of source music, connecting any character to familiar pop music (like Charlie and his Oasis-like flashbacks) makes them instantly accessible without unnecessary further explanation.
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GTA 4 looks amazing. i read an early review on IGN that is declaring it the best video game in 10 years, since the excellent "Ocarina of Time". they might be right, we'll find out next tuesday.
here--> http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/869/869381p1.html
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jason henley, curtis thompson, and i are judging the Towson Media Arts Festival all next week. i'm excited to see student films - 99.9% blow chode, but i'll say there's nothing more inspiring to actually do YOUR OWN movie than watching a lot of missteps, unfulfilled potential and hope, and squirrelly technical knowledge. plus, there's always 2 or 3 gems that i really become a groupie whore about. mmmm, should be a nice experiment.
Greggles from Alcatraz. Out!
over the last couple months, i've become a hardcore fan of both "Lost" and "Battlestar Galactica" - the former a show i always avoided because of the hype and just to annoy my friend Fernando, the latter a show i avoided because of the serious consequences of liking a show called "Battlestar Galactica", along with its corny, campy 1980 sci-fi baggage planted deeply in what i'd like to call...the Nerdcore.
but clearly, i have been wrong. in the quest to replace the emptiness and sorrow in my soul that "The Wire" filled for the better part of the last 3 years (6 if you're being technical), i was searching for anything well written, well shot, and well, not broken. it's so easy to jump aboard a show when it first starts. you get in at the lobby level and ride it to the top...if it's good. coming in on anything at Season Four, as i did with both Lost and BSG, is not only risky but downright guaranteed to prove the JUMP THE SHARK theory. i caught up quickly, season by season, on each show, like i've done in the past with shows like "24".
problem is, by the time i caught up and invested my time, commitment, and interest in 24's first five seasons, i got dropped into a kiddy pool of vomit, stupidity, and liquid poo we call Season Six. for those not initiated, Season 6 of 24 is probably the most unoriginal, rehashed, badly plotted example of a show resting on its laurels since Season 3 of "Ghostwriter".
or "Extreme Ghostbusters" for that matter. yeah! i said it! (what is it with ghost programs blowing?)
so, nonetheless, that's why i was skeptical to catch up to Season 4 of both respective programs. there's no way this can be good, both have to have betrayed something intrinsic to the spirit of their rep. long story short, both are fucking amazing. while i was an immediate convert to Lost fandom, BSG's first season, i felt, was spotty. i told myself i would give it the benefit of the doubt, shrugging obvious filler episodes as a "show finding itself". by the last 6 or 7 episodes of season 1, i was hooked. and after much consideration, i think the turning point rested in 2 aspects: the music and a little man named Gaius FRAKKIN' Baltar!
music in Lost and BSG is indelible.
where Lost's composer, Michael Giacchino, injects a brand of mystery score (Twin Peaks, X-Files mainstays), classic overture (Jaws, the Medal of Honor & Mercenaries video games), and delicate piano work, Lost keeps becoming deeper and more intertwined in classic adventure score and contemporary experimental movements (further down the rabbit hole, if you will). if you listen carefully, you can draw connections to so many hallmark movie scores, especially those of John Williams. the exploration theme of Lost (i.e. when any number of characters are going on a quest of getting their asses kicked) is modeled almost exactly on that cat-and-mouse piece in "Jaws" when Quint, Brody, and Hooper are in the middle of nowhere on the bobber that is Quint's boat.
and i think making those certain connex helps a viewer appreciate Lost for not only what it's trying to do with the genre but how it's placing one's emotional commitment in a familiar place, with a definite musical frame of reference to "Jaws", "Indiana Jones", "Psycho" and any Bernard Herrmann/Hitchcock combination (Kate's theme). and that's just the tip of the iceberg. in terms of source music, connecting any character to familiar pop music (like Charlie and his Oasis-like flashbacks) makes them instantly accessible without unnecessary further explanation.
-----
GTA 4 looks amazing. i read an early review on IGN that is declaring it the best video game in 10 years, since the excellent "Ocarina of Time". they might be right, we'll find out next tuesday.
here--> http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/869/869381p1.html
-----
jason henley, curtis thompson, and i are judging the Towson Media Arts Festival all next week. i'm excited to see student films - 99.9% blow chode, but i'll say there's nothing more inspiring to actually do YOUR OWN movie than watching a lot of missteps, unfulfilled potential and hope, and squirrelly technical knowledge. plus, there's always 2 or 3 gems that i really become a groupie whore about. mmmm, should be a nice experiment.
Greggles from Alcatraz. Out!