Blade Runner (some thoughts)

Blade Runner is such a beautiful and controversial film, and so much has been said about it, that I don't have too much left to say. However, since it serves as a model for sci-fi today, there is nothing lost in discussing it.

First, props to the amazing setting and cinematography. The film looks fresh even today (though perhaps that's the result of my watching the Director's Cut), as do the special effects and the creation of humanity's future dystopian society.

Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a blade runner, or an assassin of highly advanced robots called replicants which only have four-year life spans and are illegal on earth. Though he is retired, when four of them come to earth--Zhora, Pris, Roy, and Leon--Deckard is reenlisted to find and "retire" them.

The dystopian world is portrayed beautifully, and the Voight-Kampff tests are especially creepy and effective in breaking down the walls between human and android--because that is the main question the film poses: what exactly does it mean to be human?

Rachel (Sean Young) is the ultimate example of the blurry definition of humanity. She appears and acts human, and it takes 100+ questions in the Voight-Kampff test for Deckard to determine that she is a replicant. There is even room for speculation about whether or not Deckard is a replicant. My one compaint regarding the Rachel-Rick relationship is that though I understand that Rachel didn't know how to express her love, I could have done without the psuedo-rape scene.

The film is rich in depth and complexity as the replicants struggle to sort out their feelings. They are torn between killing to stay alive and feeling sympathetic towards humans; they don't know how to love, and struggle to express it. They question what they are--human or machine--and this confusing transience causes them to lash out in violent and unpredictable ways.

I also appreciated the appropriate characterizations in such a dystopian society; many archetypes are flipped in their heads. Deckard, the hero, is an anti-hero; he's is billed as a hard-boiled cop, but most of the time he's just running for his life and has no clue what to do. Roy, such a great villain because of his creepy unpredictability and complex motivations, does an inexplicably good thing at the end of his life.

The largest problem with the film is the pacing. There are bursts of action followed by long stretches of noir film homage, shady alleys and Ford looking appropriately pensive doing "deep thinking"; after its release, this complaint proved to be the largest, so I don't want to hear adults talking about how "us kids now-a-days don't have no attention span."

Apparently in the original version there were much larger problems, such as voice-overs towards the end explicitly stating Deckard's feelings during the somber final scene, in an attempt to "simplify" and broaden the audience i.e. an Explanation Included For All Those Stupid Americans Because They Obviously Won't Get It, or rather a last-ditch attempt to make the film more popular. There is also a scene included of Rachel and Deckard cruising on a gorgeously sunny road, a sharp and inappropriate contrast to the truly dark end of the tale where Deckard's former blade-running mate, Gaff (who communicates primarily through origami) leaves a paper swan at Deckard's apartment, which can be interpreted two ways--he is letting Deckard flee with Rachel and turning a blind eye, or he is letting Deckard know that he will be following them.

There is so much ambiguity in the film, echoing the cold amorality of the world and of the protagonist, that it's a wonder anything was created that can be taken in so many ways; and therein lies the true beauty of Blade Runner.

-elln

Elln's Top Ten April '09

There's a ton of fun stuff in the mix for April and probably a little bit of something for everyone. There's also a tie this month for best album cover. On one hand we've got the wonderfully trippy Peplab Drive cover, and on the other the fantastically sexual Louis XIV's The Best Little Secrets Are Kept (I could have posted the toned-down cover, which basically cuts off the lady's butt...but come on. We all have butts. It's not anything new.)


1. "Beautiful People"/Peplab- this song is purely addictive fun. It's electronic with some sunny guitars and a little latin flavor provided by shakers, not to mention a touch of acid. The refrain is simple and easy with thinly-veiled drug references; this is the perfect song for a day in the sun.

2. "The Way She Said"/Velour-This is pop music at its best. The words may not be amazing, but the rhymes flow so nicely that, well, whatever. The tight rhythms and pared-down melody are catchy-it's a laid-back tune perfect for a lazy day.

3. "Skinny Love"/Bon Iver-There's a special place in my heart for melancholy acoustic folk, but it's hard to reach. Bon Iver does it perfectly here, with sparse instrumentation and words that could be straight from a poem. The effect resonates powerfully.

4. "Staring at the Sun"/TV on the Radio-TVotR is one of the most diverse groups around, so it's hard to pin them as one thing or another. "Staring at the Sun" is a catchy little gem, with their typical howling lyrics, buzzing guitars, and minimalist snare.

5. "Maybe Tomorrow"/Stereophonics-I love Stereophonics to death, but apart from Kelly Jones' vocals nothing in this song is very grungy. Their usual raw power has been exchanged for a much smoother, laid-back, pop-rock sound, and I really dig it. The lyrics are simple but piercing, the way Oasis' lyrics usually are.

6. "Where Is My Mind?"/Pixies-The Pixies are hit-or-miss with me since I don't always enjoy Black Francis' screaming or off-kilter lyrics. But here the Pixies really sound like Radiohead; they open with an acoustic guitar and then add heavy, buzzing guitars. I like the lyrics, too, they're spacey; "Where Is My Mind" could be a modern indie rock song.

7. "When Did Your Heart Go Missing?"/Rooney-they've become very popular very fast, the reason being that Rooney produces addictive throw-back rock. When I first heard this song, I thought it was from the 80's. Anyway, Robert Schwartzman's (he's the guy from The Princess Diaries) LA roots come through very clearly in a song that's less about (shallow) heartbreak and more about an uber-catchy rhythm.

8. "Superstylin'"/Groove Armada- Reggae meets dance-floor electronica in this infectious mix by the masters of such style. Groove Aramada has been around forever, and has been experimenting forever, and they hit the mark more often than not.

9. "Streetlights"/Bloomsday Rising-They'll never be great unless they mature or do something a little more creative, but "Streetlights" is a catchy enough and nice enough rock effort to be worth mentioning (since most mainstream rock sucks now-a-days). I personally think they're too melancholy and should write more upbeat stuff, but the balance of heavy power-chords and Phil Lang's rich vocals which walk the fine line of grating but manage to eke out on the side of pleasant come together nicely.

10. "Paper Doll"/Louis XIV-If you can abide very, very dirty and explicit lyrics (dirtier, in some ways, than rap, which at least gives us the courtesy of euphemisms) then you're in for a real treat. Louis XIV creates absolutely addictive glam rock; they're even one of David Bowie's favorite modern bands.

-elln

The Kings of Leon's ONLY BY THE NIGHT

It’s true the Kings of Leon have come a long way since the deep Southern rock of debut album Youth and Young Manhood in 2003, and fourth album Only by the Night, released September 2008, showcases all of those changes. The three Followill brothers and their cousin grew up musically sheltered, and have only recently discovered post-punk, arena rock, and alternative rock. These influences live and breathe in Only by the Night.
Opening “Closer” sports an electronic synthesizer reminiscent of psychedelic rock and dream pop, weaving in and out of post-punk inspired guitars. Caleb’s wounded vocals and aimless, melancholy tone come straight from indie rock. It’s also clear that Caleb’s lyricism has become more sophisticated and moved away from Youth and Young Manhood’s raw sexuality and focus on—in a word—women.
“Crawl” comes from the school of British grunge such as Oasis and Blur, with the buzzing guitars of alternative garage rock and an equally swaggering bass line. “Sex on Fire” is pure, polished rock, and the album’s most successful single. “Use Somebody” is possibly the best song on the album, and Caleb’s layered, echoing voice is taken straight from Bono and the arena rockers. “Manhattan” is laid back rock, with a particularly sunny, stirring bass line.
“Revelry” is a true return to Southern rock roots and country, and certainly an album highlight. “17” and “Notion” are continuations of this trend, though less country and more rock with some nice bells added at the opening. “I Want You” returns to alternative sound, placing much less emphasis on guitars and relying much more heavily on drums and bass. “Be Somebody” is a strange little experimental creature, and we finish off with the almost-indie ballad “Cold Desert,” a lyrical masterpiece whose words read like poetry.
One can easily identify the Kings’ influences, but it’s tough to label them like anyone else. They create a masterful blend of rock taken to new places in an era when no one thought it possible.
If rock is going in any direction, this is it.

-elln

ADVENTURELAND

Imagine Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist ten times better, and then cross it with American Graffitti and you get Adventureland.

It's the '80's, and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) is off to Columbia grad school in the fall. He's due for a tour of Europe this summer with his yuppie-nerd future roommate when James' father loses his job and James is forced to take a job at the local amusement park in Pittsburgh, Adventureland. His employers are the delightfully bossy and ever-pragmatic Bobby (Bill Hader) and his wife Paulette (Kristen Wiig). James quickly falls in with the cynical Joel (Martin Starr), a Russian literature major, and reluctantly reunites with childhood livewire friend Frigo (Matt Bush). Then fellow employee Em (Kristen Stewart) saves James from a knifing by an angry park-goer, and James' summer takes off as he enter a world of drinking, smoking, and finding true love. But as James is falling for Em, he has no idea that she's sleeping with married maintenance guy Connell (Ryan Reynolds), and notorious flirt Lisa P (Margarita Levieva) may be after James' heart as well.

This movie is so far above and beyond the average romantic comedy that it's hard to describe everything it does right. I'll start with the humor. It's not over-the-top like Superbad, it doesn't try to hammer you over the head, and yet I was laughing out loud more than once. It takes all the typical amusement park tripe (kids throwing up, food being inedible, a running "giant-ass Panda" gag) and breathes life and

every day humor into them. Then there's snarky deadpan comic timing from Joel, as well as the absolutely insane Frigo's physical comedy antics (like ruining a moment between James and Em by peeing on Em's window from outside). Even the camera angles and composition play to the humor, such as showing Joel's little brother mowing the lawn and then panning to reveal why the mowing is such a problem-it's because Joel and James are trying to have a serious conversation and the lawn is literally 2x2 feet.

Then there's the awesome, awesome soundtrack, featuring songs by Lou Reed/The Velvet Underground, David Bowie, The Cure, The New York Dolls, and original music from alt rockers Yo La Tengo.

What really makes this coming-of-age story shine is how real it is, and the depth of the characters. Em and James aren't the only characters given development. When Joel has his heart broken, we realize that he's not there just to be the dark, gloomy, doomed-to-a-hell-that-is-Pittsburgh comic relief-he's real, and his life sucks. Connell is a Lothario-like musician who "once played with Lou Reed" (though it's hinted at multiple times in the movie that this is a lie) whose mystique and enigma are gradually peeled away to reveal not an advice-doling older brother figure to James, but a shallow womanizer who could care less about the people he sleeps with.
Em is dealing with the tragedy of having lost her mother two years ago, and now putting up with her horrible stepmother and less-than-proactive father. While I'm generally not a fan of Kristen Stewart, I will admit that she played a great Emotional Wreck here (though it'd be great if she could stop pulling her hair out all the time). Em came off as greatly unstable and insecure, but also as a beautiful, kind, and intelligent soul.

Jesse Eisenberg played one of the most adorable male leads I've ever seen. I've never understood why people like Michael Ceras so much because his characters are often incredibly flat or spineless-this is not the case with Eisenberg. He's endearing and charming and brave and sweet and funny. Win win win!

Anyway, you've got to hand it to a movie that portrays real life, true day-to-day antics, this well and with this much humor, heart, and sympathy.





Masterpiece.

-elln