January 17, 2005
Colonials and Natives, and other stories
As I limber up for the next wave of long posts, some recommendations:
1. A finely honed volley of invective spat at the Royal Idiot by Philip Mind. (btw, doesn't the phrase 'Colonial and Natives' invite you to imagine an early 80s New Romantic band somewhere between Heaven 17 and Spandau Ballet? Or maybe the title of a missing track from Simple Minds' 'Empire and Dance'?) Course, ulimately, Harry is to be congratulated, on the grounds that anything which subtracts credibility from the monarchy must be enthusiastically welcomed.
2. 9 Ccru datastreams recovered from k-space oblivion at Sagittipotent.
3. Marcello excellent on AI. Most of the posters at alt.movies.kubrick were dismissive of Spielerg's claim to be 'completing' a Kubrick film, though, as MC suggests, the film does have real SK moments. The opening section, up until the point where David is expelled from the family, and the end section, in which David is reunited with a simulation-reincarnation of his 'mother', have always struck me as particularly powerful. Of the middle section, with Jude Law, the less said the better (only the Teddy Bear - much more lifelike than Jude - makes this uh bearable). The appearance of aliens onscreen was pure Spielberg (difficult to imagine Kubrick countenancing THAT).
4. The current Sea-themed edition of Cabinet magazine. Haven't come across this before, but some gratifyingly intelligent and erudite pieces, including 'The Sunset Coast' by Michael Bracewell, on the vulgar sublimity of the English seaside:
'A little further south from Heysham village, the coastal flatlands known as Middleton Sands still house the ruins of the old Pontins holiday camp — its ranks of derelict guest chalets grouped around a main building that was designed to resemble, and included original fittings from, an ocean liner. With the slogan "Cruising on Dry Land", this Pontins camp was typical of its era - the post-war, early Pop era of British holiday camps, the dawn of bottled colas, teenagers, and the Twist.
Visited now, the place has all the bewitching, elegiac charm of any Gothic ruin; the paint is peeling on the dry-docked liner with its scarlet-and-black funnels; the BMX cycle track is cracked with weeds. What remains is a ghost of the first Pop age and the golden years of the coastal holiday from the daily routine of work and family.'
5. The Aviator. Capitalism and Schizophrenia. War and cinema. Make sure you don't miss the opportunity to experience this sumptuous spectacle in the cinema. Scorsese at the peak of his powers. A long post here on this soon.
Posted by mark at January 17, 2005 01:01 AM | TrackBack