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The Dekalog
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 1381
So following a Nicholas Cage film-fest, in which I watched "Vengeance" - by Joyce Carol Oates (Never, ever, read her. Even if the book is 10 times as good as the movie it's just not worth it), "Raising Arizona", and "Con-Air" and "Face / Off" - I mean, I did some research, but if either of those last 2 movies are on your list of "10 Best Movies starring...." then your career's gone down the toilet. That said, "Raising Arizona" was good, and the scene where he gets punched in the car - the expression - well, it's pure Nicholas Cage. And "Face / Off" starts good, Nicholas being Nicholas, but falls apart pretty shortly thereafter, John Travolta is no worthy foil in the end, and, really, the only reason to watch a Nicholas Cage movie is to watch Nicholas being Nicholas, so just let him off the leash and lets get on with it, shall we?
Anyways, it's been a while and I wanted to revisit some more intelligent film-making. So I began to re-watch "The Dekalog" by Krzysztof Kieślowski (Red, White and Blue, La Double Vie de Veronique). It's been a while. And it holds up even better than ever - the small, insignificant, unrecognized ordinary miracles, no frame, word out of place, yet every scene is a masterpiece - the reality, economy of the dialogue, the subtle hints and symbols, it's a masterpiece in episodes - one by one or all together. And maybe now - being older, I'm getting more out of it because I can bring more to it, but, sorry Nicholas, this is film-making, this is acting.
Link: Wikipedia on The Dekalog (warning: Spoilers - just download it!)
Rediscovering Karl Pilkington
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Audio & Podcasts
- Hits: 1518
So, when I've had enough of Melvyn Bragg and the intelligent conversation I go looking for other things to fill the quietude.
Return to the ever patient Karl Pilkington...
Discover: Karl Pilkington's Amazing Science - Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv4-vHtWwz0
I mean, it takes a perverse form of Genius to see things the way he does, and to persist in the face of Ricky Gervais (The most annoying laugh ever) and Stephen Merchant's intolerable baiting and derision. And - to make matters worse - occasionally he gets matters right, or close enough, but they're having none of it. Absolutely hilarious.
The Owl House
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Ideas & Questions
- Hits: 1393
Another example of Outsider Art, the curious "art" created by people for reasons unbeknownst to others, for no reason other than the simple joy of creation.
I rather love the creepy doll...
Melvyn Bragg - In Our Time
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Audio & Podcasts
- Hits: 1431
A new podcast (to me, it's been around forever), interesting, the irritable and generally not-as-well informed host directs a panel of experts on a variety of topics in which he has a skirting familiarity and virtually no expertise. Interesting, but for the guests one has the feeling that if just let off the leash they would lead you down much more scenic roads to more verdure pastures of thought. But at the moment it's just the background noise of more intelligent conversation that sucks me in...
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