Halloween Countdown (Day 17: Shamone)

I mentioned the following short film/music video in the first blog entry, as I thought it would be a fun choice to write about. Not to mention that it doesn't take long to watch, so it would make room to watch something else afterwards. Oh yes, there will be spoilers......and Michael Jackson, if you needed warning beforehand.

If you've never seen this short film (and I'm pretty sure most people haven't), here you go.

Okay, WHY did you pick this movie?

Besides the fact that it's short, as I mentioned in the aforementioned blog entry, I'm a fan of Michael Jackson's music. Regardless of what you thought of the man, or even if you didn't like his music, his music videos were inventive, creative, and memorable. Except this longform music video, with a story written by MJ himself and Stephen King. I did not make that up.

While I did enjoy the music, which contained the songs "2 Bad" (from the "HIStory" double album), "Is It Scary" and "Ghosts" (from the odds and sods/remix album "Blood On The Dancefloor: HIStory In The Mix"), the film itself was underwhelming, easily forgettable, and it didn't look that impressive in terms of choreography, set design, costumes, special effects, and story.

And now.....

It's still poor, but now the only thing I will remember it for, and this is going to sound bad, are the references to the child molestation charges and MJs view of the media in relation to this. This movie came out a couple of years after the charges and court case, so MJs career and reputation were hit badly. So this was an effort to reclaim his former glory with a longform music video that he probably thought the public thought would eat up.

Of course, it didn't turn out that way. The story is heavy with references to the "witch hunt" he endured during the case, as represented by the "angry mob". Which is a loose term, as it seems like the only one to get him is the mob leader (who you soon figure out who is behind the bad prosthetic make up), a group of cowardly parents, and their kids. The reason for this lynch mob because some of the parents found out from the kids what the reclusive MJ was doing to them in his mansion.....it's telling ghost stories.

So the mob leader confronts MJ about his weird behaviour and asks him to leave. He asks the rest of the mob whether they want him to leave, especially the kids, as he also asks them did they like that thing that he does, with the, you know.....I'm just paraphrasing here, but this the problem I had with it. The dialogue could easily be misinterpreted for comedic effect, thanks to the allegations MJ was faced with in real life. This doesn't do a good job in making the viewer forget that.

You'd think this is special FX, but then again, with all the plastic surgery over the years.....

Even if you took away the allegation charges and his "unique" fondness of children (read into that whatever you will), "Ghosts" is filled with many characteristics of his previous music videos, that it comes off as a parody, but nobody told MJ the joke.

The admiration the children have for him, the outlandish dance numbers, the pauses for silence and ambiance, mixed in with clicking fingers, and MJ screaming "hhhhhoooooooooo" every now and then, it just gets old very quickly. And because of the length of this video, it gets really, really boring. Especially when the dance numbers seem uninspired, and any attempts at humour (such as getting the mob leader to dance a la Wacko Jacko) just fall flat.

Mind you, I would love to have seen a "hooo-down" between MJ and Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

The movie can be summed up like this: angry mob go into mansion, MJ holds them hostage, ghosts start dancing around, scaring and amusing the crowd, MJ does his Jesus Christ pose in the middle of it, mob leader runs away. The end. Now, that's fair enough, and while it may not be the most intriguing or interesting of plot lines in a MJ video, it'll have to do. But it takes FOREVER to go through this dull Thriller wannabe mixed with a Disney haunted house.

There's too many breaks between songs and during them, the effects are nothing amazing visually, and there's nobody of any interest within the crowd, except focus on the mob leader and some ginger kid who I'm not sure even has a name. As for the rest of the mob and their children, they just stand there looking scared/bewildered/entertained, and you keep asking yourself why aren't they making a break for it by smashing one of the many windows in a hall.

As for the music, while I do like the individual songs, I just don't think they had the potential to be as memorable as the likes of "Thriller", "Bad", or "Smooth Criminal", even without the accompanying longform videos. So with a handful of, let's face it, album fillers, mixed with a generic, used up concept, "Ghosts" doesn't so much as scare you to death, but bore you to death.

And on a final note.....

While "Blood On The Dancefloor" was an unusual collection of remixes and new tracks, two of which appeared on "Ghosts", it also included this peculiar MJ track, which I really liked, especially the industrial rock feel to it, which would be reflective of my musical taste in years to come.

Halloween Countdown (Day 11: Living Dead)

I am tired. I really am. I feel like I'm running on empty this week. A combination of work, lack of sleep, and stress has left me feeling a bit worse for wear, physically and mentally, cliched as that statement is. Which is a pretty good excuse to tone down on the number of entries, as in all fairness, I'm the only one that reads them.

But then I got some inspiration. Last night I was having problems with copying music onto iTunes, so that left me in a bit of a pissy humour going to bed, and the following morning. After a long day and a lot on my mind, I checked my computer again, and everything seems to be working fine. So that cheered me up at least.

So with that in mind, it gave me an idea for a Halloween themed blog entry that involved music. I know it's not entirely movie related, but to be fair, watching a film (90-120 mins) and writing about it (which could take 2-3 hours, which does incorporate mini-breaks which are used to do on the spot editing, as I don't have time to do drafts), it does take a fair bit of time.

So I needed something that could at least stay true to the theme in hand, while taking a break from the cinematic side. Plus something that wouldn't take up most of the free time I rarely have these days. And hey, I need to have a little bit of fun. So I am going to do what I haven't done in many, many years; make a mixtape. Albeit an online one. I aimed for a 60 minute time limit, with 30 minutes for each "side". The sides are as follows:

Side 1: tracks that range from hard rock to cheese.
Side A: tracks that range from soundtracks to odd pieces of music.

Why "Side 1" and "Side A"? I got the inspiration from "The Melvins", where they have some vinyl singles that do this, most likely for the laugh. And I know some of these tracks may not really be considered "horror" material, but I was just going with the flow, picking songs out of my brain that I thought would seem appropriate

SIDE 1

Side 1 Track 1: "I, Zombie" - White Zombie
Appropriate opener, considering the fact that it was the title of the last blog entry.

Side 1 Track 2: "Scream" - The Misfits
Gotta include something from The Misfits, what with the ghoul make up and all.

Side 1 Track 3: "I Love To Say Fuck" - Murderdolls
This song was originally by lead singer Wednesday 13's original band "Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13". I just like the production value on this version.

Side 1 Track 4: "Dream Warriors" by Dokken
How could I not put this bit of cheese on there? Plus it's the theme song from my favourite "Elm St" film.

Side 1 Track 5: "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr.
It was either this or "Thriller".

Side 1 Track 6: "Black Sabbath" - Black Sabbath
In the 60's a band called "Earth", after watching a Boris Karloff movie in the cinema, noted that people pay money to see scary movies. They came up with the idea of doing something similar with music. And thus, Black Sabbath came into being, and is responsible for almost the majority of my CD collection, in terms of influence.

SIDE A

Side A Track 1: "Halloween Theme Tune" - John Carpenter
.....why do you think I put this on here?

Side A Track 2: " It Took The Night To Believe" - Sunn O)))
The music is unsettling enough as it is. And they perform onstage to blinding amounts of dry ice, covered in black cloaks, and playing to room shuddering decibels.

Side A Track 3: "The Downward Spiral" - Nine Inch Nails
On an album filled with harrowing, bleak, and aggressive tracks, this little number is made that more disturbing by the sounds of screaming.

Side A Track 4: "Revolution Number 9" - The Beatles
Is it any wonder why Charles Manson was a Beatles fan?

Side A Track 5: "Hello Zepp" - Charlie Clouser
Sure I've written enough about the SAW series on this blog, but this track is still a great instrumental. Even if it was used in the trailers for "Valkyrie" and "The Box".

Side A Track 6: "Enter Sandman" - Rockabye Baby!
Goodnight all, sweet dreams.

Six Songs of Moi

It's funny that, in the beginning I said I would try not to write anything about my personal life on here, yet for every entry I make, I give a brief story explaining my long absence from the last time I posted something. Well, there's not much I can say that is of any interest, other than that I have got a new laptop (hey, if I'm not going to leave the country this year, I may as well buy something with the money I have been saving). I will also be starting a 10 week writing class, in an attempt to acquire a hobby. All the more reason to buy a laptop with a built in wifi receiver (or whatever it's called), so I can type from the comfort of my own bed.

Today's blog entry will be music related (as opposed to film related or something original and worthy of an article). On the Guardian website, there are people picking six songs, one of each that links to a particular topic, and made by people who I've never heard of (for example, this article), hence why I don't really bother with their choices. But I liked the idea, so I thought I'd do my own list of songs that no-one else would care about. At least some of the songs are better than the ones I used to "sing" when I was in a band.

Back when I was a lead "singer" in 2007

My list of songs are here, and my reasons, thoughts, and opinions are written below. While picking my songs, I found the preset list to be very limited, and I'll explain why also.

What was the first song you ever bought?

"Do The Bartman" by The Simpsons

To be honest, I can't remember what was the first "single" I bought. When I was younger I normally got music cassettes and CDs from my parents, so I was picking one of the first CD singles I had. I was going to pick "Slam Jam" by WWF Superstars, which included The Undertaker, Bret Hart, Macho Man (RIP) and British Bulldog (RIP). But the six songs database didn't have that song, so I chose this instead.

What song always gets you dancing?

"Get Your Body Beat" by Combichrist

I can't dance. Full stop. And whenever I do, it is either at the request of a family member, trying to impress a member of the opposite sex, or I am absolutely plastered. But for whatever reason, whenever I hear this song being played, it always makes me want to move and dance, and most of the time, it succeeds.

What song takes you back to your childhood?

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen

My mum used to play this to me and my brother when we were little, and the song had been ingrained in my psyche for so long, I thought this song was from the 101 Dalmatians. That was because we used to have Disney storybooks with cassettes that said the words aloud when we read them, and at the end of the cassettes, they played the songs from the film. I may be wrong, but I could swear my mum put this song at the end of the 101 Dalmatians cassette. Still, nice to know my mum was bringing me up on good music.

What is your perfect love song?

"Flames" by Vast

This song is my favourite song of all time. It is very simple yet evokes feelings of sadness, longing, and in this case, love. It's not well known, and people look at me funny when I tell them that this is my favourite song. If I ever go back to playing guitar, this would be one of the first songs I would learn the chords to.

What song would you want at your funeral?

"Mr Blobby Song" by Mr Blobby and The Smurfs

Again the six songs database is limited, and the closest I could get was the original "Mr Blobby" song. But this version is the one I want played at my funeral, just to annoy everyone, and remind people of my weird sense of humour, even after death. I'd also have a bouncy castle afterwards, and my epitaph would read "pecked to death by ducks". Hell, I'd even make my gravestone a urinal, so people can have the chance to piss on my grave.

Time for the encore. One last song that makes you, you?

"Everyday Is Exactly The Same" by Nine Inch Nails

I admit this is a depressing song to pick as the one that defines me. I could have lied and picked something funny and/or positive, but I am brutally honest. The lyrics are pretty much how I feel about life, and how I feel about myself. And the sad thing is, no matter how much I try to change my situation, or keep wishing for a light at the end of the tunnel, it will never be.

And on a final note.....

Just to lighten the move after that last paragraph, I am posting this, which a mate of mine showed me last night. I am definitely busting these dance moves next time Combichrist comes on in public.

Ten All American Videos!

Image found here:  http://thesocialgreen.com/2011/09/13/united-nonprofits-of-america/

Just thought I'd have a bit of fun, because it's July 4th. Which is.....

FUCK YEAH!

Gotta get me of of them.....or any nationality for that matter.....

Nothing more American than this guy.....well, except maybe The Punisher.....

No wait, I take that back.....

Here's something from America.....

I saw this in the cinema two days ago. I wonder if it's historically accurate.....

This guy is so American, even his name is Mr. America.....hmm, there's something oddly familiar about him.....

If that guy was Mr. America, then I say this woman should be Mrs. America. She may have turned 45 last Sunday, but I still would.....wait a minute, isn't she Canadian.....

And now, please rise for our National Anthem.....even though I'm not American.....

Wiki Chosen Album Review: "Ki-Oku" by DJ Krush & Toshinori Kondo

In an effort to keep this blog going, I am going to attempt to write an album review. I currently have an idea that originated from something I touched upon in my last blog entry. While I do have a record of some source material and references from the net (which brought me back to doing essays during my college years), it's something I would need a bit of time to write during a weekend, especially as I need to figure out how to go about it without giving too much away in terms of my private life. Also, I've been busy with work, birthdays, meeting old friends, weekend plans hospital visits and my ongoing battle with insomnia and disturbed sleep patterns. So, I decided to do something that came into my head a while back, but seems like a good idea for an article theme.

.....jeez, I hope to do away with these elongated intros once I have this blog up and running to some type of structure. Anyways, here is an explanation to the title of this blog entry.

A while back, I was thinking of how disillusioned by music nowadays, and how hard it is to find something that would interest me, whether it be newly released, or something from the past that I was never exposed to for some reason. In this day and age where the internet can provide you with music at the click of a button, legal or illegal, sometimes it's hard to know where to start. MTV has turned into a bunch of pointless reality shows that it's lost all meaning of its acronym (with it's only saving grace being re-runs of "Fresh Prince Of Bel Air".....yeah, go figure), and the music industry peddles out brainless, reality based talent shows knock-offs at an alarming rate. But I'm most likely telling you what you already know.

I know it's because I'm getting older, but for me, gone are the days of buying music magazines (which you could just read over the net), going to pubs and clubs (which play the same music every week), and taking recommendations from friends, when they either just end up either sticking with their old reliable tastes (people my age or older), or if their current taste just sounds like a load of crap (people younger than me). And I'm sure some of you may know what I'm talking about, so I won't elaborate any further.

That's all well and good, but get to the point already.....

A few days ago, I had an idea. While I was on Wikipedia, I hit the "random article" button, just to see what articles came up, which ranged from the lunar eclipse of January 1973, the Silver Age of comic books, and the plot of a Tom & Jerry cartoon. It gave me an idea that if I happen to stumble upon a Wikipedia page of a music album, no matter what artist or genre, I will (ahem) temporarily acquire the album through illegal means, with the intention of listening to it out of curiosity, with the possibility of purchasing said album if I deem it worthy enough to part ways with my hard earned euros. And so I clicked away, until finally, the first album page that came up was.....

No really, this album came up

.....yyyeeeaaahhh, I'm just gonna say that was a test run. So the first "proper" choice that came up was "Ki-Oku", a collaboration between two Japanese recording artists, DJ Krush and Toshinori Kondo.

What do I know of the artist(s)?

Absolutely nothing. I have never heard of the artists in questions, never mind their musical output, nor am I well versed in hip-hop (DJ Krush) nor jazz fusion (Toshinori Kondo).

And what did I think of the album?

With my initial reaction to stumbling upon this album's Wiki page, along with my lack of knowledge when it came to the artist and the genre, I must say I was surprised by the fact that I actually liked the album. The first few tracks, in particular "Toh-Sui", "Hah-Do" and "Mu-Chu", really caught my attention. Most of the tracks include a hyphen in the middle, with the exception of three interludes which include the word "Tobira" and their respective number after it, and "Sun Is Shining", which is a Bob Marley cover. The inclusion of this song is a tad bit confusing, while it is remade to fit the style of the album, it seems to be out of place when compared to the other tracks. I got the impression that this was to be released as a single, if this album was to have one.

While I did find the first half of the album listenable up to "Tobira-2", the second half left my mind wandering every now and them, with the tracks sounding directionless, therefore not grabbing my attention. Then again, I have only listened to the album a handful of times, one of which while I was on a bus on the way to work, and this is the only album of its kind that I have listened to, so I would say after a few more listens, maybe they would grow on me. But for now, I am writing purely on first impressions. The beats on this album are more in line with the "trip-hop" style of music, which bring up comparisons with Massive Attack and Wu-Tang Clan, if I was to think of similar artistic styles. The jazz trumpet sounds bring an interesting layer to a genre I would never think would mesh together properly, but I feel it does here.

What track would I recommend?

The opening track "Toh-Sui".

Would I buy this album?

The weird thing is, I would buy this album, even if possessing it would make me look like a pretentious music critic. Calling this album "a mixture of trip hop beats laced with jazz fusion sensibilities" sounds a bit snobbish while reading it out. The album also reminds me of something I would hear in either an arty coffee shop, or a high class trendy bar (well, if I can get past the bouncers who would not accept "my type" in that establishment). But I do think that I would play this album again, whether it be in the background while relaxing at home, or during another bus journey.

One slight problem though. It was hard enough to find this album to download, it seems even harder to actually buy a physical copy. I very much doubt that this album was released anywhere outside of Japan. According to Amazon, a new copy would cost me £35. There are second hand copies for sale, but for some reason, second hand goods cannot be sent to my home country. So I will have to make do with what I acquired from the internet. But for you folks reading this, you can check out the whole album below (courtesy of YouTube).