#were talking la dispute ghost town

[thatfizzyyyy]

the amount of bands i know that i will like but have yet to get into is overwhelming,

[roseisread]

My Year in Movies: Favorite Non-2018 Feature Films (Part 2)

Continuing the countdown of my favorite movies I saw for the first time in 2018 that were released in previous years... for part 1 of this list, click here.

39. Tokyo Drifter (1966, directed by Seijun Suzuki, country of origin: Japan)

Seijun Suzuki pulls together his favorite tropes from the Western, film noir, and Yakuza genres and throws a post modern, new wave sensibility on top complete with lots of neon and surrealism. The end result is one of the most stylistically bold movies I’ve ever encountered, and its influence extends to modern auteurs like Quentin Tarantino, Jim Jarmusch, and Nicolas Winding Refn. Tokyo Drifter (which has nothing to do with the Fast & Furious franchise as far as I know) follows a gangster on the run, but the plot really is secondary to the overall feel of the movie. Really fun and one I can imagine revisiting a lot just for its aesthetic choices and action set pieces. Rent it on Amazon Prime; in the meantime, here’s a pretty decent fan-made trailer.

38. Born to Kill (1947, directed by Robert Wise, country of origin: US)

Hollywood’s original bad boy Lawrence Tierney stars in this nasty little noir that fully lives up to its violent title. Sam Wilde (Tierney) is a gorgeous, amoral social climber who doesn’t let a little trifle like murder stand in the way of getting what he wants. Helen Brent (Claire Trevor) finds herself strangely drawn to him, even as she learns of his criminal leanings. There’s a particularly lustful scene between Sam and Helen that could be a direct influence on Natural Born Killers, actually. The fact that this picture was directed by Robert Wise, best known for his work on The Sound of Music and West Side Story, makes it all the more interesting--this pulpy film doesn’t have any musical numbers but it certainly is well-crafted and choreographed. If you love a good antihero, you owe it to yourself to watch this. Available for rent on Amazon, YouTube, and Vudu. 

37. Throw Momma From the Train (1987, directed by Danny DeVito, country of origin: US)

This comic riff on Strangers on a Train starts off with murder on its mind, but there’s a surprising sweetness lying just below the surface. I’m sure most people have already seen this film but in case you haven’t, you’re in for a hilarious and endearing story that showcases peak Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito. Anne Ramsey plays the titular “Momma,” and she was nominated for both the Oscars and the Golden Globes in this supporting role. There are lots of ways to watch this movie for free, including Amazon Prime, YouTube, Vudu, GooglePlay, and Showtime. 

36. Johnny Guitar (1954, directed by Nicholas Ray, country of origin: US)

The title refers to Sterling Hayden’s outlaw cowboy, but the real star of the show is Joan Crawford as Vienna: a saloon owning, jeans wearing, piano playing woman who takes on the whole town in a showdown. Portrayals of women in Westerns vary, but few emanate such power and self-assuredness as Vienna. 

Another woman, tellingly named Emma Small (played by Mercedes McCambridge), has set her sights on getting rid of Vienna and her establishment once and for all, and she will stop at no amount of violence or trickery to make it happen. So basically this is Mean Girls but in the Wild West. Offscreen, Joan Crawford was hooking up with director Nicholas Ray; and she’d previously been romantically involved with McCambridge’s now-husband. Both ladies also consumed a fair amount of booze while filming. This led to their rivalry bleeding into real life, and perhaps added to the tension we see on screen between the two. 

This movie didn’t have the warmest reception when it premiered stateside (Bosley Crowther on Crawford’s Vienna: “...as sexless as the lions on the public library steps and as sharp and romantically forbidding as a package of unwrapped razor blades.”) But European audiences devoured it, and it became beloved of people like Francois Truffaut who saw it as a major influence. You can watch it now on Hulu or rent from a number of streaming platforms. 

35. Sonatine (1993, directed by Takeshi “Beat” Kitano, country of origin: Japan)

Takeshi Kitano wrote, directed, and starred in this cult take on Yakuza films. In it, he plays Murakawa, a gangster who dispatches (often in creatively cruel ways) anyone his bosses happen to dislike. But he’s starting to grow weary of this way of life when he gets sent on a new assignment that has him mediating a dispute with a rival gang in Okinawa. He suspects that he may be the real target, but goes along with the order. While hiding out between confrontations, Murakawa and a batch of young recruits find ways to pass the time--shooting cans off each other’s heads, playing a roulette version of rock paper scissors, pretending to be sumo wrestlers, and more. 

There’s not a lot of dialogue here, and Kitano plays his character with a stoicism that Buster Keaton and Alain Delon no doubt influenced. But the poetry and emotion are all in the action (and inaction) on screen. Here is a man whose main accomplishments are surviving bloody shootouts and racking up the body count for his employer--no wonder he hallucinates about self-destruction and walks the beach in a daze. There’s actually a good bit of comedy here too, as the movie isn’t afraid to veer into cartoonish moments and satirize the very genre it portrays. I also have to specifically call out the action scenes, especially one near the end--completely memorable, unique, and gorgeously shot. Watch this via rental on Amazon, YouTube, and GooglePlay--especially if you’re a fan of movies like Drive, Kill Bill, or Le Samourai. 

34. Metropolitan (1990, directed by Whit Stillman, country of origin: US)

My first encounter with Whit Stillman came via 2016′s Love and Friendship, his adaptation of a Jane Austen story. When his debut film appeared on Filmstruck, I realized what a perfect fit Austen and Stillman really are. This movie follows a group of (mostly) wealthy teenagers in Manhattan, who attend debutante balls and gather at each other’s homes for long pretentious conversations and romantic sparring. If Austen were alive today, no doubt she would have written a novel in the same setting, filled with the same biting wit (no pun intended) that Stillman displays. If you like your movies with a lot of action and plot twists, this may not be your cup of tea; but if you enjoy the works of, say, Woody Allen/Noah Baumbach/Wes Anderson then you will definitely find this a subtle delight. No big names amongst the cast; and many of them only did one or two other projects after this, but I think that adds to the feeling of naïveté and naturalism. Random observation, but when I watched this movie I found connections between a number of its characters and the cast of The Breakfast Club--see if you agree. Right now you can rent this via iTunes, and since it takes place around Christmas and New Year’s, this would be a great time to watch. 

33. Radio Days (1987, directed by Woody Allen, country of origin: US)

This might be the sweetest, least cynical movie in Woody Allen’s filmography. It’s a love letter to the 1930s and 40s, when families would gather around the radio (rather than the TV) for music, serials, and news of the outside world. Seth Green plays the Woody stand-in as a child, Mia Farrow plays an aspiring radio actress, Larry David pops up as the Communist next door neighbor--it’s a real hoot. The music (from the likes of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and Glenn Miller) is gorgeous and it’s fun to see old New York recreated for this film. Suitable for all ages and utterly delightful, you can watch it on Hulu with a subscription or rent it on Vudu for $2.99. 

32. Pickup (1951, directed by Hugo Haas, country of origin: US)

I caught up with this low-budget B-movie noir during Noir City Chicago, and fell head over heels for it. The director plays the lead character, a lovable but lonely railroad worker named Hunky (he does not live up to this name in appearance). When he encounters the gorgeous and sassy Betty (Beverly Michaels) at a carnival, he can’t believe a guy like him could hold the romantic interest of such a hottie. As luck would have it, though, she’s more attracted to his life savings than to him. What a golddigger. What sets this movie apart is the addition of a little plot twist: Hunky loses his hearing in an accident, which is just fine by the conniving Betty who can now scheme and talk trash around her husband. But when Hunky’s hearing unexpectedly returns, he doesn’t tell anyone and discovers that his beloved wifey is plotting his demise. Bonus: There’s a pretty adorable puppy in the mix. This isn’t available on DVD, sadly, but someone has uploaded it to YouTube and if you have 77 minutes to kill, I recommend checking it out.

31. Ghost (1990, directed by Jerry Zucker, country of origin: US)

Look, I love Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg and Patrick Swayze just as much as the next person, but for some reason I had always assumed that Ghost was this really cheesy paranormal romance. Wrong! It’s a charming murder mystery with some legit scary moments a lot of comedy, and, yes, some romance too. So if you have somehow missed this gem, you can catch up with it for 99 cents right now on Amazon or rent it for a Few Dollars More on other streaming sites.

30. One False Move (1992, directed by Carl Franklin, country of origin: US)

In part one of this list, I mentioned watching multiple Bill Paxton movies in 2018. This one features Paxton as a small town sheriff with illusions of grandeur--instead of settling small time domestic disputes, he’d love to one day solve murders and thwart serial killers and arrest drug kingpins in the big city. He gets his chance to do something bigger when a car full of murderous fugitives rolls into town. The LA detectives on the case don’t quite know what to make of Paxton; but he views them as heroes. When he gets his chance to show them what he’s made of, he doesn’t flinch. 

Billy Bob Thornton co-wrote the screenplay and co-stars in the film, another connection between this and the other Paxton entry on my list (A Simple Plan). Here, he’s a vile and brutal sociopath (a role he’d go on to play in the TV adaptation of Fargo), with a girlfriend named Fantasia (Cynda Williams) that might be having second thoughts about their relationship. Director Carl Franklin is perhaps better known for the Denzel Washington neo noir Devil in a Blue Dress; and Franklin himself introduced a double feature of these two films at Noir City Chicago. He’s a brilliant, economical director with a deep well of classical film knowledge and a knack for capturing defining character traits in the space of a few frames. Rent this movie on Amazon, Vudu, or YouTube and prepare for a gritty, moving ride. 

29. Peeping Tom (1960, directed by Michael Powell, country of origin: England)

I caught up with this out of print masterpiece (purchased at my local library sale for 50 cents on Criterion DVD!) during my October horror viewing, and immediately wanted it to find a wider audience. Reviled upon its initial release, it follows a talented but troubled young filmmaker whose obsession involves recording the final moments of his murder victims’ lives, as they realize their fate. Pretty twisted, I know. The exploration of voyeurism and the relationship between the camera, its subjects, and an audience really make this a fascinating watch, both from a technical perspective and as a critique of moviemaking and consumption. One can’t help but see the influence this movie has had on horror filmmakers from Wes Craven to John Carpenter, particularly in the way it forces us to identify with the psychologically damaged killer instead of centering the narrative on his victims. Massively underrated, and deserving of your attention if you consider yourself a fan of horror movies. Watch it via rental on a number of streaming platforms. 

That concludes part 2 of the list! Stay tuned for the next segment, coming soon! 

[planetstepho]

Stephen’s Musicbee Adventure

So I’m gonna go through my Musicbee, state each artist I have, and my favourite song by the artist. I have varying tastes in music. Strap in.

The 1975: Sex. 2Pac: California Love. 3oh!3: Colorado Sunrise. A Day to Remember: If It Means A Lot To You. All Time Low: If These Sheets Were The States All Tvvins: End of the Day. Anberlin: Paperthin Hymn. Arcade Fire: No Car Go. Bad Meets Evil: Fastlane. Bassnectar: F.U.N. Bastille: Rhythm of the Beach Boys: Barbara Ann Beatles: Hey Jude Blink-182: Always Blur: Parklife. Bo Burnham: Country Music. Boney M: Daddy Cool Boyce Avenue: Fast Car Bruno Mars: Talking to the Moon Bullet For My Valentine: Tears Don’t Fall Cage The Elephant: Shake Me Down The Chainsmokers: Closer. Charlie Puth: Marvin Gaye. Chris Brown: With You. Christy Moore: Beeswing. Colcannon: Wild Orchid. Coldplay: The Scientist. Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip: Magician’s Assistant. Dead By Sunrise: Inside of Me. Disturbed: Another Way to Die Earth, Wind, & Fire: Boogie Wonderland. Ed Sheeran: Photograph. Eminem: Goin’ Thru Changes. EofE: Lust. Fall Out Boy: Centuries. Falling Up: Fearless. Five Finger Death Punch: Far From Home. Fleetwood Mac: Go Your Own Way. Flight of the Conchords: Hiphopapotamus vs the Rhymenocerous Fort Minor: Where’d You Go GMC: Focus. Go Radio: Goodnight Moon. Gym Class Heroes: Cookie Jar. Halestorm: Get Off. He Is We: All About Us. High School Musical: Scream. Hollywood Undead: Young. Hopsin: Ill Mind of Hopsin 9 James Blunt: I’ll Be Your Man. Jason Derulo: Wiggle. Jason Lancaster: Come Back. Johnny Cash: Hurt. Jonas Brothers: Love Bug. Justin Bieber: What Do You Mean? Kaiser Chiefs: Every Day I Love You Less and Less. Kanye West: Blame Game. Kings of Leon: Sex on Fire. Kodaline: High Hopes. The Kooks: She Moves in Her Own Way Kraftklub: Ich Will Nicht Nach Berlin. La Dispute: Nobody, Not Even the Rain (Has such small hands) Lady Gaga: Bad Romance. Led Zeppelin: Immigrant Song. The Libertines: What Became of the Likely Lads Linkin Park: In the End. The Lonely Island: Motherlover. Luke Kelly: The Auld Triangle. The Lumineers: Ophelia. Magic Sword: In the Face of Evil. Maroon 5: Payphone. Mayday Parade: Miserable At Best. Michael Jackson: Thriller. Mike Shinoda: Ghosts. Mumford and Sons: Hopeless Wanderer. Muse: Uprising. My Chemical Romance: Teenagers. Nine Inch Nails: We’re In This Together. Otherkin: Treat Me So Bad Owl City: Vanilla Twilight. Pete Yorn: Lose You. Picture This: Take My Hand. Plain White T’s: Our Time Now. The Pogues: Dirty Old Town. Queen: Who Wants To Live Forever Rihanna: Love The Way Your Lie Part 2. Robert Downey Jr:  Every Breath You Take. The Rubberbandits: I Like To Shift Girls. The Script: Hall of Fame. Skillet: Forsaken. Skrillex: Kill Everybody Tame Impala: Let It Happen Tenacious D: Beelzeboss Tom Jones: It’s Not Unusual Twenty One Pilots: Car Radio U2: Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own Walking On Cars: Speeding Cars. The Wanted: Warzone. We The Kings: Sad Song. The Weeknd: Starboy. Westlife: World Of Our Own The White Stripes: Icky Thump The Wolfe Tones: Streets Of New York The Wombats: Turn You Me At Six: Take On The World.

[jewelsmarsig-blog]

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

BACKGROUND/LOCATION:

Peru is located in South America and borders Ecuador (north), Brazil (east), Bolivia (southeast), and Chile (south). The countries close to Peru, culturally speaking, are none. Maybe Mexico, but that is honestly a stretch. Peru is incredibly diverse, yes one may compare any Spanish speaking country to another, however, Peru is different because the country is such a diverse combination of cultures. The universal language is Spanish, however the official languages include Quechua, an old language mostly known to people who inhabit the Andes region of Peru, and Aymara, another language of the aforementioned indigenous peoples. To be honest, you may even hear some pockets of Lima where people speak English (hotels and such), and Japanese (there was a Japanese president a few years back and there is has been a Japanese mixed population prior to his presidency). Home to the Andes mountains, part of the Amazon rain forest (it's not ALL in Brazil), the country as has ancient ruins like Machu Picchu, an remnant of the Incan Empire. Lima, the capital is known as the "food capital of South America". Other cities that remain popular with tourists and are just good to be aware of in general is Trujillo, a seaside city located to the north of Lima, Arequipa (cities filled with buildings made from volcanic rock), Cuzco (Incan trail and Machu Picchu), and Inquitos (borders the Amazon).

Okay, enough geography for now. Onto history. Here are the top historical events you should be familiar with (or at least hear of) prior to going to Peru.

Incan Empire. This ancient civilization that includes Machu Picchu. It was mostly hunters and gatherers, intertwined with religion, architecture, and agriculture.  The empire rules for hundreds of years and its last emperor, Atahuapla, raged a civil war with his brother, until they both were later conquered by Francisco Pizarro, a Spanish conquistador. Spanish- Spain ruled Peru for 200 years and brought peace to the region. Spain also influenced the Peruvians way of life, mostly with religion, by converting its people to Catholicism. However, Spain also used Peruvian indigenous people as slaves,as well as importing slaves form Africa, and eventually there was an uprising led by Inca Tupac Amaru II, a descendant of the royal family of the Inca (we'll reference him later). The rebellion collapsed until being liberated by Venezuela and Argentina (Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin respectively), a hundred years later. Spain- 40 years later Peru waged a war with Spain, which they won. Chile- Peru went to war with Chile, dubbed the "war of the Pacific" in 1879 and as a result lost part of the Atacama desert. Ecuador- Peru went to war with Ecuador over border dispute in 1941. A year later a treaty was created and signed between the two countries. Unfortunately, every January since then, disputes happen. Japan- After world war II, Japanese began traveling and staying in Peru. As a result, a Peruvian Japanese population emerged, which brought changes to the food, culture, etc. Cuba/China- In the 1960, guerrilla uprisings that were also influenced by Maoists and revolutionaries, (Shinning Path and Tupac Amaru) created political chaos that continues into the early 1990's Japan- President Alberto Fujimori, captured Sendero Luminoso, a leader in the revolts (Shining Path). During his presidency, Tupac Amaru kidnapped government officials who had Japanese descent because they believe that there is no place in Peru for the Japanese and those that are mixed with Peruvian descent. Fujimori ruled Peru for ten years and fled after his presidency on corruption and human rights violations and charges. Drugs- Peru is the world's top producer of coca, which is used to make cocaine. People normally associated drugs with other country's but based on this information one can conclude that it does, in fact, stem from Peru. Today- Peru, predominately Lima, has landed in the spotlight because of its rich cuisine, and more recently, its country wide beauty contest, where the contestants this year gave out rape and sexual harassment statistics instead of their measurements. there is still gang violence perpetuated by two gangs: Shining Path, which still has ties to neo-Maoism, and Tupac Amaru, still tries to overthrow the government. It is not as prevalent as it was ten years ago, but there is still some violence and flare-ups. 

RELIGION:The major religion of Peru is Roman Catholic. Most of the country 80 percent are Catholic, while the remainder 20 percent is Christian. There are countless churches, shrines, religious symbols throughout the country. Even the indigenous people int he Andes region's religion have similarities and ties to Catholicism. IT is tied closely with politics, because there are religious symbols on governments buildings and the government mandated that public schools only teach Catholicism as religion.

POLITICS:There are two parties: the left and right parties. The president controls the government. Before presidents were democratically elected, people came to power in military coups, uprisings, and revolts. I should also mention currency with is sol and based on the US conversion charts, about 4 sols is a little over a dollar.

SOCIAL/ETHNIC CLASSES:There are three social classes: upper class, middle (business owners/teachers), and lower class (farmers). There are also different ethnicity present in Peru: the native people of Peru known as Indians, that live throughout the country, mostly the Andes (45%), the mestizo populations which are mixed people of European descent (37%), white people, ie; Americans (15%), African-Peruvians people (were brought as slave workers hundreds of years ago), and lastly Asian-Peruvian, Chinese (Tusan) and Japanese (Nisei) about 3%.

GENDER ROLES:In urban areas, there is more emphasis on the patriarchy model, where the man is the head of the household and the woman does the cooking, cleaning, and taking care of children. Both genders have equal rights, however, there is more street harassment towards women and men can be ridiculed for doing "women's work". In rural areas, like the Andes mountains, both  men and women are expected to do both tasks and there is more equality.

NEWSPAPERS:Remember these names: El Comercio, La Republica, El Peruane, and Peru 21.

MOVIES TO KNOW: Millk of Sorrow about a woman suffering form a rare disease, Undertow, a ghost story that takes place in a seaside town and is about homosexuality, and Juliana, a story of girl who dressed like a boy so she can join her brother's gang.

NATIONAL DISH: Ceviche, a seafood dish that features "raw" fish that has been cooked in lime and lemon juice. Served at every restaurant. Another popular dish is Lomo Soltado, a stir fried beef dish with onions and peppers and is served with french fries.

People eat with their friends and family, mostly at home. However, people do eat at restaurants also, but there is greater importance on family. It is an low context culture among friends and strangers, but are high context culture among family and friends too. Friends and family will greet each other with phrases and hugs and kisses. With strangers they may shake your hand but more often than not they will just talk to you to get to know you. It honestly depends on whom you are speaking with and where since Peru is so ethnically diverse. Overall, Peruvians are very nice and hospitable; whether that is in the urban or rural areas of the country. Oh and people in urban areas are LOUD. The rural areas not as much. Peruvians tend to start and end events late and there is a small degree of personal space (people will hug and touch you). Peruvians have good posture and lean in to conversations. The dress is different depending where you go: Andes is more traditional clothing, like decorative cloths and shawls, in the urban areas such as Lima, people wear jeans, t-shirts, typical American garb, so to speak.

​#tags