Um. Hi. Today is brought to you from Oceanic's bedroom. She just rung me and requested I record the All American Rejects on Live Lounge. I am fairly sure someone on the interwebs will do it, but here I am all the same. I wish I could just do it with a tape, but she's sent me to do it on her computer. Delicate balancing act. She has a microphone/headphones combo machine for when she does her podcasting - she's on the Fatecast, for Jack/Kate shippers off Lost. Probably of limited interest to most people here, but I tune in every now and then and it's pretty good. I've somehow managed to persuade the microphone to work and not the headphones - if the headphones start working again, then I'm screwed. The AARs aren't on for half an hour yet, and it's working for now...
In other news, I'm about to develop an official obsession with The A-Team if you want to tag along. I go through big obsessions, the Doctor Whos, and little obsessions, like for Hamlet, the Godfather, Watchmen or Reservoir Dogs. I figure the strength and length of an obession depends on how many other people are involved, and the "depth" of the world. You can't really do much with Res Dogs other than rewatch the film, because part of it's charm is its small size. It's realtime, deliberately cagy about information, and contains characters whose past are deliberately obscured. Not much to get into, and that obsession lasted around a year. I figure this one is a year as well.
Nevertheless, they all go through distinct stages - weird dreams, not being able to think about anything else, and the real killer is when I get arty. I made Rorschach dolls, did voluntary Hamlet essays, and obviously the A-team essay and steampunk adaptation proves it's about to blossom into proper obsession.
Ten minutes till Live Lounge starts. Important update: did you know I'm currently breaking the law, twice, in such a way that I could be liable for six years imprisonment. If this was for a serious crime, I obviously wouldn't be blogging it - instead it's something really stupid, and nevertheless six years.
So what have I done? I own a copy of Watchmen and am currently reading The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Read on:
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2009/06/07/are-you-a-criminal-under-uk-law/
I understand why the law exists - some people have been exporting child porn into the country by basically turning it into drawings instead of photos. I also am aware of the existance of a huge subculture of Manga which I wouldn't touch with an unfortunately phallic ten foot pole. But the law is big and stupid, and frankly I'm pissed off. I'm quite tempted to walk into a police station and tell them to prosecute me. They couldn't actually justify it in trial, would be forced to turn me loose and it'd set a nice fat precedent for why this law is stupid.
I am always in favour of the artist - it's almost my sole political belief. People don't take comics seriously. It's the new frontier, in academic terms and also socially. Hell, Watchmen is the greatest comic of all time because it's so far from funnybooks. It is not for children, but adults - something the Japanese have been getting right for decades - and not just Comic Book Store Guy geeks in their basement either. Manga is read by everyone, and spans every genre - for young kids, for middle aged women, and yes for people who get a kick out of tenticle porn. The industry needs to break the cliches, stop focusing on super-heroes - whose continuity is, frankly, too twisty for anyone to get into - and promote other genres. The Sandmans and Ghost Worlds, comics sans tights.
And it is in the Time top 100 book list. It's an important achievement, because it is an official way of saying this is a WORK OF LITERATURE. And yet so many people still think "picture book". I leant Watchmen to my pa over Easter, and remain pleased by how much he enjoyed it. He mentioned it was surprising how long it took him to read it. That's because it has as much depth as any novel you choose, but adds it through imagery not text. It's the point between the novel and film.
If the government got this - if someone leant them a copy of Watchmen - they wouldn't be this pigheaded. They don't police films this strongly - the corresponding scene in the Watchmen film wasn't illegal. You can prevent porn getting through in other ways - they do on screen, and arguably cinema is the most viceral medium around.
In short: I'm angry. And that law is ridiculous.
Ten minutes past eleven. She's just gonna get the Live Lounge CD ultimately anyway. It's pretty cool, I admit, and Clash and I got very excited when the Guillemots did Black and Gold. I'm still worried something weird's gonna go wrong with my equipment. I'm gonna sign off and get a book.
I'll leave you with some notes I made last night. I covered a sheet while watching The A-Team, with thoughts for the essay and steampunk project. As it was the pilot, I thought I'd also start on some statistics in the interest of later making a graph. Wikipedia estimates the average episode contains 46 violent acts...
Number of car chases: 6
Number of shots where the car leaps over the camera: 3
Number of car crashes: 10
of which cars into water: 2
of which cars flip over first: 6
Number of punchups: 2
Number of explosions: 14
Hannibal's disguises: 5 - Aquamaniac, a drunk, Mr Lee, phone-in depressive, beardy guy
Face's disguises: 4 - Priest, Texan tycoon, Doctor, producer
Other disguises: Amy - PA, Murdoch - pilot
Total: 11
Murdoch flies: jetstream, crop duster, helicopter
BA builds: armor-plated bus
Dialogue stinker: "We are but simple farmers!"
Dialogue triumph: Hannibal's rubber duck
In other news, I'm about to develop an official obsession with The A-Team if you want to tag along. I go through big obsessions, the Doctor Whos, and little obsessions, like for Hamlet, the Godfather, Watchmen or Reservoir Dogs. I figure the strength and length of an obession depends on how many other people are involved, and the "depth" of the world. You can't really do much with Res Dogs other than rewatch the film, because part of it's charm is its small size. It's realtime, deliberately cagy about information, and contains characters whose past are deliberately obscured. Not much to get into, and that obsession lasted around a year. I figure this one is a year as well.
Nevertheless, they all go through distinct stages - weird dreams, not being able to think about anything else, and the real killer is when I get arty. I made Rorschach dolls, did voluntary Hamlet essays, and obviously the A-team essay and steampunk adaptation proves it's about to blossom into proper obsession.
Ten minutes till Live Lounge starts. Important update: did you know I'm currently breaking the law, twice, in such a way that I could be liable for six years imprisonment. If this was for a serious crime, I obviously wouldn't be blogging it - instead it's something really stupid, and nevertheless six years.
So what have I done? I own a copy of Watchmen and am currently reading The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Read on:
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2009/06/07/are-you-a-criminal-under-uk-law/
I understand why the law exists - some people have been exporting child porn into the country by basically turning it into drawings instead of photos. I also am aware of the existance of a huge subculture of Manga which I wouldn't touch with an unfortunately phallic ten foot pole. But the law is big and stupid, and frankly I'm pissed off. I'm quite tempted to walk into a police station and tell them to prosecute me. They couldn't actually justify it in trial, would be forced to turn me loose and it'd set a nice fat precedent for why this law is stupid.
I am always in favour of the artist - it's almost my sole political belief. People don't take comics seriously. It's the new frontier, in academic terms and also socially. Hell, Watchmen is the greatest comic of all time because it's so far from funnybooks. It is not for children, but adults - something the Japanese have been getting right for decades - and not just Comic Book Store Guy geeks in their basement either. Manga is read by everyone, and spans every genre - for young kids, for middle aged women, and yes for people who get a kick out of tenticle porn. The industry needs to break the cliches, stop focusing on super-heroes - whose continuity is, frankly, too twisty for anyone to get into - and promote other genres. The Sandmans and Ghost Worlds, comics sans tights.
And it is in the Time top 100 book list. It's an important achievement, because it is an official way of saying this is a WORK OF LITERATURE. And yet so many people still think "picture book". I leant Watchmen to my pa over Easter, and remain pleased by how much he enjoyed it. He mentioned it was surprising how long it took him to read it. That's because it has as much depth as any novel you choose, but adds it through imagery not text. It's the point between the novel and film.
If the government got this - if someone leant them a copy of Watchmen - they wouldn't be this pigheaded. They don't police films this strongly - the corresponding scene in the Watchmen film wasn't illegal. You can prevent porn getting through in other ways - they do on screen, and arguably cinema is the most viceral medium around.
In short: I'm angry. And that law is ridiculous.
Ten minutes past eleven. She's just gonna get the Live Lounge CD ultimately anyway. It's pretty cool, I admit, and Clash and I got very excited when the Guillemots did Black and Gold. I'm still worried something weird's gonna go wrong with my equipment. I'm gonna sign off and get a book.
I'll leave you with some notes I made last night. I covered a sheet while watching The A-Team, with thoughts for the essay and steampunk project. As it was the pilot, I thought I'd also start on some statistics in the interest of later making a graph. Wikipedia estimates the average episode contains 46 violent acts...
Number of car chases: 6
Number of shots where the car leaps over the camera: 3
Number of car crashes: 10
of which cars into water: 2
of which cars flip over first: 6
Number of punchups: 2
Number of explosions: 14
Hannibal's disguises: 5 - Aquamaniac, a drunk, Mr Lee, phone-in depressive, beardy guy
Face's disguises: 4 - Priest, Texan tycoon, Doctor, producer
Other disguises: Amy - PA, Murdoch - pilot
Total: 11
Murdoch flies: jetstream, crop duster, helicopter
BA builds: armor-plated bus
Dialogue stinker: "We are but simple farmers!"
Dialogue triumph: Hannibal's rubber duck
Comments (4)
I'll visit you in Parkhurst but I ain't going to bust you out.
Remember the "empty chairs" bit of les Mis, when we see the fate of martyrs? Beware of shouting "I'm Sprtacus" too loud.
Oh, and as for the "not worth prosecuting me", I recall Voltaire's words about the execition of Admiral Byng "to encourage the others"
You've obviously missed the point of Les Miserables, m'dearie. And of Spartacus. Someone needs to make a stand e.t.c. otherwise the world will be overtaken by villains/Romans/artistic philistines e.t.c.
That's ridiculous. That even applies to the 'ewwww just saw my parents in bed together!!' light moment in 12-rated comedies etc, let alone anything ACTUALLY damaging or even just a bit dubious like the watch bit in VG!
Thank you! It's just because it's comic books, and they're percieved to be "for children" or something...