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1. This video of Amanda Palmer's speech on TED, via her husband, Neil Gaiman's blog, is moving and interesting. It made me rethink a few things.
2. Saw Dark Knight Rises - the latest film by Christopher Nolan. A film that got mixed reviews. I passed on seeing it in the movie theater, and sort of wished I hadn't, thinking it was too violent. Which is odd, because many films I saw that summer were more so.
It's tempting to compare this film to other comic book films that came out this year and in previous years, but I'm not sure it's fair to? Sort of like comparing Busby Berkley to well Andrew Lloyd Webber or Stephen Sondheim. Or eating Prime Rib to well eating a Turkey Burger.
Not quite the same thing.
To say I enjoyed this film is an understatement. I loved it. It is in my humble opinion the best superhero film made to date. I agree with the professional film critics on this bit - this was a good film and amongst the best in its genre. The social commentary alone blew me away - it's so nuanced and does not provide answers, and can be interpreted in more than one manner.
I saw it as a deft critique and discussion of violence and how we use violence in our society - of how violence is used as a means of enjoyment, acquiring power, wealth, and how something like clean sustainable energy can be twisted by violence into a destructive weapon. How we send contradictory messages regarding it - on the one hand we hate guns, yet on the other we see them as cool and necessary to protect ourselves. And how the latter is in reality - a lie.
( Read more... )
2. Saw Dark Knight Rises - the latest film by Christopher Nolan. A film that got mixed reviews. I passed on seeing it in the movie theater, and sort of wished I hadn't, thinking it was too violent. Which is odd, because many films I saw that summer were more so.
It's tempting to compare this film to other comic book films that came out this year and in previous years, but I'm not sure it's fair to? Sort of like comparing Busby Berkley to well Andrew Lloyd Webber or Stephen Sondheim. Or eating Prime Rib to well eating a Turkey Burger.
Not quite the same thing.
To say I enjoyed this film is an understatement. I loved it. It is in my humble opinion the best superhero film made to date. I agree with the professional film critics on this bit - this was a good film and amongst the best in its genre. The social commentary alone blew me away - it's so nuanced and does not provide answers, and can be interpreted in more than one manner.
I saw it as a deft critique and discussion of violence and how we use violence in our society - of how violence is used as a means of enjoyment, acquiring power, wealth, and how something like clean sustainable energy can be twisted by violence into a destructive weapon. How we send contradictory messages regarding it - on the one hand we hate guns, yet on the other we see them as cool and necessary to protect ourselves. And how the latter is in reality - a lie.
( Read more... )