Wednesday 30 April 2014

Every 14 Days...(20)


Boy (Kitano Takeshi)

I often read about Kitano being a modern-day renaissance man, adding painting, writing and everything else possible to his more famous film and comedy work. But apart from some of his artwork appearing in his films, I had never actually consumed any of it.

‘Boy’ is my first dip into one of his many other sides, but is fairly typical of some of the themes present in his films, if you take ‘his films’ to mean ‘Kids Return’. But I’m being facetious. ‘Boy’ is three, very simple short stories about 3 boys growing up in Japan. There is nothing particularly ground-breaking here, but simple tales about how young men find themselves in the world. The simplicity seems to mirror his script writing: starting with a  basic story and watching it evolve as the film is made. 

But they are nice enough stories, showing the Kitano is a man with many talents, though maybe creating something visual is where his real skill lies.

Days to read: 5
Days per book: 15.7


Lush Life (Richard Price)

I read the Richard Price novel 'Clockers' and found it to be brilliant - definitely one of the best books I have read in recent times. But, while good, the two subsequent books of his I have read have gradually decreased in quality. 'Samaritan' was the next read, followed now by 'Lush Life'.

'Lush Life' is very much a variation on a theme from 'Clockers' and 'Samaritan': Once again an innocent man is hounded by the police who believe his story to be false. It starts well, drawing the reader in, as Price is skilled at doing. However, where 'Clockers' and 'Samaritan' switch mainly between the stories of two lead characters, 'Lush Life' seems to continually switch between various different characters in bite-size chunks. Like a Dan Brown novel, this makes it easy to read, but does become difficult to keep you interested, constantly switching between characters with every other page.

While another overall satisfying read, it just doesn't draw me in as much as 'Clockers', and with lots of side stories for the various characters starts to drag going passed the half-way point. But, that said, you always get your money's worth with Price.

Days to read: 20
Days per book: 15.7


Each of Us (Ben Moor)

After reading ‘More Trees to Climb’, all I wanted to do was see Ben Moor live. That isn’t all I wanted to do, of course; some toilet breaks were necessary. So, on hearing that his latest show was coming to a Tube station near me, I jumped at the chance to do something more interesting on a Sunday evening.

After the performance, I got a copy of ‘Each of Us’ signed by the rather shy and flustered Mr Moor. Reading it within a week or so of seeing the show, I was of course reading the script of what I had just seen performed. I, therefore, read it in the manner of the performance (in my head! That would just look peculiar on the Tube), picking up some of the clever wordplay that I missed live.

Seeing the story performed live and reading the book are two separate things that can both be equally enjoyed. Whether watching the performance or reading the never-ending puns, both are pretty damned splendiferous.

Days to read: 4
Days per book: 15.6


Flowering Blood: The Cinema of Takeshi Kitano (Sean Redmond)

On seeing ‘Flowering Blood’ come up online as a ‘suggestion’ of something I might like to purchase, I thought ‘what the flip, give it a go.’ But should have realised that there is little to really add to the analysis of the films of Kitano Takeshi beyond what has already been written. And lo, this proved the case.

Coventry-born Redmond’s analysis starts off fine enough, seeing the world through the eyes of a starry-eyed film fan, making a pilgrimage to Japan in search of the film locations he so loves. But, being an academic text, it soon becomes lost in its own sense of over-explanation. At times, it feels more a collection of different theories thrown together than a real look at his work, and struggles to grab the attention enough.

While there are a couple of additional bits of light shed on the films, it relies a little too much on the works of previous authors, not justifying its overall length, focusing more at academic theory than the films themselves.

Days to read: 11
Days per book: 15.5


Iron Man: The Cinema of Shin'ya Tsukamoto (Tom Mes)

For some reason - probably the recent re-release of both 'Tokyo Fist' and 'Bullet Ballet' in the UK by the excellent Third Window Films - I have been watching a lot of the films of Shin'ya Tsukamoto recently. In turn, this has prompted me to read Tom Mes' book charting his films up-to-and-including 'Vital'.

My previous reading of the works of Mes came with his two analyses of the works of Miike Takashi: one good, one less so. Luckily this falls under the former, charting his youth as an amateur filmmaker, experimenting with his brother, through his theatre days and working as an advertising director right through to his internationally recognised 'A Snake of June' and 'Vital'.

'Iron Man', the name of the film that first brought him fame, is an appropriate name for this analysis. His films always tend to be on the more extreme side, favouring fast camera work and graphic violence throughout, never letting up for a moment. And this is exactly how he works, not just as a director, but writer, actor, editor, cameraman and just about everything else that is required in the making of a film. Telling the story of how he works non-stop to produce and finance his films shows an all-round filmmaker doing whatever it takes to get a film completed.

Days to read: 10
Days per book: 15.5

Sunday 27 April 2014

The Grand Budapest Hotel

So, I have to admit, the main motivation for seeing this film is that the woman I fall asleep with and wake up next to each day is Hungarian. But, of course, this has as much to do with Budapest as Hungary do with the World Cup in Brazil this summer. Title aside, this is the new film from Bill Murray director, Wes Anderson: he of oddball comedy film fame, mainly those featuring everyone's favourite Ghostbuster, however small his role may be.

The story starts with Jude Law - I know, but don't let that put you off - as a post-war resident of the legendary Grand Budapest Hotel. Intrigued by the hotel's past, he discusses the story of how the hotel came into the hands of its owner, Zero Moustafa, over dinner, leading to the tale of its former concierge, M. Gustave. With Gustave's liking for the older variety of lady, he finds himself caught in a battle for a former lover's inheritance with her children, Zero tagging along. Imprisonment, murder and high-speed skiing chases follow.



With the likes of 'In Bruges' in the past, it's always good to see Ralph Fiennes in a film that allows him to deliver a good comedy script. In 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' he again gets that opportunity as M. Gustave, with the film well written as the plot unfolds and keeps the audience entertained. The dialogue is sharp and funny, but in keeping with the European wartime setting, flowing well throughout.

Added to the strong script are an interesting animated approach to some of the shots, reflecting Anderson's production of a full animated version before filming the final cut. This is a film with a lot of style.

Having a cast of leads, each character seems to be very much 'introduced' into the story, with certain moments almost feeling like a trailer of who is involved. However small the role, much of the cast is Hollywood A-List in cameo form which treads that awkward line of wonder as to whether that's due to the strength of the script or the friends of the director. With so many stars, Anderson gives each their moment in the limelight, with all getting an almost point-of-view monologue to camera. All are also allowed to speak in their native accent, wherever they're from, with American accents rubbing shoulders with English and French under a range of European names. But this doesn't detract from the film, and only adds to its fictional geography.


'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is definitely one of Anderson's stronger films, if not his strongest, and will no doubt go on to add to its awards. Even a disappointed Hungarian would agree...

Sunday 13 April 2014

Dawn of Time (Kowloon)

'Dawn of Time' by Kowloon from that ol' favourite, 'Raw Material' that I found in Nagoya. Photos from summer 2013 in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary...Noise making...

Politic 24

Sounds here   , noises there

Matsuri - DJ Krush
Kidoairaku - DJ Yas
Walk into the Sun - Organized Konfusion
On the Painted Desert (DJ Krush Remix) - Boom Boom Satellites
Kikkake (Anchorsong Remix) - DJ Kentaro and DJ Krush
Gekko Suiren - Haiiro de Rossi (no findy)
Ever Love - Joe Hisaishi
Secret Samba - Doctor YS and Cosmic Drunkards
Elegant Space - Yoshinori Sunahara
Creepy Crawly - The Web (no findy)
Ultimate Eternity - Nomak
...And Alone - Joe Hisaishi
I Be Blowin' - De La Soul
Return of the Loop Digga - Quasimoto (madlib)
Tell Me Who Profits - Souls of Mischief
Hit it from the Back - Mobb deep
Take a rest - Gang Starr
Move Slow - New Flesh and Beans