Mini-Review #3: This Is Spinal Tap

This Is Spinal Tap... I don't know if I enjoyed this film or not. If the director's goal was to make the viewer detest the fake band Spinal Tap then I suppose he was successful, because I couldn't stand those guys. I think it may have been the fake British accents that they drove into the back of my skull. It really was almost painful to watch these men playing the roles of people that stupid, and I found myself praying to whatever that these stereotypes weren't 100% true in all cases (but in the vein of hair metal, I'm pretty sure it is). Granted, many parts were pretty funny, in a very dry sort of way (fully intentional though). This film was an accurate depiction/exaggeration of life in a rock band during that specific time period, which I understand. It's just that I really didn't like the snobbish attitudes that most of the characters had, which, again, I understand was partly the point of the film. In short, I don't like hair metal or glam rock (or what have you) very much, therefore I did not like the characters in this movie. I might watch it again, if I ever happened upon it midway through. Sorry, Spinal Tap... you're cack.

Mini-Review #2: Memento

Memento! What can I say about this movie? I found the concept of showing the events in reverse order to be intriguing and attention grabbing. It really got me emotionally involved with what was happening onscreen, because I felt bad for the main character (Leonard) always being taken advantage of. But was he really being taken advantage of, or was he playing it up? We never really find out, but it's implied that he has some understanding of what's really going on. Anyway, I'm no movie critic but I've recently taken to watching JeremyJahns movie reviews on youtube. I thought the characters were great-especially Teddy (because his character always kept me guessing)-and that they were well-cast. It was a tad strange to watch a movie that starts by showing the climax/conclusion, because even though I already knew how the movie ended, it didn't really even matter, did it? The purpose of Memento (I should think) was to present the audience with the plot of the movie in a creative and interesting fashion that, despite being in reverse order, kept us guessing what would happen 'next'. I would watch it again!

Mini-Review #1: "Rip! A Remix Manifesto"

Rip! A Remix Manifesto is a documentary about, well, remixing. For the most part the film focuses on a musician who calls himself Girl Talk. Girl Talk makes his music by sampling a bunch of other artists and splicing their music together into one big remix (hence the name of the film). Apart from showcasing just how awesome it is that this guy who calls himself Girl Talk effectively steals other peoples' "intellectual property" and makes new material out of it, the film touches on all the ridiculous legal issues that surround file sharing (or piracy, as it is affectionately referred to). I quite enjoyed this film and found it interesting to see Girl Talk interviewed on the obstacles he's had to dodge while making his music, as well as prudish arses like Kirk Hammett running their mouths. I thought that this was a topical film to watch, especially given the current state of the internet (what with the looming threat of SOPA, PIPA, ACTA and whatever else is next). Overall I really enjoyed it, and if I had to rate it out of 5 I'd give it 5. Stop having a boring tuna, stop having a boring life.

Nu Metal

Nu metal, a subgenre of heavy metal, was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It fuses the heaviness of metal music with elements of other genres, most notably hip hop.

Nu metal gained popularity by way of bands such as Limp Bizkit being played on MTV, and through performing at Ozzfest (which was introduced in 1995). Nu metal was seen at the time as a sort of metal revival, making the genre once again accessible and enjoyable for youth (understandably, as hair metal is just weird). The way I see it, nu metal is essentially an urban version of metal music: less hard-hitting than big acts such as Metallica or Slayer, more appealing to the kids of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Bands like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park (the latter of which has evolved into an act that is almost difficult to attach to one label, but found their roots in nu metal/rap rock) incorporated rap, typically associated with hip hop music.

Since nu metal is a subgenre, and because

most bands generally don't stick to one specific formula, many bands could fall in and out of the category of nu metal, Linkin Park being one.

Their debut album, Hybrid Theory, fits the bill better than their other releases, with songs like "Forgotten". While some may disagree that Linkin Park was a strictly nu metal band at the time, it is certainly one of the most successful bands to come out of the nu metal era.

Nu metal did birth more than poppy rap-

rock groups, though. Many heavier acts found their niche in with the nu metalheads, most notably Slipknot. This nine-piece group made a name for themselves with their energetic live shows, their dark (sometimes angst-driven) material, and their iconic image. Slipknot's occasional inclusion of rap, as well as having a DJ in the band and using samples probably didn't hurt their nu metal credibility, as it catered perfectly to that culture. Their song "Spit It Out" off of their debut album is a perfect example of the combination of heavy metal guitars, rap vocals (growled on this track) and scratching (typical of hip hop) that is the basis for nu metal.

Another critical band from the nu metal movement is Korn, who found success with such songs as "Freak On A Leash". Korn is most likely one of the best examples one could give of a nu metal band, because their overall sound is something that I have not yet heard replicated in another band's music or any other genre. I think that if you were to assign a particular sound to nu metal, it would be very close to that of Korn. There's just something that sounds particularly '90s about some of their music, it almost has a touch of grunge to it.

Essentially, that's what nu metal was all about: making heavy metal more accessible to the kids of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Every band that fell into and out of the genre of nu metal had their own unique sound, each one incorporating similar elements yet bringing something new to the table. Nu metal took influence from popular '90s music, for the most part, and applied it to metal, producing several memorable bands, many still relevant. Papa Roach is another group whose music could be attributed to nu metal, as well as Disturbed and politically-charged System of a Down. I don't believe that any of the bands I have talked about could be called 100% nu metal, because in my opinion nu metal was more of a transitional stage than anything. True, it was and still is regarded as a subgenre, however all of the above-mentioned bands have moved on and their sound has changed drastically. Slipknot are no longer the raw, pissed-off machine that they once were, every album that Disturbed has released since their debut follows the same formula, and the frontman from Korn has been dabbling in dubstep. That said, I believe that it's safe to say that nu metal (as it once was) is dead, and has in turn given way to new subgenres of metal. Regardless, I thick that it would have been an exciting era of music to have been a part of, so it's too bad that I was only 5-ish.

Topical Future

Interpretations of the future (in films) are always changing, mainly (in my opinion) as a result of current and/or past world events.

One could take a look at Star Trek (both the original TV series and the movies). Star Trek depicts a future in which people of all races work together in harmony to get a job done, something that seems a far cry from life during the Cold War (when Star Trek made it's debut). The future of mankind in Star Trek was a positive one where everyone got along fairly well. Racism was not present, and the overall message was that the people of Earth CAN all get along well together - an uplifting mindset to be in during that era.

In contrast, the future in V for Vendetta (while not nearly as advanced as in Star Trek) is plagued with violence, racism, censorship and so-on. V for Vendetta depicts a future Britain being controlled by a totalitarian government, while war has essentially destroyed North America (only ever referred to as the United States). People who go against the government are 'black-bagged' and basically taken off the map, removed from existence. The government will not tolerate deviance. Overall it is not a very forward-thinking society, like Star Trek. The film adaptation of V for Vendetta focuses more on government and world issues than the 80's graphic novel did, probably to make it more applicable to this era (one that is essentially on the verge of being controlled by the media, where world relations are still not at their best).

I think that visions of the future constantly need to be altered to remain topical and relevant to today's issues. If there is nothing in a movie's depiction of the future than audiences can relate to, nothing to provoke thought, than what's the point in even making the movie?

Silent Films: Good and Relevant.

Silent films, in my opinion, can be and are considered 'good'. While to some people certain silent films may only be of historical interest, the fact remains that all pieces of film from the silent era are very relevant to media today. A film such as Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat may not be of much interest to most people (myself included), but it is by no means irrelevant to the film medium as a whole. As discussed in class, there is much that can be learned about that time period from the movies that it produced. A movie like Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times, however, can be and is still being enjoyed by people as a 'good' film. While some films are hindered by their age (due to the lack of advances in technology that could make for a more entertaining piece), others simply become better as they age, much like a fine wine. Aspects of Modern Times that make it enduring are the inclusion of a plot and humour. A good plot holds the interest of the viewer, while tasteful humour makes the experience enjoyable. These make it interesting to watch and therefore it has a better shelf life than something like, say, Workers Leaving A Factory, which was almost comical in it's simplicity. That said, I do believe that films from the silent era do retain the potential to be looked upon as 'good', if good means both entertaining and of substance.

Music Video Analysis

In the music video for "Howlin' For You" by the Black Keys, we see scores of summer blockbuster cliches synced up with a catchy rock song by a band that has finally broken through to mainstream radio.
Reality (pft, hardly...) in "Howlin' For You" is portrayed very much like it would be in what might be seen as a mindless popcorn flick. This is obviously because the whole video is made to look like a movie trailer for just such a film. I think that it might have been intended to be a parody of this particular genre but it could also be some attempt at a tribute or satire (it depends what point of view you're looking at it from).

Ah, stereotypes. This video is chalked full of summer-action-blockbuster-popcorn movie stereotypes such as explosions, violence, beautiful women, and so on. This video cleverly employs almost every stereotype that comes to mind when thinking of the summer action movie trailer. We've got the cliche narrator (who sounds like he's reading the back of a DVD) running us through the cliche plot (something bad happens to someone, who in turn wants revenge). We see short snippets of what brainless popcorn-munchers want to see, which it to say violence, romance (sex) and the delivery of memorable lines ("I once choked a chupacabra to death with my bare hands for not saying grace."). It's silly and we know it, but we gobble it up anyway.

When watching this music video, I had a bit of a hard time trying to pick out creeds and values. We see certain groups being portrayed in certain ways (for example, men are portrayed as being stupid and only interested in sex). This video implies that killing scores of men just to justify one murder (watch the video, you'll get it) is all fine and dandy.

I think that this video would appeal to teenagers because it contains all of what many of us look for in a movie. It has action, women, and a simple plot (albeit false, as this music video is essentially a trailer for a fake movie). It catches your eye and entertains, and it's a welcome change from scantilly-clad women dancing to autotuned music.

In my opinion, "Howlin' For You" could fall into both the category of 'I like' and the category of 'good'. On the one hand, I like this music video because it breaks away from what you would typically see on a TV station. I also enjoy the song more than anything by Ke$ha or whatever, so I might be slightly biased. On the other hand, I believe that this is a good video because it appears to have had much more effort put into it than most of the videos one might see on a top 20 countdown. It has been directed and produced in such a way that it is convincing as a movie trailer(apparently it had IMDB fooled, they actually uploaded an article about it). While the focus of the video is less on the music and more on the imagery, it is an effective way to USE the music, and I think that it aids in creating a mood fitting of the song. Therefore I believe that the video for "Howlin' For You" by the Black Keys is a good music video, but that it could also be seen as simply a likeable piece of media.