Monday, October 31, 2005

MEDIA MONDAY
What have you been listening to, reading, watching?

Get your haiku fix here
The VA Vegan can salve your once-a-day haiku needs and for more epic fare, I suggest the haiku stylings of EMichael (scroll down for today's Bush/Alito-related haiku.)

Melissa Ferrick
I caught Melissa Ferrick's show at the Mercy Lounge last Thursday. A singer-songwriter with intense vocals and aggressive guitar licks. It was quite a good show. If you have a chance to hear her or pick up a CD (which isn't quite as good as live), you should do it.

Also, while I'm on the subject of this concert, I must say that generally I consider lesbians to be an advanced people (also we have at least one thing in common). I have good friends that are lesbians. Hell, I've even dated a lesbian or 2, which actually isn't as much fun as it sounds. But, as excessively smart folks, I was hopeful going in that the bar/venue wouldn't be too smoky (Ferrick is a lesbian with a strong following in that community. Alas, I'm sorry to report that, smart as they are, lesbians smoke at least as much as everyone else.

More tantalizing facts and insight from Article 19. You can't get that kind of reporting just anywhere.

The Maturation Myth
Vanity Fair interviewed Woody Allen
Allen, who will be 70 on Dec. 1, says age hasn't brought wisdom.

"I've gained no wisdom, no insight, no mellowing. I would make all the same mistakes again, today," he tells the magazine.
His new film "Match Point" opens in December.

Art Therapy
At New York City's Museum of Modern Art, Alzheimer's patients are taken on tours during off hours in an attempt to activate important parts of their brain:
Art therapy, both appreciating art and making it, has been used for decades as a nonmedical way to help a wide variety of people - abused children, prisoners and cancer and Alzheimer's patients. But much of this work has taken place in nursing homes and hospitals. Now museums like the Modern and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, are trying to bring it into their galleries, using their collections as powerful ways to engage minds damaged by dementia.

It seems to be working, though no one knows exactly how. While extensive research has been conducted on the effects of music and performing arts on brain function - the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function in the Bronx has been studying the phenomenon for a decade now - there has been comparatively little work done in the visual arts. . .. .

"Certainly it's not just a visual experience - it's an emotional one," said Oliver Sacks, the neurologist and writer. "In an informal way I have often seen quite demented patients recognize and respond vividly to paintings and delight in painting at a time when they are scarcely responsive to words and disoriented and out of it. I think that recognition of visual art can be very deep."
Over-Reaction
M. Night Shyamalan is bitching about the idea of simultaneous theater/DVD releases. I have to admit, I don't see the big deal. Theater-going is not going to disappear so long as there are people looking for reasons to get out of the house. But even if it diminishes I don't see that as such a loss. DVD sales will just increase. Still, the director of one great film (Sixth Sense), 2 pretty darn good ones (Unbreakable and Signs) and one pretty silly one (The Village), is surprisingly philosophical about it:
Story is king. Storytelling is an ancient art form that has always been told to a group, and the reason is that we need to see the story through each others' point of view, like sitting next to someone whose sense of humor is different than yours. That's the way we grow. We can't disregard the effect we have on each other when we see a movie. I make them for a room full of 500 strangers, not a singular individual who only has a life experience like mine. That would be asinine.
I've definitely had experiences where a crowd of strangers affected my film-watching in an interesting way. But usually that's not the case. It's not like we go out for after-movie conversation with the people from our row that we don't know. There are definitely down-sides to watching a film on TV at home--fewer than there used to be. But I'm not sure they have much to do with a sense of community. What do you think?

Weekend Box Office

1. Saw II
2. The Legend of Zorro
3. Prime
4. Dreamer (not getting it done at the BO. Maybe that little girl is finally overexposed. I know I'm sick of seeing her everywhere.)
5. Wallace and Gromit

Article 19 Film Recommendation
I had seen the Bridget Fonda version several years ago and didn't mind it, but I finally sat down in front of the original Le Femme Nikita. I was blown away - an amazing experience. Chilling, touching, raw, intense. That woman is amazing. I can't say I was completely satisfied with the ending, but highly recommended.

Whatever happened to Bridget Fonda anyway? Is she still in movies?

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