the gnostic gospels

in 1945 a collection of early christian texts were discovered near the town of nag hammadi in upper egypt that came to be known as the nag hammadi library. elaine pagels, the author of this exquisite book, discusses in easy to understand terms, the contents of the collection.

The major theme is the rivalry between the gnostic and the orthodox christians. The doctrinal difference between the two groups over issues like martyrdom, participation of women, nature of the true church, nature of god and the trinity, and salvation, that is to say, only via the self serving bishops for the orthodox christians and thru gnosis for the gnostics.

the bishops threatened by the teachings of the gnostics labeled the latter as heretics. while the gnostics viewed the orthodox as immature believing in rituals and motions of traditional worship. the catholic church of today is notably the direct descendant of orthodox christianity which put much emphasis on the unquestioned authority and heirarchy of the bishops. had the gnostics won, christianity would have been very different.

it becomes obvious what sets the books of the nag hammadi library apart from the canonical books having gone as far as undermine the patriarchy and authority of the bishops.

it poses important questions especially to those who do follow and believe orthodox teachings. what makes one believe this set of books and not the other. because the priest/pastor says so and that's it? (kasi sabi ni pader?) héhé ..

another lucky find from booksale. i got it for only 150 PHP.

rating 5 out of 5
A must read.

agora

agora is a historical non fiction film about hypatia, an atheist philosopher who taught at the library of alexandria, 4th century AD in roman egypt.

this was at the time when the roman empire was crumbling and the number of christians
have swelled enough to take over the city. at the behest of the pagans who worshipped their ancestral gods (serapis, mithra, horus and the others - all of which by the way had similar attributes with jesus - virgin birth, saviour of mankind, miracle workers, teller of parables etc)

christian zealots performed spectacles like walking on fire to lure the superstitious crowd. and made challenges to the gods for their seeming absence in the mortal realm. they failed to apply the same standard of scrutiny however, to their own god.

the situation worsened, provoked by public mockery of their god, the followers of serapis attacked the christians. against hypatia's pleading for the church leader of serapis to instead file their case with the prefect.

much to their surprise, they find themselves face to face with the christian mob which retaliated en force. by the time the roman prefect intervened, the pagans and other intellectuals were trapped in the library surrounded by the christian mob outside which appear to be composed of slaves, the uneducated, the impoverished, the marginalized, and lead by warmongering zealots. this is significant as it reflects the same demographic of christians today.

it was painful to watch the christians laid waste to the library, destroying all nowledge of antiquity save a few scrolls which the pagans brought with them on their way out.

much later, it became fashionable to be christian. the social elite had for the most part had been converted. most likely to avoid problems with the then now established christian religion and its leaders.

hypatia in the meantime, lived quietly and continued to philosophize about the movement of the heavens, juggling between the ptolemy system, which had the earth as the center of the universe and the other heavenly bodies revolving around it in perfect circles; and the aristacus? system which had the sun as its center and the other heavenly bodies
revovlving around it in perfect circles as well. but something did not match up with her observations and measurements. this goes against the established biblical teaching, that the world is flat.

after the pagans, the christians when after its other rivals, the jews otherwise known as the beginnings of anti semitism. and then the status of women.

when hypatia's former students (now a bishop and the other a prefect) implored her to convert to christianity or else. she said she couldn't because unlike the christian bishop who don't question his beliefs. she must hers. the essence of what it is to be freehinker.

rating: 5 out of 5
*****

munich

munich is a historical fiction that begins with arab terrorists taking israeli athletes as hostages in the oylmpics in munich, germany. a few years after, the government of israel unofficially hires assassins to hunt down the people responsible. eric bana plays avner kauffman - the leader of the group of assassins.

immediately, i sympathized with israel. the group of assasins, each experts in their individual fields, were in fact very likable. it felt right, what they're doing, that it was justice. im glad the story became impartial turning around towards the end, mentioning the plight of the palestinian people. at the end, nothing seemed to matter except the question of when the killing of each other, is going to stop.

personally i believe it was a mistake for the western (european) powers to put up israel in the middle of the arab region. it does not seem smart to me anyway. there is whole lot of history about this. something i am no expert in. the palestinian people who are now refugees, practically robbed of their lands are understandably doing everything they can to fight back. i believe a futile attempt. there was an interesting political dialogue between avern and one of the arabs. and avern made one very important and objective point. the palestinians have nothing now to bargain with.

Rate ***** 5 out of 5
a powerful film.

Pan's Labyrinth

I've been wanting to do a review of this movie ever since I watched it last October 2007. I'd personally give the movie a six star rating for its imagery, story, and suspense.

Pan's Labyrinth (or "El Laberinto del Fauno" in Spanish) is the work of Guillermo del Toro, the same guy who directed the Hellboy movie. At first I was skeptical of the movie's English title, it sounded like a B horror movie. But then after hearing nice reviews, I decided to watch it and see for myself.

The movie is basically an adult faerie tale. By adult, I'm talking about the intense and gruesome violence depicted in the story. I wouldn't recommend having kids watch the movie because of the gory head bashing, torture, and the bloody gun fights.

Pan's Labyrinth is set in the wilderness of Spain, during the country's civil war. The military, led by a maniacal war freak captain, is hunting down rebels - killing them left and right. Amidst all the death and violence, a young girl becomes enamored in the world of faerie. She encounters a satyr and learns of a fantastic faerie world. With the help of the satyr and some pixies, the girl undergoes a series of quests to help improve the lives of her family.

Slowly the girl's secret fantasy world and the realities of war begin to overlap. The rebels waged their final war against the military and the girl is forced to make a choice - to save her dreams or her family.

While the movie revolves around the girl and her struggle to save her family from hardship and suffering. I think that her innocence and belief in faerie kept her protected from the brutalities of war. Since she is the only one who interacts with the Satyr and pixies, I was left thinking whether the faeries were real or if she made it all up.

Despite all the death and violence, the story redeems itself in the end. In the young girl's mind, she has succeeded in her quest and she has brought happiness and prosperity for her family and the land.

Kekexili: Mountain Patrol

I stumbled on this movie accidentally at AXN last Saturday and I was glued to the screen. At first I thought it was one of those mainland films depicting life under communist rule, but as I continued watching, I realized this was a story about life in the wilderness of Tibet.

The film acts like a travel documentary, revolving around a Beijing Photojournalist on assignment in Tibet. He gets first hand experience with the rugged and harsh life in the mountains.

During his trip, the journalist encounters a group of Tibetan vigilantes who roam the land to protect endangered antelopes from poachers. They track down illegal hunters across the mountains, arresting violators and burying the carcasses of dead antelopes they encountered.

The film portrays the harshness of the Tibetan mountains -- from its cold numbing frost, to its vast stretched of wasteland. It shows how people survive under poverty. Abandoned or simply ignored by the government, these people resort to illegal poaching, skinning of antelope skins (which are prized in the black market), and stealing.

One of the scenes that struck me was when the patrol arrested a group of poachers. The journalist interviewed one of the criminals, an old man who claimed to be the fastest antelope skinner in the region. The old man proudly showed his three sons who were along with him. He said that he was once a shepherd but because of the changes in the weather, his livestock died. Shortly after that, he became a poacher.

I liked the way the film portrayed the region as a "savage frontier", where everyday is a fight for survival. It also shows how the land affects its inhabitants, and how it affects ones moral judgment and view of good/evil.

Point Break

Point Break is exactly what a fun movie should be like. You've got the good cops and the bad surfers, throw in some social commentary, add cheesy lines and good action, have best friends become archenemies, and the result is a cult classic.

The basic story starts with a series of bank robberies being perpetuated by criminals wearing former Presidents' masks. Then the good cops are assigned to investigate, namely Keanu Reeves aka FBI Special Agent 'Johnny Utah' (what a great cop name) and Gary Busey. The villain is a mythical surfer dude named 'Bodhi' (a great villain name) played by Patrick Swayze. All three characters are larger than life - you actually believe they're real. And I'll go out on a limb to say that these are still the best roles that Reeves, Swayze, and Busey had ever played.

The chemistry between Utah and Busey's character is funny and intense. They gave Gary Busey all the funny lines, my favorite being "Utah, get me two!". Johnny Utah and Bodhi also have a special relationship, as friends and archenemy, sort of like Superman and Lex Luthor. Utah starts out as this Type A Mr. Stress personality, until he meets and befriends Bodhi, who teaches him a lot about his philosophy towards life.

Bodhi has a couple of great quotes in this film. He talks about people who "are inching their way on the freeways in their metal coffins". Before you know it, Utah realizes that his experiences with Bodhi has made him a different person. Bodhi just might be the best movie villain of all time. I both hated and liked him at the same time.

Since Keanu Reeves is in this one, there's the obligatory corny stuff and corny acting. But it works! Everything just feels right. In fact, this might be Keanu's best role to date (better than Neo even). Busey's character and Swayze's over the top persona makes sure you don't take the story too seriously.

The action scenes are real fun too. There's a Johnny Utah - Bodhi chase scene which ends in some of the worst Keanu Reeves overacting (but trust me, it's good). There's a botched FBI raid which ends with a naked woman beating up an agent. And topped with the kamikaze skydiving scene.

It's one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen. My only regret is not having watched this back in 1991.

Rating: 5/5 * * * * *
"Simple masses inching along the freeway"

Lady in the Water

Lady in the Water is M. Night Shyamalan's latest movie. I've only been waiting for this one for the past two years or so. So I had very high expectations. Plus, I actually watched this on the very first night it was released, on a Friday.

And it didn't disappoint. This was good.

In fact, I was totally engrossed in this one. The characters were real. Heck, I felt like I was in the movie, just like one of the apartment dwellers residing in Cleveland Heep's residential complex.

It reminded me of when I was a kid, when I would make up lots of stories to tell my brother. I'd have different characters, each with his or her nuances. Sometimes the stories would make sense, oftentimes they were too ambitious causing the plot to crumble (like the time I created a 'princess' in an earlier part, then totally forgot about her in the end, which prompted my brother to laugh and ask "what about the princess?"). Lady in the Water resembles a lot of my childhood imagination, stories where anything goes.

It is also a movie about my friends and acquaintances. It was like M. Night made a movie that described some of my dreams where friends and people from all places would get together in one fable. I would love to watch this film with them. Though I'm not sure if they will relate to this as much as I do.

Like Shyamalan's past films, he leads you into thinking one way, then swerves in another direction. For instance, Signs isn't really about aliens, Unbreakable isn't about invulnerability, and The Village isn't about monsters. This movie is advertised as a fairy tale. And while it does have some fairy tale parts, I believe it's really about something else.

I'm predicting that a lot of people will hate this movie. It's the type that will disappoint those looking for quick thrills or amusing diversions. You won't get that here. In fact, while I was watching in the moviehouse, I noticed a couple walk out in the middle of the film. And after it ended, I overheard one teenager proclaim "This is the worst movie I've ever seen!" M. Night's critics will bemoan the fact that he gave himself another significant acting role in his own movie. Plus, it doesn't follow the usual formula we've all been accustomed to watching. I just hope people don't hate this too much.

Some parts that I felt could be improved: I thought some of the more important details had to be emphasized and explained as the storytelling can get fast and confusing. It is easy to lose track of the characters. I also found the cookbook writer's sister to be irritating at times, and didn't contribute much to the story. The character of 'Story' could also use some work as she oftentimes slowed down the pacing of the film, breaking the momentum.

What I loved about Lady in the Water is how it creates special meaning out of commonplace people and things. How each seemingly insignificant group of characters find themselves having special significance. And how it is told with such realism, that things even fall apart, then come back together.

Rating: 5/5 * * * * *
Something special

(Minor spoilers in the comments section, where I discuss some plot details and special meanings in the movie. -rob)

Eyes Wide Shut

A warning, I have yet to meet anyone who actually liked this movie, which is interesting because this ranks as one of my all-time favorites.

Eyes Wide Shut was the last movie directed by Stanley Kubrick, and I believe he died before it was finished. It casts Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as a married couple having difficulties. I'll give a quick plot summary without revealing any spoilers. Wife (Kidman) admits to her doctor husband (Cruise) that she had previous thoughts about having an affair. The relative of a dying patient makes a house call late at night, prompting the doctor to make a late night visit. What follows next are some of the most bizarre scenes you will witness. There is a surprising admission, encounter with a prostitute, a cult, an orgy, and many others. You'll just have to watch it to believe.

I remember the first time I saw this movie, I thought I sensed a pattern. That something out of the ordinary with a bit of shock value will occur on every extended scene. These scenes are played very realistically which I love. The dialog is slow but interesting. Every character has quirky nuances that will make you believe they are real. The music pounds you like a heartbeat, and if you're like me, soon you will be totally immersed in this film. You will feel like a part of it, perhaps seeing the perverse city through Tom Cruise's character.

This movie also raises so many interesting questions and dilemmas. I was very tense and frightened during the cult/orgy part, as well as the final scene with the mask. But I remember my companions in the moviehouse not being affected, even quite bored with it, and I was curious as to why it seemed I was the only one so affected by this movie. I guess having a big imagination helps.

The main character starts out very innocently, not knowing much about the city he is in. Yet he gets to see the best and worst of human nature after venturing out on his own. There is no violence or gore in this film, but I found some of the scenes a bit disturbing because of the different ideas that were presented. It was disturbing in a good way, as I felt I had been exposed to something out of the ordinary.

I also learned that this movie was based on the novel 'Traumaville' by Arthur Schtizner which was translated to english under the title 'Rhapsody: A Dream Novel'. This is one book I've got to read after I fully recover from Eyes Wide Shut.

The big mystery for me is why many people hate this movie. With other unusual films, I can understand why it can be boring or uninteresting to watch for some. But this to me has real hollywood entertainment value. It can be disturbing or slow, but not boring I think. This is that rare movie that stays with you long after you watch it.

Rating: 5/5 * * * * *
A classic dark adventure which will make you think

Review - Comics: House of M

I just reread this comic series recently and I soon rediscovered why I believe this is one of the best mini-series ever made. The great story coupled by the involvement of two of the best teams ever assembled, the Astonishing X-Men and the New Avengers made this one of the best titles I've read.

The Setting: The story takes place in an alternate Marvel universe where several Avengers (the Vision, Hawkeye and Ant-Man) were killed by one of their own, the Scarlet Witch when she suffered a nervous breakdown after she lost her children. It is also a place where the X-Men founder, Charles Xavier, left the team to rebuild the charred remains of Genosha (the only mutant city) and came to the aid of his long-time friend Magneto, the shamed and outcast father of the Scarlet Witch, to help "cure" his daughter.

The Plot: The story begins with Xavier trying to convince a severly-traumatized Scarlet Witch to control her reality-altering mutant powers. He realized the need to do so because he knew that the Scarlet Witch's power was too dangerous to let loose. However, he also knew that he was powerless to help her. So he left Genosha and called on the Astonishing X-Men (Emma Frost, Cyclops, Wolverine, Beast, Shadowcat and Colossus), the New Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, the Sentry, Spider-Man and Luke Cage), Avengers Reserves (the Wasp, Falcon, Ms. Marvel and Wonder Man) as well as the Mystic, Dr. Strange to decide with him the fate of Wanda Maximoff (the Scarlet Witch).

There was a standoff - with the X-Men wanting to eliminate the Scarlet Witch before she poses a bigger threat on one side; and the Avengers wanting another alternative on the other. Both teams claimed that they should have jurisdiction over the matter. The X-Men believed that they should have authority since the Scarlet Witch was a mutant threat. While the Avengers believed that they should decide on the matter because she was part of their team. With the absence of a clear decision, everyone decided to go to Genosha to speak with the Scarlet Witch instead. However, they were all surprised to learn that the Scarlet Witch was moved. Fearing that Magneto took his daughter away, the heroes tried to pursue the fugitives. They closed in on them until Xavier was mysteriously lost and the whole world turned white.

The Twist: The Scarlet Witch used her powers to create a new world where the heroes got what they always wanted. It was a world where mutants were the dominant race, Spider-Man was a happily-married, popular and wealthy wrestler (his Uncle Ben was alive), Captain America was a retired war hero, Tony Stark (Iron Man) was a wealthy businessman (with an alive father), Emma Frost and Scott Summers (Cyclops) were living together, Colossus was a farmer, Shadowcat was a teacher, Ms. Marvel was the most popular superhero, Wonder Man was a celebrity etc.

Unfortunately, Wolverine also got what he always wanted - he got all his memory back. Along with that, he remembered a different world: a world where mutants were hated and feared; where war, violence and famine were more rampant; where the world was in tormoil. Wolverine knew that the world, where he was the head of the most elite force for the House of M (Magnus - Magneto's real name), was a better place - but it wasn't the real one. So he went rogue and tried to reassemble the X-Men and Avengers team that he remembered. He was helped by a powerful child psychic, Layla - a mutant that existed only on the new world but strangely remembered the world Wolverine described. She was instrumental in letting the heroes remember everything.

The Climax: The best part of the series was the face-off between the combined X-Men and Avengers heroes and those of the House of M. Although the heroes were a powerful group, the House of M were no pushovers - there was the Maximoff family (Magneto and his children), Namor the leader of Atlantis, Ororo (Storm) ruler of Africa and Dr. Doom ruler of Latvia among others. The battle sequences were brutal (Cyclops insisted that nobody should hold back). The two sides were evenly matched with nobody in any clear advantage. Concurrently, two important revelations about the story surfaced while all the fighting went on. 1) Xavier, who was presumed dead, was found to be only missing and 2) Magneto didn't convince his daughter to create the mutant-ruling world - it was Quicksilver's (Wanda's twin brother's) idea. When Magneto learned that Quicksilver did this and used his name in the process, he killed his son. This angered Wanda because she believed that Quicksilver only wanted to help her and everyone else in the process. Because of this, Wanda used her powers once again and wished to have no more mutants. Thus the whole world turned white again.

The Ending: The old world was returned to how it was - except that 1) Most of the world's mutants lost their mutant genes. 2) Nobody remembered the events in the world of the House of M except for the X-Men, Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. 3) Xavier, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch were missing. 4) The repercussions of the lost energy of all mutants were about to unfold.

My Reaction: The story was great since the heroes were willing to let go of the reality created by the Scarlet Witch no matter how great it was. They were willing to die and fight without holding anything back in order to return to a world that's worse than the one that was created for them. Did they do it because it was the unselfish and noble thing to do? Or is it because they just couldn't live a lie? Be it for whatever reason, it epitomized how earth's heroes value integrity and dedication. It showed how these can overcome even their human emotions.

However, I also felt for the Maximoff family because their stories showed how they succombed to their human sides. I felt for Scarlet Witch, a loving mother, who wanted to have a world where her children were alive. I also felt for Quicksilver who was selfish enough to suggest a new world where his sister can be spared from a possible execution. Finally, I felt for Magneto who was proud not to accept the mutant-supreme world (his lifelong dream) that he ruled when he learned that it wasn't real.

I like the way both sides in this series were properly developed. There were several other related titles to the House of M that further showed the altered lives of the heroes from both sides. It's obvious that a lot of work was exerted in creating the intricate stories and how everything came together. I really enjoyed the story and I'm looking forward to the series that follows this one, Decimation. Hopefully it's as good as it's predecessor.

Rating: Starbucks

5 - Starbucks
4 - Seattle's Best
3 - Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
2 - San Francisco Coffee
1 - Kapihan sa Kanto

man to man

starring: joseph fiennes, kristine scott thomas, iain glen, hugh bonneville, lomama koseki, céile bayiha

it is always fascinating to observe humanity as it was. and in retrospect, as it is. this film is about 18th century europe, when it had had for a time come to terms with mankinds true origins thru the theories of charles darwin. at this point, mankind had lost that privileged place of being the center of all nature. it has turned on into itself. it created a heirarchy of humans, with the caucasians at the top, because it had probably had the most bruised ego being the first to discover, and negroids at the bottom.

the story begins with dr dodd's capture of the two pygmies. toko (male) and lumiko (female). they were in the beginning treated/regarded as animals. dr. dodd's interaction with them brought him to the realisation of his prejudices. this is a clear message of how to cure prejudice. why prejudice is wrong. the story ends with the roles of who is the real savage reversed.

we all have prejudices against other people. wrong notions about people based on the color of their skin, gender preference, creed, their age, their sex.

rating 5 out of 5 *****
we are all human beings.

lord of war

le seigneur de guerre. BASED ON ACTUAL EVENTS .. nicholas cage plays yuri the arms dealer, his wife ava fontaine played by bridgette moynahan, and jared leto plays vitaly the brother. and finally the government agent played by ethan hawke.

it is about an arms dealer living off the transgressions / wars between countries, dictators and the people he oppresses, and regular folks who have reason to buy a gun and use it. exploitation, corruption, oppression are explicitly shown in the film. almost everyone is corruptible. it is an ethical question. are arms dealers responsible? when they dont actually kill people. they just sell the means that people kill themselves or defend themselves. but is it not the same as selling drugs, alcohol, and to a largely remote degree fastfood?

i like the relationship between yuri and vitaly. where the brothers show solid confidence and loyalty, honesty to each other. it protays that yuri despite his business dealings of selling arms is still a human being. with the same desires and needs as any.

it touches briefly on the issue of arms in the states. where citizens have the right to bear arms. so that it might appear to be an anti-gun campaign film. but more importantly, it urges us to examine what kind of society we will be if citizens are allowed to have weapons. the arms dealer leads a rather complicated life. a double / triple / quadruple life. the story builds up into a judgement against him but overturns right at the end where he is eventually caught and gives out his biggest defense. i wont say here what hehehe.

rating 5 out of 5 *****
"evil prevails .."

Million Dollar Baby

Million Dollar Baby is a classic. Each character in the movie has a life of his own. I felt as if I could personally relate to each one. Even after the film ended, it was like these characters continued on, and I wondered what would happen to Frankie (Clint Eastwood), Eddie, 'Danger' and the whole gang.

The story is rich and unexpected. It starts out as your typical underdog sports movie. Maggie (Hilary Swank) is the unknown up and coming boxer with a lot of promise, who finally convinces Frankie to train her. At first, Frankie wants nothing to do with the young lady's boxing career. He's seen enough fights, had enough heartaches in the past to get emotionally involved. But eventually he gives in to her tenacity. And a good thing too because she has the heart of a true champion. And Frankie soon enough starts coaching her and treats her like his own daughter. Which is ironic because his own flesh and blood daughter refuses to have anything to do with him. He writes to his real daughter every month but the letters are always returned. It is not known what is the source of the conflict.

There are many great scenes, good quotes, and one interesting plot twist in this film. I can't describe them here because to do so would give away crucial parts of the story. You'll have to watch them yourself and laugh, cheer, and cry as I did. There is an extremely powerful scene where Frankie finally reveals to Maggie the true meaning of the nickname he gave her. What totally blew me away was the brief final scene at the diner where the picture fades, the one right before the credits roll. Never had something on the big screen moved me as much as Million Dollar Baby. One of the best flicks ever made and my number one movie of 2005.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars * * * * *
Must-watch. Highest recommendation.

Suzanne Vega - Songs in Red and Gray

Visualize some of the most beautiful music you will ever hear. Imagine the most meticulously arranged compositions layered with Suzanne Vega's rich vocals and you have what is arguably her best work. Songs in Red and Gray is Suzanne's latest album released way back in 2001 - a masterpiece of lyrical and melodic proportions.

Most of the songs were written five years after Nine Objects of Desire and more importantly some time after Ms. Vega's divorce from her husband, Mitchell Froom. So I kind of expected this to be a brooding, sad, angst-filled compilation. Not so. Some of the tracks can even be described as light-hearted and uplifting.

My personal favorite musical piece in this CD is Widow's Walk wherein the singer describes her situation metaphorically to that of being widowed, but looks ahead to a better future:

Consider me a widow boy
And I will tell you why
It's not the man, but it's the marriage
That was drowned

So I walk the walk
And wait with watchful eye out to the sky
Looking for a kind of vessel
I have never found

This is the most powerful song in the CD and an instant classic. I hope they make an instrumental version of this with a true orchestra to capture the rich layers and full beauty of the music.

Another fantastic song is the aptly titled Last Year's Troubles, an interesting take on how we romanticize and glorify century-old villains such as pirates, thieves, and other rascals. Now these were downright evil and nasty people in their time, yet we look back at them fondly, retelling history to a more sentimental, quixotic, unrealistic degree. I also suspect the whole song is a metaphor to letting go of a troublesome year that has past. This is one of my favorite songs lyrically.

Last year's troubles are so old fashioned
The robber on the highway the pirate on the seas
Maybe it's the clothing that's so entertaining
The earrings and swashbuckling blouses that please

Look at all the waifs of Dickensian England
Why is it their suffering is more picturesque?
Must be cause their rags are so very Victorian
The ones here at home just don't give it their best

Last years troubles they shine up so pretty
They gleam with a luster they don't have today
Here it's just dirty and violent and troubling
Etc. etc.

Other tracks are more of the songwriter's editorial take on her predicament. For instance, 'Soap and Water' is a letter from a mother to her young daughter. 'If I Were a Weapon' seems to be about some sort of emotional blackmail with the weapon in this case being the tool of the extortionist.

It's as if Suzanne combined all the best parts of her previous work. She put together the folk sound of her earlier CDs, together with the style and arrangement of Nine Objects of Desire. If this album had a weakness, it would be that it could sound too over-engineered, too carefully arranged, leaving the human touch distant from the listener. But this is a very minor nitpick. If you like finely produced, high quality easy listening music, this one is for you.


Rating: 5 out 5 stars * * * * *
One of the best

CAKE - Pressure Chief

"We're not joking. There's more hate in our heart than Creed and Nickelback combined. I hear a lot of music and it sounds like monsters. I don't believe it. It's mass-produced, registered-trademark anger.

CAKE is really a reactionary gesture against the sort of big, dumb, fake, angst-ridden rock of the early '90s that I hated, so we just tried to sound as small as possible as kind of a big (screw) you, and then we got criticized by rock critics for having dinky beats. They just didn't get we did it on purpose."

- John McCrea, CAKE


CAKE's 'Pressure Chief' finally arrived last year. And this is one of their best works. An excellent album from start to finish. All tracks are good. I've been listening to this for over a year and still never get tired of it.

We start with a song that will grow on you the more you listen to it, 'Wheels'. Here our hero narrates in the first person: seeing jets flying overhead, a sun going down, and a waiter setting a table just for one. Then he describes how he got there. Taking a plane to a place far away so 'we could be completely free'. Then some more descriptions about muscular cyborg German dudes, sexy French-Canadians and overweight Americans. Until we get to the gut-wrenching clincher, almost a twist ending where he shouts at the top of his lungs "Why you say you... are not in love with me". (gulp)

Then we get to the most addictive song on the CD, the most hated and the most loved at the same time, 'No Phone', a song about cellphones and how the singer feels about them.

I've been on fire
Yet I still say frozen
So deep in the night
My smooth contemplations will always be broken
My deepest concerns will stay buried and unspoken
No phone, no phone
I just wanna be alone today

There's lots other good stuff, as I said every track is good. 'Take It All Away' is a humorous, yet rage-filled breakup song:

Take your economy car and your suitcase
Take your psycho little dogs
Take it all away

'Dime' is a cute song about a dime left on the floor which no one wants to pick up. "I'm a president you don't remember, getting kicked around, not to be dented by a car, by a plane, or anything. Not yet invented." Is this just a song about inflation?

'Carbon Monoxide' has one of my favorite choruses ever, and it was a blast hearing everyone sing "After this my lungs will be so fucked up" out loud at the live concert. John McCrea is said to have wrote this song while waiting for a bus.

'Guitar Man' is a remake of Bread's classic song. How strange for CAKE to cover Bread. But I'm glad they did, and they should release this to radio. I'm convinced it will be a sure-fire hit. You've got to listen to this one.

Skip ahead to "She'll Hang the Baskets" and 'End of the Movie'. Now these are strange songs. I haven't yet figured out what they mean. I like how 'End of the Movie' talks about the people who sit through the credits at the end of the movie.

The last track ends it on a positive note, 'Tougher Than it is'. People always exaggerate things and make things sound tougher than it is. Keep things simple and basic.

Well, there is no such thing as you
It doesn't matter what you do
The more you try to qualify
The more it all will pass you by


The group utilizes more synthesized instruments and less guitar. I read elsewhere that this was intentionally done by the band although they have been criticized for using this popping and beeping sounds as opposed to their more guitar and bass-oriented music of their previous releases. Personally I don't see what the big deal is. It still has the CAKE sound, great lyrics, catchy tunes, occasional trumpet, and monotone-like voice, although there is more real singing and less chanting/monotone here. Recent news is that the band is leaving its label to go independent. Is this the end of CAKE?

If you enjoyed the group's previous work, you will love this one. In fact, even if you hated their previous releases, there may be something here you will like. A must-buy and best album of 2004.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars * * * * *
Take it all away.

Suicide Club (Jisatsu Saakuru)

Also known as Suicide Circle or by it's original japanese title Jisatsu Saakuru. This was unlike any other movie I have ever seen. Very impressive.

The movie starts in the Tokyo Shinjuku train station, where 54 schoolgirls hold hands, chant '1,2,3' and simultaneously jump in front of the arriving train, resulting in their deaths. What makes this scene disturbing is that it is portrayed realistically, like it is really happening.

There is also a montage of different kinds of suicides acted out it in the film. And you get this creepy sensation all throughout. The feeling that something is not entirely right. This movie had the reputation of being sick and gory, I guess partly due to some of the blood and death scenes. But to be honest, my impression was it was more of psychological fear rather than gore fear. So I think most people who don't usually like watching horror would be ok to watch this. Either that or the DVD I got was the cut version.

Also, the guy in Audition is here! He's the lead cop, Detective Kuroda. This actor, Ryo Ishibashi, is so likable, you want him to succeed and get to the source of the bizarre suicides. There's a scene where the detectives stake out the train station to prevent any potential suicides. It doesn't seem like anyone cares though. The schoolkids even make jokes about the suicides and laugh at the face of one of the junior detectives, the very man who is trying to protect them. You sense there is a disconnect between the young and the old, with the young seeming detached from society.

There's also this J-Pop kiddie group named 'Dessert' or 'Desart', or 'Desrat', their name keeps changing. Teenagers and kids love them, they're the new craze, the new fad. The band has several catchy songs, it's most popular song is the aptly titled 'Mail Me'. Even Kuroda's kids are addicted to them.

One thing, this film is weird, but its weirdness has a purpose. I was engrossed the entire time watching it. Not a single bad scene. A warning, I did not understand it on first viewing and I still don't understand all aspects to the story as I write this. It's the type of movie which you have to think about to figure out the meaning. It's classified under 'horror', but this ain't no horror flick. It's a movie with a powerful message which will eventually dawn on you. Listen closely to what Misuko says in the end as I believe this is the closest message the director wanted to convey to the viewer.

The overall theme hits the right spot. The Dessert J-Pop group oddly resemble a lot of the musical fad groups you see in Japan and the US. It reminded me of how much my brother and younger cousins are obsessed with all aspects of j-pop/anime culture. They buy the CDs, read their comics, watch their anime. It's a reflection of today's society where our lives are connected and influenced by pop consumer culture. Where does it eventually lead us?

I'm interested to hear your interpretation if you watch this.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars * * * * *
A must-watch.

Update: The more I think about this movie, the better it gets. I would even say it is one of the most important movies I have ever seen. It is more social discourse than scares and gore. But that doesn't detract from the pure horror when you realize the true nature and sources of the suicide events.

New Radicals - Maybe you've been brainwashed too

To call them by the name New Radicals is misleading since the real genius behind the band is their producer/composer/singer Gregg Alexander. The story is that Alexander disbanded the band right after this album was produced because he got tired of a lifestyle of mindless touring and concert gigs, thus forever elevating the Radicals to James Dean-like status.

Their song 'You Get What You Give' is one of my all-time faves. When I first heard it, I thought it had to be a re-released 80's song. But wait, no, it's new! This song is simple, fun, uplifting, and revolutionary at the same time. Listening to this again brings back great memories.

Wake up kids
We've got the dreamers disease
Age fourteen
They got you down on your knees
So polite
You're busy still saying please
Frienemies
Who when you're down ain't your friend
Every night
We smash their mercedes-benz
First we run
And then we laugh till we cry
But when the night is falling
And you cannot find the light
If you feel your dream is dying
Hold tight
You've got the music in you

OK now let's check out the middle track 'Jehovah Made This Whole Joint For You'. This song cracks me up. So cute and funny, yet serious at the same time. I love several of the lines in this one:

So original in her black lipstick
Listening to some obscure band
But isn't she pissed that all the other non-conformists
Listen to that same obscure band
That's OK she's helping the environment
By sipping pure water and such
Then she screams we better start thinking about
The ozone layer
While tossing out a styrofoam cup

And this is my favorite part:

(Carolina speaking)
"The first step
to a successful revolution
is destroying all competing revolutionaries."

(Song)
Real deep shit on her mind
"Let's kill the world
take over everything"
She says "we don't need politicians
they breed mistrust"

It's true! The first step to a successful revolution is indeed to eliminate all competing revolutionaries. And I smile everytime I get to the 'real deep shit on her mind' part. Ahh... nice song.

What follows is some of the best songwriting you will ever hear. It's too bad Gregg Alexander never got proper credit for his masterpiece 'Someday We'll Know'.

Whatever happened to Amelia Earhart
Who holds the stars up in the sky
Is true love once in a lifetime
Did the captain of the titanic cry

Does anybody know the way to Atlantis
Or what the wind says when she cries
I'm speeding by the place that I met you
For the 97th time tonight

Absolutely brilliant love song. It winds you up, then slams you down.

Last of all, my favorite track on the CD is the unreleased 'Technicolor Lover'. Very simple lyrics, with a good beat. It came during a time when I was both depressed and happy at the same time which is why it is so memorable.

Fast forward to the present, more than five years after this CD was released. New Radicals has developed a small cult following on the web. Its ex-frontman is reportedly still busy writing and producing songs for other artists, making it less likely that we will get another Radicals' album anytime in the future. But we can still hope can't we?

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars * * * * *
Revolutionary. A collector's item.

Suzanne Vega - Nine Objects of Desire

This is her fourth album. Her then husband, Mitchell Froom collaborated with her on some of the music. She also has a newborn daughter. Written on the CD booklet's inside cover are the words: "For Ruby, MF, Lolita, the figure of Death, 3 men, 1 woman and a plum." These are the nine objects of desire. See if you can identify them in each of the songs.

We start with the strangely titled 'Birth-day (love made real)'. Slightly different, kinda slow, abrupt change in tempo. The effect is startling. This is not your typical Suzanne Vega set list, a radical departure. By the way, this song will grow on you slowly and unexpectedly.

Next is 'Headshots' which for me is when the real album starts. Absolutely fantastic track. You can picture images of a woman wandering around city streets, seeing posters of a man she once knew. Sad and haunting. You get new instruments too, old fashioned drums, cymbals, a whistle, jazz guitar, deep throaty voice. We are transported to the 1930's big band and swing era with Ms. Vega on stage.

The sign says 'Headshots'
It's all I see
A boy becomes a picture
Of guilt and sympathy
And so I think of you
In memory
Of the days we were together
And I knew that you loved me
That was the difference
In what we see

By now you're fully immersed. And what comes next is my most favorite Suzanne Vega song of them all, 'Caramel'. It's her best singing to date. Great verses of pure passion and lust.

It won't do
to stir a deep desire
to fan a hidden fire
that can never burn true

I know your name
I know your skin
I know the way
These things begin
But I don't know
how I would live with myself
what I'd forgive of myself
if you don't go

I must have worn out track 3 from playing Caramel over and over. Now let me introduce to you the next song, 'Stockings'. Another fun track on this CD. By now you're caught up in this hypnotic trance of a different world where desires rule and there is no escape. This one I guess is about some sexual attraction a woman would have on a certain female acquaintance.

I don't care for tights, she says
and does not tell me why
She hikes her skirt above her knee
revealing one brown thigh
I see, I say, and wonder at
her slender little fingers
How cleverly they pull upon
the threads of recent slumbers

Do you know where friendship ends
and passion does begin
When she does not show you
the way out on the way in
It's between the binding
of her stockings and her skin

'Thin Man' is another one of my favorites. Somehow I picture casinos, gangsters, wealthy bigshots, and a Thin Man that controls them all. Quality of the singing and instruments is top notch, as with all the music.

He is not my friend, but he is with me
And he promises a peace I never knew
I cannot give in, no I must refuse him
But could I really be the one to resist that kiss so true

He's the thin man
With a date for me
To arrive at some point
I don't know when it will be

Now we slow the pace a bit with 'World Before Columbus', a love song Suzanne wrote for her daughter. I consider this one of her most inspired lyrics. This is a beautiful song and a classic. I like playing this when the sky is gray and all the leaves are dead, and I try to picture what a world before Columbus might have been like.

If your love were taken from me
Every color would be black and white
It would be as flat as the world before Columbus
That's the day that I lose half my sight

If your life were taken from me
All the trees would freeze in this cold ground
It would be as cruel as the world before Columbus
Sail to the edge and I'd be there looking down

Those men who lust for land
And for riches strange and new
Who love those trinkets of desire
Oh they never will have you
And they'll never know the gold
Or the copper in your hair
How could they weight the worth
Of you so rare

I sometimes think of this as her 'Greatest Hits' collection, an astounding collection of songs that you will never get tired of listening to. In my opinion, this is Suzanne Vega's best work yet and gets our highest possible recommendation.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars * * * * *
A treasure chest of songs.

Suzanne Vega - Self-titled CD

I found this to be Suzanne Vega's most personal work. And I didn't realize this was her debut album until much later. Initially I was very underwhelmed. The songs were pretty, nice melodies, very folksy, soft ballads dominated. After going through each track I put it down and didn't pick it up again until several weeks later.

On the next listen, I must have been in the right mood, because I now understood the meaning of each song. This album is a piece of art, masterfully written and composed. The songs were rich, overflowing with beauty. It's about Knights, and Queens, and Dragons, and medieval times when travelling minstrels would wander from town to town entertaining people with their music and legends. To set the right atmosphere for listening to this, try an overcast day with a view of a garden or park. Prepare a cup of coffee or tea, take a deep breath, and flow with the the music.
The sequencing of the tracks is genius. Ms. Vega tells a story in each of the songs, and I can't help but feel that each tale is related to the next. The last three tracks are just perfect, they are the best songs in the CD. I had to listen to them over and over again.

'The Queen and the Soldier' is one of the best ballads ever written. It narrates the fable of a medieval soldier who tells his queen he no longer wants to fight wars, and questions her motives for fighting in the first place. There is high drama, the song builds up, and ends tragically in the soldier's death as the battle continues on.

'Knight Moves' immediately follows 'Queen and the Soldier'. On first listen, you might even think it's part of the previous song, but they are actually separate tracks. This is an extremely powerful, emotional song with some of the best verses ever: "Watch while the queen in one false move turns herself into a pawn... Do you love any.. do you love none.. do you love many.. can you love one.. do you love me?" It's a desperate plea of a scorned woman, acting irrational, losing control of her senses. The writer bargains for the object of her affection to return her love, but it ends up being futile, and you can sense the growing desperation and bitterness of her voice: "And if you wonder... What I am doing .. As I am heading .. For the sink .. I am spitting out all the bitterness.. Along with half of my last drink .. I am thinking of your woman .. Who is crying in the hall .. It's like drinking gasoline to quench a thirst .. Until there's nothing there left at all." It has such explosive impact, no wonder it's my favorite song in this compilation.

The album ends with 'Neighborhood Girls', a light-hearted song to sort of ease you out of all the imagery of Knights and Queens, and desperate love. I'm pretty sure this song is about a madame, offering her call girls for hire. Cute song, nice ending to cleanse the palette.

I'm still not tired of this CD. A musical masterpiece.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars * * * * *

About a Boy

I watched this movie three times already and laugh out loud every time I see it. It's about a shallow, carefree, single man in his late 30's (Will) who is happily content living by himself, avoiding relationships and other people in general because of the pleasures of 'island living' as he calls it. His perfect life hits a snag when he crosses paths with Marcus, a 12-year old boy, which leads him to start caring for other people.

I would like to get a copy of the screenplay for this movie as it has a lot of good quotes. The Nick Hornby novel it is based on looks interesting too, have to read that someday. The movie alternates between the thoughts of Will and Marcus, showing off lots of interesting and funny commentary on life by the two unlikely heroes. The characters are very realistic and you can probably identify yourself, or some of the people in your own life to those characters.

The soundtrack is very good, the theme song captures the heart of the film. It is rich with feel-good moments, cringe-inducing scenes, and a great climax. One of my favorite movies of all time. Most highly recommended.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars * * * * *