Samba de Orfeu

I've been drawn out by pessimism and this weary world, after being left out by unreported assholes who can screw up my work schedule for next week. I don't have money whatsoever for Christmas and I feel bad about it since this is the first Christmas in which I have to resort to more cheap, creative gifts. But by complaining I will sink to their level and I do not give into the man.

But hey...this wonderful clip from the Brazilian film "Black Orpheus" is that ray of sunshine I haven't seen in many months.

All I really want in life is a little bit of love just to take the pain away.

Bob Dylan's senseless surrealism yet condescending nature in his song "Tombstone Blues" has been a frequently played song as of recent. I just don't understand, but I could see myself relating to the music...or maybe I don't. But there's a sense of hapless anger that I am experiencing.

I've been having a mild case of rebellion and boy it has been building ever since I moved out to UCSB. Everyday has been monotonous, boring, and tiring to the point where I want to break free from this lifestyle. I want to retreat from the many nights of perilous drinking...to the liberation of the soul. Free from the tyranny of cliches of beach culture and one night flings, I would reach eclectic nirvana. But sadly enough, I have to resort to the rum to feed my misery.



I can't stand the party culture of where I live. I have no problems of doing it once in a while, but I don't have the capacity to do this every night. The other night, I made myself look like a buffoon to my neighbors because of my shit attempt to talk. But then again, it's really my roommate's fault for attempting to use his masculinity to charm her. Unfortunately, his manliness failed to charm the girl as her boyfriend confronts my poor roommate. I don't understand why a lot of men try to talk sex in a direct manner, it just seems like a poor attempt to get to her panties. My roommate is one of many sex-driven men in Isla Vista who talks sex. I don't know, I just feel that it's a cheap effort... or maybe I have moved past the one night fling.

Is this a sign of maturity? I don't know, I'm still having this Holden Caufield existentialist crisis. I'm tired of this repressed lifestyle, but yet I'm forcing myself to sucker into enjoying these shackles.




But the music saves me from despair because I know that there's still hope . This poisonous day to day affairs may haunt me for the time being, but I know that I will someday meet me in Elysian Fields.

Deerhunter - Microcastle

The other day, I downloaded the leaked version of Deerhunter's "Microcastle" after hearing all the hype that's been said for months. Normally I'm turned off by hype, especially if it's coming from hipster/pitchfork circles as I've been disappointed on what they would consider good music (see: Vampire Weekend, Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah!, etc.). However, after having one run through the album, Microcastle may have to be one of the best records I've seen all year. I shouldn't say these things considering I haven't done multiple listens on the album, but goddamn, the tracks are infectious with no fluff. Anyway, here are a couple tracks from their new album that I dig.


Deerhunter - Agoraphobia
Deerhunter- Never Stops

Movie Reviews (part 1)

Periodically, I'll be posting movie reviews. Unfortunately, I'm so busy with school that I don't have the time to write on a daily basis. So please have patience.

Scoring Chart:

5/5: Perfection (“Raging Bull”, “Tokyo Story”, “400 Blows”, “Trainspotting”, “2001: A Space Odyssey”, “Clockwork Orange”, “This is Spinal Tap”, “Manhattan”, “400 Blows”, “M”, “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly”, “The Breakfest Club”, )

4/5: Great, but there are some bits that prevents it from becoming perfection (“The Graduate”, “No Country For Old Men”, “I’m Not There” , most of Ingmar Bergman’s filmography, “Seven Samurai”, “Paris, Texas”, “Wings of Desire”, “The Last Emperor”, "American Beauty", “Rashomon”, “Red Beard”, “Barry Lyndon”, most Wong Kar Wai films)

3/5: Good, but the film could’ve been way better . This could also be the overhyped pile yet the film has its merits. (“Babel”, “Kill Bill”, “Casino”, “The Ice Storm”, “Lost in Translation”, “Amelie”, “Citizen Kane”, “Shawshank Redemption”, “Forrest Gump”, “2046”, )

2/5: Watchable, but not recommended (“Little Miss Sunshine”, “Juno”, the last two films by Wes Anderson, most so-called “indie” films, “El Topo”, "Sunshine", etc.)

1/5: Utter shit (most contemporary films)

Edward Yang’s “Yi Yi (One and a Two)” (Taiwan 2000)

I’m not too familiar with Taiwanese cinema other than Taiwananese actor Takeshiro Kaneshiro’s prominence in Honk Kong cinema. Apparently, Taiwan had a resurgence of cinema in recent years as a result of the declining influence of the KMT. Taiwanese filmmakers emerge with immmense creativity that has never been seen in their homeland, thus dubbing this rebirth of film era the Taiwanese New Wave. Anyway, Edward Yang’s “Yi Yi(One and a Two) is clearly one of the best films to come out of the country (though I shouldn’t make a rash statement since this is the only Taiwanese film I’ve seen). In this film, we see the life of a middle class Taiwanese family dealing with the struggles that they face in their lives. While it depicts a family relationships that most contemporary films lack, the film also metaphorically explores the cycle of life through the eyes of the father, the troubled love lost teen, and a curious boy who gets into random mishap. This theme regarding about life is heavily explored as evident in the film first few minutes with a wedding in a Chinese garden and the finale on a funeral in that same garden. Although I would like to continue on explaining the plot of the film, I’d rather let you folks watch the film instead of spoiling some of the film’s bittersweet goodness. While the film is very quiet by Hollywood standards, the lack of Hollywood cliché and the focus on family dynamics is enough to warrant an excellent film. If you’re a fan of Yazujiro Ozu’s drama pieces and the subtle nature of a Wong Kar Wai film, then this film will be a real treat.

Verdict: 5/5

Jacques Tati’s “Trafic” (France 1971)

Before Mr. Bean, the world had Jacques Tati (better known for his portrayal as Monsieur Hulot). In this final outing by the French answer to Charlie Chaplin, Monsieur Hulot is a car designer who embarks on a road trip from Paris to Amsterdam for the Auto Expo. Unfortunately, the clumsy Hulot manages to get into automobile mishaps thus making this Eurotrek difficult and chaotic. As typical in most Tati’s films, the film once again is a satire on Americanesque car-culture and the Western world’s infatuation on consumerism. Unfortunately, while the film has its occasional laughs, this is mediocre as compared to his previous works. I guess the reason for this dismal affair is the studios’ control of the film as a result of the commercial failure of Tati’s previous film “Playtime (1967)”, which I would highly recommend checking out. Another problem I had with the film is the lack of Hulot’s follies that was memorable in his three previous films. Hulot in Trafic, is quite boring. Gone are the days when we see Hulot fooling around with modern man's unnecessary gadgets to his curiousity to man's superficial ways. Anyway, despite my criticism, there are some funny scenes that warrant a rent. My favorite bit in the film has to be when Hulot’s lady companion speeds in her race car in a Dutch intersection causing the trafficman to spin and cause confusion amongst the drivers which ultimately leads to a chaotic car crash. Anyway, worth checking out if you’ve seen his previous works but avoid watching this as your first Tati film. Verdict: 3/5

Alejandro Jodrowski’s “El Topo” (Mexico 1970)

John Lennon has shit taste. There, it’s hard for me to slag off an old hero. I don’t know what he sees in the film that deserves massive distribution in the US. Kids, don’t sucker yourself into this absurdist take on Westerns. Aside from hype, I guess the film’s attempt to make a philosophical avant garde western is what drew me into renting this film. Alas, Jodrowski is so drawn out into this pseudo-philosophical bullshit that anyone who lacks of intellect (no wonder hippies dig this shitfest) can pretend that he’s a philosophical nutfuck when really it’s just nonsense. Avoid this shitfest at all costs.

Verdict: 1/5

More reviews to come.