thevoid99's Life Top Ten List: July 2009
Jul 31 '09 (Updated Aug 31 '09)
The Bottom Line Void Gets Stressful & Goes on Hiatus from Old Films for a While.
Well, this is certainly a summer I won't forget but not for all the good reasons. In fact, it's the most stressful I had to endure. I've been battling headaches for nearly two weeks and recently found myself dizzy and such. I start on projects I couldn't get finished and I could barely put the energy into the reviews and projects I've been doing. I even have a hard time trying to watch films that I wanted to watch because I find myself being very tired and unable to concentrate where it would now take days for me to finish an entire film. What does all of this attribute to? Visiting relatives.
I don't like to say anything bad about my grandmother and her sister but having to take them to places with my mother time and time again is very stressful. My grandmother I can handle quite easily and have very few complaints but my mother's aunt is a whole other story. She's pretty much spoiled, whiny, and a total hassle to deal with. She leaves open cans of drinks in the fridge, makes mess over a lot of things and doesn't clean things properly. Even without my permission, she takes food and drinks that I've saved up. It's not me she's annoying but my parents as well. It's become very stressful and I've found myself unable to really deal with all that's going on. I found myself staying up very late which I don't like to do and not get much sleep.
Therefore, I've been pondering whether I should take a hiatus for a while but then again, I don't want to. This is what I do and like to do. It's also something I couldn't afford to stop. I've already decided to not watch old films for a while until my relatives leave where I can be focused again. Yet, doing music reviews hasn't gotten easier either. Depending on the record, it takes me and hour, hour-and-a-half on an entire review. Now, it's taken 2-3 hours to do and it's not becoming as fun anymore.
I don't have much to do in my life and I like to do things via schedule. I wake up around 10:30 AM in the morning, turn my comp on around 11 AM, take a shower, have some time to browse for a bit. See what records to download for the day (except on Mondays and Fridays for podcasts), eat lunch at noon, go back to my room. Start work, take some time to check things out to edit. Also see if some laundry is there to finish. Release a review when it's done and prepare another one for another day. Fridays, I clean the house for an entire morning/afternoon, do some errands around 3PM. Saturday mornings, I clean my room which takes about an hour, sometimes hour and a half when I clean my bathroom every two weeks.
I like order, I like to live by a schedule and not be distracted by things. It keeps me comfortable and not worry about anything. I don't mind messing that day-to-day schedule for a bit at times but now, not living by a schedule is becoming more and more frustrating. I feel like I haven't accomplished anything and it's frustrating. I'm not sure I can take another month like this and deal with more headaches. Especially when another relative might come over for a few days. I don't mind dealing with that but sometimes it can be overcrowded.
Aside from all the family drama that's going on, another thing that's frustrating me right now is cinema. It's bad enough that there's a lot of bad movies being played in multiplexes all over America but what makes it worse is that there's some good movies out there but they're not in a theater near you. For that, I feel left out. I don't mind driving 20-30 minutes to an art house theater but not every weekend considering the gas prices and hassle to get there without paying too much. Yet, when there's a film that is shown miles and miles away from a location that will take longer to get there. That I couldn't do and feel upset that I'm missing out on something. I used to go to the Landmark Theater in Midtown quite frequently five years ago. Now, I only go once, twice a year or to theaters in downtown Atlanta once a year. It's just too much of a hassle to get there. I think I'm done ranting for now. Let's get to the Life Top Ten List for July 2009:
1. (500) Days of Summer
In an era where romantic comedies have become more formulaic, predictable, and often lifeless. Finally, there's a film that deconstructs the genre and turns it on it nose while giving audiences something to relate to. Marc Webb's directorial debut is definitely enjoyable in its stylish approach where it bends various genres from the aspects of the romantic comedy to light drama and dabbles of humor including a great musical sequence. Along with a killer soundtrack, the film features some top-notch performances from its stars, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel as they play off the idea of hopeless romanticism and cynicism in all of its complexities.
2. Sound Opinions
A podcast I discovered last month is now the place I go to for some smart insight into the world of popular music. Hosted by Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis, the Chicago-based podcast revolves around the world of music from the mainstream to the indie world while bringing some nice reviews into new albums arriving into the marketplace. At the same time, they hold sessions for artists like St. Vincent and interviews with people like Anthony Bourdain and most recently, Wendy & Lisa from Prince's old band the Revolution to talk about the 25th anniversary of Purple Rain. It's insightful but also entertaining as two of the finest music critics finally say something profound in today's world of overblown pop.
3. Sunset Rubdown-Dragonslayer
One of the most surprising releases of the year, Canada's Sunset Rubdown has a record that blows me away. Yet, with Canada being known for such garbage as Nickelback, Celine Dion, and 90s-era Bryan Adams. It's great that the neighbors up north have something to offer. Sunset Rubdown's new album is a great mixture of baroque pop and art rock that is mesmerizing but also chaotic as it's becoming of my favorite albums this year.
4. Juliet of the Spirits
One of Federico Fellini's finest films of his career, it's a film about a woman dealing with world of ghosts surrounding her as her marriage is falling apart due to her husband's infidelity. The director's first film in color, there's some great compositions and scenes that are unforgettable along with Nino Rota's score. Then there's the performance of Giulietta Masina which is mesmerizing. Though I think her work in La Strada and Nights of Cabiria were much better. This film truly shows that she is one of cinema's great actresses as she holds her own against Fellini's backdrop of wild colors and surreal images.
5. Delorean-Ayrton Senna EP
An EP I just discovered a few days ago through Pitchfork's Best New Music section. I decided to download it though I didn't have any idea of who or what Delorean is. From this EP, I realized that 2009 has been a pretty good year for EPs. While I think Deerhunter's Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP is the best of the bunch so far, the new Delorean with its melodic-driven, quirky indie-dance sound is just as fascinating with just five tracks which includes a remix. It's a fun record that lasts for 25 minutes and certainly a surprise in a year full of surprises.
6. Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince
While I'm still unsure about seeing the next film and then wait 6 months for another half of The Deathly Hallows. I was relieved to see that the new Harry Potter didn't disappoint me and that it was both faithful to the book as well as being a solid film. While I was glad that most of the cast got to do their thing with a few surprises. It was two performances that stood out for me. Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn where he adds a nice sense of humor and bitterness into his character. The other is Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy as Felton is proving himself to be an outstanding actor in displaying the complexities and anguish of the young Malfoy. While there were a few quibbles about what was cut. It's the one film I had the least complaints about and it's my 2nd favorite of the series behind Prisoner of Azkaban.
7. Metal Machine Music: NIN & the Industrial Uprise
I'm often wary about unauthorized DVDs about any acts, particularly one that's poorly made. Though I have heard about this DVD, I didn't think I would get it until I went to a mall an hour from my home with my relatives and picked it up right away after I saw it at a FYE (which is no longer around at my local mall). I paid $20 for it but it was worth it to some degree. While there were things I already knew about, to see interviews from journalists and former NIN members made it worthwhile along with some archival footage. Though I plan to do a broader project about NIN's 20-year history for September, this doc helpful in bringing out some information I wasn't aware about on the industrial music scene.
8. Mark Kermode's BBC Podcast
It's been a few months since I was introduced to Kermode's podcast and it's now becoming one of my favorites. What I love about it is Kermode's no-holds-barred attitude towards films and what he champions. The interviews he has with directors and stars are always enjoyable to hear but it's his rants on films and filmmakers that are key to what makes his podcasts a fun experience to listen to. Even when he attacks directors like Michael Bay and hear listeners realized how dumb they were to watch the abomination that is Transformers 2.
9. Gilmore Girls Season 7
While I don't rate this season highly in comparison to past seasons. I was glad that it finally played on ABC Family this past June and ended it in early July. I was kind of dreading it but also wanted to see how bad it was. The first half of that season I would say featured some of the worst moments of the entire series that it seemed to have lost its identity. When the second half began and started to pick itself up right to the end, I realized that the show shouldn't have ended it like that. It was somewhat disappointing to end the entire series because I felt that there was more to tell. At the same time, I started to learn about the formation of the CW and how it ruined some great series where this show was one of its casualties. After watching this last season, I understood why the actors of the series are reluctant to do a film and why it might take a lot longer for it to happen so I won't be holding my breath if a film version of the series doesn't happen at all.
10. Film Trailers
I don't think there's a lot to be happy about for what's coming later in the year and next year. Yet, there's a few trailers that I'm happy to see. A shortened version of Where the Wild Things Are trailer plus a teaser for the new Tim Burton film Alice in Wonderland and a hilarious trailer for the new Steven Soderbergh film The Informant! with Matt Damon as a dork. A few trailers for new releases are decent like the Diablo Cody-penned Jennifer's Body that looks funny as does the new Drew Barrymore-helmed comedy Whip It! The new Coen Brothers film A Serious Man finally has a trailer though I'm not sure whether it would be a great film or another Burn After Reading. In the dramatic territory, the coming-of-age drama An Education seems like the only worthwhile film to look forward to while Amelia in all of its grandeur looks like the typical Oscar bait that ends up becoming a massive disappointment.
Well, that's pretty much it for July. In August, there will be a few film reviews. New releases like The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds (which I'm kind of dreading in some aspects) along with a review of Sergio Leone's Duck, You Sucker! In the world of music, there won't be any marathons. Instead, just 2009 releases I haven't gotten a chance to review while I also might be attending a concert for Bat for Lashes. Along with a review of the NIN bootleg When the Whip Comes Down to celebrate their 15th anniversary of their infamous performance at Woodstock ‘94. I also want to do a tribute of sorts to the late King of Pop by doing a review of one of his great records on his birthday. And no, Kanye West is not the new King of Pop, he's an arrogant c*nt! Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off.
Life Top Ten List-June 2009 - Life Top Ten List-August 2009
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Member: Steven Flores
Location: Smyrna, Georgia
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