I’ve spent rather too much time recently watching/listening to old school mixing – DJ Q Bert and Mix Master Mike on the other hand Star Wars DJ Imperial March (Full Set) - Skratch Bastid is so wonderfully geekout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekgpZag6xyQbut there is always DJ Juicy and her infectious 4 deck CD mixing!!!! A film made by a bored genius – just watched Room 237 http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi930916121a film that presents the many theories and ideas connected to the Shining – I love the idea of playing the film overlaid simultaneously forward and backwards - most excellent – after just watching 2001 I now have to re-visit The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut with an eye to post modern film criticism – looking forward to my point of view being altered by study. A reminder that what one is studying is altered by the act of that same studying. The imitation game http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2084970/leaves one feeling a little bereft – but glad that the world has moved on a little, although I feel that the police ‘got off’ a little lightly in theirdepiction. Benedict Cumberbatch really is a most excellent actor, able to gather together all the pain and exhaustion of what it is to be ‘different’ and hold us in the suspended state of cinema. Whiplash – OMG - brutal – you will be left exhausted. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2582802/
I've become slightly obsessed with Killer Mike and his old school sound.
Why is the Norwich – London train service so bad? If I hear again that the train I am on is delayed because of a slow running train ahead of us... all 4 (5 if you count the one that broke
down) trains that I travelled on Tuesday were delayed or stopped working – a great start to the years commuting. The contrast with French trains is startling.
Well – a most excellent couple of days essentially spent chairing great conversations – NUA was 2 group crits with all of year 3 focusing on the 19 weeks left and Camberwell was a midpoint review where an individual’s work is analysed without their engagement in the
conversation. Although it’s a wonderfully honest formative session it is a really brutal experience, listening and watching the group discuss your work in ways that might never of being intended. The rambling (a good thing) eclectic nature of the experience throws up all sorts of ideas as the conversation takes in the possible and the improbable alongside the impossible and the practical - which leads to sometimes poetic notes – today’s favourites are tools for contemplation, sculptural luggage, science religion magic gets you science
fiction, a hint of the municipal, relaxing pastels, dark-lite and “there’s something quite clever about how exciting it is”. My job really is the best.
first day back after the
break – a couple of good sessions with year 3 students at NUA - starting the briefing
for their final unit and then the draft learning agreement workshop. there are
some good ideas out there and I’m looking forward to seeing the results in 20
weeks time.
meanwhile I got to see 2001
at Aldeburgh cinema last night – quite wonderful - it was great to see the film
as a form of seed – informing so much from Start Wars and obviously Moon, Interstellar
and Gravity. But also people like Matthew Barney and his Cremaster cycle http://www.cremaster.net/ An oddly immersive
film to see is The Congress http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1821641/
some of it based on The Futurological CongressbyStanisław Lem but a lot of it from itself! – it’s a
little all over the place when watching with some huge linking gaps within the
plotline but the film holds your attention enough that the conversation after manages
to fill in any gaps, although after reading the plot on imbd I think maybe I
missed a bit!
so three days in the
South of France for New Year. blue skies, sun and -5 with good friends, food, and
drink. Most of the time was spent hanging out at imprints new base in Crest http://www.imprints-galerie.com/ .
The wonderful Euro Star and French trains in general (clean, on time, restaurant
cars, plug sockets and an ice bucket in the bar) gave me the chance to catch up
on a couple of books – Failure - http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/failure
a fantastic manual of how to think about making work and Off the network disrupting the digital world - https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/off-the-network
- its powerful stuff – it critiques how the Internet and the digital network
changes users understanding of the world.
I’ve just spent 4
straight hours in the company of Brothers:
a tale of two sons - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothers:_A_Tale_of_Two_Sons
- if you are interested in engaging in the game don’t look at the wiki page
as part of the experience of game playing is obviously not knowing what is coming
– not plot spoiling doesn't appear to be part of the game playing community - anyway the landscape is sublime, the narrative very moving and the dynamics of the
playing fairly unique in my experience of gaming (not huge) – you are left with the
feeling of a profound sense of loss – this might be my first empathic gaming experience.
meanwhile - some films watched over the break – so
far
The Equalizerhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455944/
– Denzel – the man with a past – he plays the isolated-lost-loner-character
well with the twist of extraordinary fighting skills and empathy – predictable but
fun.
Get Santa – well http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1935940/
if I was 6 I might find it wonderful and Jim Broadbent is a glorious ‘gansta
santa’ but.......I'm not 6.
Boxtrolls
– http://www.theboxtrolls.co.uk/ yes
it’s all good with some very clever animation backed up with a strong script.
Toy Story That Time Forgot - toy story
short –http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3473654/
lots of knowing fun – it takes us from the moment ‘the gang’ are joined to
Bonnie with some great 'in jokes'.
Batman - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096895/
– its difficult to beat Jack Nicholson being Jack when he’s on form! But talk
about slow.......and the dated clothes ....shoulder pads wtf were we thinking.
Darkman - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099365/
ludicrous plot, special effects, acting and overall concept ..........don’t
even start about the science - but in its own way its charmingly odd.
as part of the squeeze
fold bend and expand - Structural Memory in Deformable Objects project I’ve
been involved in over the past 2 months I’ve made a film. It shows some
of the over 180 sculptural forms and how they move when manipulated. filming by
Bob editing by Jim http://jimbicknellknightart.tumblr.com/.
