Kieran's Pretentious Crap

Sunday, 16 June 2013

500 Favourite Films

1. Red Shoes

2. Seven Samurai

3. Apocalypse Now

4. The Apartment

5. Once Upon a Time in America

6. Lives of Others

7. Come and See

8. Chinatown

9. Brief Encounter

10. Taxi Driver

11. Third Man

12. Blade Runner

13. Raging Bull

14. Lord of the Rings

15. Rear Window

16. Big Lebowski

17. Jaws

18. La Regle du Jeu

19. Alien

20. Ikiru

21. Mean Streets

22. Andrei Rublev

23. 12 Angry Men

24. Once Upon a Time in the West

25. Y Tu Mama Tambien

26. Princess Bride

27. Se7en

28. Naked

29. Mulholland Drive

30. Goodfellas

31. There Will be Blood

32. Duck Soup

33. Aliens

34. Miller’s Crossing

35. City Lights

36. Godfather Parts 1 and 2

37. Local Hero

38. Thin Red Line

39. Manhattan

40. Shining

41. Rebecca

42. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

43. A Clockwork Orange

44. Psycho

45. Double Indemnity

46. Lost in Translation

47. Ran

48. Good, Bad and Ugly

49. The Exorcist

50. The Castle

51. Some Like it Hot

52. Rashomon

53. Assassination of Jesse James

54. In the Mood For Love

55. To Kill a Mockingbird

56. Long Good Friday

57. Kind Hearts and Coronets

58. Fargo

59. Battle of Algiers

60. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

61. Casablanca

62. Lawrence of Arabia

63. A Bittersweet Life

64. Paths of Glory

65. Hoop Dreams

66. Lilya-4-Ever

67. 2001

68. Festen

69. Let the Right One In

70. Network

71. Rififi

72. Talk to Her

73. Bicycle Thieves

74. M

75. It’s a Wonderful Life

76. Memento

77. His Girl Friday

78. Memories of Murder

79. Hugo

80. Dead Man’s Shoes

81. Citizen Kane

82. Raiders of the Lost Ark

83. Sunset Boulevard

84. Annie Hall

85. Metropolis

86. Far From Heaven

87. Oldboy

88. Raising Arizona

89. Seventh Seal

90. Brazil

91. Schindler’s List

92. On the Waterfront

93. A Matter of Life and Death

94. Dr. Strangelove

95. Evil Dead 2

96. Hidden

97. Spirit of the Beehive

98. Crash (1996)

99. Shawshank Redemption

100. Lion King

101. Treasure of the Sierra Madre

102. Spartacus

103. If...

104. Chaser

105. Zodiac

106. Pulp Fiction

107. Throne of Blood

108. Heat

109. When Harry met Sally

110. Tree of Life

111. Social Network

112. Animal Crackers

113. Insider

114. Monsters Inc

115. No Country for Old Men

116. Distant Voices, Still Voices

117. La Haine

118. Black Swan

119. United 93

120. Boogie Nights

121. Chung King Express

122. Unforgiven

123. North by North West

124. Toy Story 3

125. The Host (2006)

126. Fight Club

127. Bad Education

128. Ghostbusters

129. Shadow of a Doubt

130. Reservoir Dogs

131. A Bout de Souffle

132. True Grit (2011)

133. Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

134. Stand by Me

135. Magnolia

136. American Werewolf in London

137. Before Sunset

138. Three Colours Blue

139. In the Loop

140. Diving Bell and the Butterfly

141. Control

142. Anchorman

143. Barton Fink

144. Streetcar Named Desire

145. The Raid

146. Topsy Turvy

147. Rope

148. Woodsman

149. Court Jester

150. McCabe and Mrs Miller

151. Solaris (1972)

152. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

153. Vera Drake

154. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

155. Fitzcarraldo

156. Das Experiment

157. O Brother Where Art Thou

158. City of God

159. Inland Empire

160. Infernal Affairs

161. Harvey

162. LA Confidential

163. Synecdoche New York

164. Caddyshack

165. Four Lions

166. Serenity

167. Get Carter

168. Wages of Fear

169. Fish Tank

170. Los Olvidados

171. King of Comedy

172. Clerks

173. Last of the Mohicans

174. American Psycho

175. Chasing Amy

176. Bridge Over the River Kwai

177. Tyrannosaur

178. Hurt Locker

179. Zulu

180. Incredibles

181. Brick

182. Winter’s Bone

183. Broadway Danny Rose

184. Yojimbo

185. This is England

186. Toy Story

187. The Guard

188. Waltz with Bashir

189. Zelig

190. Secret in their Eyes

191. Rosemary’s Baby

192. Heart of Darkness

193. Shaun of the Dead

194. Downfall

195. Batman Begins

196. A Tale of Two Sisters

197. Princess Mononoke

198. My Name is Joe

199. Horse Feathers

200. Aristocats

201. Leon

202. A Canterbury Tale

203. A Shot in the Dark

204. Great Escape

205. Where Eagles Dare

206. Wings of Desire

207. Lost Weekend

208. Night of the Hunter

209. The Prestige

210. Die Hard

211. Bourne Ultimatum

212. Love and Death

213. Badlands

214. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

215. Jules et Jim

216. Incendies

217. Truman Show

218. Dark Knight

219. Drive

220. Grosse Pointe Blank

221. Terminator

222. Wild Bunch

223. Johnny Mad Dog

224. WALL E

225. Skin I Live In

226. The Hustler

227. Requiem for a Dream

228. Man From Nowhere

229. Jurassic Park

230. High and Low

231. All About my Mother

232. The Thing

233. A Scanner Darkly

234. Magnificent Seven

235. Blue Velvet

236. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days

237. Royal Tenenbaums

238. Bloody Sunday

239. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

240. Young Frankenstein

241. Donnie Darko

242. Ladykillers (1955)

243. Monty Python: Life of Brian

244. In Bruges

245. Adventureland

246. King of Kong

247. Das Boot

248. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

249. Touch of Evil

250. Maltese Falcon

251. Mysterious Skin

252. Purple Rose of Cairo

253. Elite Squad

254. Mary and Max

255. Pan’s Labyrinth

256. Stalag 17

257. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

258. Kingdom of Heaven (Director’s Cut)

259. Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back

260. 400 Blows

261. A Dirty Carnival

262. Sword in the Stone

263. Adaptation

264. Before Sunrise

265. For a Few Dollars More

266. Up

267. Days of Heaven

268. Full Metal Jacket

269. Lady Vengeance

270. Atonement

271. Back to the Future

272. Trainspotting

273. The Long Goodbye

274. Sanjuro

275. Rushmore

276. Once Were Warriors

277. Sunshine

278. Porco Rosso

279. Hard Boiled

280. Toy Story 2

281. The Conversation

282. I Saw the Devil

283. Invisible Man

284. Hot Fuzz

285. A New World

286. Darling

287. Superbad

288. Day of the Dead

289. Submarine

290. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

291. Red Road

292. Illusionist (2010)

293. Up in the Air

294. Goldfinger

295. Face Off

296. Another Year

297. Delicatessen

298. Ed Wood

299. Bugsy Malone

300. Constant Gardener

301. The Good, the Bad, the Weird

302. Cinema Paradiso

303. Avengers

304. Dead Ringers

305. Lavender Hill Mob

306. Hero

307. A Day at the Races

308. Notorious (1946)

309. The Descent

310. Persepolis

311. The Motorcycle Diaries

312. Fantastic Mr Fox

313. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

314. Moon

315. Good Dick

316. Who Framed Roger Rabbit

317. Stalker (1979)

318. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

319. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

320. Rec.

321. Traffic

322. Belleville Rendezvous

323. The Orphanage

324. Hamlet (Royal Shakespeare Company)

325. Muppet’s Christmas Carol

326. Little Miss Sunshine

327. Whisky Galore

328. Fistful of Dollars

329. The Birds

330. Dogville

331. Finding Nemo

332. Kung Fu Hustle

333. Star Wars: A New Hope

334. Man on Wire

335. Chicken Run

336. Blazing Saddles

337. How to Train Your Dragon

338. Bourne Supremacy

339. Strangers on a Train (1951)

340. Radio Days

341. Sweet Sixteen

342. Henry 5^th(Branagh)

343. Into the Wild

344. The Conformist

345. Goodbye Lenin

346. Animal Kingdom

347. Monkey Business

348. The Killer

349. Casino Royale (2006)

350. Kick Ass

351. Blues Brothers

352. Proposition

353. All Quiet on the Western Front (1933)

354. 2 Days in Paris

355. Happy Go Lucky

356. Public Enemies

357. American History X

358. Gone Baby Gone

359. The Big Sleep

360. Confessions

361. Three Colours White

362. Volver

363. Hudsucker Proxy

364. Glengarry Glen Ross

365. Kill Bill (Parts 1 and 2)

366. Once

367. Moneyball

368. Collateral

369. Monty Python and The Holy Grail

370. Robocop

371. Batman (Burton)

372. Black Dynamite

373. Odd Man Out

374. Election (Hong Kong)

375. Starship Troopers

376. Dawn of the Dead (1978)

377. Last Samurai

378. Graduate

379. 39 Steps (1933)

380. Almost Famous

381. A Town Called Panic

382. Lethal Weapon

383. Zombieland

384. Manhunter

385. A Serious Man

386. Heathers

387. Kes

388. Sympathy for Mr Vengeance

389. Bad Lieutenant (2009)

390. Snatch

391. American Friend

392. Inglorious Bastards (2009)

393. The Fall

394. Elephant Man

395. Groundhog Day

396. A Knight’s Tale

397. Sunny

398. House of Flying Daggers

399. Dumbo

400. Mother (2009)

401. Magnificent Ambersons

402. History of Violence

403. Night of the Living Dead

404. Ratatouille

405. Crying Game

406. Lebanon

407. Cyrano de Bergerac

408. Dazed and Confused

409. Brotherhood

410. Looking for Eric

411. Meantime

412. A Room for Romeo Brass

413. Dog Soldiers

414. A Few Good Men

415. 24 Hour Party People

416. Cabin in the Woods

417. Outlaw Josey Wales

418. Crimes and Misdemeanours

419. Elf

420. Speed

421. Ivan’s Childhood

422. Pirates

423. Away we Go

424. Carrie

425. Spiderman 2

426. Office Space

427. Road to Perdition

428. Army of Darkness

429. Spider

430. Killing Fields

431. Where the Wild Things Are

432. L’Aventurra

433. Girl With Dragon Tattoo

434. Never Let me Go

435. Scream

436. Closely Observed Trains

437. Insomnia

438. High Heels

439. Elite Squad: Enemy Within

440. Somewhere

441. Master and Commander

442. You Only Live Twice

443. Scott Pilgrim

444. Rio Bravo

445. Kagemusha

446. Lars and the Real Girl

447. Munich

448. Shutter Island

449. Planes, Trains and Automobiles

450. Wrestler

451. Beauty and the Beast

452. 500 Days of Summer

453. Believer

454. Series of Unfortunate Events

455. Three Colours Red

456. Sicko

457. Layer Cake

458. The Rock

459. Hunger

460. Ocean’s Eleven

461. Breakfast Club

462. Batman Returns

463. Naked Gun

464. Life is Sweet

465. Frankenstein

466. A Prophet

467. Amadeus

468. Sexy Beast

469. Easy A

470. Intolerable Cruelty

471. Thirst

472. Finding Neverland

473. Coraline

474. Chopper

475. School of Rock

476. Exiled

477. Midnight Run

478. Tangled

479. Ghost World

480. Wonder Boys

481. Swingers

482. In the Heat of the Night

483. Exit Through the Gift Shop

484. Spiderman

485. Slither

486. Changeling

487. Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

488. Bullitt

489. Ringu

490. Con Air

491. Duel

492. Together

493. A Bande Apart

494. Half Nelson

495. Belle de Jour

496. Predator

497. Napoleon Dynamite

498. High Fidelity

499. My Cousin Vinny

500. Poltergeist

Saturday, 8 June 2013

I don’t think there’s a greater discrepancy than between Will Wiesenfeld’s personality on Twitter and his character as Baths. As the former he comes across as an overtly excited, sheltered Anime fanboy, his vocabulary consisting of ‘OOOOO’s, ‘AARRRGGGHHHHH’s and ‘OMFG!’s; as the latter he is a deeply expressive, divinely talented and wholly conflicting poet, capable of crafting the most stunningly beautiful discourse as well as the most horrifically vivid introspections on morbid paranoia and carnal obsession. Even within his work Wiesenfeld exhibits a stark contrast in his disposition, the transcendent, romanticist aesthete, ‘I still smell you, distance aside’ / ‘in Victorian doorways, in tempestuous foreplay,’ plunges into uninhibitedly sexual, brutalised rhetoric, ‘nurse this erection back to full health’/ ‘this isn’t a matter of “if you mean it”, it’s only a matter of “come and fuck me”’. A dissociative personality disorder within a dissociative personality disorder if you will; Ian Cohen acutely describes Obsidian as Cerulean’s (Wiesenfeld’s debut) ‘evil twin.’

Obsidian’s Baths understandably represents Wiesenfeld’s Mr Hyde given the context of what happened to him last year, when he suffered E. coli. That first brush with his mortality provides him with a sensitive cognizance of omnipresent decay; he sees death lurking in the quaintest of objects and delights in exposing man’s deluded fallacies, faith and hope, ‘where is God now that you hate him the most?’ Wiesenfeld is a satyriasis-suffering, nihilistic misanthrope, unable and unwilling to readjust to the banal structure of his life prior to his disease. Obsidian is a forlornly bleak window into the tormented soul of a man stuck in a form of eternal purgatory; an indefatigable, unrelenting apathy.

Lyrically, he’s magnificent. His ferocious, obscure, at times impenetrable, notes on the fragility of human nature is reminiscent of Thom Yorke, his satirical analyses of the absurd rigidity of contemporary social protocols, James Murphy, his elegiac, subtle observations of emotional behaviour, Mike Hadreas or Joanna Newsom. He is concurrently a sociopathically malicious messianic saviour of mankind, unravelling the reality of our moral debauchery for our own good, and also a bitterly self-conscious philosopher, utterly horrified with the role entrusted to him. In ‘Worsening’ he delivers one of my all-time favourite couplets; ‘when the mouths in the earth come to bite at my robes/at the cold, the lifeless, the worsening souls.’ He comments that ‘I was never poetic.’ You lie, Will. You are poetic, and your poetry is perversely gorgeous.

Interestingly, Wiesenfeld’s vocals haven’t changed in the slightest since Cerulean, but they’re utilised astonishingly effectively given the disparities in subject matter. His voice’s trembling, crackling instability perfectly accentuates his self-portrait of perpetual inner turmoil. The ‘OOOOO’s and ‘AARRRGGGHHHHH’s translate from his Twitter persona, but they’re terrifying, haunting, eroding, broken.

Musically, Obsidian is a warped collaboration between Burial, Zomby, Grimes and Hot Chip; tap-tap, minimalist pop with heavy dubstep influences. It’s intensely atmospheric, soothing violins playing over samples of what sounds like snapping fireplaces. ‘Ossuary’ is probably the most mainstream track, constructed with synths and a more traditional song structure, while ‘Earth Death’ is bombastically house, the exhaustively loud percussion almost, but not quite, drowning out Wiesenfeld’s furious rantings.

Having listened to Obsidian at least ten times now, I’ve concluded that it’s probably my all-time favourite album lyrically. Its poetry is simultaneously soul-enrichingly beautiful, opulent with heavenly imagery, and candidly, unreservedly malevolent. Obsidian is really the long-lost love child of Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath, a delectably enticing prospect for myself, if no one else.

It’s my favourite album of the year so far; an unmitigated, headfucking, dazzling masterpiece. Embrace it.

Wednesday, 29 May 2013

Best Albums/Songs of 2013 So Far

Top 20 Albums of the Year (so far)

20. The 20/20 Experience – Justin Timberlake

19. FIDLAR – FIDLAR

18. Amok – Atoms for Peace

17. Silence Yourself – Savages

16. The Man Who Died in his Boat – Grouper

15. True Romance – Charli XCX

14. Pedestrian Verse – Frightened Rabbit

13. MCII – Mikal Cronin

12. Muchacho – Phosphorescent

11. Wolf – Tyler, the Creator

10. MBV – My Bloody Valentine

While the debate behind whether My Bloody Valentine’s second studio album was worth the twenty two year wait continues to drag inanely on, reasonable people are too busy celebrating its existence to trivialise its excellence. While it isn’t as immediately mind blowing, ear-shattering or heart melting as Loveless, it’s arguably just as accomplished. It’s MBV’s distinctive sound, the inexplicable utilisation of distorted white noise to create something profoundly beautiful, but refined, polished, yet still majestically raw and explosive. ‘Only Tomorrow’ and ‘In Another Way’ are welcomed by ‘Only Shallow’, ‘When You Sleep’ and ‘Soon’ into their best-of echelons.

9. Wakin on a Pretty Daze – Kurt Vile

Adored by the likes of Kim Gordon and Matt Berninger, Kurt Vile has become the revered face of underground folk. Vile evokes Pavement’s despairing, helpless lethargy and Neil Young’s love of complex conceits in his latest, and best, album. Wakin on a Pretty Daze opens with the ten minute, lo-fi folk-rock masterpiece title track. Although it never matches this astonishing opening, the LP is remarkably consistent. It’s lyrically minimalist, rarely articulating itself further than in fleeting images and metaphors, preferring to rely on the dreamy, psychedelic chords of Vile’s guitar to instigate the listener to open the doors to Vile’s contented state, and to accept his tranquil philosophy.

8. We are the 21^st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic – Foxygen

An audacious, bizarre album title from an equally audacious and bizarre band. A wonderfully, nostalgically trippy tribute to the Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, the Beach Boys… the list is interminable; it’s simultaneously the most innocently fun and audibly pleasant album of the year. It’s much more than just a homage. ‘No Destruction’ is a relaxed, Dylan-esque introspective grumbling, while ‘On Blue Mountain’ represents arguably the record’s ‘rockiest’ track, with bombastic percussion, clinkety piano and the enthusiastic intrusion of female backing vocals. ‘San Francisco’, a gloriously fun, pretty love song, is the highlight of the album, with its gorgeous chorus.

7. You’re Nothing – Iceage

You’re Nothing doesn’t so much explode as implode, in the same way that it isn’t so much anti-establishment punk, as anti-societal. It doesn’t attack political or economic systems, but rather us, themselves. As the title implies, these Danish teenagers condescend and vilify the concept of distinct importance, the individual’s perception of significance bolstered by ego-stroking consumerist advertising and a materialist societal structure. They scream of ‘pressure’ in one song, ‘excess’ in the next, before bitterly questioning ‘where’s your morals?’ An obviously self-aware sentiment, directed just as much at themselves as to their listeners. Quite possibly the best post-punk album since McLusky Do Dallas.

6. Acid Rap – Chance the Rapper

The best hip-hop mixtape of the year, Acid Rap highlights the genius of Chance’s flow. His rhyming is nonchalant, appearing improvised in its weary irreverence. He laughs, moans, spits and questions without apparent transition, his voice always perfectly in sync with his excellent production; a relaxed drum machine underscores an orchestra of synths and traditional hip-hop samples; (Chance’s love of rap music seeps through the tape’s cracks, corroborated by his endless referencing and namedropping) it’s minimalist, but tremendously effective. Thematically it’s identical to most major label hip-hop debuts: the explicit joys and implicit stresses of fame and fortune, but it’s too lyrically overwhelming (in a good way) to be considered anything anywhere near banal or unoriginal.

5. Random Access Memories – Daft Punk

Yes, it’s overproduced, and yes, it’s not Daft Punk’s most consistent LP, but there are a plethora of individual songs destined to be considered some of the French duo’s finest; the docu-epic ‘Giorgio by Moroder’, the space-age ‘Touch,’ the instant classic ‘Get Lucky,’ and the indefatigably cool ‘Lose Yourself to Dance’. Standing above them all is DP’s flawless mission statement, ‘Doin it Right.’ In RAM Daft Punk have seamlessly integrated the old and new, their universally adored dance anthems are complemented by bold meditations on the history of dance music, and on its future. Indeed, ‘Touch’ can be viewed as ‘Giorgio by Moroder’s’ polar opposite, the latter explaining the positive influence of electronics in music, the former begging for the application of human touch in creating something musically personal.

4. Impersonator – Majical Cloudz

Majical Cloudz are perhaps best summed up as ‘Leonard Cohen behind a computer.’ Like Cohen, their music is just a harmonising backdrop to their deeply intimate and bluntly expressive lyrics. They employ white noise, peaceful synths and distant thuds to accentuate their imagery in the same way that sound effects are used to improve immersion, the proposition of fantasy becoming reality, in children’s audio-books. Impersonator is a hugely immersive experience, a collection of short stories. Devon Welsh’s expansive narratives cover family, death, desire, disillusionment and lost love, fluttering transcendentally from one theme to another painlessly. It’s a soothing record, but also intensely powerful, Walsh’s gripping vocals pointing out the strength required to actively live, including all the connotations such a statement suggests, but not necessarily claiming that he possesses such a strength.

3. Anxiety – Autre ne Veut

Autre ne Veut’s incredible second LP is powered by discord, the barrage of conflicting, often out-of-tune instruments (the saxophone blasts on ‘Counting’ being the most obvious, the percussion in ‘Promises’ being another) and disharmonious pitch changes shouldn’t work, but it really does. Each song has a personal, innate melody. They’re refreshingly inventive, but still retain the fundamental catchiness inherent, and necessary, in R&B melodies. It’s a masterpiece of songwriting structure and production. Where Anxiety really shines is in its ballads, ‘A Lie’ and ‘Gonna Die’; when Arthur Ashin’s cries of dissatisfaction can’t quite reach the notes he desperately aspires to reach, it’s more touching, more affecting. Anxiety is this year’s Channel Orange; a progressive, moving R&B record that both challenges the boundaries of the genre while exemplifying why the fusion of Blues with a stable, Pop rhythm makes so fascinating a sound.

2. Trouble Will Find Me – The National

The National are my fourth favourite band, behind Radiohead, Sonic Youth and Joy Division. Their heartfelt, melancholic depictions of middle class disillusionment, brutal romantic regret and chilling existential alienation (they capture the ephemeral quality of human actuality better than any other band) are hypnotically endearing. I’d go as far as saying that, across their six LPs and numerous EPs, they are the most consistently excellent Alternative band, probably, of all-time. Trouble Will Find Me is their best album yet. Matt Berninger’s baritone previously had the capacity to excite even the most heterosexual male, like that of an alcoholic angel, but he’s bettered himself here, exploiting a higher register than heard before. Like many of The National’s best songs, most tracks are quietly, subtly anthemic; ‘Fireproof,’ ‘Graceless,’ ‘Don’t Swallow the Cap.’ ‘Sea of Love’ is welcomingly ‘rocky’, while ‘Heavenfaced’ will probably be the most beautiful and heartbreaking love song you’ll hear this year. A consistently brilliant band becoming consistently better.

1. Modern Vampires of the City – Vampire Weekend

While numbers two and three would easily have fought out over the number one spot in any other year, they’re just not as utterly ingenius, as blisteringly magnificent, as iconically huge as Modern Vampires of the City; the best Indie album since Funeral. It’s, yes, about existence, but also faith, love, embracing life to the fullest. It’s just as fun and cheery as it is broodingly, philosophically questioning. ‘Diane Young’ and ‘Hudson’ should contradict one another, but they substantiate the other’s importance, Koenig identifying that happiness and sorrow are inextricably linked. Koenig’s trademark lyrical genius and wit is no longer raw and unmediated, it’s matured to Thom-Yorke-but-amusing levels. If you hear a cleverer chorus than ‘Step’s’, your ears are deceiving you: ‘the gloves are off/the wisdom teeth are out,’ referring to his own musical pretentiousness. Vampire Weekend cover an assembly of varying themes and sounds intelligently and passionately, their unfaltering love of music and its artistic potential prevalent throughout. Let there be no mistake, this is a work of unmitigated brilliance. That Ezra Koenig studied English Literature remains justification for my degree.

Top 40 Songs of the Year (so far)

40. Suit and Tie – Justin Timberlake

39. She Will – Savages

38. Worship You – Vampire Weekend

37. The Seer – Jenny Hval

36. Smoke Again – Chance the Rapper

35. In Another Way – My Bloody Valentine

34. Demon to Lean on – Wavves

33. Retrograde – James Blake

32. Get it – Run the Jewels

31. Mirrors – Justin Timberlake

30. Dropla – Youth Lagoon

29. Morals - Iceage

28. Childhood’s End – Majical Cloudz

27. Lunar Phobia – No Joy

26. Attracting Flies – AlunaGeorge

25. Lose Yourself to Dance – Daft Punk

24. No Waves – FIDLAR

23. Don’t Swallow the Cap – The National

22. Mephisto in the Water – Jenny Hval

21. San Francisco – Foxygen

20. Bo Peep – Jeremih

19. God Made the World – Cold Cave

18. State Hospital – Frightened Rabbit

17. You (Ha Ha Ha) - Charli XCX

16. Chain Smoker – Chance the Rapper

15. Play by Play – Autre ne Veut

14. Piano Mantra – Mikal Cronin

13. Burning Hand – Iceage

12. Try to Be – Blue Hawaii

11. Hannah Hunt – Vampire Weekend

10. Get Lucky – Daft Punk

9. Wakin on a Pretty Daze – Kurt Vile

8. Bugs Don’t Buzz – Majical Cloudz

7. Warm in the Winter – Glass Candy

6. Domo 23 – Tyler, the Creator

5. Doin’ it Right – Daft Punk

4. Heavenfaced – The National

3. Gonna Die – Autre ne Veut

2. Song for Zula – Phosphorescent

1. Ya Hey – Vampire Weekend

Tuesday, 16 April 2013

Mysterious Skin: One of the Most Important Films You’ve Never Heard Of

I like to view myself as a chronic film obsessive and a fairly knowledgeable Cinephile, but I had never heard of Gregg Araki’s Mysterious Skin until I happened to come across it on a routine Netflix search (to alleviate the guilt preying on my mind of having not done any revision). It was rated very highly, and purported an original and intriguing premise; a gay prostitute and a man who believes he was abducted by aliens are inexplicably linked. It pricked my curiosity, and two hours were to pass revision-free.

If you have Netflix, I strongly suggest that you watch it either right now, or as soon as physically possible, as I intend to discuss the film’s narrative and its thematic implications quite thoroughly, and Mysterious Skin is far more visceral knowing nothing about it beforehand. If you don’t have Netflix, then buy the DVD. Otherwise, I don’t know, do something with your life. Please watch it, it’s disturbing, unsettling and terribly hard to watch, but, like Schindler’s List and Come and See, it’s a film that demands to be seen. The spoilers start now.

After mulling over my viewing of Mysterious Skin I believe it to be one of the most powerfully intimate, yet profoundly resonant, films of the 21^st century. There have been films that have dealt with paedophilia before, (Kubrick’s underrated adaptation of Lolita springs to mind, as does the equally underrated The Woodsman, as well as the painfully heavy handed, yet not completely terrible, Perks of Being a Wallflower) yet never has it been as ferociously unsentimental, controversially uninhibited and astonishingly objective as it is here. In most of the films I’ve seen previously on the subject, it follows the story of the paedophile; either as a vindictive, sadistic villain or as a morally distressed anti-hero struggling to come to terms with and defeat his psychological ‘disease.’ The few films I’ve seen which have dealt with the victims of paedophilia directly use their horrifically traumatic experiences as an insensitive plot twist to shock or provoke an emotional response from the audience.

In Mysterious Skin, the incomprehensibly awful experience these two boys share as 8 year olds isn’t a plot twist, it’s the film’s MacGuffin; it is the plot device that the entire narrative revolves around and its consequences formed the two protagonists’ characters, in other words, it is the movie. In fact, it is literally every reel, its influence seething through the cracks of every scene, every shot, just as it would subtly influence the psychology and actions of both boys for the rest of their lives. The opening twenty minutes describe the events which build up to the act in question without explicitly stating or showing what happens, the grown-up pair narrating the perplexed, convoluted thinking of their eight-year-old selves. The 2^nd act follows the (notably contrasting, but that will be discussed later) boys as they grow up, their actions and motives (and personalities) indirectly determined by their shared experience. The 3^rd act involves the reunion and reconciling of the two boys, both incited to do so by that horrible incident’s continuing headlock on their lives and their capacity to move on. Paedophilic abuse and its repercussions isn’t used as a lazy tragic backstory or a contrived plot twist, it is the film. Mysterious Skin’s script doesn’t adhere to any Hollywood dramatic plotting structure involving multiple sub-plots, thematic exposition and scenes of comic relief, it doesn’t condescend the real-life victims of such abuse by pretending there’s anything more. It’s the first film I’ve seen which seems to grasp just how fundamentally, disgustingly inhumane the concept of child sex abuse is, that it deserves an entire film to itself. Paedophilia dictates the film because it absolutely ruins lives, and the film understands that. It is a no-holds-barred, gut wrenching 100 minutes. It is exhaustingly uncomfortable and distressing, its imagery horrific, but that’s what makes it so significant. It sits you down and forces you to witness the permanent pain and misery of such barbarism; because that’s the only way it’ll have a lasting effect on the viewer.

As stated previously, both characters are hugely different. Neil McCormick (Joseph Gordon Levitt) knew he was gay since he was very young and was actually attracted to his abuser. In fact, this attraction convinced Neil to be ignorant of the immorality he was suffering. Since the age of ten he used sex to get his own way. At the age of 15 he became a gay prostitute, a profession he prided himself in until he was brutally raped in New York when he was 19, instigating an epiphany about the consequences of, and factors behind, his excessive, nihilistic hedonism. I don’t need to tell the reader that this isn’t the ordinary sexual growth of a boy. Neil remembers everything about his summer of abuse, but almost seems indifferent towards it until the final scene. Obviously, his experience as an 8 year old deeply damaged Neil and caused a premature and recklessly hungry sexual awakening. Neil is a sexual exhibitionist, he proudly claims to have had sex with every man at a bar, and claims to have had sex in various (unorthodox) locations. This isn’t sexual liberalism though, it is profoundly disturbing. It isn’t satyriasis or sex addiction, it’s just an apathetic compulsion, like eating or sleeping, or a narcissistic tool to achieve his goals. Joseph Gordon Levitt is incredible, brilliantly playing against his current ‘type’ as the Indie scene poster boy (see also Brick, for another excellent pre 500 Days of Summer performance), he’s indefatigably charismatic and endearing, despite his obvious vacuous heartlessness. His overwhelming sexuality draws a striking parallel with the second boy, the equally brilliant Brady Corbet as Brian Lackey. Brian is shy, withdrawn, compassionate and, to paraphrase one of the secondary characters, ‘gives off a real vibe of asexuality.’ Brian has no recollection of his experience, just vague images and memories, believing, initially, that he suffered at the hands of probing aliens, because there just seemed no other explanation. At no point does Brian convey any sexual feelings. In fact, the very idea of sex appears to terrify him. In one scene, when a girl starts to unzip his trousers he shoves her away, screams and runs into the corner, repulsed by her touch. It is an extremely effective contrast between the two characters; they both shared the same devastating encounter, and it damaged them irreparably, but in wholly different ways. Neil is irresponsibly and heedlessly sexual, an emotionless sociopath, Brian is comprehensively asexual and a social outcast. Their sexuality is so integral to their psychology that it defines their characters, and their characters define the film.

The climax of Mysterious Skin is tremendously compelling and horrifyingly upsetting, as Neil reveals to Brian what they went through in the setting of their abuse, their old coach’s house. It is one of the most powerful moments you’ll ever see in any film. It pulls no punches; what happens in the narrative is shown in the footage of the flashback, because it has to be. It is disturbing, devastating, genuinely affecting. When Brian, sobbing, rests his head on the expressionless Neil’s lap, it becomes perfectly clear that, despite what Hollywood would tell you, you will never recover from paedophilic abuse. It destroys you and the ones you love. There is no happy ending, no light at the end of the tunnel. That is the message Mysterious Skin provides, and that is the message people need shoved down their throats.

No film has come close to communicating with such unmitigated honesty on a subject so intensely, importantly relevant, since Elem Klimov’s Come and See.

Friday, 15 March 2013

25 Favourite Songs

25. A Stone - Okkervil River

'You love a stone, because it's dark and it's old,
and if it could start being alive, you'd stop living alone.'

One of the most beautifully crafted, and utterly heart breaking, love songs ever written.

24. Anarchy in the UK - The Sex Pistols

'Your future dream is a shopping scheme,
because I wanna be anarchy in the city.'

The most pertinent, and angsty, example of anti-establishment punk at its finest.

23. Climbing up the Walls - Radiohead

'Do not cry out or hit the alarm,
you know we're friends 'till we die.'

The first of four from the Head. Unsettling, haunting and brilliantly deranged.

22. Starman - David Bowie

'Look out your window and you can see his light aight.'

A pop-rock classic and my favourite Bowie. Anthemic and life affirmingly hopeful.

21. Life's a Bitch - Nas

'Keepin it real, packin steal, gettin high,
cos life's a bitch and then you die.'

The best song from Hip-Hop's best album. Existentialism coming straight at you from the streets of NY.

20. Changing on the Guards - Bob Dylan

'But Eden is burning, either brace yourself for elimination,
or else your hearts must have the courage for the changing of the guards.'

Favourite Dylan. Ignoring the superb lyrics, the brass between each chorus is basic, yet perfect.

19. Stand by Me - Ben. E King

'No I won't be afraid,
just as long as you stand, stand by me.'

The most inherently likeable song ever produced.

18. Kashmir - Led Zeppelin

'As the dust floats finds you,
we're moving through Kashmir.'

Stunning lyrics, flawless harmony between guitars and strings. And then that scream.

17. Super Star - The Carpenters

'Come back to me again,
and play your sad guitar.'

A tragic masterpiece from one of the most under appreciated bands of all time.

16. Motion Picture Soundtrack - Radiohead

'Red wine, and sleeping pills,
help me get back to your arms.'

The quintessential 'break up song.' More emotional than a hundred Notebooks. Pretty and traumatising.

15. I Love you Golden Blue - Sonic Youth

'Don't blush, it's just the wind outside,
don't rush to be by my side.'

From one sad love song to another. It's Kim Gordon's chain-smoked vocals which break me down.

14. I am the Resurrection - The Stone Roses

'I am the Resurrection and I am the life,
I couldn't ever bring myself to hate you as I'd like.'

Just an absolute masterclass in rock song composition. Near 8 minutes of unadulterated bliss.

13. Thousands are Sailing - The Pogues

'Did the old songs taunt or cheer you,
and did they still make you cry.'

Heroically rousing, perfectly uplifting. The post-chorus instrumental is the ultimate 'go fucking tonto' moment.

12. Decades - Joy Division

'Each ritual showed up the door for our wanderings,
open then shut, then slammed in our face.'

It's the synthesisers. That must explain why it's so extraordinarily powerful.

11. Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers

'I've hungered for your touch,
a long, lonely time.'

You know why this is here.

10. About Today - The National

'Tonight, you just close your eyes,
and I just watch you, slip away.'

The guitar, the violin, Tom's voice... A symphonic beauty which transcends human understanding. No hyperbole.

9. Tunic (Song for Karen) - Sonic Youth

'I feel like I'm disappearing, getting smaller every day,
but when I open my mouth to sing, I'm bigger, in every way.'

A wonderful, heartbreaking, harrowing tribute to Karen Carpenter. Kim Gordon's finest moment.

8. In Power we Entrust the Love Advocated - Dead Can Dance

'There can be no other means to the end,
or the keys to my heart you will never find.'

A more philosophical, profound love song, with an indescribably affecting climax.

7. Fields of Athenry - Danny Doyle/The Dubliners (best version)

'Against the famine, and the crown,
I rebelled, they cut me down.'

The most perfect balance of ferocious political condemnation and poetically moving patriotism.

6. Intergalactic - Beastie Boys

'INTERGALACTIC, PLANETARY,
PLANETARY, INTERGALACTIC.'

Deranged, insane, nonsensical, ridiculous and stupendously, limitlessly cool.

5. I Know it's Over - The Smiths

'With your triumphs and charms,
while they're in each other's arms.'

Probably my favourite song lyrically. Morrissey; the most ingenius dick to have walked the earth?

4. Hurt - Nine Inch Nails

'I wear this crown of shit,
upon my liar's chair.'

Yes, the Cash version is excellent, but it's nowhere near as raw and powerfully honest as Reznor's original.

3. Let Down - Radiohead

'Don't get sentimental, it always ends in drivel,
one day, I am gonna grow wings.'

My favourite song during my mid-teens. Aesthetically gorgeous, hugely personal and tremendously touching.

2. Reckoner - Radiohead

'Dare not speak his name,
did I cater to all of your needs?'

The most flawless fusion of vocals and (various) instruments I've ever heard. Staggeringly perfect.

1. Schizophrenia - Sonic Youth

'She keeps coming closer, saying "I can feel it in my bones,
schizophrenia, is taking me home."'

An allegory for Thurston Moore's Catholic guilt. So deliciously angsty, beautiful and poignant. The music is structured sublimely, a wonderful exhibition of guitar, bass and drums. Yet it's the lyrics which endears this song so spectacularly to me. A deep meditation on faith, existence and the constancy and inevitability of their relation with one another. The most relatable poetry, on a personal level, that I've encountered.