I've ne'er been often of an Ingmar Bergman fan, just I have respect for much of his exploit. Wild Strawberries is the notable exception, often hailed as his best or second-best work (after The Seventh Seal). I honestly think it's sub-par, irresistibly oppresive in its obvious imagery -- crucifixion motifs and non sequitur dream sequences -- to the point where a legion of film students have been prompted to copycat its overt heavy-handedness for half a c. In fact, I keep thinking around The Big Picture, where the photographic film students accept produced such ultra-sensitive tripe but line up heaps of praise piled upon them anyway. Presumably, the audience is stunned that it can understand the filmic metaphors they have created, and therefore, they moldiness be genius.
Wild Strawberries is exactly this type of film, a short simply often unbearable production around an ancient doctor wrestling with a death that is exactly around the corner. He ends up on a road trip, filled with false starts, wrong turns, and fantastical dream/fantasy sequences, all designed for him to present death and question the existence of God. But nothing is really questioned, it is simply presented as barren and tight, with our hero facing the inevitableness of a void in lieu of the hereafter. The plastic film does non provoke whatsoever questions or debate almost either death or God.
And it comes off as if Bergman ne'er really wants this anyhow. We ar instead invited to notice how clever the film is, what with its clocks with no hands (oooooh, that's deep) and ominous shoetree branches to spook us. But it's not apt. It's obvious. And in the end, it's meaningless.
I've seen Wild Strawberries several times, nigh recently on the newfangled Criterion DVD, which cleans up the transfer and provides a commentary. As expected, that commentary track, offered by one of those pundits (Bergman crony J�rn Donner) who is far also familiar with Bergman's go, is well-nigh pathetic in the path it fawns over Bergman, offering praise for every scene (and every scene of each scene), no matter how mundane it is. In a single sequence, he fawns over the unornamented lighting on a woman's face as subtle and then goes on to state that no one can write dialogue as well as Bergman. He talks about having a meal with a venial actor in the film, a word that lasts for several minutes. And of line, all of this sounds as if it is take, not offered offhand, meticulously plotted well in advance. It's an whole ridiculous addition to a ridiculous movie.
Let the hate mail begin!
Aka Smultronst�llet.
Saturday 30 August 2008
Wild Strawberries
Wednesday 20 August 2008
Download Beto Y Sus Canarios mp3
 Artist: Beto Y Sus Canarios: mp3 download Genre(s): Latin Discography:  Esto Si Es Tierra Caliente Year: 2005 Tracks: 12  Ardientes Year: 2005 Tracks: 12  100% Tierra Caliente Year: 2004 Tracks: 15 The versatile norteño band Beto y Sus Canarios were formed in 1987 in Huetamo Michoacan, Mexico, sometimes called the Tierra Caliente. Musical film director Gabino Garcia approached Edilberto Portillo with the bringing close together former that year and the 2 went to work auditioning and recruiting members, remission on musicians world Health Organization had non been in whatever type of melodic mathematical group earlier theirs. It took the ensemble seven months of rehearsal and organization before they began playing for biotic community events and social gatherings. Early recordings generated local hits that became regional hits. Songs like "Mi Ultimo Contrabanda" and "Carga Fina" caught the ear of audiences outside of Mexico, and the radical was before long offered opportunities to journey and perform end-to-end the States. Beto y Sus Canarios continued to record and turn throughout the '90s. A xII albums later, they in the goal made their stigma on the recording industry in 2002 with their breakthrough album, Mi Despedida. The record situated on Billboard's Top Latin Albums graph at number 65, with the hit single "Mi Derrota" making waves in several Latin categories. With seven-spot major releases since then, including Ardientes and Contigo por Siempre, all of which were met with critical acclaim and hefty gross revenue, the mathematical group has remained a stiff comportment on the charts and the Mexican music scene. |
Sunday 10 August 2008
The Mighty Bop
Artist: The Mighty Bop
Genre(s):
Electronic
Electronic
Discography:
The Mighty Bop - Feat. Duncan Roy
Year: 2002
Tracks: 11
Tuesday 1 July 2008
'Men In Black' To 'Footloose': The Most Memorable Soundtrack Songs That Name-Check Their Movies
When writer/producer/star Seth Rogen was putting the finishing touches on his uproarious action/comedy "Pineapple Express" (due August 8), he commissioned none other than Huey Lewis for a theme song, giving the '80s icon one key request: The name of the movie must be in the lyrics.
"He was like, 'I don't know about that, because "The Power of Love" doesn't have the words "Back to the Future" in it,' " Rogen recalled, shrugging his shoulders. "And then he did it anyway!"
The rockin' results got us thinking about the best (and worst) moniker-dropping songs written solely to shamelessly promote a feature film. With apologies to Oingo Boingo's "Weird Science," "The Never Ending Story" by that dude from Kajagoogoo and the Cult singing about "The Cool World," here are our most memorable soundtrack songs that name-check their movies:
"One Way Love (Better Off Dead)" by E.G. Daily (1985)
Do bands ever play proms anymore? According to every '80s teen movie, no school dance was complete without a really cheesy group that may or may not already be famous (but is still getting booked at local high schools ... hmmm). The '80s-est example has to be E.G. Daily and her backing band in "Better Off Dead," one of John Cusack's first films. Daily was probably best known for her roles in "Valley Girl" and "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," but her performance as a prom singer in a tinfoil-inspired minidress deserves just as much recognition. It's hard to say whether she was asked to squeeze the phrase "better off dead" into the chorus or the lyrics just happened to be there, but it's safe to assume that the studio dictated the song's parenthetical title.
"Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)" by Cobra Starship (2006)
For those too young to remember the majority of this list, Cobra Starship took matters into their own hands by bringing back the name-checking trend with the song "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)." Unlike most of the other songs on this list, Starship's song was entirely voluntary — written without any affiliation to the movie at all. Gabe Saporta and crew were so inspired by the gloriously cheesy movie title that they just had to hit the studio. The song earned its way into the movie's closing credits, and Samuel L. Jackson made a cameo in Starship's music video. Nothing says dance-rock like hundreds of poisonous snakes!
"Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr. (1984) and "Too Hot to Handle" by Bobby Brown (1989)
Next time you're out in a public place, we dare you to take a deep breath and scream: "Who you gonna call?" Sure, you might get some weird looks, but inevitably a few people will respond, "Ghostbusters"! That theme song, just like the first movie, will be held in our hearts forever as an '80s gem. Less successful was Bobby Brown's song "Too Hot to Handle" from the sequel, which stood the test of time about as well as "Ghostbusters II" did. Brown's neon-filled, cameo-stuffed music video, however, was an appropriate companion piece for Parker's classic clip (was that Peter Falk?) from the original film.
"Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen (1993)
Sorry to bring this party down, but there has never been a name-checking soundtrack song quite as powerful as Springsteen's Oscar- and Grammy-winning track from the 1993 Denzel Washington/ Tom Hanks drama "Philadelphia." Raw, moody and crafted with a minimalist aesthetic, Springsteen rarely performs the song in concert to this day. It captured both its film and its moment in time brilliantly.
"9 to 5" by Dolly Parton (1980)
"Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living," Dolly sang, presumably after chugging down a cup of ambition. She wrote the tune for her acting debut as Doralee Rhodes, and the song inspired women to get through a workday in a male-dominated labor force. Now it just makes us nostalgic for the eight-hour workday. A stage production of "9 to 5" hits Los Angeles in September, and Dolly's description of an office in which "that man is out to get me" will undoubtedly be the show-stopper. That is, if the producers haven't attempted to update the song to something like "7:30 to 6," which just doesn't have the same ring.
"Theme From Shaft" by Isaac Hayes (1971) and "Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield (1972)
One of the few soundtracks to outgross the film it accompanied, "Superfly" was an instant hit. Hayes, meanwhile, kicked in Hollywood's door with an Oscar-winning ode to a black private dick who's a sex-machine to all the chicks. Combined, the two songs capture the true essence of 1970s soundtrack soul. Thanks to those songs, all these decades later, Shaft and Superfly are still remembered as two bad mutha ... shut yo' mouth!
"Footloose" by Kenny Loggins (1984)
Say what you will about the '80s, deep down everbody has a soft spot for Kenny Loggins' leg-shaking song from the movie that made us all want to be within six degrees of Kevin Bacon. The "Footloose" song also has a knack for burrowing deep into your brain and remaining there long after you'd like it to — which might explain why John Lithgow was so intent on banning Bacon's never-ending dance party.
"Goonies 'R' Good Enough" by Cyndi Lauper (1985)
Hand-picked by Steven Spielberg to create the soundtrack for the children's adventure flick, Lauper became so stressed out working 12-hour days that she reportedly wound up in the hospital. This might explain her hit single from the film, which surely wins the award for lyrics having the least to do with the movie. The final two minutes consist of the rainbow-haired songstress endlessly repeating, "Good enough for you/ Good enough for me" (keep in mind, the song is only three and a half minutes long). Naturally, there's no mention of pirate ships, buried treasure or even a "Heeeeeyyy youuuuu guyyyys!" anywhere in the song. Lauper hated the song so much that she didn't put it on a proper album for 20 years. Captain Lou Albano fans, however, will forever treasure its two-part music video.
"Men in Black" (1997) and "Wild Wild West" (1999) by Will Smith
In the history of pop culture, never has there been a man more aware of movie-music synergy than Will Smith. On the downside, both of these songs now feel like an unwelcome visit from a long-forgotten ex and have rendered it impossible to ever listen to Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots" or Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" again without getting caught up Big Willie's alternate, movie-promoting chorus. Hey, come to think of it: Where's our "Hancock" song?
The James Bond themes
Just like the Bond films themselves, some are good (Paul McCartney & Wings' "Live and Let Die"), some are bad (Tom Jones' "Thunderball"), some stand the test of time (Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger"), and others were forgotten by the end credits (Madonna's "Die Another Day"). Still, the best Bond films always give birth to songs that allow us to listen along while some high-profile star (Tina Turner, Sheryl Crow, Sheena Easton) attempts to force-feed the movie's unwieldy title into a song's chorus. It's just one more reason we can't wait for November's "Quantum of Solace."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
See Also
Thursday 19 June 2008
Pedro Fernandez
Artist: Pedro Fernandez
Genre(s):
Latin
Folk
Discography:
Exitos Originales
Year: 2005
Tracks: 14
La mas completa coleccion CD-2
Year: 2004
Tracks: 20
Yo No Fui
Year: 2000
Tracks: 12
Deseos Y Delirios
Year: 1996
Tracks: 16
Mi Forma De Sentir
Year: 1994
Tracks: 14
Un Mundo Raro: Tributo A Jose Alfredo Jimenez
Year:
Tracks: 12
Requiem
Year:
Tracks: 4
Saturday 14 June 2008
Amy Winehouse's husband pleads guilty to assault and lying to police
LONDON - The husband of singer Amy Winehouse has admitted assaulting a barman and attempting to cover it up.
Blake Fielder-Civil, 26, is being tried in London on charges of attacking pub landlord James King, and then conspiring together to have King to withdraw as a witness at the trial.
Fielder-Civil and three-co-defendants pleaded guilty last week but a court order barred reporting the pleas because King is scheduled to face a separate trial. Judge David Radford lifted the reporting restriction Monday.
Soul diva Winehouse and Fielder-Civil married in Miami in May 2007. He was arrested in November and has been in jail awaiting trial ever since.
Winehouse has become an international star since she released the Grammy-winning album "Back to Black" in 2006. But her music has been overshadowed by reports of her drug use, run-ins with the law and tempestuous relationship with Fielder-Civil.
Winehouse was at London's Snaresbrook Crown Court last week for the opening arguments in her husband's trial.
Fielder-Civil faces a maximum of five years in prison for the assault charge. Perverting the course of justice carries a maximum sentence of life, though that is unlikely to be imposed in this case.
The defendants are due to be sentenced later.
See Also
Friday 30 May 2008
Sharon Stone: 'Chinese Earthquakes Are A Result Of Bad Karma'
Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival in France, the actress left Chinese journalists stunned during her commentary of the natural disaster, which have left more than 67,000 people dead.
She said: "All these earthquakes and stuff happened and I thought, `Is that karma?' When you are not nice, bad things happen to you.
"I'm not happy about how the Chinese are treating the Tibetans, I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else.
"They're not being very nice to the Dali Lama, who's a good friend of mine."
Do you think Sharon was right to blame karma? Should she be more sympathetic? Be sure to leave your comments below.