No origin story
No End in Sight
Inessential Fathers(?)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Black Swan's dirty little secret
I assume most of us have heard of the Directing Giant Darren Aronofsky. He directed tearjerkers like Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler and the freaky opus Black Swan-- you know the movie where Natalie Portman goes bat shit crazy . However, there's another movie in Darren's collection he doesn't want you to know about-- an anime thriller known as Perfect Blue. Aronofsky bought the American rights to the movie literally so he could steal the bathtub scene now infamous in Requiem:
But that's not all he stole. If you take a long hard look at Perfect Blue next to Black Swan, you'll get a scary little surprise. For example:
Granted, some of the BS scenes appear to only be based on PB scenes that Aronofsky evolved into his machinations, but there's an argument to be made if Aronofsky should really be writing psychosexual thrillers about young girls if shit like this happens.
But that's not what I want to REALLY talk about. Let's take a moment to examine a theme in Perfect Blue. In the 1998 movie, the lead character has recently left her pop group to pursue an acting career (I know right? Trust me, it's worth it) She's a complete tech-tard with her outdated computer, so when she finds a blog titled "Mima's Room," she's excited. The excitement dies when she discovers that someone has not only been stalking her--taking GREAT detail into her daily life--but also the creeper is writing as her pop idol persona. Throughout the movie, we're led to believe that this guy is setting up the blog because as Mima's acting career "flourishes," the blog posts get more desperate and accuse the talent agency and director of forcing her to do the raunchy shit in the tv drama she stars in. But the blogger and the crazy dude are actually two separate people suffering from the same damn delusions:
Big Twist--Spoiler Alert. Turns out that the blogger is actually Mima's female agent, who for most of the movie was a voice of reason to speak out against Mima's controversial steps toward fame (I.E. rape scenes, nude photography). She turned into this. (One of these folks is just an illusion. Guess who is who)
These two cray cray folk work to kill everyone who pose a threat to their image of Pop Idol Mima. The agent comes to believe that she is her online persona--Pop Idol Mima--and of course tries to go Highlander on the real Mima. Considering this movie was created back in the old days of online identity and chatrooms, the situation presented in the movie can serves as a scary precursor to more present cyberstalking problems. We never really think about how the web space can actually influence and ruin one's mental health. You withdraw from the world, and become this personality you've created (maybe not to the stabby effect presented in the movie). But the pleasure of creating and living as a character can be too enticing. And what's worse is that there are a multitude of ways you can find other people to encourage this behavior through chatrooms and interactive commenting : Follow the link for more & check this awesome movie!:
But that's not all he stole. If you take a long hard look at Perfect Blue next to Black Swan, you'll get a scary little surprise. For example:
Granted, some of the BS scenes appear to only be based on PB scenes that Aronofsky evolved into his machinations, but there's an argument to be made if Aronofsky should really be writing psychosexual thrillers about young girls if shit like this happens.
But that's not what I want to REALLY talk about. Let's take a moment to examine a theme in Perfect Blue. In the 1998 movie, the lead character has recently left her pop group to pursue an acting career (I know right? Trust me, it's worth it) She's a complete tech-tard with her outdated computer, so when she finds a blog titled "Mima's Room," she's excited. The excitement dies when she discovers that someone has not only been stalking her--taking GREAT detail into her daily life--but also the creeper is writing as her pop idol persona. Throughout the movie, we're led to believe that this guy is setting up the blog because as Mima's acting career "flourishes," the blog posts get more desperate and accuse the talent agency and director of forcing her to do the raunchy shit in the tv drama she stars in. But the blogger and the crazy dude are actually two separate people suffering from the same damn delusions:
Big Twist--Spoiler Alert. Turns out that the blogger is actually Mima's female agent, who for most of the movie was a voice of reason to speak out against Mima's controversial steps toward fame (I.E. rape scenes, nude photography). She turned into this. (One of these folks is just an illusion. Guess who is who)
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Comics & IP
You'd have to be a progeny of the Unibomber to be ignorant of the dominating power of comic book movie adaptations in the box office lately. One need only think of Nolan's recently finished trilogy (Hathaway was the shit right?!) and the Avengers movie--both of which left the box office huddling in a puddle of tears with a ripped blouse. Although comic books have been getting optioned for movies for some time now and not all of them have been successful, (Anyone remember this fiasco?) there's obviously been a recent trend of blockbuster Marvel and DC characters getting their own movies and crossovers (See Samuel L. Jackson), it's mainly thanks to the greed of copyright and intellectual property. Gordon Gekko would be so proud...ish
Intellectual Property relates to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce. IP is divided into two categories: Industrial property, which includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source; and Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs. Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings, and those of broadcasters in their radio and television programs.
Copyright is given to any creator of an original work whether it be written, drawn or filmed. However, copyright does not protect the idea itself, but it does protect the expression of the idea or its transfer to a medium. This is why we can have two of these jokers:
It's already a tricky issue because the creators of a comic book will never know if their work will be popular until it's too late.While copyright laws have changed over the years, the most recent one is the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, which fixes it 70 years after the death of the author Or "for work-for-hire, the shorter of (a) 95 years after first publication or (b) 120 years from creation." Once all of the copyrights on a creative work have expired, anyone can create an exact copy of that work. But before you start thinking your own twists in your next big fan fiction about that squirrel dame (You know. This chica), you should be advised that you're shit out of luck. The many trademarks found in comic book characters keep your grubby hands off my squirrel girl for here to kingdom come.
While DC seems to have gotten its shit together (still haunted by those rubber nipples), Marvel is in quite a pickle as Fanboy/lawyer steveorjoey of comicbookmovie.com explains:
" Marvel used to license out the rights for motion pictures in their characters to other film studios, because Marvel could not afford to make their own motion pictures. Therefore, it was more profitable for Marvel to license out the rights in an exchange for a substantial fee and a percentage of the gross proceeds from the films. Sony pictures owns the live action movie rights to all things Spider-man and Ghost Rider, Lionsgate Entertainment owns The Punisher, and 20th Century Fox owns the Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Daredevil, and X-Men (if you have seen any of the X-Men movies you know that it is a complete tragedy that Fox owns the rights) (FN 52). When Marvel made these licensing agreements it seemed like a great plan, but with the success of the movies and Marvel getting rich off of it they now want to make their own movies, instead of licensing it out to other companies. Unfortunately, with some of the most well known characters licensed out Marvel will have a hard time making a live action movie about a major Marvel event."
Luckily most of the contracts include a deadline the studios must meet in principal photography. If the studios miss it, the rights go back to Marvel. That's how we got a hot AND talented Banner. However, we do have to remember that in the Marvel Realm, everything and I mean EVERYTHING is connected. The marvel comics frequently collide and crossover, so getting events like the Civil War, zombie apocalypse, or my favorite >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
will be almost impossible if Marvel doesn't start playing more dirty. It could be worse although. They could have Allen Moore's almost literary misfortunes: http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/07/alan-moore-watchmen/
Intellectual Property relates to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce. IP is divided into two categories: Industrial property, which includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source; and Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs. Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings, and those of broadcasters in their radio and television programs.
Copyright is given to any creator of an original work whether it be written, drawn or filmed. However, copyright does not protect the idea itself, but it does protect the expression of the idea or its transfer to a medium. This is why we can have two of these jokers:
It's already a tricky issue because the creators of a comic book will never know if their work will be popular until it's too late.While copyright laws have changed over the years, the most recent one is the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, which fixes it 70 years after the death of the author Or "for work-for-hire, the shorter of (a) 95 years after first publication or (b) 120 years from creation." Once all of the copyrights on a creative work have expired, anyone can create an exact copy of that work. But before you start thinking your own twists in your next big fan fiction about that squirrel dame (You know. This chica), you should be advised that you're shit out of luck. The many trademarks found in comic book characters keep your grubby hands off my squirrel girl for here to kingdom come.
While DC seems to have gotten its shit together (still haunted by those rubber nipples), Marvel is in quite a pickle as Fanboy/lawyer steveorjoey of comicbookmovie.com explains:
" Marvel used to license out the rights for motion pictures in their characters to other film studios, because Marvel could not afford to make their own motion pictures. Therefore, it was more profitable for Marvel to license out the rights in an exchange for a substantial fee and a percentage of the gross proceeds from the films. Sony pictures owns the live action movie rights to all things Spider-man and Ghost Rider, Lionsgate Entertainment owns The Punisher, and 20th Century Fox owns the Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Daredevil, and X-Men (if you have seen any of the X-Men movies you know that it is a complete tragedy that Fox owns the rights) (FN 52). When Marvel made these licensing agreements it seemed like a great plan, but with the success of the movies and Marvel getting rich off of it they now want to make their own movies, instead of licensing it out to other companies. Unfortunately, with some of the most well known characters licensed out Marvel will have a hard time making a live action movie about a major Marvel event."
Luckily most of the contracts include a deadline the studios must meet in principal photography. If the studios miss it, the rights go back to Marvel. That's how we got a hot AND talented Banner. However, we do have to remember that in the Marvel Realm, everything and I mean EVERYTHING is connected. The marvel comics frequently collide and crossover, so getting events like the Civil War, zombie apocalypse, or my favorite >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
will be almost impossible if Marvel doesn't start playing more dirty. It could be worse although. They could have Allen Moore's almost literary misfortunes: http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/07/alan-moore-watchmen/
Monday, September 10, 2012
Music. Art. Videos. Hard Day's Night. Nightclubbing...
Wafflehouse. Bar Crawl. Galleries. Coffee. endless solos. Pretentious Writers. Hangovers. Public Urination. Lipstick on napkins. Haikus on TP. Chasing the night. Tripping the light fantastic, and Falling down the Fire Escape.
Dig My Demagogues...
Dig My Demagogues...
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