P A R A S I T E S

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2013- The year I found out future died

I am back from Brazil for almost 2 months now, but I only recently realised we are living in the future. Just the future is not what the previous generation had imagined.

The video is for a BBC documentary called " Prog Rock Britannia", showcasing some of the most influential progressive rock bands.The interviews are more revealing than the  other documentaries of the series, exploring the contradictions, fears and  ultimate defeat of the musicians . King Crimson seems to be on a whole different -musical? spiritual?- level. Personally, I resumed listening to King Crimson on a regular basis, but the most interesting idea that this film brought is  that future ( as in NOW) is a great disapointment to the baby boom generation. 

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2D review: that new old Batman movie and that new old Total Recall shit

You should never underestimate the social power and influence of movies in nowadays society: see , not only I kind of studied this shit in college, but I elected a homemade  2 days-movies-induced-detox method as the best way to stop smoking. At that time I was , what, 20 years old, an idiot who read somewhere that cigarettes would make me look older at some point, so I decided the best I could do was to rent out 5 movies ( artistic and long pieces of art) , lock myself in my room and just watch, without any cigarette break, my theory being if I could handle 2 days without smoking, I would be cured.  It took me 1 whole year to resume the bad habit again, but, hey, it worked, so we could say that movies saved my life!!

Maybe not, but I am still here, right? So let´s just assume movies are that influential and that everytime I enter a dark room to watch some blockbuster I am paying tribute to an industry that gave me hope and strengh to carry on, when I most needed.

Anyway....I do not feel guilty to overundulge myself with Hollywood chunk, especially when it comes to the most near deep-philosophical-political of the blockbusters director, Christopher Nolan. Granted, in all his movies there are so many holes in the plot that you risk falling in one and not be able to come out of it until the screening is over, or to be s pretentious and complicated that he had to come up with a full character which the sole purpose was to explain the audience what was going on ( Inception much?) but hey, in my book, this is good stuff. Who said things have to make sense ? Who is that idiotic?

"The Dark Knight rises" is, what can be said, a solid action movie, with apocalyptic undertones and a cast who looks, acts and walks like bored overpaid  hollywoodian actors. Surprisingly, the last installment is the one I had the impression that Christian Bale was finally comfortable in the shoes. forget about all the "Anne Hathaway as you never seen before" hype, she is definitely not bringing the best performance, she just happened to have the best character, and that is all. The quality of the production, the soundtrack, the not over the top special effects are all very professional, very well done, as you would expect of such a production. 

I

will not go on and on about all the plot twists and spoilers as this is , as usual, a very late and amadoristic review  , by now  most have already watched. Was I disapointed? Not at all, I do recommend to go and watch on the thearters, it is definetly not a piece that I would wait to have it on DVD....

....this I cannot extend to the next blockbuster I watched, " Total Recall". Okay, okay, Len Wiseman is also a competent director, who is on the verge of developing a distinticive cinematographic style, but I am a HUGE fan of Paul Verhoeven. HUGE. I admit I was not enthusiastic about the idea of re adapting the Philip K Dick novel, but hey, it is kind of difficult to come up with an original idea for a blockbuster nowadays, mind you, so anything goes....

The cast is full of B-list actors, as opposed to the Batman movie, and , let´s face it : Wiseman is yet to prove he is something more than a good craftsman, my dilentante advice  for next time would be to try to surround himself with a stronger cast ( which means to stop using his wife so often) and to pay more attention to the fight scenes. I explain more: the best fights are the ones between Kate Beckinsale ( his wife) and Colin Ferrel.Forget all the other characters : he obviously put a lot of effort in making his wife look like almost inhuman in all her ability and stranegh. Coling Farrel, for God´s sake, is supposed to be the world´s best secret agent and he is always almost losing the fights to a simple career oriented newbie? Sounds strange , at least to me. " Haywire", although not the best action movie, has great sequences with Gia Carano, who of course is a pro wrestler, but it does look proper. Small framed,big boobed Kate Backinsale is not match to a pumped Colin Farrel. Period. She might be a good vampire-kick ass-figher because, as we all know, vampires do have super human powers, therefore we can by her amazing stunts

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Electric Wizard @ Festsaal Kreuzberg Berlin

Oh boy, that was doom metal big time. So grateful to live in this city. 

Once upon  time, I was living in Hungary, you know. It was hard to be a concert goer back then with most bands having their easternmost gigs in Vienna... Just so you know: 50% of the crowd in Vienna comes from Eastern-Europe only to see the band. We deserve everybody's utmost respect and appreciation. We fill the stadiums and clubs and make those bands return year after year. To Vienna.  If you live in Hungary a) you spend a considerable amount of money on gigs in Vienna b) you hope that your bands will play on one of the festivals in Hungary (bearing in mind that a festival performance is quite different from a club concert). There are enthusiastic freaks in Budapest who do their best to bring the great bands of the scene into town but mostly they arrange hardcore or punk shows and I am not a big fan of that music. Living in Berlin is such a luxury if you think in terms of concerts. I still can't believe that everybody, literally EVERYBODY is playing here. The city is giving me a hard time every once in a while regarding the gigs I want to see. Either I cannot afford to attend three shows per week or two amazing bands play on the same day and I have to make a decision. The latter was the case on the 5th August when both Baroness and Electric Wizard were in town. I know, I know. Anybody in their right minds would go for Electric Wizard, especially that I also cannot grow to really like the new Baroness album much. But come on, the Blue Album was a true masterpiece. Also, I love John Dyer Baizley's art and Baroness have some truly amazing merch. In the end I went to see Electric Wizard with some friends and hell yeah, I made the right decision. I have just read it was a sold out show. If I can give you one advice: NEVER expect to find tickets at the door in this town. Kadavar are touring with them right now but in Berlin Riotgod was the support. I was quite upset about this as Kadavar are actually a Berlin-based band and I really like them. I haven't seen the support band. Electric Wizard were good but did not blow me away. They found the formula for non plus ultra doom metal a long time ago and have been using it ever since, as a routine. The show was a routine show too. Yes, their songs are super similar but similarly amazing of course! They played for 80 minutes or so and it all seemed to be one long uninterrupted symphony to darkness. I'm truly grateful they never said a word. Let the bad ass bass speak for itself. The Festsaal was actually the perfect location for them size-wise. It was somehow funny to see how everybody (also upstairs) were banging their heads synchronized throughout the show. It was boiling hot. Terribly hot. This, of course, has nothing to do with Electric Wizard and I guess they were sweating just as bad as we were. If you attend a great show and you are not sweating you are obviously doing something wrong but bathing in my own sweat was a bit too much. I felt so disgusting and stank like a badger afterwards. I had to rush out after the 2nd song (mind you, with Electric Wizard that means after 20 minutes) to put my head under ice cold water in the ladies room and dry myself with some toilet paper as I was close to fainting. I found a magazine to fan myself with and returned after 3 minutes, fanning myself like crazy for the rest of the show, trying to survive.  But thank you Electric Wizard, you made me forget about all this suffering. I was concentrating purely on the music. To be honest, for me there was nothing else to concentrate on as I couldn't see a thing. It is a scientifically proven fact that metal concert attendees are tall and have a lot of hair so if you're an average size girl, bring your own ladder! They played Return Trip and Chosen Few so I couldn't have been more happy. 19 EUR for such a night? ANYTIME. Just for the record, as far as I can remember the setlist was the following: Supercoven Witchcult Today Black Mass Return Trip Legalise Drugs & Murder Satanic Rites of Drugula The Chosen Few Funeralopolis 8/10

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The movie I would like to live in

I am very fond of movies. I am so fond of them, that I even like bad movies sometimes.  From the first moment that I was asked this question my head was spinning around the subject. I have taken my time because the options where too many, the subject too wide and it somehow seemed like an important decision.

When someone asks you about movies, you either think of your favorite ones, or the ones that you have recently watched. Putting the recent ones aside, as none of them have taken my breath away, I started thinking about my preferred ones. Bad idea, as there are too many, and many of them are considered great by people who know about the business more than me.

When I think of great movies my mind considers first the old ones. Black & white cinema tells a story of its own, and for that you only have to watch the main title of any of them. Living in a Greta Garbo movie would be a dream come true, but there is always so much drama that the beauty of the star would not be enough to actually make me stay, not even Ninotchka. Following that thought, you start thinking about all the Ernst Lubitsch or George Cukor comedies that you know, which would be a happy choice, but there is something about me not fitting into a black & white world that breaks the illusion.

Alfred Hitchcock’s movies, from the very first ones to the last ones, tend to end well, they have some action that I would appreciate, and most of them have funny dialogues and situations apart from crimes, evil characters and near death experiences. Onto other things then. I went nuts and started to think about my favorite westerns (too uncomfortable), pirate movies (too dangerous), musicals (too merry), or  Disney/cartoon movies (too unreal). Another no.

Days passed and I had come to a conclusion; the movie had to be set on a not so far past/present, it had to have hints of comedy and a happy ending, but also a meaning that will keep me from leading a boring life. The title came to my mind while reading one of the “AFI's lists”. That was it: Groundhog Day.

The Harold Ramis movie from 1993, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, is the meaningful comedy I would like to live in. To summarize: this stuck up weather man goes reluctantly to a tiny village to report the Groundhog Day festivities, is stuck in there overnight because of a snowstorm, and he wakes up on the next day, realizing he is living the same day all over again. The disbelief of what is happening at first, the confusion, the acknowledgement and “let’s do everything that comes to mind with no consequences”; the desperation, anger and suicides that bring him back to the same bed at 06:00am on a February, 2nd, , waking up to "I Got You Babe" by Sonny&Cher, regardless of his doings during that day. To be stuck on a time loop (considering that it would eventually end) for around 30 years, being able to do what you couldn’t in only a lifetime and finally come to terms with the situation and improving oneself to perfection.

If I were to live any of my days all over again, and get to the same conclusion as the main character on the movie does, that would be a world in which I would happily live in.

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The movie I would like to live in

High time for me to  confess something terrible, something which will potentially end my friendship with the other two contributors of this blog but I have to come out of the closet: I’m not particularly fond of movies. In fact: I don’t like movies. (Let’s put my hatred towards the sheer act of going to the cinema aside for the time being.) Watching movies is a rather boring and passive activity. Let’s admit it, most films are kind of predictable. Or far-fetched. All you are asked to do is stare at the big screen. Not much of an interaction. There must be true masterpieces out there no doubt about that, I just prefer reading or going to the theatre or to concerts. Problem nr. 1 but let’s tackle this somehow. So obviously I should select one of those few films which gave me goosebumps and had me thinking for a while (oh yes, there WERE some!). Now this is where I encounter problem nr. 2  Hungarians are a truly, deeply miserable folk, miserable beyond help, possibly the most pessimistic nation on this planet. Consequently, the films I like are a) tragic dramas b) disturbing motion pictures. Why on earth would i want to live in any of them? Blue Valentine prefectly demonstrating the futility of ideals and the inevitable collaps of any relationship? Gummo which turns your neighbourhood into a scary freakshow? El Laberinto del Fauno putting a child protagonist into a fantasy world which happens to merge with the Francoist period? Dancer in The Dark which just breaks your heart and makes you think twice before trusting anybody in your environment? Dead Man Walking set in a US prison starring a rapist and killer on death row? Wes Anderson with all his fucked up child/adolescent characters? No thanks. The one and only movie I could come up with was Big Fish. I would really be OK with living in Edward Bloom’s fantasy world - not in his real life though where he is struggling with cancer and where he is trying to reconcile with his estranged son.  Edward Bloom’s vivid imaginary life features a fairy-tale environment. In it he is a fairly normal but ambitious and sympathetic character. He is popular and cheerful but also adventurous. Warm and inviting colors dominate the scenes, the music is pleasant and it is set in some random, beautiful corner of Alabama. The characters are positive and every menacing thing turns out to be harmless in the end. Beautiful vintage dresses, driving around in a Buick..what more could I ask for? Yes, I would definitely go for Big Fish.

Photo: Columbia Pictures Industries Inc.

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After Hours: The movie I would like to live in

Movies are often called the most escapist form of entertainment , or as I see it ,art.This reputation seems to me to be rather limited and , frankly, stupid. More than often people watch movies to have fun, and not to forget about problems and miseries. Granted, for this purpose people take drugs or alcohol ( please, they are NOT the same!), have one night stands, dance all night or apply for overtime at work. That is how one avoids confrontation: by not being there in more than one way.

Anyway, because I have not elected to escape from my grim reality , I love watching movies. I must confess, I stream pretty often, but I am trying to revert to my 3- times- a- week- movie- theater- going self , which is also another of my resolutions for this year. So, I happen to be on line for long hours and I came across this very small, yet interesting, article on The Guardian on the subjetc "in which movie would you live in".

People, this made me think (!), I swear to God!

At first, I thought about the "The Big Sleep" , the greatest of all Bogart-Bacall-Hawks projects ( okay, there were only two colaborations, as they had a falling out right after finishing this movie), based on Raymond Chandler. Bacall is a rich, sexy,  and dangerous woman. Bogart is a cynic private detective involved in a complicated investigation. At some point you realise that the crimes are never solved and the plot is more than confusing, but you would not care less, as the atmosphere and characters are what matters. But even on my fantasies I cannot escape reality :I gues I  would prefer something that  actually resembles my real life, obviously in a more cosmopolitan, glamorous way.

After Hours

It is such a confused mess, plausible if not only because it is absurd. The project is the brainchild of a demented b-movie author Joseph Minion, who was sued for plagiarism by radio host and bohemian guru Joe Frank. Of course I had to google who Joe Frank was, as I never heard of him, but I am higly impressed with what I found, must I say . And it gets better: it was supposed to be directed by Tim Burton- pre Johny Depp- , the great Michael Powell contributed with one of the best endings ever, Cheech and Chong have a cameo as burgles and the movie has all the flavour of a twisted Alice in Wonderland in New York tale.

Griffin Dunne plays a normal guy, with a normal job, that meets a rather attractive woman ( Rosanna Arquette) in a café. They talk, she gives him her address and he decides to go there that evening to pay a visit and to "buy" one  of the artsy paperweight sculptures  made by a punk artist ( Linda Fiorentino). He loses his money , cannot pay the taxi and ends up  unable to go home for the remainder of the evening. It is not funny, it is not tragic, it is not surreal, it is simply a series of over the top situations combined together that at first do not make any sense at all, but hey, so if life. It is a must simply a must see.

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West Side Story

If you ask someone to consider how they feel about musicals, an astonishing amount of people will say that they don’t like them. I’m not one of them. Huge fan. Last Saturday I went to see West Side Story at the Deutsche Oper and it was brilliant. We all know the story portrayed on the musical, which is pretty much Romeo & Juliet (and we all know how it goes – it ends badly).  

I have watched the West Side Story film a few times, and I have listened to the Soundtrack more times than I can remember. The tape with the Original Score was lying around on the family car at some point during my teens. I was then pleased when I was told that the Original Production of the musical was touring around Germany this summer.

The productions facts that you must know about this musical can be listed on a few lines. Music by Leonard Bernstein at its greatest (or at least at its most successful), lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and concept - choreography by Jerome Robbins (both on the musical and the film). Well, that’s what the Wikipedia says. For me, all these people put together made it what it is today: a classic. All the actors playing on this production, were cast in New York for the Broadway presentation for the 50th Anniversary of West Side Story, and are now touring achieving success after success. Funny enough, during a dance on this Saturday’s first performance, one of the girls was dropped by her partner while dancing, without causing any major problem other than a sudden low murmur through the public.The greatness of playing live.

The movie and the musical slightly differ from one another, on what the order of songs is concerned. The dancing on the show is more elaborated than on the film, and even the main characters dance a little at some point, whereas on the movie they barely move. The musical number of “America” is represented on the theatre by only the Puerto Rican girls, whereas in the movie, both the girls and the Sharks sing and dance to it, making the funny retorts more expressive.

The main characters are most likely chosen by their voice to perform live on a stage, but certainly not on the movie, where neither of them are the actual singers and many other supporting actors are also partially dubbed. At some point in the movie, Marnie Nixon (dubbing Natalie Wood as Maria) is singing a duet with herself, as Betty Wand (who dubbed only the lower and high notes of Rita Moreno as Anita) got sick on the final days of recording. The 1961 movie directed by both Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins was a hit, winning 10 out of 11 Academy Awards to which it was nominated, including Best Picture. It’s still today the musical with most won Oscars.

It was the first time that I was going to the Deutsche Oper, and I was surprised by the minimalistic, functional decoration and sober architecture of the building, rebuilt after it was bombed in WWII. Germans now how to be practical and the reception area is filled with stands on where to leave your coats, completely unnecessary on a hot July afternoon and spoiling the first impression. I have had the chance of visiting a few Opera houses and I was also a bit disappointed on the choice of color (a fainted beige) used to upholster the chairs and the light color of the wood that covered the walls. The entrance to the stalls area where we were seated is done through the lateral doors, as the rows form only one line. Great to save space and create more seats, but highly annoying when you are seating nearly on the centre and you either have to bother old ladies to get to your seat, or be bother by children who need to leave for the toilet while the show is running. Despite my criticism, my perception of the Deutsche Oper was pleasant and the sound and lighting were good.

I'm telling you: looking forward to the next time!

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New Order @ Tempodrom Berlin

Getting divorced can be a good thing, this is how I managed to get hold of a ticket to the June 21st gig of New Order at the Berlin-Tempodrom. My friend had a ticket for himself and his wife but after separating, she cancelled. I read somewhere that the band hasn't played a single show in Berlin for more than 10 years now so...thanks again for ticket! Being unable to find out whether there will be a support band or not, I insisted on being early, as according to recent setlists they kick it off with Elegia and play Crystal right after which is my absolute favorite New Order song (No, it's not True Faith. Neither is it Ceremony. Or 586. I was born in 1985 so the first album which was relevant to my 16-year-old, pimple-faced teenage self was Get Ready, released in 2001). Reportedly, there was a DJ warming up the Tempodrom for the band but as we had to queue for ages to get our drinks, we missed his whole performance. Perfect timing though: New Order took the stage just as we entered the concert hall. They kept it quite simple and the visuals were just bad. So so bad. Bad beyond belief. Also, the strobes were so aggressive that I feared getting an epileptic fit an one point.   However, I didn't mind much actually, as the concert was good. Not outstanding though but definitely worth those 40 EUR. Back to the 80s in a 21st century sound. A total of 16 songs, but let me just list the ones I found best: Crystal, Isolation, Age of Consent, True Faith and Bizarre Love Triangle. The absolute highlight for me was Blue Monday though, where my brain turned off and I was dancing mental. I wish the song lasted forever. There were three Joy Division songs too - beside the already mentioned Isolation, they played Transmission and Love Will Tear Us Apart as well in the encore. A friendly afternoon-matinée it was. And Bernard is still the king of the dance floor, rocking that beer belly. 7/10

Foto: Monique Wüstenhagen/Electronic Beats

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"Footoloose" the original 1984  masterpiece directed by the late Herbert Ross, showcased the talents, power and then post adolescent good looks of Kevin Bacon. Before marrying Kyra Sedgwick, losing big bucks in the Madoff scandal and being the center of "six degrees of" games, Bacon saved a WHOLE fictional city from an abnormally square preacher . How ? He simply danced some of" The Police" greatest hits and got Lori Singer in the process. In short: don´t touch the BACON!

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No need to watch this documentary about black metal. I mean, is on youtube, so I guess nobody bothered to pay ticktes for it! Obviously I have nothing better to do and went to check "Black Metal Satanica". Boy, I will not get that 1hour 17 minutes back.... well fed, red faced, winter depressed scandinavian dicks, who wished were born 1.800 years ago, a time when nobody even dreamed of ABBA and Santa Claus could eat all the bambis....

I know, all I needed to do was to pressed "stop" but it is a like a big VOLVO car wreck!