Weekend Project: Some Like It Hot

This weekend project could be considered a FAIL…not quite to epic proportions, because the movie DID make it out of it’s Netflix sleeve and into my computer. And I DID manage to watch the first half of the movie. But here comes the fail part: I stopped the movie. I just couldn’t take it anymore.

I decided to check out Some Like It Hot because I had never actually seen Marilyn Monroe in action (horrible confession right there coming from a film major…yes, it’s true) and according to Roger Ebert, this one makes it on to the list of Great Movies. And I figured, since I was actually a film major, maybe I should start watching some of these films and actors that I learned about over and over in college. What a concept!

Now I am sure Mr. Ebert is to be trusted, right, he has made quite a living giving his opinion on things. However, I just have to say I was unimpressed by it all.

Of course, Marilyn herself was absolutely stunning…it is no coincidence that she was popularly considered the pinnacle of all that is woman for so long. Though, she really can’t dance. At all. Oh well, this fault is really minor. Point 1 for Some Like It Hot.

Also, I enjoyed immensely the fact that the movie begins in a comical 1920’s prohibition/mobster-era Chicago. It was ridiculous. But Chicago is amazing, in my incredibly biased opinion. Point 2 for Some Like It Hot.

This is where the tide changes however. Especially upsetting, I find little reason to be attached to the characters, or really care at all about them.  Hence why I didn’t even feel compelled at the moment to figure out how the movie ended. Not to mention, the comedy was sparse and forced. Perhaps it let me down more so because I had such high expectations. Kind of reminds me of when I finally got around to watching Napoleon Dynamite, way after the hype had passed. Or perhaps I just wasn’t in the right mood. Somehow my inner film critic escaped me today.

All this being said, chances are curiousity will get the better of me and I will watch the rest, just because I need to know what happens.  And because film majors watch films, even ones we don’t like.  We can’t help it.

Today’s Soundtrack: Fados da tristeza alegre – Marco Rodrigues

It has been WAY too long! This summer has slipped away and not too much has happened in my blog world. Time to change this with a post about this wonderful CD, perfect for a lazy summer afternoon.

I first came into contact with Fado music, the traditional music of Portugal, on a trip to Lisbon. Portugal’s capital city reminded me much of San Fransisco, though I can’t speak to the accuracy of this assessment, having never actually BEEN to San Fransisco.  Let me explain, this sunny city on the riverside has rolling hills all throughout, and people make their way around on old-school trolleys. In fact there is even a bridge in Lisbon, the 25 de Abril bridge, that is an exact replica of the famous landmark in SF. Now I’m sorry if those of you who are aquainted with both places are offended by my comparisions, but trust me, if you are from SF, Lisbon is a perfectly wonderful place to be connected to in any metaphorical way, even if the comparison is a little weak.  My apologies, sincerely.

Back to the music, Fado is a traditional style that grew out of the difficulties of the immigrant population in Portugal, much like Flamenco music in Spain or the slave music in early America.  Now, it has been popularized and you can hear it any night of the week drifting out from the various upscale Fado houses all across the capital city.  The music is full of emotion and passion, though the particular emotion can range anywhere from playful to melencholy.

Marco’s CD is a perfect example and his hauntingly beautiful voice along with the traditional Portuguese guitar and classical guitar that accompany him…wow. beautifully simple and stunning.  I was blessed to hear Marco live, almost 2 years ago on that weekend visit to Lisbon when my friend and I stumbled quite unawares on a Fado house where he just so happened to be playing.  We were magically transported into the world of Fado sitting at the front of an almost empty house, dimly lit, drinks in hand, completely mesmerized.  We sat almost in silence til the closing time, 2am, soaking it all in. Marco was quite gracious to us, and spoke almost perfect Spanish (albeit with a Portuguese accent), I certainly owed him a shout-out long ago. Hopefully, this makes up for it.

So, if you’re in need of something to take you on a little stay-cation to another world, where everything is worth singing about, and is done with passion and grace…check out some Fado. You will love it.

Check out his myspace for some great examples of his work.

Today’s Soundtrack: Buddy Holly and The Crickets

Growing up, I remember my dad listening to classical music, opera, and Buddy Holly.  Perhaps I should explain the seemingly random insertion: my dad is from Lubbock, Texas.  Lubbock’s claim to fame: Buddy Holly.  They went to the same high school.

via Flickr user The Horror

So maybe it’s the nostalgia factor that gets Buddy Holly a special place in my heart; that would probably be a good presumption.  Makes me feel somehow closer to my dad and his experience.  I remember my family went to see The Buddy Holly Story (biographical rock’n'roll musical) almost every time it came to Chicago, and as with most stars rocketed to fame and then making a quick exit, it sure makes a pretty good story.

You only wonder what would have happened in his story had he not died in that plane crash so surreptitiously.

1000 Recordings and Puccini’s Turandot

I have a fascination with opera.  I don’t really know why, it tends to be insanely tragic…but one cannot argue that it is amazing what people can get their voices to do, and certainly if you are going to express some kind of deep emotion, opera seems to complement that quite well.

I remember first reading the story of Turandot in a children’s book, believe it or not, and the illustrations were what really captured my attention.

Now, the music is still absolutely captivating…especially “Nessun Dorma,” probably my favorite from the opera.  And quite common, you have probably heard it if you’ve eaten at an Italian restaurant at some point in your life.  Of course, if you listen to the recording mentioned in the book, with Luciano Pavarotti, you will certainly be even more impressed because he has an incredible voice.

I think the most tragic part of Turandot was that Pucinni was unable to finish it, he couldn’t come up with an ending that satisfied him.  The ending I remember is more of a fairy-tale (thank you, children’s book!) than an opera, and I feel like a happily ever after ending might be a little bit of a stretch. But who knows? If the composer himself couldn’t even finish it, does anyone else really have the right? I wonder.

Today’s Soundtrack: Chanticleer’s Our American Journey

I went through a rather strange obsession with this group some time during in high school, a 12 man a-capella choir, and going to their Christmas concert in Chicago was a tradition of mine for several years.  My little sister hated them, but no matter.  I happen to think they’re pretty great.

via ralichte.com

This particular collection is a sort of archival group of songs from different parts of American history.  I love the sound of the human voice in all of its variations, and with 12 male voices, you certainly can explore a whole range of sound.  I love the harmonies, which they layer so skillfully, and even if you don’t like the music, you certainly can appreciate that.  Arrangement of harmony is always impressive to me, and much more in 12 parts!

Metronome, friend or enemy?

I finally broke down and bought myself a metronome.  Although, I don’t really know how I feel about it.  As a songwriter/composer, I admit they are helpful, because actually writing music down on paper is like confining sound to note and measure and rhythm, it’s a process of bringing chaos to order.  But I still rebel against it…perhaps because of all those hours as a kid practicing for my piano lessons, perhaps because I like a little chaos in my creation, and perhaps because the ticking is just really obnoxious.

from Flickr user remmahesor

So sometimes I use the metronome, sometimes I don’t.  I suppose it depends most on my mood…today’s a metronome day, at least for a little while. I could use some imposed order.

Weekend Project: Lawrence of Arabia

I was a film major in college, yet I must say that the number of films I have actually seen is quite limited in scope and variety…mostly obscure randomness and international flicks.  So this weekend my project was a classic: Lawrence of Arabia.  An epic and a tragedy.  (I’ll try not to include any spoilers, though I must admit that the plot itself doesn’t really seen to be the point of the movie.)  I read the excerpt about the movie from Roger Ebert’s The Great Movies, where he said that there’s really no plot, no love interest, no point, but that is a beautiful film.  Well, I do agree that it is a strikingly beautiful film.  However, I do think there is a plot and more importantly there is a love interest, though it is not a woman.

via greatamericanmovies.com

I think Lawrence’s love interest is the Arab people, and perhaps the desert.  Both of which are very difficult lovers.  The desert, it never loves back.  And the Arab people, they can, but in a way that is different from English customs and ideas.  Just look at the crisis Lawrence experiences when he is faced with the fact that he isn’t really Arab: he says he is invisible, that he can pass…but when a Turkish soldier points out his pale skin, he lashes out.  Because he realizes his love is an outsider’s love.  And I think the tragedy is, because he is an Englishman, he knows he’s fighting for a cause that is basically hopeless.  There will be no Arab nation if the British and French can help it, yet he almost goes mad trying to make it happen, trying to bring “freedom,” thinking that making the nation will make him belong.

Well, it’s much more complicated than all of that, really.  If you haven’t seen the movie, you should.  It’s fabulous.

Happy Love Day!

Today’s soundtrack is a song by Negramaro, Parlami d’Amore…you’ll probably figure this out, but it’s in Italian, so I actually have not much of an idea what the song is saying, except what I can gather from its similarities to Spanish and from the action in the music video. The title, at least, I can translate roughly for you: Talk to me about Love!

Got the music video off youtube, so I apologize for the slightly poor quality, but I like the video well enough that I really wanted to share. Hope you enjoy!

And, have a great valentine’s day close to the ones you love

Today’s Soundtrack: Putumayo’s Asian Grooves

I have a lot of chores to do today, and chores definitely require musical motivation! I’m tired after a long week, so didn’t want to pick anything too crazy, but just enough to keep me moving…and my selection was the Asian Grooves collection put out by Putumayo.  It’s definitely mellow, but with a good beat.  Perfect to suit my mood.

Most of the tracks are from India, with a few exceptions: Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Trinidad, Germany (not sure how this one fits…but eh).  Maybe I just have India on the brain because I’m working on a farewell scrapbook for a friend who is moving there to be a missionary!  Either way, I love hearing music from different countries, because it’s such an important part of culture.

So I’m cleaning, drinking tea, and “groovin” alone in my apartment on a Friday night.

Today’s Soundtrack: Meredith Andrews

I was listening to the radio and recently discovered Meredith Andrews and was really interested by her interview, and of course I’m always intrigued by songs with piano as the driving instrument. I just love how it sounds.  I looked her up on iTunes, and ended up downloading her album, The Invitation.  The CD was my playlist today, as when I make a new music discovery, I like to listen to something over and over to kind of let the lyrics, musicality and the whole picture of the album kind of sink in.  It’s part of the exploration of the artist.  Meredith is a worship leader, but a lot of the songs on her album are personal dialogues between her and God, more so than corporate worship songs.

I must admit, however, that after the quick 30 second samples on iTunes (how much can that tell you, really?) what really tends to sway me one way or the other is the album cover.  Yes, I am superficial.  Yes, album covers don’t really have anything to do with the person or the music.  But I like album covers.

I love her style (wish I could pull some of those things off!) and I think the classic/vintage embellishments are a great touch.  The green floral wallpaper is probably not something I would have seen and picked out on my own, but it suits the photograph and I kind of like it.

Overall, there aren’t too many surprises in her album, but it is kind of a classic sound that is comforting and thoughtful and served me well today as a great daily soundtrack.