music, Uncategorized

1775

Dauði Baldrs (1997)

Dauði Baldrs (youtube) (Old Norse for “Baldr’s Death” or “The Death of Baldr”) is the fifth album by the Norwegian solo act Burzum. Unlike Burzum’s previous work, which was mostly black metal, this is a dark ambient album. It was recorded using a synthesizer and a normal tape recorder by Varg Vikernes while he was in prison, as he was not allowed to have any other instruments or recording equipment. The album has been described by many as “dungeon synth“.

The album is about the legacy of Baldr, the second son of Odin in Norse mythology. Most likely a concept album, as the whole album leads up to Ragnarök, the battle at the end of the world in Norse mythology.

“Illa tiðandi” is easily the most minimalist track, with only two sections being repeated over the 10:29 duration, which are both simple piano melodies, eventually accompanied by a choral chant. It is an alternative version of the song “Decrepitude I” (wiki)


Thulêan Mysteries (2020)

Thulêan Mysteries (youtube) is the twelfth and final studio album by Norwegian musical project Burzum.

Recorded as a soundtrack to Vikernes’ role-playing game MYFAROG, the album follows the post-prison era medieval/dark ambient musical style. Vikernes said of the album:

“Since my true passion has never been music, but actually tabletop role-playing games, I figured I should make this an album intended for that use; as background music for my own MYFAROG (Mythic Fantasy Role-playing Game).”

The album’s artwork is by Norwegian artist Theodor Kittelsen called “Nøkken” (wiki)


games

1774 – Gray Dawn (2018 video game)

timespace coordinates: Christmas Eve, 1920 London / 1910’s Romania

Gray Dawn is a first-person horror game from Romanian independent game studio Interactive Stone.

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Embark on a terrifying adventure of a priest accused of murdering an altar boy. Gray Dawn is a psychological thriller infused with religious elements and combines story-driven quests with an artistic experience.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS (MINIMUM):OS: Windows 64-bit, Processor: Intel Core i5-2400/AMD FX-8320, Memory: 8 GB RAM, Graphics: GeForce GTX 770 / Radeon R9 280X, Storage: 6 GB available space

steam   /   gray-dawn.com

movies

1765 – The Little Things (2021)

timespace coordinates: Los Angeles in 1990

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The Little Things is a 2021 American neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by John Lee Hancock. The plot follows two police officers (Denzel Washington and Rami Malek) who try to catch a serial killer in 1990s Los Angeles, when they find a strange man (Jared Leto) who becomes their top suspect. (wiki)

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imdb

documentary, movies

1762 – The Dig (2021)

timespace coordinates: Suffolk, in the east of England, 1939 – excavation of Sutton Hoo

The Dig (stylized as the DIG) is a drama film directed by Simon Stone, based on the 2007 novel of the same name by John Preston, It stars Carey MulliganRalph FiennesLily JamesJohnny FlynnBen ChaplinKen Stott, Archie Barnes and Monica Dolan

Edith May Pretty was an English landowner on whose land the Sutton Hoo ship burial was discovered after she hired Basil Brown, a local archaeologist, to find out if anything lay beneath the mounds on her property. 

imdb   /  wiki   /   archive footage   /   Sutton Hoo – BBC Documentary (youtube)   /  Smarthistory

music

1758 – The City is Forever

by VA: 10 Association

Only on Dream Museum Records


You always wake up on a train. The only passenger accounted for is you. The next destination flashes on the screen above: #$$@#*. As a voice rings through the speakers, the dialect sounds strange. You can’t place its origin. As your nerves and muscles start to tense, the destination reveals itself as both mysterious and familiar. The faint lights in the distance are brought closer with each pulse of your heart.

You look out the window and see what everything is leading to. Your mind only connects two words together for the location. The city. It’s where dreams and reality blend into one another. Neon lights gleam against the endless night. You wander the streets, which are littered with propaganda from corporations. Humanity is fighting its war to see who– or what– will prosper. The only thought in your mind is … home …


VA 10 collaborates on a new dreampunk project. 15 tracks that explore each districts’ voice and soul as you delve into the alleys and complexes of this technological metropolis. We hope you enjoy the visit…


released January 22, 2021
movies

1751 – Synchronic (2019)

timespace coordinates: 2019 (+) New Orleans

Synchronic is a 2019 American science fiction horror film directed and produced by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead and written by Benson. It stars Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan. (wiki)

synchronic poster

Two New Orleans paramedics’ lives are ripped apart after they encounter a series of horrific deaths linked to a designer drug with bizarre, otherworldly effects.

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imdb   /   rottentomatoes

movies, Uncategorized

1750

The Thing (1982)

timespace coordinates: Antarctica 1982 

The Thing is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter and written by Bill Lancaster. Based on the 1938 John W. Campbell Jr. novella Who Goes There?, it tells the story of a group of American researchers in Antarctica who encounter the eponymous “Thing”, a parasitic extraterrestrial life-form that assimilates, then imitates other organisms. The group is overcome by paranoia and conflict as they learn that they can no longer trust each other and that any one of them could be the Thing. The film stars Kurt Russell as the team’s helicopter pilot, R.J. MacReady, and features A. Wilford BrimleyT. K. CarterDavid ClennonKeith DavidRichard DysartCharles HallahanPeter MaloneyRichard MasurDonald MoffatJoel Polis, and Thomas G. Waites in supporting roles.

The Thing was released in 1982 to very negative reviews. It was described as “instant junk”, “a wretched excess”, and proposed as the most-hated film of all time by film magazine Cinefantastique. Reviews both praised the special effects achievements and criticized their visual repulsiveness, while others found the characterization poorly realised. 

The film found an audience when released on home video and television. In the subsequent years it has been reappraised as one of the best science fiction and horror films ever made, and has gained a cult following.

Thematic analysis


Dark Horse Comics published four comic book sequels starring MacReady, beginning in December 1991 with the two-part The Thing from Another World by Chuck Pfarrer, which is set 24 hours after the film. This was followed by the four-part The Thing from Another World: Climate of Fear in July 1992, the four-part The Thing from Another World: Eternal Vows in December 1993,  and The Thing from Another World: Questionable Research. In 1999, Carpenter said that no serious discussions had taken place for a sequel, but he would be interested in basing one on Pfarrer’s adaptation, calling the story a worthy sequel. A 2002 video game of the same name was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox to generally favorable reviews. The game’s plot follows a team of U.S. soldiers investigating the aftermath of the film’s events. 


The Thing (2011)


A prequel film, The Thing, was released in October 2011, directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., written by Eric Heisserer, and starring Mary Elizabeth WinsteadJoel EdgertonUlrich ThomsenAdewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Eric Christian Olsen The story follows the events after the Norwegian team discovers the Thing.


In 2020, Universal Studios and Blumhouse Productions announced the development of a remake of Carpenter’s The Thing. The remake was described as incorporating elements of The Thing from Another World and The Thing, as well as the novella Who Goes There?, and its expanded version, Frozen Hell that features several additional chapters.


Although released years apart, and unrelated in terms of plot, characters, crew, or even production studios, Carpenter considers The Thing to be the first installment in his “Apocalypse Trilogy”, a series of films based around cosmic horror, entities unknown to man, that are threats to both human life and the sense of self. The Thing was followed by Prince of Darkness in 1987, and In the Mouth of Madness in 1994. All three films are heavily influenced by Carpenter’s appreciation for the works of Lovecraft. (wiki)

imdb: The Thing 1982 / 2011