books, movies

0540 – Naked Lunch (1991)

spacetime coordinates: 1951 – ’53 New York City –  Interzone, a city somewhere in North Africa

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Naked Lunch is a 1991 science fiction drama film co-written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Peter WellerJudy DavisIan Holm, and Roy Scheider. It is an adaptation of William S. Burroughs‘ 1959 novel of the same name, and an international co-production of Canada, Britain and Japan.

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The screenplay for Naked Lunch is based not only on Burroughs’ novel, but also on other fiction by him, and autobiographical accounts of his life. It can be seen as a metatextual adaptation, in that it depicts the writing of the novel itself. Several characters are loosely based on people that Burroughs knew: Hank and Martin are based on Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg (who assisted Burroughs in compiling the original novel), and Tom and Joan Frost on Paul and Jane Bowles whom Burroughs befriended in TangierMorocco.

The shooting of Joan Lee is based on the 1951 death of Joan Vollmer, Burroughs’ common-law wife.  Burroughs shot and killed Vollmer in a drunken game of “William Tell” at a party in Mexico City. He would later flee to the United States. Burroughs was convicted in absentia of homicide and sentenced to two years, which were suspended. Burroughs stated in the introduction to his book Queer that Joan’s death was the starting point of his literary career, saying: “I am forced to the appalling conclusion that I would have never become a writer but for Joan’s death”. (wiki)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102511/

movies

0515 – Street Trash (1987)

 spacetime coordinates: 1980s  Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York City

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Street Trash is a 1987 American black comedy body horror film directed by J. Michael Muro (credited as Jim Muro). It won the Silver Raven at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film. The film has acquired a status as a cult classic independent horror-comedy and is one of a number of films known as “melt movies”

Roy Frumkes wrote the screenplay. In an NBR profile he later said: “I wrote it to democratically offend every group on the planet, and as a result the youth market embraced it as a renegade work, and it played midnight shows.”

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094057/

animation

0510 – Rocks in My Pockets (2014)

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Rocks in My Pockets (Latvian: Akmeņi manās kabatās) is a 2014  2D / 3D animated film written, produced, directed and animated by Signe Baumane. It was originally created in English and a Latvian version was thereafter translated and produced. The film is based on true events about five women of the filmmaker’s family, including herself, and their battles with depression and suicide. For the entire film, approximately 30,000 drawings were created.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2961890/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocks_in_My_Pockets

movies

0507 – La cité des enfants perdus / The City of Lost Children (1995)

The City of Lost Children poster

The City of Lost Children (French: La cité des enfants perdus) is a 1995 dystopian/ science fantasy/ steampunk/ drama film directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, written by Jeunet and Gilles Adrien, and starring Ron Perlman. An international co-production of companies from France, Germany, and Spain, the film is stylistically related to the previous and subsequent Jeunet films, Delicatessen and AmélieThe musical score was composed by Angelo Badalamenti  with costumes designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Interpretation       imdb

movies

503 – I Sell the Dead (2008)

spacetime coordinates:  early 1800s Ireland 7uozFnYFBacGyBfWfnuSAGvz6OcI Sell the Dead is a 2008 horror comedy, the feature film debut from Irish director Glenn McQuaid.  The film is a period horror comedy about grave robbing  and supernatural hijinks inspired by the story of William Burke and William Hare, the famous body snatchers that operated in Edinburgh, Scotland in the early 1800s. the movie stars Dominic MonaghanRon PerlmanLarry Fessenden and Angus Scrimm.

A graphic novel of the film has been released, with Glenn McQuaid writing and illustrations by Brahm Revel (October, 2009).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0902290/

animation, documentary, quotes, Uncategorized

501

Excerpt from Examined Life, 2008. (imdb)Layout 1

Slavoj Zizek investigates the surprising ethical implications of charitable giving.

Slavoj Žižek on CBC radio

Political Correctness Is a More Dangerous Form of Totalitarianism

movies

486 – The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

cabin-in-the-woods-poster-hi-resThe Cabin in the Woods is a 2012 American horror comedy film directed by Drew Goddard in his directorial debut, produced by Joss Whedon, and written by Whedon and Goddard.  The film stars Kristen ConnollyChris HemsworthAnna HutchisonFran KranzJesse WilliamsRichard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford.

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Goddard and Whedon, having worked together previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, wrote the screenplay in three days, describing it as an attempt to “revitalize” the slasher film genre and as a critical satire on torture porn. The special effects, monster costumes, special makeup, and prosthetic makeup for the movie were done by veteran horror film actress Heather Langenkamp, her husband David LeRoy Anderson, and their company AFX Studio.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/