Stalker (1979), directed by Russia’s late Andrei Tarkovsky, is one of the most bizarre and fascinating science fiction films ever made. It concerns a mysterious patch of Soviet countryside known only as “The Zone” which has been decimated by some mysterious happening, and quarantined off by the Communist government. All who venture into there disappear forever. Yet a handful of brave souls, lured by The Zone’s supposed promise of granted wishes and revelations, are led by ‘The Stalker’ into the abyss. The film is incredibly slow and long but possesses a hypnotizing power, as the unreal cinematography, locations, music and pacing fills you with existential dread and longing. The film is so open-ended and perplexing that its almost spiritual.
The following are two stunning clips that feature some of Eduard Artemiev’s haunting minimalist music that sets the tone for the unraveling psychological drama. If anyone knows where I can find the soundtrack for this, it would be greatly appreciated.
A spot-on comic from Viruscomix.com that satirizes your average concert goers. Having been next to some of these characters at numerous shows, this made me chuckle. They missed “the really tall asshole that stands in front of you” though.
One of the early animation projects of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, long before South Park.
It’s a rather inspiring little short centered on how one’s life should be played as a free flowing song instead of being driven towards a final, climatic note. Surprisingly powerful stuff.
Some beautiful artwork from psychedelic visionary Alex Grey.
You might recognize some of his work from several Tool album covers, including 2006’s
10, 000 Days.
The Cosmic Christ is a certainly a stirring representation of Jesus, melding spirituality with universalism, illustrating a more modernist and Integral Christian outlook.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened”. Matthew 7:7-8
This video, set to Ulver’s “Blinded by Blood”, showcases the haunting work of renowned Swiss artist HR Giger, who’s disturbing bio-mechanical imagery caught worldwide attention after he designed the creatures and sets for the Alien series. The hellish figures and threatening mechanical landscapes match beautifully with Ulver’s ambient and ghostly compositions. Giger remains one of the greatest surrealists, combining science fiction and horror elements in his fantastical visions, inspiring artists across different mediums and revolutionizing the aesthetics of science fiction.
This weekend I had the pleasure of attending Video Games Live at Massey Hall where a full orchestra and choir played through some of the most acclaimed video game soundtracks in the history of the industry. Yes, I admit, it was an incredibly nerdy experience, but a nostalgic one as well, as it beautifully conveyed the musical artistry that has emerged through the relatively young medium. If you have a favorite game, chances are these guys covered it last night. Mario, Metal Gear, Sonic, Final Fantasy, Zelda, Halo, God of War and even Pong were among the highlights. The ensemble has toured the world, so check out their site to see when they’re coming to your home town.
This is a beautiful video tribute to the late comedian/philosopher Bill Hicks and his take on “The War on Drugs”. I think the song on the soundtrack is a remixed Godspeed You Black Emperor track, but I could be wrong. Anyways, the animation and editing in this is hypnotic. Take a look.
“Today, a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration … that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There’s no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we’re the imagination of ourselves. Here’s Tom with the weather.”
Rage Against the Machine “Testify”. Directed by Micheal Moore 2000.
Been reading a copy of Noam Chomsky’s Failed States that I got for Christmas. It reminded me of this Rage Against the Machine video for “Testify”, way back from the 2000 election.
Interesting, but I still think Gore would have been a better president, even though he was merely the lesser of two evils it seems.
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