From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V13 #193 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Friday, July 2 2004 Volume 13 : Number 193 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Too Faust For You (AKA Amon Duul II You What You Did II Me) [James Di] quick APB [James Dignan ] REAP [Mike Swedene ] REAP [Ken Weingold ] reap ["Jason Brown \(Echo Services Inc\)" ] Re: reap ["Stewart C. Russell" ] Re: Uncle Junior's summer gig? ["Eb" ] ps ["Eb" ] Re: subtlety ["Cadtharsis" ] Re: subtlety ["Eb" ] More Feg Art... ["Rex.Broome" ] More Feg Art... ["Rex.Broome" ] Re: subtlety [Christopher Gross ] Downloading shows [Sebastian Hagedorn ] Comikbuchfilms ["Rex.Broome" ] The horror... ["Rex Broome" ] Brando [Ken Weingold ] reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeap ["Eb" ] Re: reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeap ["Eb" ] Soft Boys 76-81 Double CD ["Brian" ] Re: Soft Boys 76-81 Double CD [Jon Lewis ] Re: Uncle Junior's summer gig? [Elizabeth Brion ] Re: Soft Boys 76-81 Double CD [Ken Weingold ] Re: Soft Boys 76-81 Double CD ["Stewart C. Russell" ] Re: Uncle Junior's summer gig? ["Fortissimo" ] Re: Uncle Junior's summer gig? ["Fortissimo" ] Re: Uncle Junior's summer gig? ["Stewart C. Russell" ] Fwd: Re: Soft Boys 76-81 Double CD ["Rex Broome" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 23:10:07 +1200 From: James Dignan Subject: Re: Too Faust For You (AKA Amon Duul II You What You Did II Me) while on the subject of krautrock, has anyone any views on he worth of Kraan? I know someone who raves about them, but I know virtually nothing about them. And how come no-one has mentioned the band whioch is (along with Kraftwerk) the epitome of German synthesiser bands, Tangerine Dream? James np - Hyperborea - -- James Dignan, Dunedin, New Zealand -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.- =-.-=-.-=-.- You talk to me as if from a distance .-=-.-=-.-=-. -=-. And I reply with impressions chosen from another time .-=- .-=-.-=-.-=-.-=- (Brian Eno - "By this River") -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 23:21:18 +1200 From: James Dignan Subject: quick APB Dear all - a friend of mine has done some art of a political nature (it's anti Dubya stuff). It can be seen on the web at: She wishes to remain anonymous (and has used the name "Aunty Waihola" for the work), but also says that she would like this picture spread around if you know anyone who might like to see it. She would like to share with as many people as possible. So... feel free to pass the message on if you so wish! love to all, James - -- James Dignan, Dunedin, New Zealand -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.- =-.-=-.-=-.- You talk to me as if from a distance .-=-.-=-.-=-. -=-. And I reply with impressions chosen from another time .-=- .-=-.-=-.-=-.-=- (Brian Eno - "By this River") -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 08:29:13 -0700 (PDT) From: Mike Swedene Subject: REAP Marlon Brando did I beat everyone else? Mike ===== - ------------------------------------------------- "there is water at the bottom of the ocean" - talking heads _________________________________________________________ __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 11:44:57 -0400 From: Ken Weingold Subject: REAP Marlon Brando, 80. - -Ken ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 08:45:15 -0700 From: "Jason Brown \(Echo Services Inc\)" Subject: reap Marlon Brando http://edition.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/02/obit.brando/index.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 12:05:10 -0400 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: reap Mind the oranges, Marlon! (um, I guess that probably doesn't mean as much to y'all as I'd hoped.) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:05:18 -0700 From: "Eb" Subject: Re: Uncle Junior's summer gig? > It's exactly because I don't spend all my time at the monitor that I > download it! > > I can watch it whenever I like and I don't have to pay for cable or tapes > or tivo. Again...lordy. Lordy. Out of perverse curiosity, what's your source for downloading all these shows? A website, or otherwise? > > What garbage reasoning that was. Were you serious? > > I'm dead serious. Rambo is a superhero... so is Wil Smith's character in > Bad Boys (or anything else, really), Bruce Willis in Die Hard, and Geena > Davis in The Long Kiss Goodnight. They all do things that regular people > could never do. This point of contention is so willfully obtuse that it doesn't warrant a reply. Eb PS Amazingly, I've never seen "On the Waterfront" -- looking forward to the inevitable all-Brando day on TCM. Also: I'm surprised that none of the early obituaries seem to mention "Apocalypse Now" as a notable role. Hrm. Seems like the general spin is that he was through as an important actor, after "Last Tango in Paris." ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:12:52 -0700 From: "Eb" Subject: ps Sorry about the redundant reap...as I said, my posts often have been delayed lately. I sent out a "reap," and I've seen three subsequent reaps since then without seeing my own notice pop up. Now, let's all get together and watch Brando's landmark role in "Candy" tonight. ;) You know, it just occured to me that one of the five or six films I have on temporary, watch-then-recycle tape right now is the Brando version of "Julius Caesar." Pure coincidence -- taped it over a week ago. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 10:09:42 -0600 From: "Cadtharsis" Subject: Re: subtlety > Funny, though, because leaving off an "e" in those cases is usually > considered a normal variant in American english, but not here. I think the norm is to drop the silent "e" only for monosyllablic words or the "ing" suffix. - - Bill Paging Chris Gross....paging Chris Gross. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:28:38 -0700 From: "Eb" Subject: Re: subtlety > > Funny, though, because leaving off an "e" in those cases is usually > > considered a normal variant in American english, but not here. > > I think the norm is to drop the silent "e" only for monosyllablic words or > the "ing" suffix. I'm just waiting for someone to post the inevitable Game Theory joke. ;p Eb ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:35:23 -0700 From: "Rex.Broome" Subject: More Feg Art... Me, then Nat (last seen birthing Cthulhu): >>recently: the visual equivalent > >of Tinfoil Thoths, original >>visualart by fegs... who else >does this > >>kind of thing? >Tinfoil Thoths ARE visual art by fegs... this feg, anyway. Hey there... I mentioned you later in that post! You're also the only feg of whose art I actually own an example, and please don't think it's going unappreciated! - -Rex, with paint on his shoes ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:35:23 -0700 From: "Rex.Broome" Subject: More Feg Art... Me, then Nat (last seen birthing Cthulhu): >>recently: the visual equivalent > >of Tinfoil Thoths, original >>visualart by fegs... who else >does this > >>kind of thing? >Tinfoil Thoths ARE visual art by fegs... this feg, anyway. Hey there... I mentioned you later in that post! You're also the only feg of whose art I actually own an example, and please don't think it's going unappreciated! - -Rex, with paint on his shoes ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 12:36:49 -0400 (EDT) From: Christopher Gross Subject: Re: subtlety On Fri, 2 Jul 2004, Cadtharsis wrote: > > Funny, though, because leaving off an "e" in those cases is usually > > considered a normal variant in American english, but not here. > > I think the norm is to drop the silent "e" only for monosyllablic words or > the "ing" suffix. > > - Bill > > Paging Chris Gross....paging Chris Gross. Yes? (If it's about the spelling rule applicable above, I have to admit I have no idea. If I were to hazard a guess, maybe the rule is that you only drop the final 'e' if it's there to make a previous vowel long, as in fire/firing? ) - --Chris ps: Congratulations Brian! ______________________________________________________________________ Christopher Gross On the Internet, nobody knows I'm a dog. chrisg@gwu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 18:48:29 +0200 From: Sebastian Hagedorn Subject: Downloading shows - -- Eb is rumored to have mumbled on Freitag, 2. Juli 2004 9:05 Uhr -0700 regarding Re: Uncle Junior's summer gig?: > Out of perverse curiosity, what's your source for downloading all these > shows? A website, or otherwise? I use mldonkey. Works great. You can find the links under www.the-realworld.de. Of course my situation is different inasmuch as I can't watch them on TV, even if I wanted to ... - -- Sebastian Hagedorn Ehrenfeldg|rtel 156, 50823 Kvln, Germany http://www.spinfo.uni-koeln.de/~hgd/ "Being just contaminates the void" - Robyn Hitchcock ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 11:19:06 -0700 From: "Rex.Broome" Subject: Comikbuchfilms Eb on Spielberg: >>It kinda reminds me of how U2 similarly managed >>to weather incredible superstardom and the subsequent backlash, and >>reinvent themselves to eventually come out ahead. You know, I would call that a very astute parallel, buy My Mileage Varies in that I find it very difficult to really care about the later work of either of them. Jeme to Eb: >>Exactly how would you define "superhero movie" so that you weren't >>also talking about the examples I gave? Dude, you guys both know what each other means, right? Eb usually explicitly uses the term "comic book movie" and means specifically that: movies based on content and characters developed in comic books (or by mild extention, films not necessarily literally based on pre-existing characters but modeled more closely on that trope than a standard "action film"). That notwithstanding, Jeme's characterization of normal action heroes as "superheroes" does hold up... there just ain't much to argue about in either direction. I'm enjoying the debate and all, but it seems like you guys are deliberately cross-talking here... - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 11:44:21 -0700 From: "Rex Broome" Subject: The horror... Eb: >>Also: I'm surprised that none of the early >obituaries seem to mention "Apocalypse Now" as a notable role. Hrm. Seems >like the general spin is that he was through as an important actor, after >"Last Tango in Paris." My guess is that the backstory of that performance is so well-known and oft-retold by now that, as well as it plays in the film and as memorable as it is, it's not thought of as "acting" per se anymore. I'm sure we'll hear lots more about it over the next few days, though... - -Rex Need a new email address that people can remember Check out the new EudoraMail at http://www.eudoramail.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 14:50:08 -0400 From: Ken Weingold Subject: Brando I wonder if he'll be buried wearing pants. - -Ken ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 08:40:35 -0700 From: "Eb" Subject: reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeap Marlon Brando :( Eb ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 13:27:09 -0700 From: "Eb" Subject: Re: reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeap From: "Eb" To: "Fgz" Sent: Friday, July 02, 2004 8:40 AM Subject: reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeap > Marlon Brando :( > > Eb Sent at 8:40am, received at 1:24pm. Christ. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 17:35:22 -0400 From: "Brian" Subject: Soft Boys 76-81 Double CD Man, I'm half tempted to get this myself for a back up copy (note there are 2 listed): http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=307&item=4022128964&rd=1 That's a good price for this rarity. I think cheaper than I paid when it came out originally. - -Nuppy - -- Brian nightshadecat@mailbolt.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 17:42:59 -0400 From: Jon Lewis Subject: Re: Soft Boys 76-81 Double CD On Friday, July 2, 2004, at 05:35 PM, Brian wrote: > Man, I'm half tempted to get this myself for a back up copy (note there > are 2 listed): > > http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ > eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=307&item=4022128964&rd=1 > > That's a good price for this rarity. I think cheaper than I paid when > it > came out originally. > > We all need an unspoken pact that anyone in need of the 5 Wading Through A Ventilator tracks and the live stuff from this comp will be duly hooked up. This is maybe the best 2cd band comp I know, and it's a tragedy it's out of print. If mine ever gets scratched on the read surface, I will weep. Jon L. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 12:36:21 -0700 From: Elizabeth Brion Subject: Re: Uncle Junior's summer gig? On Friday, July 2, 2004, at 12:20 AM, wrote: > I can't remember: Has this list yet discussed those Pepto Bismol ads, > where > the office workers chant about their diarrhea while clutching their > asses? I'm so glad you brought that up. I only saw it once, and was becoming concerned that I might have dreamed it. It's bad enough that such a thing emerged from *anyone's* subconscious; it would be so much worse if it turned out to be mine. > He downplayed the sci-fi/fantasy mantle to make big > message films -- and now, he's seemingly enjoying making solid, > small-scale > films like "Catch Me If You Can" and "The Terminal" which are purely > story-driven. I think the pregnancy hormones are making me hypercritical, but I really thought "The Terminal" was a colossal mess, mostly in terms of character arc. On the bright side, though, it was not ruined for me by the John Williams score, which is what usually happens with Spielberg and me. So that's progress. I did like "Catch Me...", though. Brian, congratulations on your new addition! I've been campaigning for Julian for our kid's name, too, but I don't think the spouse is gonna go for it. Oh well... E ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 18:15:18 -0400 (EDT) From: Aaron Mandel Subject: Re: Soft Boys 76-81 Double CD On Fri, 2 Jul 2004, Jon Lewis wrote: > We all need an unspoken pact that anyone in need of the 5 Wading Through > A Ventilator tracks and the live stuff from this comp will be duly > hooked up. This is maybe the best 2cd band comp I know, and it's a > tragedy it's out of print. If mine ever gets scratched on the read > surface, I will weep. Actually, it's scratches on the other side that can really fuck you over - -- anyone who tries to write with a ballpoint pen on the label side of CD has pretty much wrecked it, while you can do a lot of little scratches on the play side and still read the thing. Or so it was a few years ago, the last time I had the misfortune to learn anything about this. But: Ventilator, yes. Is the sixth cut from Raw Cuts in wide circulation around here? I know I have it somewhere... a ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 18:31:21 -0400 From: Ken Weingold Subject: Re: Soft Boys 76-81 Double CD On Fri, Jul 2, 2004, Brian wrote: > Man, I'm half tempted to get this myself for a back up copy (note there > are 2 listed): > > http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=307&item=4022128964&rd=1 > > That's a good price for this rarity. I think cheaper than I paid when it > came out originally. Woops, I didn't pay anything for mine. I got it when I was interning at Rykodisc. - -Ken ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 18:44:50 -0400 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: Soft Boys 76-81 Double CD Which tracks are the unavailable ones? I daresay I could find the webspace to store these as some class of lossless file. Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 18:32:59 -0500 From: "Fortissimo" Subject: Re: Uncle Junior's summer gig? On Fri, 2 Jul 2004 00:20:54 -0700, elbroome@earthlink.net said: > I can't remember: Has this list yet discussed those Pepto Bismol ads, > where > the office workers chant about their diarrhea while clutching their > asses? > Now there we have a case of BAD-annoying -- perhaps the single most > tasteless commercial I've seen in my life. Simply astonishing. Nope - not as bad as the ad for...I don't recall who - but featuring a character who had to try things out before he bought them. He's in an aisle full of toilets, and we see him face his rear toward the toilets and begin to undo his trousers... Thankfully, that's all we see. But who the hell thought anyone wanted even to *think* about the rest? - ------------------------------- ...Jeff J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com/ :: crumple zones:: :: harmful or fatal if swallowed :: :: small-craft warning :: ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 18:40:05 -0500 From: "Fortissimo" Subject: Re: Uncle Junior's summer gig? On Fri, 2 Jul 2004 01:40:05 -0700 (PDT), "Capuchin" said: > I have no interest in Buffy, Firefly or other such claptrap. And predictably, I reply: Uh, if you haven't seen them (which I assume from your saying "have no interest in"), how do you know they're "claptrap"? Whedon's work generally is a perfect example of the way description (in terms of scenario, character, and plot) completely fails to convey what's actually good about the work. That is, Buffy (for example) is utterly ridiculous (intentionally so) in description - but I don't suppose it surprises anyone here to hear me say that it's quite possibly the best TV show ever in terms of overall effectiveness. - ------------------------------- ...Jeff J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com/ :: crumple zones:: :: harmful or fatal if swallowed :: :: small-craft warning :: ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 19:49:07 -0400 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: Uncle Junior's summer gig? Fortissimo wrote: > > Nope - not as bad as the ad for...I don't recall who - but featuring a > character who had to try things out before he bought them. Best Buy? > He's in an > aisle full of toilets, and we see him face his rear toward the toilets > and begin to undo his trousers... Thankfully, that's all we see. But who > the hell thought anyone wanted even to *think* about the rest? A friend who used to work in a big home centre in Scotland said that was a big problem in the bathroom section. They ended up having to tape the toilet lids down. Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 16:49:44 -0700 From: "Rex Broome" Subject: Re: Soft Boys 76-81 Double CD Jon: >We all need an unspoken pact that anyone in need of the 5 Wading >Through A Ventilator tracks and the live stuff from this comp will be >duly hooked up. ...and also provided with the version of "Vyrna Knowle" that used to live with them in its vinyl incarnation, but only made it to CD on "Raw Cuts". >This is maybe the best 2cd band comp I know, and it's >a tragedy it's out of print. If mine ever gets scratched on the read >surface, I will weep. Speaking of which... can anyone give me any anecdotal evidence of whether or not CD resurfacers are worth the time and money? I'm about 1500 discs deep into iTunes-ifying my whole library and I've got a pile of five or so discs which just won't read, apparently due to either too many or just plain strategically placed scratches. Only one, thankfully, even approaches "rarity" status, but I still wanna know what my realistic chances of rehabbing these discs are. Don't even ask me how that perfectly asterisk-shaped puncture got on the last two tracks of Dylan's "Time Out of Mind", because the most probable answer is that the kids did it, and if they did, I don't think I want to know how. - -Rex Need a new email address that people can remember Check out the new EudoraMail at http://www.eudoramail.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 16:50:27 -0700 From: "Rex Broome" Subject: Fwd: Re: Soft Boys 76-81 Double CD - -- - --------- Forwarded Message --------- DATE: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 16:49:44 From: "Rex Broome" To: "Brian" Cc: "Eat Sausages and Yams" Jon: >We all need an unspoken pact that anyone in need of the 5 Wading >Through A Ventilator tracks and the live stuff from this comp will be >duly hooked up. ...and also provided with the version of "Vyrna Knowle" that used to live with them in its vinyl incarnation, but only made it to CD on "Raw Cuts". >This is maybe the best 2cd band comp I know, and it's >a tragedy it's out of print. If mine ever gets scratched on the read >surface, I will weep. Speaking of which... can anyone give me any anecdotal evidence of whether or not CD resurfacers are worth the time and money? I'm about 1500 discs deep into iTunes-ifying my whole library and I've got a pile of five or so discs which just won't read, apparently due to either too many or just plain strategically placed scratches. Only one, thankfully, even approaches "rarity" status, but I still wanna know what my realistic chances of rehabbing these discs are. Don't even ask me how that perfectly asterisk-shaped puncture got on the last two tracks of Dylan's "Time Out of Mind", because the most probable answer is that the kids did it, and if they did, I don't think I want to know how. - -Rex Need a new email address that people can remember Check out the new EudoraMail at http://www.eudoramail.com - --------- End Forwarded Message --------- Need a new email address that people can remember Check out the new EudoraMail at http://www.eudoramail.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 16:56:05 -0700 (PDT) From: "The Mammal Brain" Subject: Re: Uncle Junior's summer gig? no, it's bayard and myself who are the Family Guy addicts. <"Jaws" is a flat-out masterpiece> have you watched it recently? if you do, i think you'll find that, while it's a pretty decent movie, it's far from a masterpiece. i'll certainly admit that i was utterly shocked at how much i enjoyed Catch Me If You Can. depends which movie you're watching. if it's Crimson Permanent Assurance, Brazil, or Munchausen; i really think it's the best acting and characters ever seen in special effects movies. on the other hand, if it's The Fisher King or Fear And Loathing; then i think you're right. Time Bandits and 12 Monkeys are on the plus side, i think -- but not quite up to the level of the other three. Watching Lost In La Mancha, it looked like he was perhaps going to get it rolling again. Hudsucker Proxy, dude! Raising Arizona, Big Lebowski, and O Brother had some pretty eye-popping visuals, too; though Hudsucker is a true special effects masterwork. i kind of agree with regards to Amelie (of which i'm not a very big fan). but i have to *strongly* disagree with regards to Delicatessen and City Of Lost Children. the characters are, as far as i can tell, very much of the world they inhabit, seamlessly integrated, excellently portrayed, and a wonder to behold. Alien is an entirely different story to be sure. if i recall, jeunet had not yet learnt english when he was directing it. but, boy, you can't possibly have worse acting than winona ryder's in that one. i think that franchise sucks, anyway. boy, i sure disagree again. which scenes are you thinking of? no. but i got the impression from your original post that he'd taken it to another level with the Lord Of The Rings, which i detest. but, perhaps i'll check 'em out. that reminds me (because its computers are always menacing the characters with syntax errors): have y'all seen david rees' new strip, My New Filing Technique Is Unstoppable? . no, dude. they were fucking laughable. well, i'm not a kid anymore. if you're saying that Spider-Man's visual effects are only intended to be enjoyed by children, then, fine. but then why are we discussing it on this board, and why is it being jizzed all over by every critic in the world? and that is, finally, the problem with the big-budget cgi/effects spectaculars: their screenplays are, by and large abominable. Spider-Man isn't the worst of all time because its visuals are laughable (though they are), it's because the screenplay was fucking dead on arrival (and, oh yeah, the acting stinks like shit). but you and i both know that these sorts of movies are recommended to be seen "for what they are", viz., special effects spectaculars. so, if you're going into a movie not expecting to enjoy any part of it except for the visuals, you'd think that it could at least be held to *this* standard. instead, you've got critics jizzing all over movies with no screenplay, no acting, no directing, *and* fake-looking visuals. for what it's worth, there is one movie whose cgi i found convincing: The Perfect Storm. pretty good flick, too. can't think of another one, though. i gather from the website that it's not so "crappy" anymore (for better or worse). oddly enough, i too spelt it "Enchanged" at first -- but caught the typo before sending. well, i'd agree, and i think the three i mentioned fit that bill (maybe ridley scott as well, though he's a bit more problematic on the character side of the equation). but how can a phony-looking effect executed within a photo-realistic frame not be jarring, and not call attention to itself? well, maybe it'll get there someday. but as far as i can see, the state of the special effects art is seriously regressing. it's *today's* movies that pale in comparison to the likes of Brazil and Baron Munchausen, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Blade Runner and Alien, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ghostbusters, 2001, Delicatessen and City Of Lost Children, etc.. not all of these are great movies. but they all kick the crap out of today's "magical images" by a country mile. which is not to say that there aren't impressive cinematographic achievements in today's movies -- there are. they aren't being achieved with cgi, though. Winged Migration, which employs exactly zero special effects shots, is probably the most visually spectacular movie ever made (maybe it's rivalled by some IMAX films). what's more, it's infinitely more exciting and watchable, as cinema, for children -- both boys and girls - -- at least up to, say, 10 or 11, than the fucking Shrek bullshit (and whatnot) that they're instead being exposed to. von trier's 100 stationary DV cameras in Dancer In The Dark, and his wacked-out set in Dogville. paul greengrass' absolutely gripping docu-style re-creation in Bloody Sunday. soderbergh's and david russell's experimentation in Full Frontal and Three Kings. even the coens' en masse image manipulation in O Brother and The Man Who Wasn't There. all fascinating to *look at*, as well as being good or great movies. by the way, i had a pretty fucked up fegdream last night. my memory's a bit hazy. but it was to do with there being a separate soft boys list, in addition to fegmaniax. at one point, there was an announcement that the soft boys had broken up -- but people continued to post to the soft boys list anyhow. so then paul wolfowitz (!) started posting to the soft boys list, saying that everyone who was continuing to post to the soft boys list even after they had broken up was going to be in trouble. which of course caused a furor on the fegmaniax list. so then there was some kind of hearing to sort it all out. my mom (who wouldn't know a robyn hitchcock song from a hole in the ground) was arguing wolfowitz's side. after every point made by her, i would loudly and rudely reply, "give me a fucking break, mom." then eb (as far as i can recall, the only other feg in attendance) caused a big problem when his dog (a little "yipper" dog, you could say) went totally ape-shit, and eb couldn't get it back under control. that's all i can remember. by the way, #2. i've stuck upon an idea which i think should take the world of middle eastern cuisine by storm: the falafel waffle. how can *anyone* resist saying "falafel waffle" over and over and over again? i plan to try to make some the next time we get a load of parsley in. i will notify you when that happens. ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V13 #193 ********************************